Our September Camping Trip

      At Lake Guntersville State Park! We had an awesome time! It was just the two of us since Skylar doesn't like these 'boring' trips! We do ride the roads a lot, but there is such pretty scenery in all the places we travel! There was so much water everywhere we drove on this camping trip, and the foot hills in the backdrop were just gorgeous! The leaves haven't changed much. The dogwoods are beginning to turn, and a few maples, so it will be absolutely beautiful in a few weeks! We found a very nice place called Buck's Pocket State Park that we would love to go to when the leaves change! Hopefully the spots won't all be taken, as they are a first come campground. It's down in a valley, with a dry creek surrounding it. We had a lot of rain, and the creek was dry! We couldn't figure that out! The mountains around it are quite tall, so there were some beautiful look offs at the top. We'll probably go there instead of Ellijay GA apple festival. We've been to Ellijay quite a lot these past few years, and although it's a beautiful place, I want to go somewhere different. Guntersville was hit quite hard when the tornadoes came through in 2011. The campground where we stayed used to be so full of trees. We have been there before, that's how I know. But now, the place looks like a logging crew has been through and stripped out the trees! So sad! It's still pretty, and you can see the lake much better, but it was nicer before the tornadoes! One night this trip, we had very strong winds come through with hard rain and the camper was just rocking! Randy slept through it but I was ready to wake him if it got worse. Thank God it didn't! The downtown area was hit hard as there were a few trees down, and places without power. I can imagine what it much have been like in April 2011!

      We picked scuppernongs and got a basket of not ripe peaches while we were on our trip. I got the scuppernongs ready and extracted juice, which is now in in the refrigerator waiting for me to make jelly. I've also been peeling and cutting apples from our tree, YAY! I put them in bags and in the freezer for pies. I have a few left that I want to make cobblers with. The girls have been here since Thursday, so I didn't get as much done as I wanted to, but it was nice to spend time with them.

      I'm still working on a few crafts as I have the time and I can't believe how swiftly Fall is approaching! I won't be able to get everything done that I wanted before then! There is just never enough time in a day! Oh well, just do what you can do! Ya'll have a great weekend and thanks for reading! Blessings from Bama!

Some letters I began last year for Yasmine. Do you do that, start something and not finish it for a long time?

I used a wood burning tool to cut them out of the foam board. I took these with me on the camping trip since I knew I would have some free time. I am covering them with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge.

Winterlynn is telling me how much she loves me! She has on the little shirt I made.

Downtown Scottsboro where they have first Monday! They have been having this for a hundred years!

Some vendors set up at first Monday. Oh yea, my Bama Man!

More vendors.

Art in the park at Scottsboro.

It was nice and shady here!

A pier at a place called Goose Pond Colony. Like I said, there's lots of water all around where we went!

A finished letter!

The view of our campground from the lodge above it. Where there are no trees is where the tornado took them out.

Another view from the lodge.

A close-up of the campground.

Our camper is down there in the trees. I love how the foothills meet the water!

The lodge needs to remove the Crepe Myrtle trees so the front entrance is more visible.

The campground at Buck's Pocket is down in those trees.

We wear hats around here!

Yasmine pushing Winn.

Layla has on her hat too!

Yasmine's hat is cute!

  

Yasmine is trying to whistle.

The scuppernong juice being extracted.

Apples being processed.

A few left for cobbler.

Randy and the girls! He likes babies!

More scuppernong jelly.... and pear preserves!

      I was so fortunate to go to my sister's; and I hadn't gotten all of the scuppernongs! So, I picked the rest of them. They turned out almost as good as the other batch. There is a slight difference in Sure-jel and the Ball pectin I used in the other batch. The pear tree had been shaken, so I picked up a five gallon bucket of pears. I made four jars of very dark, almost burnt preserves. Hubby said they tasted good, though. I won't be making any more of these again. Pears are very hard to cut. I found an easier way to peel them using my potato peeler.
      
      It's nice to have these tasks behind me so I can move on to other things I've been wanting to do, like sewing. I still haven't finished the pillowcase dress I started the other week, so maybe tomorrow I'll get to work on it. Oh yeah, I want to make pepper jelly, too. Maybe tomorrow will be the day for that as well. I miss blogging too, so hopefully I'll be doing more of that. Thanks for reading and have a nice night or day!

A mix of green and bronze colored scuppernongs. They are considered the white grape.

I only used a few pears off the top.

Loving my "new" Zo!

Looks like dejavou!

Whole wheat oat and raisin bread.

The very dark pear preserves.

Scuppernong Jelly

A five gallon bucket half full of scuppernongs.

      I am so glad I went to my Sister's and picked scuppernongs!!! They turned out delicious! I love muscadine jelly, but this scuppernong jelly is giving it a run for the money! I just didn't know how good it was. Doesn't take much to make this Southern girl happy!

Scuppernongs washed and ready to go.

The juice and jars heating.

Can you believe all this sugar went into the jelly? 

WM was out of surejel, but I like the way this turned out.

Twenty-one jars of jelly and five jars of pear preserves.

       I love doing this sort of thing! I just wished I could get more scuppernongs. Tomorrow or the next day, I hope to be making pepper jelly with the bell and jalepenos growing in my garden. I've got to get more jars and pectin first.


      A fun picture of hubby reading to son.

Winterlynn and her Mommy.

He's such a ham!