What in the world is that, was that?  To give you some background on what transpired a night ago.  I have a small window right next to my side of the bed.  Usually I leave it open just a bit every night for some fresh air.  Well, this one night, actually very early in the morning I came wide awake because it sounded like a car alarm was going off.  What in the world was going on?  The what, I only discovered the next day,  the alarm was this

little guy who is known as a Chuck-will’s-widow.  Chuck-will’s-widow forages at dusk and dawn, silently swooping over the ground in search of prey.  Specialized feathers help funnel insects into the bird’s mouth, which is so large that they may occasionally swallow small birds and bats as well!  Chuck-will’s-widows do not build nests, instead laying their eggs on the ground among dead leaves, pine needles, or on bare dirt. Incubating adults are almost invisible against the forest floor and only flies off their nests when closely approached.  So this little guy was my car alarm, that night and every night since.  Google him and listen to his song.

So, we come to this morning.  The sun wasn’t having any of this coming up over the horizon type of experience.  The clouds were thick and low and the temperatures were down in the 50’s.  Not to mention, that the wind was whipping through the site flapping the awning in a grand fashion.  Later at the boat ramp we took a picture of white caps

out on the St. Marys river.  Sort of hard to see but they were there trust me.  The kids and their parent were bundled up out on the pier but having a grand time fishing off the dock.

Time now to go out and discovery something new.  We had come across a museum we missed a few days ago so that was our destination for today.  It was called the

Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum.  In retrospect, we wished we had been able to come here before our tour of Cumberland Island.   The museum provides a great background on the island’s history that would have been great to know before you take the tour.  Therefore, if you are able some day to take the tour of the island our recommendation would be to stop here before you take the tour.

During our time in the museum, we discovered that the Timucuan Indians were some of the earliest inhabitants of Cumberland Island.  Sometime around 1000 years ago,

Eastern Timucuan Indians, arrived on Cumberland Island and lived off the island’s abundance, eating shellfish, game, and edible plants. They called the island Mocama, which is the Timucuan word for “ocean.”   The Indians usually used canoes to travel between the mainland and the island as well as traveling on the various creeks and rivers of the island.. This allowed them to harvest fish, shellfish, plants, and other resources of the island.  Below is what remains of a typical canoe that they used.

Moving forward in time we come to the time before the Carriages.  Revolutionary War

hero Nathan Green  was one of the first to build what would be known as Dungeness.  He had acquired 11,000 acres of island land in exchange for a bad debt. After his death, his widow built a four-story mansion in 1803.  The house was built of tabby which is a mixture of lime, sand and oyster shells.

The house was four stories high and contained forty rooms.

Another influential individual on the island was Robert Stafford.  He came to the island as a servant and became the leading planter on his native Cumberland Island. Specializing in the highly valued long-staple variety of cotton, he claimed among his assets more than 8,000 acres and 350 slaves.  The picture below is that of his plantation on Cumberland Island which was subsequently sold to the Carnegie’s and which they continue to use today.   Most of the out buildings are gone but the main house remains.  The cotton fields in time became a golf course and today the golf course has been turned into a grass air strip.

And then there was Thomas and Lucy Carnegie.  Lucy is the woman in the picture below with the fur draped over her shoulders.  Standing only some 5 feet tall she was nevertheless a powerhouse of a woman.

Below are some pictures of the forms of transportation that were commonly used by the inhabitants of the island.

There is so much more but there simply isn’t time nor space to include it all even though I wish I could.  Put the museum, the Island tour on your bucket list, it’s a decision you will never regret.

Having enjoyed our time at the museum we now headed for home.  But wait, what was this?  It was food truck Saturday in St Marys!  And guess which truck caught our eye?

Oh yes Funnel Cakes!  This was one truck, one treat that we could not pass by.  I tried to

get a picture of our own funnel cake but we were too busy eating it to take a picture of it!

We’ve come now to the end of our day.  It’s been a full and interesting one.  We were able to discover a lot of new things.  We discovered a very interesting bird that lives in this  area, learned more about Cumberland Island, wolf down a funnel cake, and we also were able to finish setting up our budget in Quickbooks.   Moreover we did it all together, side by side.  What more could we ask for.  All in all we packed a lot into this day that God had given us.  How about you?  Hopefully your day was just as full of wonderful new things.  We trust that you too were able to make the most of every minute that the day afforded you.

