“Hello, Arkansas”

Sunday, August 28, 2022 – I left the Natural Falls State Park [in Oklahoma] shortly before 8:30 a.m., got back on Rt. 412 E (likely for the last time!) and soon crossed the state line into Arkansas. My first time in this state.

The Arkansas Welcome Center was not far from the state line and I stopped there soon as I saw it. As I attempted to park in an angled parking spot near the “Rest Area,” this lady in an orange vest, appearing to be about my age, came up and said I couldn’t park there. From the “Huh, what?” look on my face she quickly realized I was Deaf and gestured that I’m supposed to park “over there” – a marked spot for RVs, which I didn’t see at first. I moved over to the correct spot and, since she had followed me there, smiling and happily being of further assistance, I signed my “thank you” to her. She reiterated the same to me and I had to smile at that.

Inside the Welcome Center was another smiling lady who, from her seat, likely saw everything that had transpired outside. I said “Hi,” and in response to my question, she said I could use the Center’s WIFI. After I first gathered a bunch of brochures and guide books, including a better and official Arkansas map, I got my laptop from the camper, my camp chair from the truck, and, sitting outside the camper, checked emails and downloaded pictures that I had recently taken.

Finishing that, I returned to Rt. 412 and proceeded to drive to the Ozark Grape Escape Winery, my second Harvest Host of this trip. Located near Springdale, the directions I wrote down from my earlier research were no good so I used my iPhone’s GPS to make my way through narrow and curvy country roads to the winery.

The first thing I saw when I arrived was the “For Sale” sign, right in front of the “Ozark Grape Escape Winery” sign. I pulled in, expecting another “Dennis” (from the Oklahoma winery) to come out and greet me. There was nobody there. Not even a car. I went up to this barn-like building and the handwritten note on the window said “Closed.” Since I had recently received reservation reminders from Harvest Hosts for my stay here – tonight – I decided I would just go ahead and park my truck somewhere on that gravel/grass area and settle in.

After hanging around for about an hour, feeling a little bit perplexed, I went ahead and started looking for the best level spot to park. Within a few minutes, this huge motorhome, towing a car, pulled in. “Oh, I have a neighbor!” That immediate sense of relief I felt was immense, lemme tell ya, and I approached the driver as soon as he stepped out of his motorhome.

Mike was his name and he and Monika, his wife, said that it was not at all unusual for these Harvest Hosts not to be present when guests arrived. The Hosts don’t have an office where you just sign in upon arrival and, if there’s nobody around and no posted “park here” instructions, you just park where you want. Mike said they had stayed at many Harvest Hosts properties around the country. As a newbie HH member I was really happy to learn all this from these seasoned RVers.

They picked their spot and I picked mine. Mike came by a few minutes later and told me that a staff person had just arrived and was going to open the wine tasting bar at 2:30 p.m. She asked him to let me know that the area I picked was a bit too close to the entrance so, at Mike’s suggestion, I backed up closer to the front end of his motorhome. I jokingly told him he could wave “hello” down to me from that huge windshield!

Chatting further with Mike (he and Monika were both easy to lipread!) I remarked that, like the winery in Oklahoma, I didn’t see any grape vines here. He said that he learned from past winery visits that many of these folks buy their grapes from somewhere else and produce their bottled wine from those grapes at their wineries. Interesting information!

Mike and Monika had plans with local friends and, while I was sitting outside writing my journal, they went inside that barn-like building for their wine tasting and then left for dinner somewhere. Around 4:30 p.m. I went inside myself and met Amber, our server. The owners of this winery also own the Saddlebock Brewery next door. When I learned about that, I opted to sample their beer instead of the wine, beer being my preference. I sampled four beers and ordered a mug of the beer I liked best. The TV was on – and the closed captioning, too – and Amber found national news for me to watch. The mug of beer was just under $5.50. I gave Amber $20.00. Just because. My site for tonight cost me nothing. With no hookups here, I’m running the fridge on propane and using the generator to provide electricity for the AC and to power my laptop. The owners have internet but Amber, understandably, is not in position to get or ask them for the password.

My camper and my "RV neighbors" at the
Ozark Grape Escape Winery.

