Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Campsite at Lake Jordan


It's called camping. But, I have a difficult time calling it camping...I have a queen-size bed, hot water, a flush toilet and refrigerator. If there is electricity available, I also have heat and air conditioning and a microwave oven. There is usually electricity available, for a small fee. But, it's still called camping, because we're usually in the woods some place. We like a state or national park better than a private campground, usually. Some private campgrounds, like some KOAs, are pretty fancy places. They have swimming pools, hayrides for the children, playground games and recreation halls with video games and hot dogs. Other private campgrounds, like other KOAs, have no ammenities, but have quiet, wooded sites. We usually prefer the places where we provide our own entertainment. So, the campgrounds at Lake Jordan appeal to us because the sites are large, many trees between the sites, and it is on the lake. And, there is water and electricity.

This is our campsite, right on the lake. Stuart found this one in a small cove, where we had blue herons, a bald eagle and other songbirds to entertain us. We launched our kayaks right there, too.










Our campsite, from thigh-deep water...















The sunset colors...


























We drove on to Wilkesboro, where we visited Terri and Ray. Ray brought out some locally made products for us to sample! Terri served two delicious dinners, and we enjoyed the back deck one evening. Their gardens are lush, backed up to the woods. They've had rain almost daily, and I'm jealous. When they lived in Wilmington, she moved many flowers from her garden to mine, including some crinum lilies and primroses she lifted from a famous National Historic Site!

I taught a sewing class for the Wilkes County Quilt Guild, and had a great day with that group. No fear in any of them, game to try anything!

We 'camped' at a Corp of Engineers project, Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir, and would go there again.
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Clyde Jones and his Critters

Stuart and I spent a few days last week at Lake Jordan State Recreation Area. Lovely, rambling, dammed lake project. The well-done Visitor's Center taught us that the lake was created in the early 1950's to provide water to the middle part of the state. The hard rock shelf prohibits water from soaking through, so there is no chance for ground water to support towns . The Haw River is rocky, but the New Hope Creek is soft. The dam was designed to back up the New Hope Creek, and it caused the water to meander into the low areas, creating pretty little coves for wildlife and campsites. There are several campgrounds, boat ramps and swimming beaches around the lake. We stayed at Poplar Point campground, which was almost deserted in mid-week.

We also learned that Jordan Lake is the MOST popular place in the US for summer Bald Eagle migration! We saw one, perched on a dead tree close to our campsite.




Wednesday, we drove over to Bynum, between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. There, we found Clyde Jones and his Critters. When we arrived, we found Mr. Clyde driving around his outside gallery on his riding mower, hand-made trailer loaded with logs. It was hothothot that day, and he was soaked in sweat. With a wave of his hand, he invited us to 'walk anywhere, take all the pictures you'd like', and continued to unload the logs.










His Critters are life-sized and all of them have attitude! He uses found materials for eyes and ears and other body parts, and paints them in bright colors. We had a visit under the catalpa tree with him, and he told me he has pieces at the Cameron Art Museum...loves his friend Ann! We loved seeing his work, and meeting him.