Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Santa is getting ready
Oh, the weather outside is frightful.... Actually, we didn't get any of the snow they predicted. However, we took the opportunity to get a jump on some Christmas present wrapping. As you can see, all of the presents are wrapped in the same paper. There is no room to store more than one roll!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Happy Turkey B-Day!
Thursday was Thanksgiving! It was also an opportunity to do a little pre-celebration of Kathy's birthday!
Steve and Lea Ann were kind enough to invite us to their house to celebrate. We got there just after noon. Almost immediately, R wanted to take David out on a 2-hour trek to the playgrounds, which gave Kathy, Steve, Lea Ann and Mr. and Mrs. B a chance to chat and finish preparing dinner in a more relaxed manner.
Dinner was scrumptious. While Kathy digested, Steve, R and David sneaked upstairs and blew up 50 balloons. We got Kathy out to the great room (R calls it the "grape room") and Steve brought up the surprise birthday cake.
After a rousing song of "Happy," a torrent of balloons rained down from the balcony above the great room. It wasn't clear whether R had more fun throwing the balloons down onto Kathy, or coming down and pelting her with them after they were all over the floor!
Everyone eventually got into the act, and we all played what R calls "pop the balloon," which, in fact, became more of a game of "monkey in the middle." We won't reveal who was the monkey. Mr. and Mrs. B kept the balloons flying, along with Steve, Lea Ann, Kathy and David, while R jumped and thumped and whallumped all over the room as he chased the flying balloons!
A good time was had by all! We can't for Pollyanna Party in December.
Steve and Lea Ann were kind enough to invite us to their house to celebrate. We got there just after noon. Almost immediately, R wanted to take David out on a 2-hour trek to the playgrounds, which gave Kathy, Steve, Lea Ann and Mr. and Mrs. B a chance to chat and finish preparing dinner in a more relaxed manner.
Dinner was scrumptious. While Kathy digested, Steve, R and David sneaked upstairs and blew up 50 balloons. We got Kathy out to the great room (R calls it the "grape room") and Steve brought up the surprise birthday cake.
After a rousing song of "Happy," a torrent of balloons rained down from the balcony above the great room. It wasn't clear whether R had more fun throwing the balloons down onto Kathy, or coming down and pelting her with them after they were all over the floor!
Everyone eventually got into the act, and we all played what R calls "pop the balloon," which, in fact, became more of a game of "monkey in the middle." We won't reveal who was the monkey. Mr. and Mrs. B kept the balloons flying, along with Steve, Lea Ann, Kathy and David, while R jumped and thumped and whallumped all over the room as he chased the flying balloons!
A good time was had by all! We can't for Pollyanna Party in December.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Campground Games
Today's fun was campground games!
We actually finished with a jump on the campground's bouncy rubber air bag thing, but it was just too much fun and we thought it should be posted first in this blog entry. This video speaks for itself:
Before trying our bouncing skills, we had a rousing horseshoe match. Here's David showing his inimitable style:
And here's Kathy showing how it's done:
We played to 21. It was neck-and-neck after Kathy got three single points to make up for David's 3-point ringer on an early toss. Finally, as we got down to the end, David pulled away, 20-17, and then iced his victory with two single points at the end. This entitles David to pick his beer first, and obligates Kathy to cook dinner. No bragging, David :)
We both agreed a horseshoe rematch and a bouncing encore are definitely in our future!
We actually finished with a jump on the campground's bouncy rubber air bag thing, but it was just too much fun and we thought it should be posted first in this blog entry. This video speaks for itself:
Before trying our bouncing skills, we had a rousing horseshoe match. Here's David showing his inimitable style:
And here's Kathy showing how it's done:
We played to 21. It was neck-and-neck after Kathy got three single points to make up for David's 3-point ringer on an early toss. Finally, as we got down to the end, David pulled away, 20-17, and then iced his victory with two single points at the end. This entitles David to pick his beer first, and obligates Kathy to cook dinner. No bragging, David :)
We both agreed a horseshoe rematch and a bouncing encore are definitely in our future!
