April 30- Returning to Missouri

We are now located in Sundermeier RV Park in St.Charles. Hoping to catch up with family tomorrow. We took old US 50 ( a two lane road most of the way). We still found southern Indiana quite pretty with its gently rolling hills. And everything quite green what with all the rain it has had! Saw a lot of swollen creeks and flooded farmland. Again, however, with the hills and a strong headwind it was slow going. KC added some excitement to the day by jumping on the dashboard while we were tooling along at 60mph! Most of the time he has been content curling up on the carpet between John and I while we are traveling. Today he jumped in my lap a couple of times, so I guess he figured nothing could happen with another higher leap. He certainly has come a long way from the timid cat who ran to hide in the back whenever the engine started up! He just curled up on the dash and closed his eyes, and I immediately reached for my camera so I could share this moment with with our bloggers. What intrigued me was that he flicked his tail most of the time he was up there. Maybe he knew he was giving John and I some excitement, or maybe he was just plain nervous about his experiment. Was he smart enough to know that a sudden jolt could send him flying? Maybe he was just trusting me to catch him-- who knows the mind of a cat?

April 29- Muscatatuck

This was a cool but somewhat sunny day, perfect for hiking in a national wildlife refuge. We got there about noon, which is not the time of day for viewing wildlife. The other problem is that this is an area with lots of swamps, so most of the hiking paths were quite moist. But we did hear lots of songbirds, saw many ducks. Even a raccoon was so kind to peek his head out of the hollow of a tree to check us out. And there were some very tall tulip, ash, red oak, and birch trees. All in all, a very pleasant change from the cities and towns we have been in. Tomorrow we head for St.Louis.

April 28- French Lick Indiana

"Here we take the mineral waters, when nature can't, Pluto can-- America's greatest laxative!" I found these words carved on the gazebo which was built over one of the mineral springs in French Lick. I am thankful that the Pluto company is not bottling this spring water anymore, for more reasons than that one. The city of French Lick has been known for over 15o years for its healing waters. At the beginning of the 20th century, two hotels/health resorts were built here. One, West Baden Hotel, was famous for its dome, the largest in the world at that time. It was also dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. Over the years it fell into disrepair and for thirty years it was a Jesuit monastery. In 2007 it was remodeled and returned to its former beauty. I will post a picture of it here. French Lick Springs Hotel was also redone with a casino added to it. Both hotels are National Historic Landmarks. After touring both hotels we walked the town of French Lick. All we found were a handful of worn-out buildings. There seemed to be a strange disconnect between the dingy town and the opulence of the hotels. I have to mention one other town, which we passed through, on our way to French Lick. It was the town of Orleans. We happened to be there during their Dogwood Festival. The festival did not have any events we were interested in, but we did drive around the town square and some of the streets off the square. There were blooming pink and white dogwood trees all over town, the heaviest cluster being in the square. Quite beautiful to see, and definitely added color to an otherwise gray town. My apologies to anyone who lives in either French Lick or Orleans for my disparaging remarks. Maybe my senses got over-loaded after touring Columbus and I now expect every town/city to look like that city. The economy of the area must certainly always be considered.

April 27- Columbus Indiana

We found Columbus to be a beautiful and unique city. It has kept a lot of its historical older buildings, as well insuring that any new buildings are designed with the use they were intended. Schools are built with the comfort of children in mind, churches are designed to enhance the worship experience of its members and visitors. Business buildings were designed already fifty years ago for energy conservation, and also with an eye on quality to attract other companies into the city. There are about seventy of these buildings around town, six of which are National Historic Landmarks. The Cummins company, known for its manufacture of diesel engines, had its beginnings here and now its world headquarters. When new buildings were needed in the city it offered to start a foundation to pay for the best architects around the nation to be the principal designers. It was Eli Saarinen who designed the First Christian Church in 1942 and his son Eero Sarrinen ( he designed the St.Louis Arch) who was the principal architect of the Irwin Union Bank and Trust in 1973. And quite often, especially with the churches, office buildings and parks, there was a "marriage of the buildings with the landscape". Hard to believe all of this beauty is in a town of 39,000 people. And seven more projects, exceeding $80 million dollars are in development. I will post here a picture of the "Exploded Engine" which we saw at the Cummin's headquarters ( in theory when all the pieces are cut down they will fall together in the right order to make an engine). And the other picture is of the old County Courthouse with the Veterans Memorial in the foreground.

