My husband and I attended the Southern States Little Guy Meet-Up over the weekend at F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia. There were 21 Little Guy campers occupying campsites and probably 35 or 40 people gathered for the campfires each night, so I wrote a Luc Bat today about my weekend. At http://www.ethicalela.com, our third day of the October Open Write is being hosted by Wendy Everand of New York, who introduced this poetry form and inspired us to write one today. You can read her actual prompt here if you’d like to try one of your own! If you are interested in next year’s Meet Up, it will be at Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee from October 16-20, 2024. Come join us – to write poetry, to camp, or both!
Notes about this form from Wendy: The luc bat is a poem with Vietnamese origins. It means “six-eight” and consists of alternating lines of six and eight syllables with an unusual rhyme scheme:
There is no set length to a luc bat: you can make it as long as you wish. And there’s no set meter.
Little Guy Southern States Meet Up
Southern States Campground Meet: from all around, to greet the day there’s just no better way for LG folks to play and chat we roll out welcome mats put on jeans, don camp hats, build fires, give camper tours, check wires make our beds, shine our tires…….relax!
Getting set up Picnicking at Dowdell’s Knob overlooking the valley
Fitz kept my seat warm while I took a breakfast picture
A group of LG folks at pumpkin archery class
Group fire in the evening – one member shared chocolate from a box that was the size of a wall poster
We threw in color flame to have a colorful fire that lasted about 30 minutes – blues and purples and greens!
Always the sad part – coming home from a great camping weekend!
Today we are heading off to F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia for the Southeastern States Little Guy Meet Up. This is a group of people who all love camping in our Little Guy campers. We’ll gather at various campsites as hosts invite us to bring a log of firewood and our camp chairs to sit around the fire pit and share stories of our camping experiences. Some travelers will take two days to make the journey, but we are blessed that the event is happening at one of our favorite campgrounds that is just under one hour from our home.
We bought our 2022 Little Guy Max Rough Rider by Extreme Outdoors in November 2022 from a couple who had planned to travel and camp throughout the United States but had a change of life circumstances that thwarted their plans. The previous owners had done all of the initial fine-tuning needed when anyone buys a new camper, and had even put together a three-inch binder owner’s manual with plastic sleeves, receipts, and warranty paperwork. They’d changed out the uncomfortable mattress for a Bamboo mattress and added a Froli bedding system, for starters. They’d also added a bike rack and put extra sealant on the side seams. They took immaculate care of the camper, and we felt fortunate to have had an actual engineer own it before we bought it from them.
“Join the club,” the previous owners urged, “there’s a whole following of LGM owners out there, and you can learn a lot from the Facebook groups.”
So we did. We joined all the groups and learned about Randi’s Adventures on YouTube, where she gives weekly tips on camping in this minimalist fashion that we have come to love. She hosts a yearly gathering on Lake Michigan, and we hope to get to that one someday, too.
But for now, we’re joining the meet-ups closer to home. Today, my husband and our dogs will make the trip to get set up, and I’ll join them after this evening’s National Day on Writing event on our town square. I’ll share pictures and stories from the meet up next week, after our October 5-day Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com that begins tomorrow.
Cheers for cozy nights with blankets and clear, starry skies! We can’t wait to share our adventures with you next week!
7:15 a.m. – I was sitting in my camp chair at Hamburg State Park in Mitchell, Georgia wrapped in a white fleece blanket, drinking black coffee from my favorite oversized Snoopy Halloween mug. 64 degrees of hot flash heaven! The smoke from the neighbor’s fire last night was still rising in spiral-y wisps from the pit, scenting the air of burnt wood. My clothes didn’t match today, and I didn’t care – floral shirts and a tie dye t-shirt. I had a bad hair day, too, and that was fine with me. And no makeup to top it all off.
8:00 a.m. – Across the lake, I spied a lone angler in a jon boat, fishing the uninhabited wilderness island shoreline in his sun hat. Hamburg State Park is said to be the most remote of all Georgia State Parks, and forgetting the WiFi hotspot was at first disappointing, but then it wasn’t. My husband had found himself a Harlan Coben book in the Little Free Library, and I’d done some reading and writing, too. But at that moment, he was still snug in the camper, wedged in like tire chocks by 3 snoozing Schnoodles who like to be cozy in the covers.
8:30 a.m. – In the far distance, I heard the boom of gunfire and my heart wept for the doves losing lives and mates. Dove hunting season just opened in Georgia. Don’t even get me started.
9:15 a.m. – A middle-aged woman wearing a mid-calf navy skirt, a gray sweatshirt, and a pair of laceless Keds that reminded me of my grandmother’s Grasshoppers walked a slow-moving Border Collie mix along the camp drive, neither in a hurry to be anywhere. A bald man on a white e-Bike sped past, then a man on a regular bike, turquoise with a basket, eased by and tossed a morning greeting hand in the air, smiling big like the fresh air exhilarated him from the inside out. I smiled and waved back.
