There are all kinds of songs and sayings about time. If I could save time in a bottle. We had the time of our lives. So much to do, so little time. What we value most is what we spend most of our time doing and thinking about. Well, it’s about time…that we write this…
It has been 6 months since we officially transitioned from Nomads and Full-time RVers to North Carolina Homesteaders, and life on the Ballard Homestead continues to thrill and amaze us. So, “What is a Homesteader?” you may ask. You will find multiple definitions on-line but our definition of choice is: “a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It…
We will always return to the mountains of Western North Carolina as one of our favorite places. In these mountains we feel God’s peace and presence. We witness His artistry in every new season and are drawn back again and again. If these mountains could talk, I feel like they would tell stories of love…
Since arriving in Florida in November Mark has been checking off some maintenance projects on Old Glory. At the top of the list was to get our furnace going. After troubleshooting, seeking advice, replacing the motherboard then replacing the sail switch, it is working now! We gave it a good test in January when the…
We first pulled in to Moonshine Creek Campground in Western North Carolina in May of 2019. It was then we began our workamping careers. The past 5 months have been exciting, educational, fun, fulfilling and just the beginning of our new workamping lifestyle. The camping season at Moonshine Creek is quickly coming to an end…
Fall has been slowly making its appearance in the mountains of North Carolina. We promised a recap of our first workamping experience but we wanted to give a quick overview of what this season is like around here. So this blog post is all about fall in the mountains. The temperature has fluctuated anywhere from…
The seasons are changing, Labor Day weekend has come and gone and schools are back in session. Moonshine Creek was a new adventure just 4 short months ago and now it feels like an old friend that will forever be part of our story. We’ve made a lot of great memories here. I know we…
We want to tell you about a few of our favorite things here in Western North Carolina. It just so happens that four of our favorites start with the letter “F.” First but not necessarily foremost, one of our favorite pastimes is fishing- not that I’ve (Andrea) done much of it. The quiet, peaceful, waiting…
Clingmans Dome is in the Great Smoky National Forest. Well known for it’s beautiful views, at 6,644′ it is the highest mountain in the Smokies. On a clear day, you can see 7 states from the top: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Our visit to the famous summit was…
We are enjoying our Summer in the mountains. Here at Moonshine Creek there is a lot to see and do in the area. Among other “perks,” being located 2 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and all that it has to offer ranks number 1. We have seen some great views, hiked to some beautiful…
We had quite a rainy spell in June! According to our weather station on Old Glory we got 6 3/4 inches of rain for the month. I began to jokingly refer to Moonshine Creek as “Moonshine Rainforest.” We then learned that this area IS considered an Appalachian Temperate Rainforest right here in the Great Smoky…
Lake Junaluska is a great place to walk, fish or eat ice cream. We visited on a beautiful sunny day and enjoyed the paved walking trail around the lake. Parking on a mountain overlooking the lake, we got a beautiful view of the area. There was a huge white cross statue near our parking spot…
We are settling in here at our new jobs and campsite in Sylva, NC. Moonshine Creek Campground is an award-winning campground with tent and RV sites as well as camping cabins and furnished rentals. We are each working 12 hours per week in exchange for our full hook-up site and laundry. There are 4 workamping…
Mount Lemmon was a cool destination on a day in April 2019 that was forecast to reach a scorching 96 degrees in Tucson. We had been wanting to make the 29 mile drive up 9,000 feet to the peak of the tallest mountain in the Santa Catalina Mountain Range and this seemed like the perfect…