Link Party - Wednesday Medley - 07/31/19

I am linking up with Terri @ Your Friend From Florida for her Wednesday Medley.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

1.  Is there a National Park near where you live?  We are less than 2 hours south of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is a very beautiful park and a wonderful day trip any season of the year.

Indiana Dunes National Park - Our newest National Park... Love it!

2.  How many National Parks and which ones have you visited?  Is there one you would really like to visit? I have visited the following list of National Parks. I would love to visit Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.

State	National Park		State	National Park
Alaska	Glacier Bay		Hawaii	Haleakala
Arkansas	Hot Springs			Hawaii Volcanoes
California	Kings Canyon		Indiana	Indiana Dunes- New!
	Redwood		Maine	Acadia
	Sequoia		Michigan	Isle Royale
Colorado	Mesa Verde		North Carolina	Great Smoky Mountains
	Rocky Mountain		South Carolina	Congaree
Florida	Biscayne		Tennessee	Great Smoky Mountains
	Dry Tortugas		U.S. Virgin Islands	Virgin Islands
	Everglades		Virginia	Shenandoah

3.  The Park Rangers are protectors of the environment, of the wildlife, and visitors in the parks.  Is there someone (human) in your life who you count on as a protector or are you someone's protector?  My husband is my protector, champion, strength, and best friend. I can't think of anyone that would consider me their protector.

4.  Have you ever had an up-close-and-personal experience with a wild animal that you can tell us about? Many (almost daily) because we live in the mountains and it's still a wild, natural place. The most frightening happened at Cades Cove Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My sister and I, and my two nieces (2 years old and 4 years old) were sitting at a picnic table having lunch. Two park rangers ran into the campsite yelling "Get the kids in the car, Get the kids in the car...move, move, quickly!" A very large black bear was approaching stealthily, the word they used was "stalking". The Rangers fired their noise makers and scared it back into the woods. Within an hour we had a giant steel bear trap in our group campsite. It made us so uncomfortable (camping in tents) that we moved to a chalet in Gatlinburg for the rest of the trip. YIKES!

Bear Trap in Great Smoky National Park - Got that pesky old bear!

5.  It is certainly an honor to show value to this profession by giving them a day of remembrance.  What is another profession that you like to see honored by a "day" of their own?  Volunteers spend countless hours serving others with little recognition for the job they do. A day to recognize Volunteers would be great.

6.  On this last day of July, please tell us something about your week so far. It has been a really sad week for me. I don't want to go into details, but my job delivered a crushing blow that I will take a long time getting over. Enough said....

Have a great week...

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Sunday Stealing...

28 July 2019

Hi! from host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud) Cheers to all of us thieves!

1.  What is the nearest book to you?  Your Kindle does not count.

"Event Planning Made Easy" I'm working on a new business idea - glamping trips in State Parks.

2.  When was the last time you took a "me" vacationAbout a year and a half ago - I went to Florida (without my husband) to visit friends from my college years. I made stops in St Augustine, Flagler Beach, and Key West. Had a great time on my own.

 
3.  How many telephone numbers do you have?
Two.  One land line at home and a cell phone.  I'm not a big phone person, most days my cell is dead at the bottom of my purse.

4.  If you could fix one thing in the public school system, what is the one thing you would do immediately?
Lunch for all students no matter what the circumstances.  I know a young lady who had to ask others to share their lunch with her because her parents were drug addicts and used all funds for their habits.

5.  Are you a big tipper?Yes! I worked as a server for several years at Walt Disney World and know servers make most of their salary by way of tips.

6.  Do you watch reality shows?
Yes,  I'm currently watching The Bachelorette.  I also enjoy Survivor, Project Runway, Top Chef, Below Deck, and other food network challenge shows. I'm very addicted to House Hunters International and Caribbean Life.

7.  Who is your favorite sports team player?I'm not a big sports fan so this question does not apply to me.

8.  If you could travel in a spaceship to any planet, which planet would you like to visit and why?
An unexplored planet that can sustain human life without tons of gear to keep me alive. I am adventurous and love visiting places I've never been.

