Day 48, Friday May 20, 2016, From MD through PA to OH

Day 48, Friday May 20, 2016, From MD through PA  to OH 

This will be the last blog of the trip.  Sorry to end, and as Ruth said, “Can’t we keep on going”?

But it has been a great trip with notably the birds and lighthouses, and wildlife and backwoods roads, but also the people we have met along the way. I especially love to meet the clerks and wait staff and workers in the businesses. Today is good example. I needed to put my spare on  the right rear trailer tire as it was wearing very strangely. The young man who assigned the job in the HSL tire store near Belafonte PA, got one of his workers to do the job. He was cordial, and friendly, came over the the trailer, we talked about it, and directed me where to park the rig. He saw that the plate holding the spare was bent and took time to straighten it for me before he put the other tire back on. It was a team effort with two men helping to finish and put the roper air in, and I was out of there in 15 minutes. The rate was very reasonable ($5.00) complete. 

But this was the ways it was the entire trip. Only once did I have someone assist us who was less than friendly and smiling. Could've been his bad day. I still pray for the young man who’s favorite Uncle was dying that week.  (Eric)

The sign on the Maryland side of the Mason AND Dixon line.

Sarah and Ruth playing a game of Othello.

Emily sets up the game of "Mancala"

We spent sometime wth the Simmons on Thursday and they had a late “shoot” practice so we declined as it would have been quite late.  We played some games and talked again about summer plans and work projects. Adam has a part time job and that’s probably enough during the school year/

This morning (it was a glorious day) we worked our way north to York and Harrisburg , up I-83, and followed the Susqehanna River almost all the way to I-80 and then took a westerly turn.  We passed Puxatawney but didn’t see “Pete”.The HUGE Lordsburg Chevrolet plant is on that route, It is massive and reminds me of the Flint auto plants in their heyday.  Ruth looked for birds along the way but there were few. We did identify  23 birds today, five of them being in the Park after we set up.

The Susquehanna River 

Some of the steep cliffs along the River

Typical view from west and central Pennsylvania.

Lots of snall farms and many hills.

Valleys add to the steepness of the view.

Again one of the features of the land in PA, moving from east to west along the I-80 corridor, is the degree of slope of the mountains and hills.They become less steep and stretched out as you go further west, Just before the Ohio /Penn line, they seem to almost flatten out. The Adirondack ridge (Poconos too) provides the up lift and being the oldest range into USA they have had a lot of time to erode and begin to flatten out.

Tomorrow we will head to Grand Rapids via I-80 and head up US 131 where we will get the vehicles washed at the truck wash at 76th street. Some rain expected in the AM but none further west. Thanks for tagging along and see you on the next journey.

One of the events today was the Turning Over of the odometer
to the 100,000 mile mark.(This is an '07 model)

Our campsite near Streetsboro OH (40 miles from PA)

Day 46-47, Wed, Th, May 18, 19, 2016 At Merry Meadows, MD (Mason Dixon Line)

Yes, we are on the Mason Dixon line. Remember those guys in your history classes? There was a dispute about three states boundaries, and after some agreement they hired those two Englishmen to finish the work on the boundaries Here is the settlement in part:

"Progress was made after a Court of Chancery ruling affirming the 1732 agreement, but the issue remained unresolved until Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore ceased contesting the claims on the Maryland side and accepted the earlier agreements. Maryland's border with Delaware was to be based on the Transpeninsular Line and the Twelve-Mile Circle around New Castle. The Pennsylvania–Maryland border was defined as the line of latitude 15 miles south of the southernmost house in Philadelphia (on what is today South Street). As part of the settlement, the Penns and Calverts commissioned the English team of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to survey the newly established boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, and Delaware Colony.^[1]

In 1779, Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed "To extend Mason's and Dixon's line, due west, five degrees of longitude, to be computed from the river Delaware, for the southern boundary of Pennsylvania, and that a meridian, drawn from the western extremity thereof to the northern limit of the said state, be the western boundary of Pennsylvania for ever."^[2]

After Pennsylvania abolished slavery in 1781, the western part of this line and the Ohio River became a border between slave and free states, although Delaware^[3] retained slavery until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865."

