In the Twilight Zone....

I’m skipping here, but I gotta write about where we are staying this evening – a well, spooky campground in the far west end of the Yooper. It was 4:30pm Eastern, 3:30pm Central and we hadn’t made a reservation at an RV park or State Park or National Forest, which was unusual for us.  It was time.  We were driving along Route 41 heading West in the Yooper, when we were forced to do a detour to Route 2 and back up again.  We hoped to camp in Wisconsin, to get further West and closer to home, but it was not to be.  Looking at the AllStays app, I found a number of campgrounds between us and about 25 miles into Wisconsin.  The perfect location, in Mellen, Wisconsin “didn’t accept arrivals on Sundays.  Did you try Copper Creek?  No answer, I said”.  Another great location on Lake Superior responded with a utility message (“unable to complete your call”).  Two more phone numbers were not a campground, but the general number for their towns, Ironwood and Wakefield – so we couldn’t get through.  Several more campgrounds on the way to Mellen did not accept RVs… After completing the detour we headed back to Wakefield on Route 2 and then I found the icon for this campground.  Not sure why it didn’t show up before….  I called and they had room – in fact hardly anybody is here.  Nice green lawn, water and electric, plenty of room.  Just 3 RVs back in the trees.  We are out in the open, of course.  The office was interesting.  I’m thinking Bates Motel.  We pulled up to a small house and a door saying “OFFICE”.  A small sign said to push the buzzer for the bell before coming in, despite the fact that two small dogs barked their heads off when we approached – and I had called a few minutes before to say we were coming.  I pressed the button and tried to open the door – it was locked.  Finally someone answered – a small man, who was friendly but, well, I looked around and although the house looked bigger, it appeared that his workspace was a small desk, a twin-sized bed and lots of stuff.  Every inch of the walls were covered with framed pictures, newspaper articles and flyers.  There was a large trophy-looking thing behind the desk and next to a bouquet of pink mylar balloons saying “happy birthday”, happy mother’s day” and who knows what else.  There was no room to walk into or around this room.  The most normal aspect of this scene were the two shih tzus who announced our arrival.  Very friendly with lovely expressive faces – they took turns standing on the desk chair and putting their paws on the desk as if to say – “it’s really OK – how can I help?”

Where is everybody????

Anyway, we are set up in our site (Norman Bates guided us there in an ATV), drinking wine and hunkering down as a major storm moves through, rain, lightening, thunder.  Hope we make it out of here….

Two Gorgeous NJ & Mass State Parks

These are kind of brief descriptions of two beautiful state parks where we stayed over a period of 5 days, in NY and Massachusetts.  Have a short window of time to access the wifi of our good friends, Randy and Jane, in Ontario (thank you!) so, here goes:

Schodack Island State Park - Upstate NY

This is a beautiful park between a creek and the mighty Hudson River, hence the island designation.  We had a gorgeous campsite, with electricity, amid towering trees that may have been cottonwoods (?), due to the constantly-falling seeds that looked like cotton.  Who knows, but the trees and forest there were lush and green.  Trails that had been cut way back, maybe for hikers to avoid bugs(?) surrounded the park and extended several miles in either direction along the Hudson.  There were boat ramps for motor boats on the big river and for kayaks on the creek.  Alas, we didn’t bring our yaks.  We entertained the Murph by throwing his football into the Hudson at the boat ramp.

Mohawk Trail State Forest - the Berkshires

MTSF is in the Berkshires, in Northwestern Massachusetts.  Beautiful park and our site was right on a creek – not sure of the name.  We boon-docked there for 3 nights, but it was OK, as we brought the generator.  It was lovely to sleep to the creek sound, but the shower facility, one campground over, was dismal.  How does one take a shower when one hand must be pushing on the ON button to keep the water on????

Not to worry, as Moby indeed has a shower, which was needed after several humid, misty hikes.  We hiked the Mahican-Mohawk Trail a couple of times, which was used by the Indians as a trading route eons ago.

The Jersey Shore

Murphy and new buddy, Rayne

I’m writing this now because it has been a while, and so I can remember where the heck we went!  We visited the Jersey Shore over Memorial Day Weekend – we essentially looked for a place to hunker down and avoid the crowds, and one of my closest friends in the world happens to live near Long Beach Island.  So we parked Moby in the Long Beach Island RV Resort, near Barnegut, and drove back and forth to the towns on LBI, a long barrier island off the coast of New Jersey.  We also spent some time near my friend, Sarah’s hometown of Medford where there is a 20-acre dog park with many fields and streams.  Murphy had a blast there.  He also experienced his first swim in the ocean and in a bay – loved it.  The ocean waves didn’t seem to phase him!

Skipper's Seafood - sight not seen in Colorado!

Being at the shore reminded me of years spent south of there with family 12 years in a row for two-week summer visits.  Salt water taffy, the smell of the ocean, the diesel fumes from the bumper cars, shrink-wrapped packages of shells in the surf shops, sand in the toes.  And the seafood.  Loved it. The Barnegat area is know for harvesting scallops, so I partook of said critters wherever possible.  One evening, we picked some up from Skipper’s Seafood on Route 72, took them back to the RV park and Chris cooked them up in a pan with garlic and lemon and a bit o’ ginger.  Words cannot express.

Friends I've Met!

Murphy's New Friends!  and these are just the ones so far!!!

Emma - Pine Crest MO in the Ozark’s.  Her mom greeted us at 7 am with her breakfast of a PBR and a lit Salem. A “seasonal” RVer rigged out behind the Pickin’ Parlor where mountain music wailed the night before. “Let’s make us some brown puppies!”  mom said. I didn’t know what she was talking about and my dad was uncharacteristically speechless. 

