I feel alive again!

Whatever condition I was sliding into a week or so ago is now gone, and I have my life back again. I am usually optimistic and upbeat, rarely depressed. Even when I'm complaining about something, as I often do, it's with a passion for things being right and the way things should be. I think the "bacon incident" was the kicker, when I decided to laugh about it. Of course, the results of the "incident" may be longer lasting and farther reaching than I'd like, but I'll deal with that when it gets here. Today I feel overwhelmed by the good things in my life, the beauty all around me, and the fact that I am lucky enough to be here at Fort Pulaski.

I drove over to Whitemarsh Island today to do some errands, with Lady in the co-pilot seat. I find that it is relatively easy to get around, but of course I haven't driven downtown yet, although I did ride in with Mary several weeks ago.

This morning when I was running back and forth to do my laundry at the Park HQ Bldg., I snapped a picture of the boat pilots' quarters. As I understand it, they work on 24 hour shifts and these are their quarters while on duty. I could see a container ship approaching but couldn't get a decent picture through the trees.



This afternoon when I was returning home I saw a big container ship over the treetops so I hurried home and went down a boat ramp to the river to try to get a good photograph. This picture shows it nearly alongside the pier from the pilots' quarters.



I was able to get a picture of the entire boat from the prow to the stern. If you click to enlarge it, you might count 8 or so stories from the deck up to the wheel house. What would it feel like sitting way up there looking out over everything you see!



Within an hour two more ships went by but I didn't get out to photograph them - too bad because they were both much nicer looking ships. That makes four ships that I've seen today, and possibly there were some I wasn't around to notice. I can't help but think that whatever is in those thousands of containers since I've been here, it's stuff that isn't being manufactured on the North American continent.

I have heard that the city of Savannah wants to dredge the river 4 ft deeper to be able to accommodate cruise ships into the port. (So we trade manufacturing for tourism!) They dredge the river every so often as it is, but will need to go an additional four feet. That would be something to see, a huge cruise ship floating by my 5th wheel! Unfortunately I'll be gone by the time it happens.

Last night I heard from my granddaughter, Ara, who told me that she had received a letter announcing she is her college's choice to study abroad at Marburg University in Marburg, Germany. She will be going there for the spring semester next year (2011). Founded in 1527, Marburg is the oldest university in existence. I believe there are 20-something thousand students there, which will be a great culture shock after studying at a small college in central Pennsylvania. What an experience for her, and as you can tell, I am a very proud grandma. I'm relieved that she won't be going into it not knowing a soul - as Juniata, her college, has international students and Ara has several friends from Germany that she keeps in touch with and who have come back to visit her.

Mmmmm, I smell bacon!

Every time I walk into the rig I am nearly knocked over with the smell of maple/bacon. Right now it is a pleasant smell, but I worry about when it gets rancid. Or worse yet, IF and when it ever warms up enough to melt whatever bacon grease is hiding in nooks and crannies and under cabinets. What sort of insects or rodents might be attracted to this scent? If I get an opportunity to sell the 5ver, must I make full disclosure? These questions and worries could keep me awake at night.

Business was very slow at the Fort today. Ranger Megan stopped by and I took her picture. She is in Union dress as she is giving the musket demonstrations today. She reminded me she couldn't get too close to the fire because of the cartridges she carries.



And here she is at the Parade Ground before the demonstration, and firing the musket.





Ah, now I have two days off to look forward to. As usual the first one will be spent doing chores--laundry, getting propane, etc. My 1st tank ran out this morning, and as I had both filled last Wednesday, the one lasted about 6 days which I consider good considering the very cold night-time temperatures. If we get the slight warming trend that is forecasted, I can cut back drastically on propane use, but I am just glad I have an easily accessible source for refills.

Depending on the weather on Wednesday, I may try to get a bit of sightseeing done. I really need to look for a replacement "L" connection for my city water connection. I have looked online for one but either there isn't any (not likely), I don't recognize it (a possibility), or it is not available online (??). I would welcome a suggestion for this item.

Now, I ask you . . .

. . .could it get any worse??? I could cry, but am now to the point of laughing, because nothing I do lately turns out right. I'm in one of those slumps I guess, and everyone probably has them now and then.

I decided to fry a pound of bacon. Well, not exactly a pound because the food processors like to trick you into thinking you're getting a pound - the package is still the same size - whereas in reality they've removed about 4 oz. (or more) of bacon and no doubt raised the price! So I fried the entire less-than-a-pound, figuring I will use most of it in bacon fried rice, when I get around to making it, and maybe crumble the rest of it into some grits. I wrapped it in paper towels and set it on a plate which I covered with foil, and into the fridge it went. When I did the frying I collected the bacon grease into a glass cup, intending to jump start my arteries one of these days with a couple of eggs fried in honest-to-goodness bacon grease. I covered the cup with foil and while holding the cup of grease in my right hand, went to open the fridge door with my right hand, dropping the cup in the process.

The bacon grease ran everywhere - on the floor and no doubt under the fridge and the cabinets in the vicinity. I did a quick mop up with paper towels, followed by a clean-up with Dawn dish detergent, and then a scrub with a wet swiffer pad. By the time I got to the swiffer pad the grease had started to solidify since the floor is colder than the countertop. I think some of it splashed into the box of electrical circuit breakers and fuses which is below the fridge. So what is left is about a teaspoon of bacon grease in the cup, which I am damn well going to save and use when I fry eggs for breakfast on my next day off.