So it was not a simple matter as the English Royalty and William Penn had different ideas about what land was "thiers".

So we are camped in Maryland in the "hill" country where the foothills of the Poconos and the Appalachians begin to show undulation in the land away from the Coastal Plains of New Jersey and Delaware. And hilly it is. Last night, daughter Kathy led us the the Jefferson shooting range where the children practiced last night (They have usually a different range (rotating them)  to shoot from each week.) But this range was around turns up and down hills and through the woods that I really did begin to wonder  which direction was "north". It was a warm evening with a little rain, but no sun. The shooters like no sun, but also like no wind and rain. They hold ther practices and meets in the rain unless there is thunder or lightning.

The shooters help to set up the shoot practice

I had bet the three of them that they could earn their "dessert " after dinner if they equalled of exceeded their "average" scores.They really don't keep an "average " score so we agreed on: Sarah- 15, Emily- 17, and Adam 20. That is out of a round of 25 clays.. Well, they achieved that on both practice rounds except Adam who slipped to 17 on his ast round. (Thet all got a dessert anyway!)

We were able to spend some time with them at the house watching their new bird feeder as it attracted about 9 different birds in the time we were there.  We had some time to exchange thoughts about school ancestry, summer activities, and future plans. We seldom get this way so each moment is very precious. Now that Sarah is driving, the burden of getting the children to their shoots and practices can be spread out a bit.

Adam get s the speakers ready

Yesterday we took Sarah to lunch as she is home at present. That was a good one on one time for us. Sarah had been in Michigan to babysit with Oliver when Jennifer delivered the baby Audrey. She stayed in Michigan for 5 weeks. She is very good with children and child care.

Tomorrow we will head  north to Ohio for one night and then on home on Saturday. Tomorrow's blog will be the last unless anything significant happens to merit another one on Saturday.

Some help unload the ammo.

Some spectators get
ready to watch.

Sarah, Adam, Emily and Mom Kathy

Sarah, Adam, Emily and Grandpa jim

Sarah

Adam

Emily.

Thanks to all of you who have been following along espeially the "friends" in may countries across the world,. W

e will let you know when the next adventure starts.  I hope you enjoyed it and learned a little about one of the styles of living here in America. Thanks you so very much.

Day 45, Tuesday May 17, 2016 Moved from Cape May NJ to Freehand MD. (Rainy)

Day 45, Tuesday May 17, 2016 Moved from Cape May NJ to Freehand MD. (Rainy)

Getting out of the slot in the Lake Laurie Campground was tight , but thanks to a neighbor who moved his auto, we sneaked by the trees and the water standpipe and cleared the site . That was a relief as I had dreams about getting stuck there all year.

The Delaware River Bridge was wet and "splashy".

Three toll booths onthe I-95 corridor in DE and MD. (Cars $2.00)
With trailer $6.00

The site we "Escaped from"in Cape May.

Special at Jim's Lunch  today was stuffed Peppers.

The route was as direct as we could make it, except for staying on the freeway after we reached Delaware heading NW to PA. Taking the backroad (shorter) route would have meant many small towns and stops in them, accordingly.  This turned out to be a good move as the rain that started before we crossed the Delaware Bridge at Wilmington, finally ended when we were on I-83 heading north toward York ,PA.

A stop at a Panera Bread to get some lunch was a treat for us. Soup for me and Ruth  chicken noodle (Jim) and chicken rice for Ruth. My chicken sandwich had so much chicken in it, I could not hold on to it without losing it all.

The mist and spray from the trucks and autos was tiresome, but as we drove further north it lessened and finally stopped before we got to the campground.

