We have decided not to add the glaze to the grooves of the doors as mentioned in a previous post, but that is ok as we are quite pleased with the results.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
From Dud to Stud
Here are the latest and the greatest pics of the newly painted kitchen cabinets in all their glory. The only thing left to do is paint the strip of wood that is around the bar. Enjoy:
We have decided not to add the glaze to the grooves of the doors as mentioned in a previous post, but that is ok as we are quite pleased with the results.
We have decided not to add the glaze to the grooves of the doors as mentioned in a previous post, but that is ok as we are quite pleased with the results.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sharp Curve Ahead!
It's been a while since I have posted. Since then, we went on 2 trips to Alabama and Tennessee. We travel a lot with Craig but sometimes we get to go just for pleasure. So, from May 24th til June 2nd we were able to take a vacation to the Smoky Mountains and then to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.
First we went to AL to help our friends out with their son Tyler's graduation party. Craig's friend Ray came up and spent the weekend with us in Pelham, AL at the Sam's Club. Chase and Peyton met 2 boys Chase's age and they had a blast riding their bikes on top of two big rock piles over and over.
Then we drove to Elkmont campground in the Smoky Mtns where we spent time with Craig's uncle Carroll. He is a host there for 2 months this summer.
It was so beautiful, but the trip up to the campground was fraught with danger. Craig bought a special GPS that is made just for RVers. Leaving Alabama and entering TN thru Chattanooga, Craig typed in the size of our 5th wheel, the height and the weight, and our destination and the GPS was supposed to only send us on roads that would accommodate our RV and vehicle. I think Rand McNalley uses the term 'accommodate' loosely because the road it took us up was so frightening that the ONLY way we made it to the campground alive is because a higher power allowed it to be so.
The road up the mountain was very skinny, oftentimes with either a sheer drop on one side and/or a steep cliff with low overhangs of rock on the other. Our trailer is as tall as an 18 wheeler and is 40 feet long, not counting the Ford F250 Craig towes it with. It was also very winding with sharp, blind corners. My stomach was literally in my throat the entire 10 miles up which lasted 40 minutes and felt like 40 miles.
Craig had no choice but to swing wide into the oncoming lane many times as we took these sharp, blind curves in order to avoid scraping off the top half of our trailer on the sharp overhangs. At any given moment a car could have been taking the same curve going in the opposite direction and we would have had a head on and a descent down a cliff. Many times Craig would swing wide and honk his horn to try and warn any oncoming traffic, but thank Heavenly Father that EVERY single curve that we had to take wide, there wasn't a vehicle in sight.
If you do not believe this was a miracle, then let me tell you that the next day when we took the same road down the mountainside (sans trailer) that every time we came down around a sharp, blind curve there was a car right there taking the same curve travelling up the mountain. (Coming down the mountain not towing anything we were able to stay in our lane the entire time.) I am shaking just writing this and my heart is pounding very fast with the memory of it.
Needless to say Craig was very upset with the GPS for taking us up that particular road when there was another road that started at Gatlinburg that had no cliffs, only flat "breakdown lanes" on either side of the road in which one could pull over if needed. Of course, we didn't know about that road until we got to the ranger station in Elkmont where the ranger about had a fit when he heard what road we took to get there. No one could believe we made it up there in one piece.
Stress aside, it was fun to hook up with Uncle Carroll again. He showed us the neat village of abandoned vacation homes that is nearby, we got to see the famous fireflies, we saw live bears, drove around Cade's Cove, and the guys got to go inner tubing. Both Chase and Craig each lost a flip flop in the river. Carroll came and ate with us each night and we had a great time talking and reminiscing.
Later in the week, we changed campgrounds to one in the valley near Gatlinburg and were able to see other sights around both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and see other parts of the Smokies that we had never seen before. We were able to go mini-golfing twice and the boys got to drive the world's slowest go-carts in PF. Chase and Peyton met two more boys their ages at the campground and had a grand time playing with them.
First we went to AL to help our friends out with their son Tyler's graduation party. Craig's friend Ray came up and spent the weekend with us in Pelham, AL at the Sam's Club. Chase and Peyton met 2 boys Chase's age and they had a blast riding their bikes on top of two big rock piles over and over.
Then we drove to Elkmont campground in the Smoky Mtns where we spent time with Craig's uncle Carroll. He is a host there for 2 months this summer.
 |
| Uncle Carroll with Peyton and Chase. |
The road up the mountain was very skinny, oftentimes with either a sheer drop on one side and/or a steep cliff with low overhangs of rock on the other. Our trailer is as tall as an 18 wheeler and is 40 feet long, not counting the Ford F250 Craig towes it with. It was also very winding with sharp, blind corners. My stomach was literally in my throat the entire 10 miles up which lasted 40 minutes and felt like 40 miles.
Craig had no choice but to swing wide into the oncoming lane many times as we took these sharp, blind curves in order to avoid scraping off the top half of our trailer on the sharp overhangs. At any given moment a car could have been taking the same curve going in the opposite direction and we would have had a head on and a descent down a cliff. Many times Craig would swing wide and honk his horn to try and warn any oncoming traffic, but thank Heavenly Father that EVERY single curve that we had to take wide, there wasn't a vehicle in sight.
If you do not believe this was a miracle, then let me tell you that the next day when we took the same road down the mountainside (sans trailer) that every time we came down around a sharp, blind curve there was a car right there taking the same curve travelling up the mountain. (Coming down the mountain not towing anything we were able to stay in our lane the entire time.) I am shaking just writing this and my heart is pounding very fast with the memory of it.
Needless to say Craig was very upset with the GPS for taking us up that particular road when there was another road that started at Gatlinburg that had no cliffs, only flat "breakdown lanes" on either side of the road in which one could pull over if needed. Of course, we didn't know about that road until we got to the ranger station in Elkmont where the ranger about had a fit when he heard what road we took to get there. No one could believe we made it up there in one piece.
Stress aside, it was fun to hook up with Uncle Carroll again. He showed us the neat village of abandoned vacation homes that is nearby, we got to see the famous fireflies, we saw live bears, drove around Cade's Cove, and the guys got to go inner tubing. Both Chase and Craig each lost a flip flop in the river. Carroll came and ate with us each night and we had a great time talking and reminiscing.
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| Our 5th wheel in Elkmont Campground. |
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| Bear near Cade's Cove. |
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| Kids looking at the abandoned village. |
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| Restored Appalachian Clubhouse near abandoned village. It is in use for weddings, reunions, or other parties. |
Later in the week, we changed campgrounds to one in the valley near Gatlinburg and were able to see other sights around both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and see other parts of the Smokies that we had never seen before. We were able to go mini-golfing twice and the boys got to drive the world's slowest go-carts in PF. Chase and Peyton met two more boys their ages at the campground and had a grand time playing with them.
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| River in Greenbriar section |
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| Moonshine Brewery in Gatlinburg. |
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