9:30 a.m. – We had one of those neighbors this time – you know, the kind with the voice that carries all through the campground, informing everyone across all 30 campsites of her daughter’s Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the current plight of her own insurance woes, and a cousin’s wedding episodes of family members who didn’t get along ruining the day. It takes a good bit to really get on my nerves, but I came very close to standing up and shouting FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS PEACEFUL, WILL YOU P L E A S E STOP TALKING???? Her husband kept taking the dog for a walk – a little dachshund puppy in a red sweater – telling it, “Heel, Heel.” And I didn’t blame him one bit.
A leaf twirls groundward from a water oak
9:45 a.m. – An occasional leaf turned loose from a branch and twirled to the ground from the water oaks lining the lake, and every now and then a fish broke the surface, ploonking back into the water as its silvery scales flashed a watery hello. The Blue Jays were the other loudmouths on this campground, and yet I understand their marked presence – and purpose – there with all those oaks and acorns now that I’ve read Slow Birding by Joan Strassman.
9: 50 a.m. – My husband emerged from the camper and had finished reading his book. He was ready for his typical breakfast of graham crackers and plain Chobani Greek yogurt, with coffee. I fixed my yogurt with fresh diced peaches, and we talked about the (probably) 5,000 pictures of the sunset I took (quietly) from the campsite over the weekend.
10:00 – Neither one of us wanted to leave. We were just ready to see the noisy neighbors pull out. He asked, “Is it just me, or did this trip seem a lot more relaxing than any camping trip we’ve ever taken?” I assured him it wasn’t just him – that we really did relax deeply, and that tomorrow we’d be back at work – – but that for today, we were savoring this Labor Day as we celebrate of all the workers who make our country an amazing place to live.
We raised our mugs to working hard so that we can play hard, too.
At the end of each month, (or beginning), I review my yearly goals and spend some time reflecting on how I’m doing in living the life I want to live ~ a way of becoming my own accountability partner and having frequent check-ins to evaluate my progress. I’m still in the process of revising some of my goals as I encounter successes…..and setbacks. New goals have asterisks for the month of September, when I will report on them in a few weeks. For the month of August here’s my goal reflection:
Category
Goals
My Progress
Literature
Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group
Send out Postcards
Blog Daily
Write at least 2 chapters for writing group’s book
I participated in the August book discussion with Sarah’s reading group and am almost finished with the September book – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I’ll participate in this book discussion on September 17th.
I haven’t sent out any postcards this month, but I visited in person to meet my newest granddaughter.
I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, and the blog is a way of continuing the habit.
My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time editing the chapters we have written. I will continue to add chapters as we receive feedback from our proposals. This is a work in progress, but I have only edited this month and not written any new chapters. I edited based on feedback from Anna Roseboro, a well-published member of our group.
Creativity
*Make a rag quilt for a new grandbaby
*Create Shutterfly Route 66
I have a new granddaughter, and I’ve finished the rag quilt with the Nana tag on it. I’ll include a photo at the bottom of this post.
I created a video, but I didn’t accomplish this goal, so I’ll continue this one: I’ll create a canvas or two, along with a photo book using our Route 66 photos! Update: I still haven’t accomplished this goal. I need to get busy in Shutterfly.
Spirituality
Tune in to church
Pray!
Keep OLW priority
We have been tuning in to church. With Dad preaching every Sunday in October and a few Sundays ahead of that, it makes the church home hunt take a back seat until my childhood church gets a new preacher, since I have the opportunity to hear Dad.
My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, and there’s so much to give thanks for. I continue my conversations with the good Lord each morning and afternoon.
I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray!
Reflection
Write family stories
Spend time tracking goals each month
I have shared family stories through my blog this month and will continue this month to do the same.
I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table.
Self-Improvement
*Reach top of weight range
This is a setback for me this month. I’ve hit major stress and gained weight, despite joining WW. I need to set a firm date and get the mental mindset that it takes to stay on track. I have work to do.
Gratitude
Devote blog days to counting blessings
Gratitude needs more time in September. I need to devote time to Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Gratitude Journal readings. I get busy and forget to truly commit time to thanking the Good Lord for all the blessings, even though I am grateful. Remembering to thank Him, while I do this in prayer, needs more emphasis in the moments of walking on the farm or driving through the beautiful countryside at sunset.
Experience
Embrace Slow Travel
Focus on the Outdoors
I’ve taken a trip in August to see the baby and now am finishing the month in Athens on a business trip. Both fast. Not slow and lingering as I would like. September will take us camping and possibly to visit a daughter, and I hope that we can slow down on those trips.
