Time and Tide wait for no man!

 Location: Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada

We last left you just south of Punxsatawny, Pennsylvania, home of Punxsatawny Phil, the world's most famous weather predicting groundhog. We had a lot of fun there, visiting all the places made famous by the movie "Groundhog Day". We even re-watched the movie that night. 

 We also were surprised to find some lonely, disused oil field pump jacks alongside the road where we camped at a forest service dispersed site for the night.

Kinzua Bridge State Park boasted the world's longest and tallest railroad bridge until it was nearly destroyed by a tornado in 2003 that took out two thirds of it.  The remaining third is now open to walk out on (with a glass floor at the end - we didn't go all the way!!)

 From there, we worked our way further north for a visit with Mark's cousin Gratia and her husband Bill. We'd been craving pizza, but didn't want to stop just anywhere – who wants to waste their semi-annual pizza fix on a frozen pizza? As luck would have it, they have a place named "Kay's Pizza" nearby. Apparently it is famous in the area for having the best pizza ever. It was really, really good!!! 

We then hopped across town to visit old cruising buddies in Troy, New York. We told them about the pizza and Kate said "Kay's?" Apparently she took her first steps there as a child. See, we told you it was good!

Lock 2 on the Erie canal

 Our next hop was up to Mark's brother, Pete and his wife Sandy in Peru, Maine for July 4^th celebrations. We were treated to a wonderful cookout and an awesome fireworks display in Rumford. OK enough of this dawdling we need to get to Canada or it will be time to head south before we get to Nova Scotia!

 Our first stop was St John, New Brunswick. Located on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy, it is famous for its reversing falls. We'd heard of them but didn't really understand exactly what it was. We arrived at low tide and it was amazing, water churning, swirling whirlpools, cormorants riding the currents.

The information suggested that we should view it 3 times, at low tide, slack tide and high tide. We decided to do that and were so glad we did. They were all so different and we really got the feeling of what was going on. 

In between the reversing falls viewings we found a delightful spot - Irving Nature Preserve - on an island via an isthmus with lovely trails and a couple of Cedar Mazes, which were really fun.

Due to the massive tides the incoming tide actually pushes the water backwards up the river over the waterfalls. At slack tide (and you really don't want to misstime it) there's a 20 minute window of calm water during which you can actually traverse the falls on your boat!

 You may have heard of the huge tides at the Bay of Fundy. We drove up the northern shore then entered Nova Scotia and drove down the southern shore.

Known for having the highest tides in the world (some in excess of 55 feet!!), the water is in a near constant state of flow, reversing every 6 hours or so.

 This causes some pretty amazing erosion and keeps the bottom pretty churned up, resulting in some very red colored sea due to the predominance of red sandstone that surrounds the Bay. The farther up the bay and it's tributaries, the redder the water, the rocks, the soil, and the roads.

We got to see a tidal bore in Truro. The tide comes in so fast, a standing wave moves upstream against the river's current. At our viewing point, a small, low bar separated the river. As the bore passed, we could actually see the bar disappearing over the next few minutes. Amazing to see.

On the road again

Date: 22 June, 2018

Location: Confluence, Pennsylvania

Subject: On the road again

We've been in Blacksburg since early May with the exception of a few road trips in the area. Now it's time to get back on the road. We've done a few "shakedown cruises" in the new RV and are pretty happy with it. Just like a boat, there are some things we really like about it and there are some things we wish we liked more. There are always compromises to be made when you try to fit a living area for two people into such a small space.

Our ultimate destination this summer is Nova Scotia, Canada. We'll spend over a month there but right now we're just meandering through some areas we haven't visited before.

If you click on the picture to make it bigger you can see some little yellow dots in the river, they are kayaks!  It's THAT far down!

Our first stop was New River Gorge National River. The views are amazing from the top and the bottom and we've really enjoyed walking the trails, one of our favourite things to do.

One trail eventually led us to a long, narrow spine of rock far above the gorge where we had a specacular view of the New River Gorge bridge. It spans 3,030 ft and is 876 ft high. We had a lovely panoramic view of the gorge, too.

We like to dawdle and have no schedule, giving us time to stop and explore any little interesting things that pop up along the way.

Yesterday we came REALLY close to running over Bambi, a tiny fawn with it's spots still on right in the middle of the road. Poor thing was terrified! If we hadn't been going slow he would have been a goner. That would have been terrible!

