Song of the Open Road

by Walt Whitman (revised)

I do not offer the old smooth prizes,But offer rough new prizes,These are the days that must happen to you:You shall not heap up what is called riches,You shall scatter with lavish hand all that youearn or achieve.However sweet the laid-up stores,However convenient the dwellings,You shall not remain there.However sheltered the port,And however calm the waters,You shall not anchor there.However welcome the hospitality that welcomes youYou are permitted to receive it but a little whileAfoot and lighthearted, take to the open road,Healthy, free, the world before you,The long brown path before you, leading whereveryou choose.Say only to one another:pookado, I give you my hand!I give you my love, more precious than money,I give you myself before preaching or law:Will you give me yourself?Will you come travel with me?Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

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Arriving in Winchester, VA April 21. 2008

WELCOME TO WINCHESTER, VA!!  Home of the Battle of Cedar Creek and the annual Apple Blossom Festival!!!

Honestly, this picture really doesn't do the state justice!

 

Home, Sweet Home!  From woodsy, rustic fauna to tropical flora to a darn healthy patch of grass...

There's just no place like home!

"Wherever you go, there you are." 

View from our living room window.  BUT, you want to know why we really love this place?  This is just 5 minutes from home:

Yes, endless miles of this.....

And this.... 

This........

And a whole lot of this.... Every time we turn round a bend, it takes my breath away. 

It's ALL about apples.

 

No, seriously.

You still think I'm kidding?

Here's the sad thing: this farmer's market? The local apple growers?  Not yet have we found anyone who grows their apples organically.  After seeing CRAPSHOOT last night, I can't help but be scared.  It's a real shame....

Welcome to Virginia.......Now Git out

Lake Lanier Campground

The plan was to leave Florida and stop by Georgia to visit Jen and Jay in time for Jens baby shower.  We had a really good trip but it was very long and we did not get into the campground until after dark.

Due to its proximity to Jens house we had decided to stay at Lake Lanier campground north of Atlanta. We did not know when we reserved a spot but Lake Lanier campground is part of a very upscale resort based on a chain of islands and we had a very cool long 2 or 3 mile long drive into the campground after the entrance gate

 

It was dark out. I mean no moon, in the middle of the woods kinda dark out. Because of this we now have our first and most important rule of traveling.

 

RULE #1. Stop driving before dark.  well before dark, at least an hour or so...  No really, just stop. ...I don't care if you are only 2 hours from where you are going to, just stop. By the time you get there it'll be dark out and you'll be sorry.

what? you don't believe me? Then fine go right  ahead...

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you see, that's why you stop before dark and don't try to park the 39 foot trailer backwards up a hill in the pitch black of night .

We were heartbroken......Our new house, our brand new house. with a hole in the roof, a broken awning and a ripped slide topper. but hey, we made great time.  

So we drank a couple stiff shots of single malt and went to bed.

 

and woke up to this.

 

Lake Lanier is the reservoir that supplies Atlanta's drinking water.We came at the end of a record drought that at times had predictions of there only being two weeks worth of drinking water left in the lake.

Building a Mobile Glassblowing Studio

First off, I have to say that this was way more work that I ever expected it to be. I saw I small outdoor studio for sale HERE that looked really simple. I figured that since I knew where to get all the components for one tenth of what they were asking and since the assembly was simple that it would be no problem....

I should have known better................

I won't bore anyone with the technical details but what result was that I ended tearing  it apart and rebuilding it 4 or 5 times. ..

I do have to say that I am very happy with the final result though. It is very sturdy and i expect it to hold up well to life on the road.

 

This is the glory hole. It is used to keep the glass hot enough to be workable.

 

 

 

 

This on the other hand is the actual furnace. It holds a crucible of glass at 2400 degrees (glass melting point). It gets hot enough to burn the hair on your arm off from 3 feet away.  Ask me how I, uh, know that.....

 

 

 

 

 

Here is basically my whole studio setup except for hand tools. The blue box is the annealing oven which is required to allow the glass to cool slowly and evenly. If it cools too fast stress builds up and it can shatter.

 

Here you can see my first test run.  Inside the furnace you can see the molten glass that is at a consistency of thick honey. It worked really well the first time but still needs to be a little hotter.