What's Happening at Deer Springs RV Park?

[Jim]

Bill and Barbara enjoying this beautiful day at Site #13 up on The Wilderness Loop.

 

[Jim]

Last night, the visitors who braved the hurricane obstacles and still made it to Deer Springs RV Park, gathered for pizza at the pavilion. After dinner, drinks, and some high-level discussions about setting the world right, we agreed to form "The Gale Force Gang."

Pretty awesome, right?

But beyond the fame that comes with being part of such an exclusive club, there will be other perks. Maybe T-shirts? Perhaps “wind” breakers? We're not sure just yet, but I guarantee we'll show this group the gratitude they deserve.

And don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten those who were here during the actual hurricane. Your dedication to withstanding the onslaught is remembered, and you’ll be afforded the same honors, along with the added distinction of having actually weathered the storm with us.

So again, thank you all for your support, it is truly appreciated!

Note: In the 5th picture, the fellow in the top left, is our very own RV Forums member @Notsotalltexan. A special thank you for bringing some outrageously good bourbon to the get-together!

 

[Deer Springs RV Park]

We are delighted to welcome back alumni visitors John and Andrea, (@John&Andrea) who are staying with us for a few nights at Site 14 in The Wilderness Loop of Deer Springs RV Park. They’re wonderful people and always a pleasure to have around.

As a special gesture, they brought a truckload of supplies for those affected by the devastating hurricane that passed through our area a couple of weeks ago.

Truly classy folks!

 

[John&Andrea]

Thank you for the kind words. Andrea is not sure which is her favorite site yet. She plans to stay at each one. So we will be back.

 

[AbdRahim]

We are delighted to welcome back alumni visitors John and Andrea, (@John&Andrea) who are staying with us for a few nights at Site 14 in The Wilderness Loop of Deer Springs RV Park. They’re wonderful people and always a pleasure to have around.

As a special gesture, they brought a truckload of supplies for those affected by the devastating hurricane that passed through our area a couple of weeks ago.

Truly classy folks!

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Nice coach.

 

[Jabber Jaw]

@John&Andrea
Hope Y'all enjoy your stay! We had fun with Y'all, & Trish & Jim over the fourth of July holiday stay.
It was a wonderful thing Y'all did, bringing some much needed supplies to those folks in WNC!
God Bless You!

Allan

 

[John&Andrea]

Wish you could join us. A little cool today but I love it. Are you back in Virginia now?

 

[Deer Springs RV Park]

Always keep improving, right? Today’s improvement comes in the area of Internet when I connected two Starlink dishes to our Ubiquity Dream Machine Pro. Here are the results.

Enhanced Overall Network Performance:
With two Starlinks working together, our network can handle a larger volume of data, which means that multiple devices or users can share the connection with minimal degradation of speeds. While a single device won’t get twice the speed, the load balancing will distribute internet traffic more efficiently, giving a noticeable boost to everyone’s browsing, streaming, and general online activities.

Increased Reliability:
Load balancing adds redundancy, so if one Starlink connection faces interference or a temporary slowdown, the other can pick up the slack. This backup layer helps smooth out any gaps in service, meaning fewer disruptions, especially important during peak times.

More Consistent Speeds for Multi-Threaded Tasks:
Certain applications, like tasks that can split data across multiple connections, should see improved speed because the two Starlink connections can be leveraged simultaneously. Though this depends on the specific application, the overall throughput should improve for these types of data-hungry activities.

Potential Latency Management:
With load balancing in place, latency can fluctuate depending on which connection is in use at any moment. This setup might not be ideal for super low-latency requirements, but it should be more than adequate for streaming, regular web browsing, and most work-from-home tasks.

Real-World Expectation:
Don’t expect double the speed on a single device, but the network should feel “lighter” and less bogged down. Users should experience more consistency, fewer drop-offs, and the bandwidth to support multiple people without major slowdowns.

I'm pretty excited with this improvement, and I'm sure our visitors will be as well!

 

[Jim]

Another improvement yesterday, this one is specific to Site #12, up on The Wilderness Loop section of the park. To make the site more private, I moved the parking pad 45'-50' back by cutting a chunk out of the mountain. I'll cover that with grass for next spring so it won't be so ugly.

Moving the pad back meant moving the sewer hookup and power pedestal as well. So yeah, that was a real pain but it'll be a much better site for the effort. Additionally, and this was a real challenge, I moved a 35' White Pine from elsewhere on the property, and planted it so as to give the site more shade in the summer and add privacy overall.

 

[Richpatty]

Nice update. We really hope to be able to get back there some day.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Another improvement yesterday, this one is specific to Site #12, up on The Wilderness Loop section of the park. To make the site more private, I moved the parking pad 45'-50' back by cutting a chunk out of the mountain. I'll cover that with grass for next spring so it won't be so ugly.

Moving the pad back meant moving the sewer hookup and power pedestal as well. So yeah, that was a real pain but it'll be a much better site for the effort. Additionally, and this was a real challenge, I moved a 35' White Pine from elsewhere on the property, and planted it so as to give the site more shade in the summer and add privacy overall.

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The turkeys are looking pretty brave. Are they invited for Thanksgiving?

 

[Jim]

The turkeys are looking pretty brave. Are they invited for Thanksgiving?

They were invited. . . but only one gets a presidential pardon. The rest might want to skip town!

 

[John&Andrea]

Nice, I thought you were supposed to be heading south.

 

[Jim]

Nice, I thought you were supposed to be heading south.

Should have left on the 4th, but Ryker's surgeon hasn't released him for travel yet. So we're still waiting on her to give us our "next steps". But I'm using the time to make some improvements.

We have a real "full-time" camp host lined up for next year and I'm making sure their site is ready. Also setting up a "contactless check-in" process, so I'm trying to trap all the things that can go wrong with that as well.

But hopefully we'll be on the road soon!

 

[Jim]

I’ve been hustling to get the park in order before our winter departure. Atlanta’s always a mess to navigate, so I aim for Sundays, but Ryker’s final vet appointment threw a wrench in the plan. We’re now leaving on Thanksgiving, which, in hindsight, might actually work better. Fewer folks on the road, fewer headaches.

I had two major projects to knock out before leaving and have been flat out these past couple of weeks making them happen.

1. Site 12: A new 35’ White Pine is now proudly standing. I relocated the power box and parking pad about 45–50 feet back, which involved spreading 15 tons of crusher run to create a solid parking surface. I tweaked the drainage, though landscaping will have to wait until spring.
2. Site 9: (pics below) This was supposed to be a boondocking site, but it’s now a full hookup, huge pull-through. Installing 300 feet of ¾” PEX for water, an equal run of 4/0-4/0-4/0-2 stranded aluminum wire for power, and 100 feet of 4” PVC for sewer was no small feat, and then 30 tons of crusher run added to the pain. A couple of days on the trackhoe got everything buried, but it was a grind. We'll build the fireplace into the side of the mountain when we return next year.

Thanksgiving may be the perfect time to hit the road, but I’ll admit, I’m ready for a break after all this.