Monday, August 29, 2022 – I was getting ready to leave, around 7:30 a.m., when Mike and I saw each other outside our RVs and exchanged “good morning” greetings.  I thanked him – the both of them – again for “being there for me.” As we chatted for a few minutes he told me that he worked for a non-profit and he was involved with an LGBTQ+ group and, as a matter of fact, his boss was a Lesbian. Talk about feeling a kinship with somebody I’d just met by happenstance yesterday! I told him about my blog and that I was going to write about my encounter with him and Monika. He gave me his business card and asked me to send him my blog. That I will do, most definitely! As we bid each other good-bye, he had some very kind parting words for me, expressing his appreciation for my being an inspiration to him. In reply I said, “Deaf-Woman-Solo-Camper…something like that?” He nodded “yes” and with that we hugged each other good-bye.

When I mentioned my blog to Mike, I told him that I’d been without internet for a week which, especially since I like to try to post a blog at least once a week, has set me back a little bit. He responded that I could have asked to connect to his internet. Didn’t I notice the WIFI antenna on his RV? No, I didn’t and it didn’t occur to me to ask. That would have been awesome...thank you, Mike!

I took a series of these country roads to get back on Rt. 71S. The directions I wrote down months ago for this part of the drive corresponded exactly with my GPS. Which tells me that I just got sidetracked somehow and somewhere with my “no good” directions yesterday. As I drove along on Rt. 71, I decided to keep an eye out for a McDonald’s or something at the next big town and, using their internet, try to catch up on the research and editing I needed to do to get Blog #2 finalized and ready for posting…today, if possible.

Lake Fort Smith State Park, near Mountainburg, was my destination today. After only an hour of driving on Rt. 71, I was already approaching the road leading to the state park. Since I had a reservation at this park for tonight and tomorrow, I made a snap decision to go ahead to the Visitor’s Center and inquire about their internet and whether I could use it there. It was by then 9:00 a.m. The usual campsite check-in time is 3:00 p.m. Heck, as Mike implied this morning, it doesn’t hurt to ask…

Denice is the name of the lady who greeted me as I approached the Visitor’s Center counter. The moment I indicated that I couldn’t hear, she immediately signed to me! And she signed very well, too. It’s fine that I’m very early, she said. And, YES, I’m welcome to “sit over there” and connect to their internet. I was elated, to say the least, and the air conditioning inside the building was a big plus.

She went ahead with my registration and gave me the placard for my campsite post. Telling her that I’ll go to my site later, I walked back to the camper to get my laptop, an energy bar, and a bottle of water. Soon settled on an oversized chair with cushions (and using the second twin chair as a desk of sorts), I got to work.

At noon, Denice came by to let me know she was locking the building for lunch and she’ll be back at 1:00 p.m. Quickly catching the obvious question on my face, she promptly said I could stay right there. Wow, talk about trust!

At 4:00 p.m., she came by again to let me know they will be closing at 5:00 p.m. I told her the good news that I was now wrapping up. That was many precious hours I spent there in the Visitor’s Center, focusing intently on my project and oblivious to the comings and goings of other people. I’d finished Blog #2, posted it on my blog site, and made time to also catch up and respond to emails.

Thanking Denice again for the hospitality she gave me, I again complimented her on her signing. Smiling shyly, she didn’t quite agree with me. I reminded her that since I’m the ASL user here, what I say goes and she is indeed not only a good signer, but very clear. I meant what I said and I’m fairly certain I made her day today just as she did mine.

Located within the Boston Mountains, this state park “…overlooks Lake Fort Smith in the rugged Boston Mountain Range of the northwest Arkansas Ozarks.” The campground section is on an incline and my campsite is on the higher bluff, nestled between a forest of trees – I guess dogwoods and redbuds, according to the brochure.

As I slowly drove along, looking for Site #27, there to greet me was a doe and her two fawns, grazing on the grass around an empty site, and watching me. I stopped and took pictures. Unlike the cameras I used on past camper travels – a 35mm Minolta (with film!) and later, digital cameras – I’m so glad I can now immediately, with my iPhone, check my takes and edit right then and there.

The clouds were darkening when I found and backed-in to my 30-amp site. Nobody helped spot me this time because, but for that gorgeous deer family, I appear to be the only RVer here. This is a lovely campground section and it looks strange to see all these empty campsites. Maybe because today is Monday? It’s back to school and back to work for everyone…except me?

