GRAMMY'S RV

MYSTERY SOLVED

2012-10-03T15:13:00.001-04:00

I keep finding fur in the bathroom sink.

Not a lot-just enough for me to get out the Windex and paper towels each time I see it.

Where could it be coming from? Is my RV floor fan too powerful? Do I need to vacuum more than once a day?

I dust, I clean - where in the world is this fur coming from?

AHA!

WILLIAMSBURG POTTERY

2012-10-03T13:45:00.001-04:00

Enjoy a whole new shopping experience at Virginia’s shopping landmark!

Transformed from a no-frills warehouse, the new Williamsburg Pottery

combines the charm of a traditional European market town with

21st-century convenience and Southern hospitality.

1/2 mile of attractive new buildings

160,000 square feet of fabulous shopping

1000’s of unique new items

Spacious new Au Bon Pain café bakery

The rest of the Pottery’s older facilities behind the railroad tracks
remain closed.

Monday - Saturday, 9 am - 9 pm

Sunday, 10 am - 6 pm

BORN TO SING, NO PLAN B

2012-10-03T12:43:00.003-04:00

This is a single from Van Morrison's new album released on October 2, 2012

BORN TO SING, NO PLAN B

Critics say that it is no ASTRAL WEEKS but

then again

this isn't 1968, either.

I consider this a well done album typical of the Van Morrison style.

True Van fans will love it!

GRIEF

2012-09-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

I have come to believe that time does heal. The healing comes in little pieces, one at a time, like some complicated puzzle that appears impossible to put together. And, sometimes, it surprises me.

I was shopping in Home Depot when one of Dave's favorite songs came on. I didn't have that OMG, I'VE BEEN KICKED IN THE STOMACH feeling. I was expecting it - almost anticipating it - but it just wasn't there. Instead, I recalled a really nice moment with Dave. And I smiled.

I guess time does heal.

Working on the RV - the latest

2012-09-08T20:09:00.001-04:00

I have been busy as a bee all week - papering the walls of the RV. The former owner put blue wallpaper over the original walls in the kitchen. I painted the bedroom walls two years ago right before Dave and I moved in (which was a bad idea because the paper underneath started to bubble). The bathroom still had the original wall paneling - white with little blue flowers on it - very 1980's.

I never planned on redoing the entire RV but the bedroom paper (Contact Paper from WalMart) went up so easily and it turned out so well that I moved on to the kitchen. I had some extra paper left over after the kitchen was finished so I began the bathroom.

Now my RV looks cleaner and brighter and coordinated. The "coffee bar" in the kitchen is actually one of those shelves with the wooden pegs that you can display your plates on. I turned it upside down! I found it on my way home from Waffle House with Landon.

Here are some pictures of my "projects".

The "coffee bar" includes your choice of caramel, chocolate or raspberry syrups!

One view of my bedroom

Now I am working on the bathroom

ALFONS MUCHA

2012-08-31T21:40:00.002-04:00

I would like to introduce to you one of my favorite artists.

His beautiful paintings speak for themselves.

Birth Name	Alfons Maria Mucha
Born	(1860-07-24)24 July 1860 Ivančice, Moravia, Austrian Empire (present Czech Republic)
Died	14 July 1939(1939-07-14) (aged 78) Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia


	(1860-07-24)

WINTER IS A COMIN'!

2012-08-28T16:26:00.001-04:00

As September approaches thoughts of winter months are beginning to creep into the minds of the fulltime RVers. I am sure all of us who didn't throw in the towel after the first winter have learned from our past mistakes.

There is nothing quite like waking up at two in the morning and realizing that you have somehow overloaded the circuit board and you have not had any heat for hours! Leaving what little warmth you have left in the RV to go outside in the snow and wind to reset the box is a mistake you will only want to make once! And, of course, it takes forever to re-heat an RV when it's 18 degrees out!

We have learned to turn off the heater for the few minutes it takes to microwave water for coffee.

We have also learned to make sure the propane tank is FULL - especially when the weatherman says "SNOW"!

