When we last posted, we were still in South Carolina, still visiting with Randy and Debra. We still walked at least 10,000 steps every day and on Sunday 3/23 we did another new to us hike. This one was in Augusta, GA at the Phinizy Swamp and Nature Park. It is a very unique and fun place to hike and all the better entry is free. While you might not be excited to visit a place with swamp in its name Phinizy actually has some pretty amazing hiking paths through some beautiful wetlands. We saw all kinds of critters including some very small and very big alligators, beautiful birds and one of the largest snapping turtles we have ever seen. The park was built by the Augusta wastewater treatment system and the treated waste water is now sent through the constructed wetlands system before being released into Savannah River. It was a great place to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Some of the scenery in the park
We saw several baby gators …
… and a mama keeping close eye on them.
We sat for a while beside one of the ponds watching ospreys…
… great egrets…
and anhingas.
The remainder of that week was spent preparing to hit the road again. We left Johnston Saturday, and spent the night in Oneonta in our church’s parking lot. We got to worship at Lester Memorial Sunday and attend our Sunday School class. It was so great to be back at our home church. From Oneonta we drove Fred to Red Bay to get a slide repaired and new tires installed. With everything completed, we left Red Bay Friday afternoon just in time to avoid some severe thunderstorms. We are now back at Camp Sumatanga helping the staff prepare for summer camping season.
Bob Tiffin Service Center
Another easy visit to Red Bay
We got to visit with Bob a couple of times this visit.
In our last post we ended by letting you know that we would be in South Carolina with Randy and Debra until the end of the month. So now it’s the end of the month and we should be getting you up to date.
Springtime in the south
Lots of pollen this year
The first Sunday afternoon after returning to SC (March 16) we were excited to attend the Anderson Senior Follies 2025, show “It’s Electric” with Randy and Debra. The Anderson Senior Follies is an outreach of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. It is recognized as one of the premier senior theater performance organizations in the Southeast. This year’s show was loosely based on Anderson, South Carolina, being known as the “Electric City” and featured a locally-written story about a family who puts on a follies show, facing a new mayor who wants to shut down their theater. All the performers are over the age of 55 with some into their nineties. The performers were very interactive with the audience and extremely talented. They produce a new show every year with auditions beginning in August and the premier performance being in March. Again, this year it was such a fun and entertaining afternoon. In addition to the main stage performance in March of each year, Senior Follies also produces a traveling show called “Follies to Go”. Its mission is to take the entertainment to school and church functions, community festivals, retirement and nursing homes, and cruise ships throughout the year. If you are ever in the area in March, we would highly recommend arranging you schedule to see one of the performances – and you might just see us there.
What a great show!
On Monday March 17, the four of us decided to spend the beautiful spring afternoon hiking Lick Fork Trail which is in Sumter National Forest in Edgefield County, SC. The trail is/was 1.9 miles around the Lick Fork Lake and is rated an easy hike. However, this area was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene last September. After seeing all the downed and damaged trees we were surprised that the campground and trail were open. We found that the trail had been cleared and re-routed in several locations and the trail was not open quite all the way around the lake. We hiked most of the way around the lake and then came to an area that had not yet been cleared of downed trees. We tried to find a way around but decided it was a little too hazardous and turned back. It was a nice hike in a nice location and we would consider taking BB there to camp. Fred is just a little too big. Anyway, it was the first hike in the woods we have done since Randy’s last surgery and we were very pleased with his progress.
The area around the trailhead was a clue to what the rest of the trail looked like.
This is what much of the cleared portion of the trail was like.
At least most of the trail blazes were still there. Some were harder to see than others.
We have been very busy since our last post two weeks ago. The busyness began just a couple of hours after returning to South Carolina from the Uskichitto NOMADS project. Randy and Debra invited us to join them for the Sweetwater Baptist Church’s Annual Wild Game Supper. It was even better than last year. We enjoyed elk meatballs, bison dogs, venison chili, fish and a few other items. Sweetwater Baptist invites everyone to their free community gathering of friends, family, and neighbors. We appreciate Randy and Debra including us. We enjoyed the event but what touched our hearts the most was to see Randy feeling good and smiling and laughing with friends. Thank you God for his continued improvement!
