Gettysburg- The sequel

We're back!!!!

We arrived back in Gettysburg on the 6th of August, and couldn't be more thrilled. I called Mug and Robbie's to wish Poppy and Birdie a late happy b-day. They are five now, and getting so big. We miss them and all of the little girls a LOT!!!!
Thursday the 7th was a nice day. We went out to cruise some of the roads we hadn't been down before at the battle field. We took some more pictures and enjoyed the cool breeze.

Emmitsburg road

The next day we hung around the rig. Becca and I texted back and forth. We are trying to talk her and Andrew into coming for another visit. Eddie and I went to the visitors center. We wanted to take the tour of the George Spangler Farm. I had called and was told a shuttle left the visitors center every 20 to 30 minutes all day. But when we got there, we were told we missed the last shuttle, BUMMER!!!! This is the last weekend for it. Eddie will be busy all day tomorrow, so maybe we will catch it on Sunday.

Saturday, Eddie got picked up by Dave Wiser. He met Dave at Tommy Gilbert's hobby train shop. Dave wants someone to help him paint a diorama for his model train set up. I tidied up and got ready to greet Andrew, Becca and Vegas. Yup, they are coming for a visit. They arrived about 1ish. They unloaded and we chatted for a little. They had brought us some dry goods that are VERY needed. I have the best daughters EVER!!!!! After awhile we got hungry. We hadn't heard anything from Eddie, and he didn't respond to any of our text, so we took off without him. We ended up at Gettysburg Eddies. I had an Italian sandwich that was GOOD!!!!

Really good food

out to lunch with my kiddo's

My beautiful baby girl!!!

Not only was the food good, but I had such a great time with Becca and Andrew. I love every moment I have with them. After lunch, we headed back to Freeda where Becca and I got into a game of Mexican train and Andrew napped. Eddie got home about 5pm. Becca and I then went to the grocery store to get a couple of things. Becca was excited because we found tofurky kielbasa and chorizo. When we went to check out, Becca paid for everything!!!!!!! I told her no, but anyone who knows Becca knows that she does what she does, and there is NO stopping her!!!!!! People, I REALLY do have the best children EVER!!!!!!! After shopping, we stopped at Dairy Queen. Becca had been craving a Blizzard, and a dipped cone sounded good to me. At least she let me get the ice cream. Andrew and Eddie had gone to Walmart, but they beat us back. We unloaded and put everything away. Eddie and Andrew went over to the store and got some firewood. We had some, but wanted to make sure we would have enough. Becca built the fire, and it was going good in no time.

Becca the fire master!!!!

Eddie kicking back

 After enjoying the fire, and making s'mores, the kids said they were hot, so we went in. We closed up the windows and turned on the A/C. It was a bit muggy out. No one really felt like eating any dinner. We were still full from our late lunch, ice cream & s'mores. Eddie stayed outside to watch the fire burn down, and kick back after his long day of painting. Becca, Andrew and I went in and played cards for a bit. After I was done kicking their butts in Rummy, we started to get the dinning room table turned into a bed for Becca. We hadn't done that before, so it took us a little more time than it probably normally will to do it. But we figured it out and Becca said it felt pretty comfy. Andrew laid down on it, but Becca said no way, it was hers!!!! Andrew got the couch all to himself. At least this time they will be more comfortable. Once the beds were done, we all sacked out.
The next morning I woke up and just had to snap some pictures of my sleeping babies. They looked so cute and comfy!!!

Sleeping dogs and kids

Andrew has gone to the dogs

Vegas decided to join his mommy

Both Andrew and Becca agreed that this time they slept MUCH better!!!! Becca and Eddie put the dinning room table back up, and we discovered that it is adjustable!!!! Who knew?? We put it a tad higher, and it made it a lot more comfortable to sit at. Eddie made us a yummy breakfast, including tofurky chorizo and eggs for Becca. She let me try a bite, and it was really good!!!! It tasted just like the real thing. Becca is excited to do the tofurky kielbasa with potato's. Becca and Andrew's plan was to leave earlier this time than last, but we were having such a wonderful time visiting and chatting, that they ended up leaving at about the same time as last time. Eddie and I were sad that the time did come for them to leave. We are trying SO hard to find a place closer to them. We want to be able to see them more, and to visit their place. Even Suzy enjoys their visit, she has a buddy in Vegas.

taking a nap 

After they packed up, loaded up, and left, I jumped in the shower. Eddie and I had passed by Corbin's BBQ place several times, and wanted to go check it out. It was time for lunch anyway, so we went there. I had the pulled pork sandwich, and Eddie had a cheese burger. Both of them were real good. We ate outside, and watched the traffic go by.

