Busy Bees

I definitely waited far too long to write an update, and now I’m overwhelmed at where I should begin. So, here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been up to since May. Most recently we made our way back to Maryland, for the first time since we moved, for a wedding celebration. It was really nice to be a part of our friends’ special day and to be able to spend time visiting with a few folks while we were there. We also visited Assateague Island National Seashore. I can’t believe I had never been there; we’re planning on trying to camp there in 2022. Apologies if we missed you on our trek back, but it was kind of a whirlwind. We’ll make sure to make our rounds next time. In the meantime, we’re always happy to host guests in North Carolina!

We also celebrated 10-years of marriage at the end of September. We spent most of the morning and early afternoon exploring the Green River Game Lands and the trails surrounding the Carl Sandburg home. It was a gorgeous day, and we were able to sit outside and enjoy some tasty BBQ at Hubba Hubba Smokehouse in Flatrock for lunch. Afterwards, we went home and lounged outside on our deck, got cleaned up, and enjoyed an amazing dinner at Soulisa’s just over the border in South Carolina.

Between June and September, we had the honor of hosting a few visitors and watching my brother compete in a shooting match locally. We also went on our annual summer trip to Michigan (outlined below). Aside from all of that, and trying to get out to explore our new area, we’ve mostly been working on house projects (see list below).

Home Projects

• Installed garage doors
• Enclosed the breezeway (on-going – waiting on the door delivery from Home Depot)
• Painted breezeway
• Painted the interior of the garage, as well as the exterior support beams that were added during the garage door installation
• Encapsulated the crawlspace and installed a PVC pipe and fan for radon remediation*
• Troubleshot and repaired the electrical panel, and outlet issues*
• Converted all fluorescent lights to LEDs
• Installed the Tesla wall charger and outlet for the generator
• Had the septic system inspected and pumped out*
• Had the front flowerbeds cleaned up and mulched
• Completed our annual property walk-through with Conserving Carolina
• Replaced and painted rotting deck boards
• Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning!
• Yellow jacket remediation*
• Peeled off wallpaper in the mudroom
• Had the chimney cleaned, inspected, and swept*
• Downed trees removed (on-going – waiting on the heavy rain to cease so we can have that completed)
• Troubleshot sprinkler system
• Over-seeded and fertilized lawn
• Built tool shed and a foundation for the shed
• Installed screens that were missing
• Drew up designs for our back patio, but we still need to find a contractor
• Researched and implemented solutions for our home network while we await our Starlink equipment, which should arrive some time this fall (I initially typed Skynet; cue the Terminator references)

*items with an asterisk were things that I had on my must-do/home health & safety list

Other Tasks

• Finding new doctors
• Touring dog boarding facilities
• Searching for a veterinarian
• Fall & winter trip planning

Annual Michigan Trip Recap

1. Jordan Hill Farm – Richmond, KY (1 night)
2. Snook’s Dream Cars – Bowling Green, OH (1 night)
3. Family – Tipton, MI (2 nights)
4. Kalkaska RV Park & Campground – Kalkaska, MI (7 nights)
   • Torch Lake Pontoon Rental
5. Shamrock Campground – Berrien Springs, MI (1 night)
6. Family – Elkhart, IN (1 night)
7. Kentucky River Campground – Frankfort, KY (2 nights)
   • Buffalo Trace Distillery

How’s Stevie Mix doing?

Stevie is thriving in her new home. She loves all of the windows, and takes her job of watching for wildlife and package deliveries very seriously. During her breaks, we typically find her snoozing in the sun or next to a window. We found a wonderful boarding facility called Dogwood Farm Kennels, which gives us peace of mind for times we can’t bring Stevie along. We are in the process of finding a new veterinarian after not being happy with the first practice we visited.

Where are we headed next?

Stay tuned for a November/December post about our late October trip to Arizona for my 40th birthday! We’ll be landing in Phoenix and making our way up to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Antelope Canyon. I’m beyond excited to do some actual hiking in the Grand Canyon this time, and to see slot canyons. We’re also expecting a couple visits from family in November, and will be working on fall camping and winter skiing plans. I hope you enjoyed your summer, and are having a wonderful fall so far!

xo