Our “camping” style gradually changed from relatively short trips to that of extended stays for escaping the heat and humidity in the summer and the cold and dampness in the winter.

And then after 10 years, we sort of burned out! We began taking more international trips, fly and drive domestic trips, and car treks. But after a year or so, we both missed the glory days of RVing, and spent this past January and February in Arizona, and parts of July and August in North Carolina.

And now, COVID-19 has changed our world again such that neither of us feels safe eating out or overnighting in a hotel room when car trekking and many of the wild places offering photo opportunities are remote, and actually beyond the motorhome’s capability. Besides, I just plain miss primitive camping and being off the grid, at least occasionally. As a result, a few months ago, I rekindled a longtime interest in vans and began watching vlogs related to van life; I was so envious, having always had a nomadic tendency. It was out of the question to have both a motorhome and a van, and the motorhome is very comfortable for staying a month or longer! And then, a vlog called Dome Life showed up on YouTube featuring a young couple from central Arkansas camping weekends and vacations in wild and scenic places in a tent. Wow, did this bring back memories, and yearnings. I decided to give it another whirl—a few more years of tent/car camping is still left in this old fella. After inventorying camping gear, we had most of the required items (though Kay’s days of tent camping are over) and the foul weather brought on by Hurricane and then Tropical Storm Laura provided an opportunity to assemble and consolidate all this gear. A sleeping bag and tent were missing, but soon ordered—the sleeping bag has arrived—and now all that remains to be acquired is an auxiliary, portable power source for the CPAP.  So, that is largely how we/I spent Wednesday and today.

To end the day, Thursday, August 27, Kay made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and bought Yarnell’s plain vanilla ice cream to celebrate my 71st birthday. Pat and Dan Olson hosted us for dinner, and despite Tropical Storm Laura dumping lots of rain and wind, we had a great evening and a super birthday, marking an end to bad weather for a few days.

As we are in a 2nd marriage, Kay escaped backpacking and the early days of tent camping and camping in the pop-up camper. However, near the time we got married almost 20 years ago, she spent her first night ever in a tent. She tolerated it. And then, Dad “gave” us the 5th wheel trailer he and mom used the last few years of her life, and we spent a few weekends enjoying it before he retracted and sold it. All of our camping photos from this time period were lost several years ago when a lightning strike took out our hard drive, and, of course, we had no backup.

That was not the end of of our camping, however. After a couple years of marriage, we began what was to become an annual canoeing, tent camping, and fishing trip to Quetico Wilderness in Ontario, Canada, with Harry and Mary Lambirth, a superb husband/wife guide team, finally ending the 10-year tradition in 2010.

Though we had decided not to RV again and took a 5-year hiatus, we purchased a travel trailer in 2007—big mistake! This is captured in the blog, late summer 2007.

Upon our return from Glacier NP, after only having the travel trailer for a few months, we traded it for a 29′ Jayco Melbourne B+, a great motorhome. In the four years we had it, we traveled extensively, including short trips in Arkansas, one to Arizona, a couple to south Texas, one to New Mexico, and an extended trip to Henry’s Lake, Idaho. We also took it on a fabulous, unforgettable 81-day journey to Alaska! Actually, they are all unforgettable. Those were our most fun years of camping/RVing.

Apologies in advance; this post has been broken into three parts. This is Part 1.

Not sure what to expect from Hurricane Laura, we patiently awaited its arrival and northward track towards us. On Wednesday, pre-hurricane winds and light rain prevented picture making as the butterflies and dragonflies laid low, out of harm’s way. Kay’s old iPhone 6+ lacked enough memory to support its apps and the photos she wanted to retain. So, it was off to the Verizon store to shop, and purchase a new phone for her. Wow, they are expensive! She ended up with an iPhone 11 Pro with 128 gigs; that should last a couple of years.

The last few weeks of rain, etc. have provided plenty of time to reminisce about former camping trips. I have always enjoyed camping, and have evolved through most of the stages: backpacking, tent, pop-up camper, travel trailer, 5th wheel, Class C motorhome, and now Class A motorhome.

At 71 years of age, I have only a few years left to enjoy physical activities I really like—including primitive camping. Thus, after purchasing Kay’s iPhone, we returned home and I began amassing and inventorying old camping gear to ascertain the feasibility and viability to camp a few times in wild places.

Motorhome lag did not seem to affect us. The “gain” of one hour time had minimal repercussions since we are both retired and do not have full day schedules. Consequently, we woke up at about the same body time (6:30 AM), had coffee, and caught up on news and social media.

The heat, combined with the lack of rain, necessitates watering the outside potted plants every day. While watering, I check for butterflies and dragonflies, and today found a few Skippers, a returning Monarch, and a couple dragonflies, one of which may be the smallest I’ve ever seen; maybe an Eastern Amber Wing.

