Apr 29 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  We found out today that we need to redo our itinerary home.  One of the RV parks called and canceled, due to the State extending the closed mandate for RV parks.  It turns out Ohio has closed the private parks, or most of them.   We needed to decide if we wanted to stay here for 2 more weeks, and delay getting home, to give the States more time to reopen the RV parks, or find a new route and new RV parks that are open.  And, get home earlier.
  So we spent the morning rescheduling our route, to minimize the time through Ohio.  We previously had to change the route from going through Virginia, West Virginia, and now Ohio.  We did find a Thousand Trails RV camp along the new route, so we are staying there for 3 days.  Hopefully, no one else will cancel, as we now have our new route all reserved, arriving home on May 16th.
  Our new "office" has us working out of the car, not sitting outside.  But, as it might rain today, that's OK, and it's only for 2 more days.


Our new "mobile office" in the Walmart parking lot photo:

Apr 28 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  We went as usual into the "mobile office"  this morning.  We sit at the end of the shopping strip mall, around the corner of the last building.  There is a wide portico, so it has been great protection from the sun and the rain.  Today, the owner of the last store in the strip mall came out with two cops and told us we were trespassing, and that she didn't want us there.  She was also concerned we were using their WiFi, which isn't the case, as we use our own Verizon hot spots.  So, we needed to move.  After the owner left, the cops were very apologetic, and suggested we go to the Walmart parking lot.  Which is what we did.  At the back of the lot, we found a shady spot under a tree.   Our new "mobile office".  Fortunately, we only have a few days left, before we leave.
   We did some grocery shopping, then went back to the RV, made dinner and read, and watched the Blind Side DVD.  Finally, an uplifting movie.

Making dinner in the RV photo:

Apr 27 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Another beautiful, sunny day, in the 70's.  Into the "office" early this morning.  The plan is to go back after lunch and kayak.  We'll see. 
  Indeed, that is what we did.  Peter and I drove down to the boat rental area, where I rented a kayak.  Peter then walked the mile back up to the RV (he needed to get in his daily exercise), to watch a DVD that I wouldn't watch (a war movie).  The hour spent in the kayak was wonderful.  The weather was beautiful, a very light, fresh breeze, blue skies and calm waters.  I kayaked around one branch of the lake, stopping every now and then to float and enjoy the moment.  The dazzle of the sun on the water was like seeing fire flies, or a pile of diamonds sparkling.  It was really sweet. 
  After I returned, we sat outside, read, and had a beer.  I will really miss this location.  I have never spent so long at a water destination, and this one is so beautiful. 

Kayaking at Lake Lurleen photos:

Enjoying a beer at our RV site photo:

Apr 26 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Off to the "mobile office" bright and early this morning.  Beautiful sunny day, not too hot nor too cold.  I had Zoom calls with the kids/grandkids and with the sibling/cousins. It is really wonderful to be able to keep in touch with loved ones far away, and to be able to visit and "see" them.  Our parent's generation must have thought the same way about the telephone, in their day. 
  Got back to Lake Lurleen in the late afternoon.  Asked about renting kayaks, but they said they weren't doing it today, since it was so windy.  I'll try for tomorrow.  So we walked down to a different lakeside picnic area, and sat by the water and read for awhile. 
  I made a new tofu cutlet recipe, from Whole Foods, and it was a disaster.  I was able to modify it and make it into my tofu cutlets parmesan, so it turned out sort of OK, but toss that recipe.  Oh well.  I'm trying to add variety to our menu, and since I can't get seitan, I'm using more tofu and beans. 
  After dinner, we slowly walked around our campground loop.  It is a nice paved road, with manicured campsites, surrounded by woods.  We stopped and chatted (with more than 6 feet distance) with a couple from Mississippi, and just enjoyed being out and about. 
  Nice day.

Afternoon walk to picnic area photos:

Apr 25 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Our original plan was for me to go kayaking this morning, and into the "mobile office" in the afternoon.  However, the morning was cloudy, windy and chilly.  Not such great boating weather.  So we did a relatively short hike down to the fishing pier and sat and read at a picnic table, overlooking the lake.  At least we got our 1.5 mile hike in.  So the plan is now to go kayaking tomorrow, which is forcast to be sunny and nice.
  After lunch at the RV, we headed into our "mobile office", getting updated on all our internet activity.  I have started reading a book by Don Hoffman called The Case Against Reality, looking at how we perceive reality.  Very interesting reading.  I saw the author interviewed on a Podcast, and decided to read his book.
  The State Park is rather busy this weekend.  Lots more campers there for the weekend.  Lots more boaters.  Not sure it is what I call social distancing, but we are all spread out.  Only the families are hanging out together and interacting.  I sort of like the lesser population of the week days, with fewer interactions.  Peter really likes all of the kids whizzing by on bikes. 



