Monday I was feeling a little better, still not quite right, but at least I was able to stand and sit upright. So I got in the Malibu and drove east then north to Lake Parks, Georgia. What a beautiful area, not so red clay as sandy. I think it is geographically 157 foot elevation which might explain the soil composition. It is a small place. Wikipedia says that there are 549 people living in Lake Park, according to the 2010 census. As far as I know I did not make it to Lake Park downtown, if there is one. I was at the military reservation. As someone who did not grow up with the military I had no idea about military campgrounds.
This is a lovely campground right on Grassy Pond, which is really a lake in disguise. It is mostly fifth wheels, but there were also motor homes and pull behind trailers. Most had pullouts on the sides, so they seem to double in size once they squat on their little rectangle of woods. There is a beautiful trail that follows all the way around the lake. The trail is 3+ miles, but then you have to walk from one trail head to the other and so it comes out to more like 4+ miles. Everyone in the reservation is military in some connection. There were license plates from all around the country, including Alaska, many with Harley's lovingly parked in the site.
Other Bob (OB) and I packed up a picnic lunch and he with his walking stick and I in my sneakers, both in warm jackets headed off west on the trail not far from his site. It is a lovely trail with lots of birds on the pond/lake and song birds in the woods. OB has a bird feeder just outside of his dining room window where sparrows chattered away throwing seed to the ground for the beautiful morning doves. Beautiful dove gray birds with iridescent chests cooing back and forth. As we watched the bird feeders 2 different finches showed up to feast on the seed.
We walked half way around the pond/lake and then stopped at a table right on the lake to enjoy our picnic lunch. It was warm in the sun dappled areas of the woods, but now directly on the lake the wind which had shifted to the northwest, it was windy and cold. But we ate and laughed, looking through the binoculars at the birds. OB said he was told there was a nest of eagles. We looked up into the tall pines, but did not see the nest. OB has heard the eagles calling back and forth, so he has an idea where their nest is, but no matter how we looked, we did not see it. After our picnic we finished walking around the pond/lake and then OB showed me the amenities. It really is a lovely place. We walked across the street to another pond. This one looked like a pond, versus a lake. And after the rain from earlier this week, there was water in the pond. There is a trail going around that pond also, but instead we headed back to OB's site, leaving another adventure for another day.
I headed home after dinner. I did not follow my directions, instead I tried to remember the directions OB had given me verbally. I got lost. I ended up in Jennings instead of Madison, so I had added over an hour to my drive. I so enjoyed the day, hiking, a picnic, talking and laughing with a friend. A day of quiet. To unwind and no pressure or stress, just kick back and relax.
Tuesday I woke with a sore throat. I gargled, but also took it easy. That evening I went to zumba. Hmm, that might not have been the best idea I have ever have. It felt great moving for that hour, but then I went to the pickup rehearsal for Nobody's Perfect but I started feeling woozy and bad. I left at intermission and came home and went to bed. There is a bug going around, so maybe I have a touch of it. I did call people I had been around to tell them I was a little under the weather. I always try to avoid people when I am sick. But if I get something, I always tell those I have been around. I don't know that it will help them to get better quicker or avoid getting sick, but it might. maybe. If not, at least they will know what is going on if they do get it.
Lisa, our Executive Director at the Opera House had told me she needed me to work. I normally volunteer there on Wednesday, so I knew something was happening. It turned out to be the legislative spouses farm tour in Jefferson County. They toured various farms in the morning and then met for a luncheon at the Opera House. That morning we set tables, filled glasses with ice, set the plates for the kitchen, made coffee and then what a wonderful surprise, Alex, Kathryn and Olivia Brookins along with Tovya Vargas showed up in their black pants and white shirts. That is the uniform we all wear when we serve at the Opera House. First thing that morning Jane and Isabelle from the Camellia Garden Circle had come in and had made flower arrangements using locally picked camellias and some variegated ivy on each table. So beautiful, so Monticello, so fitting that for the Camellia Garden Circle. Our circle had gotten involved because one of the farms toured was Golden Acres Ranch. This is a goat, may haw farm owned and operated by one of our fellow garden circle members, Bobbie. Our garden circle really tries to bring in all of agriculture and gardening with our activities. We try to promote gardening/agriculture in different ways, often selling the most amazing and wonderful Atlas garden gloves. Bobbie and her sweet hubby, Fred are very active in the agriculture community here in Jefferson County and that opens up all sorts of possibilities for our garden circle. What wonderful possibilities.