I’m still focusing on the outdoors with birdwatching adventures and camping. It’s the best time of the day to sit outside on the porch (in the shade) and just listen and watch what is going on around us. We have seen the owl several times this month.
We arrived on site 29 at Hamburg State Park in Mitchell, Georgia in time for an all-beef hotdog on the electric grill last night, both looking forward to a long weekend of camping and spending time reflecting on those who made our freedom possible at the ultimate cost. As we drove here to this beautiful place to enjoy the peace, I couldn’t help wondering if those we are pausing to remember would be pleased if they were granted a visitor’s pass to come back and see how we’ve managed what they gave their own lives protecting.
I write this on the heels of a letter our district received from a concerned citizen about having school-related events in religious buildings. Because our auditorium is under construction, our small rural school district has had to reach out to churches for space this year; otherwise, students would not have had opportunities to celebrate their accomplishments with families there to share meals with them. The parent was upset because a Christian prayer was offered by a parent before a meal in a fellowship hall for a banquet that was not mandatory for students to attend.
Earlier this year, we had a county commissioner who wanted to go through every book on our library shelves because a child had checked out a book that had a character with two mothers – – our PUBLIC library shelves – – to remove a book not in keeping with his own opinions and values, for a book that was not mandatory for any child to read.
As I thought about choice and freedom as I grilled these wieners, I heard the familiar sound that told me my mother was nearby – – and sending a message, as she still does in relation to my thoughts.
A woodpecker.
Beating its head against a tree.
I looked up to see a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, thinking almost aloud, Thanks, Mom. Are you sure you didn’t mean to send a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker instead?
And then these wieners began sizzling on the grill.
And somewhere in all of this head-banging and sizzling, it caused me to stop and wonder whether we can even handle the precious freedoms we have been given when we can’t all respect the freedoms of others. Some folks think that their freedoms include limiting the choices and freedoms that we all should have, and yet even hundreds of thousands of graves with American flags whipping in the breeze can’t even get our attention long enough to stop and consider the state of our nation.
So the woodpecker will forever chip away, and the wieners will continue sizzling, as Mom still prompts thinking from the other side, where all things in her world are now perfect.
I came across a fascinating Facebook post this week on one of my camping groups. A Girl Camper member stated she needed a rainy day hobby and invited others to share what they enjoyed doing. There are currently 687 responses, but for a rainy day wish, the feedback was phenomenal. I wanted to share the ideas that were posted as a list post today. I won’t name people, since the group is private, but these ideas are completely credited to the girl campers of the world, who are a creative and adventurous bunch!
read
crochet
knit
sew
plan the next camping trip
macro photography
watercolours
embroidery
draw
journal
listen to the wind
listen to music
listen to audiobooks
diamond painting
nap
make leather items
play video games
adult coloring books
play the ukelele
color with gel pens
paint rocks to leave for the next camper
scrapbooking
sudoku
crossword
dot painting on rocks
color by number
paint by number
quilting
canning
people watching
jigsaw puzzles
cross stitch
make jewelry
watch old movies
plastic canvas stitching
make knit hats to sell
write your life story
loom knit
make wind/sun catchers
sew towel golf cart seat covers
Play Yahtzee, Uno, Scrabble Go
Play guitar
paint notecards
needlepoint
board games
card games
fish
drink and collect wine corks
word finds
Chuzzle on my phone
bedazzle my clothes
paint scenes where we are camped
Bead Christmas ornaments
make car air fresheners
make cups, tshirts, wooden signs
singing
study bird identification books
study flower identification books
study foreign language on Duolingo
play solitaire
plan menus
reorganize the camper, clean cabinets
make mosaics with old costume jewelry
listen to podcasts
work on Lego sets
play cribbage
watch a Netflix series
make a camper or log cabin from wine corks
shop at local thrift stores
try new makeupn techniques
plein air painting
cook something new
meditate
yoga
latch hook
dance
walk in the rain
fire writing (pyrography)
go out to eat
make knee blankets to donate to the nursing home
zentangling
neurographic art to destress from andrea.nelson.art on TikTok
play indoor bowling
write letters to friends
whittle/woodcarve
organize digital photos
spinning wheels (wool) with travel spinner
train the dog
macrame
paper crafts (origami)
make gel prints from leaves and flowers
go to a local winery
make cotton loop pot holders to give away to fellow campers
catch up on work
geocaching in the drizzle
wire wrap stones
make tinctures with essential oils
Bible Study
daydream
pray
song writing
poetry writing
surf the web
work on Geneaolgy
look for a dog to rescue
English Paper Piecing
Pedicure
Manicure
Facial
stained glass
make doll clothes
make buntings
bullet journaling
rug matting
clean a cupboard
brush the cat or dog
Tjhoko painting
make tags with rubber stamps
mandala painting on garden bricks
update your blog
visit a museum
listen to the rain
look at magazines
crochet a temperature blanket
make paper beads
punch needle rugs
put a wood model together
brew a big pot of coffee and drink it
weaving loom
art abandonment – something for the next camper left behind
make decals on the Silhouette machine
press flowers
make bookmarks
call someone to talk
text people to say you’re thinking of them
There’s simply no way to be bored when you’re camping in the rain!
