Central Pennsylvania - Classy Rhinestone Pacifier - Susquehanna River - DIY Hand Sanitizer

July 5-7

 

Central Pennsylvania

We decide to take a hike along the ridge above where we are staying and I see this sign so I photo it to research the meaning of it. We stayed mostly on gravel road, 4 wheeler and power line trails.

From what I gather a stewardship is when they are trying to enhance the forest through plant and/or animal growth. I know they are trying to get more trees and elk in the area of Clearfield. I know acres are gone due to lumbering and coal mining. I don't know why they are trying to better this area itself.

This is about 2 miles of paved and then gravel dirt road to get to it. 

I call it Mirror Pond due to the glistening of it.

It may be 50 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. Notice the green "mossy" bottom? 

I find this the perfect spot for us inexperienced kayaker's to go but to drag the 50'ish pound thing uphill for 2 miles is a bit much even with a rear wheel axial system.

Another day we head towards Shawville, small quaint town

This is an active rail bridge that crosses the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Bradford Township near Shawville. 

The Susquehanna is the older river in the world, even the mountains formed around it, and it is the 10th largest non-commercial river in the United States. It begins in upper New York and empties into the ocean in Maryland.

 

In Shawville is Trout Run River

We enjoy sitting in this river now and again.

We continue onward and Kaiya made a friend with a breed similar to herself. They wanted to play and play but Kaiya must stay on the lead due to her strong hunting instincts and as soon as she is off the lead she won't wish to play any longer but to tract. So we head onward and find a closed down above ground coal mine.

Without someone telling me his Grandpa mined here and the sign at the base of the road I would have never known this was a mining area. It is all meadow. Maybe they chopped down that many trees so they could mine, not certain.

Can you "hear" the water trickle? I love to photo water because Kaiya and I love to listen to it. When we hike for miles and there is no water or water that doesn't make much noise Kaiya can get bored but as soon as she hears even the smallest waterfall she just must see it right away. Some are hard to get to or too far away so we can't go and she gets so disappointed. 

A forgotten car bridge that crosses Little Trout Run River to ?

Kaiya has the poopsies due to eating mud at a beaver dam so we couldn't investigate. She did spend some time playing in the river. Since we don't have to go onwards for our 12-14 mile morning we turn around and did 8 miles and I give her Imodium when we return and had her rest. This mud eating is getting old, second time in a week.

When I saw this sign on this day, Route 80, I knew it was almost time to go. The highway was calling me and telling me to find a new adventure. Goliath has some minor issues so I must wait but soon we must go instead of waiting until mid-September.

Crystal Rhinestone With Classy Bow Pacifier 

zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop

http://www.zazzle.com/crystal_rhinestone_with_classy_bow_pacifier-256805517615371049 

 

I must thank EatCraftParent.com for this great DIY Hand Sanitizer.

http://www.eatcraftparent.com/2014/06/non-toxic-hand-sanitizer-with-essential-oils

We hope you enjoyed today's blog. Kaiya is sorry for getting sick and cutting the trip short but things happen. We was heading for Knob's Hill where Momma, Papa and Baby Mountain Lion have been seen. We will have to attempt a camping trip with the trail camera and see if we can get photos before we head out. So far the trail camera is only photoing deer, a coyot and ?, fur of something rubbing against the camera. Coon? Possum? Bear?

We will be back soon with more pictures. We sure hope you are enjoying them.

Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies

 

Kaiya on the hunt for ? in the very tall grass and got tangled up in it as I am hoping she doesn't find a Rattler or Copperhead as it is $800 for an anti-venom shot.

 

Beaver Dam - Rivers - Amanita Muscari Mushroom - Trailer Hitch Cover - 20 Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

July 4

There was talk of going over to a neighbor's house for a gathering with the couple who's property we are staying on. But I have since learned that Chrissie doesn't leave the house, she has to many phobias, and when her husband Jesse goes into town you never know when he is coming back so Kaiya and I headed out to Bear Hill, which is 3 miles away. It just got done raining, again, with the threat of more to come.

This is Millstone Road and it is 2 miles long, mostly uphill, both ways. It travels along West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The Mayhew's own a few acres on the left side and I often break up the beaver dam's for Jesse.

Beaver's are at it again!

Long ago the beavers dammed up a creek and they formed themselves this pond that is approximately 3/4 of a mile long, 35 feet wide and 4 feet deep.

I forever enjoy walking by this small waterfall. It is hidden within the hill and the sound is so peaceful 

Mill River, a bit murky and swollen from the daily rain. The top photo shows it emptying into the Susquehanna River.

We are at the top of Bear Hill and looking over Clearfield, Pennsylvania with Route 80 to the left.

The light green strip in the middle is where we walked only days before. 

This power line is super noisy and the birds couldn't touch it.

Look at the mean sky. But we continued to hike on.

And we found cows with a calf suckling on it's Momma. Do you see the calf? 

Hint: Look at the cow on the right.

I presume this is some kind of Amanita Muscaria. Do you know for sure? It is has gills and stands about 3 inches tall.

 I have no idea what this mushroom is. I love the petal effect it has. The bottom has gills and stands almost 3 inches tall. Do you know what it is?

 

Rocky Seashore Trailer Hitch Cover

This is one of a few that can be found here:

zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop

http://www.zazzle.com/rocky_seashore_trailer_hitch_cover-256817289098719906

 

I must thank PioneerSettler.com for the 20 Cast Iron Skillet recipes.

 http://pioneersettler.com/20-cast-iron-skillet-recipes

I know a lot of people are busy outdoors or camping at this time of year so I thought this would be a fitting way to end today's blog.

