Rocky, Christ Church and Philly Cheesesteaks

Hi Everyone! (Hi Grandma!)

Have you missed me?  I have been hanging out with Mom.  We have been spending a lot of time just enjoying the nice weather.

The park has been packed.  This trailer is in my spot.

We watched the pumpkin harvest.  They used like a conveyor belt to get them in the wagon. At first, they were just throwing them to each other to get them into the wagon.

We heard on the news that there is a pumpkin shortage.  If there is, it is not here.

We watch balloons.

We walk through our campground several times a day.

We watch the cow

and the horses.

Yep, we stay pretty busy.  BOL!

The folks drove into Philadelphia on Saturday.  It is about an hour and fifteen minutes from here.  They planned to stop at the Rocky statue and run (or maybe walk up) the steps like he did.  Well, it was $15 to park and Dad said it wasn't worth it to him, so they drove by like four times.  They were looking for a free spot, but none opened up.

That is as good as Mom could get because her window doesn't open up.

The steps he ran up.

Their next stop was to eat a cheesesteak at either Pat's or Geno's. You see, they are located across the street from each other.  The folks found that getting there was tough.  There were one way streets with people parked on both sides, so it was tight driving through.  It took quite a while to make it there and then there was no parking.  It wasn't like they were being cheap.  There was only street parking and it was full for blocks.  They drove around three times trying to find a spot and then gave up.

They headed to Constitution Center which was another one of their planned stops.  Parking was easy there as there was a garage.  It ended up costing $18.50 but they were there for 3.5 hours.  Mom immediately checked TripAdvisor to see where they could eat.  She saw a place called Sonny's Cheesesteaks that was nearby.  Dad said that he heard it was actually better than Pat's and Geno's, so they walked there.  Mom said it was pretty good.

Dad checked TripAdvisor while they were eating and discovered that they were near Christ Church and he said they should stop by.  This is the church that George Washington, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross and others who signed the Declaration of Independence attended church.  There was a guide there who made seeing the church very interesting.  He showed them where George, Betsy and Ben sat.  I guess back then, they had assigned seating.  He pointed out a chandelier that holds candles.  He said that same chandelier was used when Ben Franklin's grand daughter got married.  There are still weddings held there and church service is held on Sundays. There are people that are supposedly buried in the floor of the church.  Mom wanted to ask about that.  Was that normal for back then?  She didn't get to ask because Ben Franklin came walking in with a couple of tourists from England and the guide started talking to them.

The chandelier that the guide pointed out.

This is where George and Martha Washington sat.

Mom sat in Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross and George Washington's pews.  Betsy Ross had a small area.  Dad said she didn't have a very good view.  Mom really enjoyed seeing the church.  She thought it was awesome to be in the same place as so many historic figures.

Post office and Franklin Print Shop.  Mom does not know if they are original.  

They then walked to Constitution Center.  It is kind of like a museum in that they do have some items, but mostly it is a lot of reading about the constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc.  Admission price is $14.50, but there was a special on Saturday and it was only $8 a person. Dad had read the reviews and said that the performance of Freedom Rising was supposed to be very emotional.  He told Mom that she might cry. She did not cry. Dad fell asleep. The lady next to Mom fell asleep and the guy across from them snored loudly.  Mom didn't think it was boring, but it didn't move her at all.

There is a room that is full of bronze statues of the founding fathers.  Mom did not take photos. She should have.

A room contains a copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

There is also a section that talks about and has items from Presidential campaigns.  Mom found that somewhat interesting.

This slipper was worn at George Washington's Inaugural Ball.  The heel looks like it is made of cork.  It could be wood.

Mom thought the Ford one was funny.

Playing cards with the Kennedy family.

Abraham Lincoln item.

It was a long day and the folks finally made it back home to me.  They were gone 8 hours and then after they took me out for a walk and tried to make it up to me, they left again for dinner.

Sunday, they stayed home with me except for when they went out to dinner.  Dad washed the other side of the motor home and Mom and I watched.

