I am coming home...

Tawny and I decided that we should wrap up our summer adventure with our final  night at Silver Aspen Ranch.  With talks of selling my families land this may be our last chance to visit.

So here we are at SAR.  She welcomed us  with a moose sighting on Idaho hwy 31 between Driggs and Swan Valley and a double rainbow as we approached Alpine, WY.  The rain I have encountered on my journey back home is now forgiven as I see the lush greeness of my beloved Star Valley.

I surely have grown 12 inches over the last 36 hours.   I have risen above the trees and I can see for miles and miles.  I swear I saw Ramona Ave as I descended  from Palasades today.

4 hours from "The Hood".  Can't wait for Este pizza with the fam, SH farmers market, Bernice's wedding celebrations and my bike ride to rrmsc.  I am coming home.

We are as good as home

Today at approximately 2:45 pm I reached Bozeman,  MT.  I am no longer exploring new turf.  This is familiar territory to black beauty. 

Tawny and I met up with our old V.C. friends and finally enjoyed a warm, dry & sunny afternoon.

We are 6.5 hours from The Bungalow.  

Rain and more rain

Today's milestones:

1.  Goodbye Minnesota, adiós North Dakota,  arrivederci central time zone.
2.  Hello continental divide, mountain standard time zone and big sky Montana!
3.  End of scenic byways and beginning of interstate highways.

The scenic byways prove that American towns are still unique.  I am relieved to see that the U.S. is not as global as the interstates lead us to believe.  Each region is individual with its own architecture and food.  I love the half sun design on houses in Maine,  the pasties in the U. P., Wisconsin wild rice, sunflower farms in Minnesota and breweries in Montana.

Best part of today...Theodore Roosevelt NP.  If I did not take this long scenic route I would not have visited this beautiful park.  I was hopeful to camp in the park however, the rain forced me farther west.

Today it poured which made for a very lush drive through America's badlands.  I have spent the last 4 nights camping in the rain.  I am done.  Eastern Montana tonight, Virginia City tomorrow and SLC Tuesday!!!!!

Peace and love to my dear sweet friend J. G.  I thought of you all day.  I wish I could have had that glass of scotch with you before I left slc.  You really have had a big impact in my life and I will always remember you.  Mt heart is heavy tonight

We are out of the woods

Two milestones today:

1.  I crossed the Mississippi River today.
2.  I am officially out of the woods and in the prairies.

Almost immediately after crossing the Mississippi River I saw a Grey Wolf on hwy 200 west in Minnesota.  It must be a good omen.  Mother nature welcoming us West!

I am relived to be back in open country.  It feels so freeing to be out from under the canopy.  I love the open space and the bright sky.  Tawny feels it too.  She was so excited to run and prance in the open grasses of Buffalo River SP, MN.

Westward

After 3 nights in romantic Quebec City & 2 nights in street graffiti cool Montreal with Edward, Tawny & I have said our farewells to our east coast friends.

Finally westward bound. Back to camping for Tawny girl & I.   Spent 1 rainy night at Samuel De Champlain Provincial Park in Ontario.   Crossed the glorious USA boarder last night and camped at Brimley SP in U.P. of Michigan.  Of all of my driving thus far I enjoyed the U.P. the most. Very remote in places and easy  landscape to drive.  Love the vegetarian pasties and the mighty Lake Superior.  The leaves are already changing colors.

We are now camped at Copper Falls SP in Wisconsin.   The park ranger here grew up in my home town!  Finally have Internet access on my phone, reached four digits in elevation and have entered into a new time zone!!!  Home doesn't seem so far now.

WEST.   We are heading west Tawny.

P.S.  Tris, really depending on Saskatch tonight...

I survived summer camp!!!

I survived 8 weeks of summer camp.  It was bitter sweet saying good bye to my sweet little campers and my dear dear friends.  Many tears.

I am sitting at my usual stomping grounds, The Apple Shed Bakery having my last cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll as I decompress.

I will miss Maine and a hand full of campers will always be with me.  It's been a challenge and at times I didn't think I would make it.  But I did thanks to Miss Molly, Yasmeen and Eunie --3 of the best nurses I have had the privilege to work with.

