She and I are always looking for vintage camping books and while I don't own but just a few, I love running across them online and pinning them on my board.
So thanks Rebecca for the inspiration both on Pinterest and Postcards!
One of my Pinterest boards is called "Bookmobile Inspiration." It's a board that is inspired by my friend Rebecca who owns a Scotty Hilander that she calls "The Bookmobile." Rebecca is a retired librarian that hits the road often for camping adventures. We first met several years ago on Tybee Island where we were both newbies on a big Sisters on the Fly gathering.
She and I are always looking for vintage camping books and while I don't own but just a few, I love running across them online and pinning them on my board. So thanks Rebecca for the inspiration both on Pinterest and Postcards! When I decide to cancel travel plans, I always second guess myself. This time, not so much. Even though we probably could have gotten to Morristown, TN safely, it would have been a cold three days of junkin'. I am so over being cold. I had to make an emergency trip to the Apple Store today to solve a battery issue with my laptop, so staying home was a good thing. Plus, it kept some travel money in my pocket for next week's season- opening camping trip. Alright, how does the vintage Girl Scout camera play into all this? I haven't a clue, except to say I ran across one on Pinterest, it piqued my interest, and I'm in a Postcard lull at the present time. I don't recall ever seeing one on my junkin' adventures, but I'm going to keep an eye out for one. They first appeared in 1931 and according to vintagegirlscout.com, production continued until 2002. The only models that really appeal to me are those from the late 1950's. Check out these sweet little cameras . . . I definitely love the color and if I do a bit more investigation, I can probably get a handle on what they are worth. If I happen to run across one, I'll know if it's a good price or not, but I bet it won't cost $3.95! Thanks for stopping by today to pick up your Postcard, even though it has very little to do with "From The Road." See ya!
With every new week in March, I keep thinking that Spring is here or at the very least, just around the corner. We enjoy a few beautiful days and then Old Man Winter returns. I've been looking forward to a junkin' trip with the Girls to Morristown, TN, but we've had to cancel due to snow coming in on Tuesday, our departure day. Snow? As John McEnroe would say, "You cannot be serious!!". Bummer. George (my handyman extraordinaire) and I have been trying to begin tackling a list of housekeeping chores. This past Thursday, we finally got started on the first item: repairing a rotting portion on the back corner of the carport/Javaport. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that a fallen limb had punctured the shingles and was allowing water to run underneath those shingles and felt paper. After pulling off the shingles from that corner, we found that the plywood was completely rotten! Our plan of attack was to pull the gutter off, see how far the water damage extended, shore up the rafters, replace the plywood and facia boards, and put it all back together. But as so often happens, our damage extends further than we initially thought. Not only was there rot along the entire drip edge of the carport, the shingles were brittle as a bone, making it almost impossible to do a simple patch and weave new ones back in. So we made a decision to strip off all the shingles on the back portion only, remove the disintegrating felt paper, pull up the rusted nails, and replace the rotted boards and plywood as needed. With the help of George's grandson and co-worker Brian, they made great progress on Friday and were able to get several courses of shingles applied before calling it a day.
I'm hopeful that they will get the remaining portion finished on Monday before more winter weather rolls in on Tuesday. There are at least half-a-dozen more things on my to-do list and Old Man Winter can just get his butt out of here so we can check them off! With cabin fever running rampant, Becky, Wendy, and I headed out at noon for an afternoon trip to two parks located on one mountain: Kings Mountain National Military Park and Kings Mountain State Park. The town of Kings Mountain is located in North Carolina, but the mountain itself and the two parks are just across the state line in South Carolina. Even though the day was dreary and cold, we simply needed to get out and go! Our first stop was at the National Military Park. This NPS unit is one that interprets the Southern Campaign in the Carolinas in 1780. Carolinians and Virginians headed east over the Appalachian Mountains to do battle with Loyalists who had captured Charleston. Before 1780 there were only scattered skirmishes in the South, but with the return of the British army, the war became brutal. Loyalists plundered the countryside and neighbors were often fighting neighbors. The British believed that the southern colonies were teaming with loyalists and they hoped to persuade reluctant patriots to swear allegiance to the Crown. Colonels Tarleton and Cornwallis marched toward North Carolina in September with the massacre of patriots along the way in Waxhaws and Camden. Major Patrick Ferguson was sent to NC where he announced that he would kill all the patriots if they did not submit. On the forested slopes rising 150 above the surrounding area, Ferguson's men encountered the enraged patriots. Skilled at dodging