Everyone I speak with says the same. Whoa. What’s with this energy?  Full moon tonight.

Zuma doesn’t usually worry about storms but this mountain thunder has been really furious and often comes on without warning. Several of our friends are going through serious health issues, major surgeries, private struggles.  I wanted to pull the covers over my head for a couple of days.

A few days ago a tree uprooted and unexpectedly fell down on a truck here.  The camper was next to it in his pop up camper.  I am taking this as a good form of energy because the man would have surely been killed if it had landed on him in his camper.

The thunderstorms must have upset Zu …. remember that song “Who let the dogs out?”; well, these past few days the tune has changed to “Who let the calves in?”.  I’ll spare you the details.  It involved a lot of kneeling and scrubbing.  And paper towels.  And I have a very embarrassed Great Dane.  It’s fine, I don’t scold her, she was simply tuning in to the energies. Now we’re heading into another heat spell and hopefully better energy.

I went to the Dr. a couple of days and I’m told I’m healthy.  Doug and Emma and Zuma are healthy.  Need to gulp up some fresh mountain air this week and revitalize, soak up some good energy and get into researching my original book.

I went tubing Sunday with some new friends.  Iiii know!  Crazy at my age but what the heck.

Yep, floating down The French Broad River with some young people from all over the world staying at the RV Park: from Germany, Bavaria, Bulgaria, North Carolina.

Waaaaay out of my comfort zone but it was a blast and when Doug returns we’re all planning on going again next Sunday.  As we lounged in the inner tubes and floated on the French Broad River surrounded by the WNC mountains, we all realized how fortunate we are to be staying here and spending a few hours together in peace and sunshine.

Thank you Missi for hostessing such a fabulous day.  Thank you guys from New Belgium for making us a yummy BBQ dinner afterwards!

Thank you wonderful neighbors for coming by and checking if I need anything, having a visit, hanging out.  Thank you Oscar for saving my laptop from a sudden rainstorm.  I feel truly blessed.

Good people, good times.

Thinking of France and the innocent people who were slaughtered last night.

I want to write a blog every day for the month of July.  We cannot deny or avoid the current events even if it’s awful news.  We’re choked with the media coverage, there’s no getting away from it. Unless you don’t tune in to the internet, tv or radio.  It’s still out there.

I hope you will all pray for the lost and injured lives.

When we were in Georgia a few months ago, I sampled ‘Shrimp ‘n’ Grits’ for the first time.  It’s pretty much a Southern staple.  I was never a fan of grits but I really enjoy sampling local foods when we travel and once I tried them like this I was hooked.

The following recipe is a meld of several offerings I found on various websites.  You can make this with plain XL/Jumbo shrimp, sauteed; only half a dozen per person is needed if they are a good size. The shrimp, not the guests.  Choose fresh ones (shrimp) and devein them (it just takes a few seconds).

All you need is:

Box of grits
2/3rds cup low sodium chicken stock
24 Jumbo shrimp
A few slices of lean bacon (optional but recommended)
One lemon, salt and pepper, a TBSP of butter, 1 – 2 garlic cloves
OLD BAY Blackening Seasoning
1 small red pepper

Serve with a crispy salad and light dressing.
The perfect Summer Supper.

Blackened Shrimp and Grits:

Cook grits following the package directions.  Instead of water, I like to use low sodium chicken stock for more flavor.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spritzed with non-stick cooking spray. Once cooked, add salt and black pepper and a gob of butter to marry in with the grits.  Stir.  (Some people like to add 1/4 cup of parmesan but I prefer plain grits).

Pour grits onto cookie sheet, smooth them out into an even layer (cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours until firm. Overnight works too.  Then cut them into 2 inch rounds with a cookie cutter (about 16 cakes) and put them back in the fridge.

Toss the shrimp in a bowl with a few dashes of hot pepper sauce, place in fridge.  Walk the dog.  Swig some Southern Tea. (Recipe below).  Now you’re all relaxed and ready to start the sauce:

Saute a few strips of chopped lean bacon and a finely diced red bell pepper over medium heat with 2 chopped scallions, 2 cloves chopped garlic and a quarter cup of flour.  Some people like to add a few globs of tomato sauce.  Saute for about 3 – 4 minutes. Add 1/2 – 2/3 cup chicken stock and simmer until sauce thickens.

