ACTION AROUND TT CHESAPEAKE BAY - AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2013

Aug - Sept - A collection of pictures showing some of the action around TT Chesapeake Bay!  A few of us gathered every morning on the Pickleball courts.

In front:  Joyce and Eve.  Ken, Pete, Ric, Dwayne, Faye.

Over the weekend Wayne and Lynda played!

After the match:  Mike, Dennis, Lynda and Wayne.

We had met Dennis and Judy some years ago and continue to follow them on their Blog.  We were delighted to see that they were here at TT Chesapeake Bay.  Over the weekend, when Mike and Diane were here, we invited the four of them over for Buffalo Wings and Corn-On-The-Cob.

Some of the Pickleball action!

Mike and Ric

Dwayne and Ric

Pete and Ken

Dwayne and Ken

Todd and Rick

 Mike and Mary

Dwayne and Ken

Pete and Ric

Todd and Mike

Oh, what fun!!!!

LIGHTENING STRIKES AT THE HORSESHOE PITS!!

Thursday night we witnessed a mighty thunder storm!!  Major lightening over the River.  The next day there was evidence that it had been quite a storm!!  The biggest pine tree (right in the middle of the Horseshoe Pits) had been struck by lightening!!

There was an argument in the Ewbank camp!!  Diane was glad that the tree had been struck by lightening.  She had always wanted TT to take the tree down!!  It was in the middle of the Horseshoe Pits!!  But, Mike did not want the tree to be taken down.  He liked the tree.  One of the biggest pine trees he had ever seen.  It provided the only shade at that area of the Horseshoe Pits!!  Ken (a tree man himself) said it would not likely die.  We'll have to wait and see!!

FAYE'S TEQUILA-SOAKED WATERMELON WEDGES

Found this simple recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine!

Quarter a seedless watermelon and cut into 1 inch slices.

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cut water
1/2 cup Tequila
1/4 cup Triple Sec
2 limes, halved
Flaked sea salt

Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9 by 13 inch baking dishes.

Bring sugar, water, Tequila and Triple Sec to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.  Let cool slightly.  Pur syrup over watermelon wedges and refrigerate for an hour.

Remove watermelon from syrup and arrange on a platter.  Squeeze limes over melon and season with salt.

Ken and I bought a seedless watermelon at Walmart to give it a try.  I took this serving over to Mike and Diane and some of their friends on Saturday evening, before they began their Golf card game.  It was so good!!!  I think everyone enjoyed it!!  So refreshing!!

My watermelon wedges look exactly like Martha's!!  HA HA

UUMMMM!  We have been enjoying the other half of the spiked watermelon for breakfast in the mornings!!

GETTING TOGETHER WITH MY SIBLINGS IN MECHANICSVILLE, VA

Sun, Sept. 15 - We arrived at the TT Chesapeake Bay on Thursday, August 22.  We have been "home" for almost a month and I have not seen my family!  I called my sister, Jean to see if she would be at home on Sunday so that I could come to visit.  She and her husband Bob would be around -- come on over!!

The I called my brother, Chip, who lives in Williamsburg and asked if he would be available to pick me up on Sunday and drive me up to see Jean and Bob.  He said he'd do it!!

We arrived and Jean and Bob's temporary apartment at about 12:30 with plans to go out to Sunday lunch.  J & B sold their home a few months ago and moved into an apartment while they wait for their "apartment" in an "advancing care senior housing development" is being completed -- about a year.  They later took us by the construction site to see where they will be living.  A huge complex!!

We had lunch at Calabash Seafood close by.

Calabash has a nice dining room with a regular menu, but we decided to try their new Tiki Bar menu.  Besides, the Redskins game was on TV in the bar!  The new menu was interesting!  On the weekend you can get $5 Steam; $7 Lobster and other reasonably priced entries.  The trick was - the great prices were contingent on your buying a beverage.  Most drinks were about $3.25, even a glass of water if you did not order another beverage.  There were no refills.  But, for each beverage you bought, you could get another super-priced entree.  In fact, they even offered FREE hot dogs with the purchase of a beverage!!  All sides were ala carte, about $2.25 each.

Chip and I ordered the tall beer, the $7 Lobster Tail with one side. Jean had iced team and the $7 Lobster Tail with one side.  Bob had steamed shrimp from the regular menu.  UUUUUMMMMMMM!

Here we are enjoying our Tiki Bar lunch!!  Faye, Chip, Jean, Bob.