Corbin's BBQ

Eddie finishing up his milkshake

Once lunch was over, we stopped by Uhaul. We need new tire straps for the cruiser and tow dolly. They didn't carry what we needed. Eddie wanted to stop by Tommy Gilbert's Train shop to get a couple of things. Tommy also carries some art supplies. Of course while there, he chatted up everyone. Dave was there, so the two of them were off in their own world. Before heading back to Freeda, we made a stop at Walmart. One of the things I picked up was a RV water filter. The full timing Florida couple we met when we were leaving Gettysburg, had one and told us it works real well. Also, our current neighbor had one, and sung it's praises. We figured it couldn't hurt to try it out. Once home, we had dinner and called it a day.
Monday, August 11th, Eddie got picked up by Dave Wiser again to work on his diorama. I took advantage of Eddie being gone to tackle some "projects". The first one being to strip the bed and wash the bedding. To me it still smelled like gas fumes. To speed up the process, I hung up the larger items outside to dry, but it was slow going with my little washer/dryer combo. I also cleaned and organized some of the cupboards that had gotten a bit disheveled. Also, I proudly installed the water filter I had picked up at Walmart, and FINALLY put the Maryland state sticker on our map.

Maryland is SO small. Can you see it?

I was almost done with everything when Eddie got home. All I had left to do was to vacuum. Every time we do the bedding, there are feathers everywhere from the mattress topper and pillows!!!! It started to rain, so we just stayed in. I felt I had a very accomplished day. 
Tuesday it continued raining pretty much all day. Eddie had gone back to Dave's to finish up the diorama. I stayed in and read. One of my favorite things to do on a rainy day is to curl up with my Suzy, and a good book. Eddie and Dave got back about 5:30. Dave came in and they both showed me pictures of his diorama. It came out GREAT!!! Dave ended up staying until midnight chatting and visiting. Dave had a blast learning new airbrush techniques, and Eddie loves anything to do with painting. They were like little kids, all excited!!!!!

the water fall looks 3-D

Dave's clouds

Eddie put a hot air balloon in the sky

Dave is an awesome guy, and Eddie has a Gettysburg BFF!!!!!! We talked about everything from painting to hunting to archery. Before we leave, we hope to get together and do a barbecue or something with Dave and Tommy. 
On the 13th, I went to the lodge to finish writing and post our Maryland adventures. Eddie headed back over to Tommy's to meet up with Dave. They are trying to put together an Airbrush class, and needed to work out the details. We met back up at the lodge, got dinner and settled in with a John Wayne movie for the evening. The weather has cooled down, so we have the windows open and A/C off. Perfect evening.
The next several days, we hung around the rig and enjoyed the campground. There is a fellow that drives around in a pickup and sells produce out the back. We bought a cantaloupe from him. I cut it up and put it in the fridge to chill. Man that cantaloupe was GOOD!!!!!!! It was one of the best I have ever had. We tried to arrange a barbecue, but Tommy's wife got sick, and Dave also couldn't make it. During this time, Eddie did a class via Skype with Camp Demi-God, I spent time at the pool, and in the evenings, we sat around the camp fire and visited with our neighbors. It was nice and peaceful. Eddie did three water color paintings for Cindy Raber. She is the Amish lady we met in Ohio. He also did a beautiful Acrylic painting of Gettysburg for Bruce Smith. Bruce was our neighbor the first time we were here. He is going to let us park on his property, so as a thank you, Eddie did the painting for him. Can't wait for him to see it.

water color paintings for Cindy Raber

Painting for Bruce

Eddie also took apart our little fan to clean it. It was pretty dusty. I had tried to vacuum off the dust, but that didn't work. As he was putting it back together, a tiny spring went flying. Try as we might, we just could not find that darn spring!!!! Eddie went ahead and finished reassembling the fan thinking that the spring wasn't really that important anyway. Turns out that the spring is what held it in place. So now it just points up, you can't adjust the angle. It still works just fine other wise. To hold it at the correct angle for the air to hit us, Eddie enlisted some help. 

this is one way to hold the fan in place!!!!!

August 20th. Thirty six years ago this day, I gave birth to one of the most amazing beings EVER!! Happy, happy birthday to my oldest daughter Elizabeth. She is such a beautiful, kind, generous, loving, smart, loyal, hard working, level headed, passionate......... just way to many wonderful words can describe her. My life was forever changed for the better the day she was born. I love you Elizabeth Anne Reeves more than I can ever express to you!!!!!
Today was also a travel day. We are headed to Northampton, PA. Once we were all packed and loaded up, we headed out of Gettysburg for the second time. Both of us just loved our time there. Eddie especially enjoyed Gettysburg. He really has fallen in love with the place. Maybe there will be a part three in Gettysburg for us, who knows. But for now we will be doing the boondocking thing again.
Until next time, be kind to each other, and most of all, be kind to yourself!!!!! 
Safe travels always from Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy.