Morning hike to picnic area photo:

Apr 24 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  We went into town in the morning, because we decided to go visit a different nearby lake and park, Lake Nicol, in the afternoon.  Last year, William, Peter's son took us hiking on the trail around the lake, and it was very beautiful.  So, after our picnic lunch at our "mobile office", we drove over to the park, only to find it CLOSED, due to the Corona virus.  I think we are very fortunate that the Lake Lurleen State Park is still open. 
  So, we headed back to Lake Lurleen, and did the 2-mile-out-and-2-mile-back hike to the dam.  It is such a nice hike.  Half of it is by the water's edge, and the other half is through the woods, on the hillside rim.  The dam is a great hiking goal and a nice place to hang out.  However, this time, it was so sunny and hot, we couldn't sit and read out in the sun.  So we headed back, and sat on the lake-side swing, reading, and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon.
  We ended up ordering pizza, which they delivered!  It was good too.  I made a salad, and we had a nice dinner.  Watched the Men In Black-3 DVD.  What fun.

Lake Lurleen Lake Trail photos:

Apr 23 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Another severe weather storm was forecasted for last night.  It indeed did pour down rain, all night, but without the intense wind and torrential downpours.  So we felt quite safe and secure.
  It drizzled rain early morning, but we decided to go into our "mobile office".  When we got there, we realized that we had left our camp chairs in the RV, from our trip up to Tiffin.  So, we sat in the car and did our work. 
  I finally was able to figure out our return trip itinerary.  Some of the RV camps are closed, due to the State's mandates.  Some are due to reopen in May, but that could change.   I was able to call and make reservations to all of the places.  Hopefully, they won't be cancelled.  As of now, we are due to arrive home on May 16th.  The sun came out, and it got quite humid.  Ate our picnic lunch, then returned to Lake Lurleen.
  We needed to fill up our bottled water jugs, as we don't drink the water from our fresh water tank.  When available, we refill our jugs from Whole Foods with reverse osmosis purified water.  However, that is not available here.  So, we undid the water filter on our fresh water intake, and put it on the water faucet across the road, since it was up high, and our faucet was right at ground level.  Then, we filled our jugs, and refitted the filter back on our faucet.  The things we do that are now "normal" for RV living.
  One advantage to spending an entire month in one place is that we can receive mail.  Aaron's Mom, Ann, made us some masks to wear.  We got them in the mail today,  She has a sewing machine, and I only had one needle and one spool of thread.  Her masks look and work much better than my homemade ones.  Thanks Ann!
  We took an afternoon walk down to the lake and the fishing pier.  It was cloudy and humid, but nice to be able to sit on a picnic table and look out over the water, and just enjoy the fresh air and energy of the lake area.
  Back at the RV, I needed to update our joint checking account bookkeeping.  Then dinner.  Then we finished watching the Men In Black-1 DVD, and watched the Men In Black-2 DVD.  So much fun,

View of our "front yard" from our RV campsite photo:

View of our "back yard" photo:

Peter and Ann's homemade mask photo:

Apr 22 - Leave Winfield, AL, back to Lake Lurleen State Park, Tuscaloosa, AL

  Beautiful sunrise this morning.  Since we needed to have the RV over to the Service Center by 7 am, we got to see it.  We finally have all of our Tiffin RV repair items fixed.  They just finished up the paint job fixing the side-swipe issues, and they replaced the TV.  So far, we have now watched a few DVD's and no blackouts.  The folks here at Tiffin are extremely kind and helpful.  It has been a delight hanging out here. 
  We returned back to Lake Lurleen State Park. We keep being so pleased that it is such a beautiful place.  Very manicured, very park-like.  We decided to flush out the black water tank, before re-hooking it up.  So we filled it with clean water, 3 times, and let it rinse out into the sewer drain.  Then, we put some dishwasher detergent in, filled it again, and let it sit for the day.  We went in to grocery shop, and when we returned, emptied it again.  We haven't really done that  before.  I guess it needed it, especially since we are now using it all the time, instead of going to use the park's bathroom's toilets for solids. 
  We shopped at the Fresh Market grocery store.  I keep thinking it is like a Whole Foods, or a coop.  It's better than the regular stores, but definitely lacks a lot of items I am used to buying.  Like tofu, and organic veggies, and eco home products, etc.  Oh well.  I ended up buying tofu at Walmart!  Can't find seitan anywhere.
  I just want to mention an observation, each time we travel anywhere here in Alabama.  This is the worse place in all of the States through which we have traveled, for trash along the roadside.  It is like a dump.  Trash all along the roadside.  I am really surprised.  Or, maybe I am surprised, and pleased, at how clean most of the rest of the State's roadsides are.
  Bought some more DVD's at Walmart.  Watched the first Men In Black.  Really fun movie.

