Here we are in Flagstaff, AZ. Continuing to head due west. Yippee!! Am I homesick? You betcha!
So, where have we been since I last wrote from Branson, MO? All the way to the Atlantic Ocean, that's where! So much has happened; we have seen so much! Where to start?
The Rockwell RV park where we stayed in OK City
invited all the RV'ers to a Thanksgiving dinner. They served turkey and ham and all the fixins. Since we were spending 3 nights in OK City, we had a chance to look around. The most moving experience was visiting the memorial site of the former Murrah Building. It is diffiult to believe that this horrific event occurred 21 years ago. Here is how the building looked right after the bombing.
So, Georgia. What a grand time we had there!!! We were able to escape the confines of the RV for several weeks and stay with my brother and his wife--Stephen and Betty Sue Palmer--in their beautiful home. Lots of room to move about. Wonderful meals--both prepared by my family and those we ate at all my favorite local restaurants! (Um, I finally weighed myself yesterday morning on the scale that Bob keeps in the RV bathroom. 6 pounds worth of Southern eating!!) Shortly after we arrived in my hometown of Thomson, Georgia, a huge welcoming party was thrown for us at the local boat club. The chief honchos of this event were my sister, Ginger Blalock, and my cousins, Judy and Jack Garrison. I can never thank them enough for all the work and planning that went into making this wonderful event happen! We had a fabulous time and saw tons of people--some of whom I had not seen for years. It was probably a bit overwhelming for poor Oz. But I had warned him ahead of time. He took it all in good grace.
Another highlight of the trip to the South was our week spent at Edisto Beach--despite Hurricane Matthew's attempts to derail that visit! Long before Matthew reared its ugly head, Bob had booked a two bedroom condo with his Wyndham timeshare points at the Edisto Island facility. Then Matthew did its nasty work on my beloved island. Things looked good at first, tho, despite reports of some major damage to the island, including 4-5 feet of beach sand washed onto the main road on the beach side. However, about a week before our departure date, the dreaded call came--Wyndham was not going to reopen in time for our arrival. Heartbreak!! But, we put on our big girl panties (well, maybe not Oz) and found a house of sorts right on the beach with a great price--$500 for the week!! We booked it and off we went. OK, maybe the place was not up to our usual island-living standards. But it was ON THE BEACH--FOR $500!!! FOR A WEEK!!
Sharks can shed many thousands of teeth throughout their lifetime. In order for these teeth to fossilize, they must sink to the seafloor and be quickly covered by sediment. Rapid burial is important for fossilization for a number of reasons. First, the sediment acts to protect the teeth from the weathering, abrasion, and scavenging that could occur if they were exposed to open water and currents. Secondly, burial also limits exposure to oxygen and bacteria which are responsible for decay. The process of fossilization is a slow one that usually takes thousands of years. In the case of shark's teeth, they are preserved through a process known as permineralization. Which occurs as water seeps down through the sediments and over the teeth. This water carries different minerals in it that are deposited into open pore spaces in the teeth. The most common minerals are silica and calcite but other local minerals are deposited as well. Depending on which minerals are present teeth can be found in a wide variety of different colors, ranging from blue/grey to black to orange/red to white to green.
Soooo, enough about sharks teeth--moving on. Another favorite activity is early morning beach combing. Oh, the treasures we found! More photos:
We left Georgia on November 16th. Spent first night in Meridian, Mississippi. Second night in Canton, Texas--not much there to write home about. From there we drove to Oklahoma City. Spent three nights there--Oz's back needed some rest from driving. Plus, we needed that time to recover from the stress of driving through Dallas, TX, on Friday! Can you spell T R A F F I C??? I was using my iPad Mini and the Google Maps app to guide us through the twisting and turning horror of the freeway changes. At one point she (the female voice on the Google Maps app) announced that, due to an accident ahead and a major slowdown of traffic, she was re-routing us around it. Instant PANIC on my part! I don't enjoy being re-routed! But, we followed her instructions and changed routes. However, even tho there was no accident on the new route, due to road construction, we were thrust into a different type of slowdown. Took us forever to reach the north side of the big D. We were soooooo happy to finally see Dallas in our rear view mirror!
Dallas Skyline
See what I mean about the Dallas freeway system!
The Rockwell RV park where we stayed in OK City
invited all the RV'ers to a Thanksgiving dinner. They served turkey and ham and all the fixins. Since we were spending 3 nights in OK City, we had a chance to look around. The most moving experience was visiting the memorial site of the former Murrah Building. It is diffiult to believe that this horrific event occurred 21 years ago. Here is how the building looked right after the bombing.
And, part of the memorial that now stands on the site.
