I Spy

One of the fun things that Momma Sharon likes to do at our Blue Ridge Rally, is to walk around with that camera slung around her neck, looking for interesting little things to photograph…decorations, flags, campsite signs, and such.  Look at some of the stuff she found playing I Spy . . .

Nancy's Coffee Klatch cookies that Momma Sharon thought were the BOMB

Our special rally sign, hand-carved and hand-painted

Santa Baby displaying her BRR buttons

Sarah & Ali's precious site sign

You are invited to the Happy Dance where campers "Rock On"!

Aunt Becky almost sat on this visitor…it peed on her chair!!

Pride's miniature Smart Car

Wendy's cute little wooden T@Bs for sale at the Flea Market

Nothing like a bunch of yellow flowers to brighten up a campsite!

Carolyn & Tom sharing some peace . . . "far out dude"!

Can I snitch this flag?  It's my all-time favorite!

Socks has her very own site sign

Sue makes the COOLEST garden art EVER!

High flying Pod sign from Kentucky

Our Moms & Dads live by this rule at Afternoon Cheer

This was a fun Story for me today.  Thanks for dropping by today so I could share it with you.  Until I compose another one, always remember . . .

"Peace, Love & Spying Cool Stuff At The BRR"

New Fangled Stakes

My Camper Mom and I have had a love-hate relationship with tent stakes. When we first started camping together, we used the yellow, plastic pegs that came with our awning . . . but only once!  It seemed that with each Easy-Up, PahaQue, Thermarest, side tent, or screen room, came stakes that were a different size, color, and material.

It didn't take Momma Sharon long to visit the camping section in Walmart and to hit Camping World in Statesville  in search of something better.  For years we have used the Coleman tent stakes, but we have left lots behind in campgrounds from Ohio to Florida because when it came time to bug out, we couldn't pull them out of the ground.  We often had to get Gid or Geo or Rob to yank them out of the ground for us!

Those that didn't get left behind, have broken and missing plastic pieces.  Aunt Becky thought that a different kind of hammer might help.  We sometimes had trouble whopping the stake hard enough with the rubber mallet to get it to go into the ground.  Then when it came time to pull it up, the hook on the bottom of the handle stretched, so it was useless.  We changed from the original rubber mallet to a a regular hammer and ultimately a specialized tent hammer with a single claw that we found at Cabelas.

Cousin Rob gave us a couple of stakes that he uses that have chain links on them.  It's easy to pull those out of the ground when you snag the link with the hammer end.  But I needed more than two.

While looking at Coleman shelters on Amazon, the Mom spied the perfect tent stake!!  Knowing that they were what she's been needing all these years, she ordered four packs of four.  Yesterday they were delivered at the front door.  Heavy duty, high strength steel, 8" long, "able to be driven through asphalt", large head, hook that keeps it from being driven down into the ground, and a hole in the head for grabbing it and pulling it out.  EUREKA!!

We will keep a few of the old ones, but these 16 new ones will get packed for my next big trip in July!  I'm feeling the itch to hit the road again before then, so stay tuned, there might be a spur-of-the-moment trip happening soon.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace Love, & The Perfect Tent Stake"

Not A Happy Camper-Photographer

Heyeeee!  I snitched the computer for our Tuesday blogging duties because Momma Sharon is up to her elbows in soap making. She's not a very happy camper-photographer right now, so she needs a little distraction to get her mind off of her snapshot dilemma.

Ever since we got back from the Blue Ridge Rally, funky things have been going on with her iPhoto program.  At first it was an occasional shut down, then it was shut down every day, and now it will not open at all.  She even went so far as to do a Time Machine restore to get back to a day with no problems.  That worked well this morning and she was able to save all her photos into folders and move them to her documents as well as put them on a flash drive.  Good thing that worked, because iPhoto has crashed again.

Because Apple doesn't support iPhotos any more (they have something new and improved called just Photos), we cannot get any technical help. So, to make a long story short, we have Adobe Photoshop Elements on the way from Amazon and she can spend the summer learning all about it.

I know something that will cheer my Camper Mom up though…four awfully cute snaps of us rolling down the road together to the Blue Ridge Rally!  I'm not even gonna ask Aunt Becky how she took these while driving . . . YIKES!

Thanks for stopping by for a Tuesday Story.  Until I compose another one for you, always remember . . .

