PINEY CAMPGROUND ON KENTUCKY LAKE IN LBL

Piney campground in July.  Nice site on the Black Oak loop with a perfect pebbly beach.  Water was up but very warm, nights were almost cool and didn't tax the AC very much.

One small down side of Piney is that the sites are not always level.  I had to put the door side of the TT up pretty high to level the it and had to get creative to jack the hitch high enough to get it off and then back on the ball.

Jasper's first trip to the lake.  He's our newest rescue pooch and he LOVED the raft!

Beautiful sunset at Piney.  So many of them are...

Our 2012 Bullet Premier gave us the first major problem a couple of weeks back when we were camping in North Carolina.  I noticed the slide out was not completely out on one end so we went to close it and re-open it and it retracted little over half way before stopping.  I got out and pushed it the rest of the way in while my wife operated the switch.  I called our RV service and got it in the shop shortly after getting back home.  Some how a pulley bracket was bent and caused the problem.  Unfortunately we are out of warranty and it cost $$$ to have it repaired.  I have no idea how it happened.

Thursday, March 28th.
The weather has not been cooperating.  Its been cold, snowy, and wet since pulling off the cover.  None of the mods have been completed tho I'm working on the preliminary so once the weather cooperates and I have the time, I'll be able to instal quickly. 

I'm really looking forward to spending time like this in a couple of weeks!

Thursday, March 14th, pulled the cover off the trailer.  I'm enjoying looking at it again sitting there waiting for its spring clean up and the few mods I'm going to do. Not big projects but welcome ones.
The MODS:
1. I've got a real exhaust fan to replace the rinky-dink one over the shower

2. I bought 10 LED light boards to replace light bulbs and have installed a few just to see the       difference. Plus - much brighter, minus - don't like the "warm light"...too cold and blue at 5500 kelvin... I like the 5000 range in the more warmpth, oh well off the the local stage and lighting supply for some lighting gells to cool it down. I have 11 more to purchase to complete the lighting but wanted to see them before going full refit. The LED lighting will use 6 times less power consumption, good for the enviornment and great for off the grid camping!

3. Finally: have all the materials ready to install adjustable rail shelving in the closets on either side of the bed.  This will be a big improvement over the plastic  shelving we have used for the past 2 seasons.
Just under 4 weeks away from pulling it to Florida for our first outing fo the year!

Piney CG November 2012

Our lake side camping site, Kentucky Lake

                                      

Enjoying the evening with the pooches

Ah, glorious sunset!

This location is superb for late autumn sunsets!

Thanksgiving Camping

Fall is in full swing, most of the leaves are off the branches now and we usually head out for long weekend trips during this time of year.  We love, love, love fall camping but were not able to break away this fall for one reason or another.  But, while most folks are winterizing right now but we have one more trip ahead of us....Thanksgiving!  Here is a picture from last year

 

 

James Island Co. Park, Charleston SC

We have read that all sites at James Island County Park were good sites.  We found out that while this is true with the vast majority not all sites are created equal.  We'd not been here before so didn't have a camp site preference when making reservations earlier in the year. We had a last minute change of plans and ended up getting there two days early.  Our first two nights at the park were spent at #116 and turns out was a very good one.  Deep, and private.  We then moved to our reserved site

.

This is our reserved site.  #30 and I wouldn't recommend it.  Its on a corner and is very close to two other camp sites with no privacy.  It also is by a pond that seems to harbor hords of mosquitos.

As you can see there is the drive of site 27 in the left of the picture.  Their outdoor fire ring and table is about 20 from site 30's with minimal vegitation between the two.  We don't mind neighbors but don't want to be able to pass the katsup back and forth with them either!

Mystery of the Wobbling Table

I have noticed that our kitchen table has been very unstable.  It wobbled and made eating an adventure much like being out to sea.  At first I thought the vertical tubes were the problem but soon discovered the right reciever in the floor was the culprit.

These are supposed to be a one piece untit but the one on the right had somehow snapped.  I am not sure if it came from the factory like this or if we did it without realizing it. 

 Detail of the snapper and the snapee!

I was fortunate to have a spare reciever hanging around so I took the broken one up from the floor using a square/philips security bit and replaced it.  Mystery solved, no more wobble!

