BELLS PICKUP -GOING HOME

DAY 39, 40, 41 AND HOME

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT NORTHERN NOCKINGBIRD

WILSON'S PHALAROPE

The last two days were about getting the bells stowed away and heading for home. But first we checked out of Morris Meadows., in Fairfield MD. (Great place to camp and close to Kathy and Steve but call ahead as they may be full). We turned in our “key” ($10.00 deposit) and headed out the short road to I-83 going north to PA 30 and then east. York is a very industrial town with the Harley Davidson motorcycle factory located there.Lancaster is the center of the Amish population. We never saw a person plowingf the field with a horse until we got far western PA. This road places the traveler in the middle of some great Revolutionary War sites including Valley Forge, Charlestown and Morristown, two of the places where George Washington stayed with his troops for two bitter winters. A little further on toward Philadelphia are the Hopewell Furnaces, and the Mercer Museum. (It is the magnificent “tile man’s" place now owned by the Moravians.)
Ruth found a direct route to Plumsteadville from the south so that helped and at 11:30 we were there. The bells were loaded (we moved a few of our belongings around.), ate lunch there in the parking lot and talked with the employees a bit. Seems they had their “first ever” layoffs this year. They had never laid anyone off before so the economic issues hit them, as well.
We backtracked a bit to 313 and headed NW to pick up I 496 N. Stopped a few times for stretch and once for gasoline (It’s getting higher at $2.39). Finally we reached I-80 and headed west.

Our goal was to get nearly through the Poconos that evening. The Poconos, although at 100,000,000 years old, and eroded quite a bit over those years, still have those long 3-4 mile rises and falls (on the road) that shows their ancient shape. The highest point on the highway (I-80) east of the Mississippi River is only 2, 080 feet above sea level, but the long inclines make them seem higher. The mountains are all covered with forests at this point and for hundreds of miles it is this way. There is no agriculture showing anywhere.
In this part of PA the LUK OIL CO (a Russian Company) and the “Wawa” Gas stations reappear. Also the Sheetz Co is very up to date with their buildings and property. They are quite attractive.
On one stretch of I-80 we passed over a very long section of highway test strips (for paint and rubber stripes). This was the longest one I have ever traveled over and it was somewhere between ¼ and ½ mile long. There were hundreds of strips placed there for testing. They sure will know which ones work best. We also saw a “Survey vehicle” that was testing the surface of the road and recording the results. There were some stretches of the road (particularly the cement ones) that really needed attention.

Bloomsburg, a town of 12,000 on the way, was center in the 19th century to a booming iron industry. It is on the Susquehanna River. We did continue on to Woodland which was in the heart of the Poconos, on the western edge. IT is exactly ½ way across I-80 from east to west. Nearby is Clearfield which has 6<000>

The next morning (Saturday) started as a bright and sunny day. We have not had that in more than a week. In the campground late that night came a Boy Scout troop from Pittsburgh. I talked with one of the men (Brad) and he told me that they were going to canoe the Susquehanna River for two days a night. Now the Susquehanna River is a might big river especially where I pointed out between York and Lancaster there are huge rocks in the river and many rapids. He assured me, however, that the portion near Woodland was the West Branch of the river and flowed much slower and was narrower. These 29 boys and leaders were efficient in the preparation of the morning, up on time and quickly, quiet and respectful of others and made quick preparation to leave. I was really impressed with the leaders and the boys. May they have a great day on the river?

We left camp at about 8:30 and got gasoline nearby at Clearfield where it had jumped to $2.59 a gallon. Diesel was still lower. Then the long climbs in the Poco9nos began again. As we drove west however, the hills became shorter and the number of them less. The forests were still all around as this part of PA is entirely forested and one sees no agriculture for hundreds of miles. IT is ideal hunting and camping country. Ran into (figuratively) a few drivers who had some really bad “roadside manners: \”. There were a number of those ”S” curves where the construction moves the traffic to other lanes for a short distance. At that point some drivers try to maneuver their car ahead of the person going under the speed limit to get around them before they get into it. IT happened more than once today. Yesterday we saw more than a half dozen police cars with drivers “in tow” so it must be a problem in places…that and speeding.

As we drove further west and were out of the Poconos, by the time we had about 50 miles in PA to go, the farms reappeared, the land leveled off and the hills almost disappeared. When we crossed over into Ohio the industrial towns popped up quickly, Y9oungstown, (a decrepit steel mill that had been closed for a while appeared as well), Warren and Portage. Along here on I-80 (toll road now) there are two large auto manufacturing plants . The one is the Lordsburg (east) GM facility and the other is a Chrysler facility. One wonders of on next Monday if they both will still be operating? As we mentioned tough economic times hit the Malmart Bell factory, what will happen to our largest industry? Pone of the best signs we saw near Southern Michigan…”TRY OUR BEEF JERKY” (We are not a Gas Station).

We phoned ahead for reservations in Dundee near the Cabela’s store. It was in the country and quiet with many families there for the weekend between Memorial Day and when school is out for many students.. We set up quickly and had a light supper (one frozen package of prepared Goulash was left.) Lots of campfires burning soothe smoke makes it a campfire night. Tomorrow we head up US 23 and west on I-96 for home .

The day promises to be a good one in many ways. It was ,and we had sun all the wqy home arriving at about 2:30 God watched over us on the trip, and we enjoyed the man Ysights and sounds He has provided for us in this great land. Amen.

FIELD DAY AND KITE FLYING

HERR'S MILL BRIDGE

CIRRIS ELONGATUS

Day 39 Still visiting family and an El. Sch. Field Day

The rains held off so the School Field Day was on for the two younger members of Kathy’s family. It was another morning of

BLUE RIDGE BLUE

extra sleep and a leisurely start. Ruth usually uses this time to put together some of her outlines (with pictures) on the Mac. She has been grouping pictures into categories so they will be easier to locate and pull up. In that same time slot, I have been getting the blog ready and keeping my daily log (written) up to date. It has rained n 16 of the 39 days we have been out so far, Saturday and Sunday during the drive how promises to be dry.
We down loaded the e mail and sent out ours. Thanks for those who have regularly written and communicated. I know it is difficult to do during this busy time of the year. but it is appreciated.
Ruth and I took the noontime to catch a “lunch out”. We seldom do that and almost every day pack our own. We opted for “Cracker Barrel” in Shrewsbury on the way to Kathy’s home.
Ruth likes to get their breakfast which you can get all day, and I was satisfied with soup and a toasted cheese sandwich.
Arriving at 12:30 gave us time to have some more quality time with family and then we headed to the Field Day. The Elementary School has a huge recreational area with baseball diamonds, tennis courts and I saw a “driving sled” for football so it must be shared with the High School there. The events were simple and although competitive as a team not events that would have winners and losers. I was happy to see that. They played team tug of war (4 teams at once in a star shape) , sponge and water races (relays) , whiffle ball and sling throw into three circles, a coordination game with passing the ball in a circle using only the feet, a game of “kick ball” that involved everyone as when the ball was caught, the catcher passed to the next person behind him /her, through the legs and so on to the end, while the kicker tried to see how many bases they could run before they all passed the ball. Finally there was an area where they could draw with chalk on the tennis court. I noticed that this event was less restricted and they could move around inside the court. The children were happy and excited.
I had bought some kites and yo-yo’s as I don’t think they had ever experienced the yo-yos and the wind was blowing good so it might be good for kites. I instructed them in the basics of yo-yos and then we went out doors to try the kites. They worked well and were small but quick kites. All of them flew successfully. Ruth joined in and really was big help. It is fun to watch the youngsters learning a skill even as basic as kite flying.
We ended the day with pizza out at the local Pizza Hut. Of course it is a favorite of many folks especially children. Ruth has this type as a favorite for Pizzas. It was a time for “knock knock jokes “and questions with silly answers. Grandpa had a few as we, and although he was rusty did remember a few from “way back”.
It was good to be with them even for a few days and see how things were going. With Steve gone for long periods of time, Kathy is managing well and when he is home, he is “home”
We leave tomorrow Am (Friday) to pick up the bells at Plumsteadville, some 160 miles NE of here, and will continue on that day to secure a camping spot somewhere in PA.
Thanks for reading and we will see some of you soon. The rest of you we will catch up with you along the weeks ahead. Jim and Ruth

