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

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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.