Harpers Ferry - Hike to Lower Town - and Red Rash Recurrence
Thursday, November 15, we decided to take a long walk into Lower Town Harpers Ferry from our campground. Total mileage was about 6 miles. It was a cold day and, while we dressed warmly, as it turned out David didn't dress warmly enough.
We took the NPS path from Murphy's Farm, through the Visitor Center, and down the shuttle road. Here is David at the bottom of the hill on the shuttle road in front of a little waterfall.
Not too much further along, Kathy found the world's largest maple leaf.
Part of our walk was along the great Shenandoah River - it runs deceptively shallow but has a strong current.
We strolled on into town and enjoyed poking around more into the historic houses and shops, and along Virginius Island, the site of extensive industrial works and workers' housing, which eventually was obliterated by floods. The NPS has great site markers, and has unearthed original foundations, so it was possible, with the help of old photographs, to imagine how the area looked in the Civil War and afterward.
Some shops were open - for example a coffee house where Kathy picked up a hot chocolate. David ordered a latte but didn't like his and discarded it. The day was getting cold by now, and David should have taken some hot liquid. But more on that later.
We also found a shop selling historic candies, and Kathy bought some for Kate and Carmen. After this it was a walk straight home. However, by the time we were getting near the campground, David was getting quite cold. It became clear that he let his core get too cold. This, coupled with the long walk, brought on a fever and chills and, ultimately, the same unknown red rash and swelling that occurred in July in Skowhegan, Maine.
David spent Friday recuperating and we researched the rash. We have finally decided that it is Golfer's Vasculitis, which is an unexplained rash that affects one or both legs, typically below the knee and above the ankle, after long walks, usually in hot weather. We believe that hot or cold weather is usually involved, along possibly with dehydration. The combination causes one or more extremities to fight off disfunction and may trigger a histamine reaction - either due to past allergic exposures or due to the cell irritations from the combination of dehydration and hot/cold stress. Anyway, the treatment is to walk or elevate. No standing still or sitting with legs not elevated. So David has been doing both, and it appears that that treatment strategy manages the condition. We also think we understand what triggers it enough now that we know to avoid overheating or getting too cold, along with dehydration, on long walks. By Wednesday, November 21, the condition had almost completely abated. It would have disappeared earlier but for two weekend days of scheduled events that prevented elevating the foot.
We hope that this doesn't recur, but if it does, we're pretty confident we have it under control.
We took the NPS path from Murphy's Farm, through the Visitor Center, and down the shuttle road. Here is David at the bottom of the hill on the shuttle road in front of a little waterfall.
Not too much further along, Kathy found the world's largest maple leaf.
Part of our walk was along the great Shenandoah River - it runs deceptively shallow but has a strong current.
We strolled on into town and enjoyed poking around more into the historic houses and shops, and along Virginius Island, the site of extensive industrial works and workers' housing, which eventually was obliterated by floods. The NPS has great site markers, and has unearthed original foundations, so it was possible, with the help of old photographs, to imagine how the area looked in the Civil War and afterward.
Some shops were open - for example a coffee house where Kathy picked up a hot chocolate. David ordered a latte but didn't like his and discarded it. The day was getting cold by now, and David should have taken some hot liquid. But more on that later.
We also found a shop selling historic candies, and Kathy bought some for Kate and Carmen. After this it was a walk straight home. However, by the time we were getting near the campground, David was getting quite cold. It became clear that he let his core get too cold. This, coupled with the long walk, brought on a fever and chills and, ultimately, the same unknown red rash and swelling that occurred in July in Skowhegan, Maine.
David spent Friday recuperating and we researched the rash. We have finally decided that it is Golfer's Vasculitis, which is an unexplained rash that affects one or both legs, typically below the knee and above the ankle, after long walks, usually in hot weather. We believe that hot or cold weather is usually involved, along possibly with dehydration. The combination causes one or more extremities to fight off disfunction and may trigger a histamine reaction - either due to past allergic exposures or due to the cell irritations from the combination of dehydration and hot/cold stress. Anyway, the treatment is to walk or elevate. No standing still or sitting with legs not elevated. So David has been doing both, and it appears that that treatment strategy manages the condition. We also think we understand what triggers it enough now that we know to avoid overheating or getting too cold, along with dehydration, on long walks. By Wednesday, November 21, the condition had almost completely abated. It would have disappeared earlier but for two weekend days of scheduled events that prevented elevating the foot.
