Changing Hardware

After many months of uncertainty and indecision, today was the day to purchase a new notebook computer. Eagle 5 had been encouraging me to do it before our summer trip to Michigan. That trip is 12 days away so I am cutting it close to learn the new machine and transfer the necessary files from the old to new.

The new toy is a Toshiba Satellite model with a 17-inch screen, a 200GB HHD, 2GB RAM, and an Intel Core2 Duo processor. It will play and record HD DVDs and should be more than we will ever need to tour the country and keep track of everything else. Tonight is get acquainted time; we seem to be off to a good start.

Plans for the Michigan trip are moving along well. We have changed the return trip several times and may do it yet again. We need to be in Strasburg, PA September 7 for a performance at the Sight & Sound Theater. That will determine our timing and stops after Niagara Falls. We haven't yet decided to attend the ODC camp out September 14-16, but we probably will.

I spent some time tonight reading the Geeks on Tour blog and hope that one day I'll be able to improve this blog to look something like that one. That is a class act!

Old Dominion Cardinals at Small Country CG

For the second consecutive week we are camping. This is the July 20-22 camp out of the Old Dominion Cardinals at Small Country CG in Louisa, VA. Trip Captains for the weekend are Mem and Larry Halstead, Jim and Peggy Settles, and Leo and Nora Zerhusen.

The Halsteads live a few miles from this campground and stayed here for four months while they were building their house. When they volunteered to be trip captains, they suggested this campground. Small is an apt descriptive of this facility. The heavy tree population makes each site seem smaller than it is and it is already small enough. Larry did a terrific job of putting the rigs into some very small sites. He also shifted some rigs from assigned spaces to one that would accommodate its size. He was ably assisted by Church Tolson.

We have a good turn out of 13 rigs including a guest couple. The Browns are guests of the Settles, and they fit in well with the group. Hopefully, they will come again and join our chapter. The campground has many semi-permanent rigs on the property and limited transient sites. We are mixed in between other temporary campers and the semi-permanent rigs. The sites are not very level and most of us are using blocks to get settled. Electric is all 30-amps. This is not a problem because the weather is pleasantly cool and AC is not needed.

Friday night held a pleasant surprise when Peggy Settles announced that she had made a pot of vegetable soup and there was enough for everyone. Denny Raymond contributed grilled hot dogs and an impromptu dinner was enjoyed by all.

Saturday's breakfast was presented by the TCs and featured Larry Halstead on the stove cooking omelets in a bag. Don't knock it unless you have tried it - it is great! You write you name on a plastic seal-able bag; put eggs and condiments in the bag; seal the bag; squeeze/shake the bag to mix its contents; present the bag to Larry for cooking in boiling water, and wait. Soon Larry returns the bag to you and you empty a hot, perfectly cooked omelet on your plate. It's good eating!

Another perfect weather day encouraged touring. A craft show in Louisa and a bluegrass show in Mineral attracted interest. Another group went to Gordonsville for a tour of several local vineyards. Some folks chose to stay at the campground.

Happy hour found everyone back and chairs were place in a big circle in front of one of the rigs. There were many snacks and tales of the day's adventures to be shared. Dinner followed and the menu was make-your-own hero sandwiches. The meat and bread selections were excellent and the accompanying salads filled out a unique and enjoyable meal.

Jim Settles led the chapter meeting as the VP. He presented a gift to Bill and Rachel for their August wedding. Jim also welcomed our guests and conducted the business of the chapter. The next camp out is at Candy Hill CG at Winchester, VA in August. We won't be there because we will be somewhere in Michigan. A highight of Saturday night was the bonfire that Ed Alexander built and maintained throughout the evening.

Larry Halstead and Chuck Tolson were busy Sunday morning getting the rigs safely out of the campsites. By noon most everyone had exited the park and were headed home.

Dogwoods at Rockahock

Friday, July 13, 2007

We are at the Rockahock Campground in Lanexa, VA for a weekend of relaxation with a new group of campers from the Dogwood Chapter of the FMCA. We arrived on Thursday to get a head start on the weekend. The Thursday arrivals included our friends Donna and Chuck Tolson from Crystal Lake and Stafford who agreed with us to ‘try out’ the Dogwood Chapter. Others here are the weekend hosts Carol and Donald Wartman and Max and Barbara Hicks. We were pleasantly surprised to see Barbara and Wilt Greenwood here. Wilt and Barbara invited us to a reception at the FMCA convention in Perry, GA last March. They are longtime Dogwood members and they invited us to camp with the group as potential members.