FAMILY VISITS AND THE ROLLING HILLS OF PA

MILL STONE FROM FRANCE

HERR MILL HANOVER OLD TRACTORS

MILL BRIDGE HANOVER

Day 38- Visiting family – Rolling Hills of PA

This week is the last meeting of the trip with family. Jim’s daughter and her family live in Stewartstown PA, which is just over the border from MD about 6 miles from the campground where we are staying. It is an easy drive which makes the day longer for other things.
This part of NW Maryland (pron: mare-a land) and the adjoining area of Pennsylvania are very rolling and the roads are old trails that are very narrow and twisting. One has to be extra cautious when driving them as “blind spots” and sharp turns are frequent. This is especially true of drivers, like myself, that are unfamiliar with them. It is, however, intensive farming country with wheat, corn, and hay as the chief crops. There are no large,1,000 acre, expansive farms like we saw in Eastern North Carolina, but small ones which include some cattle and many horses. (See yesterday at Hanover)
The housing that Kathy and Steve have is in the middle of this rural area situated on a small hill that gives a good venue of the surrounding countryside. It is spacious for the children to play and of course lots of lawn to mow. A wheat field comes right up to the property at the back. Jim met the bus when the children arrived from school and was greeted with huge hugs. It has been almost three years since we have seen them in the flesh. The rest of the afternoon was spent assisting with homework, and getting up to date on what they were all involved. Steve is a driller working for the Corp of Engineers and is home on “leave” from assignment in Florida where he has been working in the Okeefenokee and other areas in which dams need testing for their safety and stability.. He is a master driller so there are many stories he can tell about the days on the job, when things can go wrong, and employees get upset with the work or want to “slack off”. Steve is a hard worker and has a great record with the Corps as getting things done on schedule or ahead of time. He began watching drilig at the age of 8 or so withy his grandfather, so has seen many situations that his co workers have not, and hence knows how to solve time, the “easy way”. In the evening it was Cub Scout Den meeting for one, more homework for the other two. Tomorrow we will attempt to see the Field Day at the Elementary school as today’s was postponed.
So this entry is a bit shorter and concise. We are enjoying the site that we have the trailer as it is really isolated in woods with the Hermit Thrushes waking us up in the morning. If you have ever heard their bugle like call you will know what I mean. We still have not had hummingbirds come to our feeder but we believe it is too far under the cover of the trees. They like to be in open areas to feed, like the flowers in your garden!
The weather has been overcast and threatening rain although it did not rain all day yesterday. Today is foggy as that cold front that is coming creates the reversals of air that brings on the fog especially in the cool mornings. Tomorrow may very well be the last entry as we will be moving from Plumsteadville PA, where we pick up the bells, to western PA to OH to MI in two days.

PRETZELS, HORSES AND AMISH DINNERS

Day 37, Hanover Pretzel factory and a dinner in Amish count

The rain did not stop, nor stop us on this Tuesday in Mason Dixon line country of NW Maryland and southern PA. We crossed the border a couple of times today. This , in part, Amish country.
On entering Hanover we needed info, so went to the “info center” at the downtown library (excellent) and found an internet service

HANOVER SHOE FARM FILLIES AND COLTS

and took advantage of that while downloading and uploading (blog). Had a cup of coffee served by the “Library Friends” ladies. Downtown Hanover is old, with narrow streets, and quaint building of early 1800 vintage. Lots of brick is used.
We took a chance that the Hanover Pretzel Factory (in Hanover PA) would have tours during the day when we could get there. They did, but we were a bit early and came back at 1:00 after signing in on the register.
That gave Ruth a chance to get some pictures of the Hanover Shoe Farm (they raise horses) just outside Hanover a few miles. When we rounded the bend where they were (it was still raining), there was a paddock (shire?) filled with more than a dozen “mammas" and their young colts. The colts were frisky and running and jumping. Probably a few weeks old for the most part. This farm is the largest horse breeding farm in the country and in the top few in the world. They have 1800 horses here many of which have been champion trotters and pacers. It was founded in1926 and has over 4,000 acres of land. They raise Standard Bred horses.

HERR'S MILL IN HANOVER PA

SO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PRETZELS???
It was time for the tour and after eating a few pretzels for lunch –(Dinner would be in Lancaster) we did the tour. Our tour guide was Cathy. Now this Pretzel Factory is ONE BIG FACTORY at 380,000 square feet. The dynamics of it cannot be written down, but suffice to say that they bring in over 300,000 pounds of flour each day to make the various products. This flour, amazingly, comes from farms that are within a 15 mile radius. This certainly is an incentive for local farmers to continue farming.
They bring in 124 tons of salt each month from the Morton Salt Co. This pretzel has LESS SALT CONTENT, however than other brands. The turnover in the huge storage and packing warehouse occurs every week. This is a four tiered, 1,000 foot long, 500 feet wide portion of the plant that has at least 8 of these double sided racks running the 1,000 feet of the building. It is kept under continual motion by a $3 million automated sorting and stacking machine (UPC labels) that directs labeled boxes on a conveyer, sorts them by order, gathers them on pallets, and shrink wraps the bundles for shipment. It can prepare 59 cases of product a minute. It was an amazing process and almost unbelievable. Automation replaced 18 workers who still work in the factory. The starting wage is $14.50 per hour so it is an incentive to be hired there. The factory runs three eight hour shifts each day. There are 500 workers in this plant and 1500 industry wide (Phoenix AZ is the other plant)
Shutting down portions of the plant for cleaning is usually on Thursdays. (Clean the potato peeler as an example). The potatoes for the chips (they make them too) is a sandpaper base that leads to a cutting machine and sorter that selects the “small and brown colored ones (skin)” that are used for second level sales (“Big Lots” and others). The remainder of the equipment in the factory are ovens, cutters, and an automated press for correct sizing. We saw this very heavy metal plate that is stamped to allow the dough to go through the holes on top and come out the bottom as a pretzel shape. Various sizes are used for various types of pretzel in order to make thousands of pretzels at one time.
One side makes potato chips and multi grain products and the other side pretzels. That should give you an idea of the process, as there are more details unsaid.
After the tour we of course bought a few products and headed out to find Lancaster across US 30 and the Susquehanna River. There were many rocks in the river at this juncture. I detoured into York trying to find a “shortcut”. Ha! Should have stayed on the route as it took many traffic lights later to get to Lancaster. On the way back it was much easier and safer.
We looked for a few Amish, small scale, eating places but did not find what we were looking for. We DID, however, find a wonderful Mill that was a campground instead of a restaurant. (Exploration is lots of fun) See pictures. We did select “Good and Plenty Restaurant” and were served a very good family style meal with families from New Jersey and New York. Chicken was the center of the meal with plenty of veggies and salads with 54 desserts as the “piece ‘de resistance” as my Dad would say. (I think he thought that was correct in France in 1917.).
We headed home at 5:00 and the rush hour was not too heavy on the road. I found US 30 easily and the way home was smooth.