Off the Grid in Maryland

Maryland and the Kaplans

Tuesday July 29th started out good, we had NO idea just how rotten this day was going to turn out to be. We got up and finished getting ready to travel. We met another full time couple that are from Florida, and had a nice, but brief chat with them. We dumped our tanks, loaded up the cruiser, and started on our way. We heard of the Kaplans via boondockerswelcome.com, and were looking forward to meeting them and camping on their property. They live in Woodsboro, Maryland. That also meant another state sticker on our map!!! The drive there was mostly on country highways and back roads. We knew we wanted to fill up with gas before getting there so we wouldn't have any problems running the geni for a week. When I spotted a gas station in Keymar, MD we pulled in and filled up. We were feeling pretty good. Our grey and black tanks were empty, and our fresh water and gas tanks were full. It was a bit of a challenge to get out of the gas station, but Eddie handled it like a pro. 

Taneytown

The route took us right thru Taneytown, MD, but we were there in no time. Woodsboro is only about 40 minutes from Gettysburg. As we turned onto Buffington Road, we ohed and awed at how pretty it is. Just as we came around a bend, we saw a Doe crossing the road. Eddie slowed way down to a crawl, and we got out our camera's to snap some pictures. She went up the bank on the other side, and stopped. It looked as though she was posing. We were thrilled. Then at the same time, we both saw why she had stopped. A very young fawn was coming out of the woods to also cross the road. Mommy and baby had been down at the creek getting a drink. We were completely stopped by this time, and got pictures of the baby. It was a totally cool moment!!!

Mama deer posing, or we thought she was.

here comes the baby

Just a bit up the road, I saw a mail box with the address we were looking for, but the GPS said we had about 30 yards to go, so we kept going. When we got to what the GPS thought was correct, we KNEW it wasn't. Unfortunately there was no cell service. Eddie got out and climbed up a hill to see if he could get service. When he came down, he said that Scott, our host, was going to drive down to see just where we were. He had to load up his dog first due to her not being well. I was so thankful that there wasn't any traffic on the road, because we had it totally blocked. When Scott got there, he gave us directions that would take us in a big circle so we would circle back onto Buffington Road and pull into the right place. He had to hurry off to the vets. I felt bad about that. As you all know, I think of my pet as part of the family, and could imagine the stress he was under. So we went around and got back to where we needed to be. As we turned into Scott & Tracey's property, I saw a nice flat and green spot that looked just perfect for us to camp on. Eddie said that he understood that we were to keep going, and stay to the left. This is were it all started to go down hill!!!!!!! I have replayed and replayed that over in my head, and if only I had insisted we park and wait for Scott and Tracey to get home, we would have saved ourselves some grief!!!! But onward we went. The road turned from gravel to blacktop, so I was encouraged. That only lasted until we came to bridge number one!!!! Okay, for those of you who don't know, I am NOT a big fan of bridges!!!! And this was a VERY poor excuse for a bridge. It looked very rickety and not at all safe. We made it across, and came to the second one that if possible, looked even WORSE!!!! Tracey did tell me later that both of them are quite safe and sturdy. After the "twin terror's", we came around a bend and saw their house. Now I was positive we were in the wrong place. We pulled a bit ahead and stopped. Once I got my heart back beating, I told Eddie we somehow needed to get back down the hill to where we first came in, but there really wasn't anywhere to turn around. He decided to walk up the rest of the hill and scope it out. When he came back down, he announced that he had found the spot he was SURE that Scott had been speaking about. I knew better, but what were we to do at that point. He did state that there wasn't any room for the dolly, so we dropped the cruiser and unhooked the dolly. There was a small semi flat spot that we parked it on. Eddie then said he would pull Freeda up, and park her. I was to stay with the cruiser, and he would radio me when parked to come up. This spot that he was going to park in was a tight fit, and on quite a slope. I was convinced that it was Scott and Tracey's parking area, but Eddie told me I was wrong!!!!! Off he went, and I sat in the cruiser praying that all would go well. That's about when I heard the CRASH!!!!!! I got on the radio and asked him thu my tears what the heck happened. He said he didn't know, and I informed him that he hit something. Apparently a tree jumped right out of nowhere and smacked Freeda on the back side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To say I was upset is a gross understatement!!!!
The tree was okay, and only the bracket on a solar light was broken. I know Eddie is capable of fixing it, but I was mortified that the first impression Scott and Tracey was to have of us was us parking in the WRONG spot, and damaging their property!!!!!!!!

Freeda's first owie

This breaks my heart

Poor Freeda!!!!

