Sitting tight

It has been a month and a few days since my last post. Not much has been going on in our 30 foot world but I felt like writing today so I reckon I’ll give a little update of what’s not been going on. Ha!

After our time in South Dakota we made a mad dash back to Kentucky in order to get some blood work done in plenty of time for an upcoming follow up appointment. That mad dash cost quite a bit of money in fuel to get us back in time. We drove till dark (almost eleven hours) the first day then stopped overnight at a Love’s gas station. I had previously read somewhere that Love’s was going to start accommodating RVers with electric and water hookups. As the sun was setting I happened to see a Love’s billboard in western Missouri that offered sites for RV’s. It took us a bit to figure out how to make the reservation (which had to be done online since their kiosk wasn’t working properly) but once we confirmed it our water and electric was magically turned on and we promptly conked out for the night. There was a total of five sites at the side of the store and I believe it had just been opened up for business. In my opinion, I felt the nightly cost was a bit high (around $37) for a parking spot with water and electric only but I guess the convenience of a one-shot-stop (accommodations, fuel, showers, food, etc.) was worth it. I would do it again if push came to shove for a safe place to stay overnight.

The following morning we brewed the coffee, filled our travel mugs and were on our way. Halfway through Missouri my B&B boss called wondering when we would be back in the area. Was that evening soon enough?! That being said, after resting for a few days from our mad dash across half the United States I was back at work for a few days here and there working on a special project. Since we are staying put for a while to catch up on fuel funds the work was much appreciated and, as always, it was wonderful to see my former coworkers and boss again.

As we made our way back we were fortunate to see the arch in St. Louis…

… and a cool bridge (pardon the messy windshield) taking us over the Mississippi River and into Illinois…

… where we saw the arch again from across the river…

It’s something neither one of us ever expected to see as we’re not much for visiting big cities but there it is!

Our trip to South Dakota was made so that we could set up domicile there. (It’s the easiest of the three states – Florida, Texas, or South Dakota – to establish.) However, and it’s a big however, in my research on establishing a domicile I failed to actually read the necessary documents and discovered (once we were already in S. Dakota) that Ronnie would need an eye exam and a document signed by an optometrist in order to get his driver license due to his age. Since we had less than a week in western S. Dakota that was not an option. So, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while we were there then made a mad dash back to Kentucky all for naught.

So, here we sit in a different campground (Walnut Meadow RV Park) in Berea, Kentucky for a couple months while we get caught up on fuel funds. Here’s the kicker, we rushed halfway across the US to get back for an appointment that was ultimately canceled. Had we known that it would be canceled be would’ve stayed out west, gone to see our grand-daughter in Montana, and seen more sights which would’ve ultimately saved us quite a bit of money. But, what’s done is done and here we are – sitting tight.

Even with working here and there sitting tight has given me a lot of chill time. I’ve read a couple books, finished another cross stitch piece that had been started years ago, crocheted some dish cloths, knitted some dish scrubbies and now I’m working on a baby blanket…

Shortly after our arrival in Kentucky we had several rainy days in a row. The morning the rain finally stopped these little ones brightened my day as I waited for the sun to make an appearance…

… robins taking advantage of a puddle in the road. I enjoyed watching their bathing antics for several minutes before they all flew off.

The weather has also cooled off significantly. In fact, I’ve spotted some early Autumn colors in some of the leaves ’round here…

In a couple weeks the rest of the leaves will be changing creating quite a show in the mountains and hills here in the Appalachians.

On a sad note, we had to make a trip to Arkansas last week for a funeral. It was expected, but still… We made the trip sans the trailer which saved us on fuel cost and we stayed with one of Ronnie’s brothers for the duration of our stay. Although it was a sad occasion we enjoyed seeing and visiting his side of the family. There was even a little time for some backyard fishing…

Once we got back ‘home’ I felt as though I could have slept for a week. Much like this little girl…

… so tired her tongue’s hanging out! What a trooper LizzieBelle is. Even with being blind and deaf and suffering from CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) she just goes along with the flow and as long as she gets her meds and we are nearby she’s good.

