Exciting As It Gets Here

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know that when we arrived here we were given a book of rules.  One of the rules stated that dogs were not allowed to walk through the campground.  We were recently told that we could walk through, if we stayed on the road and immediately left the area if another dog decided to bark at us.  Saturday night we were on a walk.  We were outside the park and we saw Dad drive by heading home after work.  We wanted to go home, but Mom wanted us to do our business.  She is all about us doing our business at night because she doesn't want us to wake her up in the middle of the night.  We decided to walk through the park.  Scout found something good to eat. She started eating it before Mom realized it and then started coughing.  We moved along from the area.  I was walking along nicely and then Mom flashed the flashlight on me and saw that I had a big  t-bone steak bone sticking out of my mouth.  I normally do not argue with her when she tells me to release something, but it was a good bone.  Finally, I released it and we went on our way.  All of a sudden, we were surrounded by two ankle biters wearing sweaters!  Scout is really afraid of small dogs.  Mom says it is like seeing an elephant and a mouse.  Scout was trying to get away and I was also dancing.  Mom told the dogs to go home, but they didn't.  Mom then started yelling "YOUR DOGS ARE LOOSE!"  There was no response.  It was dark outside and these two little Yorkies were out on their own.  Mom yelled "YOUR DOGS ARE LOOSE, COME GET YOUR DOGS!" three more times.  No one ever showed up.  She had a heck of a time getting us away from them.  She finally did and we made it home.  Did we do our business?  NOPE!

We have seen the dogs since that night.  They bark at us from their motor home.  That is against the rules. 

Scout said she had a nice birthday.  She received a lot of birthday wishes yesterday.  Mom did give her a pedicure which Dad said wasn't right since it was her birthday, but she got half a hot dog as a reward.

We survived the cold weather.  Mom wouldn't let us walk our two miles until today.  We thought we should have done it yesterday, but she didn't think we should since it was below freezing.  We saw Beckett's Mom and said good-bye to her today.  Beckett had just completed his walk and was inside napping.  It was nice to have another greyhound close by.  We will miss seeing him.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Hopes Santa Brings Him A T-Bone Steak For Christmas

Nine Is Devine

Today is Scout's 9th birthday! 

This photo was taken in 2009 and is Mom's all-time favorite photo of Miss Scout.

How are we spending the day?  Well, we took an abbreviated walk this morning.  We only walked to the foot bridge because it is still below freezing.  The cold weather finally hit us yesterday and we have been below freezing since Sunday night. It will be in the 40's tomorrow.  Anyway, yesterday it was really cold with the wind blowing and we were only allowed to walk around the campground.  Today, we insisted on going further.  We came home and chewed bully sticks.  Mom said we can split a hot dog for lunch.  I am sure she will get a few extra treats later today and that means that I will too!

Joey,
The Greyhound Whose Sister Is Now Nine

Harpers Ferry, WV

Sunday, the folks set out to shop at Camping World.  The nearest one according to the website said it was 63 miles away.  WRONG!  It turned out to be 120 miles.  BOL!   They realized the mistake when they put the address into the GPS.  They decided to continue on their journey because Dad wanted to visit Harpers Ferry and it was on the way.  They also really wanted to buy a device that we can hook up to our motor home that allows us to use an external propane tank.  We have an internal one, but if we run out when Dad is not with us, we can't get it filled.  The place we are going to stay in Alabama doesn't have propane and Mom will have to go to town to get it.  She wanted to get this device last year because it will give her peace of mind.  So, their first stop was Camping World.  Mom said they probably spent an hour there shopping. Dad loves Camping World.  He is going to be jealous that we will be near one in Alabama. 

They had planned on eating lunch at one of the restaurants in Harpers Ferry, but since it took them about 3.5 hours to get there, they didn't have time.  They ate at McDonalds instead.

The admission to Harpers Ferry National Park was $10.  There is a shuttle bus that takes visitors to the town because there is limited parking. 

