TOTALLY NOT COOL

BAD FRIDGE KARMA AND ANOTHER  LAKE HOUSE

IT HAPPENED QUICKLY,  between the campsite and the dump station.  When Patty opened the door, strong, strong Ammonia odor.  We knew what it was, but desperately sought another solution.
 “Forget it”, said Airforum buds, “You are buying a new fridge”.


LUNCH! then crisis management… Find a dealer.. find a unit in stock …find a time…find some ice chests… some ice… a place to stay nearby… NICE, it has a lakeside pull through.  Done and Done.  Now we need to find some friends in the park who want to share a lavish potluck of rapidly thawing delicacies …

Alumalina – A Carolina Gathering

“Alumalina is just comfortable,”  we were told by a lovely veteran of countless Airstream gatherings.
“John Leake is one of those people you just feel fortunate to have met”, we were told by another.
WE COULD NOT AGREE MORE!
John and his merry band of warm, open hearted Carolinians embraced us like home folks.  We felt we were among old friends even as we learned new faces and stories. The Waterlee Lake Campground was half silver when we arrived Friday.  Friendly waves, John delivering goodie bags by bike, neighbor Barry talking hitches, giving  us a tour of the fabulous high tech “Silver Leaf” –- the gathering had begun and spun on all weekend with stories and tours and great food.
Talk of the “NEARLY FAMOUS POSSUM BOG” had dominated the Airforums thread and, surprisingly, tasted a lot like chicken –- delicious.  There were plenty of creative sides, introductions, hugs, and more of each. 

In the morning, Gary plied us with pancakes cooked over the fire in the biggest skillet known to man and a coffee pot to match.










Our genial host kept us in stitches through the weekend, and attended to all our needs despite the fact that little granddaughter  “Sayla” was threatening to be born 40 miles away and we had marginal cell service at best.   Welcome Sayla.  We’ll look for you next year.

We enjoyed low key seminars on Airstream Insurance and polishing techniques and a whole afternoon of Open house Trailer tours with lots more visiting.

By Sunday noon most of the Aluminum was on the move and  only the Alabamians and the Pennsylvania contingent were still here. 

“We only eat with Airstreamers; Potluck at our site tonight,” Bob announced.  And so it was we enjoyed yet another evening of fellowship and stories.


ADMIRING BOB’S POLISH

Bad Tire Karma and a Lovely New Lake House

So I was wiling away the time at home, preparing for the ALUMALINA Airstream meet up in South Carolina, washing and worrying with hitch adjustments.  Should I put a little tire dressing on to smarten up my look?  Good idea, but easily forgotten.  Good thing.  Saved a bundle on that…


Sixty miles from home, in an Interstate construction zone, the SPLAT sound followed quickly by TPMS alarm.  Flat on trailer curbside.    Now we HAVE road service, but we also have a very detailed Flat Tire Checklist…(Old pilots never die, they just “go to the checklist” and never return.) Patty thinks we should wait for assistance, but Al wants to try the famous “limp to safety on one tire” Airstream procedure…
….Which we did (with skill and aplomb), limped to a nearly empty exit ramp, changed the tire and  then followed the tardy Service tech back to his shop and BOUGHT THREE NEW TIRES. (A second one was leaking while we replaced #1 and the other side didn’t look so hot either.)  Wish he had one more in stock.  Now Patty worries when the last old one will betray us and Al wonders how many flares he needs to change a street side tire and seems a little bit too cocky about saving money on that tire dressing.

New Lake House

The tire guys were very efficient and professional, but we lost some time and we had a pretty long day planned .  We slid into the Petersburg Corps of Engineers site on Strom Thurmond Lake just as the last glint of sunset faded. 
Using the full moon, Patty steered us into a lakeside pull through.  We performed the rituals and retired after another stressful day.  Shouldn’t this Airstreaming be fun?  We decided to lay over for a day “with no deadlines” and no stress. 




We slept in and awoke to a gorgeous view with an EAGLE perched on a lakeside pine. Our site is screened from the entrance road, on a level gravel apron with all the amenities, and a wide staircase down to a grassy verge along the seawall –- a private balcony with sun or shade. For $12, we have a lakeside villa, with no maintenance, no taxes and just the right kind of neighbors.  We walked, we talked to some delightful people and planned our return.  Patty is blissed out and, OK, Al is a little hyper, but productive.  Tomorrow, on to Alumalina and some new friends. 

Catch up reel

There have been some inquiries of the " Where in the.....?" variety  So a brief stream-of-conciousnes version of the last few weeks....

leave Ricketts Glen--avoid the 18% downgrade --Hills Creek State Park --scored an Electric site (ADA) --laundry, clean everything --SHORT, SHORT haircut in Wellsboro --hair jokes, lots of hair jokes--ride more Pine Creek trail --oh, No! the microwave is broken--  oh, good. Patty fixed it --more Pine Creek --Hitch breaks --whole day with mosquitoes and two crescent wrenches --need part --another day wrangling hitch -- patched together --moved to Ginger Lane --GRAND BOY --giggling, races, hiking, berry pickin, picture taking, nonstop giggling --order new hitch --heading home --Cozy Cabin restaurant Thurston, VA!! --Loft Mountain CG, Shenandoah NP -- HighPoint NC --install new Propride Hitch --Out of Doors Mart , faulty work, dangerous --drive to Smokemont, GSMNP -- worry about hitch --more work with two wrenches, Patty catching fish --thundershower, vent open --nice neighbors --repairing little things, hitch safe now -- Home --medical checks OK!! -- Fixing ODM work, cleaning trailer, Volleyball games, lots of hair jokes, more volleyball ready to leave....

Location:Montgomery, Alabama

RANDOM PICTURES FROM THIS PERIOD