Hello Friends!
Honoring Elvis, wearing his signature sunglasses & TCB necklace. Can’t believe he’s been gone 45 yrs today. Will never forget my Graceland/Memphis trip!
Minivan Bed Re-do…Take
They say third time’s a charm and I think they (whoever that is) may be right…at least in the case of my mini-van bed makeover. If you’ve been following along on the GGC YouTube channel, you know I changed my bed configuration from a lawn chair to a camp cot, and finally, to using the bench seat. I love it! It works perfect for my short body and is very comfortable. You can see that process on the YouTube channel; the last one; see here: https://youtu.be/vZTQTeA2NYw You have to keep trying until you figure out what works best for you.
Minivan bench seat bed
In Search of a Hidden Path
My love of the outdoors comes from my childhood. My family would roam the hills on my grandparents’ farm, exploring caves, target shooting, hunting ginseng, etc…. My favorite trail (or path as we called it back then), was the one that led from behind my grandparents’ house up around the hillside to “the old homeplace,” the property where my great grandparents’ house once sat. It burned down before I was born, but out from the house seat is a huge rock with an incredible view.
Our well-worn path wound through a series of outcroppings, caves, and cool rock formations; one in particular where rocks on each side of the path looked like a staircase. It always stood out in my mind. Years passed, us kids grew up, grandparents and other family members died, and no one traveled the old path anymore. There was another way to get to “the big rock,” that was somewhat easier and later became the route when any of the family went there, or to visit the old cemetery nearby.
Finally found the “staircase” portion of the old path!
I wanted to find the shrouded path from my youth that I could see so clearly in my mind. I actually tried a couple times, but years of growth and a loss memory as to where it actually began, kept it hidden for over 40 years. Again…the third time was the charm! On my third attempt; my cousins who are like my brothers, were with me. Maybe they were the charm, I don’t know, but we did find most of the old lost path. It was never really lost….we just couldn’t find it! It was such a wonderful feeling to be back in this special place I hadn’t been to since I was a kid. I was overjoyed and overflowing with memories from long ago.
Haven’t been here since I was a kid!
Ticks & Proper Clothing
This venture was fun, yes, but resulted in a tick overload! Why are some of them so small now? Must be a new species; I don’t remember seeing them until a couple years ago. I got several bites–more than usual, but it was largely my fault; as I was not wearing proper clothing. This was not a hiking, it was hard core bush whacking!
My good hiking pants got a rip and I have yet to replace them. I need a new pair of hiking boots as well. So, my clothing for this trip was definitely not up to par. You should dress in lightweight, durable pants, a breathable long sleeve shirt, mid-calf socks, and tough tread/water resistant hiking boots for trail blazing. It’s not a bad idea to wear snake guards as well. Of course, on a park setting type of trail, you are fine with shorts or leggings, short sleeve shirts and good sneakers…but certainly not for an adventure like this. Kids, don’t try this at home!
Boondocking, Music Festival & Huge Surprise!
I’m not one for going back to the same place twice, but when it comes to festivals, that rule bends…especially when it comes to music! So, I attended the 2nd Annual Fallsburg Summer Stage in Lawrence Co., KY, back in May. I was blown away by the incredible music last year, and this year was even better! One of the bands called in; had to cancel due to COVID. To everyone’s surprise, Tyler Childers stepped in to fill that spot! He’s from Louisa, which is in Lawrence County, and happened to be in the area. What an amazing performance that was!
Great performance by Tyler Childers!
Festival style camping usually means boondocking, which I love, and did at this event. It was the first time sleeping on the bench seat configuration, and it worked great! There are some advantages of being short! This was also the first time I used my new Euhomy 12-volt refrigerator. Love it! No more dealing with ice! See video here: https://youtu.be/IOsFxpLB4Tk
Boondocking!
Remembering Bob
If you’ve been following along on the YouTube channel, you know that my kitty cat, Bob, became sick in January. What I thought was a thyroid problem turned out to be a mass around his heart; a cancerous tumor. It was a total shock to hear this diagnosis. That vet visit was in the middle of February, and my precious boy passed away May, 11th.
My kitty cat Bob 2007-2022. Miss him so much.
My heart is broken, but I’m so blessed to have had that little guy for 15 wonderful years. What an awesome cat he was! He was the boss, and the dogs and I all knew it…but he never let us forget. I loved him so much. This place will never be the same, but I’m so grateful he didn’t suffer and that he died at home in his own environment, while I was there. Thank you for all the sweet, heartfelt comments and prayers. It meant so much to me.
I’ll close here for now; but will publish the next post soon. Shortening these blogs have helped, and I will be caught up soon! Please hang in there with me, and be sure to SUBSCRIBE here to the blog and to the Gal Gone Camping YouTube Channel.
Coming Up
On the next post, you’ll see my strange experience, suspicious track, and my own Bigfoot expedition! I also share the exciting Noah Thompson celebration, Poke Sallet (bet you don’t know what that is) Festival, Bear Capitol of KY & more…unless ‘more’ makes the post too long, then I’ll continue in the post following that. Stay tuned!
Until next time…DON’T WAIT TO LIVE!
See ya down the road!
Catrina