April 26- Free Spirit Campground

We attended services this morning at First English Lutheran in Richmond. Always is a a small hassle trying to figure out where to attend church in a strange city. But, as is has happened before, once we got to the church it was well worth the effort. The preaching and music were inspirational, members and pastors friendly and welcoming. An added bonus was that the senior pastor, John Walker, knew my brother Marcus. After services we traveled to Columbus Indiana ( south of Indianapolis). Shortly after we started out I again noticed (as I had Friday) a bird caught in mid-flight and unable to progress forward very fast because of the wind. And so it happened again that we could only move our rig at a snail's pace to get here. And I thought we were now going to see the flat lands of the Midwest. But once we turned south we encountered hills, which also slowed our pace, but the scenery was worth it. What is time now that we are free spirits, right? Tomorrow we plan to tour the city of Columbus, touted as " unexpected and unforgettable". It apparently ranks six out of ten for a U.S. city designed well ( Chicago ranks number one,by the way). Will report back to you tomorrow about Columbus, Indiana

April 25- Richmond Indiana

Our plans were that we would travel further into Indiana than we are at present. We had just gotten over the border from Ohio yesterday when we realized that, because of strong winds, it would be foolish to continue. We even saw a bird caught in mid-flight flapping its wings and unable to move forward because of the wind. With the two factors of the hills and the strong wind we were averaging 40mph! So we parked our rig in Richmond Indiana. And once here, we found that in Richmond there were some interesting places we would like to visit. It has Whitewater River Gorge Park, which runs through the town and has some very scenic trails alongside of it. We spent a good part of our day hiking around the park. Richmond is also known for its historic structures along Old National Road (US 40). One noted place is a monument to pioneer women- called the Madonna of the Trail. I will post a picture of that monument, as well as a sign I found near it. The sign commemorates the first toll road, and it is located near the statue of the pioneer woman. Those two monuments just did not seem to belong together. I could not imagine a pioneer women getting up the courage to head West with her little ones only to be told that her first steps on this treacherous journey required a toll to be paid! And I am sure back then that those toll roads were not paved!

Food Commentary

We were on the road today and didn't tour anything to report so will forward a letter our son wrote to his local grocery store concerning the need for more info on the food we eat and more organic foods. The letter is self explanatory and contains a lot of good points for all of us. Read and enjoy.

Hi Mom and Dad,

How is the trip out of the East going? Have you gotten off to a good start? Looking forward to seeing St. Louis again? I hear from Adam there are some pics up on your blog already from your time here, so I will be having a look at your site soon too!

I wanted to pass along a good film we just saw that was screened last night at the National Geographic Society. It's called Food, Inc., and its a very compelling film covering all of the horrible injustices, health problems, and environmental damage caused by industrial agriculture. I know none of this is particularly new, but the problem has if anything, gotten worse in recent years, and now we seem to be in a position where political momentum is building towards making some big changes. In any case, here is the letter I wrote to our local grocery store, Harris Teeters (its a big chain in the East and South), after seeing the film. I wanted to save it for posterity somewhere, so figured I'd email it to you all. Hey, put it on your blog if you want!

Dear HT,

I want to commend your company on the increase in organic products you are offering in the store on Kalorama in Northwest, DC. My girlfriend and I prefer to purchase organics whenever possible. We are not wealthy, but we have decided it is worth the slight premium to have good, nutritious food that we can trust does not contain harmful contaminants and has been raised in an environmentally friendly way.

However, HT still has a long way to go before it meets the standards we expect. In particular, our HT store offers virtually no organic cheeses, meats, or breads. Further, it is often difficult to find information on food products' place of origin, and there is a noticeable lack of locally grown produce. Finally, as far as we are concerned, the more information on labels the better. I want to know if a corn or soy product is genetically modified. I want to know if a dairy product contains hormones. I want to know whether my personal hygeine products have been tested on animals.

In general, I would refer your purchasing agents to a new movie called "Food, Inc.," released in theaters this spring, that goes into some detail about the vulnerabilities of our highly-centralized and industrial food system.

I believe very strongly in my right to make informed and sustainable choices about the food I eat. I also believe my fellow shoppers share this right. The more HT respects this right, and the more it provides me with local, organic, animal-friendly products, the more willing I will be to do my shopping there.