In saying good night, we want to say to one and all

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

What’s that saying, The Third Time is the Charm.  For us it would prove to be true today.  But let’s begin at the beginning.  This morning began in a rather strange way for me.  I slowly began to stir thinking this is odd, no barking Marti wanting to go out.  Wait a minute there was no Marti in bed next to me.  Matter of fact, there was no Barbara either.  What time was it?  7 am, OK, then where were they.  How about that Barbara woke up early today and got Marti out before he could wake me.  Thank you sweetheart it was nice not having to get up at the usual 6 am with our furry friend.

Slowly I extracted myself from a nice warm and comfortable bed and shuffled out to the living room where Barbara and Marti were.  Together we watched the news and then as if on cue up came the sun.  I pulled back the curtain on the left side of the solarium and let it stream in.  It appeared it was going to be a beautiful day.  Yet, that was not what the weather man said.  The forecast was for rain beginning at 11 am and right on the dot it began.

Yet, as Barbara and I thought about it, this was only the 3rd or 4th time in 4 months that we’ve had rain.  Not bad if you ask us.

Now about the third time is the charm.  We have been trying for some time to obtain our

passport cards and been rebuffed the first two times:  birth certificate not acceptable, photos all wrong, and the list when on.  Today would be our third attempt.  Armed now with my official birth certificate and our photos retaken and our applications completed in advance we headed with high hopes to the local post office.  This the third time was the charm and we were successful in submitting our applications.  Hip, Hip, Hooray!  We wait now for 4 to 6 weeks for everything to come back.  Oh, you want to know why we need them?  We are planning to take a side trip into Canada this summer from Lubec, Maine.

So the rain came and the rain stayed throughout the afternoon.  That kept us inside but busy none the less.  After a few months under our belts at this full-time living we now have a much better idea of our expenses.  Together we sat down and put a new and more realistic budget together.  The big expenses – such as a new refrigerator and new tires – are behind us now we hope.  So today we put together a real budget that more accurately reflects our current lifestyle.

Oh, one more thing.  A must on any kind of rainy day when you have the chance.  Yes,

you guessed it we both took naps.  Listening to the rain on the roof always seems to make me sleepy – unless of course I’m driving!  What’s my favorite saying?  We’re retired!

Supper time found us refreshed and hungry but neither of us wanted to cook.  Guess what?  Papa John’s delivers pizza to the park.  Oh happy, happy, joy, joy!  So we dined in this evening.  We both enjoyed and came away full, way too full actually.

So that was our day.  The rain finally did end and the sky became a bright and beautiful red.  What’s the old saying red sky’s at night sailors delight?  So based on the sky and the weather forecast tomorrow promises to be a beautiful day.  Tomorrow we’ll get back to exploring new and interesting places.

We hope your day was as wonderful as ours was.  Maybe you had rain?   A touch of cold weather?  Yet, we hope you were able to make the most of the new day that God had given you.  If not, then here is something for all of us to think about at the end of this day

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

Moving slow this morning, oh yes, we where.  I digress.  Wow, what a morning!  The sun streaming through the solarium windows as bright as could be.  The temperatures already in the 70’s.  This was going to be another great day.  After yesterday we were slow getting up, accept our friend Marti who insisted I take him for a walk at 5:30 am and again at 6:30 am.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  I guess, though, that was better than him doing his business on our bedroom floor.  Yes, I did get to lay back down but to no avail.  Once I’m awake I find it hard to go back to sleep.  I see a nap in my future today.  At least I thought I did but it was not to be.  Oh well, to bed early tonight at least for me.  By the way Marti had absolutely no problem getting back to sleep.  Lucky him.

Yes, today neither of us was moving fast.  After yesterday’s activities on the island our knees were still letting us know we had pushed them to the limit.  And why should we move fast?  As I’ve said before and will probably say a hundred times again we’re retired!  So we just sort of idled through the morning and finally in good time got ourselves in gear and out the door.  We had to pick up some mail that we had delivered to Barbara’s cousin, Walter, then we were going to downtown St. Marys and the Submarine Museum.

However, before we got there we went to the Post Office to try to start the process for our Passport Cards.  Guess what?  You have to make an appointment.  Are you kidding me?  In addition, after looking at our pictures, we were told they would never be accepted.  So you know what we had to find, a place to take passport photos.  Thankfully CVS will do them for a reasonable price and they were right down the street.  As for that appointment?  We went home, got online, and made one for tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed, I know we are going to have our fingers and toes crossed this time.  So far this whole process has been a real nightmare and we just hope it ends tomorrow and we have our application accepted.

Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, located in St Marys, is the home port for the Atlantic Fleet’s most modern nuclear ballistic submarines, the Trident or

 

Ohio-class subs. It is the only navy base with the capability to support the Trident II missile, the most sophisticated nuclear missile designed to be launched from a submarine. The highly secure facility encompasses approximately 16,000 acres, 4,000 of which are protected wetlands.  Monday, of next week, Barbara’s cousin, Walter, who was once a submariner, is going to take us for a tour of the base.

St Marys is a quaint a quiet little town that is also known as the gateway to Cumberland Island

These are some pictures of the town itself.  This is looking out over the St. Mary’s river.

Looking down one of the side streets

Looking down Main Street

This is where we went to get a bite to eat, the Riverside Cafe

The official mascot of the cafe, a green alligator – I think!

And this very interesting sign just as you walk in

Tummies now full, we ambled down the sidewalk some 20 feet to the Submarine Museum

This is the entrance to the museum

Following are some pictures of the various displays inside the museum

Simulated Control room and a picture of a typical periscope – this one actually works and it lets you see the sights along the waterfront across from the museum

Models of the various classes of submarines

Another display case of models of various types of submarines

We spent about an hour in the museum which included watching a very informative video of submarines and what life would typically be like aboard one.  Truthfully, I though living in a 36 foot class A motorhome was somewhat confining, but it’s nothing compared to life aboard a submarine.  I will say, though, they do eat well.  No expense is spared when it comes to preparing wholesome and nutritional meals for all on board.

So that was our day.  A nice, relaxing day with a dash of exploration thrown in.  It’s always fun to explore new places and see new things.  That really is what this life is all about.  Exploration.  Discovery.  New friends.  So the journey goes on.  Now that the sun has gone down it is cooling off real quick, time to close all the windows, shut the fans off and get ready for bed.  We hope you had a great day like we did.   If not well think on this

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

Wow, what a morning!  The sun streaming through the solarium windows as bright as could be.  The temperatures already in the 70’s.  This was going to be another great day.  After yesterday we were slow getting up, accept our friend Marti who insisted I take him for a walk at 5:30 am and again at 6:30 am.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  I guess, though, that was better than him doing his business on our bedroom floor.  Yes, I did get to lay back down but to no avail.  Once I’m awake I find it hard to go back to sleep.  I see a nap in my future today.

Let’s see if I can get us caught up on our Cumberland Island Tour.  To begin with I have to say our tour guide, Kathy, was the best.  Kathy had worked a number of years at the Cumberland Island museum on the mainland and had acquired a wealth of knowledge regarding the island.  So by the time she accepted the position of tour guide she knew the history of the island backwards and forwards.  There wasn’t a question that we could stump her.  She knew it all and put it all together for our group in a way that made our tour a fantastic one.

Onward.  We’re going to move from the south to the north.  Let’s get going.  In the 1880’s, Pittsburgh steel magnate Thomas Carnegie and his wife Lucy bought the majority of Cumberland Island, the largest barrier island along Georgia’s ragged coastline, from descendants of Revolutionary War General Nathaniel Greene. Within five years they constructed a magnificent palatial mansion on the spot where the Greene family had built their own grand residence, and called it “Dungeness”, after the original Greene house. In 1886, the house welcomed its first occupants, which included the nine children of Thomas and Lucy, and the many servants that were required to run a property that large. By the start of the 20^th century Cumberland Island was the primary residence of the Carnegie’s.  This is what the house once looked like back in its prime.

Dungeness had 59 rooms and stood over 124 feet tall at it’s highest point.  The main house is just one of many structures on the site.  There was also a generator plant, a laundry, a bakery, stables, servant’s quarters, utility buildings, cisterns and a variety of other structures.  Unfortunately, Thomas died two years after the completion of the house.  Lucy continued using the house until 1916 when she died,  The family closed the house up in 1925 since nobody was using it.

This, unfortunately, is what it looks like today.  Though a conviction was never obtained, those in the know say that the fire that destroyed the house in 1959 was the work of a disgruntled poacher who had earlier been caught and evicted from the island.  He later snuck back on the island and torched the house.

Until Lucy moved off the island, being the domineering and controlling mother that she was, and in order to keep tabs on her 9 children she offered each $10,000 toward the construction of a house – provided it was built on the island.   Some of the other estates built were Greyfield Inn which today is a privately owned hotel; Stafford Plantation which is still privately owned and used today by the Carnegie’s; and, Plum Orchard which is owned by the Park service but open for tours.

