04-01-11 “Is that a real poncho, or is that a Sears poncho? Humm…no fooling”

04-01-11
“Is that a real poncho, or is that a Sears poncho? Humm…no fooling”
I get up early and pack the car with everything except Mischa and my camera. It is near 8:15 and Lindsay has said he has to leave by 9am for his Dog sitting appointment on the other side of Charlotte in Kannapolis. It’s a long haul and in rush hour traffic, not fun. After I knock and mention that it’s 8:15 he tells me he’s managed to push it back a bit and he’s planning on getting up at 8:45. Okay. I hope there’s still time to get an interview in with the new time constraints. Mischa & I just sit in our room until he’s up.
He’s right on schedule and seems even more awake than I am (Wish I could learn that secret!) We go into his living room and get the interview. We have only time to say goodbyes and then he’s off and so are Mischa & I.
We (I) misread the map and bypass the road to Shelby and find ourselves crossing back into South Carolina heading to Spartanberg. I find a link to 18 north that will get me to Shelby and the 74 (I had been looking for the 26 which it becomes, but long after Shelby) Shelby is a great looking old tow n, well preserved and the downtown area is historic…and so is the speed - 20mph. I should have taken the bypass.
Eventually I find my bearings and start the climb to the Norht Carolina mountains toward Asheville. There is some beautiful country to see. I am tempted to take the road that goes past Lake Lure (where Dirty Dancing was shot) but I’d been past it years ago and wanted to get into a campsite sooner than later and realized that I wouldn’t be getting near a place much before 1pm even on the faster highway route.
I had thought I was going to camp west of Asheville in a place called Cherokee, but on double checking the prices I realized that was out. I found something that might possibly work (AAA had said the rate was $10 - but they have been proven incorrect all along this journey - sure it says Prices subject to change, but only ONE year after publication, C’mon!!) Anyway, the price was right, but was the date. The camp opens…TODAY! April 1st! What if AAA is wrong about that? What if they pushed the opening back due to the recent weather or because of budget cutbacks?
I head to Waynesburg (excellent) and pass thru their tourist gauntlet of 20-25 mph speeds thru their old town and then take the AAA directions (and those given by the welcoming center - thanks guys! Your directions with local landmarks really made a difference!) I stop at the Bethel Gas station/Country Store and clarify directions and get a few supplies while there. I drive up about 8 miles into wooded areas, scattered homes and an RV park and go above Logan Lake till I’m sure I’ve missed the turn off…and there, just past the little waterfall, is the campground. It appears open but there is no one beside and RV there. The RV is the camp hosts. They are friendly and helpful. I get the envelope to fill out and drive back to town (they only take cash or checks and the account I have checks for doesn’t have enough money in it for two nights @ $13 - $26 dollars) I use my debit card that had $70 on it and take out $36.65 (total from both visits). So my resources going into Tennessee Week the day after tomorrow will be around $35-40 dollars, a half tank of gas and a rewards car a friend gave me with about $25 left on it. Groovy. I’ve been here before. Five times, near broke and little resources. The anxiety it creates each time is getting old.. But a natural bi-product of living on the edge with only supporters keeping me and Mischa afloat. Maybe I can win one of these state lotto contests and pay everyone back and complete this on my own. Magic thiking. Plus I like the idea of friends backing my project. That at times has been more encouraging to me than the money they’ve sent. The money makes the engine go (literally), but the emotional support give me the spirit to continue thru rain and cold and hrd times.
Camp is set up and I can see the duck tape job on one of the tent polls is not really solving the problem. The tent is over 20 years old and has perhaps seen it’s last days. The new waterproof tent at Walmart (ranging between $29 - 32 - let’s just say $35 with tax depending on the store) is looking pretty good right now. I have solved the tent securing problem for good with 4 new tent spikes and a mallet (about $4 total) and I bought some bungies for $3.88 that I test out today to wrap the tarp “Over” the tent rather than put it under the tent. It works well after a few variations on where to place them and it proves to be a winner.
With the tent up, I loaded I things I thought might be needed, all the blankets and the parka and head cap, just incase. It was about 2pm and I lay down for a short nap, following Mischa’s lead. Three hours later I got up and wrote for awhile until around 8pm.
Rumor was that the night was going to be cold but clear. Clouds started coming in before nightfall and they looked to be carrying rain. The camp host said there might be light snow flurries, but didn’t think it would rain. It rained. And it rained. Not as bad as at Andrew Jackson State Park, but enough to worry both Mishca and I. I slept only intermittently thru the night.