<-Allie - Cashiers, NC. My Cousin!  a sweet middle aged lady who told me the rules despite me being unable to understand any of them.  We quickly sorted things out and became best of pals!  I hear she misses me!  I miss her. 

Pebbles - Charlotte, NC.  Pebbles wasn’t interested in my ball but she sure was certain she didn’t want me having it!  a “herder” the Uprights kept saying.  If that means telling me where to not go, then I got it.

Chino - short for Cappuchino - Charlotte, NC.->  Chino came to visit us in Pebbles’ fantastic back yard! (look elsewhere for “The Shoffice”). same age as me but a ginger to my chocolate.  What Fun!  Rompin & Rollin while the Uprights yickity yacked fondly about far away places and people.

A teaser of a tree swallow - Hunt Valley, MD.   You saw this earlier! oooooh. so close!  this tree swallow buzzed around me as i chased a ball in the cool green grass.  I chased him, then and just when i thought i’d have him; whoosh up into the sky.  I wish i had wings.  No. hands.  I with I had HANDS.  with opposing thumbs! 

Pepper - Cockeysville, MD - a girl sweet to humans but wanted to do a DIY neutering on me.  Happy it didn’t happen!

Rayne - Medford, NJ -> a delicate flower of a girl.  Perhaps the Queen Mum in a prior life.  She didn't know what to make of me at first, but we became great playmates on the beach.  I'll see her again soon at her favorite dog park. 

<- Leo and Caia - Beach Haven, NJ - two rescue kids about my age at the dog beach!  The dog beach was great!  Access to the bay and really shallow out a few hundred yards!  Leo and Caia's mom, Joe Montana (because of her great arm with my football!)  told me I'm a natural water dog!  All was fun and games until Leo started humping me. 

Bailey - Harvey Cedars, NJ  we had a nice romp in Sunset Park!  She chased me, I chased her!  Bailey was a chocolate lab just like me and we were born just three days apart!  But Bailey was bigger than me.  As it's said, 'If your lab is fat, YOU are not getting enough exercise!"

<- Crusty - a rather sleepy horseshoe crab on Long Beach Island.  or maybe permanently asleep.  This thing gave me the creeps. 

Moe (and many other “pocket puppies”).  Barnaget TWP, NJ Lots of these little pups around.  One each on either side of us at this campground.  No match for my Big Boy Bark although they sure try.  I have a theory:  the smaller the dog, the bigger the RV (or the people!

Clam and Chowder.  Barnaget TWP, NJ These kids seemed a little flat, but they let me join their family photo.

Pond scum

So, I experienced a fascinating morning this morning, on the search of fresh water creatures.  Our friend, Doug, with whom we are staying here outside Baltimore, is a biologist, former professor at Hopkins.  Now that it is warm here, all the happy microscopic critters in ponds are out frolicking and observable with a syringe and a microscope.  We scooped up two samples from the creek bordering their property and one from their pond - and took a look.  We saw spirogyra, peritrichia, protonema, diatoms, closteriums, ostracod, a rotofer and a flea larva.  We also saw green algae making zoospores!  It was really cool.

Murphy and the tree swallow

We made it to Baltimore during a 3-day rainy and foggy period.  But that meant it was pleasantly cool, so no worries.  On the way, we passed the swollen confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers at Harpers Ferry, which was really impressive.  We parked the trailer in the Patapsco Valley State Park and headed to Cockeysville in the country outside the city.

We've been staying in the cottage on friends' lovely property there while I catch up on family connections.  Spring once again is evident in our friends' beautiful gardens - it must be so easy to grow things out here!!!!  And as I write this, I hear a lawn mower - takes me back to the time I lived in Delaware!

We found a beautiful verdant wide-open field about 10 minutes from our friends' home, to exercise Murphy with a ball and a Chuck-It.  Nobody there, all to ourselves.  Except for a playful tree swallow.  We learned it was a tree swallow because one of our friends here is a biologist and avid naturalist - white belly, gray wings with a bit of blue - the swallow, not our friend.  We described it, he showed us a picture and that was it!  We started throwing the ball for Murphy and this bird showed up, circling and swooping at about Murphy's nose level.  So Murphy ran after it and it kept circling around - as soon as Murphy got close, it soared up high, then sailed back down nearby.  Both were running and flying in big circles and figure eights - it was an incredibly joyous thing to behold!

Tomorrow, we leave for New Jersey!

The Blue Ridge Parkway

Hopefully, I’ll get the Blogger editor to work with pictures, as the Blue Ridge Parkway speaks for itself, and I really don’t need to write anything – but I’ll make a few comments.  Spring is definitely here on the BRP – not everything has bloomed, certainly, but it is mostly green, except for the highest elevations around 6,000 feet.  A month from now, it will look outrageous, as the rhododendron will be blooming, but the beautiful 8-foot high leafy part of the plants are out and voluptuous in their greenery.  We boondoggled last night in a practically-deserted BRP Park and tonight we are staying at a commercial RV Park with full hookup and wifi.  I’m sitting under our trailer awning with a light rain falling and Murphy staring at me, as it is almost supper time.

Yesterday, with a layover at the BRP campground, we took advantage of good weather and went on two hikes, one up a ridge with a view and another around a small lake.  As we hiked up to the ridge, the clouds were ascending like billowing smoke – I guess that’s why the Smokey Mountains are so named.  The ridge was socked in when we got there, but as we descended, it started clearing and we went back up.  Gorgeous valley views in three directions.

Clouds creeping up the hillside