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least the tree is okay

Broken solar light

The only thing to do was to wait for someone to get home, and explain what had happened. Eddie tried to level us out, but the slope was to steep, so we were leaning pretty badly. We attempted to start the geni, but it just wouldn't go on. We thought that maybe it was because we were leaning so much, and for it to work, it needs to be level. At least that was our theory. Somehow Tracey was able to call me even though I only had one dot of service. She said she would be home soon, and I told her I had a story to tell her. Reader, you may think that our bad day ends there, but oh no it doesn't, there is more!!!!! I had only ever spoken to Tracey on the phone, no face to face as of yet. So when her and her daughter pulled in, I went out to introduce myself and apologize for well..... EVERYTHING!!!!!! Tracey was so, SO very understanding and gracious about it all. She is a wonder!!!! After Eddie, Tracey, and I discussed the situation, we figured that there was about two hours of daylight left, and that was plenty of time to get us turned around and down the hill to WHERE I WANTED TO STOP IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!! We moved all of the little cars out of the way, donned safety vest, and radioed up. With both Tracey and I spotting, we figured we would have us out lickity split. Nope didn't happen!!!! Eddie pulled up, backed up, pulled up, backed up. He tried to inch us out of there. The thing was that there was a little tree that we kept getting hung up on. Not the same tree as before, this one was another one. After about two hours of trying and trying, Tracey called a time out. She pulled out a chain saw and had Eddie cut the tree down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we ( and by we, I mean EDDIE) backed into one tree, and ended up cutting down another one. But it worked, and we were able to get Freeda out of Scott and Tracey's driveway and down the hill. We left the dolly to deal with later. We were all tired and it was now dark out. Tracey came down with us to make TOTALLY sure we parked in the right area. Once that was established, I drove her back up to her house. When I got back, all either one of us wanted was a shower and to go to bed. We tried to start the geni again, but no go!!! There was a nice breeze coming in, and my backup battery for my Cpap was fully charged, so we just went straight to bed. What a day it had been!!!!!!!! It was, and is a HUGE learning experience for both of us. I need to listen to my inner voice, and Eddie needs to listen to my outter voice!!!!!
The next day, July 30th, we went on a quest for a laundry mat. With no sewer hook up in Gettysburg, laundry had piled up. We headed for Frederick and found a nice clean little laundry mat, and got it all done. 

getting laundry done

Right next door was a little mom and pop place called Cafe Bueno. I got a sandwich and Eddie got tacos with rice & beans. Everything was REALLY yummy!!!! With a bite to eat, and laundry done, we were feeling a bit better. When we got back to Freeda, Eddie put the wood blocks, and jack pads down. I put out the slides and lowered the jacks. We were settling in. Tracey had mentioned the evening before that Scott is a mechanic, and she would ask him to take a look at our geni. Scott, Tracey and their daughter, Arianna stopped by that evening. We don't know what he did, and even Scott wasn't sure what happened, but he got the geni running!!!!!! Tracey noticed that we were parked right on a patch of poison ivy. Of course we were. It was dark the night before when we parked, so we had not noticed it then. And Murphy's law seems to prevail in our lives. Tracey said we could move about 100 yards back where there wasn't any poison ivy, and Eddie found that we would be able to get satellite reception. After the Kaplan's left, we talked about it, and decided to go ahead and move. It didn't take us long, and to be on the safe side we kept the geni running. We were pretty happy with that. Things were certainly looking up!!!!
Thursday we had phone business to take care of, so we drove into Woodsboro. We parked in the parking lot of a volunteer fire department where there was good reception. Right across the street was a real neat looking old house. We found out later from Tracey that George Washington stayed there. The history here is so deep and awesome.

house that George Washington stayed at

Woodsboro, Maryland

After our phone errands were completed, we headed back to our little abode.The issue with the geni not starting seemed to be gone, so we had turned it off while we were out. The smell from the exhaust was bothering me, and had given me a bad headache. Eddie said he didn't smell anything, but I sure did.

