This week gave way to several perfect springlike days with clear skies, warm sun, birds nesting and blades of green grass appearing through the brown winter cover. Many mornings, I took my coffee and camera outside waiting for wildlife to join me.
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| A young male turkey also known as a "Jake" |
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| A Blue Jay and Eastern Gray Squirrel sharing breakfast |
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| Eastern Bluebirds building their nest |
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| I couldn't identify these, but they were fighting the Bluebirds for the space |
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| A male Wood Duck heading into the stream |
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| American Red Squirrel stealing bird food |
Thursday, 4/10, was a great day for a long hike so Trooper and I headed out early for Lower Lake, which ended up being an eight mile trek. The hike was a good reminder of how much beauty is in the Poconos with dense forests, rolling streams and pristine lakes. It was a long hike but Trooper and I enjoyed the day too much to think about our tired legs (or the fact that I dropped and cracked my zoom lens… fortunately it still works).
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| T checking out a small pond |
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| Little falls |
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| Bigger falls |
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| The biggest of them all |
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| Warm sun and blue skies... perfect Spring day! |
Friday, 4/11 was Corine’s dance recital and would be the first time I saw her on stage. Knowing “Beanie” (as I’ve called her since she was four) for twelve years and watching her grow into a beautiful young woman has been a joy. It’s hard to believe that she is sixteen years old and about to drive, but then again, she’s been mature and sweet beyond her years since I met her. It was tough getting good photos in the theater, but she is an elegant dancer and I’m thrilled I went. It was also a good excuse for Jen, Cathie, Linda and me to dine at Billy B’s Martini Bar and make sure the martinis were as good as I originally thought… and indeed, they were!
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| Ladies night out for Beanies dance recital |
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| The only high school team invited to Marywood College to perform (Beanie is on the right) |
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| Back to Billy B's Martini Bar! |
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| We clearly love our Friday night martinis! |
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| As do Cathie and Linda |
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| Enjoying a night with an amazing woman |
On Saturday, 4/12 I headed south to cross the Delaware River which divides PA and NJ to visit my dear friend Chris. I lived in Bucks County (just north of Philadelphia) from 1997 to 2000 and ran around with Chris and his friends. On both sides of the Delaware River you will find one small, quaint town after another. Dating back to the early 1800’s, the Delaware Canal was used as a transportation corridor between New York and Philadelphia. The area is filled with bridge-tender houses, remnants of locks and hand built stone-arch culverts. Chris and his family now live in one of these quaint towns on the Jersey side. I was looking forward to this trip because one of our other buddies, Matt, was joining us for the evening. When I arrived, Chris said that several neighbors were also partaking, so it ended up being a great evening filled with delicious food, old and new friends, and fire pit s’mores (one of my favorite things… with the brilliant addition of peanut butter!). It had been a long time since I stayed up until 3am, but sitting around the fire with Chris and Matt was well worth sacrificing sleep. I spent a couple of days with the family and want to extend a huge thanks to Chris, Lara, Brooke and Erin for being great hosts, and to Matt and Maria for making the night even more entertaining!
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| The "old" gang back together |
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| The beautiful Mrs. Gatley with a root beer vodka and seltzer (delicious!) |
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| Trooper making new friends |
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| A beautiful evening for a fire |
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| Erin, my roommate for the evening |
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| A quiet next morning |
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| Spring is here! |
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| The boys and their beautiful children out for a morning walk |
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| Matt's boys know how to work the dads! |
We spent Sunday enjoying the local charm of Milford including Ringing Rocks County Park and Jimmy's. Ringing Rocks is a 7-acre boulder field with a unique characteristic. When the rocks are hit with a hammer, they make a sound similar to striking a metal pipe. This is a great place for kids (and adults) to climb the rocks with hammers in hand looking for the perfect chime.
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| Everyone ready to go! |
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| Erin ready to strike (with Dad and Trooper in the background looking on) |
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| The boulder field |
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| Erin and Brooke looking for the perfect "ringing" rock |
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| T & I taking a break |
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| Chris and the girls taking a break |
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| Some afternoon fun to cool down |
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| What goes around comes around (Brooke's brilliant cover idea) |
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| Sunday night at Jimmy's Ice Cream stand... I think the whole town was there! |
Reflection. Spending so much time in one place allows me to get comfortable and forget that I’m a full-time RVer. I left Seattle 100 days ago, crossed through 17 states and covered over 8,000 miles. The west coast was a lot of alone time visiting one remarkable place after another while the east coast has been visiting one person after another reminiscing and reconnecting. I can only imagine what the next nine months and thousands of miles will bring as I head into New England and Canada. I want to thank those of you who made time for me and welcomed me into your homes. This journey has been amazing and reconnecting with many of you has enriched my soul and reminded me how blessed I am…. thank you!
Thanks for reading! Until next time...
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