Food, friends, fun, and fuel!

After spending two weeks with our village in Jacksonville, FL, and scoring some sweet veggie oil from a little Mexican restaurant on our way north, we ventured up to Charleston, SC to spend some more time with friends and check out the area. We stayed at James Island County Park, a nice tucked away campground within a huge park that included lakes, fishing docks, tons of trails, a big playground, and a 50ft climbing wall. We had a blast riding bikes and learning to rock climb, and yes, the first one in the family up was our smallest. At four years old, our daughter with no fear and solid determination, got rigged up in her harness, started climbing, and sped all the way to 50 feet without looking back. When she got to the top, she glanced down, smiled and then walked herself all the way down and asked to do it again, and again, and again. We were there all afternoon, and the instructor said she listened better than most of his teenage students, and had the will to match. Yes, we know this... she is our fire girl by the way ;)

Riding and climbing were fun, but we also ventured in and around Charleston and back and forth to Folly Beach a few times. Such a great vibe in that beach town, and the locals were so sweet. Our friends, Wendy and Matt and kids, from RV Puzzled toured us around and took us to all the great restaurants in town, including Taco Boy for some fine Mexican; Brixx for some yummy gluten-free pizza and balloon art; Black Bean Co. for some drive-thru organic goodness (wow, that exists) and the most delicious coconut sorbet ever; and Black Magic Cafe, our favorite, all natural sandwiches and organic teas within walking distance of the beach. We spent some sunny days at the ocean, soaking in the warm rays and relaxing as a family. And, we got to have fun with friends and some delicious dinners.

Another one of those 'it all happens for a reason' moments was when we pulled into the campground and into our site, and there was a VW bug parked next to us. We had casually been looking at them as a possible tow vehicle for the Eco Womb because they were light (only 1800 lbs), we could reuse an older vehicle, and because we could potentially convert one to run on diesel (and then, veggie) or change to electric. It just so happened that the owner of the bug had just started to think of selling it. They were heading back to Wisconsin after wintering in the south and thought it would be great to not tow it all the way back just to sell it. So, he offered it to us. Literally, he said we could take it for a spin right then and there, and he handed us the keys. With a smile on his face, knowing this couldn't have been better timing, my hubby took the keys and the whole family piled in. We thought about it as we would with any big or small purchase, and ultimately decided we should go for it! I mean, he was even willing to throw in the wooden peace sign in the back, now that is a sign! They were so very sweet, a retired couple, who volunteer in schools and bring books to needy children. So, so sweet! And, so trusting. They just handed us their keys, and said let's work it out. That kind of trust doesn't happen that often anymore when it comes to this sort of thing. But, when you feel trust in someone, even someone you just met, you feel it. We got a good vibe from them and them from us, and we trusted each other as good people with good intentions. And, it feels so good to trust, really makes life so much easier to go with the flow and feel safe in the world around you. And now, we have a purple bug, a 1974 original beetle, with all original components and a new rockin' stereo system :) Love it!

So, our stay in Charleston was sweet! Good times with friends, some fabulous food, fun at the beach and fun in the sun! And, we got veg, and we got a bug! Now onto the mountains and the farm and a Full Moon Feast with our village... can. not. wait. Life is good!