The reflection pool
Part of the 90-year old American Elm Tree now known as the "Survivor Tree." This tree was in a parking lot across the street from the Murrah Building. At the point of the explosion, a burning car hood was propelled into the upper branches of this tree. It was badly scorched. Also, shrapnel and broken glass were embedded in the trunk of this tree. Initially, the tree was tagged for removal.
However, two OK City men championed its cause and saved the tree. It stands beautiful (I took this photo yesterday) to this day. I had a short conversation with the tree, touched its trunk, and thanked it for standing strong.
We drove to Amarillo, TX from Oklahoma City. Then on to Albuquerque for two nights. And, now in Flagstaff, AZ. Thanksgiving Dinner tonight at The Horseman Inn here in Flag. They are having a buffet with turkey, ham, and prime rib. My mouth is salivating as I type this info. Been reading on Facebook all day about everybody's TG dinners.
So, Georgia. What a grand time we had there!!! We were able to escape the confines of the RV for several weeks and stay with my brother and his wife--Stephen and Betty Sue Palmer--in their beautiful home. Lots of room to move about. Wonderful meals--both prepared by my family and those we ate at all my favorite local restaurants! (Um, I finally weighed myself yesterday morning on the scale that Bob keeps in the RV bathroom. 6 pounds worth of Southern eating!!) Shortly after we arrived in my hometown of Thomson, Georgia, a huge welcoming party was thrown for us at the local boat club. The chief honchos of this event were my sister, Ginger Blalock, and my cousins, Judy and Jack Garrison. I can never thank them enough for all the work and planning that went into making this wonderful event happen! We had a fabulous time and saw tons of people--some of whom I had not seen for years. It was probably a bit overwhelming for poor Oz. But I had warned him ahead of time. He took it all in good grace.
Another highlight of the trip to the South was our week spent at Edisto Beach--despite Hurricane Matthew's attempts to derail that visit! Long before Matthew reared its ugly head, Bob had booked a two bedroom condo with his Wyndham timeshare points at the Edisto Island facility. Then Matthew did its nasty work on my beloved island. Things looked good at first, tho, despite reports of some major damage to the island, including 4-5 feet of beach sand washed onto the main road on the beach side. However, about a week before our departure date, the dreaded call came--Wyndham was not going to reopen in time for our arrival. Heartbreak!! But, we put on our big girl panties (well, maybe not Oz) and found a house of sorts right on the beach with a great price--$500 for the week!! We booked it and off we went. OK, maybe the place was not up to our usual island-living standards. But it was ON THE BEACH--FOR $500!!! FOR A WEEK!!
Bear in mind, we only have a small portion of this large house. It is divided into three apartments.
A little data about these sharks teeth (I have literally hundreds of these fossils that I have found over the years):
What a fabulous time we had. And, as usual, the week just FLEW by!! But, we filled it with lots of activities. On the very first morning after we arrived, Ginger and I headed out to the deck you see above to see the sunrise. Our routine every time we visit Edisto. We were not disappointed! As usual, spectacular! Here are a couple of my shots (with my new iPhone 7 camera/phone).
Then, there was the shark's tooth hunting. My favorite activity when we visit in the summer. I could not find a single one this time. However, my sister, Ginger, found two of them--just laying there on the beach! Younger eyes! Here was the best one:
Sharks can shed many thousands of teeth throughout their lifetime. In order for these teeth to fossilize, they must sink to the seafloor and be quickly covered by sediment. Rapid burial is important for fossilization for a number of reasons. First, the sediment acts to protect the teeth from the weathering, abrasion, and scavenging that could occur if they were exposed to open water and currents. Secondly, burial also limits exposure to oxygen and bacteria which are responsible for decay. The process of fossilization is a slow one that usually takes thousands of years. In the case of shark's teeth, they are preserved through a process known as permineralization. Which occurs as water seeps down through the sediments and over the teeth. This water carries different minerals in it that are deposited into open pore spaces in the teeth. The most common minerals are silica and calcite but other local minerals are deposited as well. Depending on which minerals are present teeth can be found in a wide variety of different colors, ranging from blue/grey to black to orange/red to white to green.
Soooo, enough about sharks teeth--moving on. Another favorite activity is early morning beach combing. Oh, the treasures we found! More photos:
I call this one "old man of the sea."
Ginger--the master sharks tooth finder!
Our take--yes, Mary Kay Bornfleth--some of them are coming your way!
I should have put something next to this one so you could see how small it is--the most perfect shell of its type that I have ever found!
Regarding the damage that Matthew wreaked on my beloved Edisto--sadly, many houses on the beach were condemned--perhaps to be habitable again when repairs are made. But, at least 5 of them had the dreaded red tag--meaning they were damaged beyond repair and will have to be torn down. Approaching Atlantic hurricanes are always one of my greatest fears for Edisto. Since Hugo in 1989, good fortune has, for the most part, smiled on Edisto. But not this time. However, lots of cleaning and rebuilding going on. They will be back!