A lot of people showed up to help. Several ladies from our garden circle, the girls serving the lunches and then lots of friends of the lady who catered the luncheon. She is not a working caterer, in fact she is not a caterer at all, but her mother had volunteered her for the luncheon because she is a fine cook and as I understand makes large meals for family and other events. Catering is not easy. I had a very small catering business a couple of times in my life. Nothing ever big, but the hardest part is not the cooking, but the organizing. All in all everyone seemed very happy with the luncheon. After they ate they moved upstairs to the theater and had a small presentation. Stephen Munroe did some cowboy humor. I would have enjoyed getting to hear him. I have heard him before and he is funny. But we had work to do cleaning up after the luncheon. These girls are young. I have no idea what their ages are exactly. I think Alex is almost 16, Toyva is 16, Catherine is probably a year or two younger and Olivia a year or two younger then her. These girls are hard workers and already know their way around catering and waitressing. They are sweet and friendly, a little shy, hard working, intelligent, funny young ladies and I always feel so lucky getting to spend time with them.
After all the dishes were washed and put away, the Opera House returned to its state prior to the invasion of the legislature's spouses I went into the office and started updating the mailing lists. While I was working on the mailing list a woman came in for an appointment with Lisa to look at the facilities for an upcoming wedding. She also brought her son. He is 9 - 11 years old and absolutely amazing. He was working on a project in his workbook. It involved a lot of problem solving when putting together a rock-n-roll band and going on tour. We looked up places he could stop at on the tour. Not just states and cities, but also the things you can do in each city. He designed the bus and made lists of people to go with him, things to pack and so on. He really got into it, but also stayed on task and worked through the project focused on each new step building on the last. He thought about geography, logistics, creativity and problem solving. He was amazing. I love other people's kids and he was a lot like my nephew Christopher in that he is so young and at the same time so old and comfortable with himself and interacting around adults. I enjoyed spending time so much that the next time I looked up it was 5:30 and I had missed zumba. But it was a good working day.
Today is warm and windy. The sky is gray but every once in a while the suns peeps out raising the temperature another degree. It feels like a beautiful warm humid spring day. More like April then February. I just might get outside and plant some pansies. It is a little late in the season to plant pansies, but they will be fine for a while yet and bring in that spot of color in a garden that is struggling to flow with seasons that make no sense. Tonight I hope to feel up to going to zumba. I am starting to feel a little more capable in zumba. I still stumble and fumble along, but I can see a big difference between when I started at the first of the month and now.
I have enjoyed being at home today getting to spend time with the dogs. I am gone so much and we really do miss each other. They are great fun. From Harry's big old lay around and let me sleep to Ednarose's hyper I want to be outside jumping up and biting. Bob simply wants to chase the ball. The cats are even missing me. Each of them coming up and wanting to cuddle. Sweet precious animals in my life. Just like my friends, sweet and precious beloved ones. I know I speak about being grateful for my life so often. But if you lived where I lived, and had the animals and gardens and beloved ones I have. If you had all the gifts I have been given, you would be grateful also.
And I am.
Yes, I am.
This is a lovely campground right on Grassy Pond, which is really a lake in disguise. It is mostly fifth wheels, but there were also motor homes and pull behind trailers. Most had pullouts on the sides, so they seem to double in size once they squat on their little rectangle of woods. There is a beautiful trail that follows all the way around the lake. The trail is 3+ miles, but then you have to walk from one trail head to the other and so it comes out to more like 4+ miles. Everyone in the reservation is military in some connection. There were license plates from all around the country, including Alaska, many with Harley's lovingly parked in the site.
Other Bob (OB) and I packed up a picnic lunch and he with his walking stick and I in my sneakers, both in warm jackets headed off west on the trail not far from his site. It is a lovely trail with lots of birds on the pond/lake and song birds in the woods. OB has a bird feeder just outside of his dining room window where sparrows chattered away throwing seed to the ground for the beautiful morning doves. Beautiful dove gray birds with iridescent chests cooing back and forth. As we watched the bird feeders 2 different finches showed up to feast on the seed.
We walked half way around the pond/lake and then stopped at a table right on the lake to enjoy our picnic lunch. It was warm in the sun dappled areas of the woods, but now directly on the lake the wind which had shifted to the northwest, it was windy and cold. But we ate and laughed, looking through the binoculars at the birds. OB said he was told there was a nest of eagles. We looked up into the tall pines, but did not see the nest. OB has heard the eagles calling back and forth, so he has an idea where their nest is, but no matter how we looked, we did not see it. After our picnic we finished walking around the pond/lake and then OB showed me the amenities. It really is a lovely place. We walked across the street to another pond. This one looked like a pond, versus a lake. And after the rain from earlier this week, there was water in the pond. There is a trail going around that pond also, but instead we headed back to OB's site, leaving another adventure for another day.
I headed home after dinner. I did not follow my directions, instead I tried to remember the directions OB had given me verbally. I got lost. I ended up in Jennings instead of Madison, so I had added over an hour to my drive. I so enjoyed the day, hiking, a picnic, talking and laughing with a friend. A day of quiet. To unwind and no pressure or stress, just kick back and relax.
