Mountain Laurel... Smelled so fragrant

 

Trip Day 20, Thursday, May 13,2021  Last Day at KOA Fredericksburg. VA

In telling you about this place (KOA) I don’t think I mentioned how peaceful and how remote it was. It is in the middle of a forest. At the entrance there is a steep hill coming from the west and if you are going more than 20 miles an hour you would go right past it even if you saw the signs.  KOA does have two signs indicating how much further it is just for that purpose.  “KOA 2 miles”, “KOA 1/2 mile”, “KOA 1/4mile”. And on US 1 ( Jefferson Davis Highway) where you turn into their access road, (Highway 607), there is a sign that says  “KOA turn NOW”.I missed that the first time.

A tunnelof 140 feet high Oaks.

But today was a good day both for birding and handling the GPS, We let the “lady” do the talking and she did OK, even with a turn around, she got back on track quickly. One must be specific when entering data, however, as I wanted a park by the name of Lorelei Park, but did not designate that it was not a street . GPS did and I didn’t see that error. The turn was into the street of the same name, and not the park, but we rerouted as we had gone by the entrance and we had seen it.

We did get to five  birding areas today and came home with 25 species and a few new ones.

A Pond with the name of “Ruffin’s Pond” was a vast area in the middle of industrial acreage. It was  good run as long as we were alert for trucks coming up behind us as we poked along looking for birds and listening for bird.sounds.  a CLIFF SWALLOW AND A LESSER YELLOWLEGS, were there among others. There were some neat little “pull ins” that we used to observe and watch. Then next door was a sports complex that we were unable to find the entrance . It was vast and could have been miles away. 

Wild roses abound along withy the Laurel.

 

Heading east on US 17 were two other sites, one was even past the house we stopped at the first evening when we got off the US 1 route. ( On US 17). We found two entrances to Pettigrew WMA (Wildlife Management Area) and made good use of that for a lunch stop  out in the WMA watching the birds.

Heading back to town as it was now 2:00 PM and the temperature was nearing 70 with the sun shining, we headed for Lorelei Park and the sun was just too much for the birds as they didn’t show. Birding in the afternoon  is never the best time of day to find birds.
 

Being a historical area there are many markers like this by the hundreds.

I never did find out why these fields of last year's wheat were still standing?

 

Supper was one of our favorites on the road and that is tomato basil soup, and toasted cheese (havarti) sandwiches.

It was a good day and Ruth vacuumed after supper and I took down all the “accessories” and put loose items  into the truck for tomorrow’s getaway.

We don’t know what it will bring and at worst we will wait out the gasoline shortage in some parking lot. At best we will find gasoline as needed.

See you in Martinsville VA next!

This was the National Wildlife Refuge that had closed all roads  so no auto touring. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          It is on the Potomac River Estuary

We did have to travel on this highway. We have to remember we are south of the Mason Dixon line.

 Trip Day 19,  Wednesday May 12,2021 At KOA near Spotsylvania  VA

Sorry Folks, there is no posting for today.

We had planned to visit the Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge and did travel there, but found out that all roads were closed so no auto tours were allowed. That was also true of another one that was nearby ...Mason Neck NWR.

 

So we headed back, picked up some groceries, got some gasoline,  (short line at the 7-11 gas station) and headed for the trailer. It still took us until 3:45 to do all of that. (The Colonial gasoline pipeline feeds FL, GA, SC, VA, PA MD,  and NJ, so we are in that shortage.)

Had a  Zoom sessions with my Church Book Cub where we dissected the book "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Kimmerer.

Catch you tommorrow.-Jim

Trip Day 18 Tuesday  May 11, 2021  To Spotsylvania  Battleground Park and Ni Reservoir

Well, today we made a bird count that was much better and that involved some new species for the trip. The cause of that was some very careful watching in the deep forests of the SBP (Spotsylvania Battleground Park).

The morning was sunny and a bit cool but warmed up to the mid 60’s by noon. We were on our way with our new tool the GPS . If only “she” (don’t have name for her yet) wouldn’t talk back. (When we backtracked to look at a pond where we saw something, she gets very confused). I need one for birders that do that much of the time. (I could turn it off I guess!).

The SBP is a 611 acre Park at the site of the battle for the ‘courthouse crossroads’ and involved  the troops  of Grant’s Union Army and Lee’s Confederate troops. Grant was trying to out flank Lee, but Lee did not allow that to happen. As a result  the battle was declared a stalemate although the Confederates (in this last year of the war, ) lost many lives, (37,000) ,equipment and supplies and it was not much later that the end of the war was at Appomattox Courthouse.
 

