New and Improved

Hey folks,

Welcome to the new and improved Airstream Travels.  We are now Airstream Tales and Trails and as you can see things look a little different around here. Why the name change?  We felt the blog needed to be updated, not just the look, but it's whole purpose.

The core will not change, hence the "Trails" moniker.  We'll always be a travel blog at heart but will be branching out geographically; specializing in more of those hidden gems.  For example, we are staying in Nashville but in all actuality we're closer to a little place called White House, TN.  The stories of White House and it's small town cousins are what we want to share more of.

We added "Tales" to spread out into more non-travel stories. We want to share with you the everyday people we come across.  Nothing to me is more interesting than the average Joe or Jolene.  We want to dig down deeper and write about our interests outside of our travel life.

For those of you who receive an e-mail each time we post, you do not need to do anything new.  Just keep clicking on the link I put in the message and you'll be magically delivered to our new digital home.  For our faithful Wordpress subscribers (thank you by the way) you can connect through the e-mail link as well.  However, in order to comment on posts, all of our readers should subscribe through the new host, Google.  I'm sure you've heard of them and they have certainly heard of you.  Subscribing is free and you've probably registered anyway in the past for other Google goodness so it should be a simple process.  Just fill in the box on the right side of the page and you'll be all set.

We're excited about the future of our blog and hope to keep our growing audience anticipating the next post and the next and the next.....

Margo

Kevin

Hank and LuLu

Pepper

Shiloh

Puffin' and Pickin'

I felt everyone needed a two for one - buy one get one – a freebie - so I wrestled the laptop from Margo and decided to send up another post this week.  That and it’s Christmas break and I have a lot of time on my hands – which brings me to the topic of today.

I quit smoking 7 years ago.  Not on the first try, far from it.  Over the years I tried many times just to fail miserably.  Sometimes I made it a few months and sometimes only a few hours.  On that day 7 years ago I told myself that if I wasn’t going to do it that time it wasn’t going to be done and so far so good.

I’ve had the same relationship with the guitar. I started to teach myself many times only to quit and put it down.  Sometimes to collect dust for a few months  and sometimes a few years.  It’s not like I’ve aspired to be a rock star though.  I just want to be able to strum a few Buffett tunes while sitting Indian style by the campfire.  Well, I can’t sit that way anymore without a painfully protracted process to extricate myself but at least I can attempt again the six string and maybe learn a few chords.

Now think about this for a moment.  We live in an Airstream.  It’s been particularly cold outside of late, even too cold for campfires.  Poor Margo is subjected to my practicing which at this point consists of buzzing strings and my very poor rendition of “He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” (I’ve only made it to the third string in my book).  Since I don’t have a natural talent for making music it’s going to be a long haul but haul I must because again, if I don’t do it now I never will.

Broad Street

Besides, living here in Nashville has inspired me. The honky-tonks on Broad Street.  The Gibson Guitar factory I drive by almost every day on the way to the gas company.  I have a co-worker who is a musician and jams with his friends.  I mean really...  I gotta do this.  I'm thinking that one day I'll be ready for the Airstream guitar but for now I'm going to stick with my el cheapo acoustic and hopefully soon won't sound like a pair of cats in a pillowcase.

Photo snagged from "The Man in the Maze" blog - all things Airstream  http://airstreamlife.com/maze/

Christmas in Dixie

Hello everyone. Margo here.

Christmas finds us still in Nashville. Today is the official start of winter but we have been battening down the hatches. We are expecting some bad weather—lots of rain and potential for tornadoes--due to a weather system coming through. We will keep the weather radio tuned in for sure.

Storm brewing

We took cover in the campground shelter when this came through. Tornado warning was sounded.

While it is rather balmy and unseasonably warm as I write this, I have been busy bringing a little " Christmas cheer"into our little LuLu home.

I had Kevin get the holiday bin out of the “storage shed” ( Hank's cargo bed) and proceeded to decorate away! In the past it would have taken me days and days to accomplish that but I had it all done, start to finish, in about 30 minutes...more time to enjoy another glass of eggnog I say.

...with visions of sugared Milk-Bones dancing in their heads

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

New LED "accent lighting"

Earlier in the week when it was cold and dreary outside, I thought I should warm things up inside by doing a little baking. So in the spirit of making merry, I fired up LuLu's "Easy Bake Oven" ( just kidding, it’s almost full-sized), put on some Christmas carols, tied the apron on and proceeded to measure, mix, chop and pour. I made several dozen Oatmeal Raisin cookies and Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, as well as my mom's Cranberry Orange Bread. I have to say it was  challenging with such limited counter space but the end result was worth the effort. Even though  Kevin wanted  to keep all the cookies for himself, I thought he should take some to share with the guys at work. He told me it was like throwing a handful of corn out to a barnyard full of chickens.  I think the lure of homemade cookies might have had something to do with the extra quick response by the crew when Kevin found some hazardous leaks too.

My workspace

Cranberry Orange loaves cooling under "The Tree"

The cookie monsters

I did finish the monk's cloth afghan I was making for Kevin--just in time for Christmas. I really enjoyed making it and will start on another one soon, this one will be for me.

