Chair Caning

So a couple weeks ago, Donna decided she wanted to learn how to cane a chair.  A fellow SKP member here at Rainbow Park in Summerdale, Alabama decided to offer just such an opportunity for anyone wanting to learn.  About a dozen or so people signed up to learn the craft.

The instructor, Bob, provided the chair and supplies.  All that was needed was a little stick-to-itive-ness, some patience and a little elbow grease.  The purpose of the class is not only to learn caning, but to raise money for the Escapee Care Program by auctioning off the chairs to fellow park residents.  Last year the auction netted $1800!  What is the Escape Care Program you ask.  The program states it this way:


Located in Livingston, Texas, and it is called CARE (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees). Its mission is to provide a safe haven with professional assistance at affordable prices for members whose travels are permanently ended because of age or temporarily interrupted because of health problems.


In short it is an adult day care run by volunteers, staffed by professionals including a nurse and located at the Escapee headquarters.  Residents live on site in their own RVs.  The monthly cost is low as it is supported by volunteers.


Well, Donna gave caning the provided rocking chair her best shot.

Patience and perseverance is a virtue.  First weave one weaver then the other through much-too-small holes keeping everything straight.

And finally today the finishing touches were added.

The woman in the background is Barb, the wife of the instructor.  The finished product:

And below beaming with the final product and with Bob, the proud instructor:

Giving Birth

Donna gave birth today.  Yes, you read right.  She brought forth a new life.  It was not totally unexpected, however.

It began as a concept and then slowly took shape.  Pieces here and there were cut, organized and formed together.  

Its parts gradually assimilated into a whole being.

Bones and socket were organized.

Its parts gradually assimilated into a whole being.

Care was taken so as not to lose any body part.  And, eventually after a several day gestation period, it was near birth this morning.

It was delivered today and posed happily for a newborn photo.

It was an exciting time as its cousin was also born today.  Here is a picture of its cousin's proud mom as well.

Waiting impatiently for Mardi Gras.

No name has been decided upon yet.  Can anyone offer a good name for a deserving bear?

A Beach of a Day

We spent most of Saturday in Gulf Shores which lies directly on the Gulf of Mexico.  The day was picture perfect--highs in the 60s, light breeze and a cloudless sky.  What a fine day for a walk on the "sugar white" sand beach.

We parked at a public beach entrance downtown Gulf Shores and walked east towards Orange Beach.  It is a very wide beach lined mostly with condos.  Here is my better half trying to keep her feet dry from the charging surf.  Gulf Shores lies in the background.

The sun was so bright off the white sands that sun glasses were a necessity.  Initially, very few people were on the beach.  Eventually a few families showed up and some sun bathers.  Beach strolling became more common as the morning grew late.  Several fishermen had their poles dug into to shoreline awaiting the big one.

We walked on toward the pier at Gulf State Park which lies between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.  The pier can be seen jutting out into the gulf  in the distance.

The pier opened in 2009 and juts out 1540 feet into the gulf--the longest pier on the gulf.  The roof covers a Park Office/Fee Station, souvenir/tackle shop, rest rooms, an outdoor picnic area and a small refreshment stand.  The original pier was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan.

Once at the pier we enjoyed an iced tea and relaxed.  As an Alabama State Park, there was a charge to use the pier.  Annual passes and day passes were available.  A one time walk on the pier costs $2.00 per person.  We elected to spend the money on the iced tea and come back again to walk the rest of the shoreline to Orange Beach.

Here is an odd looking fella we found hanging out under the pier:

He charged only $1.25 or a tall glass of iced tea to have his photo snapped.  He got the tea.  A bargain?

We walked the shoreline back the 1.5 miles to Gulf Shores.  Hungry and armed with a buy one/get one free coupon, we headed north a couple blocks to the Original Oyster House Restaurant for a mid-afternoon lunch.

The Original Oyster House was a frequent recommendation for good seafood.  We had a great meal which included grilled sutchi, broiled sutchi with crab stuffing and assorted sides and salad bar.  Sutchi is a type of catfish-- a white fish with a mild flavor similar to tilapia.  The food was excellent, and for a total cost of $20 for the two of us, it  was a price that would be hard to beat.

Of course, as a tourist attraction, the Oyster House had a gift shop.  On display was a T-shirt printed with "Give Beach a Chance."

It was one beach of a day.

