Status Report

Just checking in with everyone. We arrived at Vein Mountain LDMA camp amidst some heavy rain a couple weeks ago. Sunshine and fair skies and temps took over in short order and the ground we were parked on firmed up nicely. Always a good thing- firm ground. But wouldn't ya know it, someone must have told the weather channel that we were headed back to Florida...which of course reactivated the hurricane season, even this late in November, and sent tropical Ida winds and rain storming up the coast in welcome home fashion! Humbug. We were scheduled to pull out of camp Thursday morning but heavy rains, a rapidly rising to flood stage Muddy Creek and soggy soil sent us out a day early in semi-panic mode, headed for the higher ground and paved parking of a nearby campground at a local RV dealership. After two weeks of dry camping, full hookup is nice, I admit it, even though the roughing it in comfort style of camping we often do is real nice too. We already had two floods to deal with this year- one in South Dakota en route to Alaska and the other- the antifreeze pouring out the basement compartments when the antifreeze line went bust on us. They say when it rains, it pours. I know that's a Morton Salt thingamajig, but this rain and potential flood out also saw us dealing with a leaking fuel line on the van for two days running, which meant driving back and forth to Hickory and the Chevy dealer there to get that fixed in the heavy rain and low visibility naturally. Our time at Vein Mountain was excellent. Too bad it ended with a flash of trouble, but that's the way it goes, isn't it. Without valleys, no mountains!

And speaking of mountains, we did manage to get in a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I'll hold those shots until next time because Picasa is giving me fits at the moment and I need to get some sack time before driving through the rest of Ida tomorrow. You remember Ida? Knock, knock. Who's there? Ida. Ida who? Ida been here sooner but the car broke down...... I never really thought that would happen, but here it is.......

Rain drops on the lens, but you should still be able to see that the camp road is now part of the stream. Never a good thing when the coach is parked just off the road and under the trees.