Head West not so young Man

[daugen]

am glad I stayed here for another day. Poured all night long, little respite now, but will start raining again and go apparently most of the day.

well I have determined that free wifi is not so dependable. At 7:30pm each of the last two nights, the free stuff conked out. I think too many folk are logging on locally for their equipment. And when the free stuff slows to a crawl, then when one looks for a connection, almost a dozen Verizon mifis and a few other competitors pop up from the surrounding parking lot. The Verizon is secure, the free stuff is not.

I did wash yesterday and washed the motorhomes floors. My test is to walk around in my bare feet. It's amazing how good bare feet are for finding anything on the floor...

several rv's are leaving, a big Dutch Star motorhome with a motorcycle on the rear bumper and a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind just rumbled/idled by. And I hear air brakes hissing, parking brakes getting released, the big boys are on the move.

My only regret staying an extra day and traveling tomorrow on Easter is I will miss going to church locally. Easter services are always wonderful.
But the traffic should be minimal and I only have a several hour drive, which this time I think I will try using 95 South to 64 East. All big roads for once, see if I can actually stay on cruise control for a while. Any big hill though and I have to flick off the cruise, that extra 5mph I slow down on hills would take a hellacious amount of fuel to keep up to speed. This is where the big diesel pushers accelerate up the hill, or so they like to tell you.
But since there are enough other trucks slowing down a little, I just get in line. For once in my life I am in zero rush.

 

[wngsprd]

You won't find any hills much bigger than an overpass on this leg. Hope the rain moves on out and gives you nice driving weather.

 

[daugen]

You won't find any hills much bigger than an overpass on this leg. Hope the rain moves on out and gives you nice driving weather.

thanks. The folks next to me are pulling their hair out. Their new looking huge Winnebago Journey tag axle, the biggest one Winnie makes, in snazzy shades of black and grey and red, is idling next to me, unable to leave. rrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrr
the poor guys's slide won't go back in all the way; maybe the top cover is getting hung up, it's on the opposite side and I don't want to go over there and make him feel worse. Now I bet he's got a serious alarm buzzer going off if he takes off the emergency brake when the slide sensor doesn't show totally closed. But unlike my leveling system which usually is only a nice to have, he really has to get that slide in. Particularly driving in pouring rain.
And the rain is starting to come down harder. Boy do I feel for this guy. He's headed somewhere/home for Easter and his day is not starting out well at all.

 

[MacLawn]

Oh me, poor old boy with that slide! Reckon he can't take his time like you, daug. I like what ye said about not being in a rush, man, that's the only way to live ye life!

 

[tow653]

Found out the hard way that slides don't like snow! Have safe trip.

 

[daugen]

A quiet Easter morning in the rv park. Three rigs left before 7am. I sit on the front row and get to watch everything drive by. Frankly great entertainment, like watching a stream of boats going out to sea. As these land yachts actually are...with their Bose stereos surrounding them in reverential music fit for the day which they try to keep in mind when some bozo pulls right out in front of them, causing a heavy braking, all kinds of clattering from the back where things in cupboards are taking up all the slack shall we say. Last time a litre bottle of diet gingerale I had in the pantry rolled "the wrong way" and hit the door hard enough to pop it open. Now I stuff some extra towels in where needed, but after putting everything in organizer trays, not much moves around. All the wine glasses and breakables are individually wrapped in thin bubble wrap.
But I digress as one hopes that said bozo will accelerate adequately instead of pausing to get in the last three digits of the next call...
and one can get back to reverential Easter music.

I did bring one cd of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. That might do...

actually crank up Saving Grace and I will never tire of hearing it. Some of that spiritual music just grabs you by the heart and pulls you along.

 

[daugen]

Oh What A Beautiful Morning is belting out on the surround sound. The MormonTabernacle Choir is marvelous.
That's the best I can do for Easter.

I've got a beautiful feeling everything is going my way...

 

[Citydude]

Happy Easter daugen.

 

[MacLawn]

Ye're doing it right! WATCHING all them boys leave at 7 am! That's not the way to use an RV! Having to push like that, not for me. Maybe they got to get back to work to pay for them high $ rigs.

