January 25, 2008 (Fri) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (3) - Our exciting activity for today was to go into "the big city" in search of a WiFi signal - the big city being Umatilla (population 9,034). The signal we'd found last week, across the road from a large RV resort, was too weak to use today. We finally went to the library - why we don't just seek out the local library to begin with is a mystery. After getting our email and sending out the last installment of The Q Chronicles, we headed for the bigger city of Eustis (population 17,923) where Bob found a banjo instruction book and we all had lunch at Applebee's.
We are discovering that playing a guitar in a campground has at least thing in common with walking a dog - it stimulates social contact. A woman stopped while riding by on her bicycle and asked Mark if he was the one who'd been playing the guitar. She thought he'd be interested in knowing that the fellow in the campsite next to her was playing a dulcimer. Another time a woman (coincidentally also riding a bicycle) stopped to say that she was learning to play a violin.
January 26, 2008 (Sat) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (4) - Late yesterday afternoon a group ranging in age from about 7 to mid 20s (maybe 7 or 8 people) and a young dog who knew neither leash nor boundary lines moved in next door. Some of the them were drinking beer as they set up 4 tents, a dining fly and much miscellaneous equipment and toys. We thought we were in for a long noisy night. It turned out not to be. As we went to bed it was obvious that there was a group gathered around a large campfire over there but they weren't boisterous. Around midnight we were awakened by lights against our window. It turned out to be the "Security" vehicle. We can only guess why they were there. They weren't disturbing us at all. This morning they all piled into their rented U-Haul van and took off for the day.
January 27, 2008 (Sun) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (5) - The woods are spotted with the highlighting of twinkling campfires and the smell of woodsmoke fills the air. The sounds of children mix with that of louder than necessary adult voices. Somewhere in the distance rock music adds its special touch and occasionally a dog barks. Next door neighbors extend their camping experience to well past midnight. It's night time in a public campground on a weekend. It makes us appreciate the quiet and relative solitude of the weekdays.
The exodus started about mid morning today with cars and campers parading past on the main artery road. And the cleaning crew began moving from site to site raking and removing ash from fire rings. The crew, normally one person, had to call in reinforcements to pick up all the cigarette butts and dog poop from the site next door. The amount of trash left behind in and around the fire ring, including something that might once have been a piece of clothing, half filled a large garbage bag. But it didn't include the 2 plus cases of beer bottles that the young folks had kindly carried over to the dumpster before they left.
Although it was too chilly to just sit around outside much, we did enjoy the quiet. We walked a boardwalk trail along the spring run and watched ducks, turtle, herons and anhingas from a platform at the end. On the way back we stopped to watch amateur scuba divers hunt for visual treasures in the small lake at the source of the spring.
January 28, 2008 (Mon) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (6) - Canoing on the Alexander Springs run is a much more relaxed than on the Juniper Springs run. We rented canoes this afternoon and took a nice leisurely paddle. Like Juniper Springs it is about 7 1/2 miles long but we didn't go nearly that far - we only had the canoes for two hours and this time, we had to paddle our way back. Along the way we saw several alligators, including two babies, out sunning themselves. Bird life included ducks, herons, ibis, limpkins, anhingas and the ever present Black Vulture. It was a great way to spend our last afternoon there.
In the evening we sat around a warming campfire and chatted until the chill drove us inside.
Q041193 Alexander Springs RA, Ocala National Forest, FL #38 & #31 dry $8.50 A+ (x6)
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January 29, 2008 (Tue)
Alexander Springs RA to Lakeland, FL (143/1602 miles)
The older couple (about our age) across the way who had a tent for shelter were in their pickup truck with the engine running when we got up this morning. We don't blame them. It was 39°! Although better than the night before (37°), that's pretty cold unless properly equipped.
Housekeeping chores before we were officially on our way at about 11:00am included dumping the holding tanks, replenishing the propane, and restocking the cupboards.
This is Primary Day in Florida and we saw lots of Huckabe lawn signs as we made our way South on SR19, West on SR50, and south on SR471. There were a few promoting Mitt Romney and occasionally a sign or two for the other Republican candidates. There was also a sign for the Holy Ghost in the Hills church - but that had nothing to do with the election process. We also passed one area that was obviously a reforested orange grove - there were old orange tree, heavy with fruit, scattered there and through the young hardwoods.
