Hard To Say Goodbye To Georgia Veterans

 Wow! What a stay! These last couple of months have been filled with beauty, rest, adventure, new friendships, work, exploration, and emergency. 😲 Whew!! Talk about packing it all into eight weeks! 

A huge, beautiful, airfield graces the park and is used for many amazing activities such as hot air ballooning, motorized hang gliding, RC aircraft, and more.  (Thanks to Ruth for the stunning picture!)

On this feel good day, we decided to use the field to get our kite into the air and relax in the sunshine. If you study closely, you'll surely see our aircraft up there.

And here's Cannon making sure the park stays neat and clean.................

 

So that he can continue with his driving lessons 😁👮😲

and not smash into a deer!!

Where do I start filling you all in? Do you want the good or bad news first?  Okay! Here goes! We'll start with the good. There's so much more of it anyway. 

We realized, shortly after arriving here, that, although this place is stunningly beautiful, it may lack when compared to the easy to find daily adventure in the Smoky Mountain area. That challenged us to dig a little deeper to discover the other gems lying around this place. Since we love finding new areas to hike and explore, we didn't give up. One of our favorite things to do is pack a picnic and set out on a drive that takes us to a natural area to walk, play, explore, and just be in. We found two places here that offered just what we were looking for.  

To the locals in Perry, GA, their Weleetka and Whitetail trails, along Big Indian Creek Waterway, may not be much, but we really enjoyed our time walking here.

 

               I think our enjoyment often comes from the "finding a new spot" part of it all😉

As we left Perry, we headed Southeast and drove about an hour to arrive at Little Ocmulgee State Park in Helena, GA.  This is a gorgeous park we were thrilled to experience for the first time. We were excited to give the hiking boots a workout on the beautiful sand trails offered here! 

Cannon was more than happy to be able to spend some time on the playground sitting right next to the lake.

                          And, of course, a few of my favorite things.......the boardwalks!

                                          Now it's time to refuel with snacks and drink. 

                                                     We'll try to find a spot to sit.

After sharing a couple of these nearby finds, I must take you back to revisit Georgia Veterans to share more of the daily beauty and excitement we enjoyed here. We have been blessed to have met some amazing, loving individuals that we will surely keep track of. We look forward, already, to where we will meet up next. Although not all of the wonderful people will be mentioned by name, there were many who made themselves available in our time of need and were extremely supportive and thoughtful. We met outstanding New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan natives along with our new Oregon friends you'll meet here below. This RV community is truly amazing!!

The very first hour we arrived here, we met a work camper who quickly became a friend. Brian showed us to our site and made sure we had a cart to use while here. He was the ultimate in campground welcomes, immediately assisted in getting us acquainted with the ins and outs of this tightly run establishment😏😉and, of course, when and where to spot the deer. He was informative, cordial, and just plain nice. Then, we had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Ruth. She is one of those "feel like you've known her forever" sweet people that just make you feel welcomed. She opened herself up in so many ways. She organized a social meet 'n' greet for everyone, offered rides to the store, baked super-duper cookies, and came to my aid with chicken soup and new night gowns necessary for my unexpected recovery. To top all of that, these two took such amazing care of Cannon several days in a row while I was hospitalized. Cannon loves his new buddies so much! We're not ever going to lose touch! What a blessing we have in these new friends!! The only problem is that Cannon mentioned, once I was back home, that he is not doing fun things every day now. 😢   It looks like I'd better get hopping.

Here we are all sheltering in the bathhouse from a storm passing through the area. The winds were fierce and frightening, but it was so relieving to have the building to run to and great company to share the moment.  Staying in the RV while the winds violently beat on it was simply not an option. ⛈

Another couple we had the pleasure of bonding with as soon as we arrived here is Kim and Ralph from Florida. Sadly, they were enjoying the end of their stay here as we were settling in and just starting out. We all visited together a few times. It was so nice but too short. We will definitely be visiting with them soon. I look forward to getting to know them even more.

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The only bad news is big (for me at least) but pales in comparison to all the good. 

I began experiencing what I believed to be virus symptoms on January 23rd.  I would not hear of going to the hospital even as the symptoms progressed over a couple of days. I was so sure it was just a very persistent virus. Then, the horrible stomach bloating and pain became unbearable.  By the time I agreed to be taken in, I could not straighten up at all. I became very weak, and my hands cramped so that I couldn't open either of them. It was so bad, I had to be taken by ambulance to the local ER. Once there, a bowel obstruction (twisted bowel) was identified, and surgery prep began. It all happened so quickly. I am very thankful to have been taken care of by the Crisp Regional surgical team and am now recovering quite well.

             The journey's been real. It's been amazing. It's been scary. It's been rewarding.  

                                                               Onward!!!