Sunrise at Tiffin Service Center, Winfield, AL photo:

Apr 21 - Tiffin Service Center, Winfield, AL

  We are back at the Tiffin Service Center.  They are repairing the paint job that was scraped off and the fog light trim that was torn off when the RV got side-swiped when it was parked at Lou's in Sun City, AZ.  It was a good thing the techs here noticed the fog light issue, as I wasn't even aware it was gone.  Put in a claim at the insurance company, and they have already sent the check for the repairs.
  Listened to a Ted Talk by Donald Hoffman, a scientist who talks about the nature of reality.  He talks about how our senses perceive what we think is reality, but he theorizes isn't.  Very interesting.  Reminds me of the Buddhist/Hindu concept of Maya--all the world is a play.
  It turns out that the paint needs to dry overnight before it is buffed and the top coating is put on it.  So, we are here for another night.  We took several walks, although there really isn't a good place to walk to.  Just around the property.  And, the weather is delightful.
  It also turns out that they replaced our TV, as when we told them the DVDs we played still blinked out, they said they replaced everything else.  No one previously suggested that the TV was bad.  We'll see. 
  I need to start thinking about our homeward itinerary.  By now the campgrounds should know if they are going to be open or not.  I'll need to see if my revised itinerary, that we cancelled when we decided to stay in Alabama for a month, will still work. 
 
Tiffin Service Center photos:

Peter's mobile Tiffin office

Tiffin waiting lounge

Tiffin Service Center campground photos:

Sunset walk along road leading into the Service Center

Apr 20 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Winfield, AL

  More of our now usual routine.  Morning at the "office".  May be going back up to Tiffin this afternoon to get the paint job done tomorrow.  If not tomorrow, then next week.  We don't want to be in their wide open parking lot overnight, if a strong thunderstorm is forecast. We'll see.  Just heard from Tiffin.  Up there this afternoon for a 7 am start time tomorrow morning.
  After the rain, today is a beautiful blue sky, sunny, comfortable day.  I have started listening to Artificial Intelligence podcasts.  It is very interesting to hear about all of the various issues, concerns, and applications in AI, here in the USA and around the world.
  Headed back to the Lake, packed up the RV and headed up to Winfield, AL to the Tiffin Service Center.  As it turns out, there are two other RV's in this large parking lot/campground, waiting to be worked on early tomorrow morning.
  I decided to try to expand my dinner choices by trying a new baked tofu recipe I found online at Whole Foods.  It had a marinade of basalmic vinegar, dijon mustard, and oregano.  It was the worst tasting tofu I've ever tasted.  All vinegar.  I couldn't eat it and actually threw it away.  So, I pulled up a scrambled tofu recipe, that was quick to make, had curry and sauted onions, red peppers, and mushrooms.  That tasted good.
  This location has good internet, so Peter is spending the evening on the computer, and I am mostly reading.

No photos today.

Apr 19 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park.

  Sunday, rain forecast for all day.  Decided to head into the "office" in the morning.  Wanted to be with internet for a family Zoom call.  We decided to try Zoom, instead of Hangouts, for the family call, and do it earlier in the day, since I wouldn't be in town at our usual 6 pm time.  Last week, joining Hangouts on my phone at the RV didn't work very well.   The Zoom call went well!  It's so nice to be able to see the family during this period of self-isolation, and, for us, of travel. 
  It poured all day, so we actually sat in our car, at the "mobile office", just to get the internet.  Went back to the RV.  More heavy rain.  Played some more cribbage.  We are starting to get a sense of the strategy behind the game, but it seems there is a lot of "the luck of the cards drawn".  Had dinner, and watched the Waterworld DVD, with Kevin Costner.  Well done, interesting story line, even if some of it didn't hold up. 