We are currently camped at an Army Corps of Engineers campground near Confluence, PA. It's on the Youghiogheny River (pronounced "yahk-ah-GAY-nee"). We love these Pennsylvania pronounciations (for example, "Schuylkill" is pronounced "sKOO-kl")!!

We came here because our house batteries are not charging when the engine is running and we wanted to plug in for the night to get a good charge on them. Just like on Rachel, Mark is troubleshooting and is confident he can come up with a fix.

Tomorrow it's off to Punxsutawny, Pennsylvania, home of Punxsutawny Phil, the world-famous weather predicting groundhog – you may remember the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. Maybe we'll see if we can watch that tonight so we know what to look for when we get there.

Bog balls, burgers, and beetles

 Location: Sumter National Forest, Brick House Campground, South Carolina

It was still cold in Blacksburg, so we decided to take a “shakedown cruise” in the new RV. We just aren't having much luck getting warm this spring! Last night here in South Carolina it got down into the upper 30s. Sheesh! We have had some lovely weather and warmer nights than this but the cold nights are not much fun, even if we do have a heater. What a pair of wusses!

Heading south: Had a lovely visit with Mark's mum in Greensboro, North Carolina for a few days, helping her with chores and shopping, and enjoying each other's company.

Further south: We spent 4 days with some ex-cruising friends (they are no longer cruising but they are still our friends :), who have made Beaufort (“bow-furt”), NC their home. We always enjoy our time with them and our walks around this lovely town. We spent some quality time just hanging out, cooking, and sampled several bottles of wine with our friends. Since we're planning to go to Nova Scotia next summer, we also made plans to travel with them for about 10 days to Grand Manan Island in August while we're both up in that neck of the woods. That should be a fun time.

Even further south: We ended up having another great visit with Mark's son and his family over the weekend near Burgaw, North Carolina.

Yet further south: Still a bit chilly, so we were on the move again. We just happened to get in touch with some other still-actively-cruising friends who also just happened to be spending the night at Osprey Marina on the Waccamaw River. Always looking for opportunities to get together with old friends, we headed down to meet up with them.

We decided to splurge for lunch and ended up at the Socastee Station restaurant in Myrtle Beach. It turned out to be a great choice. It just so happens that Monday is $5 burger day - what luck! We had a great waitress who recommended their “bog balls” as an appetizer. Curious, and always ready to try regional fare, we had to give them a try. So we split an order between the 4 of us. Yum – good decision! Apparently, “chicken bog” is a local delicacy consisting of chicken, rice, sausage, and “other stuff that's secret”. “Bog balls” are simply chicken bog rolled into balls and deep fried - what's not to like? They were accompanied by a secret spicy “dippin' sauce” and made for a really tasty (though not necessarily healthy) appetizer.

  Then came the Monday special – an 8oz. grilled burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, and a mess of fries (“chips” if you're from England) – all included in the $5 price! We all rolled out of there feeling more than sated!!

We finished this part of the trip off with a series of stays in US Forest Service campgrounds, most of them free. One was right on the Intracoastal Waterway at McClellanville, SC. We have passed by it several times in our boats. Lots of fun watching the boats passing by. 

 The campground we're in now has a $5 / night fee, but with our America The Beautiful Senior Pass we're in for half price – a whopping $10 for 4 nights. Livin' large!

 Finally warm enough to start heading north: We came across a North American Trail Ride Conference (http://natrc.org) holding it's South Carolina Derby trail riding competition here in Sumter National Forest. We had an opportunity to meet the organizers and several of the riders as we hiked the shared trail system this weekend.

And our biggest find so far this trip was seeing a dung beetle in action! They roll dung into a ball and then roll it along with their hing legs on top of the ball and push it along, backwards, with their front legs (video below).  It looks remarkably like a bog ball !!? Yikes!

No Sails!

Location: Near Deltaville, VA

Subject:  No sails?

Hold onto your hats! Those whacky Rachels are at it again!!

Let's set the scene. They've just returned from Florida after selling Rachel the catamaran, and are sitting in a two bedroom flat at their friends' house near Deltaville, VA. It's cold outside and they seem slightly bored. Perhaps it's because they have no sails to adjust, and no boat jobs to do. Let's listen in....

“Now that we've sold the boat what are we going to do next?” she asks.

He replies “I dunno. Move back into the house?”

“Okay.”