All's quiet on the campground front.

About 15 minutes after I got the camper set up – and got the air conditioner going right away because it is hot and humid here – those dark clouds burst open and it rained…hard! It was a thunderstorm! I saw flashes of lightning and felt the thunder.

The clock on the microwave, which operates only on electricity (and the generator, if activated) started to flicker, telling me that my shore power was iffy at the moment. I turned off the air conditioner and then took a look at the refrigerator’s monitor panel. Yup, the fridge was flashing “lo AC” (the AC here referring to electricity), so I switched to “dc” (battery power). Even with my new solar panel and the two new batteries, I really don’t want to drain the batteries too much. So, when the rain let up a bit, I went outside, opened one of my two propane tanks, and then switched the fridge to “AU” (automatic). Oh, but of course, this free-thinking fridge selected “LP” (propane) to keep itself running. My “camper adventures” includes adjustments like this!

Being a little bit too far from the Visitor’s Center, I don’t have internet at my site. Additionally, since I noticed that texts and emails are not coming/going through quickly up here, I’m obviously out of mobile range. I left all my lights off, sat at the dinette table, and played a couple of games on my iPad, just waiting out this storm. My thoughts harkened back to the days of yore when those folks got by just fine without the creature comforts that we have today. They went to bed early, and that’s what I did, too.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 – During the night I woke up and saw that my microwave clock was pitch black -- indicating that there’s no electricity at all coming from the outside pedestal. Checking the fridge, I noted that the propane was still the selected power source. I went back to sleep but woke up again about an hour or so later. This time the clock was lit up and I set the time to 1:33 a.m., according to my vibrating travel clock. I left the fridge alone.

Wide awake now, I thought maybe I’ll step outside and look upwards. Other than the stars, is there anything out there, this time of night, in this mountain forest? I flicked on the camper’s bright white back lights, which, when shining downwards, create two round spotlights on the surface. Peering through the closed (and locked!) entrance door window I detected motion. Something was indeed out there! Keeping my eyes fixated on that spot, it moved again, inching closer to the left spotlight, foraging along the way, no doubt. Since it didn’t move directly into the light, I wasn’t able to make out what it was. In the dim light, though, I could see that its body, sort of oval-shaped with a small head, was low to the ground – short legs maybe? – and its tail was long and slender. I’ll Google later and look at images of this area’s nocturnal wildlife.

The third time I woke up, I stayed up, took care of camper stuff and reviewed my materials for tomorrow’s drive. I sat outside later, in the shade of a tree, and updated my journal for my next blog (this one, Blog #3). At one point I happened to look up and saw, to my left and across my site, the doe and her two fawns. I had my binoculars with me and again I took pictures. Holding my binocs, I spoke softly, telling them how beautiful they were. All six ears perked up and all six eyes looked directly at me. Wow, they heard me!

My view while writing my journal.

The doe and her fawns, ears perked and looking my way.

Back inside the camper, sitting at the table with my laptop, again to my left was another group of deer. It rained again, but briefly this time.

My view while working on the laptop.

Around 6:15 p.m., and with no hint of more rain to come, I went back outside with my Rum & Diet Coke and my book. While reading I noticed this large bird flying close by. I had my binocs with me and when it landed on a branch, I took a look but all I could see was its feathered backside. Then it turned just enough to reveal its face – oh, a turkey vulture. That prompted me to look up and, yup, there were several up high in the sky. Ugly birds these are, but with their wide wingspan they soar and glide so gracefully in flight. As scavenger birds, they’re doing their job, looking for and cleaning the environment of dead animals and carcasses.

The sun had dipped and I was on the last couple of pages of the chapter I was reading when I happened to glance up…and saw it! The creature that I saw outside my camper early this morning – an armadillo! I’d always wanted to see one, in Texas and elsewhere, but never did. They are nocturnal, after all, and it is getting dark. It scooted off pretty fast on them little legs when I approached but I got some pictures. Deer and turkey vultures and an armadillo – ‘twas a good day!

