We are at home, not camping, and it feels strange to write without the great outdoors all around me. Now that this blog is getting more traffic, I am more motivated to post.
This last adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway was the longest trip with the cats. I had complained to my friend, Glenda, (www.casitaescapes.blogspot.com) that my cats had been totally freaked on the last trip. She suggested that they just needed more time to adjust to the trailer than short weekend trips.
She was right and they did adjust. They ate and slept like they were home. But I did not adjust! In fact I got worse as the trip progressed.
My two major complaints were putting up with the kitty litter box and my constant fear of losing them.
We chose to place the cat commode in the bathroom. Logical, yes. The last trip we tried a smaller kitty litter box. Small trailer (remember we are in a 16' Casita); I thought the cats would adjust. This did not work. Sheba, the Siamese, was just too big to be able to complete her toiletry in her fastidious manner. So we took the regular size kitty box and left it in the bathroom at night. This resulted in kitty litter sticking to the bottom of my feet when I got up in the middle of the night. I started wearing my crocs into the toilet!
The cat litter seemed to scatter everywhere! I know I cleaned three times more than usual, sweeping and shaking the rugs (and the comforter and the sheets.)
We took halters and leashes for both cats. They kept the halters on all day but, feeling sorry for them, we took them off at night after the door was locked. They hated the halters and tried to chew them off.
We also took a very large wire cage as I thought that they would enjoy being out of the trailer for a while each day.
They hated the cage! They hated being outside! And Sheba pulled out of her halter one time while out, running completely free. Thankfully, she ran toward the trailer door and we obligingly opened it.
We have met many other campers who were successfully camping with their cats. Several years ago we met the authors of "On Burroed Time" and learned how they had traveled all over this country with their fur babies in a tiny camper. They were so careful and the cats even had long leashes on while they were inside. But, according to their blog, one still escaped!
Every time we started to enter the trailer, we had to locate the cats for fear they would jump out the door. (Our Casita has no screen door.) And every time I left the trailer, I would wonder if I had shut the door securely. Often I would be visiting on the far end of the campground and would begin worrying about the door.
We have seen so many "lost cat" posters at the rest areas and in the campgrounds. It breaks my heart!
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7/26/12
Time To Go
We are leaving tomorrow. It's time to return to civilization and the comforts of home. This has not been our normal, wonderful, fun-filled trip and I can't quite place what went wrong. We left home traumatized after the septic line backed up and overflowed in our basement the day before we left. And the cats have been a constant source of worry for me. I have been so scared of losing them! And there was the week of rain along with the week of having no refrigeration.
Last night we met the couple that lost the cat on Sunday. They live just off the mountain and came up after their work day with hopes of luring Peanut from the woods with food. Really nice people. After sharing lost cat stories, we both started crying. Lost cats, especially lost cats in the woods, really upset me.
And we heard another lost pet story from a Casita owner who was camping down the loop. She said that a young girl lost her collie a few weeks ago when the dog spooked and ran into the woods. Her fault according to our Casita friend as she did not have him on a leash. The rangers did not give either party much hope due to the many coyotes in the area.
We have had a good day. Ate breakfast at the Pisgah Inn Restaurant and hiked to the upper falls at Graveyard Fields. Now we are mostly packed and sitting around the first campfire of the trip and I have marshmellows for when the fire dies down!
The next morning.
Ready to leave but will surely miss these wonderful temperatures. It was 63 in the trailer this morning and 83 degrees yesterday afternoon. Today promises to be one of those rare clear blue sky days. I wonder how I will be able to handle the heat of home?
The pictures are of the upper falls, site B23, and the babies.
Last night we met the couple that lost the cat on Sunday. They live just off the mountain and came up after their work day with hopes of luring Peanut from the woods with food. Really nice people. After sharing lost cat stories, we both started crying. Lost cats, especially lost cats in the woods, really upset me.
And we heard another lost pet story from a Casita owner who was camping down the loop. She said that a young girl lost her collie a few weeks ago when the dog spooked and ran into the woods. Her fault according to our Casita friend as she did not have him on a leash. The rangers did not give either party much hope due to the many coyotes in the area.