We had to laugh at Jean after we had left the restaurant!!  She had ordered a refill on her tea.  But since there were no refills, she essentially bought a second beverage!!  We teased her that she would have to go back to the restaurant and get her second entree!!  Or, she could get the FREE hot dog!!!  It was soooo funny!!

Thanks all you guys for a fun afternoon!!  Everything was GREAT except the Redskins game!!!

OUR "WEEK OUT" IN RICHMOND, VA

Sept 04 - 11 - Under our Thousand Trails membership contract, we can stay for two weeks at a TT park and then must be out for a week before returning to that same park.  We spent this week out in our home town, Richmond.

Ken's son, Mike and his wife Diane live in Richmond and we spent the week in his driveway.  One of Ken's daughters, Stacey, now lives in Richmond.  Two of his daughters, Vickie and Tracy, flew up from Florida for a few days.  So, the entire family was together!  (Except for Richard who is in Chula Vista, CA).

On Thursday evening, the family went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe:  Faye, Stacey, Vickie, Mike, Tracy and Ken.  (Diane could not make it tonight.)

The next day, A Challenging game of Cornhole!  Tracy and Vickie are new at the game.

Their partners at the opposite board:  Mike (Vickie's partner); neighbor Mitchell (Tracy's partner).

In the next game:  Diane and Ken.

At the opposite board:  Faye (Ken's partner) and neighbor Robin (Diane's partner).  The girls Diane and Robin were the winners.

Ken's glamorous daughters going out for the evening!

One reason the girls flew in from Florida was to scatter their mother's ashes at the graves of her parents.  On Sunday afternoon the siblings went to the cemeteries to remember their mother in the scattering of her ashes.

Time to say farewell!  Mike and Stacey drive Vickie and Tracy to the airport for their flights back to Florida.

On our last night in Richmond, we took Mike and Diane to P.F. Chang's for dinner as a "Thank You" token for letting us spend the week in their driveway.

A yummy dinner enjoyed by all!!

Thanks so much Mike and Diane for letting us stay at your place!!!  Love you!!

RV REPAIRS BY TNT TOP NOTCH TIRE AND AUTO!!!

Wed, Sept 4 - We mentioned in our previous article dated August 20-21 that, on the very last leg of our trip home, we discovered that our driver's side tail light and the exhaust tail pipe extension were damaged.  When we got to TT Chesapeake Bay, Ken's son Mike suggested that we get in touch with his friend Todd who leases a site at the RV park.

Todd came to our site and studied the problems.

Tail light was melted and deformed and did not work.  In fact, it was falling out of the RV.

The exhaust tail pipe extension had come loose and had caused other damage.

As a result of the loose tail pipe extension, the wiring harness for the tail light was badly damaged.

The exhaust pipe was out of position and probably caused the tail pipe extension to loosen which caused the problems with the light!

Todd determined that he could make the necessary repairs at his new shop - TNT Top-Notch Tire and Auto Center in Sandston, VA.

But, first we had to fine a replacement tail light!

We contacted Tiffin Motor Homes but they said they no longer carry that tail light.  They were able to provide a part number and said they thought it was a 1992 Ford Mustang.  We went on line and discovered the part number was actually for a 1992 Ford Crown Victoria!  We told Todd what we now knew about the tail light and he took care of everything after that!!

Today we stopped by TNT in Sandston on our way to Richmond and Todd's shop made the necessary repairs!  Thank you Todd!!  You certainly were a life saver!!  Glad to know where you are located!!  We are always looking for RV repairs!!

Sidebar:  On Saturday (Sept. 14) at the Pickleball courts, after we had returned to TT Chesapeake, we saw Mary wearing this tee shirt!

We know where she has been!!  HA HA   Actually, she can get all the tee shirts she wants!!  She's Todd's friend!!

FOURTH ANNUAL KEN AND FAYE EWBANK PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

Sun, Sept 1 - The Fourth Annual Ken and Faye Ewbank Pickleball Tournament was held today.   Ken and I introduced Pickleball to a group at TT Chesapeake Bay back in 2006.  The group grew and grew until we held the first Labor Day Pickleball Tournament in 2008.  Sometime after that, Mike Roberts and Rick R. took over running the tournaments.  Pickleball continued to grow at TT Chesapeake Bay until a tournament was held during each summer holiday in conjunction with the horseshoe tournament and, now, the cornhole tournament.

When we took to the road in July 2010, Mike asked if they could name the Labor Day Pickleball Tournament after us.  Hence today's tournament is The Fourth Annual Ken and Faye Ewbank Pickleball Tournament!  We are honored!!