Freeda in Maryland

Our camp site at the Kaplan's

Because of the fumes, we tried to not run the geni. We also wanted to watch our fuel consumption. Yes we had a full tank, but that needed to last us all week, and get us back to Gettysburg. We hadn't run or used the geni for this long before, so we were not sure just how much fuel it would or could burn. 
Friday night we slept in the living room. Eddie wanted to sleep on the floor, so I got the couch. It was a tad cooler out there, and I was able to plug in my cpap into the auxiliary outlet in the dash. I wasn't able to charge the back up battery due to us not running the geni. Our carbon monoxide alarm in the bedroom kept going off, so we felt safer with it off, and in the living room with all of the windows open. It was awful hot out, and very hard to sleep. 
Saturday Eddie crawled under the rig to check out the geni. We were tired of the fumes and I FINALLY convinced him that this was NOT normal. Sure enough he found a problem. The fuel filter was leaking, and leaking BAD. Scott, Tracey and Arianna were driving by, and they stopped. Scott asked if the geni stopped running, and Eddie told him about the leak. He said he knew what we needed and would pick one up for us while they were out. Once again Scott and Tracey came to our rescue!!!! Eddie and I played Trivial Pursuit to pass the time. When the Kaplan's got back, they had the part. It cost only $4.23, and Scott had it all in and going in no time at all. YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!! We were able to close up and turn on the A/C to be able to get some sleep in comfort.
Sunday, Tracey & Arianna came down for a visit and art lesson. They brought us waffles, bacon, syrup and blueberries!!!! How so VERY sweet and kind of them. It was all so yummy, and VERY appreciated!!!!! I tell you, Tracey is one of the kindest and most thoughtful woman you will ever meet. In fact, all of the Kaplan's have been OUTSTANDING!!!!!! We were and are truly blessed and lucky to have made their acquaintance. We feel as though we now have a family in Maryland. Tracey offered us use of their Internet, so after the art lesson, we packed up our computers and went up to their house. They have several dogs, and I inquired after Juliette, the one that was ill, sadly Tracey informed me that Juliette was no longer with us. I felt HORRIBLE!!!!! Losing a fur baby is never easy. They still have Milton, Kei, Martha & Lila. Kinda funny. I had an uncle Milton, and have a nephew Kei, and a niece Martha!!!! What are the odds??? After checking and sending some emails, we dove into a game of Mexican train. Tracey and Arianna had never played before, but they caught on real fast!!!! Scott wasn't feeling well, so he didn't join us. Arianna even went out and caught us with a lot of points. Stinker girl!!!!!! 

Arianna winning at Mexican train

We had such a good time. Arianna made us little pizza's for lunch. They were super yummy!!!!! By the time the day was winding down, the weather started up. There was rain, thunder and lighting. We figured it was time to head down the hill and home. It was such a fun wonderful day. When we got home, it was REALLY raining and we had to trudge thru ankle deep water to get in. Little Suzy was pretty happy to see us. She had been in the dark with the storm raging around her. We settled in for the night. Eddie watched some football, and I played Tetris on my DS. It was a good end to a good day.
During the night, I got hot. We both had been very conservative on the water, but I just HAD to take a cool shower. I also closed up the widows and turned on the A/C. That helped, and I was able to drift off to sleep. That was until the alarm went off again!!!!! It was 3am. We turned off the A/C and geni and opened up the windows. We moved into the living room to spend the rest of the night out there again. Eddie got up early Monday morning to see what was wrong now. He discovered that now the oil filter is leaking!!!!!! If it wasn't for bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all. We only have one more day, and will be back in Gettysburg, so we thought we could hold out. Eddie went back to our parking lot in Woodsboro to make phone calls and do some business. I stayed home and cleaned. I kept the geni off until later in the day. I turned it on to be able to make us some dinner. We left all of the windows (except the two closest to the geni exhaust pipe) for ventilation. Tracey stopped by on her way home from work. She invited us up to the house the next night to play games. Can't wait!!!
Tuesday, August 5th. This is was our last full day in Maryland. It had been a hard week for us, but also a wonderful one. Our time with the Kaplan's will always be a highlight of our travels. Tracey stopped in on her way home from work. She asked us to also come up for dinner. She also offered us use of her shower. We had been SO good about watching our water usage, so the thought of a nice long shower was a welcome one. We loaded up what we would need and headed up the hill. Tracey made Fajita's and Eddie made guacamole for dinner. It was SO, SO good!!!!! We had ice cream for desert. Scott and Eddie moved the dolly down the hill while Tracey and I cleaned up from dinner. We played 10 days in the U.S. and had another fun, entertaining, wonderful night with our new friends. 

Terrific Tracey and Awesome Arianna!!!!!