Q041336 Ed & Kathy's yard
The Q Chronicles #81-08
The Q Chronicles #81-07
January 21, 2008 (Mon)
Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF to Blue Spring State Park (44/1408 miles)
Moving day. Up at 7:15 (37°) and off at 8:50 (44° clear). After some housekeeping (dumping, laundry, shopping, and email) we headed East out of Eustis on CR44A then Northeast on SR44 & SR42. And finally South on SR15A and US17 to Orange City, 44 miles in all. When we got to Blue Spring State Park, we found ourselves joining a long line of cars waiting to get in. As we sat there we wondered about the wisdom of our choice to come here. We tried to attribute it to being Martin Luther King, Jr day and people wanting to get out after a cold weekend. That must have been it because there was no problem getting a campsite.
Well, that's not exactly true. The reservation computer connection to the internet was down. The gatekeeper said to go ahead and set up, she'd call us when the system was functional again - an hour or so. She didn't. Not wanting our campsites to be reserved out from under us (officially we weren't really there) we went back up to the gate to register late in the afternoon. The connection was still a problem, so much so, in fact, that the gatekeeper apologized repeatedly and finally gave us a nice 50% discount.
January 22, 2008 (Tue) Blue Spring State Park (2) - This is where hundreds of manatees come to spend the winter. They come to bask in the constant flow of 72° water from the natural spring. It is not just a resort for them but a haven for survival. They would not be able to live long in the nearby St. Johns River as its water temperature drops below 60°. Manatees are mammals that live in the water as do whales and dolphins. They are the closest living biological relative of the elephant and are the original mermaids.
We walked down to the Blue Spring run early this morning, before the crowds, and meandered along the boardwalk. At the first viewing platform we counted over 20 of them and saw well over 100 of them as we moved down the run toward the St. Johns River. They were fascinating to watch swimming along in their slow undulating fashion. Occasionally one would surface to breath or roll over to discourage the attached fish. Several times this performance took place so close we could almost reach out and touch them.
We had a bit of excitement this evening. A spider bit Joy! She was winning at a lively game of dominoes when she screamed, jumped and started brushing at her leg thinking she'd been stung by a bee. By the time we'd found and killed the culprit, and determined that it was a spider, everyone was quite shook, especially since we'd seen a recent news story about a problem with Brown Widow spiders (poisonous but not deadly the Black Widow) in the area and the carcass was brown. The ranger said that it was neither the Brown Widow nor a Brown Recluse and she shouldn't have any problem beyond the local irritation, like a bee sting, she was feeling.
Q041142 Blue Springs State Park #41 e/w $11.25 A (x2)
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January 23, 2008 (Wed)
Blue Springs SP to Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (51/1451 miles)
It was a fairly warm night (53°) but uncomfortably humid. Joy was feeling no ill effects from the spider bite when we got up at about 7:15 so we looked forward to an uneventful last look at the manatees and move to Clearwater Recreation Area. It didn't happen! We'd forgotten to bring our camera when we went to see the manatees yesterday so we'd hoped to get some pictures this morning. But, except for a few, the manatees were gone. Yesterday the sun was just right for photography and the water was mirror smooth - this morning was overcast and a breeze roughed up the surface of the water making viewing (and picture taking) very difficult.
The National Forest Campground Guide in our library lists a free campground (Forest River CG) on the St Johns River just outside Deland, FL. To check it out, we turned onto a dirt road that both Hildene and a road sign indicated led to the campground and followed it to the end - a private residence with barely enough room to turn Q around. The owner(?) was working on his rain gutter and paid us little attention. He must be used to seeing motor homes turn around in his driveway.
Clearwater Recreation Area campground turned out to be under construction. Which meant that the facilities (not great to start with) were very limited. i.e. showers were available only at Alexander Springs RA 15 miles (or 8 miles by dirt road) away. We decided to go on and camp over there instead of going back and forth. Hildene routed us via roads that were mostly unimproved (dirt) through the national forest (the 8 mile route), quite beautiful but rough. Our dishes hadn't been stowed for rough travel so when Joy opened a cabinet after we'd gotten here a small bowl fell out and shattered all over the sink and floor. She was not a happy camper for a while.
