Happies From Uncle Rob

I'm really bummed that my cousin, Miss Anne the Surveyor, won't be joining me at the Blue Ridge Rally this year.  Miss Anne belongs to Uncle Rob (Mom's 1st cousin) and his wife Trisha.  We have camped with them going on twelve seasons. Mom likes to joke with them about them holding the record for the most different trailers coming to the BRR.  I think it's four!  It makes me sad that their string will be broken.

Mom loves camping with Uncle Rob because they both are techies, love to cook, write blogs, do mods, snitch each other's ideas, find cool camping gear, collect stickers, and snap photos every time every chance they get.  I will get to camp with them two times this summer.  We will meet at Raccoon Holler in July and my 1st trip to the Outer Banks in August and that makes me happy.

Speaking of happy, we got one in the mail today!  Uncle Rob has some sort of new gadget at his house that will make decals.  He designed and made one for us.  I told Mom she's gotta find a spot to put it on my door!!  Thanks Uncle Rob for my hella-cool decal.

Okie dokie, that's all for this last Thursday in March.  Until there's another Story to be told, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & BRR Decals"

Shout Out To My Peeps

Hey everyone!  I just wanted to send a little shout-out to my Peeps near and far to tell you an itty biddy (ha, ha, ha . . . get it, little bitty) Story today.  On our Blue Ridge Facebook group, Mr. Bill posted a link to a silicone mold for making ice cubes.  It was called "Quack The Ice" and had 6 little ducks.

The minute Momma Sharon saw it, her mind started turning and I knew she was cooking up something.  If she took that mold out of the box, you would swear it was peeps, not ducks.  And knowing that she doesn't put ice cubes in her drinks, it took me a while to figure out exactly why she wanted it.

SOAP . . . she is going to make soap that looks like peeps!!

We are 49 days away from the Blue Ridge Rally and that will give us just enough time to get soap made and cured in time to sell at the Market on Saturday morning.  There's a package coming from Bramble Berry Soap this week with some soap supplies and in that package will be a new-to-us fragrance oil called "Daisy Chain".  It has notes of violet, strawberry, jasmine, vanilla and musk so it will be the perfect mix of floral and fruity.

Mom will add some colorant to make those soap peeps a pretty yellow and we are hoping that they will be a hit at the BRR.  Who knows, the 6th Street Soap Company might get adventurous and branch out from our standard bars.  Wouldn't it just be too cool to find some way to make a bar of soap that looks like me!!

I will keep you updated and until I am back for another itty biddy Story (tee hee),  always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Peeps!"

4, 5, 6 In 1 Pack-Away Table

Morning to ya from the damp and dreary foothills of North Kackalacky!  It's a grand day to daydream about and prepare for the opening of camping season 2018.  I have shared with you many, many times that Momma Sharon is a thief.  When she reads about or sees a new piece of camping gear that she knows is a winner, she jumps on that in a flash.  Kinda like those Luci Lights I told you about in yesterday's Story.

It seems like there is one something, something that is our big acquisition for the year and it is almost always spotted on one of the four T@B groups on Facebook.  Yep, it happened again about a month ago when a T@Bber shared their experience with the 4 In 1 Pack-Away Table by Coleman.  After reading the reviews, she decided that we needed this for our adventures.  

Upon unpacking and setting it up on the deck yesterday, Mom discovered it was more than a 4 in 1, it was more like a 4, 5, 6 in 1. Check it out!

Boxes with the name "Coleman" always sound like Christmas

One-handled carrying case weighing 12.3 pounds

We always have good luck with Coleman camping gear

Sitting upright it has a small profile & will pack easily in Splish . . .
31.5" x 3" x 16"

The legs store away underneath each table top

Each leg extends individually & locks into place

Add the leg extensions that have leveling feet to keep it from wobbling

Clamps go on the legs to hold the two tables together 

Classic square table configuration

Buffet serving table configuration

L-shaped configuration for inside the corner of a tent or awning

Table height can range from 27.5 " up to 31.5"

Pretty silver design on tabletop

Use it for dining, cards, computers, games, reading, coloring, journaling

Perfect as an end table

Equally useful as a coffee table

Legs folded down, extensions secured, & clamps in the pouch

There's actually one more configuration we thought of later - tables at two different heights for bi-level serving.  Can you see why my Camper Mom is all excited about it?  I doubt that we will be using it for cooking though.  The specs say it can handle up to 300 pounds, but we think that would be pushing it.  It's also not recommended for use with stoves and extremely hot items.  We'll let Mr. Werner take care of all those chores and be safe.

So until we are out in April for our 4, 5, 6 in 1 table initiation and until I have another camping Story for you, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & New Camping Gear"

Luci Outdoor Light 2.0

Greetings friends near and far!  Every Tuesday, our friend Janine Pettit, has a Girl Camper Podcast that we enjoy listening to.  This week, Janine had part one of a Spring Gear Guide.  She reviewed lots of new products, supplied links to each of those items, and for some of them she gave everyone a discount code to save a bit of cash.

There was one item that caught Mom's attention . . . the Luci Outdoor Light 2.0.  Several of our camping buddies have Luci Lights and love them.  We looked at them last year, but didn't pull the trigger on buying a couple.  The Luci Outdoor 2.0 is a great way to light up your campsite, tent, or trailer.  It's lightweight, LED solar powered, and inflatable.  