We hope that this doesn't recur, but if it does, we're pretty confident we have it under control.
Friends and Fields
On Sunday, November 18th, we drove into Martinsburg to visit with our friends, Kate and Carmen. Unfortunately, we had so much fun catching up that we forgot to take photos. Kate was very impressed with Great White and had to come out to the truck to use the air horn as we left. I don't think the neighbors knew what hit them, especially after three blasts of the horn (one blast was not enough for Kate).
On Monday, we went on a short bike ride around Bolivar Heights. While we took the camera, we never took any photos.
On Tuesday, we decided to bike over to the south end of School House Ridge. This was the last battlefield to visit as part of the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park. It was overcast and a little on the chilly side. It is just amazing how much open space has been preserved.
Here is Kathy with one of the Confederate canons aimed at the Union troups on Bolivar Heights.
As with all wars, there are casualties both human and property. Here is the original farm house which burned down.
This photo shows what is left of the inside.
The ride back to our campground was all uphill, which was a challenge, but that is what keeps us in share.
Stay tuned for the next adventure.
On Monday, we went on a short bike ride around Bolivar Heights. While we took the camera, we never took any photos.
On Tuesday, we decided to bike over to the south end of School House Ridge. This was the last battlefield to visit as part of the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park. It was overcast and a little on the chilly side. It is just amazing how much open space has been preserved.
Here is Kathy with one of the Confederate canons aimed at the Union troups on Bolivar Heights.
As with all wars, there are casualties both human and property. Here is the original farm house which burned down.
This photo shows what is left of the inside.
The ride back to our campground was all uphill, which was a challenge, but that is what keeps us in share.
Stay tuned for the next adventure.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
(A LONG) Trip to the Dentist
Today was devoted entirely to driving from Harpers Ferry, WV, to Abington, PA for dental appointments for each of us. The drive was just about as enjoyable as the dental appointments.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Harpers Ferry - Murphy's Farm
Hi Blog. We had a slow start this morning. We had lots of projects to work on. One of the centering springs on our truck's 5th wheel hitch broke. We had to go online and order a new pair. Taking the hitch apart and putting in the new springs I am sure will be an interesting report to come later. We also worked on the family pollyanna using Elfster.com. Makes the whole process of the pollyanna so easy - love it.
So, it was after lunch before we got out to explore. We found a hike we could take from our campground. Here is a picture of Murphy's Farmhouse.
These are the fields where the Confederate Troops set up their cannons and surrounded the Union Army forcing them to surrender.
The trail took us into the woods and down by the Shenandoah River. We could hear the Winchester & Potomac Railroad, but it was directly under the cliff, so we never saw the train.
At one of the overlooks, we ran into a couple from Frederick, Maryland. We struck up a conversation and they gave us all sort of ideas for restaurants and things to do in Frederick when we go there next Saturday to see Tom Rush in concert. Here's a photo they were kind enough to take of us at a spot overlooking the Shenandoah River:
Tomorrow, we drive back to Philly for dentist appointments, so stay tuned.
So, it was after lunch before we got out to explore. We found a hike we could take from our campground. Here is a picture of Murphy's Farmhouse.
These are the fields where the Confederate Troops set up their cannons and surrounded the Union Army forcing them to surrender.
The trail took us into the woods and down by the Shenandoah River. We could hear the Winchester & Potomac Railroad, but it was directly under the cliff, so we never saw the train.
At one of the overlooks, we ran into a couple from Frederick, Maryland. We struck up a conversation and they gave us all sort of ideas for restaurants and things to do in Frederick when we go there next Saturday to see Tom Rush in concert. Here's a photo they were kind enough to take of us at a spot overlooking the Shenandoah River:
Tomorrow, we drive back to Philly for dentist appointments, so stay tuned.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Harper's Ferry - Bolivar Heights
Today we hiked one of the key battlefields in Harper's Ferry: Bolivar Heights and School House Ridge. This was the scene of a major rout of the Union Troops by the Confederacy in 1862.
