It’s been a very hectic few days. After departing our mountain biking camp, we drove to Greenville, South Carolina. It was my first visit, but Suzanne had been there several times as a child visiting her uncle. Greenville is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and the weather is cooler than in the lowlands toward the coast. But the welcome we received at Unity of Greenville was as warm as any we could have hoped for.
We were invited to spend the night right next to their building, which we happily accepted, making the logistics much easier than having to drive a half hour or more across town. The Coach did take up a big part of their parking lot, but Reverend James said not to worry and made us welcome.
There was even a lovely pond, meditation garden and lots of squirrel trees behind the church, although the little furry rodents must have heard that Rudy and Gretchen had rolled into town, because they were hiding out…
A large, enthusiastic crowd of Unity members and visitors received Suzanne’s Making the Connection presentation on Wednesday evening, and we regretted that we only had one day to spend in this graceful town. Thanks again to Rev. James King and his lovely wife Leah for their hospitality. Rest assured that we will return to Greenville on our 2015 Tour!
Bright and early Thursday morning, we got underway from Greenville and headed east into North Carolina. The drive, mostly on Interstate highways, was pleasant, and very green. Both these states have bazillions of trees, even some overhanging the Interstate, which was sort of disconcerting considering the windy day we had. One unusual sight was a car pulling an inflatable dinghy with a racing sailboat atop it. Good thing it was strapped down well!
We arrived in Wilmington, NC, around 3:00 PM, and set up the coach in a snug spot, again right alongside the Unity church. We had just enough time for a quick run to clear our minds after a 310 mile drive before our next event.There was one glitch, however….
My Lovely Bride’s hair dryer died before she finished using it, but her Navy training kicked in, and here we see her improvising by standing on the toilet and using the rooftop vent fan to dry her hair. Whatever works!
Thursday evening’s event went very well, again with Carolina hospitality, warmth and enthusiasm. Thanks to Cliff and Judy Birtwistle and fellow Unity member Patty for a super job coordinating their lecture series that sponsored Suzanne’s Making the Connection presentation. Again, we had a large group of both Unity members and visitors in attendance.
After the event, we got together in The Coach for a social with our sponsors and a cruising couple that we had met years ago and sailed across the Atlantic to Europe with. Here are the ladies, Judy, Patty, Myra, Suzanne and June. I had worked with Myra back in Washington, DC, and June Cluett is a renowned artist now living in England.
While the ladies discussed spiritual topics, the gents talked sailing; Cliff has a 47 foot Beneteau and Geoff has a 48 foot Sunward. Now it’s time to unwind!