Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort 9/11 --> 9/18/2016 Part Two

Part Two

For those of you who didn't read or remember LAST YEAR's blog, a click on the RED link will throw you back for a review. The highlight of my visit here in Maine has been to coincide it with my cousin John and wife, Barbara's vacation time in Camden. They're from Medfield, MA in the Boston area and this area is perfect for their treasured get-away. Last time they were in the midst of renovating their cottage and Barbara was still working part time. This year, the cottage is completed and she's more "officially retired." 

Besides both being graduates of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, we go way back to the days of childhood where, on Sundays if I wasn't traveling down to da Bronx to see my other cousins, we would travel over to Catherine Street in Peekskill. While our folks shot the breeze, John's father was busy in the kitchen preparing the Sunday meal of pasta...opps, sorry, macaroni, gravy, and the assorted meats that go into it and along with it. Other Sundays, they would journey over to my house on Washington Street; same scene, same food, different cook but still great memories. John and I would spend most of our non-eating time in the living room on the floor either setting up the Lionel trains or playing Monopoly. Our

Monopoly games lasted forever but no records were broken. (70 days in 1975, I believe) When the day ended, we'd simply push the board, it's contents including my token, the race car, his token, the canon and the money under the sofa in the living room ready to go the next time we got together.  The dice were even placed by the token of player whose turn it was. Hmm. Now that I think of it, it was always at his house; under his couch. I always wondered why he had more money than me AND he was always the banker. Hmm. The pieces now fit, no pun intended.

Sunday night after setting up, John and Barbara drove from their summer cottage in Camden to the campground to pick me up and drive another 5 miles or so east to  The Anglers Seafood Restaurant and treated me to dinner.  As mentioned in my Facebook post, for a Sunday night the place was packed.  While we were there, they even accommodated a busload of 40 people in a back room. For this "off season" evening, they had to be happy albeit haggard, to have a turnout crowd like this. Check out the menu from the link (in red). It was varied and prices very reasonable. We did not leave hungry. Their famous (for John) coconut cream pie was outstanding. It had been a long time since I've enjoyed a bread pudding. It was hot, with raisins (really, Ray) and delicious.

Joe

Monday night they picked me up once again and treated me to dinner at their cottage. Perfectly grilled loin of pork by grill master, John, with mashed potatoes and Swiss chard. Their friend, Joe joined us. Afterwards, a trip into Rockland ME to the The Time Out Pub which features Monday night Blues. That night the blues band, Bruce Katz Band performed. We seniors were among the well-attended gig (of mostly other seniors) for the very talented 3-piece band.

Tuesday night it was may turn to treat. As you may know, my favorite go-to meal while camping is London broil on the grill along with grilled rainbow peppers and onion. Shrimp and organic, rainbow carrots were served as appetizers. Steamed small red potatoes and corn on the cob topped off the meal. Afterwards, we enjoyed a fire..

Wednesday night, we went into Belfast and dined at The Nautilus Seafood and Grill. Joe joined us once again and my delicious dish was the Lobster Mac & Cheese and a side of butternut squash.

Saturday night, I returned to John and Barbara's for another home cooked meal. Chicken, potatoes, tortellini w/sauce, and baked potatoes. So nice to have meals with others. 

Some photos for you.

A Maine March snowfall 2015

Project complete

Renovated, bright, open, airy, and a very utilitarian kitchen.
And it's enjoyed by a lady who knows her way around the kitchen.
Thank you, Barbara and John for your comapny, delicious meals.
And some homemade bread as well.

Whitey - the bottomless pit

Gracie, who, rumor has it....

...is very friendly with the neighborhood lemur.

John's impressive years-long project of collecting stones found on beaches
that have the shapes of states continued and concluded with.....

...the state of Maine. The other 51 state will
have to wait their turn.

Sunday morning brunch was in downtown Belfast, a place we've visited each time I'm in Maine. Darby's Restaurant & Pub. We look forward to seeing Sandy, our waitress, who, each year, (not only remembers) greets and takes good care of us. After our final good-byes and thank you, I took off for Salisbury, MA, 173 miles to Black Bear Campground and an overnight stay before heading back to Croton Point Park....my last hurrah (maybe) to end the 2016 Summer Adventure.

Thanks for joining me; hope you liked it.

Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort 9/11 --> 9/18/2016 Part One

Straight (not really) across Maine. 129 miles - 2½ hours with a grocery stop

Campground layout as it exits now. I'm booked already for next year
and will be in the old site #14 (top right) which will become
the new site #1 AND there'll be no one in front of me.

I've decided to post my current blog in two parts. There have been so many things to write about and share, I would hate to have readers dozing with only a few tidbits of my latest stopover. This Part One will be just about the campground and highlights. Part Two will be devoted to my dear cousin John and wife, Barbara; my reason for being here in the first place. Before I left New Hampshire, (black arrow) the radar map to the left hinted the ride would not be nice. It rained steady for about an hour with a few claps of thunder but it moved east and so did I. Apparently, I followed it because the weather was perfect.

Crossing the State line was
uneventful and disappointing.

One roadway sign very prevalent.

Once again I can tell you the trip across Maine to the coast was beautiful. The scenery including the land and the houses that sit upon it continue to pique my interest as  to who lives there, what do they do and what similarities and differences to they have compared to the rest of this great country.  Politically, cousin John informs me you won't find any Clinton posters around. Not surprising. Then there's always a chuckle I had when I crossed bridges over rivers or creeks and read the signs that bore their names. The Androscoggin River ("river of rock shelters), the Nezinscott River, Little Cobbosseecontee Lake (place where sturgeon is found"), and last but not least the Passagassawakeag River (of local Indian origin and is believed to mean "a sturgeon's place" or "a place for spearing sturgeon by torchlight.") in Belfast.  All a part of our rich national heritage. 

Well, it's been a year since my last visit here. I was on site #17 last time. Both views from the RV are overlooking the Bay and very beautiful. It seems whenever and wherever we humans travel and congregate, a body of water of any size is the desired location that brings the ultimate sense of serenity and relaxation. Be it a pond, lake, stream, river, bay, ocean or creek, just look at the price someone will charge....or pay for that amenity.  

Unfortunately when I drove into my site 23, I found a huge fifth wheel/toy hauler on the site in front of me blocking the beautiful view. Next to him, another huge fifth wheeler. So my view of the bay was greatly narrowed and limited..

They left and moved to another site nearby
and I enjoyed my view.......

....for about an hour before a new arrival slipped into the site.

The great view when sites are unoccupied. In this campground, that
doesn't happen too often. After Labor Day, "Low Season" rates go into
effect. According to the seasonal folks, September is the best month to
be camping here at Moorings Oceanfront.

6:13 am Sunrise

No matter, having been here before AND still able to walk, it's an easy trek to either side of them or on the road below to get my views. At 6:13 am I caught my first sunrise coming up from the southeast. 

6:51 pm Moon rise

On Friday, the 12th I got to see the full moon, the Harvest Moon also known as the "corn moon" or the "worm moon."

You had to be there to appreciate
this photo

Thus far I've traveled 2,426 miles and stayed at 9 campgrounds since August 8th, just over a month ago. This week's only weather threat...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL.

...is one of the very few times I've had to pay attention to the weather. All states I visited sorely needed the rain. This reality was evidenced by observing near dry river beds and slow moving waters with their sand bars and river rocks exposed. I always heed the warnings no matter how "potential" they are; awning is in, chairs folded and put way and anything that can "fly" tied down. I think on my trip, I've had one or two days where I could say, "it rained." I've been very lucky. As it turned out...nothing. A little windy, a drizzly rain for a couple hours, and then sunshine.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Beginning after the campground closes for the season, there will be major renovations of all sites; new sewers, 30 & 50 amp service. All sites with be situated with a view of the Bay.
• Ending this year, a free service where your black water tank is pumped and drained Mondays and Thursdays. Kinda hate to see that amenity disappear.
• Happy Hours each Friday has the owners treating you to the drinks; you just have to bring the snacks. Unheard of.
• Met Craig and Mary from southwest Michigan; black Angus ranchers
• Met Betty and Steve from Marlboro, NY and heard their extensive travel stories
• Met Bob, MD, and son, Anthony, who drove up special Saturday night for dad's 60th b'day. Bob, a master electrician/MotoCross aficionado, MD (Mary Dana), equestrian with 3 or 4 prize winning horses nicely situated near Magic Mountain in southern  VT. A satellite view of their 30+ acres shows the extent of their interests. 
• Weather, though breezy to windy, most days was perfect enough to allow me to lay out and get a nice late summer tan.

