The heat and especially the humidity was overwhelming, and I'm not a kid anymore. Add to that, the fact that rains were occurring several times/day. Yes, rain overnight and in the early morning left everything wet. Then a late morning or early afternoon shower with an additional one in late afternoon, usually stronger...wetter. Then after dinner time, still another. This prohibited me from getting anything significant accomplished.
I then opted to see what Habitat for Humanity had in the way of needs for volunteers to help build homes around the country...further up north that is.
I found one of their affiliates in Tahlequah, OK was in need of a couple of volunteers so I signed up.
Figuring that OK was further north, a higher latitude and also inland, so should have less humidity, I signed up for a couple of weeks. I also signed up to be the team leader at another build still further up north in western Virginia. That was for another month with a 3 week break between OK and VA for travel, exploration or ? along the way.
Wrapping up work on the Tioga, here in Florida at my Tree House as I call it, I quickly loaded the few things like groceries and a few personal items into my Foretravel and headed NW. Taking my time, I visited a couple of friends along the way in the panhandle of Florida, then headed NW through Alabama and into Mississippi. September if you are not aware of it, is Love Bug season. These tiny flying bugs fly united...procreating the next generation in flight. Makes a mess on every vehicle traveling for nearly 2 months in early fall.
An hour or two or three before I feel I want to quit driving, I'll query my GPS unit as to Campgrounds-Public(not private ones like KOA etc.) that will be in my intended path. Try to use State or Federal campgrounds as they were usually built in remote locations, off the beaten path and are in locations that capture something nice, unusual or just something to be saved for the population to enjoy. Corps of Engineer sites along waterways or even some county or city parks have camping, so they too are options.
One such location in Mississippi caught my eye so I drove the few extra miles out of my way to give it a look. Sadly, my GPS led me astray and I ended up in no man's land but finally found the campground.
Only 2 other campers were staying there so I was able to park far from both leaving me with the feeling that I had the whole place to myself. Wonderful luxury!
The place was on the side of a lake, quiet and peaceful. Loved it!
The rest of the trip to Tahlequah was uneventful. Once there I found my parking spot, provided by the affiliate, at an extension to property owned by an assisted living facility.
It was also located in an area with plenty of open land, to walk my dog Pete. He loved visiting some miniature horses kept in a farm setting at a local school for troubled youths. He so much looked forward to those walks! When the horses saw hi they would walk on over... Pete would just shake with joy!
The build was a single family home, a smaller one of 2 bedrooms, one bath.
A HS class for 'construction technology' spent a couple of hours on 2 days, 'learning and doing'.
At this point, we headed off to work on a country home, 35 minutes out of town where we helped to finish off a good bit of interior sheet rock taping and mudding, and also exterior siding.
The town itself is a University town. Note the Cherokee language which was a newly created written language, created by a Cherokee in the late 1800's. Many of the local population today have learned and continue to speak the language.
The university was originally a school for Cherokee children.
This area is home to the Cherokee tribe today and the original site that was the 'instructional center'
for the tribe is now open to the public as a Cultural Center and Museum.
I visited it and was impressed with the inclusiveness of all aspects of their history.
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