2016 - A Final Word

Saturday, October 29, 2016

There's been a slight change in my season-ending visit to the Tri-State RV park. Originally scheduled to leave Monday morning after winterizing my RV, I will now winterize Sunday morning, travel to Cross River and transfer the contents from the RV to my Caddy; head home and unload the ton of things that shouldn't be left to freeze, after which it'll be a trip up to Poughkeepsie for a very special occasion....

...this beautiful little cherub, Rebeca.....

...will be turning 21.

Yes, it happened in the blink of an eye and I don't want to miss any more of life's fleeting moments. I wonder if her mommy saw it flash by as well. Perhaps she'll know what it's like to see a baby change into a young lady although Beca's older sister, Sara, has already broken the ice now that she's 22. 

Vicki Marie and Christie

So, to recap the last couple of days since my last blog, the big event was connecting with two of whom I call the "Jersey Girls," Vicki Marie and Christie, via Facebook. They live in nearby Dingman's Ferry. When they saw that I checked in here at Matamoras, PA, they made plans to pick me up and have dinner together at Luna Rossa in a nearby strip mall. That we did and it was so good to see them once again.

For those who don't know or remember, I was the "Man of Honor" at the wedding of friends, Vicki & George. It included a four day cruise (my first) to the Canadian Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) and it was there that I got to know the 'Jersey Girls' who were enjoying the same cruise.

Back: Deserie, Dani and Patti
Front: Christie, ACR and Vicki Marie

In November of 2014, we met again as Cosimo's in Central Valley for a Sunday Lunch

I was invited to Vicki Marie's Saturday night Halloween party down in Dingmans but will be unable to join them. Instead, it'll be "pack it all up" time in the RV so I can leave early Sunday morning for another special party. The pizza night out with Christie and Vicki wound up being the highlight of my uneventful stay here. The weather was crappy, a low of 27° one night, rainy all day Thursday and temps never rose much above 55° on the three days I saw sun.

By the way, I've added two new tabs along the top of the blog page. One will take you back to my travels with Winnie in 2014, my very first year RVing and the other will take you back to the Spring of 2008, my second trip with the Caddy down to Florida where I spent the entire month of April at the Emerald Shores Hotel in Daytona Beach Shores. Seven years of great memories (and photos) that ended with the purchase of my RV.

To those who took the time (and had the interest) to read my journal/diary/blog, I thank you. On the blog site where I create the posts I can see how many "views" occurred for each post. It's gratifying to see that there have been as many as fifty views shortly after I post an entry. Thanks also to those who have shared comments. Until next time, do take care of yourself, stay healthy and warm and I'll write my next blog whenever.

A Photo Tour

A PHOTO TOUR OF TRI-STATE

RV CAMPGROUND

Once again I was rudely awaken by the familiar, nerve shattering sound of the fan/blower gone berserk. The jerryrigging attempt in Vermont to zip-tie a broken blade in the AC unit above my bunk broke. I'm now dealing with Camping World in Kingston once again to coordinate repair services prior to my storing the RV. Actually, now that I think of it, it could probably wait until some more opportune time. I'll be using my small space heater. Tonight temps are due to dip down to a low of 32°.

By nightfall last night, two RVs had pulled into sites on either side of me. By the dawn's early light, both were vacant.  Guess this campground is truly an overnight respite for the weary RV traveler. About 3:00 pm today, a Class A Palazzo pulled in and now occupies site 12 next door. 

As soon as the sun peeked out from behind one of the huge scattered, fast moving, cloud banks, I decided to take advantage and explore the area and take pictures. It's a 49°, breezy, mostly cloudy day. Although the sites are rigged for all-year-round camping, everything is shut down for the winter so there's no activity at all.  

The grassless parking area with the newly
arrived Palazzo to my right.

Ice machine, bathrooms, showers and laundry

Entrance to the "Riverside Inn"

A huge building that must be quite popular for
RVers during the height of the season.

A well maintained walkway down to the river.