The roads in The Battleground Park

The general layout of the Battle sites

Heavily wooded areas

 All 

 

 

Along the roads (used to be the trails the troops used) there were remains of the Confederate trenches still visible,

This happened to be the same 4 days in May that the battles took place some 167 years ago. (May 10-11-12-13). Grant finally withdrew the next week.

The site was well laid out for auto travel with many places to pull out and walk or rest and view. Our main goal was to look for birds and we did do well in finding them there.

We found a quiet place to eat lunch while watching for some birds.

 

 

 

The birds today that were outstanding were ;  WOOD PEEWEE, SCARLET TANAGER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, PALM WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART,  BLUE GROSBEAK, GREAT BLUE HERON, BALD EAGLE (way up high)  SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SHARP SHINNED HAWK, and  KENTUCKY WARBLER.. IT WAS A GOOD DAY.  24 SPECIES IN ALL.

Buttercup and Penstamon

 

    

 

 

 

 

         Evening Primrose  (right) 

 

Ruth was able to get a few flowers photos of course , and the “tundra like” fields did not slow her down. 

Yellow Spice Butterflies

The Ni Reservoir or Lake

Look closely for the Spotted Sandpiper

 We then drove to a nearby Reservoir that has the unforgettable name of NI Reservoir..  There was no fee for this CountyPark and we drove to the fishing road by the water after stopping at the Office and getting the “OK”from Dave the manager. They do a lot of boat rentals there as it is good fishing. There was not much bird life, but on the way back Ruth spotted a pond, and we did a reverse and stopped in an abandoned yard to see some  birds and right in the driveway was a Spotted Sandpiper. You never know!

A supper of Taco Salad was a fitting ending for the day and after that I had a Zoom meeting with the folks from First UMC in Grand Rapids, My reception was spotty so I was not much of  contributor.  It was good to see faces and hear voices, however, 

Confederate trenches

General battlelines (Confederates were 4 miles long)

A few cannons left

The day was a fine one, and I hope to finish “Braiding Sweetgrass” before our Book Club meeting tomorrow (Wed)  evening.

Maybe that National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow? (Occoquan)

Day 17 Monday May 10, 2021At KOA Fredericksburg VA   —Laundry Day

There was a possibility to get to  a few bird sites today , but after the Bible Study class (which was only off line for only 2 minutes) Ruth looked at the laundry basket at said “We need to do laundry.”

There were bluebirds around the camp site and a few babies learning to fly. Awesome. (See below)

The KOA Campground on Monday Morning after Mother's Day.
 

 So with a good Zoom meeting for the Bible Study all finished, (we had 11 today) and lunch in the trailer we packed the sheets and towels and laundry and headed for Spotsylvania and the Laundromat there called “Super Suds”.  (9 mile drive)

There were a few washers not being used and it was a busy place . So from 12:45 to 2:35 we watched the wheels go around on the machines and talked to Kerri  (the manager) for running such a neat place.  She had also thanked everyone on a poster for their business and noted that she was the mother of a LGBTQ+ child. The Laundromat  gets heavy use , so cleanliness is  hard work there as she  also does the laundry for others.  This was the highest price of any laundry we have ever been in on the road. The $4.94 for a washer load and .25 cents per 6 minutes per dryer is the highest we have seen…EVER!   It did good washing ,however.  

The Super Suds Laundramat

 

 

 Supper tonight was BLT sandwiches (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) , with the bacon as a gift from the Strohmer Farm in MD. That as a treat. I had not had a BLT for a few years , and it was delicious. The bacon was very meaty. Ruth knows how to fry bacon!!!   (See below)

 I took a walk around the Park as it was very quiet with only 50% of sites filled.  I stopped at the Office to see if anyone could walk and talk  me through using my i phone for GPS. My sister in law convinced me we might give it a try.  (Well done,Mar!) There’s a moral here!!!

The night ended with two new species for the trip and they were a  CAPE MAY WARBLER and an EASTERN PEEWEE, both near the trailer while I was reading  “Braiding Sweetgrass" for our Book Club that meets on this Wednesday. It is a wonderful and thought provoking treatise about how we treat (or don’t) our earth.  

