The end of our first adventure!

With a bit of sadness we packed up Gracie Thursday morning, in an intermittent drizzle, to return to 223. The ride was a bit bumpy for Miss Lucy Lu, so we needed to stop along the route to put her in her carry bag. From that point on, and with her bag sitting atop my lap, she was happy to look around and observe.

Ironically, the last photo I snapped during my last walk was of the old, dilapidated entrance to the Bath House. Complete with blue metal ticket window and rusted full-length turnstile, it reminded me of the ones I had passed through as a child, thus making me feel quite dated, as well. 

Ticket window and turnstile to the Bath House

Packing up the site took longer than we anticipated and the drizzle didn't help to make things any easier. Freshly cut grass and mud were sticking to our shoes, as well as all the outdoor items, but we managed to cram everything in my Sentra and Gracie's "basement" area until we can sort and better-arrange back home.  

Once we did finally park in front of the house and engaged the emergency break, we knew we had a lot of work ahead of us. There were numerous trips back and forth to empty the fridge, unload packaged food, dirty laundry, clean clothes, medicine, gadgets and electronics.

"G" somehow found the energy to get Gracie's roof washed off.  It was caked with pine needles and tons of pollen. By bedtime, we were both exhausted.  Today, we are still not quite settled as we each had our household errands to complete in addition to attending to Gracie. We are hoping that, with practice and planning, we will get a system down that will enable us to load and unload less items on our next venture.

Speaking of "next ventures," we are booked for a one-night stand at Lone Pine Campground, in Colchester, Vermont (July 15, 2014). Click HERE to see the campground. That is the location we will meet up with about nine other RV's and join the caravan to Essex Junction, VT, for a five-night stay at our first Northeast Area Regional Rally of the Family Motor Coach Association, of which we are now proud members.  

The best part of being a member is listening to the other member's stories of past trips, favorite parks, roads to avoid and things to see and do. I can't wait for us to be able to tell of our experiences, our favorites and tick-off all the states we've explored. 

The next blog entry will contain my Top 10 List of Items I Forgot to Bring. This entry is way too long already.  

Lucy Update:  Someone is very happily rediscovering all of her secret hiding places and sitting on our laps more than normal. I think it's her way of expressing her joy for being back at 223.  

Deep thought for the day:  No matter where you go or what you do, don't overlook or forget to appreciate the "constants" in your life. Surroundings change, adventures vary, but love remains the same. Each person's "constant" to love can be different, such as a person, a belief or a dream.