I do love you Maine and I will visit again.  Good bye for now.

On to another chapter.  I cross the boarder to Quebec this evening.

College Days

As we wrap up the final week at camp the campers participate in an event called College Days.  The kids are split into college teams and compete all week long.  The kids are very hyped up and wait all season for this week.  The mark of College Days started off with a professional performance of air boarding, team uniforms, face paint and continuous loud chanting and screaming.

Attention College Day Campers:  Suffering from laryngitis?  Stomach ache because your team lost today? Come to the Health Center!  Tawny is here to give kisses and make it all better!

The campers all say the same thing.  They miss their dogs at home more than anything else.  No shortage of love for Tawny dog here at camp.

Tomorrow our sweet neighbors move out.  The horses.  Back to Colby College.  Tawny and I will miss them greatly.  They have been a constant in our morning ritual.

The camp kids call me Adster

My official camp name is Adster. Named by the youngest campers, the Apache boys.

More camp nurse questions...

Has anyone seen the poop log?

Can you look in this campers ear?  I think something is nesting in there.

Ringworm, lyme or impetigo? 

Dandruff or lice? 

Hard to believe camp is coming to an end.  The saying goes "one week at camp equals one month to the outside world".  This means I have been at camp for 7 months. 

Despite my home sickness I will really miss the camaraderie of my colleagues and the cute little Apache boys and Acadia girls.

Apricots and the Appalachian

Today I received a text from my dear sis-in-law Kara asking if I would like her to freeze some apricots.  Oh what I wouldn't do to bite into a warm Utah apricot right now...

Maine nights are so cold.  I have worn flannels to bed all but 2 nights.  Maine days are quite pleasant and the lake is always warm.  Sometimes warmer than the air.  

Tomorrow my little superhero Tawny girl and I are heading to Grafton Notch to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Yippee!

Camp questions of the day...

Are there tooth faries in China?

Why don't the camper's get a day off?

What I love about Maine...

I won't lie,  camp nursing is challenging.  I can't write about the challenges or I will break.  So instead I will write about the things I love about camp and about Maine.

My colleagues.  There are 7 nurses here.  Most new grads.  This is their first nursing job.  They are all shaping into awesome nurses and we keep on keeping on for each other, for the sisterhood.  We have developed strong bonds and I know I have 7 new friends for life.

The camp kids.  Most are so sweet!  One of my little guys asked if I could teach his mom to do his injections the way I do it because it doesn't hurt when I do it.  Another asked why I had to take a day off.  Why I couldn't be there for him every day. 

The stars and the Milky Way.  I see the Milky Way every night on my walk from the health center to my cabin.  And the stars are SPECTACULAR!!! 

The Loons on the lake.  I fall asleep to the loons calling to each other everynight.

Maine.  48 state parks (I bought a parks pass)!  Strawberries!  Fiddleheads!  Lobster (kind of sick of lobster) the coast of Maine! Sailboats! (see photo of Tawny's  first sail on a Scooner), lakes, antique shops, rural farmers markets and Shipyard brew!

Ed.  My dear friend Ed who has been my rock through all of the challenges I cannot write about.

Lakes and Libraries

Fifteen mile bike ride around Echo Lake this morning pulling my Boo.  Rode upon a library with boxes of free books.  Maine has so many darling little libraries.  My new hobby is to photograph them.

Sitting at the Kents Hill School now reading a book about Jimmy Buffet losing his Wyoming Ranch ironically.

Back to camp for a quick dip in the lake to cool off before comforting all my homesick little campers.

Bitter Sweet

After working 8 long days in a row I am finally feeling confident that the health center is mostly ready for the kids to roll in on Saturday.  The majority of the camp staff had a much deserved day off today!

We started our "off time" last night in the town of Hallowell along the Kennebec River dining at The Liberal Cup and drinking local brew. 

Today Tawny and I and our new friend Lila drove to Reid State Park just south of camp.  We literally had the whole beach to ourselves. I am in love with New England's coast.  

Today has been a roller coaster of emotions for me.  I can't sleep. Today I received gut kicking news that Silver Aspen Ranch will be sold in the next year.  I feel like my guts are being ripped out as I write this.  How is this happening? 