No photos today.

Apr 18 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  This morning was quite cool, in the 50's.  It rained overnight, so everything was a bit wet.  I had thought to rent a kayak today, but will put it off until the forecast is warmer and sunnier.  So we headed into the "office", hoping it will warm up so we can at least hike later on.
  The shady place under the portico of our "office" is quite cool.  I actually needed to put on my jacket, just to be able to hang out.   I have started listening to some podcasts and You Tube videos.  One I find very interesting is ZDoggMD, who talks very knowledgeably, and clearly about many of the Corona Virus issues.  Also looked into the site Tamara is recommending-Functional Medicine.  Lot to absorb.
  We went back to Lake Lurleen, and since it was such a beautiful afternoon, sunny, light breeze and low 70's, we did our now usual easy 2 mile round trip walk to the boat rental and fishing pier.  Since it is Saturday, there were actually quite a few people here at the park.  I'm not used to seeing so many cars and people, having already gotten used to the social distancing/stay at home modality.  We sat at a picnic table, read, and enjoyed the afternoon. 
  Cooked dinner, played a few rounds of Cribbage (Peter & I each won a round), and watched the 2nd Sherlock Holmes DVD.  MAJOR rain storms all night.  Alabama rain storms are nothing like New England's.  No wind this time, but torrential downpours. 

No photos today.

Apr 17 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Last night we watched another 007 DVD, this one with Daniel Craig, Casino Royale.  Didn't blank out at all, so, hopefully, our DVD issue has been corrected.
  This morning was laundry day, again.  We have been trying to extend the time between needing to go into the laundromat, for social distancing.  But, when you gotta go, you gotta go.  We went back to the laundromat that we found in Tuscaloosa last time.  They seem to be taking precautions for Covid-19.  You can't stay in the laundromat after you put your clothes in the washer or in the dryer.  You need to wait out in your car.  You also can't fold your clothes inside.  They closed the bathroom.  We wore our gloves and masks.  And, we set up our "mobile office" across the street, in a nice shady empty parking lot.  I took the clothes out of the dryer, stuffed them in our laundry baskets, and ended up folding them in the car, so they wouldn't be all wrinkled by the time we returned to the RV.
  Since the bathroom was closed, we decided to return to our regular "mobile office" spot, near the WinnDixie grocery store.  Lovely day, weather-wise, to be sitting outside, working on our computers.  Too bad the State Park campground doesn't have internet, as it would be MUCH nicer to be outside there.
  Because we got an early morning start, we didn't get to walk, so we did a sort of shorter walk when we got back to the RV, down to the fishing pier and picnic area again.  What a beautiful place to sit and enjoy nature.  I feel so connected to nature and invigorated by nature.  Earth, water, fire, air and plants, especially the trees, are all here-so clean and fresh.  What a blessing to have this available to us, when so much of the world is shut in their houses.

Laundromat mobile office photos:

Lake Lurleen late afternoon photos:

Apr 16 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Last night we arrived back at our camp site, set up again, made dinner, and felt like we were "back home".  We needed to watch another DVD, to determine if, indeed, this time the DVD player was fixed.  So we watched The Dark Tower, a Stephen King novel made into a movie.  It only blinked out for a second, two times.  So, is it fixed? 
  This morning we leisurely had breakfast, and then went for our walk.  It was a beautiful day.  High 60's, full sun, light breeze, wonderful lake views.  So, we walked again down to the boat rental/fishing pier area.  We sat for awhile on the glider swing, and just enjoyed the day.  What a way to be self-isolated.    They have lifted the restriction on boat rentals, so I may just need to rent a kayak.  One of these days.  Peter absolutely refuses to go in one, so I'd need to do it on my own.
  This afternoon, we went into the "office" to have our internet access.  When we arrived and set up our camp chairs on the side of the strip mall building, under the portico, a woman that works in the end shop, a physical fitness therapy center, came out and asked us what happened to us, that we were gone for two days.  They were worried about us in our RV, after the big storm they had here.    How nice and thoughtful. 
  Finally, we went to grocery shop at the Fresh Market, and did a take-out dinner from their deli.  It seems to be the healthiest food around.

