From Brattleboro, VT to Maine

Brattleboro, Vermont for the night . . .

Traveling through Albany NY to Brattleboro VT we settled down for the night at Hidden Acres Campground on Hwy 5. Nothing special about it other than a good place to stop for the night and get a much needed shower. Site was level and the folks were nice at the campground. Photos below are of the campground office, our site and a nice playground for kids. As you can see, it was an overcast day.

Rough roads in NY State . . .

But I have to say that NY's roads leave a lot to be desired. They were shaking Lexi apart. Whether on the interstate or back roads, you need to be prepared. We left the interstate to get a feel for the local countryside. Only when we got to Vermont did we find decent roads. I literally found screws in the floor after stopping for the night from the wooden molding surrounding the TV. 

GPS died . . .

Our Garmin had to be replaced at a Wal-Mart. The other one has died and this one is newer and larger. We will see how it does. If I could have found a Camping World I would have tried one of their new Magellan's. 

Eating Maine Lobster . . . 

We traveled up the Maine coast and spent most of the day trying to find a restaurant which was almost an impossibility. You would think Maine would be full of eateries. Not so easy to do with an RV to park. We did stop near Woolrich at a Taste of Maine Restaurant. I was dying to try lobster for the first time. I didn't know how to eat it so I chose a lobster seafood roll. If I had't been so hungry, I probably wouldn't have finished it. Lobster is not my cup of tea. Ugh! Some of the other items on the menu looked like they would have been more tasty. As they say, "to each his own", and I found out that my own is not lobster.

A Little Maine Architecture . . .

Wal-Mart tonight . . .

We are spending a few nights at Wally World in between campground nights to save a few bucks and tonight is at a lovely new Wal-Mart in Rockport/Camden, Maine area, right on Hwy 1 - very friendly staff and level parking lot. We will visit Acadia National Park tomorrow. Hoping to see the ocean finally. So far we've just seen some fishing villages and docks.

Finally on the road . . . 

After a two month delay waiting for Camping World to replace or A/C unit and repair the generator we are on the road. We traveled up I-81 through the Shanandoah Valley to overnight at a Flying J truckstop in Winchester, VA. This has got to be the busiest truckstop we have ever boondocked at. All night long you could hear the trucks enter and leave. We wondered why we were practically the only RVer's here with the exception of one other rig and now I know why - it's too noisy to sleep. Of course it doesn't help that I indulged in one of their energy french vanilla coffees late in the day.

Harper's Ferry . . .

We made a stop at Harper's Ferry today and I was able to snap a few photos. It was early in the day and nothing was open but this is a beautiful place I would like to return to and explore. So much history and scenery to see.

Columbia Zoo

Our Visit to the Columbia SC Zoo produced a few good pics of some of my favorite new "friends". These two young lions were very active running back and forth in their lot. I thought they looked so natural coming out of the cave into the light.

 And the little koala bear just stole my heart. I wanted to pick him up and cuddle with him.

This old silver back gorilla dominated his territory. He wasn't too interested in posing for me, but I managed to snap a shot here.

And of course this beautiful  green snake who looked iridescent in his surroundings. I always love heading to the zoo, in particular the Columbia Zoo.

the eyes of youth

Haiku from nature . . .

It's all in the eyes;
curiosity of youth,
teaching me to see

covered bridge and the bear visit

Haiku from nature . . .


Bear and birdfeeder;
sunflower seeds strewn about,
free tasty morsels

We finally finished our little covered bridge; stain on siding, signs and farm implements hung.  However, our sign invited a neighborhood bear to visit.  Critter Corner is a name we have called our mountain top place since we moved here in the 90's.  We have so many critters here and of course the bear is evidence of that. He paid our birdfeeder a visit twice in one week and the second visit he literally demolished the feeder. I suppose the smart thing to do is to wait on replacing the feeder till bad weather arrives in the fall.

Cumberland Falls

haiku from nature . . .

roaring cumberland;
spray of mist on maiden's face;
eagles soar above

Not as grand as the Niagara, but still beautiful in it's own way.  A scorching hot day was turned into a very pleasant experience with a fine mist spray to cool the fragrant woodsy air of a forest whose floor was covered with musty leaves and pine needles. I would definitely go back here if I have the opportunity.

"peek a boo"

Haiku from nature...

