811 August 22-23, 2022 We Got Her Back!

Monday, we spent all day waiting. I walked in chilly morning mist.  Then, it was overcast and gloomy; another good day for cleaning and reading.  There was a chance of rain all day and we waited for the rain and we waited for a call about the Jeep.  At 3pm Tim called.  They might get it finished before the end of the day.  When they took it for a test drive though, the brakes were spongy. 

Tuesday morning they were going to bleed the brakes. 

We did our morning exercise and then packed up and drove the RV to the car shop.  They had just finished and were ready to take it for a spin.  Tim went along and was satisfied that everything was running well.  We paid and hooked up and drove south on 95.

Instead of taking 95 all the way through Boston and New York City, we chose an alternate route.  We took 90 west to 84 west.  There was still a lot of traffic and around Waterbury, it started to pour with thunder and lightning.  Then there was a 34-minute area of red.  A traffic accident had things snarled for miles.

We got out of the traffic mess and the rain stopped.  We were looking forward to stopping at the New York Welcome Center but it was an Unwelcome Center…not clean and crowded and no place to walk. 

We had a lot of trouble finding a place to stay.  There were very few campgrounds and the state parks were not accepting same day reservations.  We looked for a Cracker Barrel or a Walmart but there must be some ordinance up here that prevents Walmart from allowing overnight stays.  We stopped in Middletown, New York.  We found a Red Lobster within walking distance and got some dinner. 

We finally settled at a Sam’s Club that allows RV parking. 

We will be home in a day or two and so this journey is coming to an end.  We saw a lot, we learned a lot, and we loved Canada!  We plan to stay in Maryland for a week or two and then we will spend some time in Atlanta.  The blog will be suspended until we begin traveling again in late September. 

Thanks for riding along with us! 

810 August 21, 2022 Ordinary Day

A nice walk on country roads. I saw a rafter of wild turkeys and watched them cross the road. 2 mamas and a bunch of fuzzy poults. Cars were buzzing up the hill and so I cautioned them to slow to allow the family to get to safety.

Moth and butterfly.

Today was an ordinary day. We did not do anything special and certainly nothing blogworthy. We are so accustomed to moving and exploring and seeing new things everyday. To sit here is a bit of a challenge. Trying not to be bored…so a lot of fixing and cleaning and organizing and then lots of reading and relaxing.

Our evening walk took us to the water, This tiny horseshoe crab shell was on the bank.

Hoping for good Jeep news tomorrow…we are ready to start heading home!

809 August 20, 2022 Laundry On A Bicycle

I took my walk to the Chewinko School property and back to the campground.  It was a gorgeous morning to be out and moving!

We got a text shortly after 9 this morning from Grover.  Unfortunately, the supplier sent the wrong Jeep part.  Work will proceed Monday.

What to do with our day?  We had a very full clothes hamper.  Our washer died a couple of weeks ago and there is no laundry here in the campground.  The laundromat is about 2 miles away.  I thought about using a taxi to take me.  Before I could say that out loud. Tim had his own idea.  We packed the bike bags and panniers and his bike basket with everything we needed and cycled into town and washed our clothes.  You have to work with what you’ve got!

We met this man, Bob, who is a pilot.  He had a very fascinating story.  He was flying an experimental plane with his wife as a passenger.  Something went wrong with the plane…possibly vapor lock in his fuel line.  The engine failed.  He saw a grassy clearing where he thought that he could safely land.  What he didn’t anticipate was the utility wire strung across his path.  The wire snagged the plane and sent it plunging straight down.  A local veterinarian was out taking care of cows when he heard the plane in trouble.  He saw it go down and raced to the scene.  He immediately put tourniquets on both legs and an arm.  Bob had compound fracturs of three limbs and was bleeding out.  The vet saved Bob’s life.    Bob’s wife suffered one broken rib and a concussion.  Bob had a complicated medical recovery with lots of surgeries in attempts to save his mangled legs.  The surgeries were not successful and he had both legs amputated.  This man was energetic and smart and determined to have a positive attitude.  His goal was to work hard and learn to fly again using his prosthetic limbs.  He was able to achieve that goal and continues to work as a small plane pilot.  Our conversation made the time at the laundromat pass very quickly.  We walked away inspired by his resilience. 

As our reward, we went to lunch at the Barnhouse. 

This afternoon it was 88 degrees.  We spent a quiet day, reading and doing a few chores.

This evening we took a walk.

Our quote tonight is in honor of Bob.

808 August 19, 2022 Chewonki

I had a really neat walk through forest, to the mud flats, and along marshes. There was no traffic, only a couple of other walkers. It was peaceful and beautiful.

We went to get a few groceries and then stopped at Grover Tire and Auto. The old guy there did not say much and didn’t promise anything . He only said what we already knew…they had to take a look at it.