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 – I got up early and walked over to the Comfort Station to take a shower. The campsites I passed were empty, further confirming that I’ve most likely been the only person up here for the past two days. The Women’s bathroom was empty and very clean. What the heck, I thought, I’ll feel free and use, not only the larger toilet stall, but the larger ADA shower stall as well. There’s a new discovery on most adventures and as I showered, I noticed that there was a second showerhead, located at my waist level. It took me a moment, and then I understood its purpose.

Soon on my way out of the state park, I first swung by the marina and boat launch to see Lake Fort Smith, which was not at all visible from the campground. Standing near a pavilion an eagle caught my eye and I watched it fly low, talons out, and strike the water. I couldn’t see if it caught a fish but this sighting of an eagle in action was another first for me. Add eagle to my list of deer, turkey vulture, and armadillo!

Lake Fort Smith

Back on Rt. 71 I drove south towards I-40E. I thought about Denice and the state park’s Visitor’s Center and felt extremely thankful that I was able to use their internet. There was no place along that stretch of mountain road where I would have found internet, until arriving at the interstate. Going all that way down south, for nothing, and then back north to the state park would have frustrated me greatly. Maybe “aggravated” would be a better word.

After about 20 miles on I-40 I connected to Rt. 23N – the “Pig Trail Scenic Byway,” a Forest Service Scenic Byway. One more thing to be thankful for – today’s weather. After those two bursts of rain my previous two days at the state park, today was perfect for driving on a scenic two-lane road. Everything was green – the terrain and the trees – and strikingly beautiful in contrast with the clear blue sky. No threatening rain clouds in sight. And you really don’t want to be driving on this byway in the rain.

To quote from online – “The Byway…with its many steep inclines and sharp curves, driving the Pig Trail may be likened to riding a roller coaster. Trees crowd the roadside, creating a shady corridor during the summer in some areas and display stunning fall color.”

Exactly! I uttered many “Oh, wow!” and “Oh, my gosh!” and “Be still my heart!” exclamations as I maneuvered those sharp turns and steep inclines, both uphill and downhill. At one point, a 15-mph tight curve, going uphill, made me stop breathing for a few seconds. My truck handled those curves and steep roads just fine and my camper was just along for the ride.

When I saw the Turner Bend Store, a “cultural hub for the byway,” located near the bridge that crosses over the [currently and sadly low] Mulberry River, I stopped there to look around. I later stopped at a scenic overlook and stopped again for a BLT lunch at Granny’s Kitchen in Huntsville. The byway, continuing north past Huntsville, while still scenic, was a lot more level and less curvy. I soon reached my destination – the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR). There, my reserved campsite for tonight and tomorrow, on one of their six RV sites – with 30-amp electricity and water -- was ready for me.

This refuge, which I discovered when I researched Arkansas months ago, is a sanctuary. From their website (www.turpentinecreek.org), the non-profit organization’s mission is “To provide lifetime refuge for abused and neglected “Big Cats” with emphasis on tigers, lions, leopards, and cougars.” After setting up the camper I walked over to the “Discovery Tour Self-Guided” area to see some of the Big Cats in their enclosures. To my surprise I saw that they had bears here as well – a couple of Black Bears and a Grizzly named Bam Bam. I chatted with one of the staff who was in the area and learned a few things from this young lady. She spoke very clearly, knew fingerspelling and some of the animal signs – bear, tiger, lion. Her name, I later learned, is Shayleen and she’s a “Wildlife Interpreter.” There’s much more I’ll be learning about this sanctuary and the animals that live here. Being an RV guest, I was privileged to receive courtesy tickets for two guided tours tomorrow.

At the entrance to the refuge is this metal cargo drum. The sign reads: "A cougar was sadly housed in the 2x4 cargo drum that you see in front of you. When Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge staff arrived on site, the situation was a severe case of neglect for all animals involved. Smitty the cougar was living in this drum which was covered with excrement and judging by the buildup; this magnificent animal had been living in this deplorable situation for about 3 weeks."   

A tranquil lily pond (with fish and frogs) at the lodging area.
My camper can be seen in the background.

White Tiger

Cougar

One of three tiger cubs from the same rescued litter.

Bam Bam, the Grizzly, a real ham, they say!

One of many posted stories about the animals TCWR has rescued over the years. Kenny's parents were siblings and this message describes the deformities and health problems that are a result of inbreeding. 

