Judy Grillo
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Not Talking Turkey

11/30/2022

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The journey south continues with a week-long stop on Blythe Island, an unknown area along the East River, just a few miles NW of Brunswick, Georgia.  I arrived to a few days of warm, sunny weather in a community of 700+ people in a slow-paced neighborhood where I could walk, bike, and peruse a regional park with a campground (future reference!).  However, the official occasion is to celebrate a Florida friend's 60th birthday, tour the Golden Isles, drink eggnog and eat pie. 

When Mark arrived, we plotted the outdoor itinerary, but as the week went on the weather wasn't very cooperative.  Rain, fog and cool breezes were the norm, so a few movies and a few games of Rummikub were added! Nevertheless, we headed out daily to enjoy historic Brunswick, St. Simons and Jekyll Islands. 

Brunswick became a British settlement as early as 1738 and has a town layout similar to Savannah with squares and parks in a grid style. During my last visit to this area (in 2017), I'd camped for a month on Jekyll (and loved it), while simply day-tripping elsewhere. In Brunswick, I'd toured the main commercial streets, but this past week we enjoyed the Historic District of homes and greenspaces as well. Each of Brunswick’s 14 original squares in the Old Town has a story; and two major squares have retained their original size and shape. 

Many photos tell the story...
I've now landed in DeLand, Florida, but do send good karma my way. The Element needs to take me another 236 miles south in the morning and continues to act up.  
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The Best Laid Plans

11/20/2022

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It’s late October -- time to regroup following a heavy social schedule, and time to point
south as fall begins to feel a bit brisk. 

The goal is to bring back my “summer feeling” in a temperate climate. What does that mean? It’s waking early feeling rested, spending half the day playing outdoors, chatting with strangers, and perusing the area; while the other half is focused on writing, reading, travel planning, and catching up on life’s chores. 

After kicking tires in too many locations across the Carolinas, I was called back to a favorite spot I discovered in the spring. Yes, I’ve been living solo in Farmville, NC for the past month in a very affordable, grand old home. The owner lives elsewhere, but there was the possibility of multiple housemates arriving at any given time. This never occurred, so oddly enough, I had the place to myself in the same historic neighborhood I so enjoy.  The first week was quite pleasurable with warm weather, a successful visit to my favorite thrift shop, crusty bread from Cafe Madeleine, and a 2-hour tour of the local museum. 

Ice, Ice, Baby 
One week later, I had my first bike crash in more than a decade. Thankfully, no vehicle was involved, but I caught a tire crossing a railroad track and slammed my right side to the ground. I’ll spare you the photo, but suffice to say that my shoulder-to-ankle wasn’t pretty; while the scariest part was the thought that I broke my index finger. Lucky for me that I was less than a mile from home, but I woke barely able to open my hand. Ice was the magical relief to a very swollen calf and my hand in just 48 hours. The next day, I got back on the saddle 
oh-so-cautiously before I could psyche myself out completely. 

Pesky Dashboard Lights
Meanwhile, my dear Element is acting up, too.  So, I bit the bullet and spent my 
final week with a car mechanic. Long story short, when I left Farmville on the 19th, it was still acting up (idle, idle, baby); so I held my breath all the way to St. Stephen, SC for an overnight, then all the way to Brunswick, GA, where I now remain for a week. All of that said, there will be eggnog in a few days so all will be well in the universe.  

Note to Self: Living near a bike shop, an auto mechanic, and an urgent care center is probably a great idea. 

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    Cyclist, writer, teacher, avid reader, bike/ped advocate, nomad, pie lover

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