Those Strohmer Farm bacon strips in our BLT's last night

Some roses in the KOA grounds
 

 This morning an unusual weather event happened when, at 8:00 Am the temperature was 58 F and an hour later it was 55F. by the afternoon when the sun came out it was  73 F and sunny.

Earlier in its history,  Spotsylvania was the home of the Siouan speaking native tribe called the Manahoac.

Many major battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fredericksburg, and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The war resulted in widespread disruption and opportunity: some 10,000 African-American slaves left area plantations and city households to cross the Rappahannock River, reaching the Union lines and gaining freedom. This exodus is commemorated by historical markers on both sides of the river.

On Tuesday we will vist one of the three major Battlefields from the Civil War . Spotsylvania Courthouse.

One of the Bluebirds that are surrounding us each day.---Jim

 

 

 Trip Day 16, May 9, 2021 At South Washington DC KOA,  VA (Fredericksburg)

This is the New sanctuary. At First UMC in Grand Rapids,MI   The old one will be posted for comparison

 Today's campground across the road from our site. Very quiet. (Sunday evening)

One more photo of the activity at the Strohmer Farm in MD. 6 week old chicks that hopefully will get "market ready" soon.

Trip Day 16, May 9, 2021 At South Washington DC KOA,  VA (Fredericksburg)

A pretty uncomplicated day.

The campground was almost vacated as the weekenders left about noontime or earlier.
That left about 11 sites in view that are now empty, but it sure has been quiet except for the birds.

Watching our church service on Zoom at 10:00 AM was the first item .It was good to see the NEW SANCTUARY where the first service was presented there today. (See photo above)
 

As we had scoped the local stores for grocery we found a Giant grocery store in Spotsylvania  about 9 mies from here, and headed there to stock up on groceries.  I was able to get a few items for the bird feeder, as I needed  si=unflower seed, and “S” hooks,  but settled for carbiners  and they worked well. (Those pesky MD squirrels knocked  them off in the deep leaves under the feeder.  I never found them..)

We decided to get lunch on the road at Subway  and it was empty so no problem with distancing. We took those sandwiches (Italian BMT and ham and cheese ) to a small park just down the road back toward the campground and watched for birds while we ate. No birds showed up, not one. Of course it was 2:00 PM and the birds are having their siesta.

Returning to the trailer I inquired about a place that I could hold Bible Study tomorrow on Zoom in the Park, but there were no rooms or storage sheds available. It will be done as usual from the trailer.

The afternoon was a pleasant 68 degrees and the sun gradually left the sky. But I was able to do the Bible preparation on the picnic table until about 5:30.

That was pretty  much it, as Ruth got some rest late in the afternoon and still is feeling better in her eye.  Grocery shopping is very tiresome.

I may be able to post this  tonight as the empty camp ground is allowing the internet to function very quickly. We shall see.

Tomorrow an afternoon trip to a local Sanctuary or Historical Battle ground depending on the weather.

 Trip Day 15 May 8, 2021 —Happy Birthday Margaret Moving from MD to VA

As Indicated yesterday there would be little to comment on except any events of the drive.

From our site in Woodbine MD, to a spot just 30 miles south of Washington DC, one has to at some time or another drive on some part of I-95,The great highway from the Canadian Border (Maine) to Florida. Well, we did drive on it, and only missed our turn once and did get right back on again after stopping for lunch. As you make the turn from I- 495 heading east  getting in the correct lane is essential and for the novice this was a matter of choice as you move into the 7 lanes on I-95. I had read that exit 167A was the correct one, but it was not and we ended up in a close suburb of DC.

Fortunately I got off into a large  parking  (A Hilton) where we could collect our thoughts , eat a lunch in the trailer and ask the only  man in the parking lot how to get back on i-95.  He knew and told us to go around the block (there was a median on that road so we could not  make a u turn, and turn left and over the freeway and make a left turn. VOILA! It worked. and we were on our way again. 

 

Our campsite at KOA in Fredericksburg MD . HIstorical country.

 

 

Ruth and I disagreed about which US highway to take when getting off of I-95.  I opted for US 1 she wanted US 17, They both ran together for a while but US 17 heads east . I continued on US 1 but was told we should go the other way, That led east and away from the direction we wanted, so I stopped and asked. (I have no trouble doing that)  Neil, a mechanic and surveyor by day, even printed out a map, and we were on our way again.

When we had driven even further than the maps he gave us indicted without a turn, I stopped at a small rural gas station and asked again for the KOA.