We arrived at Chewonki Campground. The host was able to find us a larger site and we moved in and settled.

This afternoon we took our bikes on the backroads to Chewonki. We didn’t realize that we had wandered onto the property of a school. The kids start arriving next week. This is a private school that sits on the point. The curriculum is built on ideas of ecological science, sutainability, and conservation. There is a one semester program where high school juniors and seniors can board and for four months, study intensively in the nearby estuaries and woods as well as working on the organic farm. There are also programs for kids in grades 1-8. It’s a pretty cool place!

View from the campground.

This evening after dinner, we walked back down to the water. The tide was outgoing.

We are near a small municipal airport.

We did hear from the owner of the car shop a couple of times today. They had diagnosed the problems and had parts available to fix the Jeep. They were trying to get us finished today but we didn’t hear from them again before close of business. The website says that they are open on Saturdays…not too sure if they will get done tomorrow or not…staying flexible!

807 August 18, 2022 Uh Oh!

Laps around the Walmart, TSC, and Matress Firm parking lots for more than 3 miles. It was misty and cool but thankfully not raining.

We stopped at Sherman Lake at a rest area for breakfast. This is an estuary where the fresh water meets salt water. Lots of creatures feed here and it is a spawning place for marine life. Here we met a couple from Florida with a similar RV and Jeep and we traded stories with them for awhile.

Tim drove only a short distance today to a campground on the coast at Sagadahoc Bay. We are parked along mud flats. When the tide is low, people were out digging for clams.

We were excited to go out and explore. Georgetown Harbor, the prettiest harbor in Maine, and Reid State Park are just a couple of miles from here. We got in the Jeep and it was making an unpleasant noise. I was driving and Tim got out to listen. Then he drove it a short way. He found what he thought was brake fluid leaking from the passenger rear. There is a guy, Randy, who works at the campground who is a mecahnic. He and Tim removed the tire to look. Maybe it was a caliper seal…but it wasn’t…it was the bearings and the axle with leaking differential fluid. What a mess!

We had to find a garage who would help us. Grover Auto and Tire said they could look at the Jeep tomorrow and could get to it sometime next week. They referred us to a towing company.

Our next issue was finding a place to stay. The campground we are at is completely booked for the weekend. They were going to allow us to dry camp but that’s a long time to be without power and water.

Chewinko campground is just 3 miles from the shop that will service the Jeep. They also had no spots available. I explained our situation and asked her to call me with any cancellations. She was kind enough to take a tape measure out to the last site she had. She sent us pictures and we can make it work. Tomorrow we will move there.

This is not convenient but we are grateful to be in a place where we met lots of kind people who did everything they could to help us. We are also thankful to have a place to stay. We will just have to wait and see how the coming days work out. It’s all part of our grand adventure!

806 August 17, 2022 Rain In Maine

I was in a hurry to get out this morning. It was a pleasant walk from the campground and into the town.

The skies were greying as I turned for home. The first raindrops fell as soon as I got back. The forecast was for 100% chance of rain all day.

We were just a short distance from the US border. We entered Maine at Vanceboro. Route 6 was not an easy road. For the first 20 miles it was crowned in the center and skinny with little shoulder. There were lots of cracks and potholes and it was raining. As much as he could, Tim straddled the yellow center line.

We stopped in the town of Lincoln. There was a Walmart there. After almost a month in Canada, there were things that we needed. It was a tiny, itty, bitty Walmart. We left with a few things.

We traveled on to Bangor. Here we went to a Vitamin Shoppe. Tim had been using tart cherry juice concentrate each day for his joints and we could not find it anywhere in Canada. We then stopped at a second much bigger Walmart in Bangor and did a major shopping trip. We thought about staying here overnight but it was still early in the day. It was raining so hard that we wouldn’t be able to do anything outside. Tim decided we would keep driving. We wanted to tour along the coast near Belfast. To get there, GPS took us on a wiggle waggle on narrow country roads. The rain was fairly intense at this point. Once we had committed to this route, there was no easy way out. The only way was forward! The rain was weighing down tree branches and we could hear them grazing the roof of our high profile rig.

Once we got to Route 1, the drive was pretty; through Belfast and Camden and Rockland. Sea harbors with sailboats and lobster shacks. There were lots of fancy houses and inns and bed and breakfast establishments.

We are now at our third Walmart of the day. We will stay here tonight.

We had a wonderful time in Canada. We loved the colorful houses, the abundance of flowers, the kind people. We loved that the coastline was populated by regular folks in regular houses; that you didn’t have to be wealthy to live by the sea. We loved the outdoor spaces; the parks, the bike paths, the hiking trails. We enjoyed using bits and pieces of limited French to get our needs met. We were happy to cross the border and see our own flag waving!

805 August 16, 2022 Fredericton

Morning loops around the campground to get the steps done.

