Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. After deciding to stop RVing, we bought a ranch house halfway up a hill on five acres. After Bruce and I talked about names for our five acres, we settled on Blackberry Homestead as a homage to the wild blackberries on the hill. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist, and I’ll share my current projects. Gardening and reading are my favorite hobbies.

Cicadas Buzzing at Claystone Park in Georgia

May 31, 2024 While in Claystone Park (April 24 to May 1), the loud, constant metallic sound we heard sounded like big man-made machines. Bruce discovered there was a shredding company nearby and it seemed reasonable that was making the noise. Since the noise seemed to come from different spots, we thought the lake and […]

Butterfly Habitat Garden at Claystone Park on Lake Tobesofkee in Georgia

May 31, 2024 We enjoyed walking in Claystone Park. The trails are well kept. We decided to go see the butterfly habitat near the entrance of the park. There was a volunteer working on the garden. She mentioned that not many butterflies were out due to the weather. Since there was a sign saying dogs […]

Rolling to Lake Tobesofkee Claystone Park in Macon, Georgia

May 30, 2024 Since we needed to be at Jekyll Island Campground on May 1, we left Scenic Drive RV Campground just outside of Oxford, Alabama on April 24 and headed to Lake Tobesofkee Claystone Park in Macon, Georgia. This is a lovely state park. Each campsite had a picnic table and a fire ring. […]

Determined the Cause of the Power Failure

May 30, 2024 Back on April 20, 2024, we had a power failure while stopped at a Harvest Host. After we got to Scenic Drive RV Park, Bruce wanted to see if he could figure out what was causing the power failure before our next travel day. On April 23, he opened up the front […]

The Berman Museum of World History in Anniston, Alabama

May 30, 2024 After our tour of the Anniston Natural History Museum, we walked through the gardens to the Berman Museum of World History. The collection is mostly from a husband and wife team who enjoyed collecting artifacts from around the world. The collections are beautifully displayed with information about each item. There was a […]

Steamed Clams

This recipe is for my father-in-law. I made steamed Georgia clams while we were visiting him on Jekyll Island. Since he asked for the recipe, here it is. Serves 4 (or 3 clam lovers)

Anniston Museum of Natural History in Anniston, Alabama

May 26, 2024 After our walk in historic downtown Anniston, AL on April 23, 2024, we geared up and rode to the Anniston Museum of Natural History. I enjoy small museums and have been pleasantly surprised and impressed by some. The Anniston Museum of Natural History was more midsize than small and it was impressive! […]

Current Update…Bodyshop Timeline

May 23, 2024 Today, Bruce called a bodyshop in Lakewood, CO that we’ve used before. Bruce emailed the insurance quote to the bodyshop after talking to Jim (the bodyshop owner). Jim wanted Bruce to bring the truck by at 3:00 pm. Bruce drove the truck over. I went along since Bruce feels it is easier […]

Walking Around Downtown Anniston Historic District, AL

May 23, 2024 On April 23, 2024, we had lunch in the historic district in downtown Anniston, AL. Lunch was delicious and after lunch, we walked around. We stopped in the library and the second floor had an art display. I loved the mobiles and enjoyed looking at the paintings. After we walked around downtown, […]

Current Status…Insurance Quotes

May 22, 2024 We had two adjusters; one for the truck and one for the RV. The adjuster for the truck came out and looked at our poor dented truck yesterday. He has already sent the quote. The RV adjuster is in Utah. He requested pictures of the damage. Yesterday, Bruce took the pictures the […]