Thank you for your time,

Dan

April 23- Moundsville West Virginia

Today we drove into the town of Moundsville. It was a sunny warm day but we chose to spend it in a museum and an old prison, go figure. The museum had exhibits and displays showing what is known about the cultural life of the Adena people. Located in Moundsville is one of their burial mounds standing about 65 feet high and dating back about 1000 years ( is older than Chahokia Mounds located in Illinois which we have toured several times). After seeing the museum and climbing the mound, we walked to a nearby Mexican restuarant which served very good food( name of it was Acapulco). After lunch we toured the West Virginia penitentiary, located across from the mounds. It was built by Confederate prisoners in 1867. The prison has a very interesting history. It saw 85 deaths by hanging and nine deaths by the electric chair. But those deaths are small in comparison to the murders commited by the inmates, about one thousand( apparently several gangs ruled the prison one of which was the Black Panthers). That probably accounted for some of the bloody turbulence over the years. Interestingly enough, in stark contrast to the violent activities going on within its walls, inmates had painted some very beautiful pastoral murals on the walls over the years. Also, over the time of the prison's existence, about nine hundred convicts escaped. That made for some intriguing books/movies. One was "Fool's Parade (starring Jimmy Stewart) the other was "Night of the Hunter " (Robert Mitchum). Another interesting fact concerning this prison was Charles Manson's mother was imprisoned there from the time he was age two until her death. Just before the prison closed(1995) Manson asked to be transfered there because of family living in the town. "No way in hell" was the warden's reply. Now the prison is used for the training of law enforcement workers from all of the states and around the world. Looking at the cell blocks, graffiti on the walls and places where the inmates tried to chisel their way out made for an interesting tour. And I shouldn't forget to mention the old electric chair with all its straps and wiring. West Virginia got rid of the death penalty in 1959. The tour guide feels certain that will change soon.

April 22- Wheeling West Virginia

Cool and rainy today. Maybe we should have stayed in Florida longer! Most of this morning spent trying to get our rear jack unstuck. Same jack we had problems with before. We had some rv repair shop come out to fix it. Guess we still have a lot to learn about the sensitivities of the leveling system of our motor home. In the afternoon we drove into Wheeling (we are camped in an Ohio state park outside of Wheeling). In Wheeling is the world's longest suspension bridge, built in 1849. We drove and walked across it. Being the good engineer that he is, John was totally fascinated with the structure of the bridge. I was rather intrigued with the sign on the street where we were parked: " No parking on Mondays from 8AM until the sweepers have passed". And how does a tourist know when the sweepers have passed??? Thank goodness it was Wednesday!

April 21- Wheeling West Virginia

We are now heading back to Missouri for some doctor's appointments, and then to Indiana for some college graduations. So being that we were on the road all day today, I will share with you my musings on strange street names I have seen- mainly in Richmond and in the D.C. area. Now I realize that a good number of them do make sense for some reason or another, but allow me to share with you my thoughts on those street names that either puzzled me or gave me a moment of mirth. The first one I will share with you is Misery Lane. As I glanced over to that street all I saw was several run-down homes. Now did the street always look like that and maybe was rightly named? I can not imagine a street with new homes on it and given a name of "misery". Quite possibly, however, it was named after Mr.Misery who was important enough to have a street named after him. And I saw a Gallows road. Is there a Mr.Gallows ? Or maybe that road has some historical significance. John thought that maybe in the seventeenth century there was a gallows on that road. In Richmond I saw a Hydraulic Road. Now how utilitarian is that? Maybe on that road is a shop that deals with " the physical science and technology of the static and dynamic behavior of fluids" (like our hydraulic jack that needed repair?) By the way, that quote is right out of Webster's Dictionary. And then there is Brevity street-- we did not have time to check it out, but just maybe that street is short and sweet with no tourist attractions. Or maybe there is a Mr.Brevity. .. Also in Richmond there is a Three Chopt road. First of all, I think the correct spelling is chop. If so, are we talking about three pork chops? Actually, we found the street again in Charlottesville, and there they were so kind as to post an explanation for that street. I will post a picture of that explanation as I am too lazy to write it out. I do wish all cities/towns would post such clarifications of their street names, but then that would take all the fun away from us out of towners, wouldn't it? Oh, by the way, after I wrote this, John pointed out Crooked Crow road. I could put some good spins on that name..but maybe I should leave one alone. And I apologize if I have offended anyone whose their last name is any of the streets mentioned, or if they just happen to live on that particular road.