Summer Solstice

"Feels like fall" is the quote of the week here in New England.  Pleasant days and cool mornings and evenings.  Today is the first day I feel home sick. It must be summer solstice.  I long for a hot summer night barely clothed,  riding bikes around the Sugarhood with my SH friends drinking cold beverages and eating beets.

Camp life is very busy setting up the health center,  preparing for the 480 campers to arrive next week and treating the 200 plus staff already here. 

I paddle boarded for the first time on our lovely lake.  Sooo fun!!! Tawny enjoys the water too.  I am looking forward to warmer days so we can spend more time in the water.   There are frogs living all around the lake.  I remember when Silver Lake had frogs.  What happened to the frogs at Silver Lake?

Tawny is getting along with the dogs and the horses!  Yay!!!  Sadly I pulled an engorged tick from her yesterday.  Grotesque.   I am sure I will have much expirence removing ticks this summer from Tawny and campers.

My New Digs

I've been at camp for 31 hours and I feel right at home.

My cabin is a 5 minute stroll among horses, trees, lilacs, a climbing wall and a big open field to reach the Health Center.

Tawny is pretty happy with my 2 breaks and my lunch.  Never before has she received 3 walks during my work hours!  She has even made a friend- Mr. Io dog (like Jupiter's moon, Io).  He lives with the welder next door.

I saw my first patient today and feel good about starting patient care in this supported environment.  I look forward to mentoring and teaching the novice nurses.

My life in SLC seems like a life time ago and even my journey getting to Maine seems a like another world away.  I guess this is good as I am comfortable in my new digs.

Maine, the way life should be.

Massachusetts, New Hampshire,  Maine!

After driving approximatley 2,500 miles, camping 4 nights, 1 night in a quirky B & B and 3 fabulous nights on the ocean- Tawny and I have reached our final destination.

We are at kids camp!  Let the banjos play!

Last day of freedom

Spent the day in the saddle cruising around Essex and Ipswich making our way to Crane Castle, famous for the crane toilets and pregnancy photo shoots.

Enjoyed steamed littleneck clams at the apparently famous Woodmans seafood house.

Best part of today was hiking Cranes natural area and losing ourselves in the sand dunes.

Tomorrow I will drive 4 hours up the cost and report to camp. Sad to be leaving my dear friend Eduardo but ready for my next adventure.

Drat! Another tick crawling on me just now!

Sunsets

Costa Rican coffee, fisherman's memorial, Cape Ann, Rockport, sail boats, drawbridges, meeting a fellow Ute, lobster, crab cakes, live music.  Long walks on the sparkly granite infused beach. Feeling very welcomed by my dear friend Eduardo.

But most of all...The sunsets....oh the sunsets!

Beach!

NY to Gloucester, MA via the Mohawk trail hwy 2 east.

257 miles covered in 5.5 hours.  That is the price I am willing to pay for the scenic route.  I made it to the Atlantic Ocean without a single toll fee.  Enjoyed every mile of the scenic Mohawk trail.  Black beauty reached 100, 000 miles today in route to Gloucester.   She is a fine vehicle.

Now I relax contently with my Costa Rican friend Eduardo at his rustic beach house in Gloucester a fishing town made famous in my mom's favorite movie The Perfect Storm.

Tawny is a beach girl, only I forgot my camera to prove so. In lieu I will post a photo of a female blue bird perched upon my bike as well as a photo of my new friend Helen who still mows her 27 acres in her eighth decade of life.

Gloucester is a cool town. I hope to spend a few days here with Eduardo before reporting to camp on Tuesday.

P.S.  The seafood dinner was fabulous! 

Friday the 13th and a full moon

Good-bye Ohio,  yes Laura I did talk the manager into breaking up the 12 pack of Dortmunder gold...just hope it will last till September.

Drove through a torrential downfall  through Western Pennsylvania.  I didn't see PA at all.  Entered NY via I-86 E.  Absolutely stunning Seneca Nation Territory and Allegany State Park.  So many trees, rivers and lakes.  I get the same feeling here that I get in the desert...old native spirts abound.

We drove and drove today with two s-voice mishaps costing me about an hour (Dale!!!).

