And It Continues

I've since left Florida but I did spend my last 13 days there at Williams Landing which is a free campground in Tallahassee. If you go to the freecampground.com listing, it shows that Williams Landing is $12 or less per day, however for now it is free. Once they make improvements, this could change.

At the campground there is: a camp host couple, showers, toilet, picnic tables, a boat ramp and fishing piers. You park anywhere you like but there are no true level spots.  If your rig is larger than 32 feet, you will be able to get in but the area has a large number of trees so you will not be able to maneuver very well.

Miss Kitty in her spot

Miss Kitty's new bike rack

I enjoyed myself at Williams Landing. I never got to see the sunrise because of the fog every time I got up early but I did get to see some beautiful sunsets.

Miss Kitty also has a new plaque that hangs outside when I am someplace for a few days.

While I was at the campground, I decided to do a little sewing.  I am making a "Stitch and Slash" pillow for the bed and I just finished one for the sofa.  If the Stitch and Slash pillow turns out nice, I am thinking of making  a bedspread to match. I just have to sit still long enough to finish it.

Crafting at the picnic table next to Miss Kitty.

Found these foam mats at a Harbor Freight store which are great for blocking my knitting and only cost $9 a pack of 4.  I brought two packs so I could block anything that I would make.

I blocked a few of the shawls that I'd knit because the picnic table was great to lay the foam mats on.

I also knit a pair of socks called THANKS by Regina Satta.  I gave them to my friend, Jean.

My friend Jean and I went to the cutest restaurant in Tallahassee named Paisley's Cafe for lunch and enjoyed it so much, we went back for brunch one Sunday.

Brunch

Sign on wall at restaurant

Inside Paisley's

We also had a chance to attend the Tallahassee Green Earth Expo/Festival on April 26.  The festival had food, activities for the kids, craft vendors and demonstrations on how to recycle.

This band used everything but the kitchen sink to play music. It was really good1

Because I love food trunk rally's, I went to the Tallahassee Food Truck Rally which occurs every Thursday night at Lake Ella.

Jean at her first food truck rally

There were only 7 trucks at this rally but the food selection was nicely varied.

This was my pork sandwich... HUGE!

I thought it was a nice touch that one of the shops loaned you blankets to sit on to eat and listen to the live music. That is one way to get people to come inside.

Well, I have taken up enough of your time today. Next post will be about my trip up to Elkhart and the Escapees Boot Camp.  

Talk to you then....

Turkeys and Worms

Since leaving Lake Wales, I have not been doing a whole lot but enjoying my time in the woods and some sewing. Originally, I wanted to say I was living off the land but it just does not sound right. I have been enjoying all the comforts of home while staying in the middle of national forests for the last 2 weeks. The only roughing it has been getting to the primitive campgrounds because you drive for miles down dirt roads, however when you realize you have internet, wi-fi, TV, a microwave and a bathroom.. roughing it does not sound right. I have finally pulled out my little grill and have been enjoying making my dinner and breakfast on the open fire... okay, propane.

My daughter and son-in-law gave me a solar shower when I first started out so I will be trying out that as soon as this rain stops and the sun comes out. Basically, you hang the bag in the sun filled with water and in a few hours, you have have hot water. It is my plan to bring the bag inside and hang it in my shower and take a nice shower without using my precious on board water. There is a spigot here in the campground so I will use that water.  I can then catch most of the water in my folding water pail to throw out later. This way I will have less water going into my grey tank that fills so fast.

Where am I now? I am staying at Wood Lake Hunt Camp, in Sopchoppy, FL. This is free primitive camping where you can stay for 14 days at a time. During hunting season you can stay longer. There is a boat ramp, drinking water and restrooms. The good thing, and why this one was chosen to stay in, is that there is a camp host family here who keeps an eye on things and there is cell service.  I don't use the toilets in the campgrounds but it is nice to know they are available if my black tank starts to get full.

Before coming to Wood Lake, I was in another primitive campground called, West Tower Hunt Camp in Lake City, FL.  It also had water, toilet and a camp host who was terrific!  His name is Billy and he made campfires and took me wild turkey hunting. Well, not exactly, he was actually taking me
to get pine needles so I could make a basket when the turkey was spotted.  I am in a ghillie suit holding a turkey decoy.

While driving to Wood Lake, we took a back road that was so bad that I damaged Miss Kitty.  Some bolts that held the house battery tray came out and a ground wire pulled loose causing one of the batteries to short.  I did not know this until I found that the batteries would not hold a charge no matter how long I ran the generator. I have the "Days End" directory from Escapees which lists free or low cost places to stay while traveling.  At the end of each state listing there is a section called "Good Guys" which are repair companies that other RVers have found to be fair, courteous, and not rip off artists. 

I checked and found that there was a place in Tallahassee that was only 33 miles from me.  I called Tallahassee Truck and Freightliner,  3321 Garber Dr., 850-576-3772, and spoke to the owner, Howard Flowers, explaining my problem.  He told me to come right in.  When they found out the problem, I was told that I would need to spend the night because they were short handed and could not pick up the parts until the next morning.  I was in the 30 amp RV bay and would have been quite comfortable but when they saw I had 50 amp, they moved me to a bay that supplied it.  He even left the breakroom open in case I wanted to go in for a change of scenery that evening.  The next morning, I was shown what the problem was, and after they fixed it, they checked all the fluids and even got a hug from the owner.  Howard told me to call him anytime if I have a problem because he could probably walk me through troubleshooting over the phone. Would I go back? You betcha! In fact, it is my plan to go back to have him give my RV a thorough once over when I am back in Florida next year.

