Escape To The Lake!

Chautauqua Lake

New York
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Happy Guy!

We have left the hospitals, doctors, and Canton behind. Tim was released Tuesday night for good behavior (he studied hard for his lab exams). He’s a bit wambly and moving slow, but definitely on the mend. They’ve put him on a low fat diet – game changer! – and he’ll need to have that pesky gall bladder removed in the future.

 

We packed up slowly this morning, and the owners of Bear Creek Resort treated me to a ride on their giant teeter-totter. It’s 20 feet long, and swings you waaaay up in the air. A few days ago they saw me sitting forlornly on the seesaw, all by myself, no one to play with. So after hearing that Tim was well and we were leaving soon, Carol sent her husband, Lee, to fetch me. She climbed on one side of the giant beast, Lee helped me up on the other, and away we went!  They have been mighty sweet, letting me have open-end reservations in the middle of the busy summer season while I waited for Tim to heal. Should you ever be in the Canton area, this is the campground I recommend.

On our way at last, we motored north a few hours to enjoy the placid waters of Chautauqua Lake in northwestern NY. Now we are caught up with our vacation schedule after a three-day delay.

We’re staying at Camp Chautauqua which is an interesting mix of short-term campers and permanent summer homes - lovely little manufactured houses with enclosed porches and patios.



 

We had reservations here all week, and just managed to catch the last of the pre-paid nights. We had planned to tour the area for several days. What we missed was the following:

 

Chautauqua Institute – famous for its scientific and political lectures & courses.

 

Lily Dale – fabled medium & psychic town since the 1890’s, where we had tickets to attend an afternoon workshop.

 

But hey – who cares!  Everyone is well, the pack is intact, and we’re lolling by the campfire. Can’t get any sweeter than that!

 

 

 

 

Change of Plans - Lose 2 Turns

Canton, Ohio
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Tim got stoned in Ohio. Gall stones, that is.

Sunday morning he woke up very ill. We packed up in a hurry and took him to a regional county hospital. Mind you, we were way out in BFA (Bum F--k Amish) country at the time. And while I’ve got nothing against the Amish, I don’t have a clue about the quality of their medical services. I was a little worried they might tell him to put zee lime in dee coconut and drink it all up.

Turns out they were competent and efficient at preliminary rounds of tests, and told us immediately Tim needed to go to the “Big Hospital” --- I’m thinking Cleveland, but they meant Canton.

So here were are in Canton, Ohio for the last two days. Tim went by ambulance; the driver shouted “Follow me!” and peeled out. I lumbered behind by a good hour, going horse and buggy speed in the motorhome.

By the time I found him on the fifth floor of  Mercy Medical Center (yeah, it really is a big hospital), they were already mumbling about surgery. Having just lost his mother only a few weeks ago to the same procedure, the anxiety knob got turned to 11.

Fortunately the Calvary arrived. My parents made the four-hour trip in just under three and a half, and saved me from a complete melt-down. They took a hotel for the night, and the dog & I camped out in the vast and empty hospital employee parking lot in the motorhome. It was a nervous and sleepless night, followed by a rude rousting at 5:00am by security, who told me I had to move the coach because first shift was coming in.

Which brings us to today, Monday. Tim looked a bit improved today, the meds kicked in overnight, but he’s still really sick. They’re doing more tests and keeping him another night at least.

I found a campground a few miles away (to save the poor dog from baking in the parking lot another afternoon), Enterprise delivered me a car, and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

 

 

Amish Country -Ohio

Kidron, Ohio
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This year’s Big Summer Vacation finds us pointing the compass North. We’ve traded up the scooter for a street-legal Honda Rebel, which will give us a lot more freedom to roam.

  

We got a jumpstart on Friday and headed a few hours north, stopping for evening to visit to my folks. We celebrated Dad’s birthday a bit early and camped in the driveway under a steady rain. This morning we were off to a leisurely start, after making omelets with his fancy new egg appliance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of Canton, Ohio, we landed in the little town of Kidron to visit the famous Lehman’s Store. This area easily accommodates both us worldly folks alongside the traditional Amish population. County roads are built with an extra lane for buggies, and we saw many Amish families heading for Saturday gatherings in their carriages.

 

 

 

At Lehman’s we followed the signs for RV parking, but couldn’t find it. So we pulled in at the stockyards next door, happily after the livestock auctions were over. It must have been a lively day, given the depth of the horse apples in the buggy parking section.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We know Lehman’s well, having ordered from their catalog for years to outfit our non-electric cabin. Seems we own half of what’s in the catalog, and want the other half, too! The store is a vast emporium of old-timey and useful goodies. There’s cast iron Dutch ovens, modern and antique pot belly stoves, hardware and farm implements, plus all manner of gardening and kitchen equipment. Shelves are full of hard to find foods, old-fashioned candy, bygone brands of soap and soda. Room after room of great surprises.

 

 

 

 

My Size Coffee Cup!

We picked up a great selection of weirdo sodas, including Tim’s favorite - Moxie. It’s made with quinine, and if you’ve never tasted Moxie…well, in my opinion, you’re better off!

  

This evening we are camped at the excellent Evergreen RV Resort. They’ve got outstanding amenities here, including a Dog Wash station. More on this property tomorrow, as we’re staying here two nights before saddling up for our next destination.

 

 

You Gotta Regatta!

The Madison Regatta

Madison, Indiana
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All eyes are on the skies as 50,000 fans wait for the rain to stop. The start of the Madison Regatta H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series race is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 pm, but officials are keeping an anxious watch on the Ohio River. For several days a steady line of rain coming from the Gulf of Mexico has dumped inches on a wide area, and the river keeps rising.

To launch the monster H1 boats for the Regatta, the Ohio River must be below 29’ here in Madison. At the Markland Dam, just a few miles upstream, the Corps of Engineers is trying to hold back the deluge. Reports say the river is now flowing over the top of the dam, and the little town of Vevay, IN, on the wrong side of the dam, is flooded.

Meanwhile, ten race boats and their crews are lined up on Vaughn Drive in downtown Madison waiting for a chance to launch. This gives fans a rare opportunity to see the hydroplanes up close and watch the crews prep their machines.

 

 

The rain held off yesterday and thousands lined Main Street for the annual Fourth of July Parade. Appreciative fans cheered the teams as each impressive H1 boat was driven slowly through town. The crowd’s favorite, locally owned Miss Madison, received a rousing reception and crew members perched atop the boat waved enthusiastically.

 

But the forecast is grim for Saturday’s race start. Up at Clifty Falls State Park, a capacity crowd of campers waits impatiently for race news. We are hunkered down in our motorhome with the motorcycle under tarp, hoping we’ll get to see the giant boats race today, as well as the fireworks show scheduled for later this evening.

Or, we may just have to pack up our soggy gear and go home.