Next, pat-dry the shrimp  and sprinkle with OLD BAY Blackening powder.  Saute for 3 – 4 minutes in a lightly sprayed pan (or a gob of butter).

While you’re cooking the sauce, pop the grit cakes in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Spoon the sauce over them and place 2 – 3 shrimps on each one, garnish with the sauce and parsley. Two cakes and 4 – 6 shrimp will be PLENTY per person.  Trust me on this.

To top it off, you’ll need a long tall swig of this cool drink.
Very Southern.  Very refreshing.  Enjoy!

Southern Sweet Tea.

To make a gallon, you’ll need:

6 quality tea bags (Tetley or Lipton are my faves)
1 gallon boiling hot water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
A coupla lemons

Pour the hot water in a pitcher, add sugar and stir until it’s dissolved, toss in tea bags, let steep, chill for 2 – 3 hours.

Let the tea mixture chill too.  Then slap on some sunscreen and recline in the sunshine and enjoy slopping it all down your top with ice and lemon slices and soak up the compliments from your guests.

I do miss living in the North but I do love living in the South.

Doug sent me this photo yesterday, a pic of Zuma (not her original name) on the couch in our kitchen after we’d had her a few weeks and Emma had bathed her and we had her dewormed, de-grossified, etc.

She bounded into our home the first day as a gangly crazy happy lunatic puppy on long wobbly spider legs, skin over bones.  She was so pathetic looking, wild and enthusiastically out of control.

She pranced in, parade pony style and immediately headed for the kitchen couch, the center of our home, where Doug and I love to cook and hang out together and with Emma when she’s home.

Wait Zu, you’re supposed to eat in elevated bowls.  That’s why we bought that kit for you.  (This is a few months later than previous pic).  Same couch.  Before she gnawed the arms off it one day.

Zuma instantly claimed that couch as her spot, even though our two cats Magyck and Ocho scowled and protested and gave her a kung fu chop whenever she walked past them.  Magyck would eat from her bowl when Zuma wasn’t paying attention.

He doesn’t even like dog food, he’s just a jerk cat sometimes.

When the cats were out and about doing whatever they do on the farm, Zuma would revel in the joy of occupying the old couch, watching me, lounging, spidery legs stretched out, unintentionally blocking the path through the kitchen.  As the months passed and she grew and grew, everybody would walk by her, nonchalantly lifting her limbs and softly apologizing to her.  She didn’t mind, we all just carried on, it was normalcy in our crazy busy house. Awww, everyone was so understanding.

The day she arrived, Zuma quickly took over our home.  Not just because she rapidly became a ginormous creature, but mostly because she has a huge, expressive personality.

Magyck and Ocho  quickly relocated from “their” comfy couch, swearing at Zu in cat-cussing fashion.  They’d been running the house for years and vocally resented this big black zoned-out newcomer.  Zuma obliviously ignored them and their scathing swipes and looked sideways as she slowly crept onto the couch. The ten pound cats eventually decided, “we can all share the playground” and retreated to sleeping on top of the couch, over the 60 pound puppy’s  head. Cat dominance.  They thought.

Emma took Zuma for a jaunt just after she came to us.  I was horrified for people to see her in public, she was ribby and her skin was awful.  Emma had done a great job cleaning her up but this was a very thin puppy.  Emma was proud of her, Zuma knew that Emma had given her a chance to see a better life and Zu goes CRAZY when she sees Emma.

Zuma tries to be friends with the cats but they aren’t into it.  They’re cats.  Dogs have owners, it is said.  Cats have staff.  They all get along, as long as Zuma doesn’t cross the kitty line, but the cats rule the house and honestly, Zu doesn’t have a problem with it.  She just wants to get along.

I knew Zu would be a heart breaker.  She will be.  Aren’t they all? This blog/book isn’t about just Zuma.  It’s about ALL the dogs we love and share our life with. What a wonderful journey they take us on, as all dogs do.  It’s not just this trip, but our whole life journey together, where she is opening up a multitude of colorful doors and avenues we would never have experienced, if not for her.  I’m not claiming her to be the Best Dog In The World, but Zuma has an AURA about her that I’ve never experienced with any dog before. She exudes good energy and the people we meet totally get it.