9.  When was the last time you sat in a church?
It was a funeral of  a family member several months ago.

10.  Are there any aspects of blogging that annoy you?
No, not really; I blog when I feel motivated to write.

11.  When someone follows you on their blog or subscribes to your Facebook page, do you automatically follow and subscribe back?
I don't follow everyone, I check them out to see if we have similar interests and values. If their blog/Facebook page seems interesting to me, I will follow. I do follow creative or DIY type blogs.

This was fun, thanks Bev Sykes.
Cheers!
Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Rollin' on the river....

Had a great day at the Nantahala Outdoor Center...

We watched rafters go over the rapids and navigate the class III falls. We saw rafts stuck on the rocks, flip on the way down, and many rafts make it over the falls with perfect precision. The river was beautiful today and the weather was perfect.

We shared fabulous nachos at the bar with our friends Dee and Larry Catallo. It's so nice to have friends that love adventures as much as we do! I think the nachos were the best I've ever had, well worth the trip just for the yummy snack!

The Nantahala Outdoor Center is a large complex with many opportunities for fun and relaxation. River rafting and kayaking down the river are the primary activities, zip-lining, mountain biking, tennis, and the Appalachian Hiking Trail winding it's way through the property offer many options for a day of fun.  

  

We ended the day with dinner at the River's End restaurant, and listened to music after dinner at the riverside stage. 

Banjo music, on the rolling river, in North Carolina....hmmmm....imagine the movie Deliverance..LOL.

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Beautiful Camping Spot….

This past weekend my Sweetie and I needed some down time so we decided to hook up the travel trailer and head out on an adventure.  We camped in the Lake Hartwell Tugaloo State Park, it was a gorgeous camp ground with most sites facing the lake.  Because we booked our site at the last minute, we were not lakefront, but we did have a very large meadow next to our site for our puppy Sophie to run and play.  

It was so hot and humid (98 degrees, 80% humidity) that we spent more time inside the trailer this time.  I worked on beaded wrap bracelets and Sweetie worked on trailer projects and read two books.

 Sophie enjoyed the A/C too, she especially liked lounging on the pull out bed with her ‘Dad’ and snacking on chicken chips. She has her summer cut in the photo below...Sophie is a Goldendoodle, but she looks more like a poodle when her hair is so short.  She is a very good little camper!

Our next camping adventure will be to Disney's Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World in Florida. Can't wait!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Link Party - Wednesday Medley - 07/24/19

I am linking up with Terri @ Your Friend From Florida for her Wednesday Medley.

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin? Due to divorce, family feuds, and the miles between us, I have not been very close to my cousins as an adult. When we were kids, we did have many adventures together.  Especially at my grandparents farm in southern Illinois. 

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?  One of my cousins (Janet) recently bought a vacation cabin here in Blue Ridge, GA where I live full time. We will get to see each other more frequently now.

3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you?  I Had a favorite Great Aunt (Jane). She was smart and funny and a great hostess. I loved going to visit her in Florida. I miss her now that she is gone.

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them? We haven't had one for 30 years, but in two weeks many family members from my mother's side are coming here to Blue Ridge for a long weekend. We will tour Project Chimps Sanctuary, Spend some time on the lake, dine on family favorites and visit the B&B my husband manages (Blue Heaven) I'm looking forward to it.

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles? I do not have any children, but my husbands kids do visit with relatives about every 5 years.

6.  Tell us something random about your week so far.  Had a great time camping with my husband and our dog Sophie at Lake Hartwell, Tugaloo State Park in northeast Georgia. It was very hot and humid so we stayed in the Trailer and worked on projects...I made Beaded Wrap Bracelets and Chuck and Sophie relaxed on the couch and worked on menus for the B&B.

Wednesday Medley - 07/04/19

1.  Please share a favorite July 4th memory with us. In 1976, I drove my brand new convertible, that I had received as a gift for my High School graduation, in the 4th of July  Bi-Centennial parade. The town council members sat on the back of the car and waved to the crowd. After the parade I went to work at Dairy Queen (always fun)  for the rest of the night. We watched the fire works  from the DQ parking lot. A great way to celebrate the  USA's Bi-Centennial!

