A Bit of This, A Bit of That...

April 27, 2016

The in between times are always a bit odd. We plan our trips and jobs to be interspersed with time back in Maryland with family and friends. The normal visits, chores, and appointments of family life become condensed into time periods that are fluid and flexible and sometimes hard to plan. The rest of the year our life revolves around either highly organized periods when working, or spontaneity when traveling.


This week we are having a five-day “vacation” at Assateague National Seashore on the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland. After leaving Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park on April 1^st, we traveled to Ocala, Florida to spend two nights with Lyle and Lynda. While planning our Amazon time next Fall we enjoyed Mexican Train Dominoes, laughter, wine, and doggy cuddles from their Black Lab, Lola. Then we hit I-95 for the long haul back to Maryland. After two nights in Flying J truck stops with many residents from Ontario and Quebec, who were racing back to Canada to meet their residency requirements after wintering in Florida, we arrived at our daughter's house to much squealing as we reunited with our grand-daughter.

Farewell to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve

Five_Lined Skink on our car that wanted to come north with us

Camped with the Canadians at Flying J, Eh.

Granddad with granddaughter and grandcat

Hanging out at the neighborhood park

Our weeks since have been involved with babysitting, visiting parents, family, and friends, and catching up with doctor appointments. The biggest challenge when we come back is where to stay. Convenient driveways for our RV and car are few, so we rotate among friends, and family, and in and out of Greenbelt National Park, since we can dry camp there for $8 a night with the senior pass. The other area campgrounds are very expensive since the DC metropolitan area campgrounds cater to tourists.


If we visit for longer than a couple weeks, this time it is six weeks, we run off for a little vacation to relax. I know, everyone but other fulltimers think we are always on vacation, but the reality is that we have been working, and family obligations during our off time can be stressful since they get condensed. The weather looked like it would be good at the beach, so we arrived Sunday, and surprise, surprise, the forecast changed! Yesterday was hot, sunny, and windy. Last night it thunder-stormed, rained hard while the wind howled, and today the rain quit, but not the wind. It has been 50 degrees all afternoon. Most of the tenters pulled up stakes and left. The RVer's are all hunkered down inside, including us. At least I am cooking a warming lamb shank stew for dinner. Yesterday was salad weather!

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Local Assateague Island residents

Surf fishing on the Atlantic beach

Yesterday the high winds made the beach feel like we were being sandblasted, so we hiked in the interior of the barrier island and along the bays. Hiking to the old ferry landing and out to the boat ramp, we watched the kite surfers.

Kite Surfer returning to shore

Kayakers heading out on Sinepuxent Bay

Then we walked the “Life of the Forest” and “Life of the Marsh” Trails followed by a stroll through the Bayside Campground before returning to out campsite in the Oceanside Campground, completed our afternoon. Returning to our campsite we were unable to get in the RV since the local tribe of wild horses were grazing in front of our door! This group of three females and one male have claimed our campsite loop. There are lots more wild horses in the park who, according to the ranger, will be invading each others territory later in the Spring. Right now, our stallion is only interested in “pursuing” his mares and we had some baby-making going on just outside our window during dinner our first night! Anyone who brings children here this time of year may have some explaining to do! The ranger said he has had grandparents come in to the office and tell him to make the horses stop.

Sika deer originally imported from Asia

"Life of the Forest" Trail

Forest pond left by the 1962 storm

The campsites with the best grass get the most ponies

Tourist photographing ponies next to our RV

This glamorous blond was very popular with the stallion

Letting us back in our RV

Sinepuxent Bay wetland

Windblown sand often covers both boardwalks and campsites

Trees and wildflowers budding everywhere

Ponies on the bay shoreline

"Life of the Marsh" boardwalk

Amazingly clear water in the tidal guts

Friday we rotate out to a cousin's house and a visit with my brother, and then dry camping in my parent's retirement community parking lot for a few nights. We've parked there enough now that no one seems to think it odd. After that, back to our daughter's for more babysitting, and finally by May 15^th we settle into our new work-camping job at Bethpage Camp Resort in Urbanna, Virginia. Phew! Time to get to work and make some money!