We put up lined curtains, lay down extra rugs and insulate, insulate, insulate. We fill every little open nook and cranny to keep out Old Man Winter's chill.

And yet we love it. Love it like a mountain climber or a deep sea diver or any other extreme sportsman loves their sport. Love the preparation. Love the endurance contest. Love the survival instinct that kicks in when the weatherman calls for that foot of snow. Love the thrill of that first Spring day when we realize we made it through another Winter.

Yes, I do believe we ARE brave - even if my daughter has another word for it! : )

WOODMANS - THE LARGEST GROCERY STORE IN THE USA

2012-08-24T09:32:00.001-04:00

Shop until you drop in the nation's largest grocery store! Woodmans is a 24-hour supermarket on the northeast corner of Interstate 94 and Highway 50 just over the Wisconsin border from Illinois. It may well be the world's largest!

This is a full service grocery store with a capacity of 250,000 square feet including warehouse. A worker advised simply walking the perimeter is a 3 mile walk! It dwarfs any Costco or Sam's club -- and carries a variety of food products not seen anywhere else.

Of course, for those living south of the Wisconsin border, Woodmans is the place to go for milk, eggs, cream, cheese, sausages, etc. from the great dairy state.

The yogurt case is about 40 feet long with a plethora of yogurt producers that goes far beyond Dannon and Yoplait.

In the frozen food department, there are two 30-40 foot cases with frozen juices.

I could go on and on - but I think the following photos will give you a better idea of the enormous size of this place!

The soda aisle

The spice aisle

Beer and liquor aisle

The best thing of all is that my oldest son, Robert, lives just a few blocks away from this store! The first time he went grocery shopping there he was in there for hours - and enjoyed every minute of it!

Can't wait to visit Kenosha, WI so I can shop here! I better take some extra coolers! : )

BREAKFAST STEW - CAMPING FAVORITE

2012-08-24T07:53:00.003-04:00

Bacon or ham, chopped, 5 slices thick
2 med. cooked potato, chopped
1 or 2 green onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
3 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. cheese, your favorite
5 eggs, jumbo
Garnish: chopped tomato

Serve with toast or English muffin. Need 1 large fry pan, paper towel, and foil. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain, wrap in foil. Fry potato until almost crisp, add green and red pepper. Stir. Add green onion and mushroom, stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to paper towel, wrap in foil. Scramble eggs, just when done, add cheese, bacon, potato mix, STIR ONE MORE TIME, serve and top with chopped tomato.

Land that I love. . .

2012-08-24T07:43:00.001-04:00

HOUSE SITTING THIS WEEK

2012-08-24T06:46:00.003-04:00

This week I am house-sitting for my son-in-law's parents while they enjoy a well deserved vacation. It is the first time I have done this and I am really enjoying staying in their beautiful home. They have two wonderful Newfoundlands and four little cats of various pedigrees and we all are fast becoming very good friends! Oh, and then there's the snake - but he and I don't seem to have too much in common! : )

Land that I love. . .

2012-08-18T22:16:00.000-04:00

My godfather was on Iwo Jima and he watched as his fellow
Marines raised the flag high atop Mount Suribachi.

Without a doubt, one of the Marines in this short film could

very well be my godfather, Louis Lanehart.

Top ten golf courses in the US

2012-08-17T08:48:00.002-04:00

The follwing is a list of the top ten golf courses in this country as of December 2011. While I have never enjoyed playing golf myself I do LOVE to watch the game! Maybe you have played on one of these courses - let me know!