2.  How do you plan to spend tomorrow?  If you are working, will you celebrate later? We had a fabulous night out on July 4th.  We went with our good friends Dee and Larry, Debbie and Mark, and Tracy and Dave to the beautiful Brasstown Valley Resort for a very enjoyable celebration of our nation's independence.

3.  Is there a favorite food always reserved for your 4th of July celebration? BBQ Pork!

4.  In Florida, you can buy all kinds of fireworks, including some that fly high and burst into pretty cascades.  Are fireworks legal in your state/community and does anyone you know put on a display for your neighborhood? They just became legal 2 years ago. I made my first trip to the Fireworks store and came home with $100 worth of fireworks...I went a little overboard, but our display was fabulous!

5.  Do you have a favorite movie that you always watch sometime during the 4th of July? I don't have a 4th of July favorite, but I do like "A league of their Own" for a good summer movie.

6.  Share something from your week, please. Work has been hectic, but rewarding this week at Project Chimps. Two chimps that didn't care to go outside, finally (1 year later) went out into the Sanctuary. Congratulations Ray and Binah, it's your time to Live! 

Cheers!
Lori in Blue Ridge

Update: New Job - Loving It!

I've now been at Project Chimps for just under a year. As a reminder, project chimps is a Sanctuary for Chimpanzees retired from research. It is a 236 acre property in the North Georgia Mountains and a forever home to 59 retired Chimps. It has been very rewarding using my organizational skills as Donation Coordinator.  But the greatest reward has been seeing the chimps just being Chimps. 

In the research facility they were well cared for, but they lived full time in a cage suspended from the floor. They never had the opportunity to just be Chimps...to see the sky, to feel the grass under their feet, to climb trees, or form social groups with other chimps. They are getting to know the world and enjoying fun enrichment actives like the ball pit in the video below. See Noel and her friends try it out for the first time...Enjoy!

The Sanctuary is totally supported by donations. I you are so inclined, you can donate by going to the website and select "Support", you will also find an amazon wish list filled with items needed to support the Chimps. Thank you for your consideration.

Link to Project Chimps, Click Here.

Cheers!

Lori Dorrington

Project Chimps Donation Coordinator

Boom, Boom, KABOOM...

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

We had a fabulous night out on July 4th.  We went with our good friends Dee and Larry, Debbie and Mark, and Tracy and Dave to the beautiful Brasstown Valley Resort for a very enjoyable celebration of our nation's independence. 

A tasty barbecue and steak picnic dinner was served in the Sunset Pavilion overlooking the rolling hills, with a view of the Appalachian Mountains in the distance. The setting was breathtaking and the weather was perfect, cool with gentle breezes. 

Activities for the kids included face painting, a pie eating contest, and lawn games.

As the sun slipped behind the landscape, the guests gathered on the hilltops and the Sunset terrace in anticipation of the private fireworks display. 

The fireworks were fabulous! Better than many city displays that I've seen in the past. It was 25 minutes of the really "good" fireworks...you know what I mean, the really large ones that make you go ooh and aah and sit on the edge of your seat. 

This event was so much fun that we have already decided that we want to do it again next year!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge. GA 

Just another Weekend in the Mountains

One of my besties Brenda and her husband Mario from Atlanta spent the weekend with us here in Blue Ridge, GA.  Their pup Loddy also stayed with us, she was a perfect doggy house guest. 

Brenda joined my monthly bunco group on Friday night for a potluck dinner, a few rounds of bunco, some laughs, and of course lots of wine and chocolate.  Mario and my sweetie Chuck went into town for dinner and a few adult beverages of their own at Treo.

On Saturday Brenda and I worked most of the day in my Metal Clay studio, creating jewelry. We used Fast Fire Bronze; I did not like it much. I think I will stay with the Goldie Bronze brand for future classes.