April 20- Great Falls Park

Had a very gloomy wet day. At first I thought that all it was good for was firing up the gas oven and making chocolate chip cookies. I figure that once the warmer days arrive I may not appreciate warming up the motorhome in such a manner. After at least getting the batter made we did head out for Great Falls. Until today I thought the Potomac was just a small river that flowed around D.C. Actually it can boast as having one of the larger falls on the east coast. It plunges a total of seventy-seven feet in a series of picturesque falls and thundering rapids. And we were fortunate to be there after a heavy rainfall. It still was not as dramatic as it could be because of lack of rainfall in the past winter months, but its beauty was still impressive to me. Actually it reminded me of Johnson Shut-Ins from back home in Mo., but the Shut-Ins don't cover quite as much river. We walked on a trail alongside the river, not only viewing the falls, but also looking at remnants of the stone canal constructed in 1784 to make the river navigable for trade. George Washington presided over the effort after organizing the Patowmack company. Five canals were built, and also the required locks- quite a challenge for the engineers of that time. I will post one picture here of the Great Falls, as well as one of Mather Gorge where the river slows and flows through a narrow opening. Pardon the grayness of the day.

April 19- Listening to the Mountaineers

It was tempting to skip church today as we had a rather long day yesterday. But, as usual, it was a good experience and being at Christ the King Lutheran just seemed like the place we were meant to be. It felt a bit like being at our home church back in Mo. There were a few people who were quite friendly and eager to speak with us. The senior pastor does some traveling in an rv with his wife, and would have liked to hear of our experiences had we more time to spend with him. Outside the church is a small garden with benches, small statues and plaques with Bible verses on them. I was surprised to find out that it was an Eagle Scout project. In another area was a beautiful blooming Japanese Cherry tree, which is shown here. For the afternoon we drove into Washington D.C. We made it just in time to walk with Amanda and Dan to the Marx cafe. There Dan and his friend Micah had agreed to play for several hours on their guitars and sing bluegrass music. Their first gig together. The cafe should have been happy with the crowd they brought in, as about twenty of the customers there were family, friends and co-workers of Dan and Micah. Even Micah's parents, from Minnesota happened to be in town for the week-end. It did turn out to be a fun afternoon.

April 18- Rustin,Virginia

Yesterday we moved our home here to Rustin, which is outside of D.C. This morning we headed out for Manassas Battlefield. We had good company for this trip-- our son Dan and his friend Amanda, as well as our niece Laura, her husband Mike and their children Joshua and Bethany. We also had a nice sunny Spring day in our favor. I had not realized that there were two battles at Manassas, which took place about a year apart, and meant disaster both times for the Union army. We went on two different walking tours with rangers who were well versed in the details of the battles. For the second battle area, called Deep Cut, many trees have recently been removed so the topography can appear as it had been in 1862. Having those trees out of the way certainly helped to understand the various battle strategies and why that all meant success for the Confederates. It was also very sobering to think of the many lives lost in those two battles. Those battle tours took up most of the day, after which Mike and Laura left us to return home with their children. We then went on to Accotkeeek Maryland, to have supper with Dan and Amanda's friend Mike who lives there. Mike manages an organic farm, which we were fortunate to tour even though it was getting on toward dusk. As I understand it, many small farmers, who could not compete any more with the bigger farms, have organized into farm cooperatives. And a lot of these cooperatives, as this one, focus on ecosystem or organic farming. It definately is a healthier way to eat, and I now can appreciate more where this food comes from.

April 16-- Skyline Drive

We were blessed with the sun today! Spring is not out yet in the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge mountains, but we still found the scenery of the mountains and valleys of this area absolutely breath-taking. Most of the area we covered was in the Shenandoah National Park. And we even took some time out to hike. We climbed to the rocky top of Blackrock Summit and, in another area, hiked down to view Dark Hollow Falls. Both areas were well worth the physical effort to get to. And yes, that is me on top of the summit. Both John and I accomplished that minor feat. Actually, I was more concerned about disturbing rattle snakes on that climb than slipping on the rocks! And John was pleased that on that trek we did walk a little distance on the Appalachian Trail. Another pleasant part of this day was encountering many deer- sometimes that even hindered our drive, as you can see in the picture. The deer appeared to be licking something off of the pavement but we could not figure out what it would be. Maybe someone out there has an answer. Black bear are also in this park and after awhile I started wishing they would replace some of the deer we were seeing.