Monk's cloth afghan - Kevin's Christmas gift - Shhhh....

It is 72°  right now which is more like a Florida Christmas than what you might expect to find in Tennessee at this time of year.  We have had some roller coaster winter type weather though. Earlier in the week it was 18° and icy.  We are managing to stay warm with extra sweaters, scarves and jackets and I have to say I am enjoying the colder temperatures...just seems more like holiday weather to me.



Kevin and I hope all of you will be making happy Christmas memories with family and friends and I’ll close this post with a little help from one of Nashville’s favorite groups, Alabama….

“By now in New York City, there's snow on the ground

 And out in California, the sunshine's falling down
And, maybe down in Memphis, Graceland's all in lights
And in Atlanta, Georgia, there's peace on earth tonight

Christmas in Dixie, it's snowin' in the pines
Merry Christmas from Dixie, to everyone tonight

It's windy in Chicago the kids are out of school
There's magic in Motown the city's on the move
In Jackson, Mississippi, to Charlotte, Caroline
And all across the nation, it's the peaceful Christmas time

And from Nashville,Tennessee
God bless y'all, we love ya
Happy New Year, good night
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas tonight

In-Joy,

Margo

The Heat Is On

Glenn Fry was referring to a certain Beverly Hills Cop when he sang it.  We’re talking the more literal sense.  We’re burning as many fossil fuels as we can get our hands on.  Granted, LuLu’s dead dinosaur consumption is small compared to the average house but when the mercury hits the 20s it’s time to crank up the thermostat and even our carbon footprint grows a size or two.  Nashville is experiencing some “arctic air” as the weatherman calls it and it’s downright COLD!!!!  Tomorrow we may get sleet and snow, though it isn’t expected to stick anywhere.

Flo and Mingo sporting their winter gear.

Yes I said Nashville.  We arrived back last Thursday evening.  No nighttime back in by flashlight this time though.  We left Bessemer City early and pulled into the Nashville Country RV Park with plenty of daylight to spare.  It’s a far cry from the gorgeous spot we had on the lake in North Carolina but as far as RV parks go it’s okay.  It has all we need in the form of places to plug things into, laundry, WiFi, etc. It’s about 15 miles north of Nashville. We were on the east side before so we have some new little towns to check out now.  The surrounding area here actually is rural but not far from the suburban sprawl. I guess we got spoiled the past few weeks in North Carolina where it was so “country” you rarely saw anything except pick-up trucks and cows.

Nashville Country RV Park

There’s nothing like being at home for Thanksgiving - spending time with family, friends, and great food.  We’re somewhat comforted by the fact that we bring our “home” with us wherever we go but must rely on our thoughts for the rest.  Those thoughts are with you and yours. We wish all of our family, friends and those we’ve met on our journey so far a happy Thanksgiving.

Carolina In My Mind

Hello everyone, Margo here.

“In my mind I’m goin’ to Carolina.  Can’t you just see the sunshine.  Can’t you just feel the moonshine.  Ain’t it just like a friend of mine….”

Wait a minute.... I AM in Carolina – small towns – country roads -  Bessemer City to be exact.  Proud home of the Bessemer City High School Yellow Jackets and the Bessemer City Primary School Honey Bees.



City truck displaying their pride.
Downtown Bessemer City
Central Drug - since 1927

On this job Kevin has a guide provided by the utilities department who takes him out on an ATV Gator to check the gas lines.  Since Kevin does not need Hank (the truck) for this job he has been all mine and we go exploring.

Fall colors ablaze
This is Fall in North Carolina

Fall colors are spectacular here.  I take it all in as I drive these North Carolina foothills with no particular place to be and not sure where I will end up.  I usually follow the signs to “historic uptown” and look for a Mom and Pop coffee shop.

Lily Beam, another coffee shop haunt in Shelby.



Inside the Copper Rock in Shelby. Next door to the laundromat - lucky me.

After a day of enjoyable wandering it’s time to pick up Kevin and we often stop by Angel’s – our go-to coffee shop in Bessemer City where as was walk in Angel says, “Welcome back.  I just put on a fresh pot for you guys.”

Our home from across the lake

We’ve also really loved our campsite.  Moss Lake is a beautiful place to stay as the pictures show.  It’s like we’re on vacation but we still have the mundane every day things to take care of like laundry at the laundromat and washing the dogs.  It was too cold for Kevin to do that outside but we lucked upon a self-service dog wash in Bessemer City.  It’s just like a coin operated car wash except inside a little building.  Shiloh and Pepper were very surprised to see this place.

Inside "Shakers"

What a great business idea

Whether it’s Cherryville, Shelby or Bessemer City everyone is so genuine and friendly – makes me think small town living may be the best way to live life.



Kings Mountain mural




Time well spent at the laundromat. Still working on the afghan. Half way through.

Country road

On the road again

I have truly enjoyed and embraced our time here in North Carolina and am surely not wanting to leave just yet but duty calls and we are headed back to Nashville at the end of this week.  Kevin  is needed there and will be training a new hire.  I expect we’ll be there through Thanksgiving then onto the next assignment. We’re not sure where that will be but I’m pretty sure our time here in Carolina will be on our minds.

In-Joy!

Margo