Harpers Ferry was a strategic town because it had a munitions factory, storehouses of Union arms, and an advantageous location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, not to mention being located on the B&O Railroad. Both armies saw it as necessary to support their incursions into opposing territory.
Harpers Ferry started in Union hands. By the time the Civil War ended, it had changed hands eight times! By the end of the war, Harpers Ferry had been decimated, and its population had dwindled from 3,000 to a mere 100 souls. The first change in control occurred in April 1861 when Virginia seceded from the Union. Harpers Ferry, located in present West Virginia, was then part of Virginia, and the Union Army burned the arsenal and destroyed the machinery to prevent them falling into Confederate hands. Indeed, the Confederate Army occupied Harpers Ferry thereafter, but abandoned it as too difficult to defend in June. By October 1861, the Union Army reoccupied it.
The most well-known battle of Harpers Ferry occured in September 1862 when General Lee ordered his Army to surround and attack the town to control it in support of his intended attack on Union territory in Pennsylvania. A key portion of the Confederate troops, led by Stonewall Jackson, took up positions on School House Ridge, located west of Bolivar Heights. The Union Army had elected to take up defensive positions on Bolivar Heights, south of Harpers Ferry, to prevent its occupation by the Confederates. The Federal assumption was that Harpers Ferry was protected from incursion from the north and east because it is located on a peninsula of land jutting into the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and the Union troops also occupied strategic Maryland Heights, in the State of Maryland, north of Harpers Ferry across the Potomac River.
However, Confederate troops drove the Union Army from Maryland Heights, giving the rebels command over Harpers Ferry from the north. The South also took positions on Loudon Heights southwest of town. The Confederates thus started a bombardment from three sides onto the Union forces that were dug in on Bolivar Heights. This wore the Northern soldiers down. Finally, Stonewall Jackson feinted a direct attack on Bolivar Heights from School House Ridge on the night of September 14, 1862, while simultaneously sending artillery and infantry to flank the Union position on the south end of Bolivar Heights. With this accomplished, the Union leader recognized his hopeless position and surrendered the large Union force to Jackson's army - the largest surrender of U.S. armed forces until World War II.
Here is a view from the Union position on Bolivar Heights, looking out to Jackson's position on School House Ridge:
And here is a view back toward Bolivar Heights from Jackson's position on School House Ridge. Maryland Heights are in the left background:
Walking the battlefield and considering the chronology of the battle, it was easy to imagine the terror both of the Northern troops as they endured artillery fire for those successive nights in their position on Bolivar Heights - and of the Southern troops who were ordered to attack Bolivar Heights as a cover for the flanking attack by Jackson.
By the time we had hiked the battlefield, we put about 6 miles under our boots, and decided this was worth a shadow photo to show we were here:
We ended this beautiful Indian Summer day with another campfire under a clear, starry sky and a delicious meal of Ahi tuna cooked in ginger and spinach cooked with shallots - along with one of our favorite Octoberfest brews!
Harpers Ferry was a strategic town because it had a munitions factory, storehouses of Union arms, and an advantageous location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, not to mention being located on the B&O Railroad. Both armies saw it as necessary to support their incursions into opposing territory.
Harpers Ferry started in Union hands. By the time the Civil War ended, it had changed hands eight times! By the end of the war, Harpers Ferry had been decimated, and its population had dwindled from 3,000 to a mere 100 souls. The first change in control occurred in April 1861 when Virginia seceded from the Union. Harpers Ferry, located in present West Virginia, was then part of Virginia, and the Union Army burned the arsenal and destroyed the machinery to prevent them falling into Confederate hands. Indeed, the Confederate Army occupied Harpers Ferry thereafter, but abandoned it as too difficult to defend in June. By October 1861, the Union Army reoccupied it.
The most well-known battle of Harpers Ferry occured in September 1862 when General Lee ordered his Army to surround and attack the town to control it in support of his intended attack on Union territory in Pennsylvania. A key portion of the Confederate troops, led by Stonewall Jackson, took up positions on School House Ridge, located west of Bolivar Heights. The Union Army had elected to take up defensive positions on Bolivar Heights, south of Harpers Ferry, to prevent its occupation by the Confederates. The Federal assumption was that Harpers Ferry was protected from incursion from the north and east because it is located on a peninsula of land jutting into the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and the Union troops also occupied strategic Maryland Heights, in the State of Maryland, north of Harpers Ferry across the Potomac River.