Eddie and I both took refreshing showers and put on our PJ's. We were sitting around visiting when Arianna and the dogs heard thunder. The day had been so nice earlier, we had driven up with the top down. Tracey looked out, and sure enough, it was RAINING!!!! Eddie ran out to put the top up, but he reported that the cruiser had gotten pretty wet inside!!!! That was our cue to go. We said good bye, and promised to keep in touch. Again when we got home, it was pretty wet. Tomorrow is a travel day, so we called it a night and went to bed.
Wednesday morning Tracey and Arianna stopped by to get hugs and say our last good byes. We both will miss them a lot!!!!!!  We felt as though we had known them longer than just a week. I personally feel a closeness to Tracey and Arianna that I can not explain. They are just so incredible, and I feel blessed to have met them and to have been able to spend the time with them that I did!!!!! We were sad to see them go. 
Our water was low, so we opted to wait until we got to Gettysburg to shower. I wasn't feeling well at all, and it took all I had to not get sick. We got back to Gettysburg with no problems or issues. It felt soooooooo good to see this place. We even got a site with full hook ups!!!!!! GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!! As we were setting up, the couple two sites down noticed our Washington State plates. The wife, Sally said she grew up in Washington. I asked her where and she said "Blaine" BLAINE!!!!!! I told her we formally lived in Point Roberts. She was so surprised!!! What are the odds. She had not been there in a while. Her brother still lives there. She graduated from Blaine high school in the early 1960's. What a small world. We continued on setting up. I got pretty sick a bit later, but once that was out of my system, I felt a LOT better!!!! Eddie worked on the outside, and I SCRUBBED the inside. The floor was a muddy mess from the night before. When Eddie took the garbage to the dumpster, he picked up some ice at the store, so I was able to make some ice tea. I also got laundry started and took a VERY nice long refreshing shower. Eddie took one as well. He said his hair felt like wire, and he felt like a grizzly bear, all scruffy. It felt like heaven. the rig was clean, we were clean, and no worries about fumes. We settled in and rested for the rest of the day.
Well folks, that is our Maryland story. We hope to be able to visit Maryland again to see more and hopefully NOT have so many issues. We chalk it up to RV life and adventures on the road. We wouldn't want life to get boring would we now!!!!! This is where we will leave you for now. Please take time to smell the roses and enjoy those around you. Love and best wishes to each and everyone of you!!!!!
Best, Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy.

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

Sign says it all!!!!

It is now July 17th, and we are settling in at the Gettysburg campground. We finished setting up the outside. I put the West Virginia and Pennsylvania state stickers on our map.

Really coming along!!!

We met our neighbors, Doug and Paula Smith. Doug said they come here quite a bit. He is a Civil War buff. Eddie and I had planned on renting the Auto tour CD, but Doug owns it and the book and he very graciously loaned it to us to use. We went into town and drove around taking it all in.

I just love the old buildings. We planned on starting the Auto tour tomorrow, so for now we were just enjoying a cruise and snapping pix of Gettysburg.

up, up and away

old farm house in Gettysburg

We saw a hot air balloon ride. What a view that would be!!!! It didn't float around, it only went up, and then back down again. But it did stay up there long enough to be able to get a good idea of the landscape and just how much ground this battle was fought on. I did not realize just how big this battle was until we got here and saw all of the locations that fighting was on, and all of the different monuments.

more old buildings

Cool old house

love, love, LOVE this one

me wanty!!!!

roundabout in downtown Gettysburg

We saw a restaurant/pub called Gettysburg Eddie's. We just may have to try it out while we are here.

I didn't know Eddie had a place here. hummmmm

After a bit of exploring, we headed back home. This is such a beautiful place. We are SO grateful to have the opportunity to see this and so much more. Back at Freeda, we relaxed for the rest of the evening and called it a day.

Friday the 18th we started the Auto tour. There are 15 stops, and we did up to 9. After awhile the sun wore us out. I did the driving and we REALLY enjoyed all of the info and history we learned. There are 2 CD's on the tour, and we completed the first one. The battle grounds are FULL of monuments to the different companies and states that had men fighting here. There were over 51,000 men killed or wounded at Gettysburg!!!!! Way, WAY to many!!! The only known civilian killed was a gal name Jenny Wade. She had been taking bread and water out to the union troops. She was at her sisters baking more bread when a stray bullet came in and killed her. It is stories like that that interest me the most. If any of you ever get to come here, we HIGHLY recommend the Auto tour. You will learn SO much!!!!!

cannons and rock wall

hard to believe what happened here 151 years ago

Eddie at Gettysburg battle field

After we were done exploring for the day, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to Freeda and Suzy. Later that evening, we barbecued chicken and steak for dinner and ate outside. We played a game of Mexican train, and had a great night at home. We didnt' end up getting to bed until almost 1am. Darn Mexican train!!!!

Saturday the 19th we were going to finish up the Auto tour. But to our joy, Becca messaged us that her, Andrew and Vegas (Becca's doggie) were coming for a visit!!!! OH YEAH!!!! We got the place and ourselves ready and then hung out outside waiting for their arrival. They had wedding errands to take care of first in Philadelphia, and then coming our way. They arrived just after 3pm. It was SO good to see them!!!! After visiting and making sure Suzy and Vegas were going to get along, we decided to go get a bit to eat. We ended up at a Chinese Buffet Called Li's. It was pretty good. Becca and Andrew treated us!!!! We had a good time talking and eating.