Slow Week with Power Issues

The week has been a little slow around here.  The weather ha been unsettled with frequent rain with temperatures in the mid 70s during the day.  Some nights the temperature has barely fallen into the mid 60s.  Not quite air conditioning weather but getting close.  Some of the larger motor homes have been running their air conditioners, however.

We have a 30 amp surge protector which protects our entire unit from power surges as well as over/under voltages (spikes and brown outs).  It plugs directly into the park’s power grid and then our power cord plugs into it.  When high voltage or low voltage occurs, the device shuts off our power protecting our electronics until the power returns to normal.   We bought it about 10 years ago and have never experienced a problem.  That is until Sunday.  Sunday the park experienced a low voltage occurrence, a “brown out.”  It lasted for only a split second.  As designed, our unit shut down for safety reasons.  It  is also designed to turn itself back on after a two minute delay.  Of course, our unit did not switch back on.  We had only 12 volt battery power.   I checked the parks voltage and it was 124.3 volts—well within the normal range.  We should have had power automatically restored, but we did not.  I unplugged the surge protector and then replugged it in hoping that would resolve the issue.  Again, no power even though power from the park pedestal was normal.  I then plugged our RV directly into the park’s power pedestal without the surge protector.  Several hours later, I again tried to get the dang thing to work, it would not.  It was dead.

Not wanting to buy another, I contacted the manufacturer to determine if the device could be fixed.  Of course it could but it would would cost more than new.  So we bought another and installed it.  But yesterday, the park suffered another brown out.  Our new device shut down our power as designed.  And yes, two minutes later we had power again.  Whoopee!  Back to normal.

But that’s not the end of the story.  Today, as I was preparing to rid ourselves of daily garbage, I decided to give the old device one more opportunity to work before discarding it.  Everything deserves a second chance to redeem itself.  You guessed it, it worked perfectly.  I tried it a second time.  Sure enough, it worked perfectly again.   Now we have two surge protectors.  We could return the new one for a refund, but we decided to keep it in case we have similar problems in the future.  If one burns out, we will have a back-up.  So 10 years from now when one fails, I won’t be able to find the other (or forgot that we had another).  But if one fails tomorrow, I’ll be happy that I tested and kept the old one.

Sunday was also the day that two attempt kicks for field goals decided the Super Bowl match-up.  One hit and one missed.  A brown out didn’t seem to be a problem.

Day Trip to New Orleans' French Quarter

We took a bus trip to New Orleans with about 100 other Escapee Club members on Wednesday.   Leaving the park at 7:15 in two buses, we arrived at the French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, about 3 hours later. Rush hour traffic and changing buses in Mobile due to a malfunction made for a slow start.


We were dropped off on Decatur Street in the heart of this historic area to explore the Quarter on our own.  The weather was perfect for a walking tour .  And, even better, the crowds were light.


The French Quarter lies along the Mississippi River and was plotted by the French-Canadian officer Jean Baptiste Bienville in 1718. From 1764 to 1803 the area was under the control of Spain. The 1803 Louisiana Purchase transferred the area to the United States.  The majority of the architecture we see today was built during the time of Spanish rule.   Fires in 1788 and 1794 destroyed most of the French colonial buildings. The Spanish rebuilt the quarter in accordance with fire codes, which mandated that the new buildings be physically adjacent and close to the curb to create a firewall. Flat roofed, stucco buildings, a pastel color palette and ornate iron work are the norm.  As we toured the old streets and marveled at the distinctive architecture.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark, the below Pontalba Building sprawls at the edge of Jackson Square in the center of the French Quarter. It was built by Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba in the 1840s. Shops and restaurants are on the ground floor and the upper floors are apartments.

Note the mule drawn carriage.  There were several of these in the area offering guided tours of the sites.  Mules were used on all carriages.  Apparently, mules can more easily handle the hot and humid summers than can horses.  


Laid out as a parade ground in 1718, Jackson Square is the oldest space in the city and is the hub of the Quarter.  The square honors Andrew Jackson, the hero of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans and later President of the US.   Note the statue of Jackson on horseback erected in the 1850s  framed by the white church:

The square offered musicians, a mime, several portrait artists and musicians all plying their trade for tips from passersby.  