The Greyfield Inn was built-in 1901 by Lucy as a wedding present to her daughter Margaret.  Afterwards, it passed down through the family and today Mitty and his wife Mary (aka Gogo) operate Grayfield Inn. This is a current picture of the Greyfield Inn.  The inn offers 16 rooms in the main house and two additional cottages. Rooms typically go for $600 a night and a minimum of two nights is required.   Or if you so wish you can just go for dinner which with transportation included is a mere $120 per person.

Plum Orchard is the largest remaining Carnegie Mansion on the Island but it is now owned by the Park Service.  It was built-in 1898 by Lucy Carnegie, and given to her son, George, and his bride, Margaret, as a wedding present, if you can call a 106 room, 22,000 sq. ft. house a wedding present.  The original house consisted only of the center section which Margaret deemed too small.  She subsequently talked her mother out of $55,000 and used that to build the two wings onto the house.

The house had the obligatory tiled heated indoor pool, and a full indoor squash court. Tiffany fixtures hung in the house, while hand printed silk and canvas wallpaper was featured throughout the residence.  There were four staircases, two for the occupants of the house and two for the multiple servants who worked there.  Like Dungeness it had it’s own laundry, cistern, generator plant and numerous other out buildings.  Below are some pictures of the inside of Plum Orchard.  This first picture is of the entrance hall.

This is a picture of the dining hall.  All who came to dinner were expected to dress in formal wear.  In addition the table-cloth and other linens were changed after each meal.

This was Margret’s bedroom.  Note the pull cord over the bed.  There were a total of 36 pull cords that went to a central butlers room.  Anytime one was pulled a servant had to figure out what room and who was pulling the cord and response forthwith.

This was Margaret’s bathroom.  It had a rain forest shower head, heated towel racks, dispensers for shampoo and soap, and tile everywhere.

This was the man cave of the house.  It had two gun closets and a safe where ammunition was kept.  It also had a grand piano and, of course, a Tiffany lamp with actual sea shells embedded in the underside of the lamp shade.

This is a picture of one of the servants hallways.  They were all painted gold to distinguish them from the hallways that were for the occupants of the house.  The servants were not allowed to move about in the main part of the house.  They were expected to traverse the house by using the basement, one of the two staircases that were designated their’s, or one of the allowed hallways.

Continuing north.  The Stafford Plantation is still owned and used by the Carnegie’s who fly in and out when they wish to stay here.  It consists of a main house and several other houses built on and around the plantation.  There are about 11 caretakers who live here full-time and look after the property.

This is the grass airfield that is used today.  It was once a cotton field, then a golf course, and today a grass air strip.  Due to the large number of wild horses that like the grass on the air strip it is said that it is a must to first buzz the airfield to chase them off before attempting to land.

One of the planes that they use to come and go.

Finally we come to the very north end of the island.  This is a picture of the church were John and Carolyn were married.  The church was chosen by John because of its seclusion and privacy.

This is a picture of the inside of the church unchanged from that day long ago.

The wedding, as the story goes, was rather late at night and was conducted by flashlight because there was no electric lights in the church and candles were prohibited.  The late hour was due to the fact that both John and Carolyn were late.  John was late because he couldn’t find his farther’s presidential cufflinks he wanted to wear.  Carolyn was late because due to the heat and humidity they had a difficult time getting her wedding dress on.  The wedding reception was later held at the Greyfield Inn.

Now, we come to an individual who has been called the wild woman of the island.  Her name is Carol Ruckdeschel and she has lived on the island for over 46 years and today is 76 years old.  This is a picture of the house she has lived in for those 46 years.

She eats roadkill, raises her own vegetables, and lives off what the island provides.  Three close male companions died near her little house in the woods.  There was the lover who attacked her in a drunken rage and who she shot and killed in self-defense, the friend who couldn’t swim and the husband who collapsed from a stroke on her front porch.

Ruckedeschel has been at the center of raging debates on Cumberland Island ever since she lived there.  Those debates often pit this scrappy, pig-tailed naturalist in overalls and boots against well-heeled and bejeweled descendants of the nation’s industrial elite.  An author who wrote a book about her states that what is most important to her is the wild, unmanipulated and unmanaged part of the island.  She thinks nature should be allowed to run its course.  One last note, she abhors contact with people and is a true recluse.  Our guide on the tour who has had contact with her in the past did her best to coax her out of her house to meet us but she wasn’t having anything to do with a one of us.

That, then, brings us to the end of our Cumberland Island tour.  There is so much more in terms of history and so many more pictures that I could not include.  Do yourself a favor if you are ever in the area of Cumberland Island – make time to take the tour yourself.  You will never regret it.

So for now, until later when I post today’s activities I’ll say thanks for joining us once again.