The bridge on I-84 connecting PA to Port Jervis, NY. Exit
23 is the last exit in PA where the campground is located
and Exit 1 is the first in NY for Port Jervis and Sussex.

The very peaceful view towards the Delaware River.

Near the end of October and
green still dominates the landscape.

That house in New York must have a very nice view.

If you know anything about tree rings, (dendrochronology)
you'd see that this is one very, very old tree.

Looking back up the hill at the gazebo and Riverside Inn.

The huge stucco residence and campground office.

A very serene view of the Delaware that must be more
beautiful during the summer.

The huge pile of dirt dumped by NYS from work performed
on I-84. Owners are waiting permission  to use it and level
out an area for future development. To me, it looks like
 the end of a cooled off lava flow.

The rear of the Riverside Inn.

A last look at the Delaware River, named in honor of Thomas West,
3rd Baron De La Warr (1577–1618), an English  nobleman and the
Virginia  colony's first royal governor who defended the colony
during the First Anglo-Powhatan War.

Now we know what husband, Charlie, does during the season.

Another view of the huge residence. Entrance to
the campground office is through the porch on the right.

The Last Hurrah of 2016 Summer Camping

Croton Point RV Park - 10/11/ to 10/24/2016

88 miles 

Aunt Julie and nephew John

My peaceful, quiet, and relaxing week at Rondout Valley in Accord, NY was followed by a beautiful, busy week at Croton Point's RV park. The ride down was beautiful along the scenic Thruway with woodlands on both sides as well as hills and valleys in the distance giving hints of what was to come as the days got cooler and the leaves dressed for Fall. The first two days at CPP were the perfect ones that bragged of daytime highs in the low 80's. The orange carpet of fallen leaves added extra warmth and beauty to the surroundings. 

Click this link to see Precious moments watching leaves fall like snow onto an orange carpet..  Be sure to click the "back arrow" on your browser to return to this blog. 
I visited with friends Vicki and George who had Nicole and Andy over for an evening. My friends, Dina and Diane, came to visit me on two other separate occasions. I even squeezed a couple of visits to Fishkill to visit my mother. On Sunday, my Boston cousin, John, was up at Marist for the Annual Homecoming Weekend. While here, he was able to visit his Aunt Julia.  

A beautiful orange carpet.

This photo was taken Monday morning
when I arrived at Croton's RV Park.
I forgot to snap one when I left a week later.

Tri-State RV Park in Matamoras, PA

10/24 to 10/31/2016

78 miles. The name came from the Mexican city of Matamoros,
which was the first to be occupied by U.S. troops
during the Mexican-American War

A photo from their website taken a long time ago. Disease and/or 
storms have decimated what looks like plush groves of shade
trees touching the shore of the Delaware River near the
intersection of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Today, my arrival was greeted by a visually disappointing sight. 

This campground is run by Judy & Charles Shay. Yup, not brother and sister like the ones you know but husband and wife. She was very pleasant, friendly and most accommodating. When I told her my sister's name was Judy, she asked, "How does she spell it?" I answered, "Judy." She then replied, "Oh, then she's in her 60's or 70's." She went on to say that as generations moved forward, "Judy" became "Judie" and now her young friend is "Judee." A quick look-up found "Judeigh," "Judey", and "Judi." There, now I know you'll sleep better tonight. She went on and told me about the heartbreak of having to cut down the large quantity of trees as well as their plans to "renovate" the campground. That's a big job ahead of them. Right now I would describe it as a large tract of land much like a parking area for over-nighters or, because they're open all year round, the long term contractors they cater to and not a blade of grass on any sites. Tomorrow I'll take my tour and photograph the area. Judy did mention that the trees removed along the river has made the river more visible and attractive. The sites are level and very close together. I probably won't extend my awning. I paid a $50.00 deposit for my electrical use and will be charged $.22/kwh at the end...or receive a refund after the meter is read. I'll get an idea tomorrow. I'll shut down the heat pump and blower before going to bed (it's very noisy and located right over my head in the sleeping area) and rely on my little quiet space heater. Tomorrow, I'll read the meter and see what a "typical" chilly night's gonna cost me.  LOL. Back home, Con Ed is charging an average of $.2699/kwh while the national average is $.1212/kwh. Unfortunately, the campground is adjacent to I-84 and it is truck N-O-I-S-Y. The truck traffic should die down as the evening wears on and getting used to the background noise is part of adjusting to any environment anyway. I'm writing this at 10:30 pm and I've already noticed the difference.