(Two days pass during which initial plans are made to move back into the house at the end of April)

“You know, I hit my head in Houdini, too.” he says, looking bored again.

“Yes.” she says, “I remember.”

(Two more days pass – he's been looking around on the Internet for potential replacements for Houdini the Toyota)

“Feel like taking a road trip down to Myrtle Beach to check out a 2007 Winnebago View 23J and see if we like it? That vintage is smaller than the newer ones we've seen.”

“Okay” she says “but we're just going to look, right?”

“Of course, darling.”

(Two more days pass - you may be able to sense where this is going – they drive a Wanda-load of boat stuff down to Blacksburg and drop it off, then head down to Myrtle Beach)

 “Wow. This is in really good condition – it looks almost new.”

“Wow. I like this layout.”

“Yeah. And the 5-cylinder diesel has more power than the Toyota.”

 "Right. And I love the bed in the back and the slide out dinette that creates so much more living space.”

(The excitement builds. They are starting to sound like an advertisement)

“YES! And the big fuel tank would give us a lot more range!”

“YES! And the 6' 5” headroom means I wouldn't have to listen to you whining about hitting your head any more!”

“YES! And it has cruise control! And comfy seats!”

“YES! And a guest bed for the grandkids!”

“YES! And a shower stall I can stand up in!”

“YES! And a 3-burner stove and a big fridge!”

“YES! And it only has 47,000 miles on it!”

“YES!!” 

 “OH, YES!!!”

(Uh oh...what's that smell? Could it be the acrid scent of boat money burning holes in pockets?)

“Let's buy it!”

“Okay!”

And they do. As they're driving back to Deltaville they stop for an overnight visit with their newest granddaughter, Celia Rose, born last December, and her family.

“Wow! She's even more beautiful than her pictures!”

“And absolutely precious!”

“Can I hold her?”

“Ooh! Me, too! Can I hold her, too?”

(Two more days pass – we rejoin our spendthrift friends back in the flat near Deltaville – they don't seem to be as bored now)

“You know, I was awake in the night thinking..”

“Always a dangerous proposition.” he interjects

“.. about moving back into the house. We just spent all that money on the RV, and we're going to be doing a lot of traveling this year. Maybe we should rent the house again instead of moving back in. We could really use the income.”

“Okay.”

(See how congenial they are? :-)

(Closing scene: it's a warm, sunny spring day. The camera pans to a distant View bouncing jauntily down a back country road.)

“Beep beep!”

<scattered applause>

So here we are near Deltaville, staying a bit longer with our friends, helping them with painting and wiring and cooking and doing dishes and pouring wine and whatever else they need us to do as they remodel their kitchen.

Then it's off to Blacksburg around Easter weekend to haul back the final load of stuff from the boat, drop off Wanda the Honda, and take care of a few other things at our house. After that we're saddlin' up and headin' south in the View until May. It's become apparent that it's much too cold for us up here in Virginia. And, anyway, we could use a good shakedown cruise.

Keep an eye out for us – we shouldn't be too hard to spot since, for the first time ever, we've decided to spring for personalized license plates: “NO SAILS”.

WHACK!!

Location: Vero Beach, Florida

“I'm going to put the kettle on.” Whack! “OW!!”

“Pass me that towel please.” Clunk! “@$^$^&*!!!”

“Let me just grab my cap.” Bonk! “AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!”

This has been Mark's life, several times a day, every day, since we moved aboard Rachel last October and headed south.

It turns out that Rachel is about an inch too short for Mark and he turns out (not unexpectedly <g>) to be a slow study. Even after living aboard for four months, he's still hitting his head. He adjusts and bends lower, gets used to it, then, as soon as he has his shoes on, or is wearing a cap, or the boat moves, or he simply isn't paying attention, he whacks his head again. Doorways, handholds, hard bimini corners, light switches, overhead teak trim – none have cause to feel left out. There are only three places in the boat in which he can stand upright – the main salon by the door, and the two hulls amidship – but only if he stands in just the right place and doesn't move. We thought he'd get used to it over time, but, unfortunately, that's not how it's worked out. So we've reluctantly decided to put Rachel on the market before Mark sprains his neck or suffers a concussion. She's been a great boat, and we're really happy with her – except for this one issue and it just doesn't seem to be getting any better.