However, Confederate troops drove the Union Army from Maryland Heights, giving the rebels command over Harpers Ferry from the north. The South also took positions on Loudon Heights southwest of town. The Confederates thus started a bombardment from three sides onto the Union forces that were dug in on Bolivar Heights. This wore the Northern soldiers down. Finally, Stonewall Jackson feinted a direct attack on Bolivar Heights from School House Ridge on the night of September 14, 1862, while simultaneously sending artillery and infantry to flank the Union position on the south end of Bolivar Heights. With this accomplished, the Union leader recognized his hopeless position and surrendered the large Union force to Jackson's army - the largest surrender of U.S. armed forces until World War II.
Here is a view from the Union position on Bolivar Heights, looking out to Jackson's position on School House Ridge:
And here is a view back toward Bolivar Heights from Jackson's position on School House Ridge. Maryland Heights are in the left background:
Walking the battlefield and considering the chronology of the battle, it was easy to imagine the terror both of the Northern troops as they endured artillery fire for those successive nights in their position on Bolivar Heights - and of the Southern troops who were ordered to attack Bolivar Heights as a cover for the flanking attack by Jackson.
By the time we had hiked the battlefield, we put about 6 miles under our boots, and decided this was worth a shadow photo to show we were here:
We ended this beautiful Indian Summer day with another campfire under a clear, starry sky and a delicious meal of Ahi tuna cooked in ginger and spinach cooked with shallots - along with one of our favorite Octoberfest brews!
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Hi Blog. I know we haven't been spending as much time with you as we used to. Now that we are back to vagabonding, we'll try to keep you up to date. Hurricane Sandy really knocked us for a loop. We also went overboard trying to schedule as many doctor, dentist, mechanic, family visits as humanly possible while back in the Philly area. Next time, we'll try and pace ourselves a little better.
On Tuesday, November 6th, we woke up bright and early and voted. Afterward, we packed up the rig and the cats and headed west. We spent a couple days in Lancaster, PA getting the RV inspected, plus a little warranty work and yearly maintenance. We have now owned the 5th wheel for two years.
We had reservations at the Ramada in Lancaster only to find out they are no longer pet friendly. When asked then why did you accept our reservation from petfriendly.com, they had no answer other than WE ARE NO LONGER PET FRIENDLY. So, you no longer have our business! We had to go out to the parking lot and find another hotel. It wasn't hard since we were right across the street from Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park and could see at least 15 different hotel/motels down the street.
We visited with our fishing buddies Dick and Evie Bergey at their home in Lititz. We just missed winter storm Athena. The snow didn't make it as far west as Lancaster. However, we did get a few flurries on the way home from dinner. We picked up our rig on Thursday, November 8th and drove south and west to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Since we will be here until the end of November, we are taking our time getting settled in. We found the grocery store and visitors bureau. We picked up lots of brochures on all the cool things to do in this area. Our first order of business was to visit Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. Here is a photo from the site of the arsenal.
Harpers Ferry has a lot of history. Before the Civil War it was a very prosperous and busy city sitting on the point where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet. It had a busy rail yard and access to the C&O Canal. During the Civil War, the town changed hands eight times. At it's height, Harpers Ferry had over 3,000 residents. Today, there are only about 300. Much of the old town remains and most of the point is part of the national park. Many of the old buildings have been converted into small museums that talk about a particular aspect of Harpers Ferry history. We were not the only visitors in town that day. Here is a little deer nibbling on the green grass of the armory. The park rangers stopped traffic to let the doe continue her tour through town.
Here is one of several railroad bridges that cross the rivers. This one crosses the Potomac to Maryland and has a pedestrian walkway that is also part of the Appalachian Trail.
I don't think we expected Harpers Ferry to be so hilly. The only flat part of town is right next to the river banks. Everything else was uphill. Here is the view from the back of St. Peter's Church on the way to Jefferson Rock - the rock outcropping that Thomas Jefferson used to survey the area.