April 15-- Charlottesville Virginia

Today was sort of a serendipitous day-- whatever worked we went with. For the first order of the day, we drove to the Monticello visitor's center. But after encountering a few traffic jams, we soon realized that something big was going on at the center. Turned out that it was grand opening day for the center, and it was not the place to be that day. It was just as well, as we had been to Monticello before. We then went on to Ashland Lawn-Highland, home of President James Monroe. Enjoyed our tour there, and went on to Michie Tavern. We had lunch in the eighteenth century tavern, and after that took a tour of the place. On the tour we were able to dance a Colonial Reel in the one large assembly room. We did not have the time then to do much touring in Charlottsville, but we did drive there and walked around the old historic district. We again found large crowds milling around in that area. It seemed that there were political demonstrations and speeches going on there, apparently protesting current policies coming out of D.C. We then walked on to the old courthouse in the historic square. We were not expecting to be allowed in, but the guard at the entrance encouraged us to go into one of the courtrooms, even though court was in session. So we were able to look at one of the courtrooms where Thomas Jefferson practiced as an attorney. All in all, we felt that we had another good day in which we got a good dose of history. We did not even mind that it was cool and misty out- all the territory we covered that day was absolutely beautiful with the the finery of Spring.

April 14-- Appomattox

We have parked our home in Louisa Virginia. We plan to stay here several days so we can take some short day trips to various historical places in this vicinity. I am certainly getting a crash course on the civil war! I believe that Virginia can lay claim to having the most battlefields of that time period. Today we learned what all transpired on April 9, 1865 when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. It is now a national state park-- all of the original buildings are still there except the courthouse has been rebuilt, as well as the McLean home where the surrender occurred. It is in a beautiful rural setting with the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains off in the distance. One of the pictures which I have posted here may give you a feel for what the scenery looks like- the other is a replica of the McLean home at its original site.

April 12- Richmond

A Blessed Easter to all our blog readers. Hope you all had the beautiful Spring day we had here. We saw a lot of blooming azalea, redbud and dogwood trees today- it must be the peak time here for such beautiful foliage. Wish every Easter could be this late in the season, it just seems that the beauty of Spring fits in so naturally with the joy of Easter. We attended services with Melissa, Daniel and Amanda. Melissa played for the prelude with the flute choir. In the afternoon we took a walk along the historical canal area of Richmond. I believe that a time back you asked about our kitchen in the rv, Jason. I am pretty much cooking the same way I always did. My pressure cooker is coming in handy now- it cuts down on total cooking time and is versatile for a variety of dishes. Actually, I like it all being confined to a smaller area- I do not have far to reach for anything. However, storage space is limited and everthing has to fit in a certain way. Does take some digging to get out what I want, too. I have a gas range and small conventional oven. So far I have been able to purchase fresh produce on a fairly regular basis- that is important to us. No way will I ever be happy eating out of cans! Oh, I also have a large microwave which is great for heating up leftovers fast when we are on the road.

April 9- Mattaponi reservation

Dan, our son, had encouraged us to check this area out. A couple of years back he visited this place because of some environmental work he was doing in the area (actually involved trying to prevent the river, which flows by the reservation, from getting dammed up). Turned out that the museum was closed, so we checked out one of the pottery stores that was open. We did not stay long there, however, as they were starting to clean up two striped bass (still caught in the nets) that were lying on the floor in front of the counter where some pottery jars were displayed. We then went down to the river landing where some fishermen were coming in. We were told that they were fishing so that they could serve fish for the Easter breakfast Sunday after the sunrise service. We were encouraged to come back.

April 8- Berkely Plantation

This is one of many historical plantations along the James river. We chose to visit this one because it was the most historical. A signer of the Declaration of Independence lived here- Benjamin Harrison. His third son, William Harrison, was the ninth president of the United States, and William's grandson, Benjamin was the 23rd president. The first ten presidents had visited the plantation at different times. In 1862 President Lincoln reviewed Gen. George McClellan's army camped there. "Taps" was composed there that same year. And the first bourbon whiskey in American was distilled at this planation in 1621-1622. The gardens there, with blooming Spring plants- especially redbud and dogwood-- were pleasant to walk through down to the river. There was also a boxwood garden. Interestingly enough, the present owners are still living on the second floor of the house. And it is currently a working farm.

