Day 2 of Westward Ho

Day 2 of Westward HO
Last night we spent a lovely night in a Park in PA near a lovely lake. The campground was in the woods, but we stopped and took pictures of the lake. We had no hookups last night, but the camper battery gave us light and worked the camper fans over our bed. We actually turned them off early in the night. The temperature was near 80 degrees when we stopped.
It was so quiet and still and peaceful. I lay watching the fireflies dance before I fell asleep.
We woke up at 6 this morning as we had gone to bed so early last night. We both took showers, ate cereal and juice for breakfast and were on the road again by 8:00.
We ran into a lot of rain storms today and spent a lot of time in lines on the highway due to construction. PA is so beautiful, we didn’t mind the slow pace.
The storms continued so we stopped and ate supper to give the front time to move and it did. Now we are in a nice park just inside Ohio. I just heard the train pass on tracks behind the campground which brings to mind the story our campground lady manager told us when we checked in. She warned us about the train because we are in tornado alley.
The story is as follows. A genteel couple from Georgia were camping near the tracks, which they didn’t know were there. When the train came through, the genteel lady paniced and tried to find a place to hide. There is no place even in a fifth wheel to really hide but she huddled down in the tiny bathroom. Then she got stuck. The manager found out when the husband came and asked where a grocery store was. Later he told her it took 2 bottles of cooking oil to get the somewhat robust genteel lady out of the shower.
More the next time.

I will add a little more as we are in our campsite in Lafayette, Indiana and we see the grandkids tomorrow. It's not easy to get online, so don't know how this is going to work. We have a site for two days here with access.

Westward HO

We will be leaving on Sunday for another adventure in our Coleman tent camper. We are very excited about going to Glacier National Park as it is one of the few National Parks that we have not visited over our lifetime.
The camper is packed, the car is packed and we are like two 77 year old kids going away for a trip and can't wait.
One reason for going Sunday is that I cover five towns for the Sun Journal daily paper and I have a big annual town meeting on Saturday. I will have one more in August and that will be the big ones for the year.
It is not a perfect time to go as far as my garden is concerned because the daylilies are just beginning to bloom. Being gone for three weeks will see the peak gone, but I should have a fair showing when I return. This photo is one of my favorite seedlings and is worthy of introducing if I were into that again, but I'm not. I just like to look at them.
I will have several of my seedling bloom that I have yet to see, and hopefully they will not all be bloomed out when I get back. I shall blog along the way whenever I can.

Wisteria in Maine

As long as I can remember, the wistera has filled my senses with spring. The smell, the color, the soft feel of the buds before they opened, and yes, the feel of the tight buds in my mouth. I remember the enjoyment of sucking on them. Perhaps they were poison, but I'm still here after 76 years.
The fragrance from the clustered blossoms would permeate the old home place where it twined over the porch swing. Green snakes used to frequent the heavy vines and when you were sitting on the swing you weren't sure if the thing touching your back was a tendril from the vine reaching out for another hold, or a tiny snake.
The swing hung from the top of the porch on chains. It was made of wood and had ample room for two adults and a kid to sit. I often sat between by brother Merkle and his wife Mary. It was the center of the gathering on Sundays when people came to visit. Dad had a large rocking chair and mother used a smaller one. Again, they were hand made.
The porch was two feet off the ground, so other visitors would line the porch or steps when the swing was taken. You didn't use the rocking chairs!
The wisteria brings back lots of memories and I am so glad that I have continued to bring a piece of that Mississippi vine to every home I have ever had. Now it will rest in Maine with me.

Tulips in Ocean Botanical Gardens

Tulips have always been a favoite of mine since I was in kindergarten and had to draw that stilted version of a tulip that all kids draw. The teacher showed us pictures of Holland and I fell in love with the real thing. One of the highlights of my life was to go to Holland and see the fields and fields full of tulips.
I didn't have to go to Holland for these pictures. The Maine Ocean Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor always has a beautiful showing in May. This year was no exception.
In addition to the tulips, the rhododendrum were in full bloom as well as the Lady Slippers. We saw hundreds of them blooming in an area set aside along a woodland trail just for Lady slippers. I have Lady Slippers in my woods, but not that many in a concentrated area, but then I haven't planned such a spot. And I might add, I don't have mega bucks to finance such a showing. However, it's great to have a place to go and see God's beautiful flowers.
Visiting the gardens was just another thing to add to the enjoyment of our ocean anniversary trip.

Ocean Camping trip

Our first trip in our camper was to the ocean. We had the site of all sites. The number is "ON" meaning, it is on the ocean. I could have spit in the ocean from my picnic table bench, in high tide.

On our last day, I decided to watch the sunrise as the surf was pounding so hard it woke me at 4:15. I crept out to the car and got my camera while still in my pj's and a jacket. The sky was just beginning to turn to a golden hue. The robins were singing their hearts out in the trees, but the gulls were quiet. When the storm came yesterday, they went crazy screaming in the wind.
Anyway, no rain today.
I saw a few little ducks in the water enjoying the unusually high tide this morning. Pink clouds were slowly creeping over from the north.
I got a little chilly, so went inside the camper to make a cup of coffee. Tom was sleeping soundly in is cozy sleeping bag.
The coffee was made just in time. I barely had time to take a sip before the sun broke the horizon. What a glorious sight.
The sun warmed my face, the coffee warmed my throat, the surf and bird songs filled my ears. My heart and soul was full of peace.
The surf brought in waves with a spash and took the gravel back out with rolling stone sounds. I sat on the picnic table bench and looked down into the water, now golden with the sun. I did not move for fear I would miss a moment of this bliss.

New Orchid

It's not that I don't have enough orchids, it's just that I can't pass up a sale.

My friend Christine and I traveled all the way to Gorham, Maine last night to the Orchid society meeting, which was a vendor's auction to raise money for the club.

I bid on several, but do have my limits. I finally won the bid on a Epc.Midddleburg MAJ (c. bactiaxEpi phoenicum) which has several buds but none are open yet. It is a small deep red cattelya shaped orchid and I'm looking forward to seeing the buds open. It fits nicely on one of my window shelves. I've actually filled up the window. I can't buy any more.

I'll post the picture when it opens.

Spring has come to Maine

Spring has come to Maine with brillant colors and a few black flies. We have to ignore the flies, because there is so much beauty to look forward to in the yards and in the woods.

One of my favorite colors is yellow and you will see in some of my photos. A second favorite would have to be pink, again you will see.

However, I just love to search the woods for the first show of what has been lying dormant under all the snow. The lady slipper just begining to hood, the Painted Lady trillium and the viburnum also called hobble bush, I have been told.

Spring is the new awakening I look forward to each spring coming after all that cold weather. It is worth the wait.