Harpers Ferry is a town full of history.  The following is taken from the History of the Town of Harpers Ferry: (http://historicharpersferry.com/more/history.php) 
- visited by George Washington on his very first surveying expedition at the age of 17.  
- was cited by Thomas Jefferson, after a visit, as such a beautiful spot that it was worth a trip across the Atlantic.
- was the starting place of the Lewis and Clarke expedition.
 - was the site of the first crossing of the Potomac by a railroad, on the first structural steel bridge in the world.   
- was the industrial town where using interchangeable parts in a manufacturing process was first invented and proven practical. - was the site of the John Brown raid which precipitated the Civil War.
- was the first command of Stonewall Jackson, who raised and trained his famed Brigade here.
- was the site of three Civil War battles, the major one involving over 30,000 troops on both sides which resulted in the largest surrender of US troops until Bataan in WWII.  
- was a bastion of elevating African Americans, with the first real academic college (Storer College) to educate freed slaves in all aspects of higher learning, rather than sewing and other trades.  
- was the site of the Founding in the US of the Niagara movement, which later evolved into the NAACP. - was a town which, despite unfortunate racism by some, way before its time encouraged African-American entrepreneurs, one of whom built and managed the fabled Hilltop House Hotel.
 - was a major retreat center in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for many notables, including seven presidents, Mark Twain, and many others.  
- was cited by art history experts as the most "painted town" in America, because of its spectacular scenery.


The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet in Harpers Ferry.  This has resulted in several major floods which has caused the city to rebuild numerous times. 

Buildings are set up so that visitors can tour them on their own.  Rangers are also located throughout the town and are happy to answer questions. The folks toured a boarding house, general store and several museums.  They only covered part of the town since they only had about two hours.  There are several restaurants and small shops also in the town.  Mom said it is really a nice town. She wishes they had more time to tour it.

Mom left her camera at home, so these are from her cell phone. 

A little to the left is where the rivers meet.

Hikers hop on the Appalachian Trail here.

Church is at the top of the hill.  Mom liked the rocks.

This area is so full of history.  The folks wish we had more time here, but it is time for us to move on. We will be here for a few more days and then we will head south where we hope we will have a warm winter.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Looking Forward To Sniffing More Of America

Rule Breakers?

We have started walking through the campground.  BOL!  Are we breaking the rules?  According to the rule book, we are.  The office ladies told us it was fine as long as we stayed on the street and did not walk on the sidewalk or through sites.  They told us if another dog barks at us that we should leave the area because there will be complaints.  The first time we walked with Dad, these dogs started barking their fool heads off at us.  Did their parents do anything about it?  Of course not!  We heard them say "Oh, they are barking at those dogs."  So, they were breaking the rules, too.  Nothing happened to us though.  The office ladies like us.

Here we are enjoying a warm day this week.

 The following photos are from parts of the park that we were not allowed to see until now.

Do I look different?  I am harness-free.  Mom found that I walk better for her without it.  I prefer to wear it because it gives me more control over Mom.

This is a wrecked boat that we see from our site.

The cold weather finally reached us last night.  They put heat tape on our faucet so that it wouldn't freeze and we have heat tape on our water hose.  We didn't get below freezing though, but we will tonight.  It was 36 when we took our walk this morning. Mom only let us walk a mile instead of our normal two.  We wanted to go for two.

I tried on Jack's jammies the other day. They are a little tight, so Mom says she will make an adjustment.  I didn't like the taking off process, so I screamed.  I haven't worn them since.

Mom said that Jack always smiled like this when he wore them.

Scout cleaning out the peanut butter jar.

Our dryer is broke!  It doesn't heat anymore.  :-(  The washer still works though.  Mom is now hanging clothes lines in the bedroom.  Dad hasn't had a chance to look at it.   It's always something.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Breaks The Rules

The Sweetest Place On Earth

Sunday, the folks drove to "The Sweetest Place On Earth".  Where is that?  Hershey, PA.  Hershey is supposed to be about an hour and a half from us, but a disagreement with the GPA caused the trip to be closer to two and half hours. The folks ended up taking the scenic route through Pennsylvania.

