Bullets, Balls, and Beers

Posted on December 19, 2011 by TheJessicaness

Beautiful weather in North Carolina calls for some battlefield viewing. We head to Guilford Courthouse where the overall opinion from visitors is that this place was once covered in bloody bodies filled with bullets; a brutal battle. Out on the trail are squirrels playing tag, monuments marking the next stop, and a cemetery marking the soldiers’ last stop. We get passed by local runners, some with dogs, and cyclists.

We are able to find a ball playing area to let Sparky run around. When one isn’t available, Caleb will run the dogs down a path, let me take some uninterrupted photos, and then come running back. The dogs get good exercise which helps them sleep more in the car and I get pictures of little blue birds and fat brown squirrels. A guy walking by lets us know our headlight is out and we’ve needed new windshield wipers for a while. A visit to a local auto parts store is now on the itinerary for the day.

Onto Moores Creek where the battle wasn’t as bloody but the land just as full of critters and color. A bridge over a swamp with wonderful reflections and another bridge that had been rebuilt. The Patriots removed planks to slow the Loyalists approach; it worked. Monuments, mushrooms, and small pine cones will line this trail that to me ended too quickly. Battlegrounds seem to pretty to fight on, some too cold and packed tight with trees, some with wide open prairies, and others with steep drops give different safety advantages and some amazing views.

We stop in Myrtle Beach for the night and let the dogs play in the sand. I try photographing the hundreds of sea gulls on the beach and surf. We would try for a cheap resort with an ocean view but none of them allow dogs. We find a warm place to sleep with dinner next door. Caleb is impressed with their beers on tap and tries a local brew. We are eating at Mellow Mushroom. We have three near where we live and love the healthy non-greasy food.

We were a bit disappointed in this one though. The pretzels looked more like dough balls. I could see the crust through the sauce on the pizza and there was only enough ingredients for a small on the large that we ordered. I thought the dessert might be different and ordered some pumpkin cheesecake. What I got had pumpkin in it but it was more of a cupcake. With bellies full it was time for bed.

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Tunnels, Turkeys, and Turds

Posted on December 18, 2011 by TheJessicaness

I drove us to Newfound Gap, elevation 5,046 feet, to watch the sun rise. It would take us 2.5 hours to get there and give Caleb the opportunity for a nap. I drooled a bit myself and then stepped outside to feel the cold air; it was 45 degrees. There was running and frozen water on the same river. We forgot our gloves but felt frozen fingers while photographing one deer and lots of turkey. The most exciting part was seeing bear poop; that’s the closest I’ve come so far to seeing a bear in the wild; and it was still soft.

We hike the steep-edged cliff to Laurel Falls. There are signs warning you not to let your kids fall over the edge; good thing we left the dogs. There is running water over parts of the trail and iced patches in the shade; Caleb slipped once. Halfway we could hear the falls and it was worth the walk. Caleb walked on the dangerous edge for some different views. We take the dogs on the next trail and there are frozen leaves stuck together making our path. It is amazingly green on this trek and Piggy refuses to go over a single-board bridge when she can hear the water underneath it.

We head into Pigeon Forge for breakfast at Reagan’s Broken Egg Pancake House. There were plenty of local pancake places to choose from; this one had a buffet. We grabbed some lunch to-go while in town and were back off to the Great Smoky Mountains for more hills, trees, and waterfalls. We stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center for a map of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We would have to take the more southern route and meet back up with the Parkway at Soco Gap. Both roads are on a Cherokee Indian Reservation and I’m guessing they choose to keep the more scenic route to themselves during the off-season.

The Parkway was more beautiful, even during winter, than I could’ve expected. I wanted to come up here earlier and watch the leaves fall from the trees. There were plenty of colors still on some trees and others were bald. The water supplied other areas with colors of orange, yellow, brown, and red. There seemed to be a pull-out every ten feet. This gave us varying angles as we watched the sun shift over the countryside near and far. Our highest point today would be 6,053 feet. Later that night would be the race to get the most photos before the sun set.

A local hiker, seeing our cameras, told us of a great view. When we got to where we thought we should be there were two paths; one a road closed for the winter and another a walking trail. Passed a man with his kid wrapped in sleeping bags; dad with a beer and son with a chocolate milk. Walked over puddles covered in ice and didn’t fall through. We will finish tonight’s drive to Asheville in the dark. We will have covered roughly 70 miles of the 469-mile Parkway.

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A Poop-Filled Construction Day

Posted on December 17, 2011 by TheJessicaness

Caleb’s work decided to be nice and offer him some holiday hours. The deal: work for 30 hours and get the next 2.5 days off. He had someone cover his hours so we could take a unrushed holiday snow-hunting vacation. We woke up late and then stopped by our friend’s house to empty his cat poo. There was a lot. This would be a telling sign of the rest of our day. We take to the back-roads of Georgia and are able to pet a calf with a long tongue, see long cotton bails, and some old cars.