Saturday night we went to a new restaurant "The Flying Trout" in Blairsville, a town about 11 miles from Blue Ridge.  The food was very good, but the service was awful.  It seemed they were understaffed for the large crowd people. The restaurant was previously a biker bar and some of the regulars from the past were still fixtures at the bar. It was a fun mix of people: aging bikers, city folks up for the weekend, lake people, and locals like us.  We will definitely give it another try in the near future.

Today (Sunday) Brenda and Mario made breakfast for us and we finished up the Metal Clay projects. Our friends headed back to ATL and our cats came out from hiding. I think Buddy and Ghost were ready to get the house back from the the furry invader Loddy the dog.

It was a great weekend with friends!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

New Job at Project Chimps

Monday I started my part time job at a new non-profit sanctuary for chimpanzees that have spent their whole life in a research facility. Most had never been outside, had never felt grass. or seen the sky. Project Chimps has given these amazing Chimps a new life.

The Sanctuary is a 200 acre natural environment in the North GA Mountains.  I work as Donation Coordinator, processing the donations and sending letters of appreciation.  I will blog more about the new job at Project Chimps soon.

If you would like to take a peek at their website...click here.

Here is the first chimp I met....

Noel Born 2006

With Noel, every human is instantly a friend. Her favorite hobby is people watching. She is adventurous and always the first in her group to explore a new object.

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 07/17/2018

Sitting on the porch answering random questions about everything under the sun….

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun!

1. I feel most energized when I ...

...spend time outdoors.  I love a walk in the woods, playing is the cool mountain creeks, planting colorful flowers, and visi outdoor festivals.  Also, a day at the beach is my happy place!

2. Where were you ten years ago?

I lived in Midtown Atlanta and I was still working in the Corporate World as a Corporate Project Manager for the Home Depot. Life was very structured and overbooked most of the time. I had just started making beaded jewelry as a stress relief activity. Life was very different from the life I live today.

3. July 17th is World Emoji Day. Do you use emojis? Which one's your favorite? Your most used?

I only use the happy or sad emojis; I don't use them very often, not really a fan of emojis.

4. What song would you put on a wedding DO NOT PLAY list?

On our wedding no playlist - The Chicken Dance!  I got married late in life and didn't want to see a bunch of middle aged arms (including mine) flapping on the dance floor, ugh!

5. What deserves less of your attention? More of your attention?

Less of my attention: social media...I spend to much time at the computer.  More of my attention: Healthy eating...I tend to grab whatever is easy and close at hand, it is not usually good for me.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

 Monday I start a part time job at a non-profit sanctuary for chimpanzees that have spent their whole life in research facilities. It is a 200 acre natural environment in the North GA Mountains.  I will work as Donation Coordinator, processing the donations and sending letters of appreciation.  I will blog more about the new job at Project Chimps soon.

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Cloudland Canyon State Park

Logging My Favorites

Located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, one of our much loved camping locations is Cloudland Canyon. It is tucked away in a corner of Georgia so remote that until the early 20th century it was only accessible from neighboring Alabama or Tennessee. The 3,485-acre park is one of the largest and most scenic state parks in Georgia.

The park provides beautiful vistas of the rugged geology of this area. Chiseled by wind, water, ice and gravity, Cloudland’s rugged beauty is a joy year-round; each season offering special sights and sounds. Fall is by far my favorite time to visit.

A deep gorge runs through the park, which is filled with creeks, waterfalls, and lush vegetation. The sound of rushing water fills the air, but due to the heavy tree cover it can only be heard and not seen. The only way to see the water is a strenuous hike down to the canyon floor (including a 600 step staircase); it is not a walk for the faint of heart!

It is said that at night, after the campfires are out and the campers have retired to their tents, a ghost wanders the park leaving footprints behind him. He is seen on horseback and in the garb of a Cherokee brave. I have not seen the ghost, but many campers report seeing him at their campsite and finding the tracks of an unshod horse when they wake up in the morning. He seems to be watching the campers, but the sightings are not described as frightened encounters and many believe the Native American is there to protect the land and its forest residents. I can see why he would want to stay in the park even after death, it is one of the most beautiful places we have ever camped.

Cheers!
Lori In Blue Ridge, GA