Unfortunately, yesterday when we went to the beach I forgot to bring the camera so all that beautiful sunshiny landscape and a walk up a big sand dune are locked in my memory, but no pics. I told Larry we had to stop at the beach before we left to take pictures of the beach for the trip record.
What a day! I woke up last night to the sound of teeming rain and this morning continued more of same. We went to Mass and came back intending to pack up and leave, but delayed to see if the rain would stop. An hour later we decided it wasn't going to end anytime soon and donned our rain ponchos. The rain wasn't coming straight down, however, it was blowing from the side so, by the time we were done hooking up, we were both soaked despite our rain gear. Ah well, neither of us is a witch so we don't melt. But, wouldn't you know it, as soon as we turned out of the campground the rain let up.
When we arrived at our campground last night the north wind was blowing up a gale. No rain, though. The wind continued this morning and as I write this it is still roaring outside. But we decided nothing would deter us from enjoying our plan for the day. We were going to 8:30 Mass at St. Joseph's but had a little time so we went over to see the park beach. Yikes! We practically had to hold on to a tree not to be blown away. A gaggle of gulls were huddled in the sand mostly with heads tucked in.
The alarm went off at 6:30 this morning. Is that any way to start a vacation? We loaded up the food for the refrigerator which we'll fill when we stop tonight and all the odds and ends we forgot to put in the camper earlier. Everything went into the back of the car and we set off only a few minutes later than our planned schedule waving a fond farewell to Camp Kreitzer. It was a misty morning with a pearly sky and interesting cloud cover broken here and there to let the light through -- lovely.
We arrived on time for 8:30 Mass in Winchester at Sacred Heart, which was celebrated very reverently by the pastor, Fr. Krempa, who used to be our parochial vicar 20 or more years ago at St. Louis parish in Alexandria. He's been pastor at Sacred Heart for a long time and, if attendance at daily Mass is any judge, the parish is thriving.
The first senior moment of the trip came shortly after Mass as Larry missed our turn toward Berkeley Springs, a route we've taken many times. I was looking at the I-pad so I was no help and when he "woke up" about ten miles later realizing he'd goofed, we didn't want to turn back. So instead of the relative bee-line to the PA turnpike, we meandered through the by-ways and backwaters of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to connect up with the turnpike at Somerset. Larry was frustrated, but I was tickled pink. I hate the Interstates and we had a lovely ride through little towns and past fields of flowers and meadows with browsing cows and horses. We saw a train, a barn painted on one side with an American flag, four wild turkeys strutting in a front yard, farms with tall silos, several houses with dozens of solar panels in the yard, and some charming gardens. We passed through one gloomy section of narrow road with trees making a tunnel that set me thinking about the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and watching for the headless horseman. When we hit the turnpike it started raining and we had some nervewracking stretches with the wipers on full tilt. We arrived in Monroeville to meet friends for lunch only about 45 minutes later than our original plan and the detour was well worth it.
lunch with friends in Pennsylvanis
Is there anything more delightful than catching up with old friends - especially friends of the heart? Jenny and I used to pray and sidewalk counsel together at an abortion mill on Duke St. in Alexandria. We enjoyed lunch at Red Lobster while catching up on all the doings of our kids. We heard all about a year-long trip one of their children took with his family as full-time RV-ers. They sold their house at the top of the housing bubble and with the profits and their savings they bought an Airstream, set off to see the country, homeschooled their children enroute, and had a wonderful adventure! Wow! Before we left, Bert and Jenny took us out to their car and presented us with a treat: a container of soup and a loaf of bread from Panera Pread and a bottle of Pennsylvania wine. It reminded me of the scene in It's a Wonderful Life when Mr. and Mrs Martini move to their new home in Bailey Park. Delightful!
And our camper is our little castle when we're on the road. It was hard to say good-bye knowing it will probably be years before we're able to connect up with these dear friends again. Hugs all around and back on the road. Four more hours and we arrived at our first campground, East Harbor State Park in Marblehead, Ohio on Lake Erie. When we opened the camper we found evidence of stowaways.
First stop? Mass to ask God's blessing on our trip
It may not be April, the time Chaucer's pilgrims began their journey to St. Thomas a Becket's shrine in Canterbury, but we are off on our own pilgrimage/adventure tomorrow as we begin our cross-country trip. We've closed the pool, enthroned the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts in the camper, packed our clothes and filled the pantry, downloaded the computer with a travel card, checked the car's fluids for high elevations, borrowed an i-pad, and instructed the house sitters. Whew!
Since all good things begin in the name of the Father, our first stop is 8:30 Mass at Sacred Heart in Winchester tomorrow, then off to Pittsburgh to meet friends for lunch. Then on to our first camping spot in Marblehead, Ohio. We will probably start off in the rain, a baptism for our trip, but Ohio is supposed to be sunny and, if the ten day forecast is accurate we will only see a few clouds between here and Champion, WI. There we will visit the shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, the only approved apparition site in the U.S. You'll just have to wait and visit the blog to see what happens next.
We hope to attend Mass in many places and have as many stories to tell as Chaucer's pilgrims. And we will take along our family and friends spiritually as our Yukon and our Trailmanor become our little church on wheels. Please pray for us as we travel as we will pray for all of you at home.
When we arrived at our campground last night the north wind was blowing up a gale. No rain, though. The wind continued this morning and as I write this it is still roaring outside. But we decided nothing would deter us from enjoying our plan for the day. We were going to 8:30 Mass at St. Joseph's but had a little time so we went over to see the park beach. Yikes! We practically had to hold on to a tree not to be blown away. A gaggle of gulls were huddled in the sand mostly with heads tucked in.
And our camper is our little castle when we're on the road. It was hard to say good-bye knowing it will probably be years before we're able to connect up with these dear friends again. Hugs all around and back on the road. Four more hours and we arrived at our first campground, East Harbor State Park in Marblehead, Ohio on Lake Erie. When we opened the camper we found evidence of stowaways.