We have had a good day. Ate breakfast at the Pisgah Inn Restaurant and hiked to the upper falls at Graveyard Fields. Now we are mostly packed and sitting around the first campfire of the trip and I have marshmellows for when the fire dies down!
The next morning.
Ready to leave but will surely miss these wonderful temperatures. It was 63 in the trailer this morning and 83 degrees yesterday afternoon. Today promises to be one of those rare clear blue sky days. I wonder how I will be able to handle the heat of home?
The pictures are of the upper falls, site B23, and the babies.
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| Sheba and Princess |
7/23/12
Life is Good!
After days of storms and rain we have finally had a perfect sunny day! We are still at Davidson River and currently plugged into one the electric sites. We got on a waiting list Friday when things looked bleak and I was considering just packing up and going home. I knew it would give us another option, move back to Mt Pisgah, go home or try an electric site. Early Saturday afternoon we were informed that a site had become available and did we want it?
With all of my electronic batteries running down, we opted to move and pay for another night.
There is just so much to do here! Yesterday was spent riding our bikes, moving from one site to another and going out for a late lunch at the Pisgah Fish
Camp and then taking another bike ride. We discovered a wonderful trail that goes along the Davidson River that takes us all the way into town.
Sunday we attended church services at a tiny stone chapel that is on the edge of the campground. It is called the English Chapel and I thought, with that name, that it might be an Anglican church or something British. No, it was named after the first circuit rider preacher whose last name was England. We enjoyed the quaintness and being reminded of our southern roots.
I went to the swimming hole that afternoon and played in the water. If I had a partner that was willing, I would have rented a tube and gone down the river with all the other tubers. After the swim we jumped on our bikes and rode to a yogurt store that was almost in Brevard.
We have fished several days. Even if I don't catch anything, I enjoy standing in the mountain streams and watching the water. We tried to hike up Looking Glass Rock but it was too many miles cause we did not get started early enough.
We have gone out for dinner, shopped, bought groceries and washed clothes. Making the most of our forest/city camping before returning to the isolation of the mountain.
But as the rain showers have diminished, the heat has increased. In the low 80's today, time to return to Mt Pisgah!
With all of my electronic batteries running down, we opted to move and pay for another night.
There is just so much to do here! Yesterday was spent riding our bikes, moving from one site to another and going out for a late lunch at the Pisgah Fish
Camp and then taking another bike ride. We discovered a wonderful trail that goes along the Davidson River that takes us all the way into town.
Sunday we attended church services at a tiny stone chapel that is on the edge of the campground. It is called the English Chapel and I thought, with that name, that it might be an Anglican church or something British. No, it was named after the first circuit rider preacher whose last name was England. We enjoyed the quaintness and being reminded of our southern roots.
I went to the swimming hole that afternoon and played in the water. If I had a partner that was willing, I would have rented a tube and gone down the river with all the other tubers. After the swim we jumped on our bikes and rode to a yogurt store that was almost in Brevard.
We have fished several days. Even if I don't catch anything, I enjoy standing in the mountain streams and watching the water. We tried to hike up Looking Glass Rock but it was too many miles cause we did not get started early enough.
We have gone out for dinner, shopped, bought groceries and washed clothes. Making the most of our forest/city camping before returning to the isolation of the mountain.
But as the rain showers have diminished, the heat has increased. In the low 80's today, time to return to Mt Pisgah!
7/18/12
Davidson River and dry camping
I am sitting outside the ladies bathroom at Davidson River Campground taking shelter from the rain as I type on my tablet. Yes, this is a strange place to write but I am desperate to get my phone and laptop charged and they are plugged inside at the sink.
This is our eighth day without electric hookups. We were able to set the solar up and run it three days at Mt Pisgah after the four days of heavy rain but this campground has deep shade almost everywhere.
We left Mt Pisgah for several reasons. There are rules about not camping for more than 14 days at a time and we needed to hitch up to be able to dump. And I was getting restless. This campground is about 20 miles from Mt Pisgah and about 5 miles from Brevard. You go east on 276 and it is at the bottom of the mountain. One of the things that I am enjoying here is having a cell connection at the campsite. It is only two bars but I was able to activate my mobile hotspot last night and send some emails.
