Expeditions and Adventures: Escape to TN

So after working a few weeks and a few projects I was able to escape to TN to meet up with a few friends and recharge my batteries before returning this coming week for the final project. This was also my first opportunity to try out the new kayak.

Remi came out with me the first trip. He noticed right away the sides were lower and better for gazing out at the water. He likes to ride now and trusts that he will not be asked to swim.

You talking about me?

Thistle was very interested in the sounds coming from the island. It sounded like a rookery.

Liz and Thistle checking out the shore line behind the island.

Looking back towards the campground from the front of the island.

Looking up from Sarah's site......from left to right: my rig, BJ's and Liz's. We couldn't have picked better sites. The campground host did most of it for us after the high water and shoreline flooding a week earlier caused some initially moving around. The water went down but several of us ended up with better sites because we were able to move on to sites that had had cancellations after our reservations had been made.

Stuart and Remi visiting down at Sarah's water front site.

BJ trying out the new kayak.

What pressure! The peanut gallery watching BJ's adventures.

Liz took the Sea Eagle out for a short sunset ride.

Stuart finally got his chance to ride. We took an evening ride to see how he handled the lower sides. It helps to take long walks during the day before putting him out on the water.

The next morning BJ tried her hand at fishing. What you don't see are the two guys out beyond the small group of willows on their pontoon giving her a hard time.

And while BJ decide to stay back at the camp the rest of us headed over to the dock to get our "ride."
Sarah, Sandra and Dick.

Liz and Carol tried to stay out of the sun. Carol seemed a little disappointed when she found out that we weren't taking the pontoon with the play side off the back.....but she got over it.

Looking over towards Peachtree point. Over in those trees are memories of my early camping adventures with family.

A close up of the old camping haunts. The water was never this high when we camped here. This photo is for my brother.

The lake water towards Peachtree Point had a lot of drift and logs in it from the recent rains and high water. It didn't take long to decide to turn around and check out the water in the other direction. It worked out well. We were able to stop back at the dock for a potty break before we headed down the lake past the campground and the island and towards the larger end of the lake. Again for another 150 dollars we could have rented the pontoon with the bathroom on board.

Back on the lake, even Sarah and Sandra took to the shade by now. We drove all the way down to Star Point Dock only to find that it was still pretty small and had no restaurant. We could have stayed out on the water with the boat until 6 pm, but all of us had had enough sun and lake by about 2 and we headed back to walk dogs and eat lunch. It was a good thing because later in the afternoon was when the storm front moved through so quickly. We would have lost more that Carol's awning brackets had we not been back at the rigs when the wind hit. And I don't think pulling into a cove would have protected us much from the wind and waves.

The next morning both Stuart and Remi headed out in the kayak with me. This was the first time they both road at the same time. Remi agreed to ride in the back behind me after realizing what riding in front next to Stuart would mean.

Thistle, wait up! The gray haired lady is just paddling too slow!

"If you don't want me to bark or whine (or try to get in the water) I guess I can rest my head on this neat head rest. Move your feet lady this is just the right height for me."

Liz and I kayaked back to the island to check out the Great Blue Herons and then went back and toured the large cove where the wind was less and the water calmer. But we made the dash across the waves and wind to make it back to the shore.

Thursday we decided it wasn't a bad idea that our time at the lake was about up. The Memorial Day folks were heading in..... This is a picture of the teenage girls all in for a day at the lake for birthday party. I don't want to even think how legal or not they were when they got on the water.

Here is a picture of Dick doing the temporary tape job on Carol's rig to make it safe enough to get to the RV Repair Shop. It took two supervisors.....

Notice the white Duck Tape on the awning supports?

Dick's tool belt.....every tool in its place.....looks well used and well loved......

From our visit to Sargent Alvin York's farm . I like the stone work.

The Grist mill.

We drove around to visit the York family plots. As we were driving out of the cemetery I looked over into the valley and was reminded why York returned to TN to raise his family after WW I when he could have settled most anywhere.