Table Rock SP

On May 20th (hmm, eons ago now...!!), we moved to the northwestern boundary with NC (still in SC, but just barely). Our friend, Flyboy/Mountain Man Don, had recommended the Table Rock State Park as a nice hike and pretty place, so we decided to give it a try.

It was a bit of an up and down and around the bend drive, but with a little help from our friends, we made it!

We made contact with our campground neighbors...(or they made contact with some of us...! Whoa! Who's that sniffing my butt?!).

After which, some down time (up on the desk) was called for.

Here's Scratty, dressing up for dinner.

Bill and I took the kitties out for an exploratory drive around the park.

We stopped at their neat lodge. It's apparently only used as a rental for weddings and other big events now. It's definitely a great place and setting for such things, but it's kind of too bad - I would imagine it gets used less frequently in that capacity.

Tractor appreciates the cat agility course (aka, fence rail) they had installed.

"Whoa! What's that?! Is that a bird, a frog, a mouse, or some other tasty morsel deserving my attention?!"

The back porch.

On another morning, I went to the lodge solo, just for photos. When I got there, I was disappointed because it looked like people were probably setting up for a wedding, which might mean I would be denied access to the area. And indeed, the caterers had arrived for the big occasion. But...the doors were still locked and no one else was there yet! So, I went ahead and walked behind the lodge to photograph the lake. Along the way, I chatted with the head chef, Big Dave. Famous for his BBQ and for being the cook for the Dallas Cowboys (see here for where to go in that area for good chow or to learn more about Dave and his business: http://www.bigdavesribs.com/), Dave turned out to also be an avid - and always prepared - fisherman! Since he had time to kill and realized the water was so close by, he popped out his fishing pole and joined me lakeside. Now that's the attitude we all need to have! Always be ready for opportunities to have fun!!!! And yes, by all means, squeeze that fun into your day however you can!

So here are some photos of the lake.

I just love reflections, esp. with calm water!

And it was calm that morning - and foggy! What a pretty place - thank you Don!

The Barton Dogs Do Dreher

Dreher Island State Recreation Area (SRA), and OK, ALL us Bartons hung out there for a few lovely days! Dreher is a great campground along the shores of Lake Murray in SC. We loved our campsite there so much we extended our stay and, even then, didn't want to leave! Here the doggies come back from a short exploration. Their mommy did a couple of short swims too - all the while wondering if this lake really was too far north for the alligators...!!!!

The kitties opted out on the swimming part, of course, but Tractor was all over the Cheesepuff Option!!!! (shame on us - we forgot his plate, but that's OK, he likes to just bat the puff onto the ground and eat it there instead anyways!)

After the puff, Tractor spies his daddy doing a boat launch. Life is so good when you're a little orange cat!!! Always something interesting to do, eat, watch, investigate, climb into, jump onto/off of, play with...!

And life is good for RVing dogs as well! Their cheesepuffs disappear much faster, so they can get on to swimming activities sooner! (and they don't seem to get tummy aches from going into the water too soon after eating...!)

Scratty surveys the scene.

Back on shore, the doggies dry off in dirt and pine needles.

And speaking of pine needles...

What wonderful beds they make!

For cats, for dogs, for monkeys (no, just kidding, they're not in the picture too! Although all these guys behave like monkeys now and then!)

Notice anything different in this photo? Yes, this is a test! Do you see it? It's Senny's ear! Back then, poor Seneca was still mid-hematoma, so here you see her right ear is tipped a bit (the weight of the blood is probably just pulling it down). Fortunately, I think we did good by not choosing surgery as a fix. From what I've read on-line, it would've likely been painful, expensive, and not necessarily totally successful. And for those of you familiar with Elizabethan collars and how the bigger the dog, the bigger the "lampshade" needed - can you picture Senny with her E-collar running through an RV?!! Talk about a walking disaster!! But after a few weeks, Senny's ear had healed. It did "cauliflower" a bit as is common, and so that one ear is forever a little bent, but I think it just makes her cuter! She's always been a beautiful dog, but now her cuteness factor is high as well, don't you think?

Scratty's got a pretty high cuteness factor too!!

"ooo, what's that sound? What's happening over there? We'd go check it out, but we're tangled up over here in our leashes! Oh, it's Dad, bringing in his boat."

This lake was a great place for Bill to play with his RC sailboat!

The kitties are there to help, as always! Need help putting together or breaking down a project? They're you're guys! Always around, and always happy to lend a helping paw!

I also had fun riding our little semi-recumbent bike around on the park roads. And I got to see some of the locals while doing it! They weren't always as keen to see me though...

It didn't rain on us, but the clouds sure made us think it might! Very pretty.

This native San Diegan sure loves to see weather - clouds, rain, snow - bring it on!! (well, at least for a few days now and then...!)

No rain where we were but we still got to enjoy the rainbow!

Fun with reflections.

Pretty sunset build-up.

From the mountains...

Meet Don & Terri - the other folks we visited while in the central South Carolina area. I met Don while climbing up my favorite mountain in Colorado last summer! We got to talking, up there at 14,150 feet, and discovered that he and Bill would make good conversation partners too - Don is very involved in the aviation world and has an aircraft leasing and sales business. So of course we had to take them up on their invitation and look them up while out their way!

As part of our visit, Don showed us the personal part of his aviation enthusiasm, his giant toy box - his hangar! Here, he and Terri cooperate with the photographer and pose in front of their Stearman.

Cool hangar, eh? Goes with cool people! As well as an aviation dude and a mountain climber, Don is also a minister! He's known in the area as the minister who gives hot air balloon rides (out of his own balloon!)! You just never know where you're going to run into the most amazing people. Maybe on top of 14ers is a good place to look...! Don & Terri are both very special, sweet, generous people, and it was so neat to get to visit with them in their home and home town. But hopefully we'll see them in CO again someday too!

P.S. If anyone out there is in the market for a Cessna Citation, have I got the dealer for you!?! Email me before the last Citation leaves the lot!!! I can put you in touch with THE guy who has THE plane for YOU!!!!

Visiting in SC

First stop? To see my cousin Sharon and her family. Yeah, this pretty, petite gal is my cousin! I still think I might've been one of those swapped-at-birth babies...!?!

Sharon is one of my dad's brother's two daughters. She and hubby Richard have four kids - they're making up for me having none! Even though we only see each other once every year or two (or three or...!), it's always great to reconnect!

Sharon and the newest member to their clan - baby Hazel (on the family trampoline - lucky kids, eh?!!!).

Second youngest - Dakota. What a cutie!

It was pretty warm out that day, so don't be feeling sorry for any watered-down dogs! And as shown here, Bear was a very willing and happy recipient of Dakota's "water gun!"

And afterwards...?! Just relaxing...

And daughter Bailee, another cutie, sporting one of the outfits for her dance routine.

Hazel doing cute toddler things (in this case, dryer inspection)!

Bear and his big ol' grin!

Daddy (aka, Richard) and Dakota. Not only wearing matching glasses, but notice Kota's even got a starter beard going...?! (OK, so maybe that's actually chocolate or something...)

I had to sneak up on son Jordan, in order to capture him in his natural element, and exhibiting this particularly exotic behavior (yup, another game boy...)!

Bear spots Kota as Dad sends him flying through the air with the greatest of ease!

Happy Boy coming in for a landing!

Bear gives Billy a bath.

Pretty Bailee in another outfit.