Tomorrow we meet with daughter Kathy and her three young ones. Her husband Steve is home from Florida where he is a well driller for the Corps of Engineers, testing dams. We may see the children competing in their school Field day if the weather holds. (It didn't)

STATE LINES ON THE MASON DIXON

SOME OF THOSE AZALEA

Day 36 May 25 2009 Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland? HUH?

That sequence above, will be explained when we cross the Shenandoah River and the Potomac River a few seconds apart from one another . Stay tuned.
It was a good day to be in the center of Civil War battle sites as it was THEE day to remember those who fought and died for our freedom. There certainly were many memorials and we just missed the one in the Park that was held at 11:30 just before we arrived.
Driving from Winchester VA, to Freeland MD, near the PA border did not take long and probably allowed us to at least drive by some of the most historical battle sites of the Civil War. It didn’t take us long to get out of Virginia and we did see a lot of horses on the farms there. When there are acres of pasture surrounded by white fences it is a “key” to what is being raised there. Soon we were in the eastern tip of West Virginia and the city of Charlestown and then Harper’s Ferry. Here the Army of Gen. Lee had its staging area and massed 40,000 troops to battle the Union’s 85,000 troops on the other side of the Potomac River. Lee’s Special Order Number 191 which explained his tactics was captured by the Union army and offset the advantage he would have had. During this period of time Lee divided his Northern Virginia Army into three portions (later four) and decided to make a stand at Sharpsburg (Antietam). It was his second and last attack during the war of any consequence. The first was at Bull Run. More than 18,000 men were wounded during one day’s fighting there at Antietam and over 3,000 at the Battle of South Mountain three days earlier. “Stonewall” Jackson surrounded the Union soldiers at Harpers Ferry and captured 25,000 men and all of their stores which the Confederates could sorely use.

CLOUDS LOOKING DOWN FROM THE BLUE RIDGE
But that was not the only place that we thought about as we moved along I-70 toward Baltimore. There were also Olney, Frederick, and Mt. Airy. All significant in the Civil War.
Now about the chronology alluded to in the opening statement. While driving US 340, there is a place where the road is located in West Virginia, then Virginia, West Virginia and then Maryland, all in just a few miles. At that point near Harpers Ferry, it crosses the Shenandoah River to the Virginia side and then crosses the Potomac River to the Maryland side. The Shenandoah River enters the Potomac River at that point which made Harper’s ferry all that more important as a strategic spot during the Civil War...
Along the Shenandoah River are many flat rocks, and from these “perches” fishermen were plying their trade on this Holiday especially. At this point the road (an old two lane converted into a one way two lane), has a “tunnel like” effect as the trees hang over the road shielding us from the sun. It is very picturesque.
As we continued to drive easterly, the traffic heading to the eastern corridor of NY, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington continued to increase in volume and contained some inconsiderate drivers. They were not many mind you but enough to see that others lives on the road can be in danger at any time... The main offense I saw were, those who changed two lanes at one time and the ubiquitous “tailgater”. I don’t believe that any state has a “premium” on more or less offenders on the road
We ran across a road name (overpass) named “Catholic Church Road”. Honest! O course John Carroll founder of the first University in these has a street or two named after him. Along the way we crossed the “Old National Pike” (historic road), and the Appalachian Trail again. It is affectionately called “A.T.” as well. Then there was Sykesville, and Clarkesville.
We continued on I-70 until it became I 695 and finally into I 83. This took us to but not into Baltimore, I 83 went directly north to Freeland where the campground was located. The campground is on land that is still in the Morris family since the original deed (I saw the copy) dated December 4, 1793 on a piece of goatskin.
The family worked off their indenture (for passage) in the Susquehanna area and then walked to this place when it was paid... Today, after 7 generations of continuous owners, the land is used for grain growing, Angus cattle, and recreation. The campground is very unique as it is divided into use areas. Large RV’s in one area, trailers in another families in another, tents in another and they are all divided by woods and a very circuitous road system. One could get lost easily. The hills add to the ambience of the park. It is closely monitored and rules are established to create respect and quiet. Ex: “must have proper attire at all times and no “poorly worded “T shirts. and …”pets must have vaccination certification”.”
The birds here are very abundant and a Baltimore Oriole is nesting just above (way above) our trailer. This first evening (after many went home) is very quiet. Ruth and I did one load of laundry to get us home at least. It was $2.00 a wash and $1.00 per dryer (2 times). We settled in for the evening and will look at doing Annapolis tomorrow if the rains hold off. Doesn’t look like it.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND PARK

Day 35 Shenandoah National Park (Blue Ridge Drive)

VIEW FROM THE BLUE RIDGE

Today we drove the northernmost portion o the Blue Ridge Highway which is actually in the Shenandoah National Park. This section is about 110 miles in length and is in the Appalachian Range of mountains. This is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Can you imagine it when it was as big as the Rocky Mountains? (Which is a young range?) It was authorized in1927 and established in 1935 (by which President?) with the aid of the Civilian Conservation Corps formed during the Great Depression (CCC). (See below) It was established as “…a peaceful refuge for nearby urban populations.” It hosts about 1.5 million visitors each year. Today we did see many of them from all over the world.
Among other growing things there are 1,000 species of flowering plants in the park. This is more species than all of Europe. We did see the pink azaleas, and three other flowers including daisies, primrose and an unidentified one...

DEER IN THE SHENANDOAH NAT. PK.

The primary tree in the Park is the Black Locust but that was not always the case. Until the turn of the century (20th) the American chestnut was the dominant tree. In 1900 it accounted for 25% of all trees in the Park area. A small fungus was then brought to these shores called
endothia parasitica, and then began the demise of the American Chestnut. It was a good source of lumber for homes and food for animals. Today only a few remain and those are subject to the blight brought on by the fungus. Black Bear number 300-600 and are seen occasionally. There are many white tailed deer and we saw a number of them right by the side of the road and stopped for some wandering aimlessly in the road. We did notice what I thought were bark beetle investatiuons, but upon further investigation found that it is Hemlock wooly adelgid defoliating the evergreens (Hemlock). There is also the gypsy moth caterpillar working damage on oak trees. The butterflies were the eastern tiger swallowtail (yellow) and the spring azure.
The overlooks and parking areas are numerous along the Parkway, and as it was Sunday of the Holiday (Memorial Day) it was just busy. Ruth said not “really busy”. The road has hundreds of twists and turns and at maximum speed of 35 mph (law) it gives the visitors a chance to slow down and really soak in the beauty of being surrounded by nature. There are a few spots where there are “Meadows”, one being “Big Meadow” and this was formed by ancient lava flows that have long since eroded... This is unique up there on the ridge.
The Hoover’s (Herbert) had a summer “White House” on the ridge called, Rapidan Camp, which has been preserved. Inasmuch as settlers lived here for more than 300 years there are over 100 cemeteries in the Park and some crumbling walls, callers and barns.
John Lederer, a German physician, explored and documented this area in 1669; He encountered the Monacans and the Monahoac Indian who were peaceful and intelligent people who worshipped one god.”. Shortly after the Dutch and French fur traders came the Indians began to succumb to new diseases. Their demise led to some 67.000 people inhabiting this area until corporations and absentee landlords exploited the region and the fortunes of the people steadily declined. The chestnut blight was the crowning blow. Following a sever drought and a time of hog cholera, the population was half that number above.
The CC had 1,000 “boys” when it was in its prime in the Park, and when the work was done they dismantled all and returned the land to its “natural state”, including old settler’s artifacts and sites. The Skyline drive was completed in 1939 at a cost of 5 million dollars.
Trails and camping spots are a large part of the use of the park. Sunday the trails were busy and most of the paring lots for the camp sites (tents) were full. There are some Lodges for overnight and they were all full.
The trip of 100 + miles took us just about 4 hours with about a dozen stops including lunch.
We did find the campsite in Winchester VA and found that they had us down for the next night. UGH. We believe we did not make the error, but the point was, did they have any sites for us? Holiday weekend and all? Yes they did and “squeezed us in”. IT is a full campground but with many younger families there will be early bed times and lots of quiet.-
Tomorrow we move to the Maryland border and visit Kathy Simmons and family (daughter) . They live just in PA andf across from Maryland.
FACT: The locals pronounce Maryland as …‘Maer a land’…See ya soon.