Kay had a couple of appointments, while I “piddled“ in the garage working on getting an old battery out of a flashlight. I finally succeeded after several hours of trying, but in doing so, lost the spring which is one of the anode contact points. I spent about an hour looking for it on the cluttered workshop bench with no luck. Shortly after lunch, Dan, a good friend and photography co-conspirator, and I drove around the Village looking for blooms and butterflies. The most productive area we saw was along the storage area fence adjacent to the Magellan Beaver Dam Trail.

Kay made and delivered dinner for Ron and Bev formerly of Conway who have just recently moved to the Village; we met them in Casa Grande, AZ, this past winter. Extras were made for us! What a great life!

After catching up on news, email, and Facebook, I enjoyed the almost cool air outside, having forgotten how much contentment one derives from watering plants and taking butterfly photos in the mornings. Heat has returned to the Village, but the humidity is a bit lower than in North Carolina, making it tolerable.

Kay shopped this afternoon, restocking the cupboards and refrigerator, while I played golf; a “91” at Isabella Pinta/Santa Maria was not too bad considering I had not picked up a club since mid-July.

After a dinner of pork/chicken stir-fried rice, we watched the Season 7 finale of Endeavour and Episode 3 Season 10 of MI5, likely the last season for both shows—all good things must come to an end.

We’re almost back to normal—i.e. “being home at home” mode—and filling our social calendars with golf, pickleball, haircut and nail salon appointments, etc. I still have a lot of unpacking, mostly toys like float tubes and fly fishing equipment, clothes, and flies; they were never unpacked and used, mostly because of rain!

And charging cords galore, one for each electronic device! I admit, 3 iPads, 3 golf GPSs, 2 computers, and 2 monitors might be a bit excessive.

Sometimes one is just plain lucky. While doing some work in the garage early this morning, I noted a bug on Kay’s car hood. Upon closer examination, it proved to be a butterfly. Quickly grabbing the camera, I made several photographs while it was still in a semi-dormant state because of the cool temperatures. It proved to be a Red-banded Hairstreak. The hood of the car made for an interesting background.

After doing a few chores outside in the back, Kay and I observed a solitary dragonfly, female Widow Skimmer, warming herself on a shrub.

Meanwhile a beautiful Monarch was nectaring on a Lantana bloom. The Monarch was very skittish, and only allowed itself to be photographed from a distance.

Also, a few Skippers were nectaring among the many blooms of Lantana, butterfly bushes, butterfly weeds, etc. What a thrill to be back home among the beautiful creatures.

After lunch, Kay and I cleaned the inside of the motorhome and packed a few remaining items, and then put it in storage until next time—hopefully sooner rather than later—as there are some minor maintenance items that need attention.

Kay and Sue (Kay’s longtime friend and our fabulous house sitter) spent the evening at Pam’s celebrating her birthday; they had pizza, cake and ice cream, and wine while watching the first half of Gone With the Wind. I remained home, catching up on blogs and vlogs. Life is good!

And oh, by the way, the Arkansas Photography Club Facebook group administrator has banned me from posting/commenting for 30 days (I’m in “time out”). Though no reason was provided, it’s likely because I expressed concern in a comment regarding their recent group picture, “No masks or social distancing”. Time to resign!

Despite yesterday’s rain, we were up early on Friday and departed Cross Creek RV Park about 7:30 AM.

Given the forecast of rain and fog, we opted to travel separately through the worst part of the mountains, and connecting back together at the I40 Rest Area in Tennessee at Mile Marker 425. That proved to be a wise decision, at least for us, because the motorhome traveled up the mountains and around the curves flawlessly without the Honda CR V “toad”, tugging along behind. We lucked out at the Rest Area as the rain had dwindled to a mere mist, making connecting the toad to the motorhome a little less messy. After attaching the vehicles both mechanically and electrically, we continued west through Knoxville, TN. It began raining there and rained on us the next 300 miles through our gasoline stop and most of the evening as we overnighted at Parkers Crossroads RV Park in Yuma, TN (Parkers Crossroads was a notable Civil War battle near Jackson, TN).

We both slept hard last night (Friday). The 270-mile drive was trouble free. Over the years, we have noticed that highways through cities and towns need lots of maintenance as do most bridge approaches. In the motorhome, these will cause shake, rattle, and roll, sometimes to the detriment to the home on wheels and its occupants. And, the concrete sections of  I40 through West Memphis and I440 around the south side of Little Rock are other areas we dread! Nevertheless, we pulled into the Coronado RV Park in Hot Springs Village about 12:30 PM, set up, drained and flushed the tanks, and emptied the motorhome in record time, arriving at the house about 2:30 PM. 

I am both glad and sad to be home. My nomadic personality mandates that I travel to be contented, and relocating at least every three weeks——except for winters in Arizona. However, Hot Springs Village offers endless possibilities, and friends with whom I enjoy doing things are there. It is a mixed bag for sure.