AUGUSTA NATIONAL G.C.
Augusta, Ga. / Alister Mackenzie & Bobby Jones (1933)

PINE VALLEY G.C.
Pine Valley, N.J. / George Crump & H.S. Colt (1918)

SHINNECOCK HILLS G.C.
Southampton, N.Y. / William Flynn (1931)

OAKMONT C.C.
Oakmont, Pa. / Henry Fownes (1903)

CYPRESS POINT CLUB
Pebble Beach / Alister Mackenzie & Robert Hunter (1928)

PEBBLE BEACH G. LINKS
Pebble Beach / Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919)

MERION G.C. (East)
Ardmore, Pa. / Hugh Wilson (1912)

WINGED FOOT G.C. (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y. / A.W. Tillinghast (1923)

SAND HILLS G.C.
Mullen, Neb. / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (1994) 7,089 71 66.70

NATIONAL G. LINKS OF AMERICA
Southampton, N.Y. / C.B. Macdonald, 1911

BURNING MAN

2012-08-16T15:48:00.003-04:00

Burning Man has been drawing artists to the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada since its inception in 1991. The crux of Burning Man is a temporary community in the arid desert, where artists congregate and display their art pieces and mutant vehicles and watch the burning of the Man. This takes places annually around the Labor Day weekend and this year it falls on August 27 - Sept 3, 2012. Let us guide you through the event and why you as an RVer should go.

The Burning Man draws its roots from the summer solstice of 1986, when founder Larry Harvey and his friends torched an 8 ft wooden effigy of a man on a beach in San Francisco. From an impromptu small gathering of friends, the event grew in popularity over the years and now draws 60,000 visitors. The Man too has grown and is now a 40 foot effigy stuffed with flammables.

The Burning Man experience is unique, and some would even go so far as to call it bizarre. The tenets of Burning Man are community, participation, radical self-expression and self-sufficiency. The participants come together and create a temporary community called Black Rock City, in the form of two-thirds of a circle. You can drive to Black Rock City but to move around, your only options are foot or bike. You can either bring your own tents or stay in an RV in any one of the many theme camps or villages. You could even create your own theme camp! The event believes in a gift community, wherein, everyone participates and shares with their neighbors, so RVers can volunteer in any respect.

The setting of the event on the playa (ancient lake-bed) makes for some harsh weather conditions. Temperatures in the desert can vary dramatically from freezing lows to boiling highs. RVers be prepared to come fully-equipped in terms of food, clothing and shelter to handle all your needs as the only items sold there are coffee and ice at the Centre Camp. There is a daily shuttle to the two closest cities of Empire and Gerlach should you feel the need to replenish supplies with daily in and out passes, but this is not encouraged. If you don't have tickets to the 2012 event already then it's too late to buy them. Sales for 2012 closed on August 3, 2012. There will NOT be tickets available at the gate when you arrive. If you want to go to 2013 event, then if 2012 is anything to go by, tickets will cost anywhere from $240 to $420 and pre-sales will start in November 2012 with the main sales in January 2013. Tickets for 2012 were sold via a random-selection process requiring pre-registration.

Let's talk about the art. This year's theme is FERTILITY 2.0. This year's art theme contemplates the tendency of any being or living system to create abundant life. At the centre of the city is the effigy of the Man, which is burned the Saturday before Labor Day. The playa serves as a canvas to display all forms of artwork, installations and sculptures, many of which are burned along with the Man in a symbolic purification of the artists' motives. This year the Burning Man will stand astride a grand pavilion that is similar in shape and style to the Pantheon of ancient Rome. Arching portals and two mezzanines will wrap around an atrium; circles will encompass circles, telescoping to an open skylight several stories overhead. An interactive sculpture, sprouting from the courtyard of the chamber, will invite participants to clamber upward through the center of this mesmerizing space, much as bees might swarm about the pistil of a flower. To make this artwork more intensely interactive, all prospective climbers are encouraged to express their own peculiar sense of inner beeing; come prepared to personate a bee, engage in both bee culture and couture.

Participants are encouraged to give of themselves and express themselves freely, be it through communal kitchens or their wild and whacky costumes, or the lack of, as clothing is optional. Burning Man is a participatory event, rather than a spectator event so be prepared to share. It is a Leave No Trace event, which implies that one leaves the environment as pristine as one found it.