ROANOKE VA, AND FAMILY VISITS

"CRUISER"

Day 34 Visiting Family in Roanoke, VA.

Saturday May 23, 2009

The day was bright and partly sunny, there was smoke in the campground lingering from Friday night’s campfires, but there were bird songs in the air. A bird that we have been “chasing” a longtime reappeared and Jim finally traced it to its source. It was a Swainson’s warbler. A rather plain bird except for the white eye line, the rufous cap and the song. It is very striking and identifiable once you see it. Its call is “ seuw, seuw, seuw.”
We had promised my niece Cathy that we would visit her family today, so with a leisurely AM that we really needed, we left for their place in Roanoke (15 miles away) at 10:45 AM. We were south of town about that distance so it was an easy trip to get to their house driving up I-81 and east on me- 581. I-81 is the direct route from Mexico to NYC, so it is heavily used. Here is a synopsis of the highway’s use:
Following the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, Interstate 81 provides a link between the Northeastern Megalopolis to points in the Mid-Southern states, adding to its appeal as a major trucking route. Combined with all of Interstate 59 and a portion of Interstate 75, Interstate 81 follows U.S. 11 for its entire journey from New Orleans to northern New York State. Interstate 81 does not enter major metropolitan areas; (ed. Note: a good fact for truckers to know) it instead serves smaller cities such as Roanoke and Winchester, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; Harrisburg and Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Binghamton and Syracuse, New York. After passing through Watertown, Interstate 81 crosses the St. Lawrence Seaway to meet Ontario 401 in Canada. RED BELLIED WOODPECKER

We had a fine time with Cathy, Bruce her husband and Emily (12) their daughter. There were two dogs there today as one was being “house sat.” “Cruiser” is a Basset Hound (see) and Cinnamon (neighbor) is a Springer Spaniel. We had not seen Bruce in 3 ½ years so we did catch up some. We had a light lunch, exchanged information about the families (my sister’s and mine) mainly and then went to a neighbor’s home whose pool is used by the Keisers on a regular basis. That was refreshing in the 85 degree heat. Jim even did some “not so fancy dives” off the ½ meter board.
We finished the visit with more chatter and sharing, did some pruning of the Japanese Maple that was keeping 6 foot tall people from entering the front door, and ended the day with a supper at Red Robin one of Emily’s favorite places. She had an overnight with her best friend, Marla, that night. Red Robin was busy on this Memorial Day weekend and it was good to see the Americans enjoying the Holiday in different ways, celebrating the Holiday (Memorial Day) Those who died to keep our country free are the ones to thank. I wore my USA Flag shirt all day.
The evening was relaxing time. Tomorrow we head up the Blue Ridge Sky Line Drive. We will do just part of it , the northern ½ as the speed limit is slow and we want to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. Wanna believe that we will see some birds? We will overnight in Winchester, VA. Then on further through great Civil War historic towns like Harpers Ferry (John Brown and integration) and Fredricksburg.
Today we saw another Bald Eagle floating “downstream” with the currents of air, while we were swimming in the pool.
There will be a few more postings, ”The Good Lord willing”, as they say.

GRANDSON BRAETON ARDELL AND SCOTT AFTER WINNING

MEDALS AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD.(GRAND HAVEN MI)

Day 31-33, Greensboro NC to Salam VA

STONE AT THE "OLD MILL"
SHAKER AT OLD MILL

It was a great time to”catch up” with Therese, and her dog Oreo. While she was in Michigan she drove our Prius and loved it …of course.
The weather all of this time was perfect with sun and little wind. Friday morning after
breakfast we hooked up the trailer and headed out. We had before breakfast taken down the camp site and put all the equipment away.
The trip to the Roanoke area is only 100 miles, but it does include the approaching Day 31-33 In Greensboro then move to Salem VA
I did promise some summary of the time with Therese in Greensboro.

OLD MILL OF GUILFORD

Therese is a candidate for a PhD program at UNC Greensboro, and hopes to finish in 2011. Her major area and studies are in Women’s military history from 1945 to 1975. She took up residence here at least until the program and the degree are finished. Therese’s classes, assignments and responsibilities (she was finished a week earlier and left to help her mother pack and move to a smaller place with full medical care available. (See note below on the Prius).
We had promised Therese that we would take her to some birding spots locally and let her see what we did when we went to look for birds. There were three spots lined up for the day, but first Ruth wanted to get some shots of Nathanael Greene on horseback in the Guilford memorial Park where the battle of the Guilford Courthouse took place on March 19, 1781. It is a 3-4 X life size sculpture. Although it appeared that the Americans did not win that battle, tactically, it inflicted such heavy losses on the British that the quotes from the British leader Cornwallis, showed that they understood what “heavy losses” meant... ”I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons.” said Cornwallis. The general, with the French Fleet blocking their ships from assisting him, surrendered the same year.
An old Mill beckoned us in the north part of Greensboro. It was the “Old Mill of Guilford”. We looked through the old remains of the still functioning parts to the mill and bought some home made biscuit mix and pancake mix. The Mill takes orders and fires up the Mill when needed. Jim also bought a jar of seedless raspberry jam. Oh my, with those biscuits, I can taste them now. MMMMM
That afternoon we hit some “hot spots” in Bryan Lake, where Therese had done some kayaking on a previous visit, and two woodlots that looked possible. At lunch by the lake we saw a snake in the water, some birds including a BALD EAGLE flying across the lake. Neither wood lot really turned up anything special, but we did give some lessons to Therese on bird watching. . For example: using the binoculars, getting “on target” with the bird, listening to sounds, standing with the sun behind you, and how to use a bird guide. One of the woods was one that Therese passes often on the way to work so now it will have a different meaning for her. A bird that is just outside her residence we did not identify. Heard but not seen. That is still to be done.
That evening we dined at “Larsons” Restaurant, a wood framed, comfortable restaurant with excellent food in the heart of town. They do specialize in pork ribs, pulled pork and all sorts of sweet potato preparations. (Chips and fries among others). Three of Therese’s teaching friends came with us. We had a fine time and got acquainted. Unfortunately the budget cuts by the NC Legislature have cut many college staff position salaries by 20% and they were included in those cuts. Public School teachers took a 1% cut!!!!! Tough times all over. These three teachers were among those who took cuts.
A second evening activity was attending the local Class “A” minor league baseball team’s home game. They are the Greensboro Grasshoppers, and they play in their new stadium which is right downtown in Greensboro. The home team hit 6 home runs two nights previous and this night they hit 4 home runs in the first two innings. They managed to win 8-2. The family events and the fun that occurs between innings is similar to what we are use to seeing in Grand Rapids and other minor league baseball parks.
The last morning in Greensboro (Friday), we met Therese at Smith’s Breakfast Restaurant. That was spectacular, and althouygh I ordered the Mexican Eggs (it’s the dish, not the eggs) and could only eat ½ of the bowl full that it came in. IT was chilies, scrambled eggs, salsa, and sour cream all over GRITS. Very good to the taste. The surprise was the biscuits they make. I have never seen a biscuit so large. Fully 5 inches in diameter, and three inches high, they’re