Miss Kitty getting worked on.

Sopchoppy, the town I'm currently in, is a very tiny, tiny town but they do have a claim to fame. While driving to the campground, I saw this sign and almost stopped in the road because I was laughing so hard.  Of course, there was no way I was going to miss it.

  How could I miss the  14th Annual Sopchoppy Worm Grunting Festival?!?

I did not get there in time to see the 5K run at 8am, but I did walk through the arts and crafts area that boast 90 vendors.

  

I am not sure that there were that many vendors but what there was brought tears to my eyes from laughing so hard. The themed items were hilarious!

Official Tee Shirt logo

 I was tempted to get one but I did not think any would work with my dreadlocks.

 I passed on this booth as well.

She takes a bit of explanation... The name of her business is "Crazy Bitch". She said she'd caught her ex-husband cheating with the woman whom she thought was her best friend. He called her a "Crazy Bitch" so she decided to name her sauce business after him.

So what is worm grunting you ask? You have to see it to understand it but it's a way to get worms to come up from the ground so you can collect them for selling and/or fishing. I could not get my video to upload so I borrowed this one from You Tube. A "professional" did a demonstration before letting the children and amateurs try their hand.

These children are trying there hand at worm gruntin

I actually found that they sell worms in the local IGA grocery store.

 

I should have stayed to see the crowning of the "Worm Gruntin King and Queen" or attend the "Worm Gruntin Ball" that evening, but after several hours of sun and silliness, I was tired and ready to go home.

I might not have been selected as the Worm Grunting Queen but I had a great time.

Sewing Expo and Heading North

I went to the Original Sewing Expo in Lakeland, FL. I normally attend the one in Virginia and was happy to see that there was one here.  It was held March 20 - 22 at the Lakeland Center.  There were workshops, quilting display galleries and SHOPPING!  I was actually good this year.

I took a class in sewing with knits.  I decided that I do not like wearing tee shirts and wanted to make some knit tops. I have had quite a time working with knits in the past.  The class was taught by Linda Lee, the owner of the Sewing Workshop. I love her clothing patterns for their simple looks.  The top we made was called the Eureka Top.  We used an easy-fit pattern which is perfect for layering and by changing the hemline, you have several great tops.  We used a regular sewing machine instead of  a serger so that anyone could make the top.  We also learned the best industry standard method of sewing the perfect neck binding. Did you know that expensive ready to wear does not use the twin needle to sew the hem (two rows of stitching)?  They just use one row or do not hem the garment at all.  I checked a couple of my expensive knits and sure enough, one was unhemmed and the other only had one row of stitching.

(disclaimer, this is not the top I made but one made by the instructor)

I love surface design. I took a class by June Colburn.  The idea of the class was to wake up tired bedroom linens by creating one of a kind sheets and pillowcases.  We all brought a pair of pillowcases to decorate with a product called deColourant. We used stencils to get our designs.  After heat setting and washing the fabric was soft as its original hand.  Absolutely no stiffening.

My next class was called Tie Up A Bag taught by one of my favorite creative designers, Barb Callahan.  She had bag kits contained three ties.  Using decorative stitches and a special closure, all topped with a rose created with part of the tie, everyone left with a handbag.  I did not make shoulder strap because I had brought clips to wear the bag at my waist.

(Instructor modeling a classmates bag)

The Knotted Scarf class taught by Linda Lee's daughter, Alex Woodbury, is going to be a staple in my RV wardrobe. We made an infinity scarf by hand tying knots.  The scarf is made from jersey knit fabric that is cut into one inch strips and stretched to make it curl on itself.  You can make the knots any size.

My next scarf will be made with black jersey and where the knots are, I am going to put a bead.

(tying knots)

(classmate styling her scarf)

My next class was called Tints and Textiles: New Effects in Surface design taught by Cindy Losekamp. We made a notebook that I have to admit, I have not finished. The class description said that we were using Lutradur and T.A.P. (Transfer Artist Paper) for surface design and art quilts. I've found that the Lutradur is just too stiff for clothing.

(Above is some of the classmate notebooks.)

I like contemporary quilts and found that at this event they did not have any. An artist by the name of Marlene Glickman did have a series called Doorway Series: Colorwheel Thirteen panels that I found fascinating.

She used repurposed fabrics, hand dyed, collage, fusing, foil, hand painted, wire, 3D Sheers, color pens and pencils, sheer overlays, raw edge applique, free motion drawing and quilting. All and all, very unique.

Then, with regret,  it was time to leave Camp-N-Aire Camping Resort.  I had met some really nice people that made me feel very welcome.  But.... it's now time for me to move on.

I met up with my friends, Jean and Kyra, at the Tower Rd. Campground which is a boondocking area near Lake City, FL. We will probably be here until around April 15th. There is no assigned parking, just park anywhere you like. The Escapees group is parked together but most people are parking deeper into the woods.

As soon as I arrived, I was invited to happy hour and told about the "potato bake" the next day.

Jean and Kyra had brought the potatoes and everyone was bringing fixings.   I had not gone to the store yet so I did not have anything to contribute, however there was plenty food.

It is my understanding that we are going to a flea market on Friday or Saturday. On to new adventures!