One road led to another and soon we were stuck in traffic. Caleb wanted to drive to the Great Smoky Mountains and I didn’t feel like being in the car all day – he drove. At 7:00pm he was almost ready to call it a day. A stop to a gas station for fuel, us and the car, and he was ready to finish the long drive. We arrive at Elkmont Campgrounds to find it closed for the season. I was ready to throw our tent out and lay down. Instead we drive the hour across the park on dark, winding roads to find a place to sleep at Cades Cove.

It is 11:00pm by the time I am in my sleeping bag awaiting the Sandman; I toss and turn. I feel cold. I feel cramped. I’m not sleeping. It’s 3:00am. I’m getting up. I will wait in the car for the others. The dogs trample Caleb’s kidneys until he decides to wake up too. It feels much colder now then it did at set-up. We will throw the gear in the trunk and get ready for what the next day brings.

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Trains, Reindeers, and the Grinch

Posted on December 16, 2011 by TheJessicaness

Train Expert at work

I thought it was any normal Friday at school. I showed up a little more dressed up than usual because the 4th grade was doing a holiday show and their parents had been invited. I walked into a classroom of kids covered in pajamas; they were enjoying relaxing for the holidays because when they return to school they will have to study hard to pass the FCATs (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test).

The kids have been busy decorating cookies and making snowflakes. They got to trace each other, cut out the funky shapes, and write a poem on it. Due to a misunderstanding, the body-poems were only displayed in the hall for a day. No Christmas party would be complete without pizza and candy. The kids were watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas and these children movies are becoming more adult each time I get exposed to them; crazy this movie came out in 2000 and this was my first time seeing it.

I helped the teachers pass out the antlers, elf hats, Christmas tiaras and reindeer pillowcase outfits. Two girls got to be Christmas trees. I went to get good seats for the show. The 4th grade came in and sang their song. Then the violin music class played a song. After that, the music teacher led the cafeteria in a few Christmas tunes including ones from Mexico, France, and one about Hanukkah. A few of the ten parents that showed up left early; the kids too began to get bored.

With the Mexican theme, a teacher picked a name from a basket for a kid to come up and hit a pinata. Candy went everywhere and kids charged for it. We got them calmed back down and then sent them back to class. Each class would get a chance to meet the Train Expert in room 9. He was able to ride different passenger train lines before they all became Amtrak. He has riden a train from Thailand to Malaysia and still knows of a few places in the U.S. with steam-powered trains.

One of the teachers is friends with the Train Expert and asked him to come in to help the kids learn more about trains. The kids will get to watch Polar Express in their pajamas and will later use what they learned about trains to create an illustrated story of their own. The train in the model was doing better at going backwards than it was forwards. Here the Train Expert is trying to fix that issue. I like the idea of incorporating real-life stories with hands-on models.

The kids could use a break from all adulterated cartoons; not that they are good for adults either. The Grinch eats beer bottles and face plants into a girls boobs; perhaps some bachelor’s idea of a good time but this is at school when kids should be learning things that will make them successful in life not how to be the next joke on YouTube. Before I left for the day I got invited to their skate party tonight. Not sure I will go but am grateful the school is doing something to help get these kids exercising before the holiday weight gain.

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Ms. Piggy

Posted on December 15, 2011 by TheJessicaness

I am not some cartoon character; I’m part princess, part stealthy ninja. My history remains a mystery – to my new family. There I was one day, minding my own business, when some ‘helpful’ creature had me transferred to another humid state. It was my lucky day, in Feb 2010, when some sappy, rat terrier loving volunteer approached my box of concrete and wire. She made weird noises and faces and soon I was leashed. I would have to return to finish heart-worm treatment and then I was all hers.

The first ride home I sat steadily in the front seat but I prefer to lay in the back with my feet tucked under me to keep them warm. My new mom was excited that I acted so well compared to Sparky. I began to pick up the noises he makes and apparently it’s cuter when I make them. I’m spoiled beyond reason and take advantage. I learned that my new dad likes to keep treats in his bag. He said that if I could get to them they were all mine. I will tear through plastic containers, chew on metal-tipped pens, and ruin anything else.

I like long sleeps in comfy beds with warm blankets. I absolutely detest having my teeth touched and good luck getting me outside in the rain. I finally have settled down in the bath as I learned it goes faster that way. My nails grow fast and are constantly being trimmed. I get more treats than Sparky because I’m just that cute, and quiet. I do handstands to pee, it’s a two-for-one deal. I love to work out and naturally have to pee.

Not much for waves but I am a swimming fool. I too am forced to play dress-up but enjoy wearing my jacket on cold days. Sparky told me he used to not like blankets until he was tricked into waking up in Wyoming without a fire going. My moment came when I woke up in inches of snow in the Badlands. We love to cuddle with each other and especially between our parents – that’s where it’s the warmest. I love to dig to escape somewhere or to find a cool spot to lay. I prefer to chase, when my parents run, not be chased.

I like hunting at the beach, in the woods, and in snowy fields. I’m not intimidated by size but sometimes my shadow scares me. I’m slightly visually impaired but I can smell a meal from a mile away. I love eating snow, bones, dog food, candy, tables, carpets and other items I deem necessary to continue my existence. I once popped Sparky’s favorite orange squeaky ball while he watched; it was fun. I have clean paws and a poop-mouth; at least that’s what I’m told it smells like.

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