Huge. I took mine with me and Ruth who ordered the biscuits and gravy has some for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Greensboro is 30% black population and 65% white.mountains of the old Appalachian range one of the oldest in the world. The road begins to twist and turn a lot and many curves on route 220 were marked ’45 mph limit’. We move
We went through Danville on the Dan River, Martinsville, Collingsville, and Rocky Mount, and made a stop for lunch behind an Evangelical Baptist church. Rocky Mount was founded in 1787 and sits among the rolling hills at the foot of the Appalachian Mtns. The birds were singing there in the little forest. Rocky Mount is the seat of the County of Franklin. Franklin Co. is the home of Booker T Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute. It is made up of 75% white and 22% black population.
Behind the church. The route US 29 through the VA /NC border will be designated I- 785 and will start to be built in 2011.
Our campground is about 10 miles south of Roanoke in Salem VA. IT is well out of town and in a rural area. The campground is full and we were fortunate to get a site as when we called this AM (no pone was there previously) they had no slots, but one lady said they just had a cancellation, so we took it. IT was a quiet evening for us with ‘Brats” on the grill, and watching the lively birds in the park go by frequently. It should be a good birding morning tomorrow.
We will be here one more day visiting Jim’s sister’s daughter and family. Cathy, Bruce and their daughter Emily... We recalled that I had not seen Bruce in 3 ½ years.
May Memorial Day be a day of remembrance for all of those who served, fought and helped to defend these United States.

VISIT WITH DAUGHTER THERESE

I will post a blog as soon as possible.

It will be a summary of the visit here in Greensboro with daughter Therese.

Stay tuned.-jim

INLAND TO GREENSBORO NC

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS OYSTERCATCHER

Day 30 May 19, 2009- Inland to Greensboro NC

The day certainly looked like it was going to get brighter. And it did! After so many days of the needed rain (NC is now officially NOT in a severe drought.) The sun came through.
CASPIAN TERN SPEAKING

We travelled from Fairfield on the coastal plain to Greensboro, stopping along the way for necessities like, gasoline, lunch and as we approached Greensboro, (Durham actually) we spotted a “Truck Wash”. Ah, ha we both said as we knew that the salt has to go. After 5 weeks along the seacoast the salt build up becomes permanent if not removed. A Truck Wash next to a “truck stop” (TA) was spotted and we pulled in, but wait, there are six trucks ahead of us! Too late, as there is an “in” drive and no “out “drive. Once you are in line that is a commitment. (Ever been in that situation?). Anyway we found that there were 7 guys doing each truck so the line went quickly. We had the chance to watch them wash down the inside of what must have been a produce hauling truck as the dirt , soil and cabbage leaves that came out of the truck were piled on the floor of the truck wash afterwards. The men were efficient and quick. We were in and out in 35 minutes from the time we got in line.
What does a complete wash cost with car and trailer, you ask? Thought you’d never ask? With no frills like wax or special treatment it was $37.00. Basic price. IT was clean on the outside at least and saved from deterioration.
We arrived at 5:00 at a campground on the south side of Greensboro and set up camp. This is not peaceful and quiet (but sometimes you never know) but under the shade of big trees one of them a Shagbark Hickory. When was the last time you saw one of those? But the noise is from me -85 Bus which is just across the street so to speak. But we settled in and had supper and relaxed with updates on computer pictures and bird notations.
Thus is a good letter to reflect again as we look back on the earlier and longest part of the trip. I am always thankful and almost never disappointed in the people that serve us along the way. Most are very friendly and helpful and have a good word to say. A few times there might be silence or some “non involvement” and that is Ok, too. These people across the USA are legion. The cashier in the gas stations, quick serve stops and grocery stores, the volunteers in the NWR offices and Visitor Centers, or a householder who may just answer a question or give directions (we don’t always stay on the “beaten path”. There were the campsite workers, the utility workers, the repair man at he gas pump who was grateful to be working, the truck wash guys who even though the work was dirty and wet, seemed to have a happy time with it. The country is filled with good people who serve us every day. Some are seen and some are unseen, but know that without them things for us would not be so smooth.
Tomorrow we meet up with daughter Therese. She is here at Greensboro working on Women’s Military History. The term is over so her papers are graded from her assigned class and her work is turned in for now. It is a good time to spend a few days with her on her own “turf”. Therese has been collecting data from women who were in the military from 1945 through 1975 .Women had not broken any glass ceilings in those years. She is doing personal interviews in many cases of those serving during at least in part, those years. Tomorrow we pick her up at the airport here in Greensboro as she was in West Branch helping her mother to pack things for moving.

POCOSIN NWR "SWAMP ON A HILL"

BURNED AREA (08) POCOSIN GREAT EGRET

BLACK BEAR AT POCOSIN

Day 27 --Pocosin-“Swamp on a hill” NW Refuge

Did you ever go into an isolated area (no ‘civilization’) of about 110,000 acres with a map that you felt was adequate , and ended up finding out (after you were ½ way into the area) that the map really didn’t tell you where you were or where you are”.? That happened to us this day, But first we had to get the amenities out of the way.

PITCHER PLANTS

This NWR was 28 miles from our Park, and in Columbia N.C.. The Fish and Wildlife HQ was where we had supposed we could get some good directions. We had a “basic” map, but needed to know especially which road allowed us to enter the Reserve. The HQ was closed on Sat and Sun so that ended that quest.
I felt I needed to get an oil change and that would be wise to do it while we were in town. There was a BP station that had three bays so I stopped there to inquire if he could do an oil change and filter for our truck. (Toyota Tundra ’07) He said he could. This turned out to be fortunate as we got right in. They did have to go to a parts store for the filter but after an hour we were on our way .NO 10 MINUTE LUB HERE AND NOT AT 10 MINUTE LUB PRICES! $54.00 WAS THE COST. But we were on our way to the Refuge.

Earlier on the way way up to the HQ. we passed NO signage that told of this place, yet, there was an entry along this road (NC 94) somewhere. (None of those official brown signs) We stopped a mail carrier and she did not know how to get into it (she was delivering mail one road away from the entry). We asked a couple in a car. They lived there but did not even know of the Reserve!!! Finally I stopped at a house and the gentleman named Carl, told me to go to “Frying Pan Road” (Really) then he said to turn left there and not the direction of the sign. He was right as there was no sign for that side of the road. It was the entrance to the Reserve and the gravel road all the way through was adequate and maintained There were no signs at all. Now began a 4 hour test of direction and intuition. The official map for the Reserve did not have a correct scale, nor were any deviating roads that we came to while driving that were on the map. This area is a forested, peat bog, small timbered piece of real estate that goes on and on and on. We drove 75 miles after we got into the Reserve and 80 miles previously trying to find the entrance and also while driving home. (we drove down three, long dead ends). .
The ride was filled with good observations however. The wildlife in this area was excellent and although we did not see any cougar (there are some here) we did see deer, fox, turkey, and TA TA TA A BLACK BEAR. It was ahead of us a few hundred feet and moving for an opening . I said to Ruth “Get the camera” It was in her lap but when you get “beary” excited everything stops focusing except the animal. She did get one snap off and it is “decent”. The fox we saw twice as we backtracked to see him stalking a Turkey and we never did know if it actually tangled with it or not.. There were lots of Turkeys , some rabbits, and a few birds. Last year there was large fire in the reserve and we did pass by much of that . 10,000 acres were burned and the peat fires were long-lasting.
There were other birds; the Green Heron, Bobwhite (flushed two of them) , another Red Tailed Hawk, Wood Duck (m and f) Great Crested Flycatcher, Killdeeer, Meadowlark, and the Prothonotory Warbler one more time. There were many of the latter. We saw 32 bird species. There are two large lakes for fishing and wildlife in the Refuge.
There were a few birds that we did not identify as they were elusive in the heavy cover. For those of you that have driven the back roads in the UP of Michigan, this would be similar with more deciduous trees and each road having a canal alongside. I have not seen any reasons for the canals as yet.. I suspect that the road system in the Reserve (built in 1987) was built from the dirt that was dug from where the canals are now. I’ll check on that.. This 110,000 acre plot was donated in part form the conservation fund in conjunction with the Richard Mellon Foundation. It is an awesome and isolated Refuge. We were on the Reserve/Refuge 4 hours and did not see single car or person , until the last 30 minutes when we saw two people. It was a great day for nature and the out of doors.
We headed home, as we finally, at 4:30, drove out of the Reserve and onto the pavement of NC 45 that led us back to the campground. A simple supper and some relaxing time and the day was tied in a bow, with the colors of the setting sun.
Tomorrow we will get to one of the local Methodist churches. There is one in every town here no matter how small. Those circuit riders did a great job.. Our nature program for Sunday will be local as there is a small refuge in Swan Quarter that we will seek out. Isn’t it time for laundry you say? Thanks for reading and send an e mail to crazy4birds@comcast.net