Our reception could not have been nicer. The Tolsons and we were welcomed into the group and made very much part of all that was happening. Thursday’s high point was dinner at the Fox Hound Grill here at the campground. Wow! The food was excellent, the service equally good, and the fellowship could not have been better. After taking on dinner, we were wiped out and retreated to the coach for rest and relaxation.

Other members of the Dogwood Chapter will arrive today and we will meet some more new folks. Our friends Larry and Mem Halstead are expected today also. Bill and Sandy Freed had planned to come, but they may still be visiting their new granddaughter born last week. We are looking forward to a fun weekend. Rain is forecast for tomorrow.

Four of the five couples present went to Ed Allen’s fish camp for breakfast this morning. The waterfront restaurant on the Chicahominy River was okay, not great; the view was good. We had a good time getting to know our new friends better. After returning from breakfast, we retired to our coaches for maintenance, a second or third cup of coffee, and to await additional campers.

July 28. I realized today that I had not finished this post. So here is 'the rest of the story'.

Campsites filled quickly throughout the day. One of the hosts, Don Wartman, tried to meet every coach and escort it into a site. He was a busy camper. By happy hour Friday afternoon, most of those coming had arrived. We welcomed the Halsteads and Freeds who surprised us by being there. Happy hour featured heavy hors deuves and much beer and box wine. Those wishing harder beverages brought their own.

Dinner Friday night was pizza and salad. There was excess, but one can eat only so much pizza. After dinner there was a lot of gathering with friends and general 'hanging out'. Chuck Tolson volunteered his coach-side TV to play a bluegrass movie; this was a favorite of Wilt Greenwood. The movie attracted a modest crowd, but only the bluegrass afficandoes stayed to the end.

Saturday began with a super breakfast prepared by the hosts of eggs, bacon, saugage, bread, juice, coffee, etc. This group sets high standards for eating. Following the meal, a chapter meeting was conducted by the president Paul Cummings. While waiting for the meeting to begin we Tolsons and Halsteads joined the Dogwood Chapter. That means we gave the secretary our check and she told us we could vote at the meeting. The meeting was interesting from many perspectives: a casual and laid back approach; informative and participatory; and not overly long.

The chapter had three bus conversion motor homes at the rally. One was a decidedly homemade coach that had a Virginia antique license plate on it. Several folks were able to tour one or more of these unique coaches. There were trips to Williamsburg and other nearby towns, but we were content to stay at the park. Wilt and Barbara Greenwood went out 'geo-caching'. This is a fascinating topic and Wilt is starting a new FMCA chapter for people interested in the subject. A GPS is required to participate; we may have to get one.

Bill Freed discovered that his coach was registering 30-amps on his electrical control panel although he was hooked to a 50-amp post. Chuck Tolson and Larry Halstead grabbed the appropriate meters and tools and rushed to solve the problem. They worked most of Saturday afternoon, some Saturday evening and on Sunday morning tried hooking Bill to another post. Once that was done, the control panel showed 50-amps in the coach. The 'team' concluded that the original post that Bill hooked to was faulty and was only putting out 30-amps. Everyone involved learned several lessons by this experience.

Happy hour came early on Saturday as the crowd tried in vain to exhaust the supply of beer, wine, and heavy hors deuves. The dinner was barbecue with all the trimmings, salads, etc. We were at eating capacity early. The evening entertainment was presented by a bluegrass band of some renown. We took our chairs to the pavilion and enjoyed the music.

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny as had every day of this weekend; no rain. Breakfast was again plentiful and provided by our hosts. The menu was less exotic than previously, yet we were again well fed. Some coaches were on the road early, but most stayed around until late morning. We were in no hurry and drove away around noon.

The campground was excellent for a group. Campsites were spacious, level and fully functional. The open side pavilion was ideal for eating with overhead cover and featured modern bathrooms, showers and a kitchen. We will encourage ODC to plan a camp out there in 2008.

Now that we are Dogwood members, we will try to camp with them as often as possible. The next time will be November 30 - December 2 at American Heritage CG in Williamsburg. This is the annual Christmas camp out for the club. We already have reservations. The 2008 schedule is out and we have penciled in several that we plan to attend. We are excited to meet new people and have new experiences.