But my, what a difference a week in the Fall makes. From the short lived "heat wave" experienced in the northeast last week, I read where Croton has a "freeze warning" tonight and in my forecast here in Matamoras, PA, I read: 

 Wednesday Night

A chance of snow showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday
Snow showers likely before 11am, then rain showers. High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Now that would be cool. I doubt it, but we shall see. I'd like to be the first kid on my block to see the first snow flake. As mentioned in my previous blog, I'm here squeezing out one more week and ending my 2016 Summer RV season. I must winterize Winnie before storing it in Cross River.

Stay tuned; more photos in next blog.

Rondout Valley Campground Day Five 10/11 --> 10/18/2016

Seasons for Camping

As I wind down my RV season here at Rondout Valley, much thought is given to "what's next." RVing without the interaction of groups or friends puts a different spin on "camping" and is directly related to the extent one enjoys the experience. That is not to say I do not enjoy RVing, camping alone, or is it even a testimony to the campground in which I spend my time. Rather, it's thinking about packing it all in or, rather, unpacking it all out. There will be much to do in preparation for Winnie's winter season of inactivity. Everything in the RV must be removed, drained, emptied and protected. How much easier it would be to just simply drive to the warmer climates with the biggest chore being making sure you have enough to eat and drink before heading to the next 'adventure.'

This week the weather was great...for the Fall. Temperatures gradually dropped to the point last night, when it reached 28°. Were it sustained for a long period of time, attention would have been paid to a freezing hose. Declining temperature also kept neighboring RVers indoors. The extensive campground is quite full--of what appear to be "seasonal" RVs, cabins, and cottages. Interaction with others was at best minimal. I did meet a elderly couple behind me the day before they pulled out and headed back to Hyde Park, north of Poughkeepsie.  "Elderly", ha! the fella was 75 years old. That hurt.

So what did I do while enjoying my "alone time" this week? 

• Continued my early morning ritual of reading and answering e-mails, reviewing my finances, reading my collection of favorite cartoons, and finally, reading the news. Gotta tell ya, it's not my favorite part of the day; most depressing as a matter of fact. I chuckled to see that the survey conducted by the American Psychological Association has seen a spike in the number of anxious, frustrated, and stressful people regarding the upcoming elections.  LOL.  Geez, I wonder why. Enjoying that first hot cup o joe does go a long way in nullifying my taking it all serously. With good timing, 9 women (so far) have conveniently and coincidentally come out of the woodwork and made accusation against Trump. It'll get even more interesting.  Way to go, DNC. I've gotta think...he may have groped me too; I'd better get on line...take a number.

• I finished Robert Greer's, The Devil's Backbone and will complete the next, The Fourth Perspective, before I return to CPP. That leaves two more novels to complete his series featuring his African American bail bondsman/bounty hunter, protagonist, C.J. Floyd. I've enjoyed every one of novels and highly recommend them. In an earlier blog, I wrote about Greer "living in Denver where he is a practicing surgical pathologist, research scientist, and professor of pathology and medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. he edits The High Plains Library Review and reviews books for KUVO, a Denver NPR affiliate."

• I walked (yes, once). Sorry folks, but burning those 130 calories at least made me feel great!
  

• I baked bread in a slo-cooker. Easy enough but it didn't turn out the way I expected nor the way it should have. My first attempt turned out much better. My son the Master bread maker will surely have a comment about this pathetic exhibit. I'm blaming it on the yeast. Yup, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. By the way, if you want the recipe, write me with your email address at acharlie@gmail.com and I'll send it to you, free of charge. Order now and I'll throw in.......never mind.