A word about New Jersey ‘truck farms”. “Food and agriculture are New Jersey's third largest industry. In 2012, the state's 9,071 farms generated sales totaling $1.14 billion.  Retaining productive, taxpaying farmland is critically important to all New Jersey residents since agriculture is the largest single source of the scenic vistas we all enjoy throughout the year. (?) Productive farmland covers 715,000 acres.”  So it still is a leader in many crops.

One of the cities in South Jersey, has a weekly crop auction in which farmers bring their produce in to be auctioned off and it is immediately transferred to cross country trucks to be sold in most every state in the union.

One of the Cape May homes. There
are thousands painted and built likethis.

Another of the Cape May homes. Some are
residences and others are rented and Apts.

Our campground in Freeand MD, on the border.
Note the semi circle style. Feeders are up!

Our campsite set up went smooth, and we contacted my family is Stewartstown PA that we had arrived. Tomorrow we will spend some time with them as well as on Thursday. All three grandchildren are trap and skeet shooters and we will see them  practice each evening.

The sun did shine near sunset so tomorrow looks brighter and slightly warmer with a SW wind.

One hummer at the feeder solar. Lots of birds in this deep forest that surrounds us.

Day 44, Monday May 16, 2016, Last Day at Cape May. Picking up the ‘odds ’n ends’.

HAVING TROUBLE WITH  DOWNLOAD.  WILL HAVETO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. MEANWHILE, SEE FACE BOOK (JIM STROHMER)

And that is exactly what it was. Some of the places near the campground that we had not seen , but were recommended we got to, today. 

First it was a repeat of part of  the Conservation Meadow walk and we were treated to a very large gathering of CHIMNEY SWIFTS  and some ROUGH WINGED SWALLOWS  both new birds on the trip. The sun was out and although the temps were in the mid 50’s the wind kept the sun from making it feel any warmer. We also spotted two Oystercatchers snuggled down behind some tufts of grass, on a dune near the beach,  with the wind blowing.

The cement bacch defense that still lies on the shore
at Cape May. It was built in 1942 with two 155mm
guns that could shoot a100 pound shell 13.5 miles.
IT was originally built 900 feet from the shore.At
high tide it is in the water these days.

Two groups of birders meeting at the same birding spot
at the same time inadvertently.

For me, I wanted to go back to the State Park and get a photo of the huge concrete “Bunker” that was built in WW2 for both defensive purposes in case of an invasion, and also an offensive weapon to report any submarine activity or saboteurs coming ashore. The credits read in part…"This bunker or gun emplacement was built in 1942. The round turrets on either side held six-inch guns. The horseshoe-shaped structures which can be seen out in front at low tide are Panama Mounts. These were built in July, 1941, prior to the construction of the more permanent bunker, and held four 155mm coast artillery guns. “ ( A 155 mm shell can fire 13 miles and weighs 100 pounds.) When it was built it was 900 feet from the shore. Today it suffers from the forces of the tide.

I found a few birds on that walk including the CAROLINA WREN.

The next stop on this ”wrap up” day , was to the Ocean side on the west end, where we could see the CORMORANTS  and the SANDPIPERS  as they flew by in flocks.  The wind was in the west so the whitecaps blew heavily against the rocks in Delaware Bay. There was also time to purchase a few gifts at he Seashore Gift Shop. This is the place we chose to eat our lunch  and as usual we had packed it in the AM.

The beaches here are protected and no trespassing during
 breeding season of the shorebirds , especially the
Snowy Plover.

One of the trails we took, looking for new species
THat is an impoundment on the left. The Ocean beach
is just over the dune on the left.

THis is a Beach Plum tree, They often grow away from
the beachhes.  The pink blossoms turn into fruit
for the migrating and local birds.

