Cedar Point 2

 Beautiful sunny day in the 70s. 

We started the day with David and Gale with a bike ride on Emerald Island.  We did about 8 miles wandering around the island, checking beaches etc. Then a stop at DQ!

Skye got to be the focus of the afternoon.  Back to Emerald Isle for a couple hours on the beach.  She was delighted.  She is not used to having the water come to her, meaning the surf.  The water was delightfully cool, not cold at all.  Mid coast Maine’s ocean in August is much colder.  Gale said only tourists from the north swim in the ocean this time of year.  

Back at camp Dave grilled some burgers, Gale made a couple salads and Carlene & I brought some salsa & chips. Followed by a camp fire.  

Cedar Point NC 1

 It was overcast most of the day, it even sprinkled a few minutes as we left Cheraw. 

Nice easy drive over here, about 220 miles.  A lot of 4 lane mixed with 2 lane. It was like 40 miles of 4 lane then 30 miles of 2 lane. Several small towns.  With that kind of pace and no primary interstate there were no rest areas and all the good size pull offs snuck up so I saw them just as I was passing by them.  We only stopped once because of that.  

So we’re here at the Cedar Point Campground in the Croaton National Forest in Cedar Point, NC. We met up with David & Gale, long time hiking friends who used to be our neighbors in Jonesville.  We often meet them for a few days of camping on our way home.  They’ve lived down here for several years now.  

Out on the Cedar Point Tideland Trail

Cheraw 2

 Another warm one.  91 on our thermometer.   We went for a walk at a casual southern pace down the dirt road to the old group camping area.  It’s closed “temporarily” but it doesn’t show any signs of being used anytime soon. 

It has a dock; we can see this dock from our campground and that was the attraction.  How to get to it.  We found it and Skye has a great time in the water next to it.  We had lunch there too. 

Made a fuel run when we got back to camp. All set now to go to Cedar Point NC tomorrow to meet up with Gale & David for a few days.  Heading north after that.  Might be home by 4/25.  Depends on what we find to do in VA. 

Consulting with a squirrel

The squirrels here require a great deal of attention. 

Skye has tested the rope many times

Cypress

Cypress

Atlantic white cedar

Gallberry

Cheraw State Park, Cheraw, SC

 Not a cloud in the sky all day long.  Topped out at about 84 degrees. 

Since it was only a 3.5 hour drive (<180 miles) we didn’t bother with an early start.  Picked a route mostly off interstate, through a number of small SC towns for the best scenic value.  

We arrived at about 2, set up the camper, took Skye for a long swim, Sat & relaxed in the shade.  After supper we went for a walk down the road and over to the dam to see the sunset.

Belton 7

I spent the morning packing. Pack up the Cowboy clothes & boots and guns & ammo and gear.  Then packed it into the truck and camper.  It took a couple attempts at rearranging to make it all fit (relatively) neatly.  

After lunch we went touring the SC countryside.   First over to Laurens, a town about fourty minutes away.  It’s Scarlett Darlin’s town and she has always told me what a nice place it is, so we had to go look. It is!  Nice old style big houses with columns and huge front lawns. A little old vintage gas station, could be a museum exhibit.  

Then on to Lake Greenwood that had all the usual boats and beach sunbathers of a warm southern spring day.  It was in the low 80s today.  

The roads took us around a big circle of 2 lane country roads back to Belton for a milkshake and a grocery store to supply us for the next few days of camping at state parks. 

So, yup, spent the last day of not driving with the camper by driving all around without the camper.  🤣😁😆😂

We did a lot of sightseeing and almost no photography.  

Skye spent the morning in the water.   At one point two geese appeared and scolded her presence for a long time. She just looked at them and went about her splashing around.  

Our last neighbor left around 9.  Roy posted that he left at 5:30.  ET & Dawn were also gone when we woke up just before 7.  Didn’t hear anyone go.  

American Five-lined Skink

Kudzu Bug

SC state shoot CAS day 2

 Back to sunny weather!  It started out a bit cool this morning but by 9 I had my jacket off for the day.

5 more stages, since we shot the afternoon wave yesterday we had the morning wave today.  At the beginning it was cool with a bit of humidity and little wind, all of which is great for causing black powder to give huge smoke clouds that linger in front of you.  You can’t see targets after you shoot!  Many shooters hate it but I really enjoy the challenge.  Today was just right, I could see just enough to shoot my normal speed and still hit nearly invisible targets.  

So, I won the Frontiersman Category, got a “Best Dressed” award, and took 3rd in Wild Bunch Modern Sr. (11th overall WB)

Back at camp I cleaned all the guns so they are ready to pack tomorrow.  We are staying tomorrow night so we have all day to repack everything.  2 campers left today.  ET, Dawn & Roy are leaving at first light (if Roy really waits that long!) so we will be alone here tomorrow night.  That will seem different.

Puff balls