January 24, 2008 (Thu) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (2) - The campsite we had last week was not available when we came in yesterday so we settled for site #38 which, among other things, was uncomfortably close to the site next door. There was no one in that site but will be when the weekend comes. When our old site (#31) opened up this morning, we moved to it. Other than that it's been a quiet day. The weather has been partly cloudy all day with the sun coming out every now and then to make it seem warmer that it really was.
A Cold And Dreary Week #81-06
January 17, 2008 (Thur) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (5) - The sound of rain on the roof (and mild temperatures) made for good sleeping last night and we slept quite late - for us - this morning. On the down side, some of the run-off collected in a puddle under Q where we'd put our folding chairs to keep them out of the rain. The water had to be dumped from the storage sack when they were rescued!
Last night Bob and Pat found that they were not able to start either their generator or their vehicle engine to recharge their batteries. So this morning, before breakfast, we took Q over to their campsite to jump start their motor home. We learned later that the folks in the site next to them also had power problems. They had thought they could keep the "house" batteries in their trailer charged by running the truck engine like we do, but it doesn't work that way with trailers! They had to go out and buy a battery charger. Their long term solution has to be to either go out and buy a generator or camp only where they can hook up to shore power.
January 18, 2008 (Fri) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (6) - Friday is the start of the weekend and the character and sounds of the campground are changing - probably more apparent because of the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday on Monday. There is more activity, people walking by, and the sounds include those of children in addition to generators and the occasional barking dog. There seem to be a lot more tents here than in Juniper Springs - maybe because of the holiday weekend, maybe because it's the general character of this campground.It's been a dreary few days. The sun has come out only for short periods, not enough to make it seem warm. And there have been periods of misty rain - usually about 5 minutes after Mark has gotten his guitar out. Joy shivers a lot as she works her crossword puzzles and watches for the sun to come out. It is supposed to be cold, for Florida, the next couple of days then warm up again next week. We are looking forward to that.
January 19, 2008 (Sat) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (7) - The campground didn't fill up last night as we'd been told it would. It's probably because the weather forecast has been so bad. It was dreary almost all day and the temperature never got above 60° until mid afternoon. And that's when the sun also put in an appearance - for a short while. About the only thing we've done today is take a walk around the campground.
We and Bob and Pat collaborated on pizza for dinner tonight and the preparation began just as the storm hit. Thunder, lightning and torrential rain provided the "background music" for the festivities. The pizza was the best and the dominoes game lively.
January 20, 2008 (Sun) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (8) - They said it was going to get down into the 30s in this area last night. Our thermometer showed a low of 41° which is close. The high today was 51° - not a good beach day, if there were a beach to go to - good for hiking, though. We explored a small part of the Florida Trail the goes by near here.Three young students of the recording arts - CDs and such - school came by while Mark was practicing his guitar this afternoon. They said that they could hear him from the other side of the campground loop and came over to check it out. They asked him to play something for them. He did, reluctantly. One of them applauded politely and they left unimpressed. So much for his first audition!Q is back in travel mode - except for the chairs that we used for the campfire tonight.We move on tomorrow, probably to Blue Springs State Park, stopping along the way to do email, shopping and laundry.
Q041028 Alexander Springs RA, Ocala National Forest, FL #31 dry $8.50 (x8)
Alexander Springs #81-05
January 13, 2008 (Sun)
Juniper Springs RA to Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (25/1294 miles)
Moving day. We awoke quite early and lounged in bed watching television for a while - ah what a life! We had only a short distance to go so we took the morning to pack up and get under way. We finally got off at 11:45 (71° threatening rain) and headed east on US40 toward Daytona. Hildene had given us the name of a county library in Astor so we took a detour there to see if we might find a WiFi signal. We did. We downloaded a bunch of email and sent off the newsletter. Mark also fixed the email filtering to hold back non-personal mail unless specifically requested. Bob stayed with Mark to take care of his email while Joy and Pat went on to the campground to register.
The campsite we'd been assigned turned out to be a bad one for Q - the end of the spur was defined by a barricade which would block his back (main) door. We picked another site but when we got back from clearing it with the gatekeeper, a squatter had taken up residence on it and disappeared. The gatekeeper wanted to find him and have him thrown off but we said we'd found another site and would go there. We didn't want it known that we were the ones who'd ratted on them.