No sooner did we arrive back in Kentucky Florida was getting ready for the storm of a lifetime. Living much of my life in Florida and knowing the impending danger and devastation a hurricane can bring I kept an eye on Ian. We have family in south and central Florida so the path was of great concern. When the path became clear we spent days worrying about Ronnie’s brother and Mom as they live near Ft. Myers and we couldn’t get a hold of them. And then the possibility of it heading to my cousin’s in Georgia. Thankfully, they and their houses are all OK but the lives lost and the devastation is none like I have ever seen in all my years. The aftermath photos are heart-breaking and my prayers are with those that have lost loved ones and are beginning the long and arduous process of rebuilding their lives.

While in Arkansas Ronnie and I stopped at a Chinese restaurant that offered a buffet. I had a small plate of some of my favorites and a cup of Wonton soup in which I intentionally scooped up only one wonton and added lots of sliced green onions on top. (I was more interested in the broth and the onions!) I have been craving that broth ever since so today I decided to try my hand at making some to quench my craving.

I looked up some recipes online and using what I had on hand came up with the following:

• 2 pints of home canned chicken broth
• 1 smashed clove of garlic
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1//2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 drops ginger essential oil because I didn’t have any fresh ginger – note about the EO: I use Young Living’s essential oils which are 100% pure with no synthetics or fragrance. What’s in the bottle is 100% the plant(s) listed on the bottle so I am comfortable with using them for cooking. In fact, they have a whole Vitality line branded just for cooking. I would NOT recommend using other essential oil brands for cooking (as most are for aromatherapy use only) unless you can be 100% sure they are pure and plant based.

Combine all in a saucepan and simmer for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Ronnie had to go to the store to pick up some soy sauce and green onions. While there he grabbed some wonton strips as well but they were out of green onions. He went to two other stores nearby and there were no green onions to be had. Oh well. The broth was still delicious even without the onions and was just what I was craving. Maybe it’s the cooler temps but I’ve already made a pot of chili, drank copious amounts of hot tea and now I’m craving broth – wish I had more home canned chicken broth. Sitting tight has been relaxing, productive and delicious! Bring on Autumn!

Two Rivers Campground, Carrollton, KY

From Fort Boonesborough we continued heading north to Two Rivers Campground in Carrollton, Kentucky.  Google Maps estimated our travel time to be one hour and forty five minutes but in reality it was over two hours.  There was one stretch of road where we wound ‘round on top of a ridge.  That stretch was an extremely curvy and narrow ten miles long and it took us about a half hour to go the distance.  We were never more happy to see I-71 shortly after that.

Two Rivers Campground is a small but very nice campground on the Kentucky River with paved and almost level sites, full hook-up (yay!), a playground, and a nice, clean bath house.

As we were setting up the skies turned ominous…

… and we wondered what kind of night we were in for. Instead of Van Gogh’s Starry Night it was Stormy Night.

Thankfully the rains held off until we were finished setting up.  We were even able to continue our tradition of finding a local spot to eat a few miles down the road in historic downtown where we ate at Welch’s Family Restaurant located by the river before the rain started.  The food was OK but the view was fantastic.  We watched a tug boat pushing some loaded down barges up the river while we waited for our food.

Night time brought some heavy rain but thankfully all was well with everyone in the campground and there was no storm damage locally.  These days you just never know so when one comes out at the end of a storm unscathed it’s a good thing.

We were in need of some groceries so the following day we went to Kroger in the newer part of town by the interstate.  I was glad to see a Kroger in town.  It gave us the opportunity to earn some highly valued fuel points.  And, even though we had not eaten before we shopped we stuck to our list and no unhealthy snacks found their way into the buggy.

On the way home we stopped at Mi Viejo Mexican restaurant for a bite to eat.  They offered a buffet so after checking it out that’s what we both went with.  It was delicious and probably some of the most flavorful Mexican food I’ve had since we lived out West.