• Again, being confined to quarters, I experimented with what ingredients I had on hand. For Saturday's lunch I thought I'd make polenta but eating it plain didn't appeal to me so after making it....

... I let it cool before pressing it into
the round baking pan sprayed with
olive oil,

added a thin layer of sauce; in this
case, penne vodka sauce...

...sprinkled finely chopped mozzarella
cheese to cover, sprayed with olive oil and

microwaved it in the 'convection/bake'
mode at 350° for 20 minutes. I wasn't
satisfied with the finished "look" so...

...so I placed it back into the microwave
and used the "grill" mode to "brown" it up.

A tasty lunch. 

I checked with my girlfriend, Giata, and will try her recipe next time for Deep Frying Polenta but that will take place at home AND with my newly purchased Red square copper pot  Click the link in red and check it out. We shall see. It bothers me that it's like one of those "As Seen On TV" items. Have yet to be satisfied with any purchase the I've made for myself or my mother. I'll try baking bread in it as well.

And so with about two weeks left (one at Croton Point and one in Matamoras, PA) my 2016 RV is near the end. With the exception of Vicki & George, who will soon follow, the remainder of my RV friends have flown the coop and are getting used to warmth, sunshine, and palm trees in Florida. Kathy & Ray have returned to Clermont, Trish & Craig are back home in Celebration, Karen & Warren from Kansas are settled in Okeechobee and Karen & Tommy from Arkansas are settled in Davenport. With friends and relatives is Port Orange, Palm Bay, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, I'd have quite a time mapping the itinerary that'll get me around that state. Something to think about. Right now, reality calls and I've got to go throw out the garbage. LOL. See you in Croton.  

Rondout Valley Campground Day One 10/11 --> 10/18/2016

RONDOUT VALLEY RESORT

98.4 miles - 2± hours which included a stop at Camping World in Kingston.

Map added to show the size and extent of the campground. Lil' 'ol
me at the end of the black arrow.

After a week that saw me visit my mother, shop for my upcoming RV trips, make two trips to JFK and LGA, enjoy 3 dinner dates with friends, attend a wake, worry about friends and relatives in SC and FL, respectively and their brush with Matthew, the day finally arrived when I could load up Winnie and hit the road. (I even vacuumed my apartment)

Green....

The 98 mile drive was most pleasant. A cloudless sky, the temperature at a chilly fall 58°, traffic very light and no time schedule to adhere to. The scenery depicted Mother Nature's early fall teasing with the trees still adorned in their summer greenery but with a hint here and there of what's to come. The maples are usually the first to show off their golds and reds. If there was color to be seen on my trip up the Thruway, it was the beauty of the maples. With frost warnings now appearing in weather forecasts, it won't be long before the other trees follow the annual trend. The 2016 NYS Fall Foliage Report can be seen here. The dry conditions that hit much but not all of the northeast will cause colors to be muted.

....green....

I mentioned a stopover at Camping World in Kingston which, fortunately (and conveniently) was the exit I needed to take for my destination in Accord, NY. A new problem popped up with Winnie. When preparing for this trip, I visited Winnie in storage in Cross River and found the house batteries were not holding a charge and no lights, heat or refrigeration would be available.  I started the engine and brought the voltage up to where it was supposed to be. Today, with my food and perishable ready to go, the batteries were dead once again. I stopped in at CW but alas, no technician or testing equipment available (what did you expect?) so I made arrangements for returning next Tuesday on my way back from Accord to Croton Point RV park to stop and have the batteries tested. They are only 2 years old. 

Let's not dwell on this but it's in the back of my mind:

And more green

• Hot water check valve replaced in Myrtle Beach;
• And again repaired in Kingston;
• Propane regulator replaced;
• One blade on AC blower fan jerry-rigged and working fine;
• ABS and two other lights on dash indicated a shorted rear brake sensor;
• House batteries aren't holding a charge after sitting for a period of time

I was eager to get started and visit this campground because, as mentioned in my last blog post, it was on September 18th, 1980, when we four camping couples got together and made the trip. 36 years later, I'm here alone and there's no recollection that I was ever here. "Well, what did you expect, bozo, you can't even remember what you had for lunch yesterday." Alas, 'tis true. One obvious change is they have become part of the nationwide chain, "Thousand Trails/Encore". When I first reserved my week, sales rep, Alisha, and I discussed my possible membership. Turns out the price for the yearly membership was just about equal to what I was going to pay for my week long stay. So, now, I'm a member and will get 30 free nights which includes this week and $5.00/night thereafter when visiting any of their destination campgrounds. To me, it's the RVer's equivalent of a "time share" minus being stuck with specific dates during which you can take advantage of the services. I was even able to put off the pain in the pocketbook by arranging a low monthly deductions from my checking account. Now as a member of Good Sam, KOA and Thousand Trails/Encore, it seems my future campground expenses will be well discounted. Ha!

Temperature will drop to a low of 43° and tomorrow's high is expected to be 65°, a perfect day for taking a walk and hopefully, some great photos for my next blog. Meanwhile, tonight it's back to reading my latest Robert Greer mystery, "The Devil's Backbone." I expect to complete it while on this trip with the next, "The Fourth Perspective" waiting in the wings.

Winding Down the 2016 Season

As Geoffrey Chaucer said in 1374, "all good things must come to an end" and enjoying the many facets of RVing is one of them. Unlike the "full timers," who will now migrate to the warmer climates of the south, I must give thought to the harsh reality of winter and winterize Winnie. However, knowing Fall is another beautiful time of the year, I could not let it slip by without squeezing in another trip or two. Granted, the lack of rain and "drought" conditions we're experiencing here in the northeast will adversely affect the fall colors this season. But there will be plenty more days to soak up sunshine and experience fantastic weather in the great outdoors. Accuweather meteorologists believe the northeast will have an especially snowy winter that could lead to an above average season for resorts across New England. Great for skiers, of course. Last winter I ventured south and the winter was mild back home. This year I'm not making that trek so....bring on the snow.

Right now I'm finishing up my two week stay here at Croton Point's RV Park. Winnie will be parked at Cross River, NY for a week while I take care of personal and family obligations and appointments. After that, we will once again get on the road one last time.

9/19/2016 Leave 10/03	Sun Thru Mon	Croton Point RV Park Croton Point Road Croton-on-Hudson
14
10/03/2016 thru 10/11	Mon Thru Tue	Winnie in storage at Cross River, NY
7
10/11/2016 Leave 10/18	Tue Thru Tue	Rondout Valley Campground 105 Mettacahonts Rd Accord, NY 12404
7
10/18/2016 Leave 10/24	Tue Thru Mon	Croton Point RV Park Croton Point Avenue Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
6
10/24/2016 Leave 10/31 7	Mon Thru Mon	Tri-State RV Park 401 Shay Lane Matamoras, PA  18336
10/31/2016 to ?????		Winnie in storage at Cross River, NY

80 miles - 1½ hours

Rondout Valley Campground was chosen purposely not only for its close proximity to home and that it remains open beyond Columbus Day, but for an attempt to revisit the past. It was on September 18, 1980, 36 years ago, when the Rossi family took their Coleman Ticonderoga pop-up camper towed behind an Oldsmobile station wagon for their frequent gathering with camping friends. On this date, the group included the Wyskida's, Merz's, Arnold's, and Wilke's.  I'm trying to see if I can stay on the same site, #225, as I did in 1980. Chuck and Marybeth, ages 13 and 11, respectively were probably nearing the end of their camping "careers".

Then....

...Now

70 miles - 1¼ hours

Tri-State RV Park, in Matamoras, PA, is a small campground just over the NY State line in PA near Port Jervis and located on the banks of the Delaware River. I'm looking forward to the spectacular views along the river mentioned in their very favorable reviews. More to come.

Yup, that's I-84 located right beyond the tree line on the left.