We were up at nine to go to breakfast, having missed several groups of others who were just finishing up. However, as we were eating, the Lucyshyns arrived and we had a lively discussion about "cutting the cord" (cable) and Titanic.

Then I had to trot to the room while James paid the bill to finish getting us packed and out of the room by checkout time, which is eleven. I think the Rick Steves' "Civita" bags we used this weekend would certainly work again as long as we carried the toiletries case separately. I love the toiletries case, which keeps all our things sorted and together; I wish I'd bought one sooner. But it was still a bit bulky and heavy for the little backpack.

We passed the common area, which friendly elves had almost finished breaking down, so we just checked out and went on to Picnic Shelter 6. Alice and Ken, with Aubrey and her friend Isabel (who is a hot sketch), and Juanita and David, had been out there for an hour or more, getting the grill going. It was very, very breezy today—we had a wind advisory—as well as delightfully cool for April (low 60s) and they could barely keep the fire going, so they built a windbreak with a plastic tablecloth. By the time most of us arrived, they had a batch of hamburgers already done.

It was a swell picnic, from our point of view, although some found it a bit chilly! It was cool and you didn't suffer sitting in the sun, and the talk was jolly as always, from new cameras to Sophie's antics on the jungle gym next to the picnic shelter to absent friends. Alice had arranged to take a picture of all of the "Bori," as we call the family, and then I said, "Wow, if you had a tripod you could take a picture of all of us using the timer." Alice keeps a tripod in her car, so after we did the family picture, we had a group picture.

I figured we needed it. Next year they are closing Unicoi down for some time and we are going to have to find another place to have Atomicon. But even then we are not sure we can ever come back. The story is that they are not just remodeling the lodge buildings, which desperately needs doing, but they are going to create suites or larger rooms. Daniel suspects they might even wall off the common area and have you spend extra to access it. We don't even know if we will be able to afford the place once they refurb; it might be for "higher-end clientele" only.

It's very disheartening. As much as we've complained about the tatty condition of the place, and its abysmal wifi, it's very much home and will be very much missed if we lose it.

We left sometime after one, listening to a Rick Steves' program about visiting D-Day sites. On Friday James had bought a couple of polo shirts at the Hanes Outlet, but he had liked a third one. So we went back to get that one. He had also looked at one of those Soda Stream things, where you carbonate and mix your own sodas; Williams-Sonoma had the kits on sale. But he hadn't quite decided to buy one until, during the picnic, we walked down to the edge of Smith Creek and sat chatting with Daniel and Clair, who were perched on a rock at water's edge. They have one and love it. So we went to Williams-Sonoma to get the kit, but they didn't carry the syrups. We compared the prices at Kitchen Collection and Le Gourmet and got a bottle of cola syrup at the latter. As we walked around we kept bumping into Ron and Lin; we always manage to run into a few people who are stopping by the outlet mall on the way home.

We picked up Willow and Schuyler at the vet. Schuyler was fluffed and happy and Willow came dashing out, dragging the attendant behind her. And then we drove home, plunked everything inside, went to Kroger for milk and things, plus some soup for supper as it is so chilly, then unpacked. I have settled the ties on my new shoes so I can wear them tomorrow. Frozen Planet is reaching its conclusion. Schuyler is preening and grinding her beak in contentment. Willow has settled happily.

Back to the real world tomorrow.

Labels: friends, outings, pets, weather

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 8:38:00 PM

Comments:

Too bad about changes at Unicoi. I remember it fondly.

# posted by  FiveAcres : 7:22:00 AM

 

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