Driveway begins at top left; Bob's
motocross track visible in center right.
MD's horse arena, barns, and paddock
in lower portion of photo.

Bob, MD and Anthony

• 
  

Some more views captured during my stay.

Low tide looking east

Very low tide

   

The Schooner Timberwind out of
Belfast, Maine. It's a 2-hour cruise
on Penobscot Bay.

$50.00 for adults

Looking southwest just after sunset

Next up, the wonderful experiences shared with my cousin, John and wife Barbara.

Getting Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse

Here I am sitting in pleasant surroundings and in the comfort of the New Hampshire woods with mountains that make up the northeastern portion of the Appalachian Mountains, the White Mountain range, nearby. Mount Washington is but a few miles to the southeast. Actually, I cannot view any of them because of the dense forests around me. So, what am I thinking and planning? My trip next August! What an optimist. I'm winding down my stay here at Timberland Campground in Shelburne, NH and will soon travel to Belfast, Maine for the remaining week of my 2016 Summer Adventure visiting cousin John and wife, Barbara. The weather I've experienced has been perfect with temperatures in the high 70's, sunny and breezy. Perfect camping weather and comfortable night time sleeping.  I'm taking a break from reading novels and in that interlude, I've been made aware that in just 346 days, the "Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017" will take place. So? What do I, with too much time on my hands, do? I checked it out and decided I'll want to go see it.

When was the last time you
saw a total eclipse of the sun?

They're already making it a big deal. The links that follow in RED are some of the tons of articles and sites that will describe what will happen, "Where and when to see it (safely)," "25 facts you should know", and that it'll "be the most awesome one seen in 99 years!" With hype like that, how can you not be interested? And yes, you'll also read that it may also bring on the end of the world as we know it.  Yes, they're still with us.  Click any of the preceding RED links and get more info. Me? I spent my afternoon working with Google Maps, checking out campgrounds, and planning the trip one year from now. Screwy, right?

Here's the 250 mile wide swath of earth that the sun will cover
once it reaches the USA. Oregon gets to see it first,
South Carolina will be the last.

Having just completed a visit in SC this past August (18-24), isn't it
ironic that I will return one year later to witness something not to be
seen again until 2024. My destination this time will be Table Rock State
Park in Pickens, SC. in the far northwestern part of the state. Don't
think you're able to see the caption I've added to the map.

Table Rock State Park  happens to lie equidistant between the two couples I visited this past August. 30 miles southeast in Travelers Rest are Marsha & Tim and 30 miles southwest is the lake house of Ken & Jane. If it all works out it will be nice to see them again. And by the way, you will be admonished constantly about the dangers of viewing a solar eclipse and the need for proper viewing devices. I found a source that, with a self addressed, stamped envelope, will provide you with what you'll need free:

1. Send us a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope "SASE" ($0.48 US)

Rainbow Symphony, Inc.
6860 Canby Ave. Suite 120
Reseda · CA · 91335

2. Inside, Specify Eclipse Glasses or an Eclipse Viewer...we need to know this!

The glasses are worn; the viewer is like a post card that's held up to the sun

3. Make sure you put a "SASE" ($0.48 US) inside the envelope you are sending to us or we will have nothing to send you the glasses back in.

Booking a site at that time....one year in future...was the easy part. The difficult part was planning how to split up the 12 hour trip into 4 3-hour drive segments. That took most of the afternoon and resulted in my future overnight visits to Shartlesville, PA, Bedford, PA, Buchanan, VA, and finally Pickens, SC. I will visit Travelers Rest, SC, Mt. Airy, NC Broadway, VA, and Shartlesville, PA again on the return trip home. Future blogs will contain my usual ramblings as I travel. See you in Maine soon.

Timberland Campground 9/6 --> 9/11/2016

145 miles. With scenic stops and a long Hannaford shopping stop, 5 hours

I'm on site 33 on the right side. Beyond the line of trees ahead of me
lies the railroad and beyond that the Androscoggan River.

Well, this blog is starting a little bit differently. There's a mixture of anger, frustration, and disbelief. Nothing critical or life threatening but it's one of those things you hear about from every computer user, novice and experienced alike, that has had the same thing happen to them. You go through it, suck it up, accept it and move on. Easier said than done, of course but still when it happens to you and you internalize it, you could have problems. Fortunately, I'm not internalizing it because that's me. I'm moving on. (And it's approaching 24 hours since it happened). "Time heals all wounds." Or is it "Time wounds all heels."