Tall grasses swaying;

peek a boo and hide and seek...

young fawns playing

A recent trip to Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park left me fascinated with young fawns playing outside our RV one bright and beautiful  morning. Naturally I had to grab my camera and get off a few snapshots. These two deer paid very little attention to me except for an occasional game of peek a boo and allowed me to get fairly close in. The campground was nearly empty, so I was by myself with these little critters - me and my camera and the deer. Trusting little creatures they were. I wondered where Momma deer was. Maybe they were old enough to be weaned and left on their own. This was such a delight and I marvel at any chance like this to experience the pleasure of close encounters with nature.

clematis 2011c

clematis 2011c, a photo by songcatcher01 on Flickr.

This is one of my purple clematis blooms. With some tweaking of the photo, it made a very interesting pic.

Memorial Day Weekend

Our second road trip with our RV was over Memorial Day Weekend. I know it was a busy time to travel to Pigeon Forge, TN, but this was the first chance we've had this year to get away. We had a great time at Clabough Campground watching the antics of the multitude of kids running around. You had to watch your every move or you would have a bike or electric Razor  run you down. A nice gentle walk around the campground turned into a dash for cover behind a tree around nearly every bend. It was safer to stay under our little canopy and watch the activity. Saturday night brought some wonderful lively entertainment right outside our RV, when a young lady (I think her name was Carrisa) performed some great Hank Williams tunes with her beautiful voice and guitar.  She performs at various venues and is also co-host along with Pat Corn at The Cowboy Church in Pigeon Forge. Great entertainment!

And speaking of the Cowboy Church; you must make a stop on Sunday mornings at The Miracle Theatre at 10:00am for a wonderful church service. They have some of the best entertainers in the Smokies performing as well as a great message by Pat. If you haven't heard Pat play his guitar and sing, you've missed a wonderful opportunity. And Carrisa has the voice of an angel. Stop by to see them if you're in the Smokies.  You will be blessed!

Campers with golf carts which were decorated with colorful red white and blue flags put on a parade Sunday evening. A most enjoyable time as we watched the ducks go back and forth throughout the grounds. Something I had never witnessed before was a duck in a tree. A male Mallard was glued to a twelve foot stump and picking at some green vegetation growing from the top, while other males were circling the stump and trying to figure out how to get up there. They kept trying but to no avail because there wasn't enough room for them. Of course baby ducks and their mommas were everywhere, but they moved so fast that I couldn't get clear shots with my little camera.

We also spent a morning driving the cycle through Cades Cove. Many deer were along the side of the route as well as turkey. We only saw one black bear, which was far in the distance and could barely be seen with the naked eye. We did manage to stop at our favorite old homestead. Guy loves the old cantilevered barn and I'm enamored with the old home which reminds me of my Grandparents home back in the olden days. All in all it was a very good trip - one we've taken often and I'm sure we will be returning.

Spring has Sprung

April prepares her green traffic light

and the world thinks Go.  ~Christopher Morley, John Mistletoe

Beautiful flowers are popping up all over my yard. I love the azaleas, irises and so many other lovely beauties that bloom in April. I couldn't help but take a few snapshots in my yard this morning as I left for town. Their little heads dancing in the early morning sun will start your day off right.

barn quilts

Finally finished my barn quilts I've been painting for our covered bridge. Unfortunately, I will have to wait till it's warm enough to put a stain on the barn before I can hang them up.  My first barn quilts - they were fun to do. These are 3 x 3 on MDF board. I didn't realize how much tape or calculating would be involved, but it was worth it.

Anticipating Spring

Too much snow!!! I've already developed cabin fever - and now Spring fever is beginning to show in the things I find myself enthralled in. I'm looking thru seed catalogs and already nurturing plants in the greenhouse till outside planting season begins.  But the draw of the hummingbirds return in April has me guessing and anticipating the date these little creatures once again will alight on my salmon angel salvia flowers. I plant the red and salmon colored flowers each Spring especially for the Hummingbirds and Goldfinches. They look like little angels atop tall stems and the birds just cover the plants, particularly in the late Summer and Fall season. In anticipation of these little beings, I spent some time today just doing a little sketch of my favorite bird.

The snow missed us

The snow missed us this time. Instead we were hit with a huge ice storm. The power keeps blinking on and off, but so far (knock on wood), we still have power.

I must say it is beautiful outside - a winter wonderland. A good day to stay inside, bundled up in front of a fireplace with a good book.