We have been able to keep the lights (LEDS) and the water pump going with the battery. It is all of my electronics that need feeding so frequently. We have a 200 watt inverter that will charge the laptop but the solar panel output was not strong enough to keep the inverter going. My laptop battery is half drained after downloading pictures and doing some editing. My phone stays turned off all the time except when it is being used and the mobile hotspot eats the battery. Every time we get in the car, plugging in the phone is before putting on the seatbelts!
There are a few electric sites here available on a first come basis but I don't think we will be here long enough to go through the bother. I thought it would be too hot here but it has been pleasant....staying cool due to the daily thunderstorms. And the price is $10, only $2 more than Mt Pisgah (with the geezer pass).
We are heading out for dinner tonight. Not sure where we will go but it is so nice to be close enough to have many choices. We enjoyed a meal at El Ranchero Mexican restaurant a few nights ago. And Walmart and Bilow are a little over a mile from here.
We had a delicious BBQ dinner and David did not have to cook in the rain.
Here's some pictures from our day.
This is our eighth day without electric hookups. We were able to set the solar up and run it three days at Mt Pisgah after the four days of heavy rain but this campground has deep shade almost everywhere.
We left Mt Pisgah for several reasons. There are rules about not camping for more than 14 days at a time and we needed to hitch up to be able to dump. And I was getting restless. This campground is about 20 miles from Mt Pisgah and about 5 miles from Brevard. You go east on 276 and it is at the bottom of the mountain. One of the things that I am enjoying here is having a cell connection at the campsite. It is only two bars but I was able to activate my mobile hotspot last night and send some emails.
We have been able to keep the lights (LEDS) and the water pump going with the battery. It is all of my electronics that need feeding so frequently. We have a 200 watt inverter that will charge the laptop but the solar panel output was not strong enough to keep the inverter going. My laptop battery is half drained after downloading pictures and doing some editing. My phone stays turned off all the time except when it is being used and the mobile hotspot eats the battery. Every time we get in the car, plugging in the phone is before putting on the seatbelts!
There are a few electric sites here available on a first come basis but I don't think we will be here long enough to go through the bother. I thought it would be too hot here but it has been pleasant....staying cool due to the daily thunderstorms. And the price is $10, only $2 more than Mt Pisgah (with the geezer pass).
We are heading out for dinner tonight. Not sure where we will go but it is so nice to be close enough to have many choices. We enjoyed a meal at El Ranchero Mexican restaurant a few nights ago. And Walmart and Bilow are a little over a mile from here.
We had a delicious BBQ dinner and David did not have to cook in the rain.
Here's some pictures from our day.
7/15/12
Mt Pisgah
When we got home from the big trip last March, I thought that would be the end of this blog. Now, four months later, I find myself missing the blogging. So, sitting at 5000 ft, at 9 PM, curled up in the corner of the bed in the Casita with my Siamese at my feet, I am starting again.
I am using an app on my tablet hoping I can get internet access tomorrow. And since the Casita is no longer in the desert, there needs to be some fine tuning to the title when possible. But I can't wait for perfection, life is happening now!
We have been planning this escape from the heat for a few months. Last year we were up here at the Mt Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge PKWY for almost 4 weeks in July due to a camphosting job. We thought that we would have more fun not working this year. So last Tuesday we loaded the Casita (recently christened the Chatta-Egg), the bikes, the hiking gear, the fishing poles, and the cats!
Meet the girls! Sheba is a 10 year old mostly mellow Siamese and Princess is an 8 year old black and white rescue. They are on this trip as I am giving this cat camping thing one more try. It was suggested to me that a weekend was not long enough for them to adjust so they got thrown in along with all the other toys.
Our area has been experiencing record breaking heat. Rain has been needed desperately so I hesitate to complain. But 4 days of rain combined with closed windows, a husband, two cats and a kitty litter box in a 16' Casita has just about pushed me to the end of my limits. I forgot to mention that our refrigerator is also not working!
Fast forward to Monday afternoon...what a difference a few hours can make! I called a RV refrigerator guy off the mtn this AM that that been recommended by locals. This, of course, involves going to the closest overlook to make the call. He told me that our Dometic RM 2193 would cost $660 to replace, not including labor. I told him all the things we had done to fix it, suggestions from other campers that we had tried including tapping on the gas lines. He said that tapping would not work but beating the h.... out them might!