After our historic outing, we came back to the rig and built a campfire and at a scrumptious dinner of crock-pot chicken chili, washed down by mead - wine made from honey. The campground is filled with weekend RV'ers this holiday weekend, and the campfires Friday and Saturday nights were a sight to behold. People are already leaving this morning, while we walk the campground, sip our morning coffee, hunt for kindling for our next campfire, and watch the weekenders pack up their tents, pop-ups, trailers and 5th wheels.
Today is Sunday, November 11th - Veterans Day. Thank you to the men and women of the armed services who protect our freedom enabling us to do what we love to do best.
On Tuesday, November 6th, we woke up bright and early and voted. Afterward, we packed up the rig and the cats and headed west. We spent a couple days in Lancaster, PA getting the RV inspected, plus a little warranty work and yearly maintenance. We have now owned the 5th wheel for two years.
We had reservations at the Ramada in Lancaster only to find out they are no longer pet friendly. When asked then why did you accept our reservation from petfriendly.com, they had no answer other than WE ARE NO LONGER PET FRIENDLY. So, you no longer have our business! We had to go out to the parking lot and find another hotel. It wasn't hard since we were right across the street from Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park and could see at least 15 different hotel/motels down the street.
We visited with our fishing buddies Dick and Evie Bergey at their home in Lititz. We just missed winter storm Athena. The snow didn't make it as far west as Lancaster. However, we did get a few flurries on the way home from dinner. We picked up our rig on Thursday, November 8th and drove south and west to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Since we will be here until the end of November, we are taking our time getting settled in. We found the grocery store and visitors bureau. We picked up lots of brochures on all the cool things to do in this area. Our first order of business was to visit Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. Here is a photo from the site of the arsenal.
Harpers Ferry has a lot of history. Before the Civil War it was a very prosperous and busy city sitting on the point where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet. It had a busy rail yard and access to the C&O Canal. During the Civil War, the town changed hands eight times. At it's height, Harpers Ferry had over 3,000 residents. Today, there are only about 300. Much of the old town remains and most of the point is part of the national park. Many of the old buildings have been converted into small museums that talk about a particular aspect of Harpers Ferry history. We were not the only visitors in town that day. Here is a little deer nibbling on the green grass of the armory. The park rangers stopped traffic to let the doe continue her tour through town.
Here is one of several railroad bridges that cross the rivers. This one crosses the Potomac to Maryland and has a pedestrian walkway that is also part of the Appalachian Trail.
I don't think we expected Harpers Ferry to be so hilly. The only flat part of town is right next to the river banks. Everything else was uphill. Here is the view from the back of St. Peter's Church on the way to Jefferson Rock - the rock outcropping that Thomas Jefferson used to survey the area.
After our historic outing, we came back to the rig and built a campfire and at a scrumptious dinner of crock-pot chicken chili, washed down by mead - wine made from honey. The campground is filled with weekend RV'ers this holiday weekend, and the campfires Friday and Saturday nights were a sight to behold. People are already leaving this morning, while we walk the campground, sip our morning coffee, hunt for kindling for our next campfire, and watch the weekenders pack up their tents, pop-ups, trailers and 5th wheels.
Today is Sunday, November 11th - Veterans Day. Thank you to the men and women of the armed services who protect our freedom enabling us to do what we love to do best.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Adieu to All That
Today is our last day in the Philadelphia area. Tomorrow we vote early then hit the road with the RV to take it for annual servicing and inspection in the Lancaster area.
This has certainly been an unusual stop. We've been here our usual amount of time - just about 2 weeks - but instead of focusing on hikes, bicycling, backpacking or other outdoor activities, we've had to spend our time with servicing appointments (the truck, the RV, our bicycles) and doctor and dentist appointments. Of course, we have had time to catch up with family and some Philly friends. And we also were able to squeeze in an opportunity to visit the new home of the Barnes Foundation on the Parkway in Center City. But what was originally already a very tight schedule to accomplish all that needed to be accomplished became something of a manic jigsaw puzzle when Hurricane Sandy decided to join our party.
