Leaving Vermont Headed South

August 27-September 5, 2021                                  Most Recent Posts
Arlington VT to                           Inside and Back Outside the Bennington Museum
Charlottesville VA                                       Bennington-Why Did I Wait So Late?

I started my pack up by checking all 10 tires and airing them up.  Luckily I started the RV because it didn’t start.  The battery was dead.  There is a toggle compartment switch near the bottom of the steps coming inside.  It was toggled to on and I have no idea how long it had been.  I used the battery boost but was afraid to set out on a 500+ mile trip with a weak battery.  In the end it was $361 for the battery, the charge for the tech to come out and $120/hour labor.  Yes I could possibly have done this myself except that I’m not strong enough to get the terminals off or the straps.  Being alone is expensive.

I did the laundry, put away the chairs, the mat, the tire covers and on and on. Getting ready to move.

To cheer myself up about the battery fiasco I made this video to say goodbye to the river my campsite at Camping on the Battenkill.  And then it started to rain.   And I mean rain!!!

Sweet Shelli Ann, the owner of the campground told me not to drive 250 miles in this pouring down rain but to just stay in my site until it stopped and leave the next day.  I was so relieved at her generosity.  AND she didn’t charge me for the extra day.  I cannot recommend this campground or these people enough.  If you are in southern Vermont, grab a site and tell them Sherry sent you.

My good luck continued the next morning.  No rain and the picky jack came up without the use of a crowbar to force it.  So I left on September 2nd, not the 1st as I’d intended.  But because I didn’t have to make the dreaded reservations, I didn’t have to cancel anything and pay any fees.
I spent the night at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino parking lot in Wilkes-Barre PA where someone came in a white stretch limo.  That’s my view.  Wonder if the driver dropped his passengers at the door and parked here.  Wouldn’t be much fun to park the limo and have to walk what is a pretty good distance to the casino.  I didn’t see them arrive so I don’t know.  And I didn’t go to the casino myself either.

The next day was a 200 mile drive to Walmart in West Virginia where I arrived at 2:30.  Really too early but driving on to Virginia was too long.   I was back in Virginia by noon the next day.  No rain the whole way.  Thank you again Shelli Ann.

Lots of things to get done while I’m here including having things redone at the RV repair shop 90 miles from my house that should have been done properly last spring like the AC which is still rattling even though they said it was fixed and the brand new TV Antenna that won’t go up and the contrary jack and some rust preventative on the under carriage that they were supposed to do but “ran out of time”. 

More problems with my father’s estate too.

But before starting in on the work to be done while I’m here, on Sunday I went on a birding walk with a great birder named Thomas who had advertised the walk on Nextdoor.  We went to walk what is known as the Monticello Trail.  It hikes up the mountain from a parking lot at the foot to Thomas Jefferson’s home.  We didn’t go all the way up.  We cut off on some mowed side trails Thomas knew of.

Thomas brought his scope and most of us had binoculars.

Not sure whose job it is to mow these  but they were very nice.

BIG thistle and goldenrod here in Virginia.

The paths wandered in and out of the woods.

It’s been a very long time since I did anything with a group of people.  It was nice to share a mutual interest with others.

No waterfowl on this almost hidden pond.

But we did actually spot some birds.  Hiding in the leaves are two red eyed vireos.  They seemed to be the birds of the day as we saw them several times.  Or others of their species.

I was told this was a Black Throated Green Warbler.  Warblers are just too difficult for me to recognize and remember.  But it was great seeing this one.  And amazing to get a picture.

Not a bird but the 17 year locusts (aka cicadas) are still here.

A little Eastern Wood-Peewee gave itself away by singing out its name.

The tree seemed decorated with birds.

Not sure you can see him well but they tell me he’s a Prairie Warbler.  What do you think Eric?

And finally two more red eyed vireos to wind out the day.

Coming up next is the post I’ve been dreading writing for months.  It explains why I am still in Virginia in late November.  I haven’t been in temperatures this consistently cold since 2010.