March 14

The following day (3-14), we continued northwest and landed about 70 miles later at another state park campground near Aiken. It was cold in the morning and cold in the evening, but in between, it was a nice day.

Click on thumbnail to see full photograph.

We passed the Spell Cemetery early in the day. That wouldn’t have meant anything to us if not for a story that Cheryl had told a couple of days earlier. She has a part time job working for the Census Bureau, and her responsibility is to distribute census questionnaires. If someone is home when she knocks on the door, she is supposed to verify that the family living there matches the name on her list. Recently, she asked one lady “Is this the Alexander residence?” and the lady replied “Spell.” So Cheryl did just that: “A-l-e-x-a-n-d-e-r.” The lady replied, “No, Spell.” Just a little taken back, Cheryl tried once again: “A-l-e-x-a-n-d-e-r.” Well, they finally sorted it out, and of course the family name was Spell. Everyone had a good laugh. So, Cheryl, this photo is for you, but only if you can spell cemetery.

The excitement came in the evening at the campsite when I went to zip my tent shut and heard a very loud snap. My front tent pole snapped for reasons unknown. I certainly didn’t put any great pressure on it, so it must have been something that was just ready to go. The good news was that the tent didn’t collapse, so I was able to spend the night in it despite its obvious lopsided appearance.

G.A.S.P.

(Great Adventures to Scenic Places)