The Burning Man is almost mystical in nature, with silent workers who come and erect an entire city in the scorching desert, experiment in all forms of radical self-expression for a week, burn a wooden man and then magically vanish almost overnight, leaving no trace of their ever having been there. It is a surreal experience, one that cannot be truly understood or explained unless one goes there. This one is not for the faint-hearted. For more information on Burning Man, go to www.burningman.com.

BUILD A CAMPFIRE - A REVIEW

2012-08-15T09:25:00.000-04:00

Camping just isn’t camping without a campfire. The smell, the warmth, the dancing flames, the crackle, the glowing coals, the taste of campfire cooked meals, the friends, the songs, the stories, the sound of crickets and of course the yummy smores. Campfires provide a connection with nature, a time of reflection and a feeling of peacefulness.

Clear area of all debris/avoid area with overhanging branches

Construct a fire ring surrounded by rocks

Have a bucket of water, shovel and a fire extinguisher nearby and ready to put out a fire

Gather wood and stack in separate piles away from fire area. Do not use green or freshly cut wood.

There are three different kinds of wood needed for a successful campfire -
Tinder – small twigs, wood shavings, dry leaves or grass, dry needles, bark or dryer lint. This should start to burn immediately with a lighted match.

Kindling – small sticks 1″ around or less
Fuel – larger wood that keeps the fire going

Elements required for a fire to burn properly. When one of these three things are removed, the fire stops burning. Example – Water cools fuel below ignition point, dirt cuts off the oxygen supply.

Fuel- material that will burn
Start with a couple hands full of tinder loosely piled in the center of your fire ring.
With your back to the wind and match protected by the cup of your hand, ignite tinder with a match. Discard used match into the fire.
Slowly add more tinder. You may need to blow softly at the base of the fire.
Once the tinder has fully started to burn, slowly add some smaller pieces of kindling. Keep close together but allow space for air.
Gradually increase the size of the kindling you add to the fire.
When you have a good fire going , add the fuel one piece at a time as described below. Allow for adequate air flow.

Get out the smores fixin's and enjoy your campfire!

Helpful little hint: I go to the dollar store and buy bags of Spanish Moss to use under the kindling - it burns very well and really makes building my campfire a lot easier!

SIDELING HILL

2012-08-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

One of the best rock exposures in Maryland and indeed in the entire northeastern United States is located approximately 6 miles west of Hancock in Washington County, where Interstate 68 cuts through Sideling Hill.

Almost 810 feet of strata in a tightly folded syncline are exposed in this road cut. Although other exposures may surpass Sideling Hill in either thickness of exposed strata or in quality of geologic structure, few can equal its combination of both. This exposure is an excellent outdoor classroom where students of geology can observe and examine various sedimentary rock types, structural features, and geomorphic relationships.

When Maryland officials decided to build an Interstate highway to connect I-79 in West Virginia with I-70 and I-81 in Maryland, they decided a safe and straightforward crossing of the mountain that stood in their way was in order. How would this be accomplished?

Studies found that a tunnel would cost nearly double the amount of actually cutting through the mountain, and the maintenance for a tunnel would be more costly than the upkeep of the roadway. So it was decided to slice through this rugged mountain.

LITTLE ORLEANS, MD

2012-08-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

Little Orleans is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland. Little Orleans is located on the Potomac River at the mouth of Fifteenmile Creek across from Orleans Cross Roads, West Virginia. Little Orleans was served by the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and by the Western Maryland Railway. Both of which have been abandoned.

Bill's Place is a bar, general store and diner, located in LIttle Orleans, Maryland. Locals and visitors alike come to Bill's Place for its one of a kind atmosphere. This log cabin style building is a favorite stop for a cold drink and an excellent meal.

Although Bill's Place is located deep in the heart of the Greenridge State Forest, it's a popular spot that visitors and locals return to again and again. Located above the Fifteen-Mike Creek access to the Potomac River and the C&O Canal bike path, Bill's Place is a can't-miss stop for hikers, bikers, campers and fishers. Visitors can also take advantage of Bill's canoe livery and shuttle.