The big homes and beach of Cape May beckoned us so that is where we headed. If you don’t know Cape May, it  is easy to get turned around. Fortunately it was a sunny day , so directions were easier to tell. We did stop at the beach and ‘toured’ the town, seeing many of the hotels and homes along the way. You could tell it was ‘get ready for summer” time , as there were dozens of painting teams, construction workers, power washers, and maintenance people getting the many places ready  for the onslaught of summer tourists. One thing about Cape May is the “PAINTED WOODEN“ look it has. There must be a building code that covers that.

A momma Mute Swan and her two cygnets on a
impoundment.

One of the many homes in Cape May
That continues the tradtion of fine
homes and painted surfaces. Just think
if yulived on one, you would have to paint
every three years or so as the Ocean
wind and salt spray would deem that.

Happy Third Birthday to my greatgrandson
Oliver Cole Ardell 

Finally we went to the other end of the Conservancy Meadow and walked the trail where we did find some 10 more species including a Mother Mute Swan and two Cygnets. Black Duck, Dunlin and many other shore birds brought our total of the day to 55. It was a good day. Our feeder was empty at the trailer when we returned.  Only the hummer got food this evening.

Tomorrow we head for Pennsylvania and a two day visit with the Simmons family. Come on along!

Day 43 Sunday May 15, 2016, A “Day off” from bird chasing at Cape May.

Day 43 Sunday May 15, 2016, A “Day off” from bird chasing at Cape May.

Got a note from some friends in Michigan asking “When are you coming home”. I was tempted to respond…”When the weather warms”.  (They had snow there yesterday). It is not so hot here in South Jersey,  with tonight expected to reach the mid forties. But we are aiming to be home next Saturday. We will bring warmer weather with us!

Today accomplished two things mainly, on a “Day of Rest”. We did attend the church service at Tabernacle UMC which is one block from the campground. The youth were in charge of the service and put together good singing  and some reading, along with some help from the congregation in their skits and props for the service.  

The Tabernacle UMC church in Cape May (1805)

The Duth heritage house in Lewis, DE (Loo-is)

This congregation has been established since 1805, and certainly must have been on the Methodist  “Circuit riders” trail that led from south to north on the East Coast.  Who knows but that Francis Asbury may have actually stopped here on his journeys on horseback.? From 1784 when there were 63 traveling Methodist preachers to the mid 1800’s when there were over 3,000 traveling preachers, the Methodist church grow dramatically with as many as 750,000 members. So perhaps Francis Asbury did pass through Cape May in the past. But, read on!.

Here are the facts from theTabernacle UMC  church history. (It was originally a ME church.)

“In 1778, the settlers here, with the help and encouragement of John Brainard, erected a one-room log Church on the present site of the Tabernacle Cemetery at the intersection of what are now Chatsworth and Carranza Roads. It was named The Tabernacle In The Wilderness. Both Indians and settlers gathered there to worship God. When John Brainard organized the building of the Church in 1778, his territory included all of New Jersey, half the state of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.”

This church has had 4 different buildings in its history as a result of  fire, growth  and storms.   It was on a three point ‘circuit’ until 1967, when it become a full time church, and then in 1975 became once again a two part charge. IT was dropped once and reinstated again in 2006 which it is today, with Chatsworth UMC.

The flower of the PItcher Plant.

The elusive Clapper Rail that we saw this week.

Dinner was “out” today again at the Rio Grande Restaurant. After talking to the Asst. manager, i understood the connection with many European born wait staff. The owner is from Greece and hires good, hard working people from Eastern Europe and Russia. They do an excellent job. The food is prepared with love,  and the menu is amazingly varied with Greek touches in some menu items beside the usual “East Coast“ seafood emphasis. The wait staff that I had seen were from Slovenia, Russia and Greece.

Not just a "Loon" but a Red Necked Loon.

Our pals at the feeders each day, The Riby Throated Hummigbird

One of many lighthouses, The Bodie Island Light

 2:00 PM—-Now it was time for the laundry and we gathered our things in the huge “hamper” that we use in the trailer and headed for a Laundramat that we had seen near the restaurant. It was moderately busy ( that was good) and there were sufficient washers and dryers to get the clothes washed and dried. This was a bit expensive as a washer full (35 pounds) was $4.50 per load. Dryers were about usual in price at .25 c per seven minutes.