Dinner was courtesy of Bob and Pat - a delicious London Broil - and dominoes closed out the day
Q041028 Alexander Springs RA, Ocala National Forest, FL #34 dry $8.50
January 14, 2008 (Mon) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (2) - At 12:30 last night the water pump burst into action - woke us from a sound sleep! It is supposed to come on only when there there is a reduction in water pressure in the system as when a tap is turned on. Another reason is a breach in the system. And that's what we found. If someone had come along the dark campground road, unlikely at 12:30am, they would have wondered about the two old folks huddled next to the little motor home in their nightwear. While Joy held a flashlight Mark tried to stop the water being pumped out through the city water intake port - not being used because there is no water hook up here. This morning we found some parts lying on the ground that when replaced made a better temporary fix then the jury rig installed in the middle of the night.
When we got back from doing a week's worth of laundry and a similar amount of grocery shopping in Umatilla, we found that the squatter in the campsite #31 and (apparently) his friends across the road had left. The gatekeeper very kindly let us move yet again. This is a much better place to spend a week. It is level (Q doesn't need to be up on leveling boards), there is no pot hole at the bottom of our step or under the awning and the area is more grass than dirt here. There are very few campers here now - we've since counted 12 out of 67 sites occupied - so we may as well have a site we are happy with!
January 15, 2008 (Tue) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (3) - Chilly night last night (37°) and almost as cold inside as out because we didn't use the furnace. It's too noisy and a drain on the batteries - a consideration when camping without hook-ups. We did turn it on before we got up though, so it would be warm for dressing and eating breakfast.
It was just a bit too cold to sit outside so most of our activity was confined to Q's 8 x 10 living space. We did have a nice walk around the campground in the morning and Mark took advantage of a sunny spot to play his guitar for a while.
January 16, 2008 (Wed) Alexander Springs RA, Ocala NF (4) - The shower facilities here, and most other National Forest campgrounds, are unheated which makes taking a shower on cold mornings an adventure. Yesterday at 37° we declined. This morning at about 50° it wasn't too bad. The hot water felt good but the walk back to the campsite was bracing.
Bill and Margret, a retired couple from Michigan, and Dora, a single woman from New York State, spend every Winter in this campground. When we were their neighbors two years ago, they invited us to their campfire a couple of nights. They have a campfire almost every night from the wood they collect after other campers leave. We, Bob and Pat and a couple of other campers were invited to join them tonight. It was a beautiful fire and we all had a great time sharing our travel and camping experiences - until it began to rain around 8:00.
Juniper Springs #81-04
January 9, 2008 (Tue) Juniper Springs RA (3) - Although there are no hook-up, electricity or water, at the campsites and a generator can be hear running somewhere nearby almost constantly, we consider this one of our favorite campgrounds. The campsites are open and large with plenty of tropical underbrush around. Most sites are shady but many, like ours, let in plenty of warm sunshine. We spent the day doing what we came here to do - nothing. Our major activity was to get our email via the pay phone in the concession area.
There are two types of sites in this and many National Forest campgrounds, reservable and non-reservable. Reservable sites are available only to those who make reservations - 3 to 6 months ahead! We seldom make reservations - too restricting and they cost extra. When we
came in on Sunday, there were many open sites to choose from. Yesterday and today there have been more unit coming than leaving - unusual so early in the week and we're beginning to wonder if any non-reservable sites will be available when Bob and Pat get here tomorrow.
30 or 40 years ago there was a fad of turning old Volkswagens into "dune buggies" by replacing their bodies with roll cages and equipping them with over sized tires. Now they've pretty much been replaced by commercial ATVs. Late this afternoon a fellow in a class A motor home pulled into the site across the way - the one we vacated yesterday - towing one four down like a toad. It is silver (aluminum?) and shaped more like a stubby dragster than a dune buggy or ATV. It's a two-seater, one in front and one in back, and street licensed.
January 10, 2008 (Wed) Juniper Springs RA (4) - Another warm sunny day. In fact, we had to think about and avoid sunburn. Who would have thought about that a week ago? We both finished the books we were reading and started new ones. Bob and Pat came about 2:00 and found a campsite not too far away. We ended the day with a vigorous couple of dominoes games.