Andrew & Becca

Daughter & Dad

When we got back to our site, Andrew and Eddie went to get some wood so we could start a fire and make some S'mores, yum yum. Well at least Becca and I could. Andrew doesn't like marshmallow's, and Eddie doesn't like them roasted. They don't know what they are missing!!!! I tell ya, Eddie and Andrew are two peas in a pod, just ask anyone of us!!!!!!!

Vegas!!!!!

Andrew starting the fire

Our fire is slow to start

fanning the flames

no we're talking!!!!

Becca enjoying her s'more

It took a bit to get the fire going, but our pryo's Eddie and Andrew got it done. After the s'mores it was time to turn in. We made the sofa into a bed for Andrew, Becca and Vegas. It was going to be a, well lets just say, a snuggley fit!!!!!

Beck and Andrew have gone to the dogs!!!

Vegas claiming his spot

Suzy kept trying to sleep right on their heads and faces, so she got the boot, but it didn't last long. How can you resist such a cute face as hers!!!! Vegas hadn't been feeling well, and had gotten sick a couple of times. We are lucky that Suzy travels so well. It would be a disaster if she didn't. Becca discovered Vegas being prone to carsickness when her and Elizabeth drove across country when Becca first moved to the East coast. Poor little guy!!!!






In the morning, I asked the kids how they had slept. They both agreed that it was NOT a good night. WAY to squished. So the sofa is good for one person, but not for two. Eddie made us pancakes and eggs outside, while my Vegetarian daughter and I did bacon inside in our microwave bacon maker. We all enjoyed a nice breakfast in the great outdoors.

yummy b'fast outside with our children

snoozing Suzy

2 peas in a pod

Once we were done eating and cleaned up from breakfast, Becca and I showered in Freeda, while Andrew used the bathhouse here at the campground. We were using the "honey bucket" service, but still after several showers our grey tank gets filled fast.

Becca drove us all over to the lodge where we all got an ice cream and Eddie used the wifi to send off some emails. We checked out the store and lodge area. The pool is huge, and I can't wait to be able to enjoy it. Becca and Andrew hung around for a bit. We did quesadilla's for lunch on the griddle outside. By that time it was time for them to go. They have a long drive home and both of them have to be at work in the morning. I was sad to see them leave. The time with them had been so much fun, and I love being with my girls anytime. We are looking forward to when we will be closer so as to be able to visit with them more. After we said goodbye and they were gone, we went to finish up the Auto tour. Bruce and Paula were leaving in the morning, and we wanted to get his CD's and book back to him. I enjoyed the second part even more than the first. We visited "Devil's Den" and "Little Round Top". These are now my favorite places on the tour. I don't know why, they just are. At Little Round Top, we climbed to the top. Eddie sat down with his sketch pad and did some drawings. He wants to do some panoramic watercolor paintings of some of the sites.

Eddie sketching at Little Round Top, Gettysburg.

General Warren statue on Little Round Top

path coming down from Little Round Top

Devils Den

Devils Den

Gettysburg battlefield

Looking out towards the Pennsylvania memorial

Barn on the battlefield

Pennsylvania monument

Hummelbaugh House

battle wagons

love these statues

Peach orchard

more battleground

so beautiful and peaceful, hard to believe the battle waged here

General Mead Statue

The sights and sounds here are almost spiritual. This is such a beautiful area. It is hard to imagine the terrible fighting that took place here, but then again, as you look around, you can REALLY feel the presence of the men who fought so hard. They truly believed in their cause. I would have said "Hey why are we doing this? We are ALL Americans" But those soldiers were fighting for their way of life, and in their hearts and minds, no sacrifice was to great to preserve their way of life or the fight for freedom.

Monday July 21st was a hot day out. The weather is taking a turn for one I don't like. I am used to the Pacific Northwest cool days, and cooler nights!!!! Eddie went back out to the battlefield to do some paintings while I puttered around at home. Before our neighbor, Doug left, he extended an invitation to us to park on his property. We joined a group called boondockerswelcome.com to be able to find a place close to Becca to park. We have had a couple of leads on that, but Doug is closer than the others. So we may just take him up on that!!!! Eddie and I had barbecue leftovers for dinner and watched a movie until it was time to hit the hay.
The next couple of days I hung around the campground while Eddie did some watercolor paintings of the area. I worked on our travel blog, and took care of some business. It was good to have some "down time". 

The Wheatfield

View from the Vermont Memorial

Little Round Top

On the 24th, we went to the visitors center to visit the museum. They had a three for one deal. So we got to see a movie "A new Birth of Freedom" narrated by Morgan Freeman, a viewing of the Cyclorama, which is a sound and light show of the spectacular 377 foot painting by Paul Philippoteaux of Pickett's charge completed in 1884. And admission to the museum. The movie wasn't very long, but very educational. The cyclorama was really amazing. The museum has SO many things to see and do. We spent several hours walking around taking it all in. The tickets were only $12.00 each and well worth it.

