Mr Pickles Goes to Rochester

 Today was a day of driving, slowly, through acres and acres of trees along the backbone of the Shenandoah National Park, VA . As a vegetable I found this an extremely fascinating experience. There were so many beautiful trees and plants. But what did my Drivers think of it all? "Very nice, but a bit dull" - ye gods! Its at times like this I have to remember the kind of narrow thinking their species have, despite their other useful skills. It's astonishing to me how few trees or plants they can name. So, from all those hours of driving, we have the following small collection of photos: A small corner of the park (it is 105 miles long, and 10 or so miles wide). The big insight from my Drivers? "Aren't there a lot of trees?!" d'uh! The obligatory self-serving selfie from the summit of Hawksbill Mountain , the highest point in the entire park: On their way back to the van were very excited to get close to this oversize tick-breeding rabbit wannabe. Don'...

A hot, hot night in the Westchester Walmart saw a late start (again!), followed by a quick drive to Frederick, to meet up with Colin, Toby's old boss. And then on to the main event of the day: Harper's Ferry - One of the two sites of the first American Armory and Arsenal. Harper's Ferry is a delightful historic town; it sits on a peninsula where the Shenandoah flowing North meets the Potomac, which continues East. In the early days of the American expansion this river confluence and strategic position was important as a river crossing point and as a center of industry (machines were entirely driven by belts connected to vast waterwheels using the river's power to drive them).  My drivers (bless their little cotton socks - they're such eager outdoor wannabes!) decided to walk down to the village and follow the Appalachian trail. Here's the view looking East, with the Potomac in the distance, just where the Shenandoah joins: The way into the village passes by ...

 A late start (how the old habits are easily recovered!) saw us on the road to Gettysburg, PA - the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center , to be precise (and Mr Pickles is a stickler for precision, let me tell you. "Exactitude in small matters is the soul of discipline" was drummed into me when still a seedling, and I haven't forgotten it!). I of course got to sit with President Lincoln (well, his statue). I think I show up rather well, though I say it myself: I found the battlefields (there are many, at Gettysburg) rather sad. Green fields and beautiful forests - all shot to pieces and trampled into a muddy mess. 60,000 men died in 3 days of fighting - a fearful loss.   Toby (the Idiot Male, as I like to think of him), decided it'd be fun to give me the chance to make like a cartridge and tried ramming me down a cannon. This was just taking things too far - after this insulting incident I took myself back to the van where I hid, quaking, until ...

My drivers were reluctant, but I insisted. "Mr Pickles requires that we head for home!" I commanded in my Most Imperious Tones. And, there we were, waving goodbye to Rochester. It was fun, but time to get moving.  First stop is Watkins Glen State Park , at the southern tip of  Seneca Lake, the westernmost of the two larger Finger lakes. This park is AMAZING. We started as a big thunderstorm ripped through, and ended in warm sunshine. Take a look: This is a gem, and well worth the $0 it costs to get in! Indeed, I'd even suggest my drivers pay for it should the need arise! Afterwards we drove to Lock Haven, for a lovely view over the river back into this little town. A very restful quiet spot for the night. I must say (and don't let my drivers every hear it), but those two are starting to get the hang of this van lark - they don't argue too much, they find nice places to stay, and they eat reasonably well for their species! 

What a lovely time at Rochester. It was very relaxing for me. I enjoyed the warm, humid atmosphere (very good for my fronds) and the hospitality shown by Cameron and Kylie. I ensured that my drivers did their bit working in the yard and getting jobs done. Here're some highlights from this relaxing week. Here's the gang, walking the dog in the leafy green neighborhood: And to show you just how green Rochester can be at this time of year, here's a picture looking north toward the downtown from Cobb's Hill Park And those who think Rochester has no culture should take a look at some gorgeous public art, of which is but a small piece, showing the making of man. Lovely stuff! We found the nightlife very much to our tastes. Excellent Indian take outs, and the East Coast seating of the End of Summer Meal (2021) at La Roux: We were very sad to say goodbye, but a week was enough to make us very happy and confident that we've got a great place to stay over in the East!

 My drivers are doorknobs - that's all I can say. I was tucked up in my nice dry little spot, as per usual, and thank goodness I was because it poured with rain last night and those two dummies didn't close all the windows. The sheets got wet, the floor got wet, and still they snored on (of course they woke in the morning and whined about not sleeping, but if that was the case then why didn't they notice the water pouring in). Ugh. I give up. These people. Its a good thing we'll be a Rochester today finally! Despite the storms last night the dawn was lovely, as you can see (well, if you can get round that big nose ...) After a relatively lively start we got on the road and finally Rochester hove into view; we arrived in the early afternoon and what a relief it was to be here. Such a cute house, although I'm a very concerned about their loud and dangerous dog (Sky). Normally carnivores leave me alone, being a vegetable, but Sky does enjoy ripping soft objects apart, ...