A Tiny Bit of Work

We've been out having too much fun this fall and haven't accomplished much around the house, so this weekend we spent one day catching up on a few projects.  We cut up the rest of the firewood we had piled up from when the horse pasture was logged.  I also finished painting the inside of the laundry room exterior door.  Both of these events were not very exciting so I did not photograph them.  We also hung two 12 foot gates in the horses' pasture that will eventually open up to two more pastures (once the grass is planted).  This was the final piece of fencing for that pen!

 

And the other exciting accomplishment (although we didn't actually do it) was a step for the laundry room door.  We hired a local young lady, who was recommended by a friend, to build the step and she did an excellent job.  The bricks aren't a perfect match (the house bricks are no longer made) but once the step dries it will be close enough.  It only took her about half a day to build and looks a lot better than we could have done ourselves!

Fort McAllister Camping

We spent last weekend camping at Fort McAllister State park, about an hour away from the house, with some friends.  This time we left the horses at home and took our tent instead.  Saturday afternoon we visited the small museum and the fort itself.  We stayed one night and then went for a hike on Sunday morning.

 

Fort McAllister is an earthwork fort used during the civil war.  It was the last confederate fortification to fall during Sherman's March to the Sea.

 

One of the remaining cannons.

 

The bunkers reminded me of hobbit holes.  This one was used to heat up cannon balls so that they would catch their target on fire.  Our friend's son, Jett, wanted me to carry him around so he joined in our photo!

 

Sherman's Necktie (bent railroad rail).

 

Walking back to the museum.

 

Here we are all eating breakfast around the fire in the morning.  It was a little chilly but we stayed warm in our tents and around the fire!

 

Our campsite was along the marsh and we took a short one mile hike through some more maritime forest and saltmarsh.

Halloween and Cats

Our second Halloween dance (on Halloween) was at the American Legion where we were married.  This time Matthew and I, along with Jamie and Edward, chose to dress up as Wizard of Oz characters. 

 

We were joined at the dance by Glenda Goodwitch and the Wicked Witch of the West (unplanned!)

 

 

And here is a random video of a couple of our foster kittens playing.

 

 

More Camping

We went on another camping trip this past weekend.  This time we went to Broxton Bridge Plantation in South Carolina and were joined by one horse friend and two non-horse couples.  We were the only ones camping at the place and had a wonderful, quiet time.

 

Here's part of our campsite.  This was Jody's first time camping with her horse and we both got in a lot of riding.

 

Horse accommodations.

 

Jody on Vader and me with Mow.  The weather was perfect for riding and we covered about 35 miles over the weekend.

 

Justin and Phylicia brought their son Jett for his first camping experience.  Ben and Renee joined us as well but I didn't get any photos of them.

 

The cool weather was perfect for hanging out around the campfire.

 

And for making hobo dinners!

Halloween Dance

Last Friday we went to the first of two Halloween dances of the season.  Matthew and I usually dress up in related costumes but Jamie and Edward joined us this year in a group costume.  Scooby Doo was one of my favorite shows as a kid and my haircut, along with Edward's long hair, made our costumes even more realistic.

 

A fellow dancer took this photo and added in a perfect Scooby!

 

This was a ballroom dance and the Mystery Solving Crew had a great time.

 

Camping at Mingo

The past week has been pretty busy around here.  We spent Monday through Wednesday in Myrtle Beach for a work conference.  Matthew went to the conference during the day while I enjoyed the aquarium and the state park.  We also went dancing one evening and to a stand-up comedy show another.  We came home for Thursday and then packed up again for a weekend camping trip to a local horse riding club.  We camped with a large group of new friends and had a great time.

 

Here is the whole crew gathered for dinner.  They were all so welcoming to us!

 

Our campsite.  We brought the minies this time so that no one had to care for them at the house.

 

Cooking some lunch.

 

A couple of riding photos.

 

We brought a cart and harnesses for Spice and Peanut too so that we could drive them around camp.  They were quite the hit!

Sushi and Horse Shows

In other news, Matthew and I have been taking it pretty easy around the house.  We had a game night last weekend but I forgot to take any photos again.  During the week last week we decided to try making our own sushi.  I went to Publix to buy the ingredients and their sushi chef even gave me some tips!  Here Matthew is spreading sushi rice onto the nori for his roll.

 

Then we flipped the nori over and added the fillings along one edge.  We made avocado, cucumber, and cream cheese rolls this time.  Here Matthew is attempting to roll the nori into a log before slicing.  His had a few too many fillings so it didn't hold together very well!

 

Once sliced, my roll almost looked like what you eat at a restaurant!  It all tasted just as delicious.

 

The only project we have worked on since I've been home is finishing up one section of the tack room.  After all of the boards were up for one third of one wall we were able to add hooks for halters and bridles and a PVC pipe as a whip holder.  I could use a few more hooks eventually, but these will really help keep me organized!

 

This weekend was filled with various sports and no work.  We spent Saturday morning at a local farm where I showed Mow in a couple of beginner classes.  He was well behaved and Matthew was a great "show husband"!

 

 

Mow and I with our ribbons.

 

The horse show only lasted a couple of hours so then Matthew went off to play tennis with a friend.  Yesterday he played golf in the morning to practice up for the annual Great Dane benefit golf tournament going on today.  We spent yesterday evening at the benefit dinner at an old plantation where we bought some silent auction items and enjoyed delicious barbecue.