Guy has rigged a line on a pulley system in the back yard to keep our white squirrels from destroying the birdfeeders. The line is encrusted with ice and we can't get it drawn in to remove the ice. Hope it doesn't break.

I the meantime, I'm enjoying the wildlife today and especially the little goldfinches. I love this feeder - it looks like a chandelier or a fancy merry go round with the goldfinches surrounding it. I've also noticed that the goldfinches seem to be getting brighter colors on their heads now - getting ready for spring mating season, I suppose. It is nice to take a day away from your regular work when you can sit back and watch nature at it's finest.

Squirrels playing house

Silly squirrels playing house this morning in the new snow. I have at least 9 white squirrels who frequent my yard and feeders every day. They were absent yesterday. Maybe they were holed up in there nest eating acorns? I don't know. But they are out today in full force. Trying to snap a photo of all of them together is rather difficult. So when I saw these two together, it was a perfect opportunity.

We had about 10 inches of snowfall and the mountain road has not been scraped as yet. Great day to stay home, snuggle in at the picture window and just observe the wonder of nature in my yard.

Turkeys, where were you on Thanksgiving?

My neighbor had a healthy group of wild turkeys atop her fence post today. Not the least bit skittish. They acted like I wasn't even there. I suppose they know that turkey season is over and they felt like I was no threat to them. Hardly a week passes that I don't pass these guys on my trip down or up the mountain.

Reflections and Anticipations

"Great Day In The Morning"! We've made it thru another year and we've got a great new year of exciting possibilities to look forward to. And I do look forward to this time with anticipation for all the wondrous things that lie just around the next corner. The older you get, the more precious the days are (especially if you are in good health). I Thank God for giving me a healthy body and mind to enjoy all that he has placed in my walk of life.

Reflecting on the past few months,I feel so blessed to be reconnecting with my family through Facebook. Relatives I haven't seen for years (including some new ones coming on that I have never met) have enriched my life in numerous ways with their reminiscing and photos from the past. The stories being told could fill a book if I were a writer. But I'm a 'simple person' and my main objective this coming year is to simplify my life and enjoy life a little more - more time for Grandkids, nature walks, photography and artworks.

I need to find a way to keep myself accountable. I've had this blog for a couple of years and it has just been sitting here, gathering dust. I think it is about time to make use of it. This is a brand new year with new adventures, new friends and a world of possibilities. I live on an amazing mountain top with an abundance of wildlife (woodland birds, white squirrels, a resident cougar, bobcat, deer, wild turkeys, etc) for neighbors and I am totally fascinated by these creatures and can spend hours watching them. I hope to record some of my sightings thru art and photography, so if you have any comments or suggestions to make, please feel free to do so.

Trip to Jonesborough, TN

We made a little fall excursion to Jonesborough yesterday via Sam's Gap. Fantastic fall colors which did not show up well in my photos. My camera wouldn't pick up the bright yellows that were almost blinding our vision as we traveled across Sam's Gap into Tennessee.

However, I did get a few good photos of Jonesborough itself. This is a little town like you would picture in a Norman Rockwell Illustration. It's the oldest town in Tennesse, home and burial site of President Andrew Johnson. If you are ever in this area, Jonesborough is a must see. This is also the Storytelling capital that will take you back to yesterday.

oh my, a bear

What do you suppose I would almost run into with my car on my way home today . . . a very large black bear. I rounded a corner, and there he was, looking straight at me. I managed to come to a stop about 15 feet from him. He startled and ran across the road into a field while I anxiously plummaged thru my bag for the camera. By the time I found the camera he was already in a field of tall grasses and fall flowers. Such a beautiful sight!

Here in the Western North Carolina Mountains we have numerous wildlife that we frequently have crossing our paths and each time I see something as magnificent as this black bear, I am in total awe. There have been so many new homes built here in the last few years and we are gradually encroaching on there territory. It's sad.

I really must take time to study and paint this magnificent creature.

hummer frolicking in water spray

Just had to do a little sketch of my visitor today. This little fellow discovered the garden hose while I was busy watering the garden. He had a wonderful time bathing himself and taking a drink from my hose. He flitted back and forth thru the water. These little guys are so much fun to watch.

Jo

Three Pears Watercolor

The actual painting shows three whole pears on a table, but I was playing around with framing in psp and liked the cropping it allowed. It looked a little more dramatic. Hope you like it!

Jo