While Ronnie rested I grabbed my camera and took a short walk…

The Kentucky River flows right behind our camp site and I couldn’t help but think that this beautiful blue bridge that spans it should be the color of the bridge in our old town of Irvine.  The towns folk bleed blue not only for the Kentucky Wildcats but for their Estill County High School Engineers as well.  However, the bridge in Irvine just (and I do mean just – the bridge was unveiled just this week) got a fresh coat of green paint.  Maybe next time.

I was also curious about these pillars standing tall beside the bridge…

They’re directly across each other on each bank. My guess is that they once supported a train track?  Again, it’s just a guess.  I just thought they were cool.

The following day we unfolded the bikes and took a short ride to the river.  Carrollton’s River Walk is a paved walking trail along the Ohio and Kentucky River banks. It begins (or ends depending on where you start!) in the campground about where our truck is and wraps around behind our camper…

… and leads to a nice park, Point Park, on the Ohio River.  There was a serious soccer match going on; people sitting on benches or walking; and a fella launching his boat at the boat ramp.  There’s a small splash park for the kiddos and a skate ramp for those a bit more daring.  It’s the perfect place for a picnic, with shelters and public restrooms, basketball court, volleyball court, and the walking trail.  Point Park is aptly named as its location is where the Kentucky River meets the Ohio River.  

The Kentucky River was always muddy in Irvine and is muddy even this far north – constant runoff from the surrounding mountains I suppose. Here, the mud seemed to just stop right where it met the Ohio River without flowing into it.

As we were admiring the view from one of the benches another tug boat was making its way down the river with five empty barges.

It was moving along much quicker than the loaded down tug boat we saw going upriver the other night.

Two Rivers Campground had a good WiFi and Internet signal which meant we were able to watch a few shows on Amazon Prime and I was able to get caught up on blogging.  I’ve done a little bit of research regarding Internet for RVers and it appears to be costly no matter which option we would choose.  So, the verdict is still out on that.  Meanwhile, we’ll just use whatever is available at campgrounds that provide it.

Our last day full day at Two Rivers was a most gorgeous day!  The door and windows were open and there was a nice, cool breeze blowing all day making it quite comfortable to be outside.  Mid-afternoon we hopped on the bikes and rode to Welch’s for some ice cream.  The River Walk takes you to Main Street so it was an easy, safe ride. After enjoying some Butter Pecan ice cream in a waffle cone we rode along Main Street.  Ronnie popped into the hardware store for some washers for our water filter then we popped into a boutique to have a look around.  I’m always hesitant to do any sort of shopping because we are limited on space.  We’re almost to the point of having to get rid of something if we bring something new in so if I don’t shop then there’s little chance that we’ll get to that point.  But, there are times when curiosity gets the better of me!

While we had full hook-up Miss LizzieBelle got a much needed bath.  She’s never cared for water other than to drink it.  In fact, one time while I was floating on the Colorado River with her on my lap she bailed on me.  Without warning she literally jumped out of my lap into the water and swam back to shore.  She had had enough of that floating in water nonsense, ha!  Anyway, she tolerates the bath because she knows she gets a tasty treat when it’s all said and done.

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I was reading a very old magazine I had brought with me and I ran across a recipe for Marinated Cheese.  I tossed the magazine without saving the recipe but being a Cheese-aholic I’ve thought of nothing else since.  I decided to make some using ingredients I had on hand and from what I could remember of the recipe.  This is what I came up with..

Marinated Cheese

• 4 oz. or 1/2 block white sharp cheddar (can use provolone, mozzarella, Colby jack, etc.) cut into cubes
• thinly sliced garlic clove (I used two small cloves)
• several pinches of rosemary garlic spice (can use whatever spice(s) you like)
• enough extra virgin olive oil to coat (I used a 1/4 cup or less)

Combine everything in an air tight container and let marinate for at least four hours.  About an hour before eating let the cheese come to room temperature.

Ronnie asked me what I was making and he was less than thrilled saying it didn’t sound very good.  I told him he didn’t have to eat any (which would mean more for me!).  However, when it was ready I forked a piece of cheese and gave it to him.  He ate it.  And, he liked it saying it was very good!  Well, phooey, looks like I’ll have to share.

Till next time friends!

Dates at Two Rivers Campground:  June 6 – 10