Do You Remember Me?

Oh my it's been such a long time since I've written a Story for you!  Do you remember me, Splash the Camper and Storyteller?  

The number one excuse has been pure laziness on my part.  I suppose some of you may have wondered what happened to me, where I've been, and what's going on.  Would you believe I have been on a whirlwind adventure around the States?  I wish that were true, but it's not.  Would you believe I have quietly traveled up to Maryland and down along the Carolina coast with Momma Sharon and Aunt Becky?  That would be accurate.

2019 was a fine little camping year for all of us.  While the number of trips, nights, and miles were down a bit from previous years, the fun was definitely off the charts!  Here's the proof . . . 

5 camping trips

- Sisters on the Fly Frolic @ Santee SP  in March

- SC State Parks (Oconee & Sadlers Creek) in April

- Blue Ridge Rally @ Raccoon Holler Campground in May

- MD DOG @ Cunningham Falls SP in August

- Coastal Caravan VI in SC (Huntington Beach SP) & GA (Tybee Island) in October & November

Total Nights

41

Total Miles

2,385

Camping Peeps

Sisters, Blue Ridgers, Beach Peeps, and Chefs by the dozens!

Mom spent a lot of time up in The Holler with Mollie and the Cousins, so she actually did a whole bunch more camping in 2019 than I did. 

2020 is going to be an interesting camping season for all of us.  First of all, Miss Anne will be our next door neighbor in The Holler, so I predict Mom will be there many, many days once the season opens up in April. Secondly, there's a new pup in our household that's gotta learn the camping ropes like Miss Gracie and Murphy the Camping Dog before her.  Yep, it's going to interesting for sure!!

So that gets you back up to speed with me and my camping family.  I'll do my best to crank out more Stories this year.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Camping!"

Another Incredible Blue Ridge Rally

Hello friends near and far!  I am here with a Short Story to get you ready for a whole series of Postcards from our 12th Annual Blue Ridge Rally.  

Mom took me up the mountain to Raccoon Holler Campground in Glendale Springs on Friday the 10th to meet, greet, and hang out with 60 of the most incredible trailers on the face of the earth.  While I was doing that, she was entertaining 100 of her camping buddies.  We both had an incredible week with them all and we have a boatload of Stories to tell, Postcards to send, and snapshots to share!

Get ready to see and hear why "we have so much fun it should be illegal".

"Peace, Love, & The Blue Ridge Rally"

Two Awesome SC State Parks

Well happy Saturday everyone!  I am home from a most excellent camping trip in South Carolina.  In fact, it's become an annual trip thanks to the Black Friday special offered by South Carolina State Parks each November.  Momma Sharon studies the list of available campgrounds, chooses two new-to-us parks, and picks a camping date. And that is how our 2019 version played out in Oconee State Park near Mountain Rest and Sadlers Creek State Park near Anderson.

Our little camping entourage included Mom and Gracie, Aunt Becky and Sophie, and our T@Bbin' buddies Lois and Pepper.  Both parks featured lakeside camping, so we enjoyed two awesome water front campsites for our week!  Perfect weather, good eats, sightseeing, junkin', and chillin' in camp filled our week.

I'll let my Camper Mom take over from here and write some Postcards to you to tell you all about our fun week in South Carolina.  My next outing will be our big Blue Ridge Rally, but until I have some Stories to share about that, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Black Friday Specials"

My Loo Gets A Re-doo

Well happy Hump Day everyone.  I hope you are having a good week and not turning yellow from all the pollen in the air!  I told Momma Sharon that I am DEFINITELY going to need a bath before we head out on Easter Sunday for a week in a couple of South Carolina State Parks. It's an annual tradition we started a few years ago with Aunt Becky and the Schnauzer Herd.

I've got plenty of time to compose a Story about that upcoming campout, but today, I wanted to tell you about our Loo Re-doo.  Our Luggable Loo is an indispensable piece of camping gear, but its once-upon-a-time splashy duct tape decor had faded pretty badly.  Momma Sharon noticed this before we pulled out for Santee SP.

So she snagged a couple rolls of Duck Tape at Walmart before we left, with the intention of finding some time for an upgrade.  I'm not sure why she got a roll of neon yellow rather than lime green though. ??

Out came the Loo, scissors, and tape on Friday and in less than 30 minutes, the transformation was complete!

To be perfectly honest with you, neither of us were wild about the outcome.  The yellow color wasn't a good match for me and we didn't like both narrow strips at the top being blue.  I knew what was going to happen when we got home . . . a re-doo of the re-doo . . . 

Now we are both happy and ready for the rest of our camping season to commence!  Thanks a bunch for dropping by for my Story and until it's time to tell you all about our next trip, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & A Loo-Re-doo"

Stylin' With A New Sunshade at Santee

Howdy camper friends near and far!  I am back from a fabulous weekend camping trip with Momma Sharon - the first of the 2019 season.  We had safe travels, good weather, and a boatload of fun with about 75 Sisters on the Fly.  We attended the annual Frolic, hosted by the South Carolina gals.  They called it "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude" because we had a new venue this year.  We gathered at Santee State Park outside of Elloree, SC in the Midlands.