Back at my camper for the rest of the afternoon and evening, I sat outside with my book and cocktail and was treated to a beautiful sunset. It didn’t escape me, not for one minute, that I was sharing this calm, peaceful, and colorful Ozarks sunset with, just steps away, a lot of big and small wild cats.

Outside the camper with my camp chair and book.

The sunset through my dinette window.

A burst of Ozarks color from the setting sun.

Thursday, September 1, 2022 – My goodness, today was overwhelming! This sanctuary is amazing! First, some excerpts from the website’s FAQ page –

* Our focus is rescuing big cats but we have rescued other types of animals that call our refuge home. Currently, we have tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, a jaguar, bobcats, African Servals, Black Bears, Brown Bears, a white-nosed Coatimundi, and a hyena.

* We rescue survivors of the Exotic Animal Trade with a focus on big cats and bear, providing them a safe lifelong home with exceptional diets and proper care, while working to preserve endangered species in the wild through public education and advocacy.

* We believe big cats are predators, not pets or entertainment for the masses.  They and other exotic and native wildlife deserve to live out their lives with dignity, allowed to be the wild animals they instinctually are. We will continue to be their voice, both for those forced to live in captivity and those struggling for survival in the wild.

* Big cats born in captivity are not eligible for release into the wild. Inbreeding, hand-rearing, health issues, and other factors make it impossible for our rescued animals to survive in the wild. Some of our animals are native (bobcats, bears, cougars) but again if they were born in captivity they cannot be released into the wild. The few rescues we have that were wild born cannot be released into the wild due to state laws and regulations.

* We do not support the breeding of hybrid wild cats both big and small. Wild animals belong in the wild and hybrid species have no conservation value. Hybrids are solely made to entertain humans. We do, however, rescue hybrids because we believe that they deserve to live their lives without abuse.

* Although the majority of our animals live in our Discovery Area or our guided-tour path we do have some animals that live at Rescue Ridge, which can only be viewed during one of our behind-the-scenes exclusive tours. The animals that live at Rescue Ridge are older or do not like large crowds, this is why we limit access to this area.

My first “Guided Habitat Tram Tour” was at 9:00 a.m. Checking in at the office, the lady there gave me, per ADA regulations, the script that the tour guides orate during the one-hour tour. The script, each page printed in large letters and laminated, was bound with two metal rings for easy flipping. I was majorly impressed and very much appreciative to have this available to me.

Waiting with my group at the tram pick-up area, we were able to observe a tiger and a lion in their nearby enclosure. They had just been fed and were interested in checking us out, too. We also saw a serval, a small and slender wild cat, native to Africa, in its enclosure.

Tiger

Serval

Lion

 

Ready to go, I was delighted to see that our guide was Shayleen herself. Sitting up front, facing her as she spoke, she would occasionally fingerspell something to me, tell me to flip the page, and sometimes she’d do it herself. Through it all I was also looking at the animals she was talking about – lions, tigers, and ligers (lion/tiger hybrids). About some of them, she would describe their humorous characteristics and antics. And, most importantly, she also described their heartbreaking backgrounds and how they came to be rescued and transported to this sanctuary. My pictures below show sample pages from the script and a couple of the big cats we saw outside their "shelter houses." One point I want to make – and it’s not up for debate -- is the fact that humans are the worst and most cruel animal of all.

Shayleen, our tour guide.

Back at the pick-up area, the next tour group was waiting to board the tram. Suddenly, everybody turned and, tram momentarily forgotten, rushed to an enclosure and looked up at the big cat there on its raised platform. I asked someone what was up and she said the big cat, playing with something, growled. I looked and thought, since it was black, it was a panther. Shayleen came by and said it’s a spotted leopard, its black color a result of melanism, “…a mutation that knocks out a gene that regulates the production of melanin. This causes an over production of pigment which turns the coat black.”

Spotted Leopard

My next tram tour, at 2:00 p.m., was also interesting, but in a different way. I had the script again (and my binoculars) and, as it turned out, I was the only rider! The guide was a different person this time and I told her that, if it’s still just me, she practically didn’t have to talk into that microphone around her neck since I’m not going to hear a thing anyway. There was another staff person standing with us, a slightly older woman, and it slowly dawned on me that I oughta look at their shirts. Oh, the guide is an intern and the other lady is her supervisor/trainer. Seeing handwritten notes in the intern’s hand, I realized she needed to practice. So, she did the scripted introduction right there to an audience of one (ME!), we three got on the tram together, she did her presentation, her supervisor nodding and making comments/suggestions, and I participated by giving the intern some more practice by asking questions.