The above two photos were taken on the levee which protects the Quarter from the Mississippi.  The large building to the left is The Presbytere and the large building on the right is the Cabildo.  The spired structure in the center is the St. Louis Cathedral.  The cathedral established in 1720 is the oldest continuously active cathedral in the US.  The Cabildo is the site of the actual transference of the Louisiana Purchase.  It was constructed 1795-1799 and became the seat of the Spanish municipal government, the town hall.  The Presbytere  was built on the site of the residence (or "presbytere") of  the Capuchin monks.  It was designed to match the Cabildo and used as a courthouse beginning in 1834.  


And of course we enjoyed the food. We enjoyed coffee and beignets at the famous Café du Monde on Decatur Street. 

Established in 1862, its menu features beignets which are square hole-less french doughnuts mounded with powdered sugar.   Powdered sugar must be cheap as the beignets were immersed in the sweet powder :

The limited menu also offers coffee blended with chicory (either black or au lait), orange juice, milk iced coffee and sodas. Open 24 hours a day, it seats over 400 and offers both counter and table service.  A lot of coffee and beignets are served here! For less than $10, we ordered coffees and beignets (three to an order). 

Later we ate at an outdoor restaurant, “Gazebo cafe.” We were drawn to it by their live jazz band and the promise of authentic New Orleans food. I ordered a half of muffaletta (a hot sandwich with a marinated olive salad, meats and provolone cheese) and my much better half had a sampler plate of gumbo, red beans and rice and jambalaya. The food with the music was a great break from our walking tour of the city. Though carb-laden, it offered a good taste of the Quarter.  


At 3:30 we were back on the bus ready for the 175 mile return trip back home.  It was a very good day.

New Years 2012

We are back in Alabama after spending three weeks "up nort" for Christmas.  We left Wisconsin on December 29 in a freezing rain event.  It was slow going on the icy interstate until we got south of Madison.  After that, the salters were evident by the dryer roads. 

On Thursday we made it as far as Franklin Tennessee which lies just south of Nashville on I-65.  When we entered Tennessee, Donna picked up a hotel coupon book.  We used a coupon for the Best Western in Franklin.  It was a surprising decent room, quiet, and included a hot breakfast.  And it was only $39!  We felt fortunate to find a fairly clean and comfortable room for that price. 

Friday found us travelling through several instances of road construction.  We arrived back in Summerdale at about 2:30 in the afternoon. Home sweet home.

The place got more crowded since we left it in December but there was still plenty of room for us. 

On New Years Day, the campground held their annual Dip Stick Event.  Campers from around North America brave the elements and jump into the outdoor pool and become "Dip Sticks."  Only the heartiest of souls would even think of braving the 72 degree  air temperature and jump into a solar heated pool!  No polar bear club down here.  Wimp city.

Working hard (or, hardly working?)

It has been another low key week.  It rained most of the day Sunday and Monday.  By Monday noon, we had a pretty good case of cabin fever.  After many hours of planning and rearranging, Donna redecorated our home for Christmas:

Then, instead of listening to the rain, we went shopping in Spanish Fort (just east of Mobile on I-10).  It was a successful trip as we didn't buy much. 

On Tuesday Donna went to the clubhouse to assist a group with making baby blankets and knit hats.  They got a lot done.

On Friday Donna joined another group and decorated the clubhouse for the holidays.  They hung lights, erected and decorated a tree, and decorations to tables, bulletin boards etc.  Real cute.

We have also volunteered our food service assistance at the club house.  Every Saturday a breakfast is served to about 100 RVers .  I helped with the pancakes, bacon and sausage.  Donna helped clean up after the meal.  On Thursday, a pork loin dinner was served so we helped with the food prep in the morning.  We peeled sweet potatoes and apples and diced onions.  Unfortunately, we were not able to enjoy the fruit of our labors as we went out for dinner with two other couples.  Oh well, we had fun anyway. 

I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who want to talk with me about the Packers.  My Packer hat seems to act as a magnet for Wisconsinites.  We met a man who was born and raised in Shawano.  They now have property just northeast of there in Mountain.  Small world.  His wife knew Lemkes from Lodi.  At the laundromat this week we met a couple from Poynette (just north of Madison).    While we dined out with two other couples, a man from Green Bay came over to shake my hand.   Is there anybody left in Wisconsin or are they all down here?  I can't go anywhere with that Packer hat.   Maybe I should get a Viking hat!   Nobody would talk to me then.