Happy New Year

    Day two and three have been both wet and wonderfully warm. Yesterday we ended up staying in a little Mom & Pop campground outside of Severeville TN . We got caught up in some really slow traffic that blew and hour of travel time so we took the first sign for camping we saw it and it worked out OK. Besides it had started to rain and we had had enough travel by then. Tonight  we are just inside the Mississippi border off Interstate 59 at a really crappy KOA. OH well stuff happens. I'm really starting to not have much faith in that national chain. The only reason I keep that membership is that most of them stay open in the colder areas of the I 81 areas of Virginia . I can definitely say with out a doubt that none of the highway stimulus money has been put to good use yet. We have traveled on I 78, 81, 75, and 59 so far and they are terrible. I must admit that Alabama has resolved their road problem. They just put up a lot of signs that say Rough Road Ahead. No kidding, that's and understatement. In sections there was really no road surface at all, just lots of what could best be called rumble strips. Enough for now.                                              G

Back on the Road

 We are back on the road and are currently sitting in Staunton VA at a KOA that we had looked at several years ago while exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway and several Cavern's that the area is loaded with. It's amazing how the price of fuel changes from region to region. Stopped for gas and it's $3.09 and diesel is $3.59 . I hope it keeps going down. Less spent on fuel is more in the bank. We will miss all the Family and Friends but when we set up this afternoon it was 51 degrees here.   G

Back in the Cold

    Well I though I would have nothing to write about while we are back in PA but as usual I was wrong. Here we sit waiting for our third snow storm since Turkey Day and it's just way to cold. The days in the 20's and nights in the low teens are just not exciting any more. If I wanted to be this cold we could have stayed in Wyoming , at least there we would be seeing thousands of Elk and Bison. Oh well , bitch, bitch. We have had time to see Family and a few Friends since getting back and the visits have been really good but it seems like doing all  of the Medical check ups at the same are such a bother. We will correct that in the future . We have noticed that after you have been away from the Great North East for a bit that the pace of life here is going 100 miles an hour as where we seem to always be is doing 45. Not so bad when we drove about 10,000 miles this year and  all the close misses have been in the last 3 weeks within 20 miles of here.. To many people with too much to do with out enough time. It really is sad as all the ones we care for are here. I believe in the future we will try to come back during warmer weather as I am not doing well with the cold this trip. Maybe the short days and frostbite have a major role in these thoughts . After you have been warm for 10 strait months it really is a shock. We will miss everyone here but in 3 weeks we will be back in the 50's and 60's down in Texas. We will be getting there a little sooner than we though as we will need a couple of days of training on how to handle and band the big migrating birds, really looking forward to doing it. We missed it last year as we arrived to late. Been looking at all the Refuges in the US and there are so many really cool places to Volunteer at, places with Turtle Rescue and Ocelot breeding here in the US, who knew . When you travel with the best weather in mind all the time you get use to T shirts and shorts as the dress of the day. It really make a body feel good all the time. It also makes the people around you have a better attitude towards life . Maybe being surrounded by happy folk makes us all better people ? With Xmas so close and another New Year on the door step ,old traditions will fade away and  new ones and with the new generation taking the reins, all will be good. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all, we love all of you.               G & L

I was getting the camera ready for Xmas and forgot that I had pictures from before we left Pea Island so here we are with are. This Sail boat and what's left of the second one are two more victims of the Cape Hatteras Diamond  Sholes area.

From what we read in the local news the boats were bought at auction in New York and they were being transported down to Florida by just one person who fell asleep during  the night and he drifted into  the beach. the next day we has a north blowing storm and that was the end of the smaller of the two and we don't know what became of the larger one.

Another shot of the White Pelicans in the pond behind the Pea Island Visitor Center.

One of the big Snapping Turtles along the boardwalk behind the VC

One of the local Brown Pelicans

The Pea Island VC shot from the Sound side overlook

The Cape Hatteras Light House

A few of the Island Deer in the NPS campground in Cape Hatteras.

Our Christmas Tree. Merry to all and Happy New Year