Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Eastern US boondocking, and other important news

When nothing's happening, a good blogger will make it sound otherwise. If that's what you're looking for, just keep walking.

Grace and Steve from Tucson visited and brought us killer guacamole and a new hobby. Grace left me with some basic supplies to get me started (on the hobby) and provided some technical support (on the hobby). She remained mute on the topic of her guac recipe.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was bitten three times by a pig?


Yeah? Well, did I tell you about the time the hot-air balloon woke us up?


Oh.

Okay, here's something you'll want to know: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has 229,000 acres of land available for dispersed camping. This site offers mobile apps, too. This is a boon (get it?) for would-be eastern US boondockers; public land east of the Mississippi open to dispersed camping is hard to find. Thanks, RV Boondocking News, for breaking the story.

Did I tell you about the time a pig bit me three times?



~~~~~

31 comments:

lesliewhozit said...

So, what's the new hobby?

Did I tell you about my dog's reaction to her first hot air balloon sighting? Bizarre, you'd have thought the world was ending....but then I guess she had no frame of reference and channeling Chicken Little was the way to go.

Did you bite the pig back?

The Good Luck Duck said...

Les, that's crazy. I wouldn't bite the pig - I'm vegan! Yeah, balloons are a little freaky, and they snort when they fire. I'm thinking the pilot was trying to not land prematurely.

The hobby is bead embroidery. Google it and you'll see pretty stuff. Surprisingly, people don't post their ugly work, but I intend to break with tradition.

SwankieWheels said...

I camped on TVA land with my two boys, many decades ago... had a friend who worked for them. My youngest boy got overwhelmed by the weight of his backpack... and just collasped. We had to be evacuated out... and the friend put us up in a group cabin area... bunks, meals, etc., until the boy regained his composure. It was pretty nice. Turns out this kid had a deformed hip which I never knew about until last month when he had to have a total hip replacement at age 44 years. The weight of his backpack was just more then he could handle since the hip could not support any extra weight. How can a mom not know something like that??? He never limped or anything. But anyway, up til we had to evacuate, we were having a blast at Land-Between-The-Lakes TVA.

The Good Luck Duck said...

Swankie, moms are always berating themselves for something. My son used to get ear infections that I never knew about. Only found out accidentally when he had a scheduled check-up. I figure we did a good job just keeping them alive.

The Good Luck Duck said...

Ooh! Or a duck!

Okay. My only job was to walk the pig and keep him out of the fallen apples. Well, the pig had superior intelligence and jaw strength, and when I got between him and the apples he objected. With his teeth.

Unknown said...

How did you get so lucky to experience pig bites, THREE TIMES?!

The Good Luck Duck said...

It's a charmed life, Terri, and three times is it.

Or, it's a reward for clean living.

Brenda A. said...

I for one am looking forward to some "nothing happening" time! Enjoy the leisure. :)

The Good Luck Duck said...

Aye aye! Enjoyment has commenced!

stillhowlyn said...

Always so much fun to visit you!

The Good Luck Duck said...

Yay! Thanks, Lynda - I'm glad!

Vicki said...

Nice link to the TVA...but could someone from that side of the country explain what a "one river mile" is equal to?
Not once but 3 times he bit you...after the second bite I'da let him have them drun apples!!!! Bite me once...shame on you...bite me twice...I give up!!

Sherry said...

Now that is SOME pig! Three times? You must have tasted great or he likes really slow learners. I'd have been outta there after one bite and never returned. Or was this 3 pigs you offended?? Somehow I missed this story. But I'm not missing this TVA stuff - thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Ahh, the pig was just checking out what duck would be like, since he couldnt' get to the apples. Lucky for you the pig decided the apples were better for eating. :O)
Bobthebum, jaw man

Grace said...

Nom... Nom... Nom...
That's you eating guac... not a pig eating duck.
I'm not fond of pigs. All they wanna do is eat. At least a duck can sew!
Grace (in Tucson)

Rick said...

A pig bit you 3 times? The same pig? Now, that's a story I'd love to hear. Although this one about all that land for boondocking in the TVA is pretty hard to beat!