The rest of the day was reading, corresponding, working on those 33,000 photo files and reorganizing then so I don’t run out of space. I hate to see that message. “You will need 39.7 Mb of space in order to load any more photos.”. We are gaining on it.

The old church at Fort Anderson

The "Olde Mill" at Guilford NC

Slave quarters in SC

That favorite of most everyone...Wisteria.

Tomorrow is the last day we will be here  as we leave on Tuesday for PA and a visit with my daughter Kathy (Steve)  and the Simmons grandchildren We will attempt to find some “last day” warblers near the Cape May Audubon Hq. . As we took no photos today , I will post some of the highlights of the trip thus far.

Day 42 Saturday May 14, 2016. Visit E.B. Forsythe NWR - Brigantine Unit.

Day 42  Saturday May 14, 2016. Visit E.B. Forsythe NWR - Brigantine Unit.

Fo us two ”oldsters” it was an earlier start than usual as we wanted to get to the NWR before the Saturday crowds and … we had read that this Refuge was hit hard by the Storm “Sandy” two years ago and the restoration program  is mammoth and large. As a result many of the auto tour routes in the refuge have been closed during the week and only part of them are open during the weekend. So we headed up the New Jersey Parkway (with caution, as there is much work being done on it) and turned off at the Atlantic City expressway for a short stretch and then north again on Route 9. This took us through a few towns and some rural country (could actually see the Great Marsh) until we reached the entrance to the NWR.

The E. B. Forsythe NWR on the NJ shore

The NWR Headquarters and Visitor Center

The only road open at this time is a two way road.
There are impoundments and also a tidal slough.

Entry to the NWR

After trying to secure a map from the HQ (they were out of maps) we took the auto tour road that was open and three other trails to complete what we could there at the Refuge. It was excellent birding as the day was sunny, with little or no wind, and not too hot (64F) after a cool start to the morning (57F). The tide was just at the low end of the ebb side so many birds were still feeding in the mud and shallow waters. 

The New Jersey Audubon team is "flying high"
about birds today

We spotted the New Jersey Audubon folks in the tower on “.03 mile” Rd. They were in the middle of spotting birds as a team for the Great World Birding Day.  We bagged a pair of Wood ducks on a pond at about the same time. Well Done Audubon!

We encountered no new birds today, but our total for the trip stands at 167 as of today. Today was a good day with 54 birds identified.  For me, spotting the two Whimbrels in the distant “island” of weeds and mud was the highlight.  One Upland Sandpiper was also a great find.  The Black and White warbler was indicative of the warblers that cannot be far behind.  For Ruth, it was the Clapper Rails that seemed to just come right out of the reeds and walk along the mud on the low tide. We were fortunate to see at least three of them in plain sight.

One of the Clapper Rails we saw today in the tidal mud.

An Eastern Kingbird

Black Backed Gulls (Greater) and some young ones.

There were many Dunlins 

A numbr of Black Skimmers on a sand bar

We did take a drive early in the afternoon to the Smithville, NWR unit, but saw little there at the boat launch.  I was interested in the “Guide for Hunters” that was posted  and even an ‘aiming’ chart’ and poles at certain  distances to sight in your guns. Not being a hunter, I sometimes forget that a major use of much of this land is for hunting.

We returned by Route 9 a little earlier than usual to give us time to download photos and do the necessary note taking for the day. Ruth has posted every bird on every trip that we have been on since 1996Tomorrow will be church service, a lunch, and then the necessary “laundry time”. That will allow us clean shirts/sheets all the way back to Michigan next weekend. If there is time Sunday   (and on Monday) we will poke in around the south end of the Peninsula for some warblers . See you tomorrow.