A view of Lancaster from the car.

That's all for now.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Needs A Nap

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum

Wow!  We haven't posted in a while.  Grandma even contacted us last week to see if we were okay. (Hi Grandma!)   Not much is really going on.  Mom and I have been enjoying the nice weather and sometimes we sit outside for two or three hours.  She reads and I sleep.  Mom and I patrol the campground several times a day.  Doug, who works here, enjoys talking to me, so I make sure I see him as often as possible.  The owner also likes to pet me, so I make sure he sees me. Mom is still working when she wants or rides Buddy aka shopping. Mom has been busy purging things but still has more cabinets to go through. She got out all her winter clothes last week and washed them.  My bed even got washed.  I was not happy.  So, we are not just sitting around watching TV.  BOL!

Here I am in front of the buggy that is at the campground.  I refused to pose for the photo.

Can you believe that people still go out the wrong way.  If the owner sees you doing it, she will yell at you.  BOL!

The chicks from the neighboring farm seem to think the campground is theirs.

People laugh at my boot, but look at this horse we saw on TV!  He wears four boots.  He visits nursing homes.

We had a small Casita rally here last week.  They are really small trailers.

Last Saturday, Dad took his no line bi-focals back.  He just can't adjust.  He said he could only see a small circle on his computer.  The lady at the eye place said that some people just can't wear them.

Last Sunday, the folks visited Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum.  It is a place that is dedicated to the Pennsylvania Germans that settled here.  Some of the buildings are original to the site and others were moved there.  Supposedly, it looks like it did when it was a town in the 1700's.  Two brothers actually started the museum because they were big collectors and they wanted to display their items.  They opened their museum in 1925.

The farm consists of some houses, blacksmith shop, farm and machinery and tool barn, hotel, school house, store, firehouse, tin shop, tavern, gun shop and a log cabin.  The folks have visited many old farms and a few villages like this, but the thing that made this one different was that their were people there showing how things were done.  Mom really enjoyed the tin shop.  The lady there has made the items in the shop such as candle holders, pitchers, etc. She also makes and sells Christmas ornaments.  Her ornaments were on the White House Christmas Tree one year.  The man in the gun shop showed how guns were made from start to finish.  Mom is not all that interested in guns, but it was still interesting to see.  The man in the tavern didn't have too much to say but he was tired because he was doing yard work before the folks arrived. The visitors center was full of weather vanes, but no photos were allowed.

Country store

The hotel

The folks enjoyed the tour more than they thought they would.  The cost was $12 a person, but Mom had a free ticket through her KOA app.  KOA now offers coupons as part of their membership which is pretty neat.  The coupons are for all over the country and the folks have used several at restaurants, attractions and even Great Clips.

This weekend, they did a little shopping.  They went to an ice cream place that is famous here, Lapp Valley Farm. They make their own ice cream and the waffle cones are made fresh.  Mom said it was really good. The cars were lined up because there was not enough parking and that was on a rainy afternoon. The folks ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel and ate at a few buffets.  I didn't get to go anywhere because the wind was really high and I don't enjoy walking in high winds.  I don't even like sitting outside in high winds.  It is still windy today, but tomorrow should be better.

Joey,

The Greyhound Who Really Likes Amish Country

Hershey RV Show and QVC Tour

Today was a beautiful fall day here in Lancaster County.  The morning started out quite chilly, but the sun came out and I enjoyed watching Dad wax our rig.  The day was so nice that we didn't even turn our AC on.  That is rare since we are in the sun.

We turned our heat on this morning.

Here I am in the shade.  I don't like the sun.

The horses enjoyed the day too.  Since it is a Sunday, they don't have to work.

Last Sunday, the folks attended the Hershey RV Show.  Our neighbors had bought five day passes, but since they were going home on Sunday, they gave their unused tickets to the folks.  Mom said that made her day.  She expected the show to be really crowded.  Their plan was to get there early and to look through RVs first and then go inside to see the vendors.  Mom said the plan worked well.  They were interested in looking at small rigs.  Mom said it would be nice to have one that she could drive.  They actually found one that they liked.  It is only 25',  Can you imagine living in that full-time?  Mom showed me pictures and showed me a couch that would be mine. Well, she said we could share it.  We would have our own TV. Dad could have the one in the living room. No, we are not buying it.  We are just thinking.  There is actually an 11 month wait to get one.