Mom's writing a series of Postcards chronicling our four days of fun, but I have a few Back Stories to share with you.  Y'all might know that once upon a time, my Camper Mom was accused of having an awning addiction.  Seems like she was buying a new one every year or when Cousin Rob would tell her about a new one, LOL.  But over the last four years, she has actually sold several of them!

Last year, our favorite little awning called The Visor, fell apart.  The poles split and the awning leaked . . . not good things to happen when camping. For about three years, Mom has had her eye on an awning very similar to our Visor.  Made by Jean of Doty Hill Designs, we were just waiting for the perfect fabric to be added to her inventory.  And guess what?  This winter, a fabric called Halwell/Caribbean showed up in the shop!  Check out those green, blue, and white stripes.  Kinda perfect, huh!  So we ordered the Sunshade in January.

Mom got me all situated in site #36 and it was time for my awning!

The poles went into the sleeve like butter, and in a matter of minutes, we were in business.  As soon as Mom slid it into my upper keder rail, we both realized it was BIG!  

Instead of attaching the two guy lines to the lower keder rail, we decided to try using the two stakes with nifty rings for the nylon cord. It was really simple to run the guy line from the stake up to the grommet behind the pole sleeve.

Miss Jean included a nice letter for us and also a whole bunch of business cards to share.  We are sold on the quality, craftsmanship, ease of installation, and construction of this Sunshade for T@Bs.  If you'd like some additional information, check out the business card at the bottom of my page.

Thanks so much for dropping by for a Sunshade Story, and until I'm back with another Camping Tale, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Doty Hill Sunshades"

It Only Took 13 Seasons

Happy Monday everyone!  I have a Short, Short Story for you today that has been thirteen years in the making.  Lots of my trailer buddies have asked me why I don't have a license plate with my name of it.  My Camper Mom has my name plastered on lots of things, so I never understood why I didn't have something special.

Little did I know that last month when it was time to get my sticker renewed, she pulled the trigger on my very own license plate!! Her first choice of "SPLASH" was already taken, so with an uber cool substitution, here's what arrived in the mail today . . . 

Our first choice of colors would have been the standard NC (and splashy) blue, but I'm so excited, it could have been pink for all I cared.

March is our anniversary month and our first outing is on Thursday, so this gift is totally appropriate. I love my Momma Sharon to death, but jeepers, 13 seasons??  LOL . Until I am parked at Santee State Park on Thursday, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & My Very Own Plate!"

How You Know It's Time To Camp

Howdy everyone!  Happy first day of Spring.  For many folks, that means camping season is right around the corner.  But I have another way to tell that it's time to camp . . . the number of packages in Momma Sharon's foyer and the stuff piled high on her living room table, LOL.

Now I will go ahead and tell you that not everything in those boxes is for me.  Some of it is for Mollie too.  Here's the breakdown:

• A new surge protector for me from Progressive Industries.  Mine went all kinds of wonky at the end of last year's season and we can't be having 'lectrical problems when camping!
• A Froli sleep system for Mollie.  Mom wants to get some ventilation under her 2 mattresses and since this is used in all our T@Gs, she is going to give it a try.
• A Hypervent fabric also for Mollie.  It gets awfully damp and humid in The Holler so my Camper Mom wants to avoid mold and mildew problems from day one.  This will provide even more ventilation when placed on top of the Froli squares.
• Soap bases from Soaper's Choice so we will have plenty of oil when it's time to make more camping soap.
• A gorgeous green and blue striped Doty Hill awning to replace my old Visor that was worn out from years and years of use.
• Vinyl sheets from Silhouette America to make some coolio decals for me, Mollie, The Coffee Cup,  Gigi the golf cart, and maybe even Splish.

The dining room table is the staging area for all our camping gear!  It looks like a tornado blew through, but it will look better soon. You might spy some Luci Lights, Thermos jugs, vintage picnic tins, camp Dutch oven supplies, a Keurig, tool kit and a variety of totes full of stuff ready to be packed for the 7 trips on the calendar and Mollie's second season in The Holler.

One day soon, Momma Sharon will be with me in the T@Bport to get us ready to roll out on March 28th to join some crazy Sisters On The Fly at the annual Frolic at Santee State Park in SC.

So how do you know it's time to camp?  Look for boxes and gear! Until it's time for another Story about our pre-season preparations, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Getting Ready To Camp"

Time To Wake Up!

It's time to wake up!  I've been snoozing since early November and now it's time to wake up and get this 2019 party started.  Well, not actually a party, but I'm talking about my upcoming camping season.