Morning walk at Lake Lurleen photos:

Apr 15 - Winfield, AL, Tiffin RV Service Center

  We spent the night at the Tiffin Service Center campground again, to see if the DVD player was indeed fixed.  So we watched a Sherlock Holmes DVD, and sure enough, it blanked out 4 times during the movie.  So, they replaced the "splitter" this time.  I think they have now changed everything associated with that DVD system, including the DVD player.  We will watch another movie this evening and, hopefully, this time it will be fixed.
  While there, we decided to have them put in a new "water board", the system that chooses the inflow of water into the RV to come from the fresh water tank, or the campground water faucet, or to fill up the fresh water tank from the campground spicket.  This was one of the items giving us sporadic problems, so better safe than sorry. 
  And, the insurance company did a virtual appraisal of the damage to the RV from the side-swipe, and is already sending a check to Tiffin for the repairs.  We will schedule another visit to Winfield to have that fixed before we leave at the end of the month.  The folks here at Tiffin have been really helpful and accommodating. 
  Back in Tuscaloosa, we stopped at the Tractor Supply Co to fill the propane, since we were passing right by the store.  Then, parked the RV across the street in a big parking lot in front of a store that is now closed due to the virus.  We'll work out of the RV for a few hours, and then head back up to Lake Lurleen.

Tiffin Service Center waiting lounge --social distancing modified, photo:

Apr 14 - Winfield, AL and Shilah's birthday

  Today my oldest granddaughter, Shilah, is 15!  Wow!  Hard to believe.  And she is such a wonderful young woman. 
  We got up at 5:30 am so we could be ready to drive the RV over to the shop by 7:00 am.  We went over our long list of items that we wanted them to look at.  Some ended up being nothing they could do anything about (uncomfortable dinette cushions, changing the bathroom sink fixture), some were very easy fixes (for them, not us), and some were a little more significant (the stove burner electric igniter switch needed to be replaced, the water intake valve need to be replaced, a new toilet was installed.  And one, fixing the paint job due to being side swiped while parked at Lou & Jan's, is more involved.  It turns out along with the side-swiping, the side-view mirror was pushed out of alignment, and the cover around the fog light was gone.  This needs replacing and re-painting and clear coated.  And, due to the Corona Virus, the painters hadn't returned yet to work.  I wasn't aware of the fog light issue, and I ended up putting in an insurance claim, as the cost to fix it is quite a bit more than my deductible. 
  We sat in the very large lounge area, with good internet. Peter was quite pleased.  And we were the only ones there, besides the receptionist, sitting behind her desk, with tape on the floor showing how close you could get. I was a little more antsy, as it was cold out, with a strong wind, and the area around here was not conducive to walking outdoors.  Sitting all day, hurts my body and my back. 
  We ended up deciding to spend another night, so we could check out the DVD player, which after 2 years now of various people trying to fix it, still wasn't working.  They think they have now solved the problem, but want us to try it out to be sure.   I'm glad we are staying, because after hooking back up, we now don't have hot water.  And, we still may have a problem with the water intake valve.  Oh well. 

View from our RV kitchen window photo:

Shilah photo (Happy Birthday):

Apr 13 - Tiffin Service Center, Winfield, AL

  We got the call this morning from Tiffin saying we could bring in the RV for servicing tomorrow.  Since they start servicing at 7:00 am, we needed to drive up there today and stay in their campground overnight.  Since Winfield is only about an hour from Tuscaloosa, we arrived early afternoon and checked in.  They have a very large, flat, graveled campground just outside of their service center, and we were the only ones here.  Good social distancing.  But what a different view from the Lake Lurleen State Park!
  They have really good internet, so we can actually work inside the RV again!  We set up the RV, and since the shop closes at 3:30 pm, we were the only ones here.

Tiffin Service Center campground photos:

Apr 12 - Easter Sunday, Lake Lurleen State Park

  The weather forecast for today was heavy storms, with potential tornado warnings, so we decided it was best to stay at the RV.  We got in an early morning walk down to the entrance, to ask about the storm warning system they have at the park.
  They have a tornado warning system, with printed instructions on their campground flyer.  It ended up that there were two separate storms whipping through the area.  The park ranger came by and told us that the first storm was moving fast and was due to arrive within 1/2 hour.  He suggested we go to the tornado shelter that the town has, or go to the bathrooms for our campground loop.  We opted for the brick bathrooms.  We took our camp chairs and Kindles, and sat out the first storm.  Lots of intensely heavy rain and strong winds.  Lasted about an hour.  So we went back to the RV, and had dinner.
  Even though we can't get the weather station on our phones, we could get the local radio station on our DVD/CD/radio in the RV.  So we turned that on, when the rain started again in earnest.  When the radio said the intense storm was passing quickly through downtown Tuscaloosa and Northport (the next town near our park), we decided to head back to the bathrooms.  This time, it was already pouring rain.  We put on our raincoats, left the chairs in the car, and just took our phones and Kindles.  We were soaked by the time we got to the bathrooms (which were actually close by).  I have never been in a storm that was so intense.  The rain poured loudly, and the wind was loud.  After about another hour, everything quieted down, the rain stopped, mostly, and we returned to the RV. 
  We didn't realize until morning that the electricity had gone out. 