This would be my couch.  Mom said it would be a nice reading nook for her.

The bathroom sink is rather small, but the shower is fine.

The two recliners in the living room. There is a Murphy bed over the chairs that would be where the folks would sleep.  I think Mom would get tired of putting the bed up and down and waiting for Dad to be ready to go to bed, etc.

The glass is over the cook top.  The other is the sink.  Mom said her air fryer would fit.  BOL!

There is a microwave and a decent sized refrigerator.  The biggest problem is closet space.

Yesterday, the folks toured QVC Studios.  QVC is a shopping channel.  Mom used to be a big fan when we had a house.  She rarely watches now, but she thought taking the tour would be fun.

This is the lobby and some items that are for sale.

Pictures were only allowed in some parts of the tour.  The tour guide was not very enthusiastic. She said she works in the store too.  Mom said it seemed like being a tour guide was not her favorite pat of her job.  There were nine people on the tour.  Dad was the only guy.  Four women were really loud and Mom said the tour guide didn't seem to know how to handle them.  Only a few people had ever watched QVC which shocked Mom.  She said they didn't even know that it was a live show.

Old memorabilia from the early days of QVC.

The chairs and phone were from the early days.

They used to draw numbers and if they were part of your membership number, you won.  Mom never won.

This is the studio where they have a live audience.  Mom would like to go to a live show, but they don't seem to have them very often.

 The most disappointing thing was that they were not able to see a host doing a live show.  They were in a different studio than the tour that day.  Mom was surprised by how many different studio sets they actually had.  They used to have just one and the room rotated, but now they have a lot of different rooms.

They saw the control rooms through glass and the people working in them. They had a football game on which everyone thought was funny.

The tour was $10 a person.  They have more expensive tours where you can go backstage, but Mom chose just the basic tour.  She said it was fun.  It would have just been more fun to actually see one of the show hosts doing their job.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy That The Weather Has Turned Cool

Living The Quiet Life

Life is pretty slow and peaceful here.  The campground is supposed to be sold out today with people in overflow parking. 16 RVs are scheduled to come in today.  Yikes!   Imagine our surprise when someone moved in right next to us yesterday.  We didn't even think it was really a spot.   Mom and I always sit in the shade along the well house, but we couldn't do that today because it would actually be in the neighbor's yard.  I still thought I should be allowed to be there, but Mom said no.  She explained that the new people's RV was giving us a shade on our site, but I still wanted my old spot back.

A man yesterday said that I was not skinny like other greyhounds.  Mom told him I have been retired for six years.  I wanted to ask him how long he has been retired because it definitely looks like more than six years.  BOL!

What can I say?  I am cute!

Not a very good photo of the hot air balloons.  They fly over quite often.

Dad finally got new glasses on Saturday.  He got no-line bifocals.  He has tried the lined kind twice and couldn't get used to them.  He still says he will never be able to see things clearly without moving his head.  Mom keeps telling him to give it time.  She didn't have any problems when she got hers. While the folks were waiting for Dad's glasses, they ate lunch. (see photo)

Mom's burger.  She said it was really, really good.

On Sunday, the folks went out for breakfast. They went to buffet.  Mom said it was okay.  They then came home and picked me up so that I could go to the park.  We went to a different one this week.  There was a path along the creek, but it was a big gravel path.  I doubt we will go back.  It was not fun to walk on.

Mom wanted a photo of me.  I didn't cooperate.

Okay, is this better?

I get tired of pictures.

After the park, we came home and rested.  The folks went to another buffet for dinner.  Mom said it was okay, but not worth $23.95  They found one that is several miles away that is really good.  Mom said when they arrived there, they were asked if they had been there before. They said no.  The waitress told them to pace themselves.  BOL!  I bet they go back to that one.