Tuesday I woke with a sore throat. I gargled, but also took it easy. That evening I went to zumba. Hmm, that might not have been the best idea I have ever have. It felt great moving for that hour, but then I went to the pickup rehearsal for Nobody's Perfect but I started feeling woozy and bad. I left at intermission and came home and went to bed. There is a bug going around, so maybe I have a touch of it. I did call people I had been around to tell them I was a little under the weather. I always try to avoid people when I am sick. But if I get something, I always tell those I have been around. I don't know that it will help them to get better quicker or avoid getting sick, but it might. maybe. If not, at least they will know what is going on if they do get it.
Lisa, our Executive Director at the Opera House had told me she needed me to work. I normally volunteer there on Wednesday, so I knew something was happening. It turned out to be the legislative spouses farm tour in Jefferson County. They toured various farms in the morning and then met for a luncheon at the Opera House. That morning we set tables, filled glasses with ice, set the plates for the kitchen, made coffee and then what a wonderful surprise, Alex, Kathryn and Olivia Brookins along with Tovya Vargas showed up in their black pants and white shirts. That is the uniform we all wear when we serve at the Opera House. First thing that morning Jane and Isabelle from the Camellia Garden Circle had come in and had made flower arrangements using locally picked camellias and some variegated ivy on each table. So beautiful, so Monticello, so fitting that for the Camellia Garden Circle. Our circle had gotten involved because one of the farms toured was Golden Acres Ranch. This is a goat, may haw farm owned and operated by one of our fellow garden circle members, Bobbie. Our garden circle really tries to bring in all of agriculture and gardening with our activities. We try to promote gardening/agriculture in different ways, often selling the most amazing and wonderful Atlas garden gloves. Bobbie and her sweet hubby, Fred are very active in the agriculture community here in Jefferson County and that opens up all sorts of possibilities for our garden circle. What wonderful possibilities.
A lot of people showed up to help. Several ladies from our garden circle, the girls serving the lunches and then lots of friends of the lady who catered the luncheon. She is not a working caterer, in fact she is not a caterer at all, but her mother had volunteered her for the luncheon because she is a fine cook and as I understand makes large meals for family and other events. Catering is not easy. I had a very small catering business a couple of times in my life. Nothing ever big, but the hardest part is not the cooking, but the organizing. All in all everyone seemed very happy with the luncheon. After they ate they moved upstairs to the theater and had a small presentation. Stephen Munroe did some cowboy humor. I would have enjoyed getting to hear him. I have heard him before and he is funny. But we had work to do cleaning up after the luncheon. These girls are young. I have no idea what their ages are exactly. I think Alex is almost 16, Toyva is 16, Catherine is probably a year or two younger and Olivia a year or two younger then her. These girls are hard workers and already know their way around catering and waitressing. They are sweet and friendly, a little shy, hard working, intelligent, funny young ladies and I always feel so lucky getting to spend time with them.
After all the dishes were washed and put away, the Opera House returned to its state prior to the invasion of the legislature's spouses I went into the office and started updating the mailing lists. While I was working on the mailing list a woman came in for an appointment with Lisa to look at the facilities for an upcoming wedding. She also brought her son. He is 9 - 11 years old and absolutely amazing. He was working on a project in his workbook. It involved a lot of problem solving when putting together a rock-n-roll band and going on tour. We looked up places he could stop at on the tour. Not just states and cities, but also the things you can do in each city. He designed the bus and made lists of people to go with him, things to pack and so on. He really got into it, but also stayed on task and worked through the project focused on each new step building on the last. He thought about geography, logistics, creativity and problem solving. He was amazing. I love other people's kids and he was a lot like my nephew Christopher in that he is so young and at the same time so old and comfortable with himself and interacting around adults. I enjoyed spending time so much that the next time I looked up it was 5:30 and I had missed zumba. But it was a good working day.
Today is warm and windy. The sky is gray but every once in a while the suns peeps out raising the temperature another degree. It feels like a beautiful warm humid spring day. More like April then February. I just might get outside and plant some pansies. It is a little late in the season to plant pansies, but they will be fine for a while yet and bring in that spot of color in a garden that is struggling to flow with seasons that make no sense. Tonight I hope to feel up to going to zumba. I am starting to feel a little more capable in zumba. I still stumble and fumble along, but I can see a big difference between when I started at the first of the month and now.
I have enjoyed being at home today getting to spend time with the dogs. I am gone so much and we really do miss each other. They are great fun. From Harry's big old lay around and let me sleep to Ednarose's hyper I want to be outside jumping up and biting. Bob simply wants to chase the ball. The cats are even missing me. Each of them coming up and wanting to cuddle. Sweet precious animals in my life. Just like my friends, sweet and precious beloved ones. I know I speak about being grateful for my life so often. But if you lived where I lived, and had the animals and gardens and beloved ones I have. If you had all the gifts I have been given, you would be grateful also.
And I am.
Yes, I am.
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