Park Geese photo:

Rainy day, stay-at-home photos:

Sitting in the bathroom "storm shelter" photos:

Apr 11 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  Last night we watched the last 007 DVD that we had--this was the last 2012 Daniel Craig one, called Skyfall.  Much better story line. 
 We did the morning walk down to the entrance area, where the boat rentals are and another fishing pier, along with the cute arched walking bridge.  It's about a mile each way, and was a good morning hike. 
  Went to the "office" and ended up on the way "home" stopping again at Walmart to finally pick up Peter's drugs (they kept being back-ordered).  With no internet at the RV, we picked up some more DVD's.  Ended up watching Little Women, with Winona Rider and Susan Sarandon.  Quite different than the new movie just out.  This one just told the story in a linear fashion, like the book, versus the flash back option utilized in the new movie.

More Lake Lurleen photos:

Apr 10 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  So my home-made face mask didn't quite work well for me when I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon.  I could tolerate it for about 1/2 hour, after which I felt like I couldn't breathe.  It fit fine, but just didn't work for the long term.  I think, going forward, that I will use it to check out at the register when I am near other folks.  While shopping, it is rather easy to stay more than 6 feet away from others.  Or, I may need to start using William's heavy duty mask that he gave us when we go into a situation where there are a lot of people.
  We watched the next 007 DVD last night, this time with Daniel Craig as James Bond.  Made in 2008, so it had lots of high-tech gadgets and only two women that he cavorted with.  But the plot line was a little convoluted.
  This morning we needed to empty and flush out our black tank.  After which we headed into town to get the oil changed on my car, since it was already overdue.  There are no Subaru dealers around, so we went to an Express Oil change.  We got to stay in the car for the entire process, and the workers all had gloves on.  So, it was the best we could do.  We couldn't drive to the next place without changing the oil.
  We are starting to settle into a more "home-like" routine, versus our travel-site-seeing routine.  Not as much to talk about, or take photos of.  We have never stayed in a State Park (or any other site) for an entire month.  I think 6 days was the longest stay at any one place.  Thank goodness it is so beautiful.
  Missed our morning walk, so hope to do it when we get back today.  Yes, we did.  Walked to the fishing pier and the picnic area overlooking the lake.  Lovely.

Lake Lurleen photos:

Apr 9 - Tuscaloosa, AL and Lake Lurleen State Park

  I am now using a little different format for these blogs, as I can only write them during the afternoon when we are in town at our "mobile office" .  So I will start each day with any news from the previous evening, that happened after we got back to the RV.
  Last night, William, Peter's son, drove up to the campground and "tossed" us a super-duper face mask, since he had an extra one.  Once we figure out how to use it, I'm sure it will look like a giant fly face.  Makes my home-made ones look paltry.  We watched the next 007 DVD, this one with Pierce Brosnan.  Each newer film uses more and more high tech gadgets, and fewer Playboy, sexist females.
  Following our new routine, we went on our morning hike.  It had rained during the night, and was sort of cool.  We decided to go back to the "2 mile in to the dam, 2 mile out" Lake Trail. What a lovely trail.  Half of it follows right next to the lake, sometimes on a hillside ridge, and the other half is in the woods, sometimes peeking out over the lake.  The dam is a really nice destination, and a great place to sit for a bit and rest.  Since we had already walked this path before, my eyes started to look at more details -- the flowers, the fungus, the tree bark, the bird song.  So some of the photos will also now focus on some of these things. 
  We had lunch and went into the "office".  This afternoon I did the grocery shopping at Fresh Market, Tuscaloosa's closest thing to Whole Foods.  Used my home-made face mask for the first time, along with my disposable gloves.  Weird times indeed.

Last night's walk around our campground "loop" photos:

Lake Trail photos:

Peter's home-made face mask photo:

Now is this funny looking?