"Peace, Love, & Camping Snaps"

Camping With A Few Of My Friends

Whew . . . a lot has happened in the 30 days since my last Story.  I was in full-blown Blue Ridge Rally mode back then and now it's time for the Wrap-um-up Stories.  There were a few last minute cancellations, but when all was said and done, I got to hang out with 62 of my trailer friends.  Pod, T@Bernacle, Breezin', SUNT@B, T@Bitha, T@Blet, T@B-mahal, Honey Badger, Lunetta, Tiny Home 2, Breezy, Duke-Ra-La, Tangerine, and bunches more surrounded me in the campground.  We were a feast for the eyes for sure!

See if you recognize yourself in my BRR Photo Album . . . 

I know some of you might be thinking, "I thought this was a T@B rally.  Why are there some S.O.Bs in there?"  Well, the folks that pull those S.O.Bs (Some Other Brands) around were all T@B owners at their very first Blue Ridge Rally.  Since Momma Sharon always says, "Once a T@Bber, always a T@Bber", those camper moms and dads are always welcome regardless of what follows them down the road!

Thanks for stopping by today for a Post-BRR Story.  Who knows, I might just be back here tomorrow with another one.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, and Hangin' With My 

Peeps At The Blue Ridge Rally!"

All My Flags Are Packed

Hey everyone!  Do you remember the song written by John Denver called "Leaving On A Jet Plane",  recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary? Well, I took a little liberty with its title and first line for today's Story. Sing along with me . . . "All my flags are packed, I'm ready to go."  Stop groaning will ya!

Seriously, my camping flags ARE all packed and so is my flag holder. I've almost got one for every day of the Blue Ridge Rally.  Wanna see them?

Throw in my personalized Splash sign with Momma Sharon and Aunt Becky's names hanging below, and we will be sporting some pretty nifty yard art for the rally.  Believe it or not, we are ahead of schedule and the great majority of items on our To-Do List are checked off!!

I might have a few more Stories between now and the day we leave, so check by from time to time to see what's happening in the getting-ready department.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Camping Flags"

Story Collages

Happy Monday to all my Story Readers!!

If you've been following my series of Stories for a while, you know that after we get home from a camping trip, Momma Sharon likes to throw together some of our favorite snapshots into a couple collages. She puts one on our Postcard page and one on our Facebook page. Here's the Carolina Lakeside one that we used for Postcards . . .

2016 celebrates our 10th camping season and Momma Sharon has been doing collages for every single trip of every single year.  If you have a little bit of free time, we both invite you to check them out for some good memories and fun times.  I'll beam you over to our page if you click HERE.  It's the whole Story of our life together!!

Until it's time for another Collage Story, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, and Camping Collages"

Survivor Buffs

Momma Sharon has always planned big things…five buses of 8th graders on trips to Washington, DC, an award-winning middle school intramural program, a two-day end-of-the-school-year field day extravaganza called Goofy Games for two grade levels, and now in her retirement days,  the Blue Ridge Rally.  

Within this year's BRR, she has planned a Thursday morning competition called Survivor: Battle of the Rows.  All Blue Ridgers will report to the Pavilion at 10:00 to do battle in four fun competitions.

Six teams will compete in the games and they each have a name, a color, and a buff to wear.  Rows A, B, & C are the Ants and they will wear red.  Folks in Row D are Skeeters and their color is blue.  The Bees of Row E will be wearing purple.  Row F will be the Fireflies and their color is yellow.  Row G is split into two groups, the Chiggers wearing beige and the Noseeums sporting green. 

If you've never watched the TV show Survivor, then I need to tell you that a buff is kinda like a bandana that each team wears.  Momma Sharon ordered bandana fabric months and months ago.  Six different colors for the six Survivor teams.

This weekend she pulled out her cutting mat, acrylic ruler, Sharpies, and pinking shears and got to work making the buffs.

I was afraid that her wonky fingers wouldn't allow much cutting and I was right.  She pooped out after only one set.  Aunt Becky to the rescue!!

It was rough on her wrists, but she finished the job for us!  112 buffs are finished and already packed. Ants, Skeeters, Chiggers, Noseeums, Bees, and Fireflies will be sporting them around their heads, necks, upper arms, or wrists.  It's going to be a sight to see!

Oh by the way, if you are wondering about the actual competitions, they are: Name That Tune, Electricity, NC Road Trip, and Scavenger Hunt.  I predict a whole lot of laughs and even more fun!

On Thursday night of the rally, Momma Sharon will be sending you a Postcard telling you all about the competition.  Until then, always remember . . .

"Peace, Love, & Survivor Fun"