We were out of power essentially from Monday through Friday - only 5 days. We have a generator on our truck, but we had to really boondock for two of those days because it was essential to give up the truck to get it inspected and serviced. So, an unexpected adventure in all of this was to discover all the nuances of boondocking. Kathy put it pretty succinctly when she said, "I know we can do it, and I know the rig is built to do it, but I don't WANT to do it unless we have to!" Wise words. Seriously, though, we now know exactly what it will require, which will help us make better decisions about when it will be worth boondocking. We also now have a very keen appreciation of how well we can survive power outages and so on (which, all in all, is, "very well").
Today Kathy had an eye doctor appointment and I fueled up the truck. We packed the 5th wheel away to ready for our trip, and drove over to pick up our bicycles (tuned up and just like new!). Had lunch in Keswick Village and now hanging out at a local coffee shop. After a dentist appointment for Kathy this afternoon, we'll stop and (finally) use our gift card for a dinner at Cracker Barrell, then spend the night at Eileen and Tom's before getting up at o'dark hundred to vote. Thank heavens the political ads will be over.
Then off to Lancaster. We'll stay in a hotel with the cats for a couple days while the RV is serviced. We suppose we'll watch the election returns Tuesday night. Wednesday we'll visit with our good friends Dick and Evie who, while they were lambasted by Irene in 2011, were practically unaffected by Sandy. Thank goodness.
On Thursday, November 8, if all goes well, we'll take the RV on down to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where we'll hang out for two weeks or so, and get back to some serious day hiking, bicycling and battleground exploring, topped off by Thanksgiving at the home of Kathy's brother Steve and his wife Lea Ann. After that, we head on down to the Richmond area.
Our next blog post may not appear until late this week from Harpers Ferry.
This has certainly been an unusual stop. We've been here our usual amount of time - just about 2 weeks - but instead of focusing on hikes, bicycling, backpacking or other outdoor activities, we've had to spend our time with servicing appointments (the truck, the RV, our bicycles) and doctor and dentist appointments. Of course, we have had time to catch up with family and some Philly friends. And we also were able to squeeze in an opportunity to visit the new home of the Barnes Foundation on the Parkway in Center City. But what was originally already a very tight schedule to accomplish all that needed to be accomplished became something of a manic jigsaw puzzle when Hurricane Sandy decided to join our party.
We were out of power essentially from Monday through Friday - only 5 days. We have a generator on our truck, but we had to really boondock for two of those days because it was essential to give up the truck to get it inspected and serviced. So, an unexpected adventure in all of this was to discover all the nuances of boondocking. Kathy put it pretty succinctly when she said, "I know we can do it, and I know the rig is built to do it, but I don't WANT to do it unless we have to!" Wise words. Seriously, though, we now know exactly what it will require, which will help us make better decisions about when it will be worth boondocking. We also now have a very keen appreciation of how well we can survive power outages and so on (which, all in all, is, "very well").
Today Kathy had an eye doctor appointment and I fueled up the truck. We packed the 5th wheel away to ready for our trip, and drove over to pick up our bicycles (tuned up and just like new!). Had lunch in Keswick Village and now hanging out at a local coffee shop. After a dentist appointment for Kathy this afternoon, we'll stop and (finally) use our gift card for a dinner at Cracker Barrell, then spend the night at Eileen and Tom's before getting up at o'dark hundred to vote. Thank heavens the political ads will be over.
Then off to Lancaster. We'll stay in a hotel with the cats for a couple days while the RV is serviced. We suppose we'll watch the election returns Tuesday night. Wednesday we'll visit with our good friends Dick and Evie who, while they were lambasted by Irene in 2011, were practically unaffected by Sandy. Thank goodness.
On Thursday, November 8, if all goes well, we'll take the RV on down to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where we'll hang out for two weeks or so, and get back to some serious day hiking, bicycling and battleground exploring, topped off by Thanksgiving at the home of Kathy's brother Steve and his wife Lea Ann. After that, we head on down to the Richmond area.
Our next blog post may not appear until late this week from Harpers Ferry.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Barnes Foundation
The new museum is spectacular - too much to absorb in one visit.
For more information on the museum, see http://www.barnesfoundation.org/
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