We were camping at Dames Ferry in Georgia this weekend when our 3 Schnoodles became captivated with the ducks flitting about in the waters of Lake Juliette. The stargazer window over the bed of our Little Guy Max never fails to hold wonder - whether stars or ducks, whether night or morning. There is always an exciting world to behold outside that window!
Move Over, Stargazers!
duckgazer window
curious schnoodles camping
flop-eared wonderment
We savored last Saturday, March 18, in Pine Mountain, Georgia on F. D. Roosevelt State Park Campground. Here’s a slice of our day, in pictures.
There’s something amazing about this door. It feels like a time warp. I think it weighs 500 pounds. Rock buildings in the mountains on a cold morning give me a feeling of belonging.Here we are! We were looking for a coffee shop and found history.Simply a delicious breakfast. The muscadine muffin was off the chain. The windows overlooked the valley below. Gorgeous spot to start the day. We took the boys on a short walk down the trail. They enjoyed all the new smells and looking over ledges.y’all. Boo Radley found a slice of sunshine after his long walk.Ollie sunk down into the comfort of the bed for a nap. We love camping!
“Slow travel rejects speed, emphasizes soaking in the local culture, and encourages us to savor the journey, not rush it.” –The Art of Slow Travel, by Bhavana Gesota
Most everyone we told of our Christmas travel plans tried to convince us to rethink our winter camping journey in subzero temperatures.
"You might want to reconsider," they'd urged, each in their own way.
"It's going to be dangerously cold. How will you stay warm in a camper?"
We'd recently downsized from a 30-foot 4-season Keystone Outback to a 21-foot non-insulated 2022 Little Guy Max Rough Rider. We were looking forward to seeing what it was made of.....and, perhaps more importantly, what we were made of.
We weren't wavering on our decision. The plans were made, and we would set out with two full propane tanks, an indoor-safe propane heater, an indoor electric heater, a supply of firewood, and an electric blanket. We'd monitored the weather and were keeping close tabs on the conditions of the roads.
We weren't worried about the extreme temperatures, either. With three radiant-heater dogs (who sleep at our head, hips, and feet) and each other, we were looking forward to all the cozy snuggling and excuses to linger in bed with coffee and read or write or watch Netflix or listen to our favorite seventies bands until the sun came up and warmed the walking trails a half a degree or more.
With any trip, things happen that we don't anticipate - - like when the bananas freeze and all turn dark brown and ooze goo, and the jar of olive oil freezes solid when we'd planned on searing steaks. Or when the propane, which converts from a liquid to a gas in the pipelines, freezes and renders that first heating plan completely ineffective, taking us straight to our backup heat. Those kinds of things. A few minor setbacks mixed in with some more serious ones.
So it is in life. Determination, a plan, a road map, forecasts, obstacles, challenges, a burning desire to experience life ~ even in extreme elements. It's all part of the journey.
I'm so glad we stayed the course and savored the moments. It was worth it to experience "slow travel," without a novel-thick itinerary, to "camp our way across states," breaking down the drive into short segments.
Here are the “Slow Travel” savored moments from our week away over the holidays.
First Stop: Burdoc Farms, Crofton, Kentucky. Most memorable moment: goofing off in the snow in our pajamas, taking pictures of the White Christmas winter wonderland as one of our daughters clicked her heels in sunset snow.
Second Stop: Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. Most memorable moment: enjoying the peaceful sounds of the waterfall at the dam.
Third Stop: Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. Most memorable moment: taking in the beauty and sounds of the frozen waterfalls and cascades.
Waterfall at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee
Fourth Stop: Harrison Bay State Park, Tennessee. Most Memorable moment: sunrise on the bay.
Fifth Stop: Red Top Mountain State Park, Georgia. Most memorable moment: writing all day on a rainy New Year’s Eve Eve.
Sixth Stop: Lunch with my aunt and uncle at OK Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia. Most memorable moment: sipping coffee at the retro dinette table, celebrating their December birthdays.
Seventh Stop: Home for New Year’s Eve with one of our sons. Most memorable moment: eating collard greens, black eyed peas, and ribs as we watched the Peach Bowl.
Experiencing places + savoring the journey through slow travel = just the right pace!
Common Threads 