Yes, Happy Easter, daug.

 

[Pixguy]

Enjoy your Easter and the great music you've chosen.

 

[aczlan]

Enjoy your Easter and the great music you've chosen.

Ditto.

Aaron Z

 

[daugen]

Washington NC, at the Western end of the Pamlico River in the Inner Banks of NC.
Pamlico River is one of the fastest there is...not current though, it's the Fountain powerboats that are built and tested there.
Nothing like seeing a fast boat at 60-80 mph running smooth over the water.

thanks guys. Got almost all the way here in dry weather but I drove back into the storm that had left further North. Got hooked up, and then the winds and rain started again. No matter, snug as a bug though the rv is rocking a bit in the wind. At 2pm the rv place has an Easter dinner planned for the guests, so I'll mosey on over and check that out. See if I can find some Southern cooking. Versus ham slices floating in hot water in a serving pan....sigh. I'll keep up hope.

 

[Larro Darro]

Washington NC, at the Western end of the Pamlico River in the Inner Banks of NC.
Pamlico River is one of the fastest there is...not current though, it's the Fountain powerboats that are built and tested there.
Nothing like seeing a fast boat at 60-80 mph running smooth over the water.

Drew, the characters in my stories live on Chicod Creek, just a couple of bends up the Tar {Taw} River from Washington. But in 1718, there were only three or four towns in North Carolina, according to if you count Queen Anne's Creek {Edenton}. Bath Town was the up and coming place then, sure of a large and vibrant future.

Larro

 

[daugen]

another day of sitting in the rain, which thankfully started just before I arrived. Seems this bad weather is blowing in from the ocean.
No joy on the Easter ham. I got there at exactly 2pm, thinking I'd be early. yeah... About fifty people crammed in one small rec room with a buffet being set up. I walked the entire place and there was not one more place to sit. Seems with the lousy weather every bored resident came for the free food. My umbrella almost went inside out on the way back, some serious gusts. And with the rain beating down and the wind howling away it isn't likely I'm headed back to that room again.

So instead I have researched food I know I will like. I compared Boss Hog Barbecue's menu and reviews to Hog Heaven's, and Hog Heaven it is for tomorrow's lunch. Not too far away either, and I'll bring back takeout. Barbecue, ribs and fried chicken. I'll eat one, or likely part of one, and bring the rest back for some fine eating while I'm camped out near the beach later this week. So my Easter dinner will be a day late, but I'm looking forward to some North Carolina ribs and barbecue. The "cue" ? is supposed to be a little sour, which is fine with me. Now I know there are all kinds of barbecue, and none of them will help my arteries, but I intend to try as many as possible. Nothing hot sauce hot, acid reflux took that off the menu long ago.

and here's the world's highest calorie grape salad:

Grape Salad
Red grapes with a cream base, brown sugar and pecans served on a bed of lettuce
$5.25

I think I'll take a pass on that one.

is Mac and Cheese a real adult food "down here"? Seems to be treated as one...haven't had that in fifty years.
Might have to get it as a small side just to taste it. In my opinion, junk pasta plus junk goopy cheese does not make fine eating.
But I will be open minded.

thinking a bit more...M&C might be an inexpensive filling food for some who can't afford the 7.99 special. ? Or just older kids...
Also going to try a hush puppie. Now those I've had before. Carb city. But I bet they're better here...

lots of carbs, red meat and deep fried anything are something I have to limit for sure. My younger sister has been an organic food person all her life and she sent me off with all these healthy things for the pantry. I also brought a lot of organic cereal I like and yogurt, which I make sure I eat some of each day. Maybe like a cross against the vampire Plaque.

ok, enough about food.

lastly, there is a little tent pitched about fifty feet away from me, kids camping out in front of their trailer. I've been waiting for it to go airborne, but they must have staked it well.

 

[daugen]

Drew, the characters in my stories live on Chicod Creek, just a couple of bends up the Tar {Taw} River from Washington. But in 1718, there were only three or four towns in North Carolina, according to if you count Queen Anne's Creek {Edenton}. Bath Town was the up and coming place then, sure of a large and vibrant future.