They saw things like this on their trip.

They finally arrived in Hershey, PA.  The street lights are in the shape of Hershey Kisses.

Their first stop was The Hershey Story Museum.  They decided to just eat lunch in the cafe there since their time was limited.  Mom had a pizza and Dad had a ham and cheese wrap.  They also shared the Countries of Origin Chocolate Tasting.  What is that?  It is warm drinking chocolate samples from other countries.  It comes with a map so that visitors know where it came from.  Mom only liked the first one because it got more bitter with each one.

The folks then toured the museum which told the story of Milton Hershey.  The price was $10 a person. They both thought it was interesting, but thought the admission price should be less, if not free.

Milton's cradle

Milton and his wife, Catherine.

Hershey started out making caramels. This is a caramel cutter.

Chocolate mold.

Milton Hershey built the town of Hershey.  He wanted it to be a community for his employees. Employees were able to purchase homes at a low price.  The town also had an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public schools and recreational opportunities. He wanted a "real home town" with tree-lined streets, single- and two-family brick houses, and nice lawns. In 1907, he built an amusement park.

His legacy is the school that he founded to help financially needy boys and girls in grades K-12.

He sounds like a really nice man who was generous with his money.

The folks visited the gift shop, but Mom was disappointed in what they offered.  She said a couple from another country spent $105 on candy.  She said she could buy it elsewhere for less.  Dad told her they had another stop, so maybe she would find something there.  She didn't know they were headed to....

Their first stop here was to board a ride that takes you on the journey of a cocoa bean.  Mom said it was cute.

It is hard to see, but this is what they rode in.

After the ride, they received a free Kit Kat bar and then they went shopping.  Do you think they bought chocolate?  Yes, they did.  Dad picked it out.

30 candy bars!

Mom didn't expect to buy that much chocolate, but the price was actually reasonable.

Mom was hoping to see even more Christmas decorations than this.

Chocolate World was packed with shoppers. Mom said she bet it is really crowded after Thanksgiving and also during peak tourist season. 

There was a lot more to do at both of the places they visited, but the folks had to get home to us. Their trip home went faster because they traveled the interstate.  BOL!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks The Sweetest Place On Earth Is Wherever He Is With His Family

Sometimes I Share My Bed

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Mind Sharing His Bed With His Toys

Ready For Some Football?

We were big Rams' fans before we hit the road. We rarely get to watch them on TV now. Sundays are just not the same.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is A Dog Without A Team

We Went To The Beach!

There are some state parks near us and Dad had promised us he would take us to one on Monday.  He chose one that has a beach.  Dogs are allowed on the beach after Labor Day, so that worked out for us.

The state park is called North Point State Park.  There is evidence that humans occupied the park 9,000 years ago.  During the War of 1812, British troops traveled through the area on their way to Baltimore.  In 1906, there was an amusement park in the park.  The park also served as a trolley stop for folks who traveled to and from Baltimore. 

Oh boy!  We are going to the beach!

There's the water. Where's the beach?

We made it!  We are not thrilled.

Scout decided to dip her feet in the water.

That's enough of the beach.

 Scout normally loves to run on sand, but not this time.

This is the trolly station.  It is now used for parties.

We walked all the way out here and then had to walk all the way back. There was nothing there but water.

Me and Dad leaving the girls in our dust.  BOL!

This tree was more impressive in person.

This fountain was put here when the amusement park was built.  It was turned off for the winter.

We were looking at Mom until we saw the camera.

Nope, we are not going to give her a good picture.

We had a nice time at the park.  It was pretty empty since it was a Monday.  People are supposed to pay to get in, but since it is off-season it is on the honor system.  We were paying and this car behind us honked at us to get out of the way.  So, not only were they rude to us, but they didn't pay to get in.  They probably thought we were fools for paying, but we felt it was the right thing to do. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Not A Beach Loving Hound