After that tour I walked around a bit to see where the animals were hanging out in their enclosures. Noticing a training session going on, I stopped and stood still. A white tiger was being trained to follow verbal and hand signals and, for every correct response, he received pieces of chicken as rewards. That was fascinating to watch – better than what I’ve seen on TV! Two young staffers were observing and it looked like the lead trainer was training them, too.

During the tour I learned that, as in the wild, the lions here roar and carry on a caroling exchange with each other, usually in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. I told Shayleen I will put on my hearing aids this evening and see if I can hear those vocals. She suggested, due to its proximity to the lions, a spot on the tram road where I might best hear them.

At 5:15 p.m., I headed down the driveway to that spot. The gate, now that the tram tours were over for the day, was closed. A woman was standing at the gate and I gestured to her to wait a moment. We said hello, I explained why I was there, and I asked if she could hear the lions. No, not at that moment. Hmmm, okay.

Since this sanctuary has, in addition to the RV sites, other lodging options – The Safari Lodge, a couple of Safari Tents, a couple of Safari Suites, and The Tree House – I then asked her if she was sleeping here. She said, with a smile, “I’m the president of TCWR.” I was stunned for a moment, stupefied more like, and not sure if I understood her correctly. I repeated “President?” She replied “Yes,” and explained that the sanctuary, as a non-profit organization, has a Board of Directors and she’s the president.

“Surprised” is putting it mildly! I was astonished! My simple hope that I might be lucky enough to hear those rescued lions and ligers call out to each other brought me to this spot to meet Tanya Smith, President and Founder of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Taking a quick look at my feet (I was wearing sneakers), Tanya asked me if I’d like to join her on her walk. Did I ever! Of course, SHE is allowed to go beyond the closed gate!

That walk, with big cats on either side of us, was simply wonderful. As we walked on this tram road Tanya listened intently to my comments and questions and stopped walking to face me with her comments and replies. It was also awesome to see, due to that particular time of day, that the big cats were mostly out in the open. Passing the individual enclosures, I noted that the cats appeared to recognize Tanya and seemed to be a bit more attentive when she spoke to them. That’s when she told me she had been involved with all their rescues and transports to TCWR for veterinary care, proper nutrition, rehabilitation, and to live out their lives in a comfortable and safe environment. I further learned that it was her parents, Don and Hilda Jackson, who founded this organization and obtained this huge property to create the sanctuary. It all began in 1978 when Tanya was 8 years old.

Our walk wasn’t without some touching and funny moments. At one enclosure, a big cat was relaxing on his raised platform and watching us. Tanya said he’s a liger -- his father a lion and his mother a tiger. He’s a hybrid, bred just for entertainment. I could see the “lion” features on his face. I said to Tanya that, in his innocence, he was beautiful. Our funny moment came when Tanya suddenly stopped and quickly turned around. Puzzled, I looked back and realized a tiger had been “stalking” us, immediately standing stock still when caught in the “act.” Another one did the same thing, this being like a game for Tanya and her tigers.

After walking together for about 45 minutes, Tanya said she’ll take me back to my camper in her car. Tanya and her husband live here at the sanctuary, as does the “Team” – the staff and interns. She pointed out the Team’s residence area and, having told me that the interns come from everywhere, I noted Missouri, North Carolina, Kansas, and Arkansas on the license plates.

Tanya’s house is a lovely two-story. As I thought about having shared last night’s sunset with these wild big cats, it occurred to me how so very appropriate and meaningful it is that these cats share their vocalizations with Tanya.

Dropping me off right at my “doorstep,” I took Tanya’s hand, thanked her for inviting me to join her on this walk and for everything she, the Board, and her Team are doing, not only for these beautiful and innocent rescues, but also for their work in advocacy, awareness, education, and justice through court and legislative testimonials. Still feeling awed later by this totally unexpected experience, I told myself that while I didn’t hear any vocals, which Tanya eventually did and alerted me to listen, I gained something much more meaningful, beneficial, and inspiring.