Positive energy is good. Looking at the distressed state our world is in, it’s so nice to live full time with positive energy.  Zu is always at my side, at my feet, taking up the entire king-sized bed when Doug’s away (don’t tell Doug that).  Uh Oh.  I think he’s caught on.

We’ve lived with a LOT of dogs.  I would have ten Great Danes if I had room (and enough couches) and had enough time to devote to them and make them feel as special to me as Zuma makes me feel. Great Danes are wonderful, graceful, kind and accepting dogs.  Zu is always open and trusting to new canines, even if they snarl and snap at her face.   She just forgives. And forgets.  How many people can you say that about?

I couldn’t take photos of her in those first few weeks she came into our life.  The thought of looking at the photos later, if she didn’t pull through, was more than I could bear.  She was so thin, a flea infestation had caused her to lose hair on her undersides and hind end (the warm areas where fleas like to dwell).  Her skin was peeling, rotting off in layers from her paws and the undersides of her lower limbs, caused by laying in her own feces and urine in a crate that was too small; she couldn’t stand up or turn around.  Then a Good Samaritan woman stepped in and saved Zuma and said to the owner ENOUGH.  It sure as hell was ENOUGH.

The caring woman took the puppy, stuck up posters and offered her to a good home.  We feel so grateful that our daughter Emma was alerted to the poster by the kind and caring receptionist Brenda at Yankee Clipper in Rockport, Maine, owned by our friend and outstanding groomer, Liz Czak.

We feel truly blessed we were able to bring this puppy home to become one of our family …. a BIG part of our family!

Zuma came along at a very dark period in my life.

People think I rescued her.  No.  Zuma rescued me.

On this morning’s news there was a report that bonding over food makes people closer.  This scrumptious cheesy spread is sure to be a big hit at any gathering.  It is extremely popular here and most household fridges have a version of it. This will definitely glue you together with anyone you share it with.

Pimento Cheese Spread Recipe.

3  10 oz bricks shredded Cheddar cheese
1  8 oz block cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
Splash of Tabasco sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
2  7 oz jars pimento peppers, chopped

Smoosh it all together in a blender.  Chill in fridge.
No, not you, the cheese spread.  Don’t chill in the fridge.
That is so not recommended.

Serve spread at room temp with fresh crispy vegetables or crackers.

Mmmm.  Your friends will adore you.
Print off some recipes ‘cuz they’ll all be asking for a copy.

Here are a few recipes I have to share over the next few days. Yup, it’s delicious and not for sissies.   I thought I’d spread the love and the calories and share some recipes with you.  This food is as regional as lobster rolls are to Maine, as traditional as Fish ‘n’ Chips are to England.  Bon Appetit!

Fried Chicken.

A Southern staple.  Every restaurant has a different take on it, I’ve only had one piece once (admire me for the self-restraint) in the past seven plus months (guilty pleasures) and I can’t eat fried food anyway but it’s delicious (pass the TUMS) and this recipe is oven-baked so therefore slightly more healthy.
Just don’t chow down on fifteen pieces, LOL!

Ingredients:

1 whole (preferably not alive) chicken cut into four pieces
Chickens can be really feisty.  Make sure it’s a dead chicken.
They tend to flap a lot in the pan.
1/2 a quart buttermilk or a couple of cups will do
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt, same amount of freshly ground pepper
Vegetable (or corn oil if you’re not watching your cholesterol).
If you don’t give a damn about your blood pressure, just chuck in a few handfuls of lard.

Marinate the chicken in a large bowl with the buttermilk.  If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t race off to the store, just pour a tablespoon of white/cider vinegar over a cup of milk.  Strap some plastic wrap over the top of the bowl.  It’s all good.  Don’t get all wound up.  Let it marinade overnight.  Your friends will admire and adore you and ask for the recipe.  Put your feet up.

Okay, next day, haul yerself out of the chair and coat each piece of chicken with the flour salt pepper mixture.  Crank the stovetop to 360 degrees F and fry the chicken in an inch deep vat of oil in a cast iron skillet (or heavy bottomed pan, but cast skillets are the BEST).