We had the next three days to make a quick transition from Fred to Beyond Blessed and there was lots of laundry to do. We departed SC Wednesday in route to Ocala, FL for the Ocala RV Show and the Coachmen Class B Roundup. We made a quick overnight at the Gainesville Bass Pro Shop where we had a quiet and restful night with eight other RVers. After arriving in Ocala Thursday morning, we helped with parking and registration at the rally for over 100 class B vans. (Sponsored by Sunshine State RV and the Coachmen Class B Division) Friday, we enjoyed working the RV show for a few hours. There we met prospective new owners of class B’s and prospective NOMADS. It was fun sharing our experiences traveling the country in a small van. BTW, we still love this form of travel. The rest of the weekend, we were able to visit with old friends and make new friends. We had some great food and entertainment as well. All too soon it was Sunday and time to say goodbye. We pointed BB back toward Pine Mountain, AL for medical appointments on Monday.
Setting up for registration – which included preparing all the goodie bags.
Somebody must being doing something right to get over 100 class B RVs of the same brand to come together in a grassy field with no hookups for the weekend.
One of the main reasons the group gets together is to get together …
… and of course, plenty of food. This year the sponsors provided a catered meal and a breakfast and the attendees had 2 potluck dinners.
The education session this year was on RV electrical systems.
There were a few very talented owners who made karaoke night a lot of fun.
Dean Savas (left) is the organizer of the Facebook group that started the Class B Roundup. Nick (right) of Sunshine State RV is one of the sponsors along with the Class B division of Coachmen.
Last weekend we did laundry, rested, and bought groceries. There was lots of rain on Saturday and Sunday, so we were inside most of the time. There was even water over the road when we drove to church. When it wasn’t raining, we explored the portions of the camp we didn’t visit during the work week. We didn’t know there were high and low ropes courses and a BB gun shooting range. We also found our way down to the river where in better weather we would have loved to be canoeing. Unfortunately, the heavy rains had the water too high and fast to consider that possibility.
The road into the camp on Sunday
Our campsites after the rain
We began the work week with our team splitting up with Max, Anne, Shannon and Mariel continuing to work on the flooring in the pavilion while Gabriela, Lou, Dennis and Pam worked at the dining hall preparing the exterior for painting. Lou also worked on the tractor. The flooring was completed Monday with the exception of a small path leading to one bathroom. The concrete we had to pour to level the bathroom needed more cure time and the team will finish that up during Week 3.
Anne painting around the walls so we could roll the rest of the floor
Mariel scattering color flakes
The painted floor at the end of Monday
On Monday the camp also had someone cut down a couple of large dead trees that were a danger to a couple of cabins, so on Tuesday NOMADS did all the clean-up/removal of all the debris/limbs.
The two trees that were taken down
One of several loads of limbs
It took a while with this saw (just kidding)
Wednesday and Thursday we all worked on the dining hall. There was some damaged wood to be repaired, gutters to be removed, lots of cleaning and scraping, and then lots of painting. By Thursday afternoon all the repairs had been completed and the first coat of paint had been completed. A special thank you to the camp board members and church members who provided some wonderful Louisiana meals this week.
Lou and Gabriela cleaning window trim
Dennis and Pam getting the front wall ready for painting
Lou painting a door
Mariel painting trim
Gabriela painting the grooves in the siding
Anne cutting in for the paint rollers
Shannon rolling a wall
Dennis and Pam spent a lot of time on the back of the building
See how much better it looked at the end of the week
The last of the trim getting its first coat of paint
The walls and trim at the end of the week
Friday morning at 6:00 am, we turned Fred back in the direction of South Carolina. We hated to leave the NOMADS team and Uskichitto Retreat Center, but were thankful for the two weeks we were able to contribute to the project. We were especially glad to reconnect with Mariel, Shannon, Dennis and Pam, and to meet Gabriela and Lou. It was a really good two weeks.
Another delicious meal provided by friends of the camp. This is pastalaya.
Pam made four flavors of ice cream for the team so we had an ice cream dinner Tuesday evening.
It was all delicious
Our team. Notice how much better the wall behind us looks.
We made it back to Randy and Debra’s home early Saturday afternoon and we will spend the next few weeks with them except for a quick run to Florida and Alabama. Randy who is doing much better will be having some same day surgery Thursday so please continue to keep him in your prayers.
RVing With a Purpose 