Yikes! It has been nearly two years since I updated my adventures. And the thing is, I had the time! I will briefly lay out my activities with the good intention of adding more information at a later date, but with a track record such as mine you shouldn’t hold your breath.
I cannot overstate how wonderful my time at Wassamki Springs Campground was. The weather was phenomenal. The delightful combination of warm days and cool nights with consistently low humidity made every day something to joyfully anticipate. It was like this right up until I left on October 13. I left and headed north with the stated mission to see a moose. I failed to do this, but I was pleased with the attempt. I stayed at Shin Pond Campground because it was one of the few that stayed open past Columbus Day. The are numerous snowmobile courses near and the campground had the only bar within many miles. The weather did change as rain made several appearances and daytime highs kept getting lower. The scenery was very nice with the highlight of my stay being a drive through Baxter State Park which is the home of Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and the tallest mountain in Maine.
I returned south with a stay at Bull Run Campground which afforded me the opportunity to catch up with friends and spend time in familiar surroundings.
After an enjoyable holiday with family and friends, I headed with the RV to Savanah, GA and Charleston, SC. It was nice having a friend in Savanah who could show me around and provide some insights into the area. Both cities were pleasant and it was extraordinarily easy to forget that it was the dead of winter.
I returned to Wilmington, NC for a short stay and parked the RV and drove the pickup unencumbered on a 1,000 mile trip.
First stop was Sebastian, FL where I visited with cousins for a couple of days and checked out local RV campgrounds with the goal of finding a suitable place to stay the following winter. I then crossed the state and stayed with friends near North Ft Meyers, again hoping to find a campground for the following winter. Without fail no one had known availability and would not be able to say until late August or September because they were waiting on renewals. I then headed to Gulf Shores, Al and stayed with a friend for a week and my streak of wonderful weather continued. It was fun visiting my friend and seeing the sights including the beach. I have been there a few times before and I have always enjoyed myself. I then traveled to Atlanta where my nephew lives, and we went to a comedy show featuring the folks behind the podcast “Are you garbage?’ They interview comics and delve into their upbringing and history and are good for some laughs without fail.
My nephew gave me a ride to the airport and I flew to Las Vegas to meet a friend. We walked a lot in town since my buddy was reluctant to gamble so we took in the sights and sounds of the city. Also, we took in the smell since marijuana was everywhere. We took a day trip to Valley of Fire State Park which was a very nice excursion.
I returned to Atlanta and then drove to Wilmington, NC and spent a month in the RV at Carolina Beach. I wrapped up my stay and drove with a friend back to Wassanki Springs. My good fortune with weather finally failed as Maine was cool and wet for the first six weeks there, but even so, Maine is a beautiful place to visit that I did not mind. Much.
A word about dogs. I am one of those people who is a dog person. I think the presence of a dog in the family represents a huge positive that greatly exceeds the cost. Having to account for them when making plans in sometimes difficult and may preclude some activities but their mere presence helps keep one grounded and involved in the world. I admit, sometimes I need to be reminded to go for a walk. In July 2021, Noodle J Dog crossed the rainbow bridge, and in July 2022 I started looking for another dog. The only viable option for me was Craigslist given that most(all) adoption organization insist on a fenced yard and I spend most of my time in a travel trailer. At the dog park I have heard some incredible stories of people who were rejected from adopting a dog. Perhaps the worst was a 70 year old man who was rejected because he was told that the puppy he wanted was likely to outlive him. Really? And I thought HOAs were bad. After 3 or 4 weeks I saw an ad featuring a 1 year old puppy who was free to a good home. 30lbs and a mix of heeler (aka Cattle dog) and rat terrier he lived with a mother and daughter who only offered vague reasons why they wanted to get rid of him. His major issue is that he was poorly socialized and new places, things, or people make him nervous and afraid. For example, other than the mother and daughter he had only met one other person and he had never met a man before me. When I got him back to the RV he went into hiding for most of three days but he has made some great strides in the year I have had him. He still gets afraid when exposed to new things but he remembers his friends and he wiggles his bottom with joy.