FACT : Did you know that Rachel Carson (“Silent Spring”, was an employee and chief editor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? (1932 -1952)

FERRY AND MATAMUSKEET NWR

OYSTERCATCHER

SUNSET AT HATTARAS ISLAND

Day 25, 26 To the Mainland by Ferry then Matamuskeet NWR, N.C.

Day 25 (May 14)
These two days brought terrific changes from the busy style of the “hit the beaches, grab the fishin’ pole” attitude on the Outer Banks, to the changes in the topography, the activity, and the environment of our trip. Where the Outer Banks holds the east coast tourists and part timers in the palm of its hand, the eastern shore (mainland) of North Carolina is quiet, pastoral, and without many of the distractions that are present on the Outer Banks. Oh, the OBX has its assets to be sure and provides income for many of the residents. It is the “Surfing” capital of the world (that includes sailboarding,

OCRACOKE LIGHTHOUSE

para boarding, and some surfing.).The winds are almost always there at 15-30 mph. Hawaiians will disagree with this I am sure.
But we left that on Thursday Am and boarded the Hatteras to Ocracoke Island Ferry (free) at 9:30 after being” bumped” by the priority vehicles (mostly gov’t and trucks). That journey for the 10 miles takes about 40 minutes and we did spot some American Oystercatchers and Black Skimmers along the way. That put us on the SE end of Ocracoke Island away from the Ferry Docks. It is a 10 mile drive to the Ferry in town . (Ocracoke) We had made reservations so were assured of a place on the Ocracoke to Swan Quarter (mainland) Ferry. There was a wait, however as that Ferry left only at 1:00 PM. Looking for birds, mailing postcards and observing the many fishing boats that came and went from the boat launch occupied us in part. Lunch occupied the rest of the time. We departed at 1:00 Pm on a vessel about twice the size of the first one .This one carried about 50 vehicles across Pamlico Sound. As these Ferry’s are not like the one to Mantoulin Island or Newfoundland with lots of room, the key is with the trailer to “watch me” (the guide man repeated this many times until I got the message.). It is so easy to fallback in habit and look in the rear view mirror and see the rollout awning (over the slide out) come inches away from the overhang on the Ferry. He convinced me though that he could keep me and the trailer safe, I finally placed my trust in him completely and kept my eyes on him. I told him afterward,”You are good”. , “Thanks” he said.
This Ferry ride is three hours across the Sound to Swan Quarter. Never heard of that, eh? Well it is not much. I think there is one restaurant there, but we pulled off the Ferry (”watching and trusting”) to exit the close quarters. The campground is only about 24 miles from the Ferry Dock, and suddenly one realizes we are in a pastoral, rural setting that surrounds us as we move into the interior. This campground – “The Osprey Nest” is small with just 16 sites (we had called ahead) and there was Audrey the owner/caretaker mowing OUR lawn space... Already we could feel the personal touch of these people and this place. There was no office, so in the morning we went to her kitchen and paid the fees. No credit card here! The wind was howling at 30-40 mph as we set up camp.
This campground is situated on the northern shore of Lake Matamuskeet, the LARGEST lake in North Carolina. At 40,000 acres it makes up most of the NWR by the same name. Geese are the main inhabitants of the shoreline and they are in the “chick” stage of family raising (see pics). We settled in and enjoyed the peace and quiet of a rural setting.

Day 26
The temperature remained warm in the morning (72F) and we had set our sights on seeing the NWR at Matamuskeet. The wind was calm. Two bikers that came in with their tent were already on the road to get their 50 miles in before noon. After a “walk around “to scout for birds in the campground, we set out to go up the road just a few miles. There is a Reserve Office so that is where we picked up any hints and maps we should learn about the Reserves in this area.
Lake Matamuskeet is 40,000 acres in size andin the 1910’s, there was an attempt to create a “New Holland” by draining the lake and creating great farmland from the soil. After some years this attempt to keep a pumping station operating and canals flowing (emptying into the Ocean) it was given over to the government. The pumping station was, at that time, the largest in the world in 1915-16 when it was built. Then, In the 1930's the CCC was called into “revitalize” the pumping station, revert the Lake to its former state and rebuild the Lodge at the pumping station, for hunters on the “Greatest Goose Hunting Lake in North America”. Today that pumping station due to faulty steel (they used beach sand which had salt in it and corroded the steel) is being rebuilt to use it in the revitalizing of the Lake. It is an important feeding ground for 100,000 swans, geese and ducks that stay here from Nov to late Feb before heading north again. Included in this effort are water level adjustments, fields of corn and soybeans raised by cooperative farmers, and the native seeds like millet, panic grasses and spike rushes. There are woods, of loblolly Pine and the surprising Bald Cypress all around the lake and in it1
Our tour was on the roads and trails that are open to the public. We did add some birds to our list and saw some that we had only seen once or twice. These were; red headed woodpecker, prothonatory warbler, wood duck, sanderlings, red tailed hawk (we had not seen many hawks), and the glossy and white ibis. The days total was 43 species. It was a good, warm, mostly sunny, day. To add to this we didn’t have to drive too far either. I think I only put 24 miles on the car. Oh yes, before I forget, the rural area gas price was $2.39/gal. We bought that here in Fairfield at a station that had no sign at all. We went by it on the way in and missed it. Yes they were the old flip up handle pumps.
Tomorrow we hope to visit the 2nd of three NWR in this area called Pocosin NWR. This was donated as part of a land grant from the Mellon Foundation and includes 110,000 acres. It is twice the size of Matamuskeet NWR.
‘Pocosin’ means in Algonquian “place on a hill” and although there are no hills here it is higher than the surrounding land. These wetlands are flat and have extremely poor drainage. Hence, they are peat bogs that have been used in the past for fuel, and are extremely subjected to fires. But more on that tomorrow

Day 23-24 Pics

Cape Hatteras Light Ocracoke Light

Bodie Island Light

Day 23-24 Three lighthouses

Day 23 and 24, Bodie Island, Hatteras and Ocracoke LightsDay 23 - 24 Three Lighthouses

North of where we are staying at Frisco, NC, are the Currituck Lighthouse (which we visited in the rain), and Bodie Island Light. The latter we did visit this day in sunshine. As a matter of fact it was a brilliant day with full sun all day and lots of stars at night. We even had a great sunset! (See). You folks that don’t get to see that can have that as a souvenir. We take the sunsets that God gives us and enjoy what they are. But back to the Lighthouses. The term “island’ should be used in a strict sense of interpretation as merely crossing a minimal bridge or a short causeway gets you to another island here along the Outer Banks. They are almost all (not quite) connected by a road. (Read below to see an example of non connected). There is one exception and that is the Bonner Bridge that connects Bodie Island to Pea Island.