During hunting season, Bill's Place draws hunters from all over the area. Bill's Place is also a great stop for bikers, especially during the East Coast Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

As a Bill's Place tradition, make sure to bring and extra dollar bill to sign and stick on the dollar covered ceiling. Unfoirtunately, a fire a few years back destroyed the original ceiling in the place. Sadly, the bills that Dave, Sara, a lot of old friends and I put up there way back when are now long gone.

Land that I love. . .

2012-08-11T08:18:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time

2012-08-10T20:03:00.000-04:00

Dave right after his neck surgery in 1999.

Fathers Day a few years back.

Playing golf with friends

Me in 1972

And a few years later!

SEVENTEEN YEARS

2012-08-09T11:26:00.002-04:00

I will never forget where I was when the day Jerry Garcia passed away. It's hard to believe that it has been seventeen years. Rest in peace, Jerry John! Fare thee well, fare thee well, we miss you more than words can tell. . .

A couple of favorites

2012-08-07T10:04:00.003-04:00

Where to next?

2012-08-07T07:04:00.001-04:00

Dave had a big interest in the Civil War. We walked every inch of Gettysburg and Harpers Ferry and Antietam. We built campfires and slept where soldiers once camped. We toured museums. Dave would even map out where obscure skirmishes once took place and off we would go - flashlights and compass and cameras in hand. We have been through tunnels, in caves, up mountains and over bridges. So it seems sort of natural that my next big trip is going to be to

STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA

In 1822 the area that now makes up the city of Stone Mountain was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County. A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson built a hotel along the road in 1836. At around the same time, Aaron Cloud built an observation tower at the summit of the mountain. Visitors to the mountain would travel to the area by rail and road, and then walk up the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) mountaintop trail to the top, where Cloud also had a restaurant and club.

By 1839, a general store was added, and a village was established under the name New Gibraltar. The name was officially changed to Stone Mountain by the Georgia legislature in 1847. During the Civil War, Stone Mountain village was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864.

Post-Civil War history

The Ku Klux Klan was revived in Stone Mountain in 1915, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
I Have a Dream speech consequently includes the line "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia."

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games tennis, archery and track cycling tournaments were held in Stone Mountain Park.

Famous people from Stone Mountain include Donald Glover, Noureen DeWulf and Josh Wolff. The fictional character Kenneth Parcell (in the television series 30 Rock) also hails from Stone Mountain and frequently refers to it. Pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts was billed "From Stone Mountain Georgia".

Campfire Chili

2012-08-06T18:39:00.002-04:00

Directions

1. Brown together:

1 cup diced white onion 1 lb. beef-tenderloin tips, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 Tbsp olive oil

2. Drain the grease. Then add the following:

1 Tbsp masa flour
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 14.5-oz. can beef stock
2 14.5-oz. cans chicken stock 1 8-oz. can organic tomato sauce
1 4-oz. can mild diced green chilies
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped fine
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp chili powder

3. Simmer 1 hour. Then add:

4 oz. tomato sauce
4 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp mild chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Tabasco
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 15.5-oz. cans low-sodium pinto beans, drained
2 15.5-oz. cans low-sodium kidney beans, drained

4. Simmer 45 minutes and eat. Great with Texas toast!

Serves 8. Per serving: 600 calories, 18g fat, 110mg cholesterol, 870mg sodium, 56g carbs, 58g protein.

What a wonderful world!

2012-08-04T15:19:00.002-04:00

Whenever you have a bad day - listen to this song.

It truly IS a wonderful world!

Peace and love to you all.

HARRY BENSON, PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-08-04T10:03:00.000-04:00

This is a photograph taken by HARRY BENSON, world famous photographer. What makes this photo special is the fact that the sailor on the right hand side in the white shirt and black pants (sitting on the front of the carrier) is my son, Jason, when he was serving aboard the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

HARRY BENSON has photographed Michael Jackson, Greta Garbo, Jack Nicholson, The Beatles, Valentino, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Kennedy and many, many more celebreties and royalty.

To see more of his fabulous work - go to HARRY BENSON.COM.