April 7- motorhome in for repairs

Last night we noticed that our lights in the home were getting dim, and soon came to find out that we were fast losing electrical power. So we went into the rv repair shop in Richmond. Fortunately that turned out only to be a loose connection, an easy fix but it did take them awhile to find out where the problem was. The interesting part of this day concerned KC. As we were traveling into the city (I was driving the car and John the motorhome ), KC jumped into the passenger's seat and calmly watched the scenery going by. Over the past few weeks he has been moving up closer to us when we travel-- a couple of times he has walked up to me and I have grabbed him and held him as I sat in the passenger seat. He would curl up in my lap and tuck his head under my arm, daring occasionally to look up and gaze outside as cars and trucks whizzed past us. But he would never be willing to sit there for very long so he totally surprised John when he climbed into the seat. He did not sit there very long, but at least he did it! And it seems that we have at last got the dosage right for his medicine, he has been feeling a lot better lately. We just received pictures from Dan, our son, and Amanda, his girlfriend, related to our trip to Washington, D.C. One is a picture of them and the other is of Amanda and our daughter Melissa.

Palm Sunday, April 5

We first attended services at Epiphany Lutheran in Richmond. It was a different kind of service because it not only observed Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but the service also told the story of the Passion ( actually the bulletin said it was Palm and Passion Sunday). Both stories were told with processions, special music, and dramatic readings of scripture. Very well done and inspiring. In the afternoon we made another trip into DC ( again had to deal with traffic jams, and accidents). This time our plan was to attend a concert at Washington National Cathedral. We were about one-half hour late for it, but I was thankful we could hear the majority of it. It was the St. John Passion by J.S.Bach, performed by the cathedral choir and baroque orchestra and directed by Michael McCarthy. Awesome music in a beautiful setting. The production was spoken in German, which pushed me to translate the little German I did know ( of course the program guide provided a translation of the words). Again we heard the Passion story, but in a manner through which only Bach could do. And, as the program guide noted, "is anachronistic yet contemporary and ultimately timeless".

Cherry Blossom Festival

Washington D.C. is about eighty miles north of where we are parked in Ashland Va. It was a frustratingly slow journey into D.C. today on I-95, probably due to the festival and a couple of accidents. Yet seeing the blooming cherry trees and magnolias in D.C. was worth the hassle of getting there. It all was more spectacular than I imagined, and could not blame the mass of humanity for being there. Once we parked the car and walked around the tidal basin (which had the majority of the trees) we had enjoyable afternoon. Of course what made it very special was that we were accompanied by our son Dan and his friend Amanda, and our daughter Melissa. It was a beautiful sunny day. It was not only interesting viewing nature in all its glory, but seeing the diversity of cultures and family groups. It was also the first time we saw the FDR memorial. So many of his quotations ( engraved on stone walls surrounding his statue) are very applicable today what with the down-turn of economy and with so many people now in the welfare lines.

April 3- Richmond Va.

Arrived in Richmond this afternoon. Last night we were in Four Oaks, North Carolina. Weather has been cool and rainy. Starting to see the start of Spring again, which is all right with us-- sure is beautiful down here in the south. Took a little side trip this afternoon to the Good Earth Peanut store. We are able to taste samples of peanuts in every form imaginable, boiled, roasted and dipped in chocolate. Also made into peanut brittle and combined with a variety of trail mixes. We were surprised that this much advertised store was located in a general store built in 1850 and looks pretty much like it did when it first opened. We were informed that much of the peanuts sold in many stores all over the states come from Virginia. So much for Georgia being peanut proud!

April 1- Hardeeville South Carolina

To clarify our location, we are about 15 miles north of Savannah Ga. Left Bushnell this morning. I had the pleasure of meeting up with two cranes in my stroll around the rv park before we headed out. By now I am well acquainted with the different sounds they make. At night they sure make a lot of noise with their trumpeting. Mike I am late in answering your question, but when we visited the seashore the water was cold. There were people swimming, but the best your dad and I could do was wade. Speaking of water, it rained off and on for us today while traveling- hope the Bushnell area we left got some of that rain. They were behind in water so far for the year and were asking citizens to limit water usage.