The Bodie Island light has an ominous history, first erected in 1847 by a dubious fellow who had no experience building these. He placed brick as the foundation and in two years it was tilting so badly it had to be abandoned after two years of use. It was rebuilt and during the Civil War was a center of concern so the Confederates blew it up to avoid its falling into Union hands... This coast has a lot of traffic and a light is important to safety (There are shoals, sand bars and shallows). The builders were the same ones who built the Hatteras Lighthouse, so in 1872 it was completed. IT is 156 feet tall with 214 stairs, and the light ranges 19 miles. It’s light pattern (they are all different along the same waterway) is 2.4 seconds on, 2.5 off, 2.5 on, and 22.5 off (sic)
The Hatteras Lighthouse has also an interesting history but for a different reason. Authorized in 1799, and built in 1803, it was too short (90 feet) and its signal not strong enough to be seen soon enough. The original was gradually inundated by the changing water and sand even though starting out on shore, became located 1500 feet out in the ocean, eventually. Even though 60 feet was added to its height, it, too became too expensive to repair and so a new (the present) lighthouse was built in 1870. This one was on land and had a wooden plank base and was 198 feet to the pinnacle. Indeed, it was the tallest in the USA lighthouse system. But in time, this too was encroached by the sea and sand. And a storm destroyed the dunes in front of it. So,,(NOW THIS IS THE AMAZING PART), in 1999 the National park System approved the MOVING of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse some 2, 900 feet to its present position in 23 days . That is 4,200 tons and a 197 feet tall lighthouse. That is another story for another time. It is now 1500 feet from the seashore along with all the original buildings that were also moved. TRULY AMAZING FEAT. (Jim has a booklet on that if anyone wants to read it and see the pictures.). Its light pattern is a 7.5 second white flash, and can be seen 24 nautical miles.
The final light that we viewed on Wed was the Ocracoke Light on the Island of the same name. We did have to take a Ferry to see this lighthouse. (40 minute Free ride). And as we will be doing the same thing with the trailer tomorrow it was also a “Test Run” giving us a chance to see the Island and figure out the loading procedure as after 10:00 AM the lines get long. The Ferry can take only 24 cars at a time and less with trucks, There were four Ferries operating here from Hatteras Harbor to Ocracoke Island. (The far end from Ocracoke City). It is another ten miles to the Lighthouse and city where the Ferry to the Mainland is located. (Which we will take tomorrow. Review: we take two Ferries to get to the mainland.
The Ocracoke light is the second light and it is in the second different location. The first one was built on Seashell Island but the channel shifted one mile away from the lighthouse. A land battle ensued for a new site, and finally in 1822, for $50.00 the US Gov't purchased 2 acres and the present tower was built. It stands today and cost $11,000 when built. This included the keeper’s house. This lighthouse is painted all white and is unique in that respect compared to most lighthouses. The “paint” that is used, blends, lime, salt, Spanish whiting, rice, glue and boiling water. It is applied when still hot. Sounds like it would not wash off! The 4th Order Fresnel (Fray-nel) lens was dismantled by the Confederates, but relit by the Union with an oil burning type. Its beam can be seen 14 miles at sea. It is 77 feet high (Don’t ask me why it is so short …because it was built so early?)
During the day we lunched at the public Marina, and visited some stores (REALLY WE DID) to purchase some shells, and T-shirts. Jim always buys postcards at most every stop. “How many Jim?”
“Oh, I have sent out 40, and maybe there are 40 more to go”. Did you get one? J
So we pack up the trailer in the morning, beat the rain across Pamlico Sound to Swan Quarter on the mainland of North Caroline. We will be 4 days at Fairfield (try to find that!) and visit three NWR in that area. 1- Matamuskeet NWR, 2- Pocosin Lakes NWR and possibly 3- Alligator River NWR. There is a fourth at Swan Quarter NWR if time allows. All of these have lots of fresh water and we believe more warblers will be there. We will be “off the air” unless we find an internet connection nearby as the park (a small one) has none. See you next time possibly on the18th.or 19th.

Day 22 CURRITUCK LIGHT AND THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

FORT HENRY LIGHT, OLD (1797) AND THE NEW ONE.(This is the oldest in the USA)

Day 22 Currituck Light and Wright Brothers Memorial

The wind and rain started early this morning and continued all day. There were lots of “wind and rain” moments today.
But first it was “laundry day” and so that was the priority in the AM. This Park is on sand (DUH) on the Outer Banks (I will not give you a definition of the Outer Banks as there are many) so there is little need for parking pads and heavy gravel as seen in most parks. As long as the sand does not drift and has some growth on it, it keeps things in place, there is some woods here (pine) so that helps. We are on the “Back Bay”. The Laundry, swimming pool and public showers are all connected by a wooden patio deck. It was so windy today when we did the laundry, the large 8 X 4 wooden window had to be closed to keep us from blowing away. Laundry was $1.75 / load and the same for dryers. Times six (dryers and washers) =$10.50. Just in case you have to do that in an emergency.

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE AND TUNNELS

CURRITUCK LIGHT (1873) AT COROLLA NC

The laundry was finished and it was nearing noon so we ate lunch and then headed north to the very tip of the Outer Banks to a town called Corolla (NC). The ride there was through a driving rain all the way, mostly on the 2 lane, NC 12. This was a 90 mile, one way jaunt but the lighthouse is another historic one and beautiful in its original natural brick color. (see pics).
There were many shipwrecks on this portion of the darkened coast so in 1873-1875 the lighthouse was built to save lives. After an oil wick lamp was used a 7th order Fresnel lens was installed. It was served by the lighthouse keepers until 1939 when it became automated by the US Coast Guard. The duplex keeper’s house (there were three keepers) became more deteriorated until, in 1980, The Outer Banks Conservationists society gathered funds to restore it. Today it is a magnificent site with manicured grounds and because the lighthouse itself is not up to building codes today, a waiver must be signed before climbing the 214 steps to the 156 foot high Fresnel lens. It is 28 feet across at the base and 16 feet across at the parapet (top). IT is all red brick. Remember that lighthouse on the same coast must be different in coloration.
DID YOU KNOW? The manner in which the light was “flashed” before automation, involved a series of pulleys, cables and weights powered a clockwork mechanism beneath the lantern, much like a grandfather’s clock. The keeper had to crank the weights up by hand every two and ½ hours!!!!! No wonder they had three keepers.
Adjacent to the light is the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education with displays including a 1500 gallon aquarium which is free to the public. Many wonderful animals and bird displays are present and an ongoing lecture series. (Today was photography- we couldn’t stay).
The strip of ;land from about 20 miles south on the Outer Banks where NC 158 comes in from the west and joins NC 12 and 25 miles north to Currituck (Corolla) is solid with homes that are in the $500,000 to $2,000,000 range. That’s 20 miles of homes some 8-10 blocks wide in most places. No comment! Yes, there were many for sale signs.
By this time the rain was incessant and we wanted to tour the Wilbur and Orville Wright Museum at Kill Devils Hill. We stayed indoors. The outdoors takes auto route that leads to the hill that the first flight was taken and has markers showing the first four flights. The 4tth one was the longest at 185 feet. The winds that day in 1903 (October) were like today at 27 mph. In1902 the Wrights made over 1,000 glides in a glider, (in Dayton OH) to perfect stability before they attempted to put an engine on the plane. After the success here they both demonstrated in Europe and the USA and found that their control was much superior to any others. The US Army turned them down at first, but later got “on board” with them in joint efforts. This historic day was accompanied by the visionary Wright’s who brought with them …a camera to record the events and the site. Hence much has been recorded.