Neat.
Simpson, Grimes, BlackJack, Pactolus, ringing a bell?
my favorite: Lizard Slip Road

Did they leave any buried treasure Larro? Google Maps was quiet on that...

 

[Larro Darro]

Drew, the characters in my stories live on Chicod Creek, just a couple of bends up the Tar {Taw} River from Washington. But in 1718, there were only three or four towns in North Carolina, according to if you count Queen Anne's Creek {Edenton}. Bath Town was the up and coming place then, sure of a large and vibrant future.

Neat.
Simpson, Grimes, BlackJack, Pactolus, ringing a bell?
my favorite: Lizard Slip Road

Did they leave any buried treasure Larro? Google Maps was quiet on that...

The preset day little town of Grimesland is on the back side of their Chicod Creek plantation. {although the Grimes family didn't come along until later} When I was looking for a place to plant my people, I needed enough water to float a small Sloop, but enough miles between them and Bath Town that they could stay out of the eyes of the law. After I had already written three or four stories with them there, my research turned up the fact that most of the tribe of Mattamuskeet Indians were relocated there in 1750 when the government took their land on the Sound. {Some say this is the tribe that absorbed the Lost Colony, as they were the closest. Even today you will see some blue eyed Indians in the tribe} Facts can be such a pain. The location on the creek is too ingrained into the plot to redo them somewhere else, but I will have to write them out of there in the future. Maybe when Governor Charles Eden dies it turns out their deeds are no good.

They do do some business with the famous pirate, Edward Thatch, but his crew always seemed to drink up the profits so fast, there was never time to bury anything. A topo map I used everyday when I was writing was Chicod Creek Topo Map. Their first log house {which was later converted into a horse barn} is about 200 yards SSE of the center of the map.

Larro

 

[wngsprd]

Sorry eastern NC has been giving you rain. At least there was a tractor in sight, beyond that tent.
Today's weather should be better.

 

[daugen]

Washington NC
had a very full day, and great fun.
lots of pics, and of course, the street sign is for Larro. I pulled a u-turn to get that picture...

this area has everything, including sandy soil, what a switch from the red clay. Drove most of the main streets in Washington, really like this town. Small enough, but big enough. And the waterfront is marvelous. And very vulnerable to hurricanes. But this would be a nice town to live near. Then I headed West to Greenville, the "big town" in those parts. Good hospital, college town, ECU, and a lot more crowded. But between the two towns I found all the essentials. All major car dealerships, John Deere and Kubota dealers, including a very nice dealership right in downtown Washington. All the major big chains, and some nicer areas. I chuckled when I saw the sign in Greenville pointing towards "Uptown".

Now you had better zoom in on that food pic because it is good. Serious takeout. From the left, pork barbecue, slightly sour and just marvelous, fried chicken, ribs and sides of apples, collard greens, mixed vegetables in red sauce, mac and cheese(eh?not bad). The hushpuppies were delicious, strong corn flavor, not greasy, not junk food. Well...

I tasted everything but the ribs, liked every bit of it. Saving the ribs for dinner tonight. The rest will feed me for days.
fried chicken really did melt in my mouth and wasn't overly greasy. The greens were a bit sweet and they won't last past dinner.
The place I picked first was closed on Mondays but there were plenty of other choices.

Sometimes a little hard to understand what people are saying, my internal dictionary isn't translating all of what I hear...
and the pace off the green lights is slow, oh so slow...
of course they are probably looking at me doing the speed limit instead of 7 below and wonder why I am in a rush. I'm not, relatively...

 

[Larro Darro]

Drew, this link might help you with the local lingo. It's more Outer Banks, but it can't hurt: Carolina Outer Banks Brogue Vocabulary - YouTube

Nice looking food. Enjoy your time in North Carolina.

Larro

 

[daugen]

headquartered in Waco Tx, but perhaps this is the Eastern zone office?...
The Improved Order of Red Men
I found a Pocahontas chapter or designation in Philadelphia too.
Maybe she got around...


Larro, the land here is right at the water's edge, very low lying for a ways out. Would flood very easily. Any floods in your stories? :thumbsup: