Are you curious about my title for today? Keep reading and you'll find out who (or what) The Henry is, LOL. On Tuesday, Sharon and Becky made a day trip up to the mountains to eat breakfast at the newly restored, reopened Bluffs Restaurant on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's been closed since 2010, so this was a big deal. I'll be posting more information about that over on my page called "The Coolest Corner." After breakfast, they drove over to the Holler to check on me, empty the dehumidifier, and complete a little mod. Sharon used to say while she was still teaching that "a good teacher is a thief". What she meant by that was that there are lots of great ideas out there . . . ideas that teachers can snitch, implement, use to improve their methods, and excite their students with. Well I think she's now applying that to being an Oliver owner. Over on our Facebook page, Ollie owners share all kinds of great ideas, easy mods, and fun info. That's where she got the bright idea for my latest one. A website called Tooletries features some very cool products for bathrooms as well as for organization. One of them is called The Henry. It's a silicone pouch that attaches on a shower wall, tile, mirror, or glass. It grips strongly to shiny surfaces, so it's perfect for my fiberglass! There are no adhesives to worry about either. It's made from antibacterial, waterproof silicone that comes with specifically designed drainage holes to keep everything clean and dry. All Sharon had to do was decide where to place it, peel off the back, and press it on the wall over the sink to hold a toothbrush and toothpaste. It comes in charcoal and grey and ours is the charcoal color.
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Hello friends near and far! Last week, Sharon and I hosted a small gathering of camping friends here in The Holler. In a normal year, under normal camping circumstances, we would be hosting 60+ trailers and 120+ campers at the Annual Blue Ridge Rally. Since the 13th BRR got cancelled last May, Sharon decided that enough North & South Carolina folks might like to escape the August heat and head for my hills. On Sunday, a merry little band of 12 rolled into the campground for a week of fellowship and fun. Everyone wore a mask and practiced social distancing to keep things safe. At the big Blue Ridge Rally, Sharon plans oodles of activities to keep folks busy and introduce them to our beloved mountains. But at our small do-da last week, we held campfires each night, went kayaking on the New River on Wednesday morning, played bingo on Thursday morning, made a trip over to Thistle Meadow Winery in Laurel Springs, and that was it! Every single person that attended agreed that this was just what the doctor ordered and was "good medicine". Here are our friends . . . While there, Sharon and Becky got take-out BLTs from Rodies, took a Wednesday drive on the Parkway to the Mast Store in Valle Crucis, strolled the campground, enjoyed visits from friends, and totally relaxed in between. Here are some extra snapshots of their week. Not seeing all our camping buddies in 2020 has been hard. We are so used to meeting and greeting them several times in a season, so this week in the Holler with them was extra special, not to mention "good medicine".
Thanks for stopping by for a visit yourselves! Take care, be safe, and from my family (Sharon, Gracie, Phoebe, Splish, GiGi, Zip, & the raccoons) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357. Sharon and I discovered early in our first season in The Holler that the humidity and moisture in the mountains of the NC High Country could turn anything white and rubbery into a nasty, gross mess very quickly. In particular . . . the vinyl window seal. Trying to keep that white rubber seal clean proved to be a futile task. It didn't matter how many times mine was sprayed with cleaner and wiped down, the grunge kept growing and growing. Just look at all those mildew spots around the seal! Over on our Oliver Facebook page, there are great Ollie Owners sharing a raft of information. One post was about this problem with the white vinyl seals not staying white. The suggestion was to go with a black seal to hide the dirt. So Sharon copied the information and placed an order back in the winter before our camping season began. We'll share all those details with you at the end of today's post. The vinyl seal, that can be ordered in any length, was delivered quickly from Pelland Enterprises and was very affordable. The replacement project was a totally easy DIY project for us. The first thing Sharon did was to pull out the old, stained white seal and get to work cleaning the window tracks. It took some elbow grease, work towels, spray cleaner, and pipe cleaners to get all the gunk out (weep holes too) before installing the new black seal. Next she laid the old piece back to back with the new, added about 1/4" to the length, and cut it at a 90° angle with a box cutter. Installing the new black seal was as easy as pie. Simply pushed into place and VOILA, we had a sharp-looking new window!
Pelland (Industries) Enterprises
1/2" Glass Vinyl Seal #109-376 18' ordered (perfect for 4 windows on the Elite II with enough leftover for a replacement if needed in the future) www.pellandent.com If you've dropped by before, you already know that I am parked on a seasonal site here in Raccoon Holler Campground in Glendale Springs, NC. My home is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and there's just lots to love about this area. It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that folks here in the campground have a love for raccoons too. In fact, there are hundreds of raccoons in all shapes and sizes that can be seen as you stroll up and down the roads of the Holler. Sharon, Becky, and the Cousins are always on the lookout for anything raccoon when they are out exploring. But they are quite picky when it comes to actually buying something for me or Miss Anne next door.
I have to tell you that there aren't a whole lot of modifications to be made on me. Maybe it's because I'm pretty perfect right off the factory floor . . . at least that's what Sharon thinks, lol. But there was one item of my interior that kinda bothered both of us . . . the black media wires running down out of the "attic". With my interior being such a beautiful bright white, those black wires were a glaring eyesore. Another set of wires from the "attic" was a radio antenna that attached to the window. Sharon knew that if she could find just the right-sized white tube or sheath, she could fit it around those wires and make them disappear. So she shopped on Amazon and voila . . . white tubing! After measuring twice, it was time to cut. The tubing had a slit cut in it already, so it was an easy task to slide it right around the wires. Prest-o chang-o, my tubular mod was complete. No more ugly black wires! Thanks so much for dropping by today to check out one of the easiest mods that can be done for us Ollies. From my family (Sharon, Gracie, Phoebe, Splish, GiGi, & Zip) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357.
In August of my first summer in the Holler, my interior started smelling a little funky and musty. I wrote all about it back on August 25, 2018 and told you how Sharon attacked the problem. Her final solution involved installing a sleep system called Froli. Now the Froli system is not new to folks who have little teardrop campers called T@Gs and T@Bs, because they are often installed to improve the sleep under the standard cushions. After reading posts on our Oliver websites and discussion boards, Sharon decided it would be the perfect final step for stopping the growth of mildew under my mattresses. The humidity of my Blue Ridge Mountains was never going to change, so proactive steps needed to be taken! After a bit of math, she determined how much to order for both twin beds and went with the Froli Travel option. We enlisted the help of Aunt Becky, laid out all the parts, worked out the grid, and got to work. It was a tedious job of snapping all the base elements together for the perfect fit and it was not a quick job. After completing the base, we moved on to the spring elements that snapped on top. The light blue squares had extra cushioning and they were placed in the shoulder area. After finishing the left twin bed, we moved on to the right. The whole purpose of installing this Froli bed system was to raise the mattresses up off the fiberglass sleeping platform so air could circulate underneath. The circulation keeps moisture from being trapped and preventing mildew from growing. Success! As a bonus, Sharon and Becky increased the comfort factor of the bed. Ventilation and comfort . . . a match made in Holler Heaven.
Thanks ever so much for checking out my Froli blog today and from my family (Sharon, Gracie, Phoebe, Splish, GiGi, & Zip) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357. I have had the best intentions for the past 12 months . . . intentions of writing some blogs, sharing news and photos, and bringing you stories from the Holler. All I can say is that life seems to have gotten in the way for me and Sharon.
But today we celebrate my 3rd anniversary of sitting pretty on site #86 at Raccoon Holler Campground. I believe that if I make a promise to you right here and now to start chatting with you again, then I will be bound to holding up that promise. So that's my plan and I will do my utmost to stick to it. Sharon, Gracie the Camping Dog, and Baby Phoebe just left this morning after spending some time with me this week. Cousin Rob and Mr. Mark gave me a much-needed bath last week so I looked my best for this special day. Life has been good in the Holler, the temperatures have been divine this season, and the fun continues to come by the bucketload. Until the next time, from my family (Sharon, Gracie, Phoebe, Splish, Gigi, and Zip) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357. Hey y'all. Welcome back to the second part of the story of my deck. Whoever thought that there would be so many ideas tossed around and decisions to be made about a simple wooden deck! It was soon apparent after The Coffee Cup stood in for me for four months, that an awning of some sort would be needed. My Blue Ridge Mountains get lots of afternoon showers throughout the summer. Since Sharon didn't want to take the chair cushions out of the shed and then put them away again during every single visit with me, shelter was called for. Even though I have a beautiful retractable awning that would give everyone/everything shade and protection, there would be that issue of rolling it out, rolling it in over and over.
Folks questioned us about leaving it out 24/7, but the legs are screwed into the deck and the corner guy lines are tied to eye-bolts also screwed to the deck. Having thick rhododendron bushes on three sides provides a buffer for gusty winds, adding to its security. Even when the outer bands of Hurricane Florence blew through last year, the Quest was steady and stable. In this year's pre-RHC-season, Sharon unfolded the awning on her deck, sprayed it with a silicon tent waterproofer, and sealed all the seams. It's holding up well in our second season and hopefully will continue to do so into 2020. Now would you believe there were decisions to be made about lighting our deck? Oh yes there were and that's a good subject for part 3 of the evolution of my deck. It tickles me to death that you stopped by to read my little blog! Until tomorrow, from my family (Sharon, Gracie, Splish, Gigi, and Zip the new kid on the block) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357.
When Sharon, Becky, Rob, and Trisha met Janet on that Saturday morning back in March of 2018 to look at a potential seasonal site at Raccoon Holler Campground, one of the first things that stood out was the deck. At 27 feet long and 15 feet wide, it was a beauty. Even though it was covered in leaves, the potential was there! After a spring clean before The Coffee Cup arrived, ideas of an outdoor mat, chairs, cushions, choice of awnings, a cooking station, lighting, tablecloth for the picnic table, and more began. We didn't want anything fancy, cluttered, or tacky though. Both The Cup and I have similar colors, so a palate of browns and beiges was chosen. It was important that the list of new items to be purchased would be kept at a minimum. Cousin Rob was forever sending Sharon links to stuff to be bought, LOL. But Splash, The Cup, the Wee Cabin, and home had a sizable inventory of items to choose from. Take mats for example. First we borrowed the Cup's brown & cream mat that you see in the photo above. Then came Splash's huge black and white mat. The third was purchased at Lowes, and although beautiful, it held water and would not drain when it got wet despite being an outdoor one. The fourth was a keeper Sharon found at Kotula's back in late spring. Next came the decision concerning chairs and tables. Sharon saw some high-backed, brown, plastic "Adirondack" chairs that she thought would be great. No need to worry out them getting wet! They were light-weight and with the 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Splish brought them up to the Holler. Two folding white plastic tables were purchased too. But everyone from Sharon to the Cousins quickly realized they weren't terribly comfortable and were actually kinda hard to get out of. Even with some black & white cushions from Lowes, it was an epic fail. So it was back to the drawing board. Chairs 2.0 occurred when Sharon was gifted a couple of really nice chairs for her deck in Newton, freeing up the four that she had used for years. Once again it was Splish to the rescue and in a matter of a couple of hours last summer, comfortable chairs and flowery cushions were in place to finish out our first camping season! The "Adirondack" chairs now circle the fire pit. Cousin Rob was the inspiration for two folding tables from Walmart . . . black, sturdy and big. This year, Sharon bought new matchy matchy cushions. Chairs, cushions, and tables are ready for relaxing, seating visiting friends, and casual meals! This is a good stopping point for the Evolution Of The Deck Pt. 1. Thanks so much for stopping by and from my family (Sharon, Gracie, Splish, Gigi, and Zip the new kid on the block) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357. Happy Birthday to me! Well, more specifically, Happy Gotcha Day!! Sharon reminded me today that on July 17th, one year ago, we met for the every first time. She and Cousin Rob rolled into Hohenwald, TN bright and early to take delivery of me. It was love at first sight and everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. After an exhausting and thorough orientation and walk-thru, we traveled on the Natchez Trace for our first night camping together. It was thrilling, scary, and funny all at the same time. There's a story that only Sharon and Rob know and they will laugh until they cannot breathe every time they talk about it. We traveled the next day to my forever home at Raccoon Holler Campground in Glendale Springs, NC and it's been an awesome year of camping together ever since.
I haven't taken the time to write any blogs this season, but I plan on fixing that and getting you caught up on my life here on 5th Avenue. I'm so glad you dropped by so I could tell you about my birthday today. From my family (Sharon, Gracie, Splish, Gigi, and Zip the new kid on the block) to yours, I wish you the best! Mollie #357. |
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July 2020
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