What's the big deal? Well, the 145 mile road trip from Vermont into New Hampshire couldn't have been more beautiful. Mountains, dense with pine trees everywhere you looked and broken only by the black asphalt ribbons that man laid as it winds its way through villages, hamlets, and towns. With speed limits reduced, I passed through them in the blink of an eye. Homesteads, farmhouses, complete with tins roofs and dilapidated barns dotted hillsides and boasted magnificent views. You couldn't help but imagine the blazing fall foliage they're privileged to view. Even thoughts of the howling, wintry winds blowing down from the surrounding mountainsides came to mind. With deep snow drifting and piling everywhere, I had comforting thoughts that with it all, they hopefully enjoyed the warmth of their fireplace or wood burning stove. By looking at the neatly stacked cords of wood against the house or the pile of wood waiting to be stacked, you knew they were ready and prepared. That led to thoughts of what must they do when towns and their country stores, gas stations, and Dollar Generals were so few and far between. When I left Vermont, it was 55 miles before I encountered a Hannafords supermarket. 

Anyway, all these sights made me grab my camera and whenever the photo op presented itself be it coming over the crest of a hill and looking down into the valley with mountains right behind or passing a clearing that gave an unobstructed view of Mount Washington or Mt. Jefferson and it was safe (saw very little traffic throughout the drive), I pointed and shot. Lots of shots. I knew I'd catch the glare of the windshield or part of the door, the dash or the blur of a moving target, my eyes were kept on the road. No matter; I knew and looked forward to the editing that precedes the writing of my blog. Couldn't wait to get at.

But....but....but

I hope I've painted and shared with you the magnificent ride I once again enjoyed. Among my memorable experiences are those I collect when I travel from one site to the next.  Now imagine all those photos you took along the way...then imagine you wanted to transfer them to the computer to include in the blog. And then, when you thought you've accomplished that simple transfer, a transfer you've done at least 46 time this RV season, and you realize something you cannot explain: YOU'VE LOST THEM ALL. Yup, nowhere to be found; not on the SD card from the camera, not on the laptop, a wrong folder, not even in the recycle bin. There's a lot time spent in disbelief before you acquiesce and realize it's time to move on. Yes, those images are indelible and will forever reside in my mind. But who knows how long that's going to last. Ha ha.

So there's my vent, my frustrating realization that I lost something.  "We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone." Thanks for being there (whoever you are). But, I'm happy. I'm not working, not in traffic, and healthy enjoying the outdoors. As I complete this blog, I am sitting in the shade beneath old pines and oak trees near the border of Maine. It's 78°, mostly sunny, low humidity, a slight breeze and although the surrounding sites are all occupied, there are very few people around me. A towed RV just pulled in behind me and is setting up. There's an elderly couple across the way but most other sites are occupied with what looks like seasonal folks in mostly fifth wheels. At night, this place it pitch black. The only sounds are the occasional traffic on route 2 east on one side and the 12:30 am freight train quietly passing through on the other side of the campground. There are no crossings, so there are no warning whistles announcing its approach. Beyond the tracks is the Androscoogan River ("river of cliff rock shelters) that begins here in New Hampshire and works it's way to the ocean by way of Penobsott Bay in Maine; my next stop at Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort in Belfast.

All the photos I have to share with you follows:

New Hampshire looking east towards The White Mountains

The ribbon of macadam is all you see to remind you of
the presence of man; note the traffic ahead.

Not a bad shot when you consider I was looking at
the road ahead of me with my right arm extended
and a finger had to press a button on the iPhone
going 60 mph.

Sorry you're missing at least 50 photos of what lies
between the welcome sign and Winnie's site 33.

What I decided to do is to give a 360° look at the area around me. I stood in front of Winnie and just clicked and pivoted to the edge of the previous photo....I think.

Looking west. Yes, I'm a tad higher than those below.
My site has a precaution: Back out of site when leaving.

Turning toward the east

Facing northeast...and finally,

..facing north.

With all four Robert Greer's novel completed, I visited the "Game Room" and picked up two more novels. Michael Crichton's The 13th Warrior and Danielle Steel's Country.  So between more reading and making eggplant parmigiana for myself, I'll be busy until I leave Sunday morning.

More as it happens. See you soon.