from tree to tree and with their mastery of shooting with long rifles, the sharpshooting patriots overcame Ferguson's troops and killed him during the battle. The over-mountain men accomplished their victory in little over an hour. Ferguson was dead and with him, Cornwallis' entire left flank. This militia, fighting on its own terms and in its own way, turned the tide of England's attempt to conquer the South. Our walk along the Battlefield Trail let us see the slopes and ravines of Kings Mountain, the grave of Major Ferguson near the spot where he fell, and the 1909 U.S. Monument erected to commemorate the battle. In addition to our walk, we spent some time in the Visitor Center looking through the bookstore, updating our passport stamp, and strolling through the museum. Adjacent to the National Park is the State Park. We definitely had the place to ourselves as we drove along Park Road on our way to check out the campground. Part of the South Carolina State Park system, Kings Mountain State Park's 15,000 acres are full of recreational opportunities that include hiking, horseback riding, camping, fishing as well as programs at the Living History Farm. None of the facilities were open, but we did have an opportunity to pick up a campground brochure and drive around the 117 sites to pick out a few good ones for a future camping trip. We were home by 4:30, but our outing did wonders for our winter blues! Thanks for stopping by and here are a few more shots from inside the state park. Let me give you a description of my surrounds. The Bradford pears are in full bloom. It is 32 degrees outside and sleeting! With the first day of Spring just three days away, you would think that Mother Nature would be giving us sunny warm days in celebration. Well, I'll show her! Today my Swamp Peeps Shutterfly book arrived in the mail and it is chocked full of photos of sunny warm days. Page after page features my Swamp Peeps in shorts and t-shirts enjoying February in Florida. That's about the only thing that makes this nasty day remotely bearable. Here's why I'm saying that . . . I hope that on this Monday, you find something sunny and warm to brighten your day as we all wish Spring would just hurry up and get here! Come on Mother Nature . . . work with us!!
Sign·post [sahyn-pohst] noun 1. a post bearing a sign that gives information or guidance 2. a Postcard From The Road featuring a sign and a story Our buddy, Campfire Bob that pulled this whole Swamp Cabbage shindig together, is an actor. He was involved in a play at his community theatre while we were all visiting. On Saturday evening, we saw him perform as The Bellhop in "Lend Me A Tenor". Of course we thought he deserved a standing ovation at curtain call! I made Becky do a quick U-turn after I saw these signs outside of Waldo! What colorful, vintage remnants of yesteryear Florida. I don't think that big fellow lurking down there in the water would object to some tasty treats, but rules are rules at Wooten's Airboat Tours. At Kings Bay Park in Crystal River, we walked out to the end of the dock to see what we could see. Upon turning around to head back to the car, I immediately saw this sign warning boaters to watch out for the manatees. Sadly, most manatees bear the scars of encounters with boat propellers. The "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is one the best wildlife refuges I've ever visited. It's worth a trip to the Education Center alone! We enjoyed our time there both inside and out and I hope to return one day. Captain Tommy certainly earned his tip from me after our airboat ride. Living in the area his entire life enhanced his stories and all the ecological information he shared with us. Well done Captain Tommy!!
And with that last sign, I'm wrapping up my Adventures In Florida! Thanks so much for joining me on the journey. Stay tuned for more tall tales of life on the road when you pick up your weekly Postcard. Have a groovy day kids!! I think that's a pretty witty Postcard title for today. Telltale Signs . . . get it? Signs that tell a tale . . . tee hee. Oh well, here's more for you from the Florida collection. While walking around in Crystal River, I spotted this funky hand- painted sign on what looks to be a wooden cable spool. It was behind a shop selling sunglasses called Mezmer Eyes. Pretty clever design I think. On Sanibel Island, we passed a local java joint while on our way to the wildlife refuge. Becky did one of her famous U-turns, and we enjoyed a mid-afternoon ice cream treat. Espresso chip for me! One of the big draws during the Swamp Cabbage Festival was the armadillo races held every 30 minutes or so. There were so many people crowding around, that this was as close as I could get. The viewing stands were packed for every single race and I only got a glimpse of the armored runners through people's legs. In Flagler Beach, we spotted this restaurant. It sat right on the beach at the pier and if our timing was better, we might have enjoyed eating out on their patio. Alas, it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so we kept on moving south on the A1A. Speaking of the A1A, that was our road of choice between St. Augustine and Canaveral National Seashore on Wednesday of our trip. We loved riding with the windows down and the sunroof open on this scenic route. Alrighty, that's it for this Hump Day. I've got about five more shots to share with you tomorrow and I'll wrap up all these telltale signs from Florida. Have a good one and I'll see ya back here Thursday.