This past weekend, Momma Sharon and our bestie, Toolbelt Sue, headed for the Tennessee hills for a Sister on the Fly gathering at a place called Meadow Creek Mountain Lodge.  They joined 10 other Sisters for an Artist Retreat full of crafts and laughs, fun and food, and a crazy good time like the Sistas are so famous for!

It was a great way to kick off our season (even though I didn't get to go) and talk about camping and trailers nonstop.  New friends were made that I hope to meet one day.  And while there, Mom joined in some fun crafting sessions.  Now the reason I'm telling you all about her weekend is that she made ME something while there!

Her new friend Carolyn taught everyone how to do an "acrylic pour".  It involved acrylic paints, Elmer's glue, a small artist canvas, and some funky silicone that made the paint do wonderful things when mixed.  I won't go into the whole process, but I will share the snapshot of the end result with you.

Now you will have to agree this artwork is going to look stunning hanging on one of my walls for 2019.  There was another artist there named Shannon that made a Sister on the Fly pin for my Camper Mom.  I predict she will be wearing it when we go camping in a couple of weeks.

Well, it's good to be back and I look forward to writing more Stories of my camping adventures with Momma Sharon.  We have lots of trips planned and I hope you enjoy all my Camping Tales this year. Until our first trip, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Wake Up Time!"

Splish Splash, We Have Taken Our Bath

Quack, quack, splish, splash!  Yeppers, it's been that wet today.  We knew there was a 100% chance of rain today and Mother Nature kept her word.  The good thing about rain at the beach is that the puddles and lakes dry up quickly!

Four brave souls were up and out at 9:00 for breakfast at the Waffle House just up the road.  It was the perfect morning to let someone else do the cooking and then do the dishes for Mom and friends!  Comfort food at the counter with Miriam the waitress made for some happy campers.

Selfie time at the Waffle House

Breakfast hit the spot

Before coming back home, Splish turned north on Ocean Blvd for a cruise up to the Sky Wheel and back.  Mom said there was NOBODY on the streets and it looked like everyone had bugged out for a hurricane.

A bit of journaling, some computer games, and a nap occupied Momma Sharon's time before leaving for the movie at 3:30.  The plan was for a bunch of our Beach Peeps to see "A Star Is Born".  Well it seems like half of Myrtle Beach had the same idea.  By the time they got up to the ticket window, it was sold out!  4 got in and 4 got shut out.

Back at the campground, the bottom had fallen out . . . pouring rain, thunder, lightning, and wind.  So Mom and Bec sat in the truck to wait for it to calm down.

Trapped in the truck during the storm

The big pine trees were swaying in the wind and someone got spooked enough to head down to the big parking lot at the pier.  Yep, they left me to fend for myself!

Parked at the beach watching the storm

It didn't take too long for the big yellow blob on the radar to move on and conditions to improve. Once back, Mom grabbed her camera to walk around and take some lakefront property snapshots.

Lakefront property at The Lazzaro's

Lucy has her own little lake

Splish & I are surrounded by water

John & Sandy next door were a little wet too

There's a river running past Deb

Luckily the river isn't even close!

Kathryn on the other hand was totally flooded!

Lily & Kathryn watching the world float by

Well that tells you a bit about our big wet day.  The beach gang is headed to Dagwood's Deli for supper.  I gotta scoot and tell Mom goodbye.  She will probably be writing a Postcard for you tomorrow, so I will see you when I get back home to my T@Bport.  Until then, always remember . . .

"Peace, Love, & A Wet Day On The Coast"

Lots Going On 'Round Here

Well lookie lookie who got hold of the laptop today!  That would be me, the Splashter sitting pretty in site 71 at Myrtle Beach State Park. There's always a lot of activity going on around me, so I thought I'd share a Storybook of Photos with you on this gorgeous Wednesday along the Grand Strand.  Enjoy!!

Aunt Becky's flowers always look great on our picnic table

"I Go Where I'm Towed" is a popular saying around here

Miss Kathryn & Lily the Camping Dog know how to rock the red

Beach Peeps Sandy & Deb always have a smile ready to share

Charlie Blackburn is the newest camping pup on the Caravan

Here's a cool decal on the back of Lunetta's tow vehicle 

Aunt Becky assembling our newest kitchen addition - an electric skillet

Two new stickers showed up on my door!

Miss Ruthe likes her fresh flowers too

This is how Beach Peeps feel

Mr. Dave & his camping chandelier

That's Beach Peep Paul at supper

Lloyd, Lois, & Deb at Tuesday's Community Supper

Isn't this portable fire pit the bomb?  Thanks Lloyd & Ruthe!!

Sue & Rich are in the Halloween spirit

I'm pretty sure that Momma Sharon is working on a Postcard about something called a chill pill.  I have no idea what that is, so I guess you should look in your mailbox tomorrow for a Card.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Lots Going On"