Longs, South Carolina

November 22 - January 1, 2010

Willow Tree RV Resort

Longs, South Carolina

Here we are, back at #4 at Willow Tree in Longs, north of Myrtle Beach. As much as we loved being at the beach, Willow Tree has been one of our favorite resorts. The sites are large and clean with plenty of room "in-between" coaches; the facilities are all in great condition. It was a quarry in days past and they have created a lake surrounded by a nature trail, walking/riding walk, clubhouse, beautiful pool (which we have never used as it has been too cold) and rv sites and cottages.

The only problem is the location. It is a distance to get to what's happening in Myrtle Beach. As the weeks have gone by we seem to fill the gas tank up so frequently and we have begun to realize this is not the spot to be in while in this area.

Susan and Bob were with us for the first week and we had a nice family Thanksgiving at Thoroughbred's Restaurant. We were there for Thanksgiving two years ago and enjoyed it very much and weren't disappointed for this trip, although I did notice there weren't as many people as we saw there previously. Thoroughbred's puts on a Thanksgiving Buffet with turkey, lamb, ham and roast beef with all the sides, together with appetizers and desserts. Unfortunately I felt I had to try them all and ate WAY TOO MUCH! It was great to be with Susan and Bob; helped a lot for the homesickness one feels at the holiday.

We actually got in a campfire before Susan and Bob left for home.

And then we had MORE rain!! We had a rainy day that turned into a rainy night with heavy rain, strong winds and thunder with lightening that rivaled any light show I have ever seen. Then came the tornado watches and warnings. What, do I attract these tornados? Whoever thought about tornados in South Carolina in December. There is a 4-foot drain-off ditch near the lake that started with a small ripple of water and after the storm, it's overflowing. The lake is higher than I have ever seen it and the nearby golf courses are drenched! This weather pattern of cold and rainy days has continued...wouldn't you know, the November and December rainfall totals are more than double the average for this area!

We played golf twice the first week at Aberdeen Country Club...of course golf carts on paths only because of the wetness. Monday was before the storm and the fairways were pretty wet; Friday after the storm, we were wading through puddles of mud to get to our balls. Because I don't have a lot of distance, I rely on the fairways to give me some run...all I got on this day was a few plugged balls and a very high score.

So we finally did get a decent day for golf (and also our anniversary) so off we went to King's North. Even in winter they had some flowers blooming; and even where there was no color, it was still a beautiful course. Started off slow in the cold weather but ended up nicely with a birdie on the par 3 17th.

Well, the weather finally got to me and Ken sent me home. I got tickets on Spirit Air for $38 each way...couldn't pass that up and I really needed a grandkid fix. Had a great time and wish the week hadn't passed so quickly. While there I visited our lot on Canonchet. Peter had put the hay bales down and made a little path along the building line. I got excited looking over the pond in the same place where my deck will be next summer. It's so peaceful there.

We finally got the building permit the end of December...I DO NOT recommend attempting to get permits on a pondfront property for any amateur. It was a trying, to say the least, experience, with twists and turns at every juncture. But we now have the building permit in hand and it should be all fun from here on in (yeah, right)!

Then back to Myrtle Beach for the holidays which we spent very quietly in the rain!!!! Have definitely decided if we're ever away for the holidays again, it won't be in Myrtle Beach!

This was our third Christmas on the road...the first we spent at home waiting for Zander to join the family. Last year we were in San Diego where Sarah joined us and we spent a lot of time with my aunt, Evy, and cousins Jan and Jay. Being with family made it easier being away from the kids and grandkids. But, this year we were on our own.

We celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary with a day of golf at King's North and dinner at the House of Blues where we reminisced about our previous anniversaries (those we could remember that is). What a handsome fellow I've got, huh!!

We've found a new pasttime when the weather is cold or rainy and there's not much else to do...we go to the matinee AND we get the senior discount! We've seen more movies at the theater in the past month that we have seen in the past 15 years.

NFL Week 16 found us looking for the Patriots on local television or DirecTV and NOTHING. So, we hopped in the car and headed for the nearest sports bar which was packed. We managed to get a good booth and settled in to watch the game and then realized South Carolina does not have No Smoking laws in local bars. But, we managed to make it through the game, where there were a lot of Patriot fans. When it was over, we headed home with red, watery eyes, but with another win and another AFC Championship which made it all worth it!!!

I write these final thoughts on this last day of 2009 in a Walmart parking lot in Pooler, Georgia. Susan and Bob are next to us and we just returned from dinner at a restaurant nearby where we had cold fried seafood and refill after refill of Arnold Palmers. It's amazing how, as we get older, it gets harder and harder to stay up till midnight to welcome in the new year.

I want to wish my family and friends a healthy and happy 2010. So far, so good..........