January 11, 2008 (Thu) Juniper Springs RA (5) - 7 1/2 miles by canoe through a tropical forest on a winding spring fed stream was our activity today. The run is quite a challenging one with a slow moving current constantly trying to send us into the heavily foliated banks at every turn. There are low hanging and fallen trees all along the way positioned to knock unwary and careless canoeists into the water and very often do just that. In the past we have seen a huge alligator sunning himself within a paddle length of us but today he chose to stay out of sight. We did see plenty of bird life though and at one point a great blue heron flew so close over head that we could have reached up and touched it. It was a grand adventure and a real work out was We
spent the afternoon recovering.
January 12, 2008 (Fri) Juniper Springs RA (6) - This morning, we hiked a bit of the Florida National Scenic Trail - about three miles of it. The area that had been clear-cut 3 years a go is now covered with new growth. It's not all that tall yet but it's green and more "natural".
This afternoon Mark ran 75 feet of hose out to the nearest water tap and refilled our fresh water tank.Other than that it's been another relaxing day.
January 13, 2008 (Sat) Juniper Springs RA (7) - Bob and Pat came for dinner tonight - our first entertaining in quite some time - and it began to rain as we were having cocktails. It was kind of fitting in a way because it was the first rain we've had on this trip. We rolled out the awning and moved under it. Q is too small for dinner parties of more than 2 inside so we set up our little folding picnic table under the awning. It wasn't elegant but the atmosphere fit the Progresso soup we were serving. Dominoes in Bob and Pat's motor home finished out the evening.
Florida and Warmth #81-03
January 4, 2008 (Fri) Mars Hill (6) - It only got down to 16° last night, short of the 8° forecast. We are disappointed only in that we don't have that low point to brag about - as in "One time we camped in North Carolina when it was only 8°".
Mark went with Bob to the local "greasy spoon" (The Wagon Wheel) for his weekly breakfast with the guys. There turned out to be only one other guy this morning but the discussion was lively and often contentious. In the evening we and some of Bob and Pat's friends helped Bob celebrate his birthday. The pizza was home made by Bob and Joy and it was delicious!r
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January 5, 2008 (Sat)
Mars Hill, NC to Savannah, GA (349/1034 miles)
It was 21° over night - a virtual heat wave - and up to 27° when we got off at 9:30 this morning. And most of the snow is gone. It got steadily warmer as we came down out of the mountains until finally reaching a high of 60° as we left South Carolina for Georgia at about 5:00. We're hoping that's the last of the cold for a while.
Our route was straight forward through North and South Carolina, I-26 to I-95. Our only deviation was to voluntarily leave I-95 for a few miles to avoid an accident scene. According to the CB chatter a camper trailer had overturned and was blocking most of the two southbound lanes. There were no reports of injuries or even ambulances on the scene so that was good but traffic was backed up for miles. Maybe 10 miles after getting back on I-95 the cars we'd been creeping along with earlier began to pass us. Our decision to detour around the accident was the right one!
Shortly after getting back on I-95 we passed a sign advertising the "Big Ass Farm". Apparently they raise and sell mules. According to an organization that keeps track or determines such things, the word of the year for 2007 is "sub-prime".
We pulled into the Walmart parking lot at about 5:20, picked up some needed supplies and settled in for the night. After supper we watched the Republican and Democratic debates from New Hampshire - most of them anyway.
Q040768 Camp Walmart, Savannah, GA
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January 6, 2008 (Sun)
Savannah, GA to Ocala National Forest, FL (235/1269 miles)
It was a quiet night, though well lit, and we both slept well. We picked up a couple of more things in Walmart this morning, ate breakfast and were on our way again by 8:00 (46°) driving just under the fog - the road was clear but we could see little much above Q's height. And it was that way all the way through Georgia. In fact it was so disorienting that we crossed over into Florida before realizing it and ended up having to pay 20 cents a gallon more for gas!
The route we chose around Jacksonville was the one we used to take when visiting Mark's mother in Penny Farms - I-295 to Orange Park (US17) but in stead of turning onto US16 toward Penny Farms we continued straight through Green Cove Springs and on to Palatka then south on US19. Soon after entering the Ocala National Forest we saw a sign for Lake Delancy campground, one we'd never explored. It was out a 3 mile long washboard surfaced narrow dirt road. Passing on-coming traffic (one car and a pick-up truck) was an adventure. The campground was in two sections - one catered to campers with ATVs and the other to ordinary campers, mostly with tents. The only facilities are pit toilets. As far as we could tell there is no running water out there and no dump station. Even so it might be an interesting place to camp for a couple of days.