It has several light settings that are supposedly brighter and longer lasting than the previous generations.  There's a new adjustable bottom strap that will let us hang it anywhere without needing an extra hook.  I think it will work great inside our Clam.  Plus it's waterproof so we can leave one out 24/7 sitting on a picnic table.  We should be able to get through an evening with it burning because the battery is good for 18 hors after 7 hours of charging in the sun.  I sound kinda like an info-mercial, don't I?

Momma Sharon immediately took them out of the containers to get them ready to charge on the deck all afternoon.  At this early stage, I'm not sure she would give it 5 stars, because it was difficult for her to inflate.  She got close, but you can tell by all the wrinkles that it's not fully blown up.  We are hoping that Aunt Becky can help us out with that!

One thing that we really love about this product is that the company that produces them - MPOWERD Inc. - provides these lights in over 90 countries around the world to help out in crisis situations where there is no electricity.  3,000 lights were sent to Houston and Florida after Hurricane Irma.  You can find these great little solar lights at places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Cabela's.

We can't wait to see them in action tonight and check out the 4 modes, battery level indicator, and power switch.  Look for an update on all that tomorrow!  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Luci Lights"

For Peeps Sake

Splash here with a ridiculously fun Story about the upcoming 2018 Blue Ridge Rally.  This year's BRR has been designated the Year of the Peep. How that all came about is a Story all by itself.

Mom's plan was to take it easy for the 11th BRR after our big blow-out 10th anniversary party last year in Tennessee.  Now I know what you are thinking . . . that is an impossible task for her because she LOVES planning rallies for her friends, especially the Blue Ridge.  Mom has always called her camping buddies "Peeps" and in a conversation with fellow Blue Ridger, Miss Carol from Maine, Miss Carol suggested that everyone could be "free range Peeps", do their own thing, and even help in the planning for 2018.  Hmmmm . . . what a novel idea.  And the Year of the Peep was hatched!

Blue Ridgers have indeed stepped up and volunteered for morning coffees and afternoon happy hours.  They have suggested party and meal themes.  They have offered to lead a bike ride and a book club. They have said they will bring supplies and decorations.  It's working Miss Carol, it's working!!

Of course Momma Sharon and I are tickled to death with the participation and enthusiasm by our Peeps so far.  There have been lively conversations on our Facebook page and the sharing of Peep-stuff galore . . . cartoons, ideas for crafts, peep items spotted in stores, and much much more.  I even have some stuff to share with you for peep's sake!!

This is MacNugget announcing the location for our 1st-ever Virginia BRR

MacNugget pitching in to help Momma Sharon plan

The welcome mat will be out for all our Blue Ridge Peeps!

We are seeing chicklets everywhere . . .
this little one came from Rural King 

These little Pez chicks are going to be part of MY decor

Check out our ID Buttons that everyone will be wearing 

We hit the decorating jackpot at Dollar Tree

Mom even found an apron that says "for peeps sake" . . . LOL

Dime Store Chic made this vintage creation for us!!

It's the Year of the Peep and we are already "having so much fun it should be illegal".  Thanks so much for dropping by today for another Story.  Check by from time to time to read another one, and until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Peeps!!"

Three New Flags

Every few months or so, Momma Sharon, Aunt Becky, and Miss Jeanne take a short road trip to nearby Gastonia to go shopping at Ford's. Ford's is a garden center in downtown Gastonia that has great yard art, plants, and flags.  Mom and I have a small collection of camping-themed garden flags. We keep our blue metal flag holder packed in Splish all the time so we can display our flags when we are camping.

Mom hit the jackpot a couple weeks ago with three new ones to add to our stash.  We didn't get to show them off this weekend at The Frolic, so I'll share them with you here in a little Show & Tell.

I think the middle one is my favorite of the bunch and we will have it on display next month when we head to a couple of South Carolina State Parks.

I gotta scoot because it's time for my Tar Heels to play basketball. Until there's another Story to be told, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & New Camping Flags

We Were Supposed To . . .

On this 14th day of March, Momma Sharon, Murphy the Camper Dog, and I should have been on the road together heading south.  We were supposed to to be traveling down to Camp Lake Jasper in Hardeeville, SC to gather with Mom's Sisters on the Fly buddies for the Shamrock Frolic and kick off our 12th camping season.  We were supposed to be greeting Miss Jennifer and Miss Peggy, picking up our welcome bag, and settling into site #36 by the lake.  Supposed. To. Have. Been.

We've got lots of excuses, er, reasons why I am still in my T@Bport and our reservation has been cancelled.  My sweet Murphy Girl has had an uptick in seizures.  Dr. Furtado has doubled her meds just in the last week and we honestly don't want to take her so far away from home. As stress-free as we try to make camping for her, it really messes with her daily routine, and that worries Momma Sharon.

Speaking of Momma Sharon, there's a recent root canal with lingering soreness and pain.  And her fingers have been kinda fragile lately with an infection and increased calcinosis.  Take a look at what's happening here this morning and you can easily understand why she's glad to not be hitching me up.  

Did you happen to notice that bed of white stuff under her name tag? Yeppers, we got snow last night and it's cold as you know what.  Now that sounds a little whiny compared to what our friends up north are going through right now, but cold is cold, and my Camper Mom doesn't do too well in it.

So, we are home today dreaming about sunny campsites beside the lake, hanging out with friends we don't see but once a year, and kicking off our 12th season together.  It will happen  . . . just not today like it was supposed to.

I do have some more Stories to tell you in the next few days, so drop back by if you can.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Camping"