Things To Do Before I Die - One Down

As some of you already know, I closed on the wooded lot near Milford, DE. With that accomplished, I headed out to Indiana to work on plans for the actual house to be built on that property. Ed and Sandy are going to help me make sure I don't forget any important piece of the plans.

After having lived in the Delta for so many years, I marvel each time I get back through Pennsylvania. It is so beautiful and green and "sylvan" (had to say that). I'm so glad to have found a place in Delaware among trees. I really missed having all of that, even though I lived in an area in Memphis with many large trees. It's not the same. As I was malingering along on the back roads toward the Pennsylvania Turnpike today, I decided to do something I have wanted to do for years and never got around to it. So I stopped along the highway, got onto the Internet and mapped a route on my GPS to take me to Fallingwater. It was as spectacular as I thought it would be, though very minimalistic in furnishings. Its design is truly unique among homes. Built for the Kaufmanns of Pittsburgh department store fame, it fits like a glove into its surroundings. I recommend a visit to it and at least the short (1 hour) tour.
So now I have only about 50 more items to complete before I die. This one was worth the detour off of I-70.  

He Must Be a Saint or Something

I just spent some time on the phone with owners of 4 homes that my prospective house builder has built or is in the process of building. I was heartened to hear that they are all very pleased with the work he and his crew have done. Some offered tidbits of advice. When I asked each set of owners if they were to build another house in the area, would they choose JL again, they all said yes. So I think I just might have hit on a good thing here. After the experience I had some years ago with a builder over a period of 4 years of litigation, I feel encouraged.

Now the difficult part begins: the size, the rooms, the placement, and the myriad of details that go into designing a home. Fortunately, I have friends and family who are always willing to help by giving me tips and clues, do's and don'ts, and must haves vs don't needs. The goal is to a have a home that is small, yet with open spaces and light; where most of the interior space is used daily, and where one always feels comfortable when h/she walks through the door. It sounds easy, but I know it will be hard. Outdoor space is equally important, being a bird owner/watcher.

The realtor just called to tell me interest rates are a little lower this week in case I need to know. (smile) This was not too long after the local mortgage broker phoned to ask how things were going. Delaware is surely a small community. So now I'll start thinking about interest rates these coming days. I am keeping a list of things to consider when designing the house. I just blurt out (in text) whatever comes to mind.

I should be closing on the property next week if the title search comes back by Friday. Then the fun begins. I'll then return to Indiana to check on Bubba and Spanky and get some needed design help from Ed and Sandy. (I wonder if they know this?)  

The Rumors Are True

Rumors have been floating around lately that I found a lot near Milford,DE on which to build a house. Well - It's TRUE!

On Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30, I looked at houses and plots of land, coming back to the lot I liked when I looked at it in May. Unfortunately, one of the lots I saw on Friday turned out to be infested with thousands of chiggers. Fortunately for me, only about 200 jumped on to me. Had all of those thousands done so, I would have killed myself. As it is, I was in total agony for several days, taking shower after shower, oatmeal baths, and lathering myself with calomine, cortisone and taking antihistamines. Eventually I was able to concentrate on other things, like sending in earnest money for the lot I wanted. My offer was accepted on Tuesday, Sept 2, and I am waiting to hear when the closing date is.

In the mean time I have been making lists of things I want to have in the new house and talking with a highly recommended builder. I've decided to hold off making any final decisions on the size and shape of the house until I talk it over with the Contractor and Sandy, as they have been spending many hours and days contemplating the ins and outs of building an energy efficient house. With their help I hope to be able to get something on paper to present to a builder. From that point I'll see what I want and see how much of that I can mesh with what I can afford and make some compromises.

If any of my faithful readers has some words of wisdom regarding what they wish they had in their house if they were to build another one, please let me know. For now, I will plod along, trying to think of all the things that are best thought of up front in the building process and hope that in the end I have a house that is functional, energy efficient and comfortable.

More as it happens. I'm in PA right now and will return to Delaware to see more of the homes that the builder has done and talk to owners in the next week.

Elvis Has Left the Building

And here ends Part II - the Middle Years. I finally left Memphis on Tuesday at 11 A.M. Didn't get a photo of it, but it feels good. Being homeless is both good and bad. In Memphis I'm now know as the Nomad. I think Gypsy is more exciting. I could only drive 400 miles yesterday, so stopped at a Days Inn. It was not one I would recommend to a friend, but I slept well. Today was more of the same. I did manage to stop along the way and have breakfast. I actually went inside the restaurant and sat down. So my normal two-day trip from Memphis to Delaware has become a 3-day trip. It's nice because I get to find a hotel before I am over tired.

Tomorrow I will be heading out from here, Front Royal, VA, skirt around Washington, D.C., go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into MD, and on into Milford, DE. (Now home of the nominee for Veep) I'm already hunkered down for a night of Democratic Convention speeches by Joe Biden and Bill. If the unfathomable should happen in November, then I think we should go together and buy a huge chunk of land in Canada, divide it among those of us who can live within 5 acres or so of each other and get out of town. So be thinking about what you have to take with you and what you can live without up there in the cooler climate. Heck, I already know of at least 8-10 persons who have already had this thought.

My next move is to meet with a realtor on Friday morning and look at some more land and homes to see if anything exciting has come up since I was last there in June. See - I'm still optimistic that I won't have to leave my home country.

Stay tuned for photos of the further wanderings of Fifi.

No Rest For The Weary

 
This morning I decided to face my fears and paint the high spots of the west side of Ed and Sandy's pole barn/apartment. (Sandy did most of the rest of it.) It really isn't so bad, so long as you don't a) look down, b) reach out too far, or c) lean back. I wimped out at the very top. I decided not to tempt fate,and have the Contractor finish it. He seems to have no fear whatsoever of heights.

I'm enjoying the temporary digs here at Greeneview Springs. Last night I surprised the varmint who has been raiding the bird feeders with a double spot light. He (a raccoon) was gone in a flash. Now we know for sure what it was. My room is just inside from all of the bird feeders, so I always hear the tinkling of the small chimes when the raccoon comes up to feed.

Tomorrow will be more of the same. We'll most likely paint the north side of the barn. It has only a couple of windows and is 20'X40', but without the unreachable peak of the west side. The Contractor will be painting high spots, eaves, adding and painting trim, putting up gutters and taking care of the ongoing landscaping projects.

I am still awaiting the dates that Piano Man and Juanita will be arriving in Philly Town so we can book at Bookbinders. Come one you two. Don't drag your feet on this. It will be loads of fun!!! 

Family is Everything

On the afternoon of Thursday, August 7th, 2008, I eagerly headed out for Bloomfield, Indiana, home of the Contractor (my brother, Ed) and his wife, Sandy, to vegetate for a couple of days after the hectic week of packing, cleaning and fixing up that preceded Thursday's closing. By the time I had been on the road for about 3 hours, I was so tired and sleepy, I just had to stop for the night. When I walked into the hotel room and turned on the air conditioner, I saw it was already set to 70 degrees. I thought to myself, "That sounds like a very good number to me", since I had been so hot for so many days prior to this. After an uneventful sleep under the blankets, I headed out for Bloomfield. The photos show what awaited me as I drove into the drive, and at the door to my temporary housing quarters. The room was outfitted with sofa bed, flat screen tv on the wall, windows overlooking the myriad of birdfeeders, and wireless internet service. Cheese! You just can't beat family, can you? On Saturday, after going to downtown Bloomfield with Sandy's daughter and family for lunch, I mentioned that if the lettering on the shelter sign had been any larger, one could view it from the main road - Indiana 54. They said there was a reason for not making the letters that large. We can all figure out that reason. . .

But they weren't finished yet. No, Barely an hour after my arrival we were off to a multi-tasking auction run by the Amish about 30 minutes away. They had various buildings with simultaneous auctions going on; large and small animals, poultry, peacocks, pheasants, etc.; building supplies; garage sale type items; lawn equipment, bicycles, and more; produce; plants and flowers; furniture and appliances. It was an experience and I hope to go again soon.

Stay tuned for more of Fifi, footloose and fancy free. What will she do next? Where might she go? Even she doesn't know. Ha Ha  

Yankee Go Home

Thoughts while loading the RV today.

I asked myself this morning;
How lucky can I be
To be starting life all over
Somewhere far from Tennessee?

Now Tennessee is fine, you know
For rebel folks and such
But as to heat, the dirt, the crime
I won't miss those so much

What I've wanted all these years
Is a place at home called home
And that such place is just not here
It's the place where I come from

What matters most is not where I've gone
What I saw, or what I'll see
But the friends I've made, family I love
And the times that are yet to be

Fifi

"Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulette"

"It's not too late."  

Dog Days of Memphis

Well, here I am, getting ready for the closing on the house. Photo is titled: "Still Life With O-Gravity Chair, Printer and Computer" These will be the last to get loaded into the V on Wednesday night.

The closing has been moved from Tuesday,the 5th, until Wednesday, the 6th, now to Thursday, the 7th. Last minute items to be repaired are taking longer than estimated, yet not longer than I expected. I found at my former company that the formula for project completion is to double the estimate and add 1/2 again as much. It pretty much works most of the time. The same applies here.

Overall, I will say that I have learned a few more valuable lessons in the past 10 days - several of them I have learned for the second or third time. But it's good to be reminded of these lessons.

I also have learned again who my friends are: those who are routing for me, who always volunteer to help in some way. Those friends have not waivered over the years. Oops, I'm getting sentimental - let's save that till the closing papers are signed.

That's it - just a short note to update my blog reader pals all over the world.  

Hasta La Vista, Baby

Happy days are here again, the sky above is clear again. . .
Well, they said it couldn't be done. Thanks to a great realtor and a good house in a great neighborhood, Fifi is all but outta here!

Stay tuned for the adventures of Fifi on the move.

A Note to Piano Man

Well, it's always nice to know that Piano Man is still reading my blog. Here's an update from Memphis:

I just sealed a deal with another realtor (hand shake so far) to sell my Memphis estate. (ha ha) I am encouraged that she will be the one to sell this nice little place, not for the exact price I had hoped, but a reasonable one, considering today's market. She is very professional and will be doing lots of things to market the house. So, maybe it won't be long this time.

Although I had a wonderful time on the road this last trip, it is nice to be home for a while. For those readers who know how I suffer in the heat, today is pleasant-I actually have the windows open. It's a little miracle of sorts.

Fifi wants to know if Piano Man has created a hookup for the V, or do Nita and I get to be inside the house, now that it's all fixed up? How is Lolly? I understand that you (PM) have been having some interesting times up there in the Panhandle. Hope the family is doing better also. And I'm glad to know that all the carpeting is in. Heh heh.

So now I'll be sprucing up the homestead here, but nothing of major proportions.

Stay tuned, as something worth posting on the blog is bound to happen.

Let's Wrap It Up

I left from my brother's house (the contractor of WWJBD fame) on Saturday the 14th of June and drove on down through southern Indiana into Kentucky and on to Memphis.

I rejected the last counter offer on the lot I liked in Delaware. I didn't want to get myself into a situation of mortgaging two properties. Even though I passed on that one, I'm certain I will find another one I like as well when my house here sells. I'm flexible, and heck, I'm retired, so it's not a problem.

On Wednesday of this week a local realtor and I will meet to talk about listing my house for sale again. I hope we can agree on a selling price.

SCargo is parked out front, waiting to be taken in for the air conditioner repair. The weather is supposed to cool a bit here tomorrow, so maybe then I'll take her.

This trip SCargo racked up over 3 thousand miles, even more that the February Florida Keys trip. It was a good trip because I got to see more friends and family and see my old home in Great Memories Park, PA (Prospect Park)

I don't know where the next RV trip will take me, but I plan to take a more leisurely one, camping for several days at a time at interesting spots. Stay tuned.
JP

U. S. A. Meets Germany

On Monday I said my goodbyes to the mountains of Pennsylvania and headed out to Cincinnati. It was there I was picking up my niece, Suvi, and her children, Kira and Lucas. Suvi was arriving for her U.S. citizenship oath on June 12 in Indianapolis.

The weather was still hot and the air conditioner in the front of the RV was still out. Nobody has time to look at the problem when you are on the road and unable to wait for an appointment several days in the future. So I kept on going, looking forward to stopping at a campground with hookups and therefore, coolness!. Well, as the day went on and the cab got hotter, I decided to make it to Ohio and get a hotel room. I asked for a super cool room and got it. Aaaaah! It was wonderful.

The next morning the boys and I headed out for the Cincinnati airport. I got there with time to spare and picked up the travellers. Then off to Bloomfield, Indiana. The drive was interesting, as we got to see some of the countryside that had either been flooded or ravaged by a couple of recent tornadoes. We were lucky not to have had to make any detours along the way.

Opa and Oma were so happy to see Suvi, Kira and Lucas. Opa showed the children all around their 16 acre homestead. They love being outdoors and came back with a dead crawfish and the skull of a deer. Stubby, their cat, also brought back little prizes too, like dead mice. When building their apartment for temporary living space, Opa made a "sleeping cave" in a space over the staircase. The kids climb up a ladder into the cave. They LOVE it!

Thursday was the big day. We all drove up to the courthouse in Indianapolis for the ceremony. There were around 60 new citizens sworn in that afternoon. The following photos were taken after the ceremony, some in the courthouse before we were told we couldn't take photos inside. Oh well, they didn't confiscate the photos; after all, this IS America, right?

June 4-9 The Po Kee Nos

I forgot just how beautiful Pennsylvania is. The drive from Cathy's to Gemma's (Sue's) was mile after mile of greenery; grass, trees, spring and summer flowers. Even the major highways were scenic to me. Gemma and her husband, Boomer (Eric) live among trees and more greenery in Paradise, PA .(not to be confused with the actual town named Paradise) Even though the weather was unseasonably hot(for me, anyway), it was cool under the trees on their property. We had a really nice visit. Other than the brief mini-reunion the Friday after Thanksgiving 2007, we hadn't visited since high school, or maybe a high school reunion or two. So it was fun for me to finally meet Boomer and to hear about their now grown children and grandchildren. I also enjoyed Tess, their aging and sweet black doggie who I kept calling "him". One thing she likes to do is stare down the local toads, or frogs,I know not which

I saw some great birds at the feeders there, plus some other wildlife such as deer, raccoons, squirrels and rabbits. They also have robins and 4 babies nesting in the flower wreath at their front door. All guests use the back door until they fledge.




In addition to 5-star accommodations, Gemma has taken up gourmet cooking. I was able to enjoy wonderful happy-hours along with scrumptious dinners of shrimp with pasta and a fantastic grilled, melt-in-your-mouth London broil with veggies, including from-the-garden asparagus each time.

Gemma knows I love birds, so she took me to Hawk Mt. where thousands and thousands of raptors pass over during Spring and Fall migration. We did a little hiking, but I conked out early, as it was hot and, of course, up hill. At one overlook I almost got up-close-and personal with a black snake. But he was more interested in sunning himself than being aggressive.

Next day we went to Jim Thorpe and walked around the quaint, hilly town. It's quite an interesting attraction.
All in all, I had a wonderful time. I recommend chez Gemma and Boomer to all of her friends. Thanks so much for a memorable visit. I'll be back. . .

Actually, Boomer and Gemma live in New Ringgold, PA. And to prove this is a small world, I also have a cousin who lives there too, not more than 3 miles from Gemma.
So from Friday afternoon to Saturday night, the 7th, I visited with my cousin Peggy and her husband, George. They too, live in Paradise and have lots of interesting birds at their house. Their gardens are alive with flowers of every color, thanks to Peggy's landscaping skills. I got to meet my 'first cousins once removed', Lori and Mike, and their spouses and children. It seems I have lots of relatives I have never met.

Cousin Peggy is a mean cook too. I think I need to visit more folks who are great cooks. Then I can continue my habit of not cooking anything unless absolutely necessary. I really enjoyed our visit too, though it was too short. Next time I'll stay longer and bring my bathing suit. Thanks again, Peggy for a great visit!


Posting on blogs is problematic when visiting friends, especially when they live in the mountains where cell phones are mostly useless, thus internet is the same on my computer. I would rather spend the time visiting and catch up on the blog later.

Next is the account of my ongoing trip from Paradise, PA to Bloomfield, IN via Cincinnati, OH.

The Deed is Done - Well, Part 1 Anyway

Yours Truly has turned into the consumate gypsy. My plan was to return to Cathy's in PA on Sunday. Plans changed and I stayed down until yesterday.

The planned overnighter at the beach didn't happen, as I got stuck in the sandy mud at Finfully's lot at Sleepy Bay Town. John, who had helped us before, drove past, stopped and pulled me out, with the aid of the resident in the big fancy house next to Nita's dream house. After warnings from John that it was going to be worse that night, and the neighbor's suggestion that I learn how to drive, I decided to head out for drier land.

I headed toward a place to have dinner. It was very easy to get into restaurants at that hour because the last of the Nascar races was in progress. After dinner I did what any red-blooded American woman RVer would do; I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot along with about a hundred other RVers, parked SCargo along the perimeter of the lot, turned off the engine and stayed the night along with the Nascar groupies! I love America! Where else can this happen?? I had a surprisingly good night's sleep; the fans were very quiet. Must be Nascar parking lot etiquette.

Monday afternoon I received a call from a builder I had called on Friday. He gave me some needed information about costs of housing there, knew the exact lot I was thinking about and said it was a great area, etc. So at 6PM last night I put a bid on the property; it's a low bid, but, I hope, a place to start negotiations. Fingers are crossed. I headed up the road to PA to face what would be the second maniacal auto road congestion in one day. I had started out around 2 pm to take the 1 1/2 hour drive to PA. The actual time of arrival was around nine. But I accomplished my goal and now I can leave the area for a while and have a bit of a vacation. Next stop - the Po Kee Nose and Gemma's place! Forward Hooooo!

Slower Lower Delaware

I'm finding that Lower Kent and Upper Sussex counties in Delaware have a diverse offering of homes, lots, farms and beaches. I am also finding that things do move at at a far slower pace, much like Memphis. People are friendly and talk to strangers. So far, it has been a very nice experience.

Only one critical item to fix in S Cargo - the cab air conditioning. Apparently it does have a leak and will be fixed when I get back to Memphis in a couple of weeks.

I've been spending time in Milford and met with the realtor who is helping me look for properties. We had seen 7 or 8 so far and I keep coming back to a wooded lot about half a block from a small lake. Homes on the lake are large and quite pricey, but the lot might be something I can afford. The plan for a wooded lot is to clear only enough to allow for a gravel road and a house and septic field/well. In the summer time one wouldn't be able to see the home from the street. It would feel like being out in the middle of nowhere, yet close to many things, just outside the city limits of Milford. Before presenting a bid on the lot/lots (there are 2 and maybe getting both would be a good thing)I decided to check with a modular home manufacturer in Greenwood, DE. It used to be Nanticoke Homes years ago and I know people who have them. They're great. The model I looked at was wonderful, but of course much too large at over 3K SF. Then I tried to speak with a regular builder who was referred to me, but it was Friday afternoon of Nascar race week in Dover and I didn't get him. I'll be staying down here until sometime Monday to try to get a couple of figures on home pricing before I head back to PA.

The second reason for my return to Delaware was to spend time at Sleepy Bay Town with Finfully. But, alas, something unforeseen came up and she couldn't make it. I'm going to stay over tonight anyway and enjoy the rural ambiance. So I am now sitting on the road to SBT at the entrance to St. Jones Reserve. It's on the main road to Sleep Bay Town. On the way here the skies opened up, the wind and the rains came. I'm facing SBT now, watching lightning arrays, probably at the beach less than 3 miles from here, and thunder rumbling overhead. Loads of autos have been driving toward the bay. I'm waiting to make sure it's not a flooding rain, as I wouldn't want to get caught there if it were to flood. Tomorrow promises to be nice again. I'll spend some time on the beach, then head back to Milford tomorrow night.

Not much time to relax since I left Assateague 16 days ago, but am having a great time.

It's Always Something

Sunday was a relaxing day with Cathy and Dave. We had a nice cookout and caught up on family things.

Monday we went to Cathy's friend's for dinner. Her name is Kathy also.(She is also the sister of one of our blog commentors, Gemma!) She and her husband, Wayne (aka Birmingham to me, and you all know why), cooked a great dinner. The weather was perfect as we sat out on their deck eating and imbibing, telling stories and watching the antics of Powder, their white cat. Below is a photo of Dave, Cathy, Kathy, and Birmingham. :-)


Anyone who owns a home knows that the little problems never stop. Today was the day I was to have the coach battery problem fixed at an RV place in Delaware. I got up early to load the RV and get on the road so as not to be late. As fate would have it, when I approached the RV, I saw that the right back tire was totally flat!!! Cheese! I called my new auto insurance company (the Hartford through AARP) to have someone come out to fix the tire. The agent, who didn't know they provided roadside assistance in the policy to RV owners, after putting me on hold for 10 minutes at a time, finally said she couldn't help me, gave me a reference number and an address to which to send my bill, should I be luckier than she to procure a repair person. They might reimburse me.

Cathy again saved the day by leaving me her small tire pump that you use with your car cigarette lighter. After 40 minutes of pumping while loading the RV, I got enough air in the tire to chance driving it to a local gas station. They could repair it, but not until lunch time, as they were doing many state car inspections this last week of May. At 11:00 he had me back the RV around gas pumps and other rows of inspected cars to the garage bay. That in itself was a rough experience for me. In about a minute he had the problem - a cracked valve stem. He put in a new one, pumped up the tire, and I was on the road again. Now to the RV shop and the final repair to the battery wire problem. Done! Yippee! There's something empowering about getting through all of this and still loving the RV.

Lastly, here's a photo of the house in the Demi Moore movie, should you see it. Couldn't get near due to the number of cars and trucks parked around the set. But, hey, that's show biz.

Memorial Day Edition - 2008

This special edition is being brought to you courtesy of the Bally Total Fitness Club at the corner of Fairview Rd and MacDade Blvd in Milmont Park, PA. So far they have not come out and asked me to leave their parking lot, where I have cell reception for writing this brief update.

Since my last post, I have looked at some interesting places, both houses and lots for sale in Delaware. I'm encouraged in that I believe I will find a place I really like there. On the way up to PA where I'm staying with my cousin, Cathy, I stopped to fix my continuing coach battery problem. I was lucky to find Alexanders RV repair. Although they didn't totally fix it, I am rigged up so that I get power until Wednesday of this week when I am promised it will be fixed. Good thing, because I think I also have a leak in the cab a/c. When I bought this RV I expected there would be a few items needing attention; after all, it's 13 years old. So I am more than willing to fix these - I'm having so much fun! I'm also making great contacts in Delaware. And I'm constantly learning about my SCargo.

Saturday I went out to another cousin's house near Oxford, PA for a wonderful dinner and get together. I need to do that more often; my first cousins, once removed, are in their 20's now and lots of fun and my favorite 'cousin-in-law' is a fantastic cook and hostess and general all-around fun person to be with. I expect when I move back East, lots of good times will be had among all of our homes in two states.
I am not mentioning names until or unless given permission by the persons about whom I write. (grammar?) In my other blogs, most all of us were fictitious names and fun to write about in that manner.

Yesterday I had the best morning! I did my usual drive by of my home where I grew up in "Great Memories Park" PA. My dream came true when the owner of the house was out front. I asked him how long he had lived there and he wanted to know why. I said that it used to be my home. He actually blurted out ,"you're ______ ______. He remembered my name! Well, it was the person I sold it to 27 yrs ago. So gave gave me a tour, inside and out and allowed me to take photos. It was the best! I met the folks who bought the home next door (Linda and Ricky Moore's house) and the family who live in Mr. Smith's house around the corner. They spoke of the Spaffords and the Whitmers, etc. I couldn't have asked for more. I also took a photo of Juanita and Finfully's house on the next block and sent it to them. I know they were pleased to see their home so lovingly cared for all these years.

A last note: "Great Memories Park" PA is finally on the map! Not only is it the birthplace of John Morton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but also the location of a film being made starring Demi Moore up on 13th Avenue! I hear that it is really supposed to be taking place in Wisconsin or something. They are using an old house there and I hear they are fixing it up in payment after the film is finished. Now those are rumors, not facts.
A couple of photos of my home in "Great Memories Park" PA

Weekend Edition or Three Heads Are Better Than One

Friday's breakfast at the Victorian Restaurant was quite nice. Among the three of us we enjoyed either the usual breakfast with eggs, or in my and Cathy's case, Russian blintzes with fresh strawberries and blueberries. The rest of the day, after a brief shopping period, consisted of a couple of movies at home and a great dinner. Then off to bed to rest up for the overnighter at a sleepy hamlet on the DE Bay. It was there that I was to meet Joyce's sister, Barbara, and spend the night on her yet-to-be-built-on lot.

Mid morning I met up with Barbara. We checked out the lot, the beach,and the RV. Before the "dry camping" night I was introduced to her realtor, Pat, who is a pro in Delaware and has been selling real estate for over 25 years. We met and the three of us went off to see some land (lots) and homes along the bay and near the bay in several sleepy little beach towns. These areas are still priced almost within the reach of middle Americans. "Sleepy Baytown" (an alias) is a sleepy 'village' with mostly small shacks, probably inhabited over the years by watermen and people wanting to get away from the summer heat in Dover. It has also become a horseshoe crab sanctuary so that migrating shorebirds can fatten up on their way north to their breeding grounds.

After looking at lots and houses, we returned and spent some time on the beach with some snacks and a good bottle of red. Then came dinner and a return again to the RV. As fate would have it, the new RV battery that controls lights inside was showing low; another glitch in getting to know the RV. We tried to figure out what the problem was, but gave up and just called it a night.

Sunday morning was expected to be a better day. I got up shortly before Barbara and went onto the beach to check for horseshoe crabs. None. Barbara passed me on the path and I said I'd be right back. I went to the RV door and grabbed the handle to open it - it was locked! What? How could that possibly have happened? It's a mystery to this day. So there we were, everything we had was locked in the RV. The only thing not under lock and key was my bike. So Barbara graciously agreed to pedal on up to the house of some people she had met there over the past 2 - 3 years. There she would call AAA. Just as she left, I went to the road and saw someone approaching from the south in a pickup truck. I hailed him and asked if by any chance he knew how to open a locked car door. He asked to look to see the distance from the window to the door latch. Barbara had managed to remove the 1/2 window screen from one of the windows, but her arm wasn't long enough to reach the lock. (I expect Winnebago designed it that way.) He was able to peer through the window on the opposite side and see the latch. Now he was off to the truck where he grabbed his claw hammer. After some slips, I went back to the opposite window and guided him in the placement of the hammer until it touched the latch. He opened it!

John, the man who saved us from the agony of AAA on a Sunday in no-mans-land(I say this most affectionately), then drove up to the neighbor's house to tell Barbara. I waited and waited until he finally got back to the RV, where he told me I was invited to the house for morning coffee. So off we went. It was nice because Barbara got to meet another neighbor and to better know a couple more neighbors in her new town. It turns out that John also happens to be the man Barbara hired to keep her lot mowed but hadn't yet met him. What a day.
John, Barbara and SCargo at the "campground"



After a late breakfast we got back to the lot, talked a bit and Barbara headed home to New Jersey. By that time it had started to sprinkle rain. I straightened up the V and headed back to my cousin's place and a nice Sunday evening.

Even though I had the battery problem, we both agreed it had been a nice sleep; also it had been Barbara's first overnight stay on her property.

Moving up the Road

Yesterday was mainly a travel day. I went at a snail's pace up the coast, through Ocean City, MD, then into Delaware; Fenwick Island, South Bethany, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, then on up Route 1 to Milford. There I met up with my two cousins and we yacked, ate homemade lasagna with some libations, watched a good movie and called it a night.

This morning it is raining and a bit foggy, as I can see from the third floor window of the condo. No one else is up except for Bubba and Spanky. We are planning to go to Rehoboth Beach to the Victorian Restaurant on the boardwalk for breakfast. That could change if there are no signs of life in the next 1/2 hour. Ah hah! The Philly cousin is up! Now the DE one - I guess we're going.

As Promised - Horses

This was a productive day for two reasons: 1- I rode my bike for more than a mile and 2- I was able to get photos of some of the horses. In fact, they came by this afternoon as I was coming back from the shower to see if my grass was greener than that on the other side of the pond/slash puddle.

Please see the slide show to the right for all of the photos. Click on it for page-sized pics.

Today was a great day with little wind, about 70 maybe, and lots of sun. I rode my bike from the campsite out to the main road that goes over the bridge to the mainland. My goal was to ride over the bridge and back. Let's say I 'went' over the bridge and back. I almost made it over. Coming back was not even in the realm of possibilites for this newbie to cycling again after 30 years. But it was fun, except for the exxesive thirst and lack of water anywhere. I had counted on the snack bar at the end of the State park to be open - not. And I lost my money in the machine on the other side of the bridge. It was on, but no drinks! Going back to the V was hard, but I got to stop a few times to look at some birds: a couple of green herons, a warbler I couldn't ID and a sparrow which I also couldn't ID.

At this time there are a couple of fantastic sounding frogs croaking around the vicinity of the V. They almost sound as though they are talking, but I know that can't be true...

Tomorrow I head for Milford, DE to meet up with my cousin, Cathy (also known as my trip advisor) and Eleanor, who lives in Milford. We'll have a little get together, then I will be going around looking at possible spots to live in Delaware. I'll be happy if the reception is a a bit better so that I can post a blog in a shorter amount of time.
Aloha

Tuesday - It's Better On A Bike

You surely can see more when you are moseying along on a bike. Now I haven't ridden a bike in 30 years, so it was a real hoot. They say you never forget and that's right. But your balance isn't what it was 30 years ago, and it's a bit difficult getting over the bar (even the women's bike bar). The worst is what the worst part always was when you were over 20 - the seat! LOL I have to take this bike thing in stages. Today I rode to the end of the bike trail and back to the site. Tomorrow I will go to the bridge (and beyond if possible). Plus, I have my binoculars and camera. Visualize that! I didn't wear my helmet because there were few cars and I rode very cautiously.
I will included a slide show of today's sights which shows a photo of yours truly, if the browser will allow. Although I saw several ponies, I was not able to get photos of them at the time. Better luck on tomorrow's trip. I did run into a couple of deer though, which I wasn't expecting.

Also, now that the rains are gone and the weather is sunny and there are pools and ponds everywhere, the mosquitoes are laying in wait for fresh meat. They swarmed me at the door when I got off the bike, so I left the bike outside until nightfall. I learned my lesson for the billionth time about putting deet on even to poke my head outside. If you want to go somewhere where it's buggy and don't want to be bothered by them, take me along - I'm a biting insect magnet.

I saw several different shore birds, grackles, brown thrashers, cowbirds, black ibis again, cattle egret, lbj, robin next to the RV sitting on a nest with two little fuzz balls, red-winged blackbirds, catbirds, osprey nesting by the bridge and more.

Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be around 70, so I'll be out riding early. I hope to have photos tomorrow of some of the wild ponies.
Ciao