The Tournament Registration Form:

The tournament today was run by Mike (Mr. Pickleball) Roberts with the help of his wife Michele and other TT members.  This is a USAPA Open tournament, so it is open to all players in the area. There was an amazing turnout of Pickleball players!!  So many, in fact, that we did not know most of them.

We were spending the weekend with friends in Reedville, but we drove back Sunday morning to welcome the players to wish them "Good Games"!

Thank you, Mike, for all of your good work in organizing and running OUR tournament!!

Sidebar:  The picture on my shirt is a screen print of a photo of the participants in the 2008 Labor Day Pickleball Tournament!!  A participant made it for me for my birthday in 2008.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND WITH LONG-TIME FRIENDS

Sat and Sun, Aug 31-Sept 1 - We have not seen these long-time friends for more than three years!  (Except briefly in December).  We all used to play tennis together, party together, and dine together as well as enjoy boating and fishing together on the Chesapeake Bay!

Karen and Dennis invited us to spend the holiday weekend with them at their beautiful home on the Great Wicomico River.  They had also invited another couple of long-time friends, Lois and Gene, to stay as well.

The first thing we did was to gather around a table of Blue Crabs with a cooler of beer!!  What a great time we all had just cracking crabs and catching up!

Next we went for a nice relaxing boat ride on the River.  Unfortunately I missed getting any pictures!

Later in the afternoon we had a challenging game of Ladder Golf!!  Three teams; couples were all mixed up!!

Karen tosses the string as Dennis and Ken look on!

Partners at the other end.  Lois (Ken's partner) tosses as Gene (Karen's partner) and Faye (Dennis' partner) watch, praying that she will not wipe out our scores!

In the end, Lois and Ken were the big winners!!  Congratulations, Guys!!!

Next it was time for some drinks and light snacks and more talk!!  Earlier I had prepared some Mexican Shrimp Cocktails (Shrimp Ceviche).  They turned out pretty good!  And spicy!

There was a lot more fun and boating and wonderful eating throughout the weekend.  Thanks so much Karen and Dennis and Lois and Gene for a fab weekend!!

LUNCH WITH "OLD" FRIENDS

Tue, Aug 27 - We have not seen our "old" friends Jack and Ginger in years and years.  We used to have a lot of fun playing tennis, partying, eating, boating and fishing with this great couple.  They have a beautiful home on the Rappahannock River, not too far from our TT Chesapeake Bay Campground!  We gave them a call to see if we could get together!

They suggested a light lunch at a new restaurant on the River at the site of the former Locklies Marina -- Merroir at Locklies Marina.  We contacted friends Karen and Dennis who also have a home on a different river, not too far away to see if they could join us, too.  (We all used to hang out together at Raintree Swim and Racket Club, and other places.)

Merroir is unique, small and rustic and the food and beer are wonderful!!  We chose to sit at a picnic table outside so we could enjoy the view of the Rappahannock.  It is interesting to note that Chef Peter does all of the cooking outside on a gas grill, in a small shed near our table.

I had one of the best crab cakes I have ever eaten west of the Eastern Shore!  Ken had scallops which were succulent and juicy, although they seemed to be a bit under cooked.

We all had a delightful lunch together.  Faye, Jack, Karen, Dennis, Ginger and Ken.

Merroir serves wines and Micro-brewery beer, with intriguing names.  Here is a sampling!

After this delightful lunch, we all retired to Jack and Ginger's house for more drinking, eating and fellowship!!  Let's do it again, soon!!

DINNER AT RICHARDSON'S WITH THE ROBERTS FAMILY

Thur Aug 22 - We arrived at TT Chesapeake Bay this afternoon.  After finding a site and settling in, we took a drive around the park to see if anything had changed.  Things are pretty much the same!  That's a good thing.

Took a ride down by the dock!

This is NOT the Chesapeake Bay as the park name would imply.  This is the beautiful Piankatank River, about five miles up river from the Bay!

Continuing our ride around the park, we soon met up with Mike Roberts (aka Mr. Pickleball) and his family, Michele and Katelyn.  They were just preparing to go out to dinner in Matthews and invited us to join them.  A chance to go out to dinner!!  What do you think we said!

The welcome sign outside.

Richardson's Cafe was formerly a drug store and soda fountain and still has that feeling inside.  Here we are enjoying a delicious dinner:  Katelyn, Michele, Faye, Ken, and Mike.  UUMMMM!

Ken and I ordered the Tuna over a Salad Plate.  Huge!!

Mike had the Fried Clams with Fries and Fried Corn (on the cob).  More huge!!

Thanks so much Mike and Michele for including us in a great night out!