One day, while at Edisto, Bob, Ginger and I drove to Charleston. What a good time we had! Visited the Waterfront.
Swings overlooking the waterfront
The Pineapple Fountain on the Waterfront is a famous Charleston landmark.
Lunch at Poogan's Porch
And, lastly we visited the Charleston City Market. Here is a little data:
The City Market, or Centre Market, is a historic market complex in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Established in the 1790s, the market stretches for four city blocks from the architecturally-significant Market Hall, which faces Meeting Street, through a continuous series of one-story market sheds, the last of which terminates at East Bay Street. The Market Hall has been described as a building of the "highest architectural design quality."[1] The entire complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Market Hall and Sheds and was further designated a National Historic Landmark.[1][4]
Initially known as the Centre Market, Charleston's City Market was developed as a replacement for the city's Beef Market building (on the site of Charleston's City Hall, 100 Broad Street), which burned in 1796. Market Hall, designed by Charleston architect Edward B. White, was added in the early 1840s. Throughout the 19th century, the market provided a convenient place for area farms and plantations to sell beef and produce, and also acted as a place for locals to gather and socialize.[5] Today, the City Market's vendors sell souvenirs and other items ranging from jewelry to Gullah sweetgrass baskets.
Needless to say a bit of shopping took place within the blocks and blocks of the Market! Bob gave out first and told us he would meet us at at a bar across the street when we finished. Ginger and I only quit because our feet were killing us. But, some neat stuff we found there just might show up under the Christmas tree.
One last comment about Charleston--leaving and returning to Edisto Island, we took our usual favorite shortcut--
Now, Savanna, Georgia. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference it makes to visit that lovely city in November versus middle of the summer. I have done both--November is better!! So, the highlights of this trip. First of all, Savannah is chock-full of fabulous restaurants. I have been to a few over the years. Had a couple in mind for where I wanted to eat on this trip. Oz had other ideas. He is a barbecue aficionado from way back. On this trip alone, we have probably eaten in at least 7 or 8 b/q joints, some more than once. At some point before we headed to Savannah, he had read in a POPULAR SCIENCE magazine--yes, I said Popular Science--about a "fabulous" b/q place called Mr. B's in Savannah. Reluctantly acknowledging that this is his trip also, and trying to gracefully ignore his dismissal of my obviously superior knowledge regarding where to eat in Savannah, Ginger and I agreed to give "his" choice a try. Well,to start with, it WAS NOT in Savannah. It was in a dang strip mall at least 15 miles beyond the outskirts of Savannah. We read in the menu that the original Mr. B's had burned to the ground a year ago. Then we got the food. . . . . Just not good. B/q meat not up to par. And, I don't know where Mr. B got his recipe for hash--but SWEET hash??? Ain't no way!! (Only mostly my Southern friends will have a clue as to what I am talking about.) Anyway, even Oz admitted that meal was a mistake! The highlight of Savannah was the tour we took. Our tour guide, while not the best historian, was hilarious. Some photos we took:
One of the beautiful homes in the historic district
St. John's Cathedral--seen during the opening credits of the movie, Forrest Gump
We took more photos of Savannah but my photo transferring process is not cooperating with me this afternoon.
One more highlight (there were sooooo many but I need to bring this part of the blog to a close) of the Edisto trip--our two visits to the Edisto Book Store and my favorite long-term resident there, Miss Emily Grace--she was rescued from the parking lot several years back and lives in the store.
One more highlight (there were sooooo many but I need to bring this part of the blog to a close) of the Edisto trip--our two visits to the Edisto Book Store and my favorite long-term resident there, Miss Emily Grace--she was rescued from the parking lot several years back and lives in the store.
One of the sweetest kitty cats I have ever met!
So, just a few more photos to close the Georgia chapter:
A beautiful tree frog that Bob found one morning on the door knob of Stephen and Betty Sue's house
The lovely home of Bonnie and Charles Johnson--where we had a delicious lunch and tour one day
One of many Fall/Halloween decorations on Main Street in Thomson
Taken of Bob during a private tour of McCorkles Nursery
We celebrated Bob's birthday in Georgia at Bob's Bait and Tackle and restaurant!
My good-looking nephew, John Blalock. He is single, ladies--we need to find him a girlfriend!!
Soooo, I will bring this tome to a close. Tomorrow we drive to Las Vegas and stay one night. Then Saturday we head to Ridgecrest. Cannot wait to see my house, drive my car, use my stove, and see all my friends. Adios, amigos! Til next time! You never know. And a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have read these blogs and made comments. All 8 of them have been works of love.
Glamgirl and Oz
Glamgirl and Oz
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