After spending a fun month in Fort Myers Beach, we decided to head back across Florida again on the Okeechobee Waterway and put Rachel on the market. We are back in Vero Beach on a mooring and have advertised Rachel on a free sailboat listing web site as being for sale by owner. She's been listed for less than a week and we've already had about 20 contacts, 4 visits, and one repeat visit. We are cautiously optimistic.

“Well, what's next?” you might ask. Watch this space, 'cause were waiting to see what happens, too!

Everyone is asking us if we'll get another boat. Our answer is “almost assuredly” - we love sailing and cruising and know we'll miss all our cruising friends. Last time we sold a boat, we managed to hold out for...hmmm … less then a year? Really? We have no idea how long this particular boatless period will last, but we do know we'll eventually get another one. We're not actively looking, but we'll keep our eyes open as we travel about and see what comes to us.

In any event, we'll still keep RVing – we're thinking about heading up to Nova Scotia this summer – and we'll still do months-long immersive trips to other countries like we did last winter in Vietnam. So our itch to travel and see new places and meet new people will continue to be scratched, and we'll continue to share our experiences with you all via these Khronicles.

We're also going to take the upstairs of our house off the rental market and move back in this spring. It'll be nice to get all our stuff out of the basement and have an actual house to knock about in. Eleven years ago in April we moved aboard Rachel full-time, and we haven't had a “home base” since, except for one winter a few years ago. When visiting Blacksburg, we've had to stay with friends or family, or live in Houdini (our little Toyota RV) in our front yard or in friends' driveways. We love our traveling lifestyle and don't plan to give it up any time soon – we just want a home to come home to whenever we're ready to come home.

Whack! “DOH!!”

Mark & Julie

PS – March 6 - After a record breaking short time on the market (one week to contract, and less than another week to closing) Rachel has been sold! Her new owners Kevin and Diane will take her to a boatyard in a few days and put her to bed for the spring and summer. Then they'll head back down from the Vancouver, BC, Canada area and start their new “snowbird” cruising lifestyle. We wish them all the best and hope they meet as many wonderful friends as we have!

Friends, etc.

Location: Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Position: 26 27.275 N 081 56.374 W

After our last posting about crossing the Okeechobee we received lots of emails and calls from friends who were either in Western Florida or would be there in the next couple of months. They all wanted to get together with us while we were over here. So even though the weather has been cold and windy we have been warmed by this outpouring of friendship. We managed to connect with almost all of them over the last 2 months. Some of them we hadn't seen for quite a few years.

All the visiting was interspersed with some great places. Here are the highlights:

Cayo Costa State Park, an awesome, quiet, and beautiful anchorage. A lovely beach on the Gulf of Mexico, up close and personal with several manatees, we saw our first crocodile, and spent hours here walking the trails (when it wasn't cold and windy).

Crocodile

After sitting for a long time snapping away we managed to get this great picture of a manatee

 In Don Pedro State Park we ran across an alert "watch pig" guarding the building behind it.  Yes, it really is alive...but asleep!

 In Punta Gorda, we got to visit friends we met in Honduras who are now Cruisers Living On Dirt (CLODs).  

 We dinghied around the canals, checking out all the cool Christmas lights, attended a performance of Scrooge, and visited the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, an awesome, kitschy, and up-close wildlife rehabilitation center for exotic animals. Lions, tigers, and bears! Oh my! 

 They even drove their powerboat down to visit us in Cayo Costa for the day and brought lunch (on a day that wasn't windy and cold)!

 We celebrated our 16^th wedding anniversary – we're still best friends, and still in love.

Banyan tree 

Friends from Virginia now living in Florida, invited us to spend Christmas with them and their family. We had a wonderful time (we were inside when it was cold and windy).

 While in Sarasota we went to the Ringling Circus and Art Museums which were both amazing. Even though the circus is closed down now there are apparently still many circus families living in the area.

 Did we mention that the weather was really cold and windy? We decided to head south rather than go any further north, where it would be even colder and windier. Now we are at Fort Myers Beach on a mooring. 

We're enjoying walks on the beach, walks in parks, lots of Happy Hours in the plethora of bars here, and a great bus system to assist us in our efforts to explore and shop. Several old cruising friends are also in the mooring field for us to hang out with and more land friends keep popping in for lunch from nearby locations. What a fun couple of months!

We are so blessed to have so many good friends. The weather has also taken a turn for the better and now, (FINALLY) it's around 80 every day, 60 at night and not so windy. Woohoo!!