Kay left relatively early this morning to tour Biltmore in nearby Asheville.

Having been there and done that, I skipped the tour and remained behind to consolidate and pack photo and computer equipment—playing with toys sure requires a lot of work! As an aside, feeling better sure changes one’s perspective of life. With time on my hands, I caught up on reading blogs and watching vlogs on YouTube. Kay returned mid-afternoon, and we thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing, quiet afternoon.

By Kay’s declaration, tonight is “pizza night”. After having our first adult beverages in several days, she diced Canadian bacon and chopped veggies—onion, green pepper, jalapeño pepper, and mushrooms. I spread pizza sauce on a couple of low carb tortillas (1 Weight Watchers point each), sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce, followed by pre-cooked Jimmy Dean turkey crumbles (tastes like sausage), and Kay’s Canadian bacon and Veggies. Since we don’t have a pizza stone in the motorhome—to be remedied for our next trip—I inverted a cookie sheet on the grill and cooked on that: 10 minutes on high. With leftover Caesar salad from last night, we had a great, satisfying dinner.

After the invigorating walk at Lake Junaluska, we drove the steep and crooked road to Cataloochee Valley, nestled in the far northeastern part of Great Smoky Mountains NP, hoping to get a glimpse of the elk that graze there in late afternoon; we were not disappointed. As we entered the Valley, we noted a car of two stopped along side one of the pastures, and sure enough, elk were observed in the woods. And then, a big bull stepped out of another section of woods and began grazing alone.After a short while, he laid down, and to our surprise began bugling. If you’ve ever heard one bugle, you know what a thrill it is. A few other elk joined him, and others were observed in a pasture about a half mile away. The big bull posed for photographs for all the stopper-bys, and while the gnats swarmed around him,, the flies ate on me!

Back at the motorhome, we watched British television before hitting the sack fairly early.

No rain was forecast for today, Sunday, an unusual occurrence this summer in the Smokies. Still tired from our road trip, I opted to edit photos and write updates for our blog, Dunngone, while Kay shopped for groceries. Consequently, we waited until late to venture out out for exercise and photos. Besides, crowds seem to be worse in the late mornings and early afternoons. Kay chose for us to walk the 2.4 mile trail at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, followed by a trip to Cataloochee Valley hoping to see elk.

Lake Junaluska was dependable as always, offering a few blooms and butterflies.

These occur mostly near the Kern Center. Sites along the trail are described as follows. Built in 1956, the Kern Center includes meeting spaces, a seasonal soda shop and a year-round fitness center. The Corneille Bryan Native Garden features more than 500 species of native plants and is a haven for birdlife. The Lake Junaluska Rose Walk was conceived in 1962 and features more than 200 hybrid tea, grandiflora and floribunda roses. The World Methodist Museum and Susanna Wesley Garden houses the largest collection of Methodist history, artifacts and memorabilia in the world. Named for John Wesley’s mother, the Susanna Wesley Garden is a place for prayer and meditation. The Terrace is a recently renovated hotel offering contemporary luxury and breathtaking views of the lake. The Harrell Center, built in 1960, houses meeting facilities, Lake Junaluska’s coffee and gift store “Junaluska Gifts & Grounds”, the SEJ Heritage Center, the Lake Junaluska library and public restrooms. Access to the boat dock is available at ground level. Stuart Auditorium, the first structure completed at Lake Junaluska in 1913, was originally an open-air construction with a dirt floor covered with sawdust. Later, the auditorium was enclosed with walls and was renamed in honor of George R. Stuart, a minister and strong supporter of the Southern Assembly. Memorial Chapel was built in 1949 as a memorial to southeastern United Methodist Church members who served in the armed forces during World War II. The Book of Memory, located in the SEJ Heritage Center, contains the names of 90,000 people who served during the war. The Room of Memory, adjacent to the chapel, houses the Lake Junaluska Columbarium. Constructed around 1930, the Francis Asbury Trail is named for Bishop Francis Asbury, one of the pioneering American Methodist ministers who passed through this area in 1810 while spreading John Wesley’s message of Methodism. The Lake Junaluska Dam was constructed between 1911 and 1913, and has a oneway road and sidewalk. Completed in 1921, the center section of the Lambuth Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is named to honor Bishop Walter R. Lambuth, a notable missionary. Inspiration Point offers panoramic views of the lake and mountains, and it is a scenic destination for all to engage in quiet meditation, prayer and study. The Lake Junaluska Cross was constructed in 1922. The Amphitheater was built in 1988 and is now a popular location for vesper meetings, worship services and Lake Junaluska’s annual Easter sunrise service. Built in 1988, the Turbeville Footbridge enables visitors to complete the shorter 2.3-mile path that circles the lake. Next, and last, is the swimming pool and kayak/canoe/paddle board center.

Most butterflies were observed near the Harrell Center