I reached my destination Max V. Shaul State Park and decided it was not the best idea to stay there with the muddy mess as it has been raining most of the day.  I found this darling one room B & B in Middleburgh, NY where the Schoharie River that runs through the town flows south to north.  One of only two rivers in North America that does so.  Helen said her guest canceled 3 minutes before I knocked on her door.  Friday the 13th works for me!

Helen made me a lovely dinner and told me of her travels to Scotland.   While in Scotland she learned of a government program that helped widowed women run B & B's.  Widowed herself at age 59 she decided to turn her home into a B & B.  She has a cat and weaves wool rugs.  I am looking forward to breakfast with her in the morning. 

Seems strange not being in my tent tonight.   It has become my home this last week and a place of relaxation.  I kind of miss my tent.

P.S. It is still raining.

Rain, swim, bike

It rained all night in Pokagon Park.  I woke at 10:40 this morning and remained in my tent for another hour till the rain stopped. Such a warm late spring rain. Tawny and I went for a quick dip in Lake James before hitting the road again.

I am in love with highway 20 east.  Darling cottages,  bungalows and farmland. We didn't get many miles in today but enjoyed the peacefulness of the scenic route.

We are now camped at Geneva on the Lake State Park,  Ohio.   Tawny and I took another dip, in Lake Erie this time, mostly in attempt to get the awful neem oil off.  It is a natural bug repent that also works as an near emetic in my case.  I'd rather get bit than have to smell neem again...gag.  Thankfully the bugs are not as bad in Ohio as they are in Indiana.

Once again, I am the only tent camper in the park.  Secluded in my own tent area.  
Sasquatch!

Tonight I stumbled upon a group of cyclist staying in the park. The group is "bike the US for MS".  They are riding their bikes across the country to raise funds for MS research and causes.  They started 15 days ago in Maine and will finish on August 4th in Seattle.   Check out the website BiketheUSforMS.org
Perhaps this will be how I spend next summer...

We are not in the desert anymore...

Iowa into Illinois.  Crossed over the mighty Mississippi River. Good bye Illinois,  onto Indiana with my Boo in the back seat.

Avoiding toll roads, loving the scenic byways.  Indiana highway 20 east is lovely Amish country. Horse and buggy and almost as many bicycles as Salt Lake City.   I regret not stopping at the Amish bakery.

Camped at Pokagon State Park now. Tawny, we are not in the desert anymore!  This is certainly sasquatch country, grateful I am on their side (thanks Tris).

Wishing I had some deet.  To hell with Burts bees!  I am getting eaten alive with mosquitoes.   Drat!  I just found a tick on my leg.  Better do a tick search on Tawny then it is headlamp out and nighty night.

P.S.  it is raining again. Hard.

Nebraska to Iowa

Once I crossed the boarder to Iowa via I-80 the speed limit changed from 75 mph to 70 mph.  There are so many semi trucks on I-80. 

I am enjoying the Midwest more than I anticipated.  Several rivers- wide rivers and it is so green!

I slept in late today and am grateful I did as I am mostly over my cold.  Today I feel like I've got my groove on.  Coffee,  walk Tawny, break camp, drive, make camp, cook, walk Tawny, sit in tent studying maps, planning tomorrow by headlamp has all become routine at day 3. 

Tawny dog is sleeping by my feet. I am blogging in my tent and it is lightly raining.  We are camped at a KOA in Oxford, IA next to a soybean field.  Tomorrow is going to be a big day.  Hoping to make it to Indiana.

Vedauwoo, WY to Mormon Island State Park, NE

So many state parks to choose from so I selected a familiar name.  The mormon pioneers wintered here on their trek West to Utah.

Sleep through the frost

Yes I slept well thanks to my cough syrup and was warm and cozy thanks to the 6 hand warmers stuck throughout my clothing.  It was hard to leave Vedauwoo, it is a special place.  Thanks Rod for the tip.

Rough start

SLC to Vedauwoo, WY.  I caught my little niece's cold so the drive was tough today.
Vedauwoo is beautiful.  At 8,000 ft in elevation it is COLD.  Good thing I have my superhero Tawny to keep me warm.  40 degrees and droping...

Maine or bust!!!

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