Cook a few pieces at a time for 3 minutes until the skin is golden brown (it continues to cook in the oven).  Try not to let the pieces touch.  Then remove from the pan and separate them on a metal baking rack on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes and serve hot.
DO NOT place yourself on the scale for a couple of days.

Please keep the bereaved families in Dallas in your thoughts and prayers.  I’m SO not political, I’m SO not outspoken, but if I say anything today, I want to say that yesterday’s actions were a horrific and senseless waste of lives, the lives of people who offer to stand up and protect us.  Please offer them a few moments of silence today. Yes, there have been many mistakes. We’re all well aware. Let’s all come together and make it STOP.  Color, race, gender, unite.  Stop the hatred.

We all need to get along.

We’ve been on the road for just over seven months now.  We didn’t plan on becoming part-time gypsy RV-ers.  It all happened so innocently one rainy Saturday mid-winter morning when we couldn’t go to the beach on Tybee Island and were lazing around following a belly-filling breakfast at Clary’s (diner) in Savannah. As we were stepping through the puddled parking lot, I suggested, “Let’s go check out RVs”, so we looked at two used models (meh) and then we found one we both immediately fell in love with.  It suited all our needs.  As Doug said, “They make it really easy to buy one”. The next thing we knew we were filling out a mountain of paperwork and a multitude of forms and driving home in Blanca saying to ourselves, “What the heck have we done”?  We traded in Blanca, the VW van we loved so much, for a 25′ more modern and spacious motor home.  Doug named her Hula Girl.

We’d met a couple at the dog park on Tybee who said they’d never had so much fun RV-ing for their first time; young retirees, they’d been on the road for a few weeks and didn’t want to stop. So we found an RV Park that fit all our needs, dog-friendly and in a location that would allow us to go off in many directions and explore new places. During our stay at River’s End RV Park on Tybee Island, GA, we developed many friendships and made wonderful memories.  Then we moved on to Western North Carolina where people like to go in the heat of Summer to enjoy the fresh mountain air and moderate temps and we’ve been having a blast here.  Super people.   In fact, we can’t seem to leave.  We’re able to travel from here with the car and we’re seeing a lot of WNC and TN. Best of all, we meet the most fantastic people (and dogs …. and parrots (!)) every day. RVers are just the nicest people. They share their stories, their travels …. their pets …. and we all look out for each other.  These are wonderful, genuine people.

In truth, right now, it’s time to ‘turn the tires’ and move on BUT we’ve had a family of Carolina Wrens nesting under Hula Girl so it stalled our departure for a few weeks while we were waiting for them to fledge (see The Little Birds blog) and allowed us to do the same.  We didn’t mind. We love it here too.  And they gratefully serenaded us in the mornings.

We met some fun people in Ocean City and Carol from Lewes, Delaware calls RVs Land Yachts.  So true!  Thanks, Carol!  We’ve spent some time living on a sailboat, this is not a lot different!

As I have said before, the BEST part of traveling in an RV is meeting the most fantastic people.  We’re all wanderers, travelers. We’re not really looking for anything in particular, we don’t have high expectations, we’re just taking it all in, enjoying the moments, making memories.

So now we’re here in Western North Carolina. The Park’s population is always changing; the RV scenery and people keep life interesting.  Models of every era and description pull in and out for days or weeks at a time.  Some are funky older models, some are restored old-timers, some are reproductions of the older styles:

Others are brand new and roomy:

And this is Donna.  For more about the Fabulous Donna, see the THE WNDRLND on Facebook and/or my blog about WNDRLND!

Last night I was going to go for a swim in the pool and had a quick nap beforehand.  This morning on our early walk, everyone in the park expressed how they were shocked and completely caught off guard when thunder clouds rolled in suddenly and we were deluged with a walloping rainstorm. Mountain thunderstorms are loud and powerful; it feels like like this Spam can is going to rock off it’s blocks.  The booming thunderclaps woke me up and I raced outside, heart pounding, because my laptop was exposed to the elements on the picnic table. My super kindly neighbor had wrapped it in a garbage bag to protect it.  I almost burst into tears. How thoughtful.  I am truly thankful for the kindness.

We like to “gussy it up” at night, fire up the grill, turn on the “patio lights”: