Last day of 2018 - Day 1650 (Year 5, Day 189)

Virginia Beach, VA

How we spent the last day of the year...  Mitch spent the first part of the day under the trailer again, still putting the finishing touches on the underpinning.  But then it started to rain, so he decided to tackle the toilet (again not holding water, so he had to take it apart).  He didn't put it back quite right which resulted in a small flood.  Fortunately, he caught it in time before it got much worse; it was only a puddle behind the bowl.  He just ran out to Home Depot for more supplies for the trailer.  He also spent a great deal of time on the Employ Florida website, signing up with their job postings site, taking numerous tests and applying for jobs. 

As for me, I put feelers out to all my RV peers in the 3 Facebook groups I belong to, asking for recommendations of places to stay in FL, under $600/month (I know - big ha ha, especially during the winter when all the snowbirds are down there).  One criteria is that it also needs to be within 15 miles of a shul, preferably Chabad.  So I have spent pretty much the entire day doing my due diligence.  I am now getting pretty disillusioned and don't believe we're meant to be in Florida.  I just wish I knew where we were meant to be!

Meanwhile, we still need to be out of here in 3 days.  Good chance the water pump will be replaced on Wednesday, but I think we'll still go down the road for a few days or a week or even 2.  There is way too much pressure to figure out where we're going next over 2 days.  Although, it would really be awesome to just hit the road and go without any sense of direction - just take the highway and see where it leads us.  But alas, I'm not that brave.  I need a plan.

So our plans for New Year's Eve is pretty much the same as always. We'll do Chinese takeout, and either watch tv or movies, or play Scrabble (which we planned to do for the past 3 years and didn't!) and hope that we can stay up to watch the ball drop, or at least stay up past 10:00!  Tomorrow - more of the same: working outside for Mitch and more research for me.

Happy New Year everyone!  I pray 2019 is far better than 2018!  I think 2018 pretty much sucked big time, except for our lovely vacation in November.

Next sub-chapter in our lives - Day 1646 (Year 5, Day 185)

Virginia Beach, VA

Mitch just got unexpected news that the company he has been working for just lost their entire east coast contract, and he is now officially unemployed.

We've always believed in Divine Providence and that things happen for a reason.  In fact, lately Mitch has been very disillusioned with his work and has been exploring how to get back into the IT field.  We believe this is a sign,, or rather, a PUSH, from above to do just that.

Next step is to figure out where to file unemployment -- where he's been working under this contract (VA) or our official address (FL) and then figure out where to move to next.  We were planning on leaving this campground next week to go to a place up the road, but now perhaps the entire country is wide open.  Or at least another place anywhere VA or (hopefully?) Florida.

Finally things to post on my blog!!!  Will keep you posted.

Christmas project - Day 1644 (Year 5, Day 183)

Virginia Beach, VA

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 25th, Christmas day (which we don't observe, being Jewish).  Mitch, however, is very grateful that he had yesterday and today off of work, as this is the third day he is working on this project (you can see his legs sticking out to the right of the steps, and all the building materials layout around.  I do feel really bad for him, being that he's on his back, on top of gravel & rocks, working in a tight space, in 40 degrees.

You may recall that for the last few months we reported about a leak underneath the trailer.  The bottom of the rig (the underpinning) contains a layer of heavy duty foamcore ("coroplast") and fiberglass insulation.  The leak had caused those layers to become very wet and sag, so the areas where that happened needed to be removed.

Unfortunately, we - along with the help of an RV tech - were not able to find the cause of the leak, as we couldn't locate the source and must be intermittent.  It was decided that for now, there's nothing we could do other than keep an eye on it.  However, since he took off the underpinning last month, there's been nothing underneath, which really doesn't help during these days when the temps are in the 30s and 40s (among other things, it provides insulation for warmth).

We are moving next week and realized it's probably dangerous to drive without the underpinning, especially within this campground where the roads are all dirt and gravel, which could get kicked up and hit something.  So it became critical to purchase the building materials and get underneath and replace it!  Today Mitch is on his 3rd day.  Hopefully he'll be finished by the time it gets dark!

Holiday lights - Day 1631 (Year 5, Day 170)

Virginia Beach, VA

Still nothing terribly exciting to report on lately.  Chanukkah has come and gone, although we did not attend any public lighting displays (there was one scheduled but we were warned that it was a very narrow street and there wouldn't be anywhere to park; people were encouraged to take a taxi to get there.  It wasn't worth spending $20).  Here is a photo of our display on the last night (it was actually arranged for entry into a photo contest; it's not how we had things set up during the holiday.  That's our tv/huge computer monitor in the back, and below is the fireplace).

There is also a large light show on the boardwalk, which we may or may not go to before the end of the month.  In the meantime, Mitch came across this house (actually, several houses) that had a synchronized light display, set to music that you listened to on a special radio station.  Here is a video of that.  It was really cool, and the video doesn't do it justice.  I think the light show on the Boardwalk will be very similar, so not sure yet if we want to spend the $15 to view it.

Interestingly, there aren't all that many holiday lights here in the campground; a few decorations and lights here and there but not a whole lot, which is sort of unusual.

We also plan to move to a different campground right after the new year.  It's the one we originally wanted but they didn't have space when we arrived in October.  We got a special promotional deal here but needed to stay 3 months ($530 versus $795).  But in January, it goes back up to $795 plus electricity, which is running about $150/month.  The other campground (1 mile down the road) is the same rate but electric is included so it makes more sense to go there instead.

Sorry, nothing -- Day 1618 (Year 5, Day 157)

Virginia Beach, VA

I haven't written for about a week, and sadly, I don't have anything interesting to report on. I still haven't had a chance to upload anything from our Jamaica vacation (and at this point, I'm not sure I ever will in the near future).  In the interim, nothing eventful has happened.

Honestly, I'm getting pretty tired and frustrated.  This is not the lifestyle I had hoped for.  On the one hand, we're both extremely grateful that we have a livelihood (although it's rough since one of my biggest clients is experiencing a huge slump so I'm down about 3/4 of my income), but we'd both really love to go where and when we want.  Virginia Beach at the moment is COLD -- got to below 32 degrees this a.m.  Naturally, this lifestyle so far has given us many more travel opportunities than we could ever had imagined, and we've had plenty of great memories. But we want to make more, and nowadays, it just "a day in the life."

We both need to work vigilantly to figure out a way that we can make a living on the road without being tied down to a specific location. Gotta be something we can create to resell, or some way to offer our services online.  That is what will take up our (my) time for the next few days/weeks.

Of course, any of my readers are welcome to post suggestions!

Return from Jamaica - Day 1610 (Year 5, Day 149)

Virginia Beach, VA

This will be a short post.  We returned from our wonderful trip to Jamaica last week (Tues. 11/13).  Didn't take as many photos as I would have hoped, and the ones we did take need to be downloaded or scanned.  Been pretty busy since then and haven't had the time to do so.  Eventually I'll write a post about this vacation.

Nothing eventful here in VAB since we returned.  We are now heading into the Thanksgiving weekend, with no plans whatsoever other than a nice meal between me and Mitch.  With any luck, we'll try to go out and do something fun this weekend (maybe the aquarium?)

Watch this space....

Update - Day 1594 (Year 5, Day 133)

Virginia Beach, VA

Once again, I wish I could say that we've done some exciting things since my last post 12 days ago, but alas...  unfortunately, this lifestyle is proving that although we do occasionally see and visit places of interest, for the most part, life is "a day in the life", with both of us working all week, observing the Sabbath on Saturdays so it's just a day of worship and relaxing, and then on Sundays, catching up on household chores and shopping.  Not a very exciting life at all.  Hopefully some day that can change.

One of the major things that has happened recently was a mass shooting in a synagogue in Pittsburgh.  That's something that hit very close to home in Jewish communities around the world.  Our shul commemorated the event this past Shabbat, with an invitation to the local community, including guest speakers, which included a Muslim imam (whom I found incredibly inspirational), a Catholic priest, a Christian pastor and the leader of an LGBTQ organization (who was transgender).  Overall, the message was how we as a nation need to combat hate and accept each other, despite our differences.  It was a very moving service and I almost felt hopeful for this country.

Yesterday (Sunday), the shul was hosting a "feed the homeless" program.  I was humbled to be able to participate with the food prep and serving.  It was good to also see a few other participating volunteer families bringing along their children (we used to do that many years ago when we lived in NJ).  It's so important to create a culture of helping others.

Election day is tomorrow, and political news has been the main focus of any and everything for the past month.  This world has become a very crazy, insane place and we can only hope that enough people will see the light and take action to change the course of things back to normal, whatever normal actually is.

Meanwhile, we leave in 2 days for our vacation and vow renewal in Jamaica.  Next post, I'm sure, will have all the photos and details about that trip.

No time for fun - Day 1582 (Year 5, Day 121)

Virginia Beach, VA

Wish I had more to report other than problems, but I don't.  The last 2 weekends were spent with Mitch trying to troubleshoot the bad sewer smell in the rig.  Still haven't found a solution yet, although he did a few things and it seems to be better.  Unfortunately, didn't have time to go out to explore these last 2 weekends.

Hurricane Michael & fighter jet - Day 1570 (Year 5, Day 109)

Virginia Beach, VA

We were very fortunate in that no tornado touched down near us and that after the storm passed, we did not sustain any damage (at least not as far as we can tell).  It was a terribly scary experience, however.  From about 10pm until 2am, the winds were howling and there were a number of gusts that reached 70mph.  I was fervently praying that the trailer would not tip over and that no tree would come thru the roof.

The area itself was hit pretty hard.  We lost power around midnight (now 9am the next morning and it's not back on yet).  Apparently there are 500,000 people without power, as there are loads of downed trees and power lines (at least it will be about 70 degrees today so I don't have to worry about no air conditioning!)  Lots of roads are blocked and traffic light are out.  Mitch has to be out and about working in those conditions!

UPDATE:  I was finally able to get a video of the F/A-19 Super Hornet fighter jet going overhead:

Catch up - Day 1569 (Year 5, Day 108)

Virginia Beach, VA

Where to start?  Ok, I guess I should start with Hurricane Michael which devastated the Florida panhandle where my brother-in-law lives.  Still waiting to hear news about the condition of their home.  The storm, although it will be downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm with 35+ mph winds with gusts up to 60, are expected to arrive in our area this evening.  We are currently in a tornado watch zone, so keeping a strict eye on the weather.  I pray that at the next post, I will say all was just fine.

Some photos to share:

Here is the view out my front window.  Thankful not to see other RVs (although I do see them out my back window). As always, click on photo to get a better view.



This is a very interesting tree outside my trailer as well (no clue what kind of tree it is, but very interesting branches):



While taking my morning walk, I saw this interesting and award winning decorated campsite. People really get into holiday decorations!  I hope at some point I can get to meet the people who live there.  Can't wait to see what Christmas will bring!



Now, as promised, here is more information about our visit to VA Beach area on Sunday:

All over town, just like other places we visited, local artists decorate or paint structures.  Here are pillars under the bridge:



I took a walk on the sand and went into the water up to my knees.  The water was quite comfortable and had I planned to go swimming, I would have worn a bathing suit (Mitch was wearing long pants and sneakers so he was far from going in the ocean).  I would have given anything to jump the waves, but alas, I would have been walking around all day in wet clothes, so I chose not to.  Here are photos of the beach and me walking back from the water.  I have to admit it was awesome! I love the beach (being that I grew up in a beach area...)


  

Next, there was potentially a LOT of walking to do.  All along the boardwalk, they rent bikes and surreys.  I have difficultly with balance on a regular bike (not to mention that due to my hip arthritis, I can't lift my leg high enough to mount a standard bike), so we explored renting a surrey, which is pedal vehicle for anywhere from 2 to 8 people.  Here is a photo of me on it.  Mitch and I used it to ride up and down the boardwalk, as well as from the rental place (not too far from where we parked) to the sand sculpture venue:



We rode to the Sand Sculpture Championship tournament a few blocks away.  Amazing is an understatement.  Below is a link to a photo album I created about it.  Each photo has a description on the bottom left side, so watch for those.  (To view the album, after you click on the link, click on the first picture, which will put it in full screen mode and you'll be able to see the descriptions.  Then use the arrows on either side of the photo to advance to the next one.)

My album:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/tFyXWvyAwLUdooFr8

Here is also a link for more professional photos, which also includes status of the winners:  https://www.neptunefestival.com/media/sand-sculpting-results-18

Still a lot of things to do in the area, so looking forward to more exciting posts.  In the meantime, hope to post tomorrow with status after Hurricane Michael passes through.

Fun day - Day 1565 (Year 5, Day 104)

Virginia Beach, VA

It was a really nice day, doing things that will be carved in the memory bank.  I will only give a very brief summary, as there's so much to write about, as well as making a photo album to share, and I don't have the time or energy to do it now.  So, to be continued hopefully tomorrow or later this week ....

• Went to the beach
• Went to a sand sculpting championship exhibit
• Rode a surrey on the boardwalk
• Visited a farmer's market

One thing I will add about my impressions of the area from driving around... other than the beach section, which reminds me of Panama City Beach and Myrtle Beach, with all the tourist & beach item shops, and numerous restaurants and hotels/resorts, the rest of the area reminds me very much of Cary/Raleigh, NC with numerous "commons" -- kind of like a bunch of strip malls put together, one after the other.

First impressions VAB - Day 1563 (Year 5, Day 102)

Virginia Beach, VA

We thankfully arrived in Virginia Beach safe and sound at around 12:30 pm yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.  We left the rest area at 7:30 am.  We split the driving 50/50, with me doing the first part of the 250 mile trek.  Overall, the drive was uneventful except when we hit a tunnel near VAB and needed to pull over to have our propane tanks inspected (although all they did was ask us if our propane tanks were on; we said they were but Mitch got out and shut them off, and then we were good to to).

I haven't really had a chance to explore the campground yet, so I will post more in the future.  These are just my first impressions.  It is one of the resort campgrounds, with tons of family activities, although the area for extended stay guests is almost a half mile away from everything, and most of the activities end at Labor Day.

We were extremely surprised to learn about their rules & regulations.  After we checked in, we were given a 3 page document which spelled everything out.  I'd say I wish I knew about this in advance, but unfortunately, this was the ONLY place that had availability at this time, so even if we knew, it wouldn't have made a difference (although we are considering moving when something else is available).  Among them were (1) although they state that all sites have picnic benches & fire pits, extended stay sites did NOT have those; and (2) we are responsible for mowing our own lawns!!!   In the 4+ years of travel, we have never, ever encountered this, although from what I can tell, it's really not all that unusual.  On the plus side, we're going into the fall/winter so hopefully there won't be as great a need. Perhaps I can find a kid in the campground who can do it for me.  Also, on the plus side, the amount of grass is nowhere near what it was like at our home in NJ!  And the campground does lend push mowers so I don't need to worry about equipment.  As mentioned, I will post more about the campground itself when I have more time to explore it, as it's a big place.

Also, before we put in an application for an extended stay,  they required we send photos of our RV as they want to make sure the "residents" aren't an eyesore.  It was a major disappointment (and I did complain) that our next door neighbor was indeed a huge eyesore, with weeds overrun the property and broken items laying around.  Interesting, after I complained and after we went out for a few hours, when we returned, all looked very good!  I'm sure they got after their case.

As for the area, still loads to explore but compared to Augusta, GA, there are many, many things to do and places to see, so expect lots of posts here over the next few months. 

Since it was a full day of travel and then setting up home (which also involved a thorough vacuuming and cleaning), I didn't feel like cooking.  Also, since our travel food was nowhere near my diet friendly, I figured why not just have one last splurge and go out to eat?  We did a little research and found a nice Indian restaurant near the Walmart where we needed to pick up a few groceries.  From only that one direction, my impression is that it reminded me much of Cary, NC where there is one very confusing shopping area after another.  We're 2 miles from the beach and I'm sure as we drive around, we will find even more shopping centers and touristy stores.

Another major thing in the area is that we aren't too far from the Oceania Naval Air Station, where they have the Navy F/A-18 fighter jets doing lots of practice runs.  I'm hoping to get a photo or video at some point, as they seem close enough to almost touch!  It's quite a difference watching private planes or commercial jets flying overhead versus fighter jets!  I'm sure I'll get used to it when the novelty wears off, but for now, it is truly awesome!  For today, quite an air show!

As for a Jewish community, I'm sure I previously  mentioned that we'll be a little too far from a Chabad community (25 miles) but there is a Conservative shul nearby, which is extremely progressive.  It will be quite a huge adjustment for us, but hopefully still better than being totally isolated with nowhere to go.  Will let you know in future posts how that worked out.

On the road again - Day 1561 (Year 5, Day 100)

Fayetteville, NC

We thought, and were hoping that we would have at least one more Shabbat in Augusta and leave for Virginia Beach on Sunday, Oct. 7th (thus also not having to worry about both of us having to take time off of work).  But, alas, Mitch's boss called him at 5:00 pm last night and said he wanted him out NOW.  So we frantically packed up and tried to tie up a lot of loose ends.

We made it to the halfway point and are staying overnight in a rest area.  It's a 450 mile trip total; we drove 230 today.  Plan to leave between 7 and 8 am and hopefully will get to the campground by 2pm.

Almost end of holidays; marching orders - Day 1558 (Year 5, Day 97)

Augusta, GA

So many holidays this time of year; starting from Rosh Hashanah, to Yom Kippur, then Sukkot, which lasts 8 days.  All of which require hours in synagogue.  The last day of Sukkot, also known as Shemini Atzeret, is another very special day and is celebrated tomorrow (Monday, Oct 1st) and then comes Simchat Torah, a celebration which commemorates reading the last portion and then starting at the beginning again of the Torah (Jewish bible; Old Testament).  It's a time of joy, with singing and dancing (often in the streets).  So back to services tomorrow morning and then again in the evening (and Mitch will go back on Tuesday morning). 

Meanwhile, we were informed on Thursday that we need to pick up and leave and go to Virginia Beach until probably around March (right now there's a 95% chance that we'll be leaving next Sunday).  Although I'm happy about the beach, there are several reasons that I'm not at all looking forward to this:  (1) I wanted to go south, not north.  Not looking forward to yet another cold winter; (2) we made our flight reservations for our November vacation based on being assured we'd be staying in Augusta until at least until we returned; now we need to change travel plans (although we're working out logistics for the company to pay the extra fees involved -- we have a verbal ok, but need to get it in writing, thus the 5% chance we might stay until November); (3) it's still hurricane season and that area is one that tends to get hit hard.  On the bright side, it is near the beach and there are many things to do in the area to keep us entertained for a while (not to mention great seafood).  We'll also be near a Jewish community, albeit not Orthodox, but better than being isolated like we were in Williamsburg.  Then again, Norfolk, the closest Chabad, is only 25 miles away.

But it is what it is and you gotta do what you gotta do.  No real options here if we want to pay our bills.  Just need to make the most of it.

Getting ready for Sukkot - Day 1551 (Year 5, Day 90)

Augusta, GA

Once again, the time rolls around to build our sukkah - a booth we're supposed to dwell in for 7 days, to remind us of the booths our ancestors lived in while traveling in the desert, and to also remind us about how fragile life is, but we're always in G-d's protective hands.  It can remind us how we're all equal in G-d's eyes:  for a rich man to leave the luxury of his mansion to live in his sukkah, he realizes how much he has to lose; for a homeless man, it provides him shelter (although not from the rain!)

Below is a photo of Mitch building it.  This link gives a lot more detail, and includes a video of the history behind our specific sukkah:  https://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/2016/10/sukkot-day-851-yr-3-day-118.html

And now, complete (sans chairs in it).  Note: the tarp (walls) are semi-transparent and due to the way the sun is hitting it, it appears that the picnic bench is inside.  It's actually behind the sukkah.

This is the first time ever when we have "shvitz'd" (heavy sweat) during Sukkot.  Then again, it's the first time we've been in the South for the holiday, where the temps are in the 90s.

There are quite a few events at our shul this week, including sushi in the sukkah on Thursdsay.  Looking forward to it!  We were invited to the rabbi's house to have lunch in his sukkah after services tomorrow (I'm taking the morning and 1/2 afternoon off; Mitch is taking Mon and Tues off).

Yom Kippur - Day 1548 (Year 5, Day 87)

Augusta, GA

We took the trailer with us for the Yom Kippur services, which is the holiest day of the year: a day of atonements, asking of forgiveness, fasting, and hopefully coming out of it with a clean slate.  It was a very spiritual day and thankfully, it was cool enough in the rig with the generator running.

The only problem to report was that on the way over, on the truck, a message saying "check gauges" was flashing on the dashboard.  Never heard of that before.  We googled it and determined the most likely cause was a bad sensor somewhere, so we just prayed that that was the case and we wouldn't have a breakdown somewhere.  As soon as we got to the synagogue property and got setup, we researched a diesel mechanic and were able to get an appointment for first thing Thursday morning (today).

We left the property at 6:45 am and arrived at the campground at 7:15.  Without help, it took us an hour to back into our site (I wonder if we'll ever get the hang of it!).  By 9:00, Mitch was able to leave and go the mechanic.  The diagnosis was indeed a bad sensor.  They didn't have the part, so he'll have to go back tomorrow morning.  Meanwhile, he went to work.  And I'm happy to be "home".

Quick update on Florence - Day 1542 (Year 5, Day 81)

Augusta, GA

The coasts of NC and SC are getting slammed pretty bad, but it looks like this massive, monster hurricane has decided to take a more westerly, northerly path and will just about miss us completely.  We may be in the very, very outlying ridge, but the expectation from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning is winds about 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30, and less than an inch of rain.  So looks like we're pretty much in the clear for now.

It also looks like we will be taking the rig with us next Tues/Wed for Yom Kippur and will be running the generator to keep it cool.

Rosh Hashanah, Florence - Day 1540 (Year 5, Day 79)

Augusta, GA

All advance cooking was successfully completed on Friday (see my last post, almost last paragraph).  We packed up and left the campground at 9:30 am and arrived at the synagogue grounds by 10.  I will confess that this was an absolutely miserable experience, and we're not sure whether we're going to repeat it again next week for Yom Kippur (probably not).  As much as we don't want to break the rules by driving (which is why we chose to take the rig with us), it just was not at all pleasant.  Although - disclaimer - the religious services themselves were extremely inspirational and spiritual.

First, we ran the extension cords (we needed 3 100' cords to reach an outlet inside the building).  It did not work and we got an error code on our electric box.  It was suggested that most likely the cords weren't strong enough and the distance too great to provide any adequate power.

I had a little more last minute cooking to do, and it was already starting to get hot inside (it was in the mid-90's both days with heat indexes near 100) so we ran the generator for a few hours.  At first, it would not turn on; the motor would run and the lights would flicker but then go out.  It was shortly discovered that we had both a/c units turned on.  That is too much juice for the generator to handle during power-up, and it is also too much juice for both a/c's to be running at the same time.  Turning off the unit made for a successful power-up, and then we only ran one a/c zone at a time (we have 1 that heats/cools the living area and the other for the bedroom).  We had to turn the generator off before leaving for dinner, as it uses a lot of propane and we needed to be frugal.  Although we're not supposed to turn it on during Shabbat or the holidays, we made the choice to do so anyway while we were inside, if needed, to keep it cool.  Although, again, in order to be frugal, we opened the windows and left the ceiling fans on (they work on dc current).  We went to bed with it being about 90 degrees in the bedroom, but by the wee hours it was down to the 70s.

Sunday evening there was a community dinner which was very enjoyable.  Monday services started at 9:30 am and ended at 2:00 pm.  There was a small lunch so we didn't need to prepare anything (although I had a full menu planned out).  It was 93 degrees inside the trailer when we returned.  I jumped into a cold shower (due to the need to conserve water and not fill the gray tank, it had to be a quick wetting down).  We turned on the a/c in the bedroom, and it cooled down enough to allow us to take a little nap.

Unfortunately, during our nap, the a/c shut down because we ran out of propane in tank #1.  Mitch went out to switch it over to the other tank, but it would not start up.  He was certain the tank was full so we could not figure out what was wrong.  This is when things really started going downhill.  By now, it was about 5:00 pm and it was absolutely sweltering.  I should also mention that I do not handle heat very well.  I'm not sure whether it's heat exhaustion, but it comes upon me very quickly, no matter how much I drink or how many ice cubes I put on my forehead and neck.  Mentally, it puts me in a state of near hysteria.  There were additional religious services at 7:45 pm, and this is how I was behaving when we went there (actually, I'm sure I had a lot more self control than I'm letting on, although I was on the verge of tears and passing out).   It did get a little cooler in the middle of the night when a storm passed through and I actually woke up under the covers.

On Tuesday morning, Mitch went out to look at the propane tank again and, lo and behold, discovered that he never opened the valve! (I don't know why he didn't figure this out the day before.  Probably a combination of the heat and my attitude affecting his thinking clearly).  But at this point, we weren't sure how long running the generator would last before running out of gas, so we decided to end our observance of the holiday early and return to the campground after services rather than on Wednesday morning (the holiday ends after sundown and we didn't want to have to back in to our spot in the dark, thus the decision to leave in the morning).  We just couldn't take another 18 hours of this misery.  The High Holidays are supposed to be an auspicious and spiritual time, and these conditions were making it impossible to come anywhere close to that.

Now about Florence, which is a hurricane heading this way.  There are a number of different predictions as it's still a few days away and can always change paths, but so far what is known is that it will be a category 4 or 5 by the time it reaches landfall and is being labeled as possibly the worst monster storm EVER on the east coast (which, after Sandy, it's hard to imagine).  As of yesterday, the path was supposed to be thru NC and SC and when we returned to the campground (and back to the real world), we found that Augusta had become a haven for thousands of evacuees (the campground it at full capacity right now, as are all the area hotels.  They've even brought patients from those states to the local hospitals here, as well as pets to the local shelters).
 
However, as of today, it looks like there's a 50/50 chance that the storm is going to track south which puts us into a danger zone (we're currently in what they call the "cone of uncertainty").  We're far enough inland so that they predict it could just be a lot of high wind and torrential rain/flooding.  Leaving town and heading south or west is not an option for us right now.  The backup plan is that I am making a hotel reservation and will cancel it on Friday afternoon if it looks like we'll have the all-clear.  By Friday afternoon we'll have a much better view of what will be, as it's expected to hit this area on Saturday.  Watch this space for an update.

Labor Day weekend - Day 1531 (Year 5, Day 70)

Augusta, GA

I confess that we were among the myriad folks in the country who spent the weekend shopping -- looking for great Labor Day sales.  In actuality, there are a few items I will need for our vacation in November (such as a bathing suit and cover-up and sandals) and we were hoping we'd find the best deals this weekend on clearance.

On Sunday, we went to Walmart and Target.  Nothing at Walmart except sandales, but I did find a nice bathing suit - not on sale - at Target, although there really weren't that many options to choose from.  Someone suggested I could probably find some good buys at Dillards, so we went there today (Monday), where I did luck out: they had a huge selection with everything on sale.  Sadly, I couldn't find a cover-up, but I can make do with the 1 cover up I have and use a long t-shirt as a backup.

Mitch also needed to pick up a few odds & ends (like some wood to fix the dining room chair and an extension cord) so we ran into Home Depot on the way home.  He is also spending the day doing outside stuff in preparation for our move next week to the synagogue where we will spend Rosh Hashanah (and then again the following week for Yom Kippur), such as inflating the trailer tires and lubricating the hitch.

I expect it to be a somewhat stressful week in that I need to do all my shopping and cooking in advance of the holiday (no clue where I will store the food!).  We'll have very limited electricity when we go to the shul on Sunday (we're hoping to run an extension cord, but even if we're successful at that, it's only 15 amp which doesn't allow for much more than a few lights and maybe a fan.  Two times of the year I dread having to prepare for - the High Holidays and Passover, although they are the most spiritual times so well worth the stress.

UPDATE:  I was looking back at previous years and found that in 2014 and 2015, we also spent the day shopping at Target!!!  LOL.

Good to be back home - Day 1520 (Year 5, Day 59)

Augusta, GA

Even though "home is where we park it," it was nice to return to my own comfortable, little space and into the arms of my darling husband.

The return flight, thankfully, was once again uneventful.  We hit a little bit of minor turbulence, but not enough to scare me.  I arrived at JFK half hour before schedule so I had 3 hours to kill.  I decided that since I saved a few $ taking a shared ride shuttle rather than a taxi, I would splurge on a nice breakfast rather than a fast food bagel.

On the way to the airport, the driver had to pick up 4 more people around various other areas of Manhattan.  I felt almost like I was on a tour bus, getting to ride thru some of the more touristy parts of midtown, such as Rockerfeller Plaza, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and Central Park West, as well as passing the Intrepid museum.

Arrival in Atlanta was also about 45 minutes early (thank you, tailwinds!).  I was supposed to arrive at 2:20 pm, and the nearest times for the shuttle back to Augusta was either 2:30 or 3:45 (obviously, I was booked on the 3:45).  But since I arrived at 1:40, I was able to make the 2:30 van (with about 10 minutes to spare) and arrive back at 5:00 instead of 6:30.  That was a real treat.

Mitch also did fantastically while I was away.  Although he  me a lot, he cooked himself a bunch of real meals (no fast food) and I returned to a clutter free home.  He even did the laundry and changed the sheets on the bed!  It's these little things that are so meaningful and I really appreciate how much above and beyond he went to make sure I had a happy and peaceful return.

Anyway, having missed out on a full day of work, I have over 30 emails that need my action.  So... back to work.

Almost home - Day 1518 (Year 5, Day 57)

New York, NY

This has been one hell of a whirlwind week, and the exhaustion finally caught up with me last night, when I went into bed and collapsed at 8:00.

I came into Manhattan on Friday to take sis-in-law home from the hospital.  Knowing that I needed to shop at Trader Joe's which was a few blocks away from the hospital, as well as pick up all her bags, I chose to only throw a few items of clothing into a tote bag and leave the rest of my stuff in the Bronx.  The plan was to bring her home and spend the weekend getting her settled in and return to the Bronx on Monday afternoon.  I took the NYC subway to the city; it's been a few decades since I rode the train.  It hasn't changed at all except for the payment method.

Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned, as she needed quite a lot more assistance than we expected.  She's making tremendous progress now, but it was clear that I needed to spend the rest of my time providing physical support to her, rather than emotional support to my dad.  I made the trip back to the Bronx by train on Sunday, spent a few hours there and returned via taxi with all my stuff (which is too heavy and bulky to carry on the train and up the stairs).

I have a real big complaint about New Yorkers and need to vent my outrage. My apologies in advance to my friends and family who live in NYC, as I know this doesn't apply to you, and probably doesn't apply to about 1% of the NY population either.

Although she is making good progress, my sister in law is only able to get around very slowly using a walker.  We took a little walk outside yesterday to do some grocery shopping and run a few other errands. There is a supermarket around the corner from her building and the other stores we needed were across the street. 

I just could not believe how rude and outright DANGEROUS many people were. They either rushed right past her, practically knocking into her, or more often than not, they were looking down at their phones and very easily could have run into her because they didn't see her right in front of them. And then there was the bike rider who did not ride in the bike lane and rode right through a red light and almost knocked her over.

In most other parts of the country where we've visited (and how I was raised as well), if I was walking (without looking down at a phone) and saw someone with a walker or in a wheelchair, I would either slow down, get out of the way, or offer assistance.

I just cannot believe the rudeness and self absorption of the people who live in this city.  New Yorkers certainly live up to their reputation.

Rant over.

On another note, I will be leaving tomorrow to return home (Augusta).  Flight leaves at 11:45, and I will be taking a shuttle service to the airport, which will pick me up in front of the building at 6:50 am.  The shuttle service from Atlanta will pick me up at 3:45 pm, so I hope to see Mitch again by 6:30.  The flight over here was uneventful, with no turbulance.  I pray it's the same way on the return flight.

Visiting NYC - Day 1511 (Year 5, Day 51)

Bronx, NY

I don't recall if I had mentioned that I was planning this trip, which was arranged about a month ago.  I learned that I had a lot of unredeemed points on my cash rewards credit card and it was just barely enough to redeem for airfare to NY.  I have many friends & family to see, but unfortunately time and travel logistics doesn't make it possible.  The main part of the trip was to spend time with my dad and step-mother here in the Bronx, as well as to spend some time with my sister-in-law in Manhattan.  That was originally going to be an overnight, but as it turns out, she was in the hospital and is being released from rehab while I'm in town, so it works out that I will spend a few days getting her settled in.

I had to leave from the Atlanta airport which is 150 miles and 3 hours away.  My flight was at 10:30, so I had to leave at 4:30 am (took a shuttle van service there).  Atlanta is the largest airport in the US and from the main entrance to my gate I must have walked at least 2-3 miles if not more.  Then from the gate to the exit of JFK was also about the same distance, although they did have people movers in some areas. (recall I have arthritis and bursitis in my hip which prevents me from walking more than 5 minutes before needing to stop.  It was very difficult and I am still very sore today and having an even harder time getting around).  But gotta keep moving....

I am not totally off work, and this morning was very busy.  Fortunately I was able to quit around 1pm.  We went out to lunch at a very lovely Italian restaurant across the street, then afterwards Selma and I went into "town" to get her phone fixed.  Then we stopped at one of her favorite clothing stores, had coffee, picked up some fresh fish for dinner and returned home.  I'm exhausted!

Fort Gordon museum - Day 1502 (Year 5, Day 42)

Augusta, GA

This actually happened last week, on Wednesday, 8/1 but I haven't had a chance to write about it until now.

I had mentioned before that Mitch was working a map at the Fort Gordon army base, which is the headquarters of the Signal Corp. and cyber security (with NSA offices as well). 

         

While there, he had discovered the signal corp. museum on the premises and wanted to visit there with me.  We had to wait for a rain date so he would have paid time off (they're not open on the weekend).  Wednesday was finally the first day in a long time that we had rain that lasted more than a few minutes in the afternoon, so he came to pick me up (the base is only about 4.5 miles from the campground).

Neither of us realized that any and everyone entering the base needs to go the visitor center first and requires a photo to be taken and a background check to be done, whether it was a person picking someone up, or folks like us just visiting the museum.  It took us about an hour to get that completed!  I complained that I hoped the museum was worth it (and yes, it was).

Below is a picture describing the purpose of the museum as well as the scene when you first enter.  It is also used for training purposes and as we were about to leave, a group of about 50 new recruits came into the building or a brief orientation and the requirement to visit all the exhibits and learn as much as possible about the history of the signal corp.

I really wasn't that much aware of this branch of the military and found it rather fascinating.  It actually started out during the Indian Wars, and being long before technology, they used different colored flags waved in different directions as their signals.  Much later (during WWI and II), better signaling equipment was invented, as was Morse Code.

      

We're still here - Day 1495 (Year 5, Day 35)

Augusta, GA

Just a real quick note to let you all know that we haven't fallen off the face of the earth (G-d forbid!) since it's been 21 days since I've last written.  Just that there hasn't been anything interesting or eventful to report on.  During the week it's been life as always with both of us working, and on the weekends there isn't much to go out to do that we haven't done already (or that we're physically capable of doing), so Sundays are spent catching up on shopping, laundry and general household stuff.  I know... B O R I N G!!!!  Indeed.

In addition to his arthritic knees (for which he gets shots), Mitch has been having a lot of back problems lately.  He started going to physical therapy a few weeks ago, but hasn't noticed much an improvement yet.

I have a trip to NYC planned in 2 weeks (from 8/14 to 8/22).  I plan to spend most of the time with my dad in the Bronx, and at least an overnight (possibly more) with my sister in law Doris.  I wish I had more time and a way to get around so I could visit with all my other friends and relatives scattered around NY and NJ, but that's not meant to be this time around.  For now, it's just for Dad whom I haven't seen for a long time.  Mitch will stay home as he can't take the time off work.  Hopefully in the near future we'll be able to travel with our home to the area and stay for a while.

The goal is that Mitch is trying real hard to find an alternative remote vocation that will pay the bills, allow us to travel more freely, and be a lot less physically taxing for him.  If any of my readers have any leads... !

Augusta History Museum - Day 1474 (Year 5, Day 14)

Augusta, GA

On Sunday, we finally made it back to the History Museum (it was closed when we went there on April 23rd -- that was the day we saw a train that ran in the middle of the street).  The place was much larger than we thought, and we spent 4 hours there, and still didn't see every exhibit.

It was quite fascinating and it had galleries & exhibits dedicated to the history of Augusta, from prehistoric times to the present day (did you know James Brown and Brenda Lee were from here?)  It was good that for the antebellum and war period, it was referred to as the Civil War, not the War of Northern Aggression.  It was interesting to note, however, that Abraham Lincoln was not mentioned even once, although General Sherman's vicious attacks were mentioned often.  Because of its location off the Savannah River, it was a tradepost for tobacco and then cotton, as well as had many types of mills (including a gunpowder mill that was used for ammunition during the Civil War).

Mitch learned of an air & space museum located at Fort Gordon AFB that he'd like to visit (about 15 miles away).  It's only opened M-F during business hours, so we'll plan on going on his next rain day (which he hasn't had for a while).

On another note, regarding our November vacation:  the resort reservations were made, and we finally got confirmation that we will be here in Augusta until the end of November, so we can start to look for flights now as well.

Fourth of July - Day 1470 (Year 5, Day 10)

Augusta, GA

As the 4th of July rolls around again, as always, we didn't do anything to celebrate.  There were a few all-day festivals going on around town, culminating in fireworks at night, but we chose not to go because (1) didn't want to spend the day in the 100+ degree heat index, and (2) due to large crowds, it would be impossible to find a place to park our monster truck (hard enough for a regular car to find a parking space).  We chose, instead, to just stay home and relax (read, watch movies) in the air conditioning, although Mitch did a little bit of puttering first.

Interestingly enough, when I was in bed at 9:30 pm, I heard what sounded like fireworks coming from the direction of my window.  I turned over and opened the shades, and lo and behold -- there was an actual fireworks show which appeared to be almost across the street from the campground, just beyond the tree line (I looked at the map and there are no parks or public areas there; the closest that could have been in that direction was 8 miles away, but due to what I saw, there's no way it was that far away.  It was most likely an unpublicized show, although I have no idea from where).  Even so, it was beautiful, complete with spirals and "rainfall" and lots of colors; all of which I got to view from the comfort of my bed!  Only drawback is that they needed between 3-5 minutes between "sets" to reload, so each time I thought the show was over and put down the shades, the banging would start again.

For the most part, the campground was pretty much empty (except for all the regular long-termers).  Then again, this isn't a destination city other than when the Masters are in town, and it certainly isn't a destination campground with anything to do here (not even a playground for the kids, and you can't light a campfire), so weekend campers tend not to come here unless they have family in the area or are just stopping by en route to somewhere else.

Another "RVersary" - Day 1461 (Year 5, Day 1)

Augusta, GA

Here we are again - just completed our 4th year of this RV lifestyle, and still loving it.  Granted, it hasn't gone according to plan (mostly by not being able to go where and when we want), but we still do get to travel a little bit, see different parts of the country and meet interesting people, some of whom become lifetime friends.

This time last year, we had just left Washington, NC, en route to Louisville, KY, where we spent 4 months.  We then spent 5 months in Williamsburg, VA and have been here in Augusta for about 2 months.

For me, my favorite highlights were the great Jewish community in Louisville and visiting Colonial Williamsburg.  The least favorite highlights was all the $$$$ we put into truck repairs.  Sometimes it seems that life is very uneventful and we don't get to do much, but then I look back on this blog and see how that's really not true.  We actually have seen and done a lot of interesting things, and hope to continue to do so.

Finally, something to write about - Day 1455 (Year 4, Day 359)

Augusta, GA

I corrected the date in the heading (this is a very useful tool: http://www.howlongagogo.com/).

This past weekend, we took a mini trip to Raleigh to spend with Jess and Griffin (left on Friday and returned on Monday; about a 5-1/2 hr drive each way -- 300 miles).  The main goal was that Jess wanted to take me shopping for a special dress to wear in November when we go to Jamaica to renew our vows (we did find something very beautiful and appropriate for the beach -- you'll have to wait until November to see it though!).  It was also Father's Day, but Mitch spent the day with Griffin doing fun things while me and Jess were out shopping. 

We also went to our favorite "home away from home" synagogue in Cary on Saturday.  As it turns out, they had a special guest speaker that weekend.  We weren't able to attend all of the events, but were fortunate to hear him speak then.  What an interesting and engaging speaker & storyteller (from South Africa).

Last night (Tuesday), we went to the circus!  It was a 3 ring circus by Loomis Brothers.  It was interesting, but although it had 3 rings, was quite small compared to the Big Apple Circus with only 1 ring.  It seemed to be a family run, somewhat local troupe.  I did find it different, watching the circus through the eyes of an adult who is not accompanied by children.  A lot less magical I suppose.

This week the temperatures are brutal, with the air temp at 98 degrees and heat index of 107!  I'm very grateful the a/c is working but feel bad for all those folks (Mitch included) to have to be outside working all day in this.

And just a note for myself, in case I need to do a search in the future -- we have an RV tech coming later to help troubleshoot the refrigerator.  It's been running a bit on the high side (normal is between 36-38, it's been anywhere between 43 and 57).  It's a different system than a residential one (ammonia based) and there are fans outside that's supposed to circulate the air, which were not working.  We had the thermostat replaced 2 weeks ago but that didn't help.  Mitch temporarily installed some computer fans until we could get a different tech out here, who will be here (hopefully) later today.  Thankfully, the food is still keeping cold.

On a last note, I'm on a total liquid diet today in preparation for a colonoscopy tomorrow. 

Mini anniversary - Day 1455 (Year 4, Day 361)

Augusta, GA

It looks like somewhere along the lines I screwed up the math again, as day 365 should be on June 25th which is still about 2 weeks away.  I confess I'm way too lazy to go back all year to find the error so I'll just leave it alone for now and will start fresh on the 26th.

In any event, June 5th, 2014 was the day we officially left the driveway in Fanwood, NJ for the very last time and headed towards FL to pick up our new home.  There were quite a lot of delays in selling the house (which was supposed to close on June 5th which is why we left that day -- lawyer told us she could take care of everything; we didn't need to be there in person).  Long story short (or you can go back to the very beginning of this blog to read all about it), the house closed on June 23rd, and the funds cleared the bank so we could make the purchase official on June 25th, which is the day we've decided to call our "RVersary."

Still, it's hard to believe we just completed 4 years on the road and are starting our fifth.  I'll try to post reflections on the real date.

Otherwise, nothing eventful going on here.  We met some fellow RV'ers ("Fox" and Cheryl) who I know from various online groups we both belong to; coincidentally they landed in our campground as they have family in the area.  We've also been going to synagogue every week and have made a few friends.  In fact, we're invited tonight to Bill & Judy's home for Shabbat dinner.  Looking forward to it.

Garden update:  1 have 1 nice pepper growing and 2 more starting.  More tomatoes than I can count, but still all green.  Zucchini plant didn't fare well at all; it's dead.  Got some kind of fungus.  I'd like to use the planter to plant some herbs instead (thinking of cilantro, parsley and dill, or maybe chocolate mint instead of parsley).  We'll see.

Progress of the "garden" - Day 1440 (Year 4, Day 346)

Augusta, GA

On April 24th (exactly 1 month ago), we planted a "garden" (https://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/2018/04/first-time-out-in-augusta-day-1410-year.html).  I'm pleased to report it's doing quite well:

The entire garden:



Zucchini flowering:



Peppers flowering:



Cherry tomatoes growing:

Rain rain go away - Day 1439 (Year 4, Day 345)

Augusta, GA

You may recall that as of my last posting on May 14th, the last rain prior to that date was on April 23rd.  Well, on May 15th the rain started and we haven't had one day since then when it hasn't rained!  And the forecast is expected to hold at least through the next week.  Fortunately, it's not an all day steady rain but rather lots of scattered showers and thunderstorms, with a little bit of sunshine (or at least clearing) mixed in. 

One good thing is that I was treated to a beautiful rainbow yesterday (I didn't feel like going out in the rain to take a photo though).

One bad thing about this is that the fire ant mounds pop up in the hundreds after the rain, so as many as I've been able to destroy, twice as many new ones form (I guess that confirms what the campground owner said when I questioned why he didn't do something about it: he said it was too expensive and way too inefficient as it doesn't help anyway.  It's bad enough trying to keep my own site clear, but I guess I can imagine what it would be like to try to maintain the entire campground of over 60 sites.

Picture of the day from Mitch.  I'm sure some of you will just shrug and wonder what the big deal is.  But being that we are from the North and keep kosher, this was a big "ewww":

Today's events - Day 1430 (Year 4, Day 336)

Augusta, GA

I saw 3 different kinds of birds today: 1 completely red, 1 completely rust with black stripes on its wings, and another that was brown and white.  I never saw those before but I had a lot of difficulty trying to identify them as they went away before I had a chance to really study them.  I think the red one was most likely a northern cardinal (in the south??) and no clue about the others.  Can't even find their photos in my Peterson's Guide.  Oh well, perhaps they'll return.

I got a wonderful Mother's Day gift from my daughter.  She cross-stitched it herself:



Of course, I'm not sure if I should put the emphasis on the first part of the sentence or the last!!! 😀

On a more sour note, Mitch came home with his arm covered in teeny, tiny white thorns.  He didn't feel them attack him (even though they went thru his shirt), but it started bothering him later in the day.  No clue where they came from.  I got about 50 out with tweezers, but there are still a few microscopic ones left in his skin.  He has a follow up appt. with a doctor on Wed. so if it's not better or gets worse, we'll see what can be done.  Hopefully they'll fall out on their own.

Still very hot, and rain expected tomorrow and probably Wed. as well so I expect Mitch to be rained out and home.  We shall see...

Tiny Update - Day 1429 (Year 4, Day 335)

Augusta, GA

Wow, 10 days since I've posted.  You know that means only one thing:  nothing!!!  Life has been extremely uneventful, which could be a good thing -- no crises, nothing breaking down.  Then again, nothing really exciting to do or report on either.

The last 2 weeks at synagogue services were special events, but this past week was back to "normal," which meant we were able to see what the place is really like on a typical Shabbat.  It was very nice and inspiring, and we met several very lovely couples with whom we hope to form a special bond with.

We haven't ventured off after our last visit to the Savannah River.  Today is Mother's Day (thank you, dear children, for remembering me!) but we spent the day doing our regular Sunday stuff -- shopping, Mitch puttering around fixing things, laundry, cooking, cleaning.  The highlight of today was that while we were going to one store, we saw a sign for an Asian market.  We've been wanting to buy sushi nori (roasted seaweed) and miso paste for quite a while but haven't been in an area that sells it (kind of like finding kosher meat).  So it was awesome to stumble upon this place.  I enjoyed using the nori as my "bread" for lunch (and it's a great snack food as well, with zero calories and 1 carb) and I'm looking forward to this Shabbat's soup: tofu miso.

Our "garden" is also growing very nicely.  We needed to stop at a garden center (Home Depot) for another pot to replant the zucchini (in retrospect, that wasn't a very good choice for planting as it is going to take up way too much space!).  I see buds forming on the pepper plant and there are already cherry tomatoes formed (still green but may be ready this week)!  I'm so excited!  Don't know why it took us 4 years to do this (of course, when we're ready to move again, it's anyone's guess where we're going to put these pots.  Hopefully they will fit in the shower.  But that's a worry for another time).

The temperatures for the last few days (mid-May) have been in the mid 90's so we're very grateful that the a/c is working!  I suspect this will be a very brutal summer (wasn't it just  a few weeks ago that I was complaining about the freezing cold?)

Down by the River - Day 1419 (Year 4, Day 325)

Augusta, GA

Yesterday was a lovely, albeit somewhat warm day (it should be noted that we have had absolutely no rain since the day we landed here on 4/22.  Not that I'm complaining...!).  Mitch had morning training and was free in the afternoon.  My workload was extremely light, so we decided to do something special rather than wait until Sunday.  We went on a riverboat tour.  Very glad we did, as it would have been very difficult to find parking in the very small lot, and the boat & river would have been much more crowded.

With the exception of the Masters golf tournament, the Savannah River is pretty much the only other attraction in the area (the river is about 10 miles from our campground).  The middle of the river is the dividing line between GA and SC.  There is a huge park that borders the river, called the RiverWalk, featuring sculptures, a playground, and an amphitheater among other things.  At one end is a marina, which is where the boat tour begins.  It reminded me very much of the Missouri River bordering Louisville, KY and Clarksville, IN and Austin Lake in Austin, TX.

We passed some very beautiful mansions and were told that many high profile celebrities own homes there which they visit during the Masters (as well as hold huge parties, which can be seen during the sunset boat tours).  Photos of the river and some homes follow.

What I found rather interesting, and somewhat shocking (to this "Yankee") was the history lesson we got from the captain, which was extremely anti-Union (among many other things, citing that General Sherman was a terrorist, that the "War of Northern Aggression" was NOT about slavery, and that President Lincoln was the enemy of the people).  I'm very certain that this is how American history is taught in the South, just as our extremely anti-Confederacy viewpoints are taught in the North.  No wonder we have such a great divide in this country.  Although we are all Americans, we have such diverse backgrounds and cultures.  What I enjoy about this lifestyle is learning about all our differences and coming to be aware that what I've been taught is only one of many viewpoints.  Sadly, however, there are too many people in this nation who don't or can't respect differences and see them as a threat.  Granted, it takes a lot of effort to see things this way.  I confess when I heard some of what the captain was saying, I immediately thought it was nonsense and revisionist history (which he says is what the Yankees teach).  It would have been very easy to call him out on it rather than respect that these were his sincere beliefs and what he was raised on and taught, just as I was raised on and taught the opposite point of view. 

Anyway, getting off the soap box, and apologies for the political digression.   Here are the photos of the river:

          

Back in "shul country" - Day 1416 (Year 4, Day 322)

Augusta, GA

Having really lovely weather here so far, although this morning I had to put the heat on and wear 2 long sleeved layers again (it was 42 degrees).  Of course, an hour later, it was 64!  Supposed to be about 90 in a few days.  I do wish this was a resort-type campground with a pool.  Oh well.  At least I have air conditioning (which, please G-d, will work all summer).

This place was really hopping on Friday.  We went from about 50% capacity to nearly 99%.  I was told there was nothing special going on in the area, just a nice weekend when a lot of weekenders go camping.  Yesterday and today I am watching many of them leave.  I am rather curious, however, what brings folks here for weekend camping.  Other than the Masters golf tournament which took place a few weeks ago, there really aren't a lot of touristy things (or much of anything) to do in the area.

We are once again in an area where there is a Chabad synagogue within travel distance (about 10 miles away).  We went there on Saturday and there was a bat mitzvah.  We knew it would be a bit challenging meeting people because we wouldn't know who were the "regulars" and who were family guests, and likewise, the regulars wouldn't know we were new versus guests.  Interestingly, we did meet a few regulars and were welcomed by their "Southern hospitality."  It was a very pleasant experience.

Next week, the rabbi's son is having his bar mitzvah, so it may once again be a big event rather than a small, informal Shabbat service.  But I'm sure that at some point we will get to meet the regular crowd alone and start forming friendships.

The campground - Day 1411 (Year 4, Day 317)

Augusta, GA

So far today, it has been a beautiful day out (sunny and about 73 degrees), so I decided to take a walk around the campground and then work outside.  I'd be happier if there were pretty flowers, or a river or beach to look at, but this is still very peaceful and lovely.

Met a little friend along the way:



Other views around the campground.  All the RVs and sites are very well kept and there is lots of room between sites.  This first photo is the view from my outside "office" and the view out my back window:

     
This is us:

     

First time out in Augusta - Day 1410 (Year 4, Day 316)

Augusta, GA

Mitch was off work today, as his new regional boss can't meet with him until tomorrow, to get him set up with new equipment and maps.  There were still some non-grocery items we needed to buy. My workload was fairly light, so I suggested before running errands, we go to the Visitor Center to pick up a bunch of brochures (about 15 miles away in the downtown area, a few blocks from the river).  The building also houses the History Museum, so we thought that would be fun for an hour or 2.  Unfortunately, the museum was closed today, but at least we did get a few brochures.

It actually turned out to be rather exciting anyway.  When crossing the street, we noticed tracks running in the middle of the street.  We know they have trolley tours, so we thought these were trolley tracks.  The photo on the brochure, however, showed it to be a bus.  We asked a staff member about it, and she informed us those were live train tracks!  Normally, train tracks run parallel to a street or highway.  We never saw them in the middle of a business street before!.  What made it exciting was a train actually went by!!!  Mitch captured it on video, which you can view at these links (there are 2 videos)

Watch this one first (click)

Watch this one next (click)  (I wanted to take a still photo, but you can hear me screaming in the background "how do I take this (#&% thing off selfie mode?"  Needless to say, I didn't figure it out on time, but the videos are much better anyway).

Driving through the downtown area, there were a few interesting murals on the buildings.  One thing that captured my eye was this toy piano outside of an empty storefront, painted and inviting people to stop and play (you can click on the photo to enlarge it):

Afterwards, we went to Walmart and then Lowes; the main goal being to buy a treatment for the fire ants.  I've also always wanted to start a little vegetable garden and finally figured out how to do it (just use pots and put them in the shower when traveling).  So we picked up some cherry tomato, green pepper and zucchini plants, pots and soil.  When we returned home, I had some work to do, and Mitch has been outside doing the potting.  Here's my "garden" and gardener.  I'm sure the pots will be much larger by the time we leave here.



My overall impression so far is that Augusta looks like "Anywhere USA" with highways and lots and lots of shopping.  But we really haven't ventured out very far yet, so this may very well change.

The Next Leg - Day 1409 (Year 4, Day 315)

Augusta, GA

We made it here safely and without incident (thank you, G-d, who hears prayers).  We actually did decide to push ourselves and arrived yesterday, as the thought of setting up in torrential downpours and thunderstorms was worse than the long drive.  We were on the road for 10 hours: left at 9:00 am and arrived at 7:00 pm.  We didn't have a chance to stop to meet our friends as we didn't feel we had the time to spare -- wanted to get here before dark.  Mostly the drive was smooth, except for 1 little traffic jam (construction), and then a pocket of rain.  No mountain driving.  It should have been a 7 hour drive non-stop, but we stopped at pretty much every rest area along the way -- approx. every 50 miles -- to change drivers and stretch our legs (about 15 mins) and 1 stop to eat lunch at the picnic table at one of them (1/2 hr).

Although this campground doesn't have any amenities (not even a place to seek shelter in severe weather), it's a fairly pretty park.  Due to the rain, I haven't had a chance to walk around yet but driving through it, it had some aesthetic appeal.  The sites are very spacious, the trailers are well kept (many with lovely lawn decorations), there's nice landscaping and many trees, although it's not in the woods.  Only drawback so far is that there are hundreds of ant hills - fire ants!!!  We were warned not to go outside barefoot or even with sandals without socks. So much for wearing flip flops all summer 😞.  Next trip out to the store, we'll see if there's something we can put down on the ground.

Anyway, so much for the torrential downpours and t'storms today which were forecasted with 100% chance, all night through the evening...  it rained pretty hard for about an hour this morning and now it is bright and sunny, with the rain chance at 20%.  You'd think that nowadays the forecasters could get it right!  We needed to pick up some groceries.  The rain had let up around 11 am, so we decided to run out at that time.  By the time we finished the the aisles (about 1/2 hr later), it was pouring.  By the time we got back to the campground 5 minutes later it was down to a drizzle.

I think this will be a pleasant place to stay for a while.  There are even bike lanes that run a few miles down to the shopping area.  Perhaps I'll be able to invest in that foldable electric trike I've been eyeing....

Marching orders - Day 1405 (Year 4, Day 311)

Williamsburg, VA

This is probably the last post I will be writing from this address.  Mitch got a call this morning and was told he needs to be at his next assignment - in Augusta, GA - on Monday.  Gotta love how they don't give much notice!  He's off work tomorrow and will get as much accomplished then.  Augusta is on the eastern side of the state, literally over the border of South Carolina.  From here, it is about 475 miles.

The hope is to finish up packing on Sunday, leave in the morning, travel about halfway.  We have a friend who lives near that halfway point (St. Pauls, NC) who has a large property where we're invited to "moochdock" (or there's a Walmart up the road where we can park overnight as well).  We'll travel the rest of the way on Monday morning. Not looking forward to that, as the weather forecast is for rain and thunderstorms in the area.  Not fun towing, let alone setting up in the pouring rain.  But no other options with the timing unless we push ourselves all the way on Sunday and arrive after hours (it's about another 3 1/2 hrs).  We'll PIBE (play it by ear).

What's really sad is that a couple just moved in next to us yesterday (they are "workampers").  They not only seem like a real fun couple to hang around with, but are also Jewish, which is a rare thing to find when camping.  I do wish we had more time to spend with them.  Sigh.

See you on the other side!

Summer, then Spring - Day 1404 (Year 4, Day 310)

Williamsburg, VA

On Saturday, Mitch and I actually did follow through on the plans (click to see the previous post) to make the hike up the nature trail and go swimming.  It was 85 degrees, so perfect swimming weather.  We were surprised to find that we had this enormous pool all to ourselves!  After swimming, we hung out in the "activity center" which was a pretty cool place: it was a room filled with all kinds of games - from billard tables, knock-hockey and a foosball table, to life-sized Connect Four and Checkers.  Plus a bunch of board games (and, of course, a number of tables and chairs).  After a few hours, we hiked back to our site.  Oddly enough, we found hiking down the hill a bit more difficult than hiking up.  Perhaps because we had to use different muscles.

Sunday was another day in the 80's (we didn't do anything special that day) so we were convinced that spring had bypassed us, other than the trees starting to fill out nicely and colorful flowers and bushes popping up all over the place (maybe Sunday we'll go back to Colonial Williamsburg to the gardens area.  Must be lovely right about now).  Well... this was not to be the case.  On Monday morning, we woke up to temps in the high 30's and I had to change back to heat pump, fireplace and space heater.  Highs were in the 60s.  It looks like this pattern will continue for the next week or two, so, yes -- Spring has arrived.  The 2 days of summer were only a tease.

On another note, G-d willing, we are planning a special vacation later this year to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and do a renewal of vows.  We've been doing a lot of research and have finally narrowed down the choices to several all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica.  This travel will require passports and I discovered that mine expires this year in June, so I need to renew mine (Mitch's doesn't expire until 2022).  Today I went to have my passport photos taken so I can mail in the application tomorrow.  I smiled for the camera and was told "no, you can't smile.  They have special requirements and it has to be like a mug shot."  Ok, here's my mug shot.  All that's missing are the numbers and a striped uniform!!!

I did it!!! Day 1398 (Year 4, Day 304)

Williamsburg, VA

First, about the truck.  Mitch did get it back yesterday so he only had to suffer one day with the stick shift loaner.  Turned out to be the bad sensor to the fuel pump, which the first mechanic (who turned us away after taking 2 weeks to order the part) had diagnosed.  So hopefully that's it for a while.

I did it -- I took the hike on the nature trail, up the mountain, to the main campground (I was going to attempt it yesterday but I chickened out).  I took my hiking stick and 2 bottles of water.  This was not a cardio outing my any stretch of the imagination, as I took it very slowly, lots of little baby steps and lots of resting.  Since I have arthritis and bursitis in my hip, walking any short distance is difficult, thus the need to go slow and rest.  If anything, this is hopefully good strengthening exercise for my leg.

Many, many years ago, while living in NJ, we did a nature hike in the mountains but the only way to follow the trail was with a map, a compass, and watching for marks on the trees.  This was nothing even close, as there was a very clear cut path; mostly dirt but some areas had gravel (one could also see recent bike tracks).  But there was no way to get lost on it.  Although it was uphill all the way, I suppose by going so slowly, it didn't feel as bad as I expected.  I also took 2 Aleve before I set off to help diminish the inflammation and pain.

It wasn't a very scenic walk but I really did enjoy the silence broken only by various bird songs.  There were a few new ones that I hadn't heard before and I wish I could have identified them.  I did see something bright red fly by, but it was too far away to get a good look.  With a good set of binoculars, it could be a great birding area.  I also did meet a gentleman and his dog walking the trail (he made it back and forth by the time I made it forth!)  I found the other campground to be so much nicer - more resort-y - than this secluded section.  They have a big, beautiful, heated pool,  which is actually open now.

I'm proud that I forced myself to go beyond my comfort zone and attempt this hike.  But I was way too tired to make the trek back.  I went to the office and asked one of the guys for a ride back to my site.  They were very busy there and although they obliged in a sweet manner, I'm sure they were not that happy about it.  I promised not to do that again unless I can either walk back myself or time it so that Mitch can come and get me (I can probably hike back myself if I take a bit more time to rest).

Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be like today's: sunny and about 85 degrees** (tomorrow is Shabbat).  The plan is that Mitch and are are going to hike up tomorrow, taking a backpack filled with water, food, towels,  flip-flops and other goodies, and spend most of the day at the pool.  After several hours, we should be able to hike back (which will be downhill anyway).

** Just yesterday morning, I had the fireplace and my space heater on, and the thermostat set to 74.  Today I put the space heater away for the season and turned the air conditioning on!  Did we go straight from winter to summer overnight?