The Parakeet took us to The Wekiva National Forest and Wekiva Springs last Saturday. We walked several miles on the trails, sweated a whole heck of a lot in the 95 degree sunshine in the sparsely canopied forest, scared a whole passel of wild turkeys and heard a gator grumble too close for comfort as Ginny waded in a secluded lake. We also got ticks. Ah, the joys of nature.
On Sunday the Parakeet took us to Lakeland to see extended family. This time Chili accompanied us. She was a doggie angel, mostly napping on my lap during the drive to and from. However she waded into some tall grass and it took three people about 15 minutes to pluck crazillions of hitchhiker seeds out of her lush coat. Note to us: put a dog brush on board.
The timeline for our somewhat overdue Pennsylvania pilgrimage is set: August 1 to August 9. Danny has planned the route. Day one: to Georgia. Day two: to Virginia. Day three: to Bedford in South Central Pennsylvania. Boon docking until Pa, then a campground Monday night in the Shawnee National park. We will have my mother's ashes interred in her family plot at the Chestnut Ridge Union Cemetary in Schellsburg as she requested on Monday. After seeing the historic sights in Bedford (George Washington's headquarters, Old Bedford Village, Jean Bonet Tavern), we will drive through the spectacularly scenic Laurel Highlands to Ligonier and on to Pittsburgh to revisit those places special to my childhood. We hope to see Frank Lloyd Wright's house, Fallingwater, too if time permits. After that, who knows? Will it be back thru Pa. to Gettysburg or down through the Blue Ridge into western Virginia? We will not need to begin the homeward trek until Friday.
Got some technical things to take care of with the Parakeet to make sure she is travel worthy and must make arrangements for one of the dogs to be taken care of in Florida while we are away. I will hate leaving a precious pup behind in the confinement of a kennel, but it will be really good to go "Home" again one more time after so many decades.
TTFN