Our drive today took us through the city of Fredericton.  This is the capital of New Brunswick.  It is a beautiful city.  We had a little trouble finding a place to park the RV and tow vehicle but Tim was persistent.  We took the bikes off and cycled on the paved bike path along the Saint John River. 

I loved these fanciful flower sculptures!

We rode across the Bill Thorpe Pedestrian Bridge and made a huge loop taking another bridge back across the river.

We rode through downtown.

A short stop at a construction site.

A sculpture depicting flood levels.

City Hall.

We reloaded the bikes and traveled onward to McAdam.  Our campground sits on Wauklehegan Lake.

We rode back in to McAdam to explore.  This is a very small village.  There is though, this lovingly restored train station.  Unfortunately, it was closed.  We did peek through the windows.

A lunch counter.

A dining room.

When we returned to the RV, I blogged and cooked…multitasking!

After dinner walk by the lake.

Tonight’s quote comes from Leanne…thanks for sharing…it’s a good one!!!

804 August 15, 2022 Miramichi River Route

Happy happy 6^th birthday sweet Oliver!!!

The morning came and with it, blue skies and sunshine!  I was able to walk in the campground and the surrounding neighborhood.

Today we left the coast behind turning inland and traveling along the Miramichi River on a scenic highway.

When we arrived at the campground, we asked what we should be sure to see.  We were directed to the Woodsman Museum in the nearby Boiestown.  There was also a waterfall we should see and the map to the falls is at the museum.  Just before we got to the town, Tim spotted a young moose by the road.  I was driving and had traffic behind me…so no pictures…but what a magnificent animal.  Every time we are lucky enough to see one, I am amazed by their power and grace.

Well, the Woodsman Museum is closed on Monday.  No map to the falls.  We went across the street to the community park.  Here there was a woman watching her children play.  She gave us directions to the falls and we were on our way!

We must have misremembered the instructions.  There were many turns and no road names mentioned.  Tim realized that we were going the wrong way.  We were about to give up when we saw a man in a motorized wheelchair running along the road.  He gave us clear directions and this time; we found our way. 

It was a nice short hike to get there.  Fall Brook Falls is 30 meters high.  They are the tallest continuously running falls in New Brunswick.

This cool bug is a stonefly naiad or nymph.  If stoneflies are present, it is an indicator that the water is very clean.  Fly fishermen get excited when they see stoneflies because it usually means that trout are present.  

By the time we got back, it was dinnertime.  Tuna steaks on the grill with a blackberry salad.

The quote tonight is from “Time of Wonder” by Robert McCloskey.  “Take a farewell look at the waves and sky.  Take a farewell sniff of the salty sea.  A little bit sad about the place you are leaving, a little bit glad about the place you are going.”

803 August 14, 2022 Tracadie

It began to rain during the night and it rained all day.  We drove the short distance to the town of Tracadie.  It was too wet to do anything outside.  We got a few groceries and I took clothes to the laundromat.  It was the first washout day of our summer trip.

Finally, after dinner, the rain stopped.  We took the Jeep to Tracadie Beach.  We walked a couple of miles as the sky grew increasingly ominous.  Just as we got back to the RV, the rain began again.

802 August 13, 2022 Miscou Island

I took a walk this morning in Grande-Anse but the highlights of my walk were a phone conversation with mom and a FaceTime call with David and his boys.

Just a couple of pictures this morning.

The visitor center has a picnic area deisigned as a lobster trap. Lobster is really a big deal here!

We traveled today another 60 miles east to Miscou Island.  It was a pretty drive through forest, along the coast, and through small villages.  We stopped to walk at a park in Shappagan.

These boats are in drydock.  The lobster and crab seasons are finished for this year.

Once we had set up camp, we took the Jeep and went for a ride to see Miscou Island.  We walked the boardwalk through the peat bog.  This was really interesting to me.  I first of all did not know that peat is harvested.  It is used primarily for potting soils but also as a fuel for cooking and heating.  This bog is protected.  Bogs occur in depressions in the surface of the earth.  They fill with rainwater.  They are particularly acidic and only certain plants will thrive here. 

Because carnivorous plants get most of their nutrition from insects, they have adapted to live in bogs where the nutrients are otherwise very poor.  These pitcher plants are currently in bloom…so very cool!

We drove further to the end of pavement.  Here we saw the lighthouse.

We walked a mile on the beach and then sat for a while on a log before heading back.  There were very few other people and most of the time, we had the beach to ourselves.

This evening, we went to dinner at Resto la Terrasse a Steve.  We shared stuffed oysters and steamed mussels and lobster casserole.

I walked to the beach.  I had read that the Acadian Isles have the warmest salt water north of Virginia…I had to try…the water was COLD!!

Another good day of exploring and learning and seeing new things!

Where in the world are we?!?