Walking up to the visitors center

A "must visit" when in Gettysburg

Abe and Eddie

"The Battle of Gettysburg" painting by Paul Philippoteaux

more of the cyclorama

Pickett's charge

this painting was AMAZING!!!!!!!

Gettysburg visitors center

After our day at the visitors center, we just vegged for the rest of the evening. It was such a fun and good day. We both enjoyed the visitors center. They also have a real neat book store and gift shop. Another place worth checking out.
July 25th, twenty two years ago on this day I married the most wonderful, sweet, kind, generous, loving man EVER!!!! I am thankful every day that he found me, and that I am loved by such a good person. Here's to twenty two more years my love!!!!!
Saturday the 26th started out a bit rocky for me. I wasn't feeling well and it took me a bit to get going. We had heard that there was to be a reenactment of the Civil war at the reenactment area, but when we walked over there, no one was there. Our neighbors, Jeff and Dee, had offered us use of their golf cart, so we loaded up on that and headed to the pavilion. There they had a Confederate and a Union camp all set up. There were several people walking around in costume. It was awesome. A couple of days ago, Eddie had met a couple, Jim and Debi, in McDonald's and it turned out that they are also staying here at Gettysburg Battlefield Resort. They are from East Tennessee, and dress up as Confederate's in Civil war reenactments. We ran into Jim in the Confederate camp. He is such a nice fellow, I liked him right off even though he is a Reb!!! We strolled over to the Union camp, and while there a very pretty lady in costume walked up us. It turned out to be Debi. She is wonderful. I felt as though I had known her forever.

Confederate camp

Rebels camp

More Reb camp

Rifles

Sleeping quarters

Rosie

Rosie showing her stuff!!

Debi & Jim

Suzy checking out a little girl in costume

Muskets in the Rebels camp

Union camp

Beautiful Debi

Coffee pots on the fire

Between 1pm and 5pm, there was a Flea market going on at the pavilion. So we took some of Eddie's art work to show. He did a pen and ink drawing of Debi in her costume that they want to buy. He also sold a sketch of our friend Brian that he had done. That was cool. Jim came by to let us know that the battle reenactment was to be at 4pm. Eddie stayed with the art so I could watch the reenactment. It was really cool. I shot some video of it, so I hope you all are able to view it. They aren't the best, or very long. The whole thing was fun to watch, and there was quite a crowd there to see it.

The Fife player played Dixie

That's Jim in the middle of the picture

Loading up

the fight is on!!!!

Union side

Cleaning the muskets after the fight

Reenactment area

Add caption

 Before heading home, we took one more cruise in Jeff & Dee's golf cart and explored more of the camp ground. We rode over to the lake and saw a Gazebo there. There were several kids fishing in the lake. I bet a lot of campers had fresh caught fish for dinner that night!!!!

Gazebo at the lake

Catching dinner???

With the money we made from selling the sketch of Brian, we went into town and got some KFC for dinner. It had been a long but very fun day.
Sunday Eddie wanted to go out and paint again. It was to hot for me to sit in the car, so I stayed home and read outside enjoying the "me" time. Eddie called me, and he sold the three watercolor paintings he had done, YIPPEE!!!! It wasn't much, but it was something. Not to long after he got home, another storm hit. It rained hard. We watched a movie and settled down for the evening. When we headed for bed, I noticed a wet spot on the floor by Eddie's computer and office area. We had the window open and figured it had come in there. So we closed it up and headed for bed.
Monday July 28th we inspected Eddie's desk area to see if there was more to the water coming in than we first thought. It seems so. We cleaned up, and Eddie did some needed organizing. We still have not found exactly where the water got in from, but are keeping an eye on it. A bit later Jim stopped by. He wanted to pay for and pick up the drawing of Debi. He ended up staying for over three hours visiting. He is such a fun and interesting fellow. We thoroughly enjoyed his visit!!!! Our neighbor, Dee, had said that General Pickett's Buffet in town was pretty good, so seeing as how we didn't do anything for our anniversary, we decided to go out and try it. We both enjoyed it a lot.

Eddie at General Picketts for our anniversary dinner

There is a gift shop upstairs from the restaurant, so we checked that out after we filled our bellies. We got a little something to send to our great nieces, Eddie got a pin for his hat, and I got myself a souvenir.

do you think I like pink???

After our lovely dinner, and evening, we went home to start getting ready to head out the next day. We really like Gettysburg, and can't wait to come back in a week. But we are also really looking forward to seeing Maryland and Boondocking for a week. We will be able to add another state sticker to our map!!!!! This is a good place to end for now. Take care all and we will see you on the flip side!!!!
Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy with Freeda.