With Tanya Smith...and Frankie, a white tiger.

"Aw, jeez, what's with these two-legged humans and their selfies?"

The day had been cloudy and overcast, the humidity a bit high. Sitting with my laptop at my table, the evening was now night and all my windows were open to let in cooling air. I didn’t see, because it was dark outside and there were no exterior lights anywhere, and I certainly didn’t hear…that it was raining.  Alerted by a flash of lightning, I quickly hopped off my seat and went to the bed. Too late – rain had come through the partially open cabover exit window and got my bottom bedsheet wet. I immediately closed all the windows and removed that bedsheet, relieved that the top sheet and blanket were dry because I’d already pulled them back to the foot of the bed. “This happened before, Mapita. When ya gonna learn when the sky looks like it’s gonna rain?”

Friday, September 2, 2022 – I don’t know if it rained all night but it sure was raining hard this morning. Whew, I’m really glad I had decent weather my two days here at TCWR. The check-out time was 11:00 a.m. and I waited until then to leave. I had bills to pay online and did a bit more writing.

The rain became lighter and sporadic when I left this wonderful place and got back on Rt. 23N for the drive towards Harrison. I used the GPS to take rural roads through a few towns and then narrower country roads to the Shady Oaks Campground & RV Park, so named because of the many tall oak trees around this park. This RV Park is the last one I made reservations for. I don’t know yet where I’m going from here but I’m glad to be here since it is the Labor Day Weekend.

The rain let up but the overcast sky and the trees around my site are keeping my camper inside quite dark. Sitting here at my table and watching people arrive for the Labor Day Weekend, I noticed a little girl, about 7-8 years old, standing outside across the road. She pulled down her shorts, squatted and peed into what looked like a pet’s food/water bowl. She then pulled up her shorts (no underwear), picked up the bowl and tossed her pee on the ground. Jeez, the park’s restrooms are just right over there. Quite amazed at the performance I just observed, I shook my head and went back to my laptop.

Saturday, September 3, 2022 – It was still overcast when I woke up this morning. The laundry room was busy so I’ll just stay with my laptop today and do my laundry tomorrow. My focus on Blog #3 has certainly been keeping me very busy! This blog is turning out to be longer than my previous blogs, but the visit to TCWR and the pictures I took are worth posting.

The weather cleared during the day and at around 6:15 p.m., I went outside to sit on my camp chair for a little while. The couple in the RV next to me waved hello and said something, to which I responded as I always do – I waved back and let them know I couldn’t hear. We gave each other smiles and “I’m good! You’re good!” thumbs ups.

I went to take a shower and on my way there I noticed the row of cars near the recreation area. Yup, something is going on over there – some guys were on a stage playing guitars. Labor Day Weekend entertainment it looked like. Back at the camper, the fellow next to me approached and, apologizing for not knowing sign language, asked me if he could bring me some dinner from the BBQ over there. There’s a BBQ, too? Seems the folks in the office forgot to tell me, or I didn’t see any announcement about it.

Oh, gosh, what a sweet and kind offer! I accepted and thanked him for being so kind. He said he will knock when he comes back and then he laughed when I reminded him I wouldn’t hear the knock. When he returned with dinner and dessert we exchanged names – Steve and Kathy from Washington State. Thanking him again I could see that he was very happy to have done this for me. The food, I should mention was delicious – marinated chicken, corn on the cob, a broccoli salad with raisins, and a pasta salad. Oh, yes, and a cream pie!

Sunday, September 4, 2022 – As I write this, I’ve done my laundry and had a few very pleasant minutes to talk with Steve and Kathy before they left. They seem to be about my age and they told me they’ve been traveling full-time in their trailer over the last two years. I asked and they confirmed that, as I’ve read in my online RV newsletter, campgrounds were indeed full in many places. They make reservations in advance and, as a matter of fact, they have reservations up to December. I also asked if the people around here are speaking with a southern accent. They both nodded a big “yes!” Which is interesting, I told them, because I seem to find the women here easier to lipread than the men. We wished each other safe travels and I went back inside my camper. Gotta get this blog posted and decide today where I’m going tomorrow!