            The pond at the KOA

 The clerk looked at me and pointed to a man seated at the State Slot machine . The man was dressed in a red checkered hunting jacket ,worn for many years, had a slouch cap on and a long full beard.
He said ”Take that road (pointing), cross the tracks. Go right at the next road, go to the stop sign, turn left and she’ll be on your left.”
Voila! He was right on the money. We arrived at 4:00 PM an hour and one half or so later than  anticipated ,but we do not aim at one specific time or another as things can get in the way.

Take for instance the traffic on I-95. For perhaps 8-10  times the traffic would come to a standstill or crawl. There was no construction on Saturday (although there were construction zones, but no blockages for construction.) Q. I’ll have to look that one up. Our average speed from I-495 to our exit on I-95 was 24 miles an hour. (That was 40 Mlles.) A.  It seems that the corridor between Richmond and DC is the most heavily travelled road on the East Coast. Any attempt to improve the road would just result in slower traffic. (they say)

Ruth was very tired and opted out of supper after we got set up. We are situated in the back part of the KOA and it is very quiet after I talked to the owner of the dog that was constantly barking before supper. It is quiet now.

 We splurged  the night before, but not really as the shrimp was $12.00 for 24 large shrimp (16-24 count). It had a cajun bite!

 

 

 

 

We are just a few minutes from the Potomac River as it widens  and enter Chesapeake Bay. There are many estuaries that empty into the Chesapeake Bay and all reachable in less than an hour.

THat’s it for today with very few photos and maybe a few from previous days not posted.-Jim

trip day 14 the strohmer farm

Trip Day 14 Friday May 7,2021 eye doctor and the Strohmer Farm

We did accomplish both stops today and both were positive.

After getting ready we left about 10:30 forth eye doctor in Mt. Airy, MD. Ruth got a clean bill of health as the scratch has healed and she will continue the regimen of drops and antibiotic for the prescribed time.

We were met at the Strohmer Farm by the household pets… three dogs, a cat, the two lovable roosters and a few backyard goats.

The “Brenda” Strohmer family (two brothers and a sister (all single) live in the same grounds and house as their father and next to where the grandfather lived. The house is vacant.  A sister Ann lives about two miles away. We arrived there about 11:00 AM and stayed through the lunch hour  sharing stories about our families and filling in the spaces as we could. We do not think that we are closely related ,but in the 5th or 6th generation of our  family that is a possibility. There were no connection from my great grandfather’s time  to the present, unless it is one of his siblings.  Ruth and are are going to attempt to trace that back and see if there is a connection.

The old homestead built by their grandfather.

  

 

 

 

 

Branda , Ann, Jim and George Strihmer  (Richeard was working across the street.) (See below)

We did take time to meet him.

Some ofthe hundreds of farm animals. Many chickens.

The farm mainly relies on produce ,that is various meats, (pork, bacom, hot dogs, and other cuts of meat sold in the package, There are also eggs, and chickens, and goats for cheese and milk. (No milking cows.)

Three of them (Brenda,George Jr, and Richard) live there and a sister Ann, (Dee) lives two miles away, She came when Brenda called in a few minutes. Ann works for “the government”?

George and Richard pretty much take care of the heavy work although George  is not in good health. Richard was working on stump removal when we were there so I met him for minute only. He wanted to finish before the rains came.

Brenda is a graduate of OK State Univ. and taught Phys. Ed. until three years ago. She decided if the farm was to make a  go she would help with that.

Our visit was friendly and comfortable and they were good hosts and hostesses. We shared about our families and the genealogy freely. Brenda went inside and brought out a box of old letters and deeds that she began to read to us. A copy of the families genealogy back three generations might help us in our search for the connections.  It was a good visit. We will keep in touch.

After returning to the trailer and a short rest we decided to gve the local Seafood market a try. Brenda had recommended it to us.”J and T’s  Seafood. The only thing they fried (all else is fresh)  was shrimp and that was  24  pieces of’ large’ (16/24) shrimp  for $12.00 with cocktail sauce. Excellent!
It was a little spicy for Ruth but she managed to get filled.

The taste was fine and with a little of the rice and red beans I had saved from Popeye’s last week, it was plenty.

Tomorrow we move, so maybe a short note after we reach the KOA south of Washington DC.

There is Brenda, Ann, Jim and George Jr. Richard was in the fields working  and we met him briefly