It was 77° under a deep blue sky and big puffy clouds as we pulled into Juniper Springs Recreation Area - Florida weather at last! We dumped and took on fresh water on the way in - we'd been 7 days dry camping - and selected site #16 as home for the next week.
Ocala National Forest, Juniper Springs RA #16 dry $8.50 A
January 7, 2008 (Mon) Juniper Springs RA (2) - This morning we moved across the street. There was an uncomfortable drop from the parking pad to the natural surface of the campsite. Since the site across the way was empty and a better layout for us we moved. So now we are in #17. Other than that we spent the day decompressing. It was great to sit be able to sit outside in shorts and T-shirts reading, napping and watching other campers.
The stars are worth mentioning. They are magnificent! The sky has been virtually cloudless and without a moon or nearby city lights is very black. The view through the forest canopy is limited but what there is is fully of stars. We don't often see the sky like that. It makes going out in this very dark campground a real treat.
This is the South? #81-02
January 1, 2008 (Tue) Mars Hill, NC (3) Happy New Year! - Well the New Year's Eve party turned out to be an old folks celebration, we all went to bed early. The rousing game of dominoes remained unplayed. We started out with much gusto - drinks and lively conversation. Joe and Kay, our hosts, kindly opened their home to semi-strangers - we, Mark and Joy, had met them only a couple of times in the past - and served a delicious lamb roast dinner. But as the evening wore on the guests faded, first in energy then in presents. We ourselves were in bed by 11:00. We were relieved to learn, this morning, that 2008 arrived anyway.
I neglected to mention in yesterday's entry that one of the highlights of our time in Asheville was coming across an exhibit of gingerbread houses - actually a small part of a much larger exhibit from an annual contest sponsored by The Grove Park Inn, a local luxury resort. They were the most elaborate gingerbread houses imaginable - houses, churches, castles, etc - most set in scenery as in dioramas. We went to the Grove Park Inn to see the rest of the models but could find no place to park, even a car. The Grand Prize is pictured.
Today was a day of recovery. We spent the morning doing just about nothing. This afternoon and evening was a dominoes marathon. With a roaring fire in the fireplace we played one game right after another breaking only to eat dinner. It's been a perfect day for this kind of activity - the temperature in the low 30s and going down. There is snow in the air and much more in the forecast - several inches tonight. And it's expected to get very cold. That's not North Carolina weather in my book.
January 2, 2008 (Wed) Mars Hill, NC (4) - This is the South? 14° and and 2 inches of snow last night. Fortunately Q has a land line power connection so we didn't have to listen to the noisy propane furnace all night. The little electric heater we bought on the way home from Alaska a couple of years ago was able to keep the temperature just above 50°. We were very comfortable under the down featherbed we thought to put in this time. It continued to snow all day, but it was a light misty snow that added another inch or two to the accumulation. The temperature never got over 19°
While Bob and Pat went to Asheville for doctor appointments, we hung out here reading, napping, working a jigsaw puzzle (Joy) and playing the guitar (Mark). After dinner it was dominoes in front of the fire.
January 3, 2008 (Thu) Mars Hill, NC (5) - 11° last night! We never thought that we'd ever camp in weather much below 30°, certainly not below 20°. 11° is beyond the pale! And it's expected to go down to 8° tonight!! There is a lot to consider when it gets this cold. Besides ourselves, for which a small heater and plenty of warm blankets work well, there is the pluming and and food supply that are tucked away in walls, under floors, in cupboards, closets and storage bins that must be kept from freezing. Fortunately this is not all that difficult. It's just a matter of turning on the holding tank heaters and leaving appropriate doors and hatches open. The problem is remembering all the places where there is liquid or where liquid is stored. In the middle of the night and this morning we each remembered a different bin we'd forgotten. Nothing was frozen that we could find.
This afternoon we all went into Asheville to see the movie The Kite Runner. It was wonderful! Aside from the sad and tragic story, this movie should be seen for the graphic portrayal of life and conditions in Afghanistan. We are so very fortunate to be living in the United States where we live somewhat comfortably and have some control over our lives.