RECORD OF THE FIRST FLIGHT LENGTHS

MODEL OF THE FIRST WRIGHT BROTHERS PLANE (OCT 1903)

That was it and as it was now near 6:00 PM and way past our meal time, we stopped at “Tippers’ (Italian) in Avon, for supper. Ruth with chicken linguine, and Jim with home made Lasagna. They were very good.
The return trip the rest of the 70 miles was fraught with puddles on the road and at one point with many opposing cars, (thanks for the “travel mercies”) a large puddle enveloped the car in water and I had to get control and slow down. I went 40-50 feet before being able to see out the window again... Fortunately the driver behind me was alert to slow also.
We lined up some stops along the way for tomorrow when the weather will improve (sunny, too) and arrived home after a stop for groceries at the “Food Lion” a local chain in the east. The wind had broken my fibre glass “spinner pole”, and the slide out awning was threatening to come lose. I tied it down and put the pole to rest.
Tomorrow another lighthouse and some birds as we only identified 17 today but one was new…the White Ibis. Thanks for reading.

The Funnel of Delmarve Peninsula

Day 20, (May 9) to the tip of Delmarva Peninsula

IT was a toss up between heading to Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay (the west side of the peninsula) to the place where people still speak an Elizabethan dialect from the early settlers, 30 years ago, or head for the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula and visit the Eastern Shore NWR and Barrier Reef HQ. The latter won out as it appeared that the migrant birds would hit that piece of small real estate easier than the Island. Although there were seabirds on the trip over and back, but it was a 3 hour layover on the Island before the return trip on the Ferry, and how much ice cream could we eat while waiting.
Heading down US 13 was still a trip through some really fine farmland especially tomatoes and a crop yet unnamed that is set in four rows of plastic covers, alternating with rows of uncut rye as either a barrier or water holder. The men were out in the fields today getting ready to open up the plastic for growth. Perhaps they were peppers, or squash of some type. We will check on that and add the results later. There were many fields of tomatoes getting ready and the potatoes were in blossom already so you can see how quickly the season comes on here.
We arrived at the NWR after passing such Eastern Shore towns as; Machipongo where the “poorhouse farm” was once located it is now a winery center; Nassawadox, the only pace on the east coast that has a drive through for clams on the east coast. (Called Machipongo Clam Shack”; Machapreague, the “Flounder Capital of the World”; and the town of Parksley, a Norman Rockwell type of town that has the Eastern Shore RR Museum meticulously restored . The Center for Visitors was manned by two more volunteers, these being two retired teachers from PA. They were more than generous in their help to find birds. This Center has a one way glass so the birds in their “yard” cannot see motion inside. Good for the kids for sure. The accessible part of the Refuge is small and diverse. The day was not a good one for birding as by now the day had reached the mid 80’s and the wind was up to 30 mph from the SW. Nice for living, but birds ‘unfavorite’ time. We tried the trails, watched in the trees and listened intently, but only picked up a dozen bird specie. None were new ones, but that still was a great place to be.
On the way back we decided to look into Kiptopeke State Park as that has a banding station for bird in the fall when the migration is on. NB: Note that the peninsula shape is ideal for birds to funnel southward in the fall. IT is truly a "Funnel shape". Here we saw the WW2 merchant ships that have been used as reefs in the bay (some nine of them). Also were the first Brown Pelicans and one Shearwater that we were looking for. A long walk around the banding area only made us hotter as now inland the temps exceeded the mid 80’s. Because of the great birding in the fall this park as a great many trails and “mist net” stations for banding the birds at that time. Our bird count for the day was right around 45, with two new ones.
We stopped for gas as the price was at $2.02 and that was the cheapest all along the way. Cigarettes are at $4.50 a pack if anyone is interested. HA! There are lots of Crab places and seafood places as one might expect here along the Coast. The chicken industry is big as well and Tyson has a meat packing plant hirer near Melfa.
Tonight is our first steak on the grill and then we will internet, take down the awning before dark, and of course try another flavor of ice cream. Ruth likes the “Marsh Mud” and I have tried many already and probably will go with Coffee tonight.
We move to Cape Hatteras tomorrow and will be staying at the campground right on the Ocean.The Delmarva Sorry no pictures tonight we are on "borrowed Wi Fi

Day 18 and 19 Chincoteague and Assateague

THE PRANCING COLT

Day s 18 and 19 Chincoteague and Assateague

It is really confusing to sort out the geography here, as the NWR is actually on the Island of Assateague, but as it is so long it parallels Chincoteague and is accessible from the latter. The horses are on Assateague, both in the VA section (south end) and the Maryland section (more northerly). We visited both of them during these two days. For this blog I will descr9ibe them as “South section” and “North section “.
We proceeded to the South section on Thursday and after stopping at the visitor center and getting maps and info (and a T shirt) we started to make the rounds and locate birds and of course those famous ponies and horses. We did just both. Birds were decent especially the shore birds and many flocks of Indigo Buntings that were on the migration trail, as well as Blue Grosbeaks. Both stand out in their blue colors (males) and the females (browns) with them. The entry to both of these sections is accessed by a long 3-5 mile long) causeway which skirts over the rivers, sloughs and salt marshes.
Once on the Island it looks like any sand dune with lots of pines and shrubs along the way. Again there were lots of Dunlins, white rumped sandpipers, yellow legs, two kinds of lovers, and a few yellow warblers and yellow rumped warblers. We did not see any Osprey on the Islands. The day (#18) was overcast and threatened rain in the evening (it did).
After birding and getting our pictures we headed for the Creamery to download e mail and get some ice cream. Home made right there and they are open 365 days a year from 8: Am until 10:00 Pm. That works for me.
Then we did want to try the seafood here so went to Don’s Seafood and Restaurant where we tried the fare. Ruth had a plate of scallops and a side potato and salad, while I tried the Dream Combo with shrimp, scallops, and crab meat. This was under melted cheese in a two small cups. Excellent.
Then we tried to catch the liftoff of the Minotaur Rocket from the marina here looking across to Wallops Island (NASA). It was delayed and then postponed until tomorrow. It was a good thing we came home as a storm came up suddenly and soaked everything off and on for the rest of the night.

THE STORM

The next day (Fri) we needed to take more than an hour to get to the north section of the NWR on Assateague. As the road does not run through the salt marshes, we headed inland to US 13, then north on VA 113t on 395 and two more roads (all good) to reach the Visitor Center at Assateague. There are three units there, first the state park (State of Maryland) that is adjacent to the beach, then the Assateague Island National Seashore (National Park Service) and the third is Chincoteague N W Refuge (US Fish and Wildlife Service) (actually on Assateague Island). You have that all straight by now! The Visitors Center was awaiting some fog delayed students for some educational programs when we stopped. There are only two miles of accessible roads, but if you have an ORV (Off Road Vehicle) permit, you can use the beaches at certain times and in certain places. Here again we explored all the roads and a few trails. We saw some Little Blue Herons, Another Towhee, and a good look at the Great Crested Flycatcher once more. More than 45 birds so it was a good day. IN the morning I did see the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks on my walk around. Oh, yes we saw a flock of Orchard Orioles on lunch break. He says “ Queeto”, “Queeto”, and “Queeto” and is beautiful in yellow, and rufous colors. Ruth did get some more horses and a young colt hat was prancing in one of the turn arounds..
We departed about 3:00 , stopped at another state park briefly, called Pokemoke. IT was quiet as the heat of the inland air was now up to 80 degrees F. By the time we stopped for a few groceries and returned to camp near the Ocean it had dropped to 72 F. Very comfortable, and the sun was still shining. . Rain threatens again this evening but the Minotaur shot has been moved up to 7:35 so we may get to watch it.