I’m Back!!! Mr. FixIt and I had a wonderful time camping together and the little break was just what I needed to recharge. There’s nothing like being in the woods in a little camper. Losing Mr. Virgo taught me to really appreciate every moment and this week has been grand!
On Monday, we checked into Tomlinson Run State Park in the tippy top of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The drive up was lovely as we followed the Ohio River on Rt. 7. Mr. FixIt drove separately and followed along behind me. We got to our campsite by mid-afternoon and unhooked. It’s a lovely campground, located on top of a hill and densely wooded. The sites are all nicely spaced apart from each other. We had electric but no water. That’s not a problem, really. You just use the water you carry with you in your fresh water tanks. We rode our bikes around the campground, we cooked outside, and we spent as much time as we could sitting out looking at the stars.
We left Tomlinson Run on Wednesday and headed to Beaver Creek to meet up with the Girl Campers. Mr. FixIt loves to hang out with the girls and they really enjoy him as well. We had fires in the Solo Stove which is wonderful…so much less smoke than a conventional campfire but still enough that you feel as though you had the camping experience. We had some rain here Wednesday night. Quite a bit actually.
Mr. Fixit left yesterday mid-day to head home. My friend Diane joined me last night. Diane graduated from high school with me but we didn’t know each other back then. She and I didn’t really become good friends till I moved to the family farm in West Virginia in 2014…the year after Mr. Virgo died. I needed to find someone who could help me unload a truck so I called her to get a recommendation. We became fast friends after that.
I tried to get her to camp with me several years ago, but Motel 8 is roughing it to Diane. Then, when she found out I was taking the RPod out for a road test, she texted me with a bombshell. She wanted to come camping with me! She knew I’d be writing about my camping experiences and wanted to offer her services as “blog fodder”. “Camping with the Non-Camper!” Brilliant! This could either be really, really good…or really, really bad. I’m happy to report that, so far, she seems to be having a grand time! She fits right in with these great gals.
As is always the case, there’s always a good deal of food at these events and last night was a smorgasbord. Tonight is soup night…my favorite night during What a Hoot. Everyone brings their A-game on soup night and we all go around taste testing each person’s creation. I decided to do something a little bit different this year and make beef and noodles. I’ll stick the chuck roast in the crock pot in the morning and let it simmer all day. It will be a welcome addition, I am sure.
This morning was predicted to be 41 degrees! After a long stretch of hot, dry weather, I am really welcoming the cooler temperatures of fall. I needed to make a reconfiguration of the camper to accommodate my guest. I turned the jack knife sofa into a twin bed. The back of the sofa is a little bit higher than the seat when it’s laid out flat. I bought some firm upholstery foam sheets to lay down on the lower section to make an even base and place my inflatable mattress on top. It was cool enough for the furnace. Today is Pioneer Days down in the Historic Village. The grist mill will be running and there will be tours of the village buildings. Our friend Gail’s son wrote a book about the haunted history of Beaver Creek and will be on hand to sign his books.
So far, the trip is fabulous and so is the RPod 196! The tickets are on sale on girlcamper.com for $10 each and the proceeds benefit the Hold You Foundation, an organization that assists families with critically ill children. This is a wonderful chance to support a worthy cause as well and get the opportunity to buy a wonderful camper! It’s good to be back!
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“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 NIV
Good morning Ginny. Glad you and Mr. FIXIT had some time together in the woods. I thought of you often this week. My husband and I are camping at Myrtle Beach Travel Park. It’s a great place to Camp. Been here 2 weeks Sunday. Heading home , which is only about 15 miles inland. It’s been very hot, but a cool front blew in last night with really high winds for a couple of hours. But we’re good. Ok, enjoy the rest of your journey. Love your blog. ❣???????????
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Diane sounds like the fun new friend I’m dying to meet. I’ve found it so difficult to ‘fit in’ since becoming a widow. Everyone seems to belong to some sort of grouping they are busy with. Physical frailties prevent me from joining in most activities. Any ideas how to meet new friends if you can’t be physically active or drive very far?
Sure! There’s church. See if the library has a Friends of the Library group or a Book Club. Generally library groups are more of a sedentary activity so they shouldn’t be physically stressful. The local Senior Center can be an excellent source of fun and interesting activities that meet a variety of needs. A knitting, quilting, or stitching group can be quite fun and a nice way to meet people. Check with local needlework or quilting shops. Taking a class through a local community college can help you meet new people while learning a new skill. There are often classes at a fitness center to help you do chair or water exercises. If you can’t find something, start something of your own! Put a notice on the bulletin board at local churches or community centers or grocery stores. Start a widow’s coffee group. If you have a skill, start your own group of women who also do that or want to learn that. I know it can be difficult to find your tribe, but they’re out there! Let me know how it goes for you! ❤️