Why didn't I just let it cool and solidify while sitting on the countertop? I was in such a hurry to put it away, and my friends, that is why I prefer to be a terrible housekeeper. Whenever I attempt to clean up and clear off and be a neatnik, terrible things happen to me.

Thankfully I saw humor in the situation, and I don't even think I cussed, which I plan to do as soon as I publish this 2nd post for my Sunday off work!

After I published this post I heard Lady licking something and didn't pay much attention to it - thought she was just grooming herself. I just got up to look, and she is cleaning the grill on the electric panel! A dog's work is never done!

Back to Ace Hardware

This time I need to buy an "L" connection, but I'm not sure if that will solve the problem I have with the leak. It is difficult to get the hose positioned correctly and tightened just right so that it doesn't drip (from the city water connection). My neighbor told me I might have to remove the fitting (or whatever it's called) that the hose attaches to, and tighten that part. Then I would have to re-caulk around the fitting when finished. I'm not sure if I can caulk it in freezing temperatures, so for now I will just try the L connector. I wonder if that connection was leaking long enough to cause the rotting floorboard from last summer. If so I could be in for more of the same problems, although hopefully I won't have to hit a flower pot to discover it!

I ought to take a propane tank in to be topped off as well. I had it filled about 4 days ago, but I could hear the furnace cycling on and off a lot last night. Maybe I will just wait until Tuesday, my next day off, since I know I have another full tank.

THIS IS NOT FUN, AND I'M NOT ENJOYING MYSELF AT ALL! The constant maintenance required and the constant flow of things going wrong and not working is wearing me down. While I can't say I like this kind of weather, I can deal with the cold and I know how to stay warm. The weather is just taking the blame for all the other problems I'm experiencing. I hope I snap out of this "down" feeling pretty soon.

When will this end

I look forward to better weather conditions ahead, but every time I look at a forecast, I see they keep pushing the "warmer" weather back a few days. What was supposed to be occurring on Tuesday will now possibly happen on Thursday. It's like a carrot in front of the donkey! I look at the temperatures in Sacramento and I'm longing to be on my way. And it's not even all that warm there, but at least 50's in the daytime with 40's at night sounds pretty good to me. Ara leaves next weekend to go back to college in PA, and will she ever experience a shock. Maybe by then Pennsylvania will have a warming trend. I give up on Georgia!

I worked at the Visitors Center today where I had the company of Mary and Fred (Volunteers), Megan, Joann, and Patty (Rangers). We didn't have much business so it was nice to have people to talk to.

I will keep this short today because I still don't have my normal optimism back. Hopefully it hasn't wandered far.

My coldest day yet

I worked at the Fort today which has no heat. The HVAC folks have been there but not sure if they have determined a fix yet - the thermostat in the Store registered 60 degrees, although I think it was colder than that in some parts of the room. Maintenance came in first thing and got a blazing fire going, but of course it doesn't stay blazing all day long. I kept it going pretty well and was warm as long as I stayed close to it. Business was extremely light today and I did have a chance to sit in front of the fire for a while.

I don't often feel "down" but I sure did today. Being by myself most of the day, and thinking about the 600 prisoners who were held in a winter such as this, with very little food or clothes, and no coal to provide any heat at all, made it all the worse. And I was COLD!

I came home to find there was a slow drip from my hose connection. I don't know if it is because the L connection was busted and I removed it, or if the RV connection needs to be tightened, but I just disconnected the hose to prevent any further troubles. Then I had to empty the black tank as it was getting full, and the fresh water I used to rinse the tank lowered the level of fresh water available to me. So I had to go back out and add more water to the fresh tank. Whatever the problem the rest of the evening, I just can't bring myself to go back outside.

I work at the Visitors Center tomorrow so I will be warm at least, and with other people around. I may have to rethink what I want to do next winter - potential volunteer sites to look into are all in coastal North & South Carolina, and Georgia, and if this winter is an example of winters to come, then I'm not sure if I can deal with it. I don't want to go to Florida or anywhere on the Gulf Coast, so it doesn't leave me many other possibilities. I'm thinking I would really like to be where temps are from 65 degrees and up!

A very slow day

I worked at the Visitors Center all day today, and business was extremely slow. It gave me a chance to look at some of the newer books that have come in. I also had a chance to talk to some of the visitors about the Fort, and it's so amazing to me what I've learned since I've been here. That is one of the plus factors of workamping, especially in a national or state park - learning that you would have otherwise never picked up. I suppose that is also the value of traveling to unfamiliar places. The more I travel and the more places in the world I've visited, I've come away with the understanding that we are all part of a great "Whole" - and not better nor worse than anyone else - just possibly different.

Have I said lately that I love my job? And the folks I work with? And the little part of Georgia that I'm living in? SUPER!

At lunch time the sun was out and it seemed considerably warmer, no doubt because there wasn't any wind. Now we are in for a few more cold days and frigid nights until a warming trend comes along late next week. That's in the forecast at least, but always subject to revision!