Greetings from the Postcard Queen on this gorgeous NC day. Do you remember this song performed by the Five Man Electrical Band way back in 1971? "Oh, sign, sign everywhere a sign, blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?" Well now that it's in your head, you can sing it as you look at today's batch of Florida signs. In downtown LaBelle, there's a store called the Curtis Honey Company. Inside they sell, you guessed it, honey. They also have a large PVC pipe that runs from the outside of the cinderblock wall inside to an active hive, where you can watch the honey bees going in and out. I found that kinda fascinating. You know that I cannot resist a good cup of coffee, nor a cool coffee shop. We found this one in Mt. Dora as we were checking out town on Wednesday evening after supper. On the way down to our airboat ride outside of Everglades City we saw several of these signs. I suppose that tall chain link fence is an attempt to keep them from crossing the highway. There's a Panther National Wildlife Refuge that we passed on Highway 29 too, but it didn't have a visitor center . . . we checked. I really don't have a desire to swim with the manatees, only see them in the warm, shallow Florida waters. The day we stopped in Crystal River, it was cloudy and cool, not ideal for spotting these big gentle beasts. There are manatee tours available that will take you out on the boat, without having to get in the water . . . my kind of tour. I saved the best one for last. After leaving De Soto National Memorial in Bradenton, we were stopped at a red light waiting to turn left. Also in the intersection was this vehicle. I'm kinda at a loss for words here! You know the drill folks . . . thanks for stopping by to pick up your Postcard. I really appreciate you taking time to do that. See ya tomorrow!
It's time for a bit more signage from the recent excursion down to Florida to hang out with my Swamp Peeps. I could close my eyes right now and almost believe I was still there based on our temperatures in the foothills today! I always, always do some research before Becky and I hit the roads, so we see and do interesting stuff along the way. For this trip, I searched for popular fruit stands and the general consensus was that Mixon Fruit Farms in Bradenton was worth a stop. What I didn't know was that I could have had a Hot'n Fresh Baked Muffin for breakfast! I love this handsome little alligator announcing Wooten's Airboat Tours. He was hanging in the shelter where we stood around waiting for our tour to begin. I'm a tad confused about the seven fingers on his left hand though. Hmmm . . . what am I missing here? When visiting Fort Matanzas just south of St. Augustine, Becky and I walked out to the Atlantic dunes on a shaded boardwalk. Judging by the footprints in the sand in the lower right hand corner of the photo, some people don't speak English or simply don't care. Reading these eight signs would have taken a chunk out of our one hour of parking at the Sanibel Lighthouse. The one sign not in this photo warned that parking limits would be STRICTLY enforced, so it's only now that I'm taking time to read these. I tried the swamp cabbage fritters on Saturday at the festival in LaBelle with my peeps. Next year I might have to get a big ole cup of gator bites so I can check that off my culinary list. If you noticed that this entire set of pictures looks a little dark and cloudy, it's because every one was taken early in the morning before all the fog and clouds had burned off. It's a Florida thing, you know.
Thanks for dropping by on this first Daylight Savings Time Monday. Enjoy the extended sunlight and I'll chat with you tomorrow! As I sit here looking outside at the snow on the cars, ice on the limbs, and sleet falling, it's a simple sign that winter hasn't released its grip on us here in the foothills of NC. Heavy sigh . . . Like my Cousin Rob, I enjoy finding unique signs along my travel-ways. My favorite one from our recent trip to Florida is kinda appropriate for today. We were on Sanibel Island walking up the steps to the visitor center when this sign caught my attention and made me laugh out loud! When strolling back from our Saturday morning breakfast at the campground, I walked past the shuffleboard courts and noticed that if you are under 14 years old, you cannot play. 40 seems more reasonable to me. Outside our accommodations at the Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora, we could have signed up for a sightseeing tour on a seaplane. After watching it take off from the dock just before sunset, I kinda wish I had done it. Maybe next time. Like every good camper, I love me some Life Is Good t-shirts. Every time I pass by a store with that smiling Jake, I have to stop and see his latest creations. Mt. Dora is one of those wonderful small towns with cool, one-of-a-kind stores that make you want to linger and shop a while. Honest John's Log Cabin in LaBelle had some honestly good food. With a free cup of soup before and a free dish of ice cream after, one dozen Swamp Peeps ate supper there twice. I love the graphic on the side of this refrigerated truck parked off the street during the Swamp Cabbage Festival. I've got lots more signs to share with you and I will pick up where I left off on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone and THINK SPRING!!
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