 

My Wyeth Look

After a day of cleaning and prepping for the upcoming trip to Charleston..my best Wyeth impression...

Refrigerator Drain Hose Blues

I noticed on our last outing that our refrigerator isn't draining the condensation water from the cooling fins as it is supposed too.  Rather it collects under the vegtable crispers and leaks onto the floor.

As you can see, I used some food color in water to run a test, the colored water sits under where the vegtables crispers slide in.  I poured the water in the drain pan (removed for the picture) and the water didn't run through the drain hose, but streamed down the back wall of the frig.

Next I got a flexible audio cable and used it as a snake.

This after I had my son blow through the drain tube outside...

I pushed the cable through the drain to my son outside.

We worked it back and forth to clear any clog or mud dauber work.

And the result...while the drain line is clean and hooked up for some reason the condensation STILL streams down the back wall and gathers rather than drains as it is supposed too.  I suppose this warrents a call the mfg.

Weeping Willow lane, Topsail Hill

Top of the lane leading to our campsite.  Beautiful plants and mature pine trees are everywhere in the campground.

Topsail Hill SP, Santa Rosa Fl

Fully ready to land on the sand!  I pull the wagon with the bike down to the beach.  Its about a 3/4 mile ride from the campground. 

Getting ready for 2012

FINALLY!

Not Yet Awake From A Long Winters Rest

It is the end of February, 2012 and the Bullet is still under its winter blanket.  We have a lot of trees and spring time is messy with pollen so I hold off pulling the cover as long as possible.  Though this year I have the itch to do it soon!

February 2012

I spend my time during the "quiet season" when we are home and the TT is under its cover looking for new destinations, making reservations and planning vacations.  We've firmed up Charleston SC for June now so that is two weeks ready in advance.  It is usual for us to do four weeks a year with reservations and then throw in another week or so on local parks and campgrounds within a days drive.  This year may be a break in the usual as career and planning for retirement has become very important this year.  But that is another story for an AARP blog LOL!
I was out in the Bullet yesterday just looking around.  One of the Keystone Bullet bloggers has given me a couple of ideas for a few mods I'd like to do.  Putting carpet in the bedroom area is appealing and easy.  Making the storage area under the dining seating more accessible is one I've pondered and will involve a bit more planning.  Installing a door on the vertical side and a sliding storage drawer sounds like the way to go.  I know these bullets have a LOT of storage areas but one can never have too much!  
But for now, she is resting under her cover just waiting out the winter.  Regardless of what mods I end up doing (or not) its going to be a good year for travel...now to plan those other two weeks.

Thinking About 2012 Camping Season

Plans have begun for 2012.  First big camping trip of the year is down to Top Sail Hill SP, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Then we may go over to Charleston later in the summer or somewhere on the East coast near the ocean.  We'll have a couple of stops out to the Smoky's sprinkled in and some long weekends out to some of the more local parks.  Fall is up in the air...we usually hit the beach again but this year we may elect to leaf-peep instead.

Keystone Owners Blog Link

There is a new Keystone owners blog on the internet.  I have added a link for anythat may be interested in checking it out.  As Keystone owners we joined the group and have enjoyed watching it grow from the first week it was published.  I welcome you to check it out and join up if you'd like!
http://www.keystonervforum.com/

Amazing Sunsets

Piney CG is located in Tennessee within the borders of Land Between the Lakes, NFS.  It sits on the Eastern shore of Kentucky lake which is fed by the Tennessee river at just such a location that the sunsets are often spectacular.  Here is one I took while camping over the Thanksgiving holiday, 2011.

Another shot this time with waterfowl in the picture

Thanksgiving to Remember

Our Thanksgiving this year was spent camped out beside Kentucky Lake in LBL. We had a wonderful view out our large back window overlooking the lake. We saw ducks, geese, blue herons, bald eagles, deer and a whole lot more squirrels in the campground than campers!

Piney CG on Kentucky Lake



Cooked the turkey in the Weber kettle grill using indirect heat and mesquite wood chips.



The bird came out perfect, juicy and full of flavor.



We plan to make our Thanksgiving's acamping tradion.

Digi-Art

I like to photograph and enjoy using Photoshop and Coral Paint to enhance and create digi art treatements in my spare time.  These are my first published efforts, which I expect the folder to grow with time.  Click on the boat to see the folder.