JO said...

I intend to hear all about this pig biting 3 times tomorrow at lunch. hahaha

Gaelyn said...

The pig, obviously not a vegan.
Beaded embroidery allows for much creativity. Hope your not working on thick leather. So hard on the finger tips.

Bob said...

Never get between a pig and whatever their little heart desires.
Long story not so very short, "back on the farm" (and this was before I came along, so it's all "hear say") we had a pet pig "Lulu-belle". She was saved from a litter that...well, Mama pigs aren't exactly Vegans, shall we say? Ever heard the expression "eating your young"?
We won't elaborate, but it's best to not startle a Momma when she's just had a litter...

Anyhoodle, she was house trained, but even before she grew to full size, she would just walk through the screen door if she wanted to come in. Not really conducive to a harmonious pig/human relationship.
Subsequently the relationship changed.
I think my older siblings eventually figured it out. All that extra bacon was a dead give-away.

So was that pun.

Nancy said...

Apparently you can make (blog) something out of nothing happening!!!
Once my brother's neighbor brought a gift wrapped pig ear to my niece. She was about 3 or 4 years old. He wanted to teach her about making a silk purse from a sow's ear.
He was a retired dentist and did not care for children....my niece and nephew were the kids he liked. You can let your mind wander from there.

sierrasue said...

Great info on TVA ! Looks like a lot of it is along rivers which is super nice to know. I went thru Tennessee in my Rv a long while back and it is pretty country !!

The Good Luck Duck said...

Vicki, I'm hoping to learn about a "river mile," too.

I suppose I didn't tell that story right - I made myself look silly...no, that's how it happened, alright. It was three bites in rapid succession up my leg, like he was eating corn off the cob. BITE BITE BITE. It surprised me so much that all I could do was laugh and wet myself. Then I had to call the Pig Police, who scolded him and shoved him out of the apples. He was also put on walk suspension until after the apples were gone, for those of you interested in knowing if justice was done.

Gaelyn, just felt and Pellon. I'm just getting started, but I do have a thimble.

Wow, Nancy, that man was a BAD shopper. Getting a gift from him must be like Don Corleone wanting to kiss you.

OH BOB! You're telling me I should be glad I'm not a little piggie. And so I am. So you had a lot of LLT sandwiches?

Grace, they also like to be scritched, so there's that. But, they're not nimble with a thimble.

Jaw Bob, that's a chilling possibility. That pig was lucky he could open his mouth that wide. Tables turned, I would have to nom his ear.





The Good Luck Duck said...

Sue, I was happy to read this, too. Eastern boondocking is pretty scarce.

Anonymous said...

Love your blog! That TVA page says: "Recreational use of motorized vehicles on undeveloped TVA land, including within reservoir drawdown zones, is prohibited." So -- I'm a newbie RVer -- how is it we can drive our RVs onto that undeveloped land and camp? Or are they just talking about dune buggies and dirt bikes and such? (And how are we to know WHICH "motorized vehicles" they mean? Sigh.)

Anonymous said...

Piggies and ducks and apples, oh my! Glad the pig police were there to get Porky back in line! Always a treat to read your posts...good luck with the new hobby...I look forward to seeing examples, pretty or not! (We're always our own worst critics after all.)
Kristine

Donna K said...

I remember your story about the pig bite. Thanks for reminding me...I got to laugh all over again!!

The Good Luck Duck said...

Thanks, Anon! Good question. Since they also talk about "camping vehicles" being permitted, I think it's reasonable to assume that recreational use of a vehicle would mean something else. Probably the ATVs, etc., that you mention.

You and me both, Alaska. I would have had to let him get his belly full of apples otherwise. The hobby is fun, so far, and I'm learning things. I'm learning I need more beads. :D

Haha Donna! It kind of refreshed my memory-laughter too.

Nickie and Jim said...

Hey Roxanne, I've never been bitten by a pig, but you want me to email you a picture of my dog bite?

Nickie

The Good Luck Duck said...

No! Definitely not! Are you sure it wasn't an elephant seal? And how did you get a dog bite - I must have missed that story.

Nickie and Jim said...

Well, I was just walking along, minding my own business, when ...

The Good Luck Duck said...

! Oh no! I do that all the time!