A sunbeam!

Relaxing in the afternoon.  We keep it dark inside to keep it cool.

Mom is still going strong with her air fryer.  Monday, she made a molten chocolate cake.  I didn't get to taste it since it was chocolate, but it smelled good.  Last night, she made pickle brined fried chicken and a double baked potato.  I think she may fix vegetables in it tonight.  She bought what she says is an "awesome" cookbook and has been trying out recipes.   It is called Air Fry Everything.  It is currently only available on QVC but Amazon will ship orders in December.   It has easy, every day recipes.

Pickle Brined Fried Chicken and Double Baked Potato.

One of our neighbors.

There are pumpkins in the field.  We watched them harvest some last week.

The Hershey RV Show started today. We think that is why our park is sold out.  We are not that close to Hershey, but people do come from all over to attend the RV show.  The folks are going Sunday. Mom would prefer to go during the week, but Dad has to work.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Like When The Campground Is Full

Valley Forge & Ephrata Cloister

The folks visited Valley Forge on Saturday.  It was a beautiful day.  It was sunny and breezy, but not hot or humid.  Unfortunately, all the photos from that day and actually the entire weekend are gone.  They are not on Mom's phone or the computer.  She must have accidentally deleted them.  She is not sure how she did that, but they are gone.  :::sigh:::  Since photos make a blog more fun, we are going to add some that we recently took around camp.

Our site

George Washington and the Continental Army stayed at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778.  When we think of Valley Forge, we think of soldiers freezing.  None actually froze to death there.  Morristown was actually quite a bit colder and soldiers did freeze to death there.  In fact, if it had been colder at Valley Forge, disease wouldn't have been as strong as it was.  Disease killed 2,500 soldiers.  There were about 400 women in camp.  They were wives of soldiers.  Martha Washington spent the winter there.  She and George had a nice house.  The house still looks good.  Mom had pictures of it.  No battles actually took place there.  It is just where they spent the winter.  If you want to read more about it, here is the website:  Valley Forge

The folks took a 90 minute trolley tour of the grounds.  They made two stops.  One was at a re-created settlement and the other was at Washington's headquarters.  The tour guide was really good.

On Sunday, the folks visited Ephrata Cloister,  It is one of America's earliest religious communities.  It was founded in 1732 and the buildings are original.  It was made up of German settlers and Mom's family name is listed as being there.  They felt they needed to be as God like as possible. They slept about four hours a night and that was interrupted for prayer in the middle of the night.  They slept on a narrow board and their pillow was basically a brick.  They rarely ate meat. They ate roots and bread.  They worked hard and prayed a lot.

Mom thought Ephrata Cloister was very interesting.  You can see photos of it on the website.

The chickens were running around last week.  They belong to an Amish farmer.

Another view from our site.

On Monday, we went to the park.  I enjoyed all the new smells.  We walked along the river.

Our campground was sold out over Labor Day. There was a Great Dane across from us. She was huge!  She was twice as big as me.  She was hard to handle with her flexi leash.  Her people were different. There was a grandfather, grandmother, two sons (who stilled lived at home even though one has five kids) and a daughter-in-law. The grandfather came over and told us all about the family. We thought it was odd that he pointed out that the grown sons still lived at home.  The five kids all piled into my bed without even asking me if I minded.  I was in it at the time. It's a good thing that I am a mellow guy.  Mom still got me out of that situation quickly and we avoided them as much as we could after that.  They let their Great Dane run free part of the time and she scared some of the small dogs.

We are told that the campground will be full again this weekend.

Sunset as seen from our site.

Mom is still loving her air fryer.  She made a roasted chicken and also some great sweet potato fries.

This was a good chicken!

It is a hot and humid day here today.  It was too hot to even sit out this morning.  We normally sit in the shade in the morning, but Mom said no this morning and I agreed.  We are going to relax in the AC for the rest of the day.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Hopes The Campers This Weekend Are Better Behaved