Thursday, Oct 24 It was a lazy morning as people continued to set up camp, meet new neighbors and old friends, and generally get settled in for the next four days. Here are Suzie and Sue greeting the day! My goal for the morning was to try to get pictures of the people in our group. The only one I didn't get . . . was me! All morning long, and into the afternoon, there was a steady stream of Airstreams arriving at the campground. There was a lot of socializing and mingling in the afternoon under a beautiful blue sky and warm temperatures. Charlie Button got in on the social scene as she performed her dead dog trick for a group. The rally officially started at 5:00 with a traditional hotdog cook-out served under the large pavilion. But, before that started, in the afternoon, our little group gathered . . . with snacks! The lot next to our six trailers was not claimed, and we gathered chairs and declare it our official hang-out place. John even hung a handy awning screen to shield the snacks from the sun. The weather had warmed to 68 degrees during the day, but as the sun started to go down, the temperature dropped quickly. Three Fire pits appeared in the hang-out, and there was a steady come-and-go campfire circle. Plans were made for a Friday outing, and people drifted off to the warmth of their trailers.
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It’s not over yet! The camping season may be winding down – but the best is still ahead. Our favorite time of year to camp is in the fall and this year we are doing a long trip . . . with friends! Alumalina, a long-running rally in North Carolina, is known for being one of the best; we are attending with 6 Airstream Friends – and about 200 other Airstreams! It is a big deal! Following my dental appointment, we ate a quick lunch and headed off by 11:30. Our first night destination was Plain City, Ohio and Pastime Park . . . just a 3-hour trip. A funny thing happened on the way to Pastime Park: Three years ago I pieced a quilt and never finished it with batting, backing and quilting. Two weeks ago I dropped it off to be finished at Heavenly Stitches . . . a little quilt shop in an old country church. Just 30 minutes out of the driveway, and just 11 miles away from the shop, my phone rang -- the quilt was finished and ready to be picked up! SIDETRIP! We were back on track quickly and reached Pastime Park before 3:00. We dropped the trailer and headed into our favorite outdoor recreation store, Recreational Equipment Inc. Tom bought boots there in May and the soles were considerably worn after just 6 months. Long story short – REI replaced them! I also picked up a new pair of lace-up shoes; newly shod we were back at the Silvermine for dinner. We had hoped to hitch up with John and Suzie for tomorrow’s 8-hour drive to North Carolina, but the fates conspired to keep them in town until later in the day. Tom and I planned for an early take-off in the morning, and with that in mind, we shut down early in the evening. With it getting darker so much earlier – it is not as embarrassing to go to bed early! Wednesday, Oct 23 We were awake at 6:00 a.m. – 41 degrees! By 6:30 we were on the road, in the dark, with lots of people heading to work and school buses. By 8:00 we were well south of Columbus, out of the traffic, and the sun was bright. Our navigator estimated a 7 hour trip . . . we knocked it off in 9 hours! Marion, NC – the Tom Johnson Camping Center – is smack dab in the middle of Smoky Mountain delights and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Welcomed at the gate, we were given an overview of the weekend and then turned loose to start enjoying. Our campground was a large open field with THICK grass, freshly mowed, and full hook-ups. At this time of year we appreciated the fact that there was full sun! Our little camping community, comprised of six Airstream units staged together in two back-to-back rows, was surrounded by individuals and other little communities. The Tom Johnson Camping Center is so big that it easily accommodated over 200 campers at Alumilina! The rest of the afternoon and evening was the usual set-up, meet-and-greet, and a quick circle around a campfire. By 8:00, the cold chased most of us in. John and Suzie did not arrive until 11:15, and when everyone else woke up in the morning – it was to find the whole gang here: Sue, Tam & Steve, Chris & Randy, Mike & Sue, Suzie & John, and Tom & Ella.
We were all in place as Caleb entered the stadium and pushed around to cross the finish line. I managed a quick video as he pushed through to the end. Well. Done. Caleb!
This little gathering was planned while sitting around a campfire on South Bass Island a few weeks ago. Knowing that last minute campsite reservations are hard to come by at this time of year we came up with the idea of storming the Terraport at the Mothership in Jackson Center. Tom called and made arrangements for October 3 - 6, and we spread the word. Everyone had the same idea: call the service center and see if they could work in a little repair work while we were there! Some arrived on Wednesday and some arrived on Thursday -- but everyone that asked was able to work in for a little service! In all we had 9 Airstreams . . . and we adopted one new NOVA member while we were there! Here is Lou and Larry's Airstream being picked up for an AC repair! The weekend followed our usual casual meal plan of going out to eat at local at local restaurants (within walking distance!) and some pretty extravagant meals cooked on location . . . we rocked a Mexican Fiesta, and two Grand Slam Breakfasts. Several NOVA gals are in the middle of making a quilt using the precise method of Paper Piecing. This weekend we had our first chance to lay out the first 8 blocks for a quick sneak peak! There will be one more Airstream and some flamingo blocks, and the whole thing will be read for piecing. Mastermind behind planning this project is Carol, and she will be putting the whole thing together and finishing it with free-style quilting. The quilt be up for auction at a spring 2020 rally! While working on my quilt blocks I got very intrigued by the paper piecing method and made several little banners to hang from my awning. I tried them out for the first time this weekend. Here are a few pictures from around the Terraport during the weekend. They show that we are indeed "Happy Campers." In the nearby town of Minster there was an OctoberFest celebration, and many of us headed out to enjoy browsing the craft tents, beer tents, and food tents on Saturday. All were back in the afternoon to enjoy an outdoor theater that was set up for the Michigan game and later on, the Ohio State game. Suzie dragged in tons of supplies and set them up, and gave us all a lesson in paint pouring. It takes little artistic talent to complete one of these beautiful projects, and we all found out that it can become very adicting! A highlight of the evenings was when we pulled out our little biotite fire pits. They made wonderful little fires that we could line up in a row to make for a large gathering, and the Airstreams basked in the glow of the fire. This is the first campout where we have felt the coming of cooler weather and fall camping. Next on the agenda is a trip to Alumalina where we will meet up with several NOVA members to enjoy what we hear is a fantastic rally!
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |