South Carolina with Friends

Roger here...  We can now say that we have spent the night in a southern mansion, actually three nights.  

Sharon, Brett, Dianne and Poquita

Our friends, Brett and Sharon have built a beautiful home in a spectacular
and secluded wooded setting.  Our friendship began at Cinderella Pet Rescue in Mission, Texas where the four of us are volunteers.  Brett and Sharon provide so much support for the rescue dogs in south Texas, as well as those in their South Carolina community.

During our visit, multiple daily walks around the lake were the norm.  On the first day Brett and Sharon's daughter, Beth, and grandson, Lee, joined us for dinner and a walk.  We had met Beth before when she visited south Texas.  Lee just finished his first year as a cadet at The Citadel.  

Beth, Desi, Lee, Lucy, Sharon, Poquita, Brett

The views of their property with the lake in the foreground were so beautiful.  What a lot of work Brett and Sharon put into the development of their home.

Our little Airstream enjoyed a 30 amp connection in front of their covered motor home while we (including Bandido and Poquita) stayed in a guest quarters in their house.

The multileveled decks provided wonderful places for both the adults and the dogs.

I'm more excited than I look....

Bandido was so excited to have a large space to run and play.  

Poquita was just happy to have lots of time to sit on Dianne's lap.





A highlight of the visit for Dianne was reuniting with Desi.  Desi was the first dog that Dianne walked when she began volunteering at Cinderella Pet Rescue.  We were both thrilled when Brett and Sharon adopted him.  The video below shows that Dianne and Desi still have a special bond.   Click the link to view it:

Desi and Dianne

Sadly, Desi has lost his sight over the years.  However, that does not affect his happiness.  His nose and his ears make up for his loss of sight.  What a lovable galute!



Dianne's Teensy-Weensy Trailer Tip:

The inside of our bathroom door was prime real estate in the trailer, but it started out as just blank space with a towel bar.   So, in addition to the hanging toothbrushes (described in a previous post), I added a full-length mirror and Command hooks to hang a grocery bag for our trash.   The mirror is actually not a real mirror, but a stick-on sheet that I found on Amazon.  

There is virtually NO room for a trash can, but by hanging grocery sacks (I line or tape them if they have holes) on the command hooks, it has worked out really well.   We empty the trash frequently anyway as we travel, so I have not really used the large trash bags I brought along, and I have ended up storing them in the car in case we ever need one.

Close-up of trash bag on Command hook

A Visit to Camden....

During the first full day of our visit, Brett and Sharon showed us the nearby town of Camden.  It is a well-known location in the world of steeplechase racing.  Imagine horses thundering around the track in the photo below surrounded by tents, catered meals on tables with chandeliers, and ladies with large flowered hats.

Camden was the sight of battles during the Revolutionary War --- a very historic place.  Fortunately, the many old mansions were not destroyed during the civil war.  The drive through the old residential areas on the narrow roads was really interesting.  Such southern charm!

After the auto tour we walked the main street in town where we had lunch.  

The spire rising above the store fronts added to the charm of the town.

We did not stop in any of the shops along the street, but we did get a kick out of the display of flying pigs next to the sidewalk.

A Visit to the Camden Revolutionary War Site...

I had forgotten the history that I learned in school about the Revolutionary War battles.  The visit to this site awakened some of that history in my brain.

The British had their way with our revolutionary troops at Camden.  This museum highlights the British encampment and the nearby battlefields.  

British General Cornwallis headquartered his troops in the southern region in Camden.  The renovated mansion in the photo below was taken and used as Cornwallis's headquarters.

The inside of the mansion was painted in the original colors.  Bright, huh?

The quilt on display in the  photo below is identical to one that my grandmother Hays made years ago.

The portrait over the mantel below is the earliest painting of former president Andrew Jackson.  He was held as a prisoner in Camden during his late teen years.  (I've only seen his ubiquitous image from the $20 bill, so I was surprised to see that ole' Andrew was actually a handsome guy in his youth -- D.)

Floating in the Pond...

Roger and Lucy

The weather was great during our stay.  During our last afternoon with Brett and Sharon, we spent some quality time floating on their pond.

Brett and Lucy

Salud! ...

Brett and Sharon took us to a great Mexican restaurant in town -- Salud! -- during the last evening of our visit.

The food was amazing...

.... as was the company!



Thanks go to Brett and Sharon for taking such good care of us and our pups.

Good Times with Good Friends! -- D.

The pet picture of the day is an old photo of Dianne and Bart (now Desi) taken when he was at Cinderella Pet Rescue.   What a lucky dog he is to have found such a perfect forever home after being at the pet rescue for several years!

Such a good boy!

For our next stop, we traveled to North Carolina to a place that our dogs LOVE.   Stay tuned!