With a prayer in my heart I took my husband's crescent wrench and followed his instructions. It worked! Look up RB's RVs if you have a problem in this part of the mtns. He's in Hendersonville.
Just heard the first rumble of thunder for the day. It has been almost 24 hours since the last shower! The sun has done a lot to raise my spirits. We rode our bikes around the campground and it is almost empty. Very quiet. I have spent the last hour cleaning on the awning while David napped. We may get cleaned up and go into Brevard for the evening. I want to get this posted, excited to be blogging again! My pictures may be under another post. Not too sure how this app works.
I am using an app on my tablet hoping I can get internet access tomorrow. And since the Casita is no longer in the desert, there needs to be some fine tuning to the title when possible. But I can't wait for perfection, life is happening now!
We have been planning this escape from the heat for a few months. Last year we were up here at the Mt Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge PKWY for almost 4 weeks in July due to a camphosting job. We thought that we would have more fun not working this year. So last Tuesday we loaded the Casita (recently christened the Chatta-Egg), the bikes, the hiking gear, the fishing poles, and the cats!
Meet the girls! Sheba is a 10 year old mostly mellow Siamese and Princess is an 8 year old black and white rescue. They are on this trip as I am giving this cat camping thing one more try. It was suggested to me that a weekend was not long enough for them to adjust so they got thrown in along with all the other toys.
Our area has been experiencing record breaking heat. Rain has been needed desperately so I hesitate to complain. But 4 days of rain combined with closed windows, a husband, two cats and a kitty litter box in a 16' Casita has just about pushed me to the end of my limits. I forgot to mention that our refrigerator is also not working!
Fast forward to Monday afternoon...what a difference a few hours can make! I called a RV refrigerator guy off the mtn this AM that that been recommended by locals. This, of course, involves going to the closest overlook to make the call. He told me that our Dometic RM 2193 would cost $660 to replace, not including labor. I told him all the things we had done to fix it, suggestions from other campers that we had tried including tapping on the gas lines. He said that tapping would not work but beating the h.... out them might!
With a prayer in my heart I took my husband's crescent wrench and followed his instructions. It worked! Look up RB's RVs if you have a problem in this part of the mtns. He's in Hendersonville.
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| Sheba |
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| A 24 |
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| Mt Pisgah |
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| Bamboo Festival |
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| Arboretum |
Just heard the first rumble of thunder for the day. It has been almost 24 hours since the last shower! The sun has done a lot to raise my spirits. We rode our bikes around the campground and it is almost empty. Very quiet. I have spent the last hour cleaning on the awning while David napped. We may get cleaned up and go into Brevard for the evening. I want to get this posted, excited to be blogging again! My pictures may be under another post. Not too sure how this app works.
3/8/12
Getting home and remembering the Apache Trail
We got back to Tennessee late Thursday, 3/1, just before all the tornadoes arrived on Friday. I had been watching the weather all week, checking the internet for forecasts of the cities we would go through. In Dallas we had to decide if we would head north to Arkansas or stay straight toward Louisiana. This was about the time Branson, Mo got hit and we choose to head east instead of NE. In Chattanooga most of our bad storms come up from the SW, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa area. I knew that we had to drive through these cities and would be on the tornado path on Friday unless we pushed hard.
It felt great to get home! Just seeing all the green on the roadsides excited me. The first jonquils were sighted east of Dallas before we hit LA. Then the redbuds started appearing along with the red maples and carolina jasmine was hanging from the pines in Mississippi.
We have been back about a week now and I have been trying to think of a fitting way to end this chronicle. I want to post a few more pictures of the day trip we took on the Apache Trail. This road was AZ 88 from Apache Junction through Tortilla Flatts, up over mountains, down into Fish Creek, past Apache Lake and Roosevelt Dam. It was an old native american route that was eventually made into a road. We were on 20 to 25 miles of rough, washboard dirt that took many hours to complete.
David and I have memories that will last the rest of our lives. We don't plan to stay still long..Next year, Alaska?
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| greetings from my yard |
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| grape hyacinths |
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| Apache Lake |
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| Apache Lake |
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| view down to Fish Creek |
David and I have memories that will last the rest of our lives. We don't plan to stay still long..Next year, Alaska?
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