Until Next Time. We hoped you enjoyed our 12 mile adventure. We went from paved and dirt roads, to meadows and onto forest that look great to set up camp.

I did end the day with Jesse Mayhew at the neighbor's house (Tammy and Ron, thanks guys for the invite!) without Kaiya and had a wonderful time. There was a ton of food and great company. And it was ended with a bang with a ton of fireworks in the backyard that would put some towns to shame. It did rain heavy as soon as we got there but it stopped after we all finished eating under the canopies.

We hope you had a great 4th also, if you celebrate it.

Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies

 

Wild Corpse Plant - Coral Mushroom - Headbands - DIY Dog Treats, Yummy

June 24 to July 4, 2015

I am 3 weeks behind on blogging. Been busy and busy having fun.

We spent our first night at Jesse and Crissy's home and it is so quiet. Not 100% free of vehicle traffic but much less than what we are use to and it was lovely. During the day it is noisier, lots of trucks passing through from logging and dumping coal from the plant down the road. It is still much quieter than our old home or any where else thus far.

 

Jessie has been driving me around and showing me the different quad (4 wheeler) trails on the many hills within 6 miles of his house. So Kaiya and I have been pretty busy visiting the trails and then we go off trail and bushwhack and then find a new trail and we may go a mile up a hill in a few minutes or a 14 mile trip within 3 hours. I only wish I could do 10 miles within 6 hours with a 30 pound backpack on the Appalachian Trail. And I wish we were able to do it daily. Prosthetic doctor says my knees are too weak due to arthritis and we just get pooped out. 

Good thing I have a wrist brace. Kaiya took me for a good fall and I refuse to go to the hospital. Feels like a fracture in my wrist. Everything is swollen. Had the brace on for 3 weeks and I still ache.

Corpse Plant, Peace Pipe, and several other names. Native American's used this plant for many different things including pain medicine and to treat eye diseases. It is suppose to be picked in September or October. But while wandering around on July 19th I see the plants are dying already. Is it from the near daily rain for the last 5 weeks in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania that is killing them off? The town doesn't have an herbalist to consult with. I was hoping to inquire about how to pick and dehydrate them for future use.

Coral Mushroom. Have you ever seen a larger one?

Creek 20 feet up the hill from us, so tranquil to hear all day and night. Sometimes I think it is raining and I am hearing the creek.

A deer was nibbling on the mushroom. I wonder why they only take a little bite of this one and that one but very seldom finish the top of it. Do you know why?

I can not find what the name of this mushroom is. It is found in the wet woods of Clearfield, Pennsylvania in July and it is approximately 3 inches tall. I have only seen a couple during our wanderings. Do you know the name of this mushroom? Is this a fanned edge or scalloped? I am still trying to learn about mushrooms.

 

All these photos where taken on July 9th. It was just a brief outing along the hillside of where we are staying and I was looking for scat as we hear tree branches being stepped on all day and night and Kaiya only wants to rush up there freely to sniff, chase and play. We have seen a lot of deer and a fox. Our bedroom window faces the hillside so we get to hear all the sounds even better. Kaiya will sleep with her head resting on the wall with her noise up at the window to smell the wildlife.

 

Pickerelweed Wildflower Satin or Grosgrain Non-Slip Elastic Headband available in narrow or wide widths

zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop (hundreds of gifts available and shipped worldwide)

http://www.zazzle.com/pickerelweed_wildflower_satin_non_slip_headband_oneupbandsnonslipheadband-256172787993297512

I like the satin narrow when dressing up and prefer the wide grosgrain while doing our outdoor activities like hiking. The inside is velvety soft and sweat absorbing. I am surprised with mine being yellow that it hasn't stained yet and it holding up very well and it fits on my head perfectly.

 

I would like to thank Landeelu.com

for these fantastic dog recipes

 

http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2015/05/homemade-dog-treat-recipes.html

 

We will be back with more to share

 

Have a great day,

 

 Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies

 

RV Close to Flames Mechanic Negligence - Cufflinks - 50 Gluten Free Crock Pot Meals

June 23, 2015

We are up early (did we sleep?) and ready to leave the noisy Flying J Truck Stop / Service Area and the clouds are getting dark. The weather did call for all day rain. We are going to try to beat it and travel 80 West from Milesburg, PA to Clearfield, PA. I just needed some Go-Go Juice and we can hit the road.

Now mind you I still have only one windshield wiper as I have yet to find anyone who carries the style and size I need. Glad I saw the mechanic install the wiper on the passenger's side as Kaiya doesn't need a new blade. And here comes the rain. And then Goliath starts to sway and we have to go 45-55 mph on a 70mph highway and then I noticed most trucks and semi's are going just as slow due to the wind and climbing the hills. A Chevy 454 just climbs hills like a train, slow and steady. And what is happening? My temp gauge is climbing and my engine battery is dying. Are you frikn' kidding me? Then it begins to pour and the engine is cooling down, thank goodness, but the battery is still dying and the house batteries are having a very hard time with the hills. We make it the 40 miles and Walmart is not at the end of the ramp and the sign is so small, up high on a hill and surrounded by trees that it took days before I ever saw it so I drove right by it and stopped at Swish Swash Laundromat and just in time as now it is a torrential downpour. We wait it out a couple of hours and then I toss the laundry in to be washed and went to Fox's Pizza Den. It is a hole in the wall but their pizza sure is good and I can not wait to go back.

www.foxspizza.com

While I was dining I heard a local lady state that all interstate traffic was being rerouted to 322 due to a semi that went down across the highway, not sure if cars were involved also. And then 2 cars collided and someone had to be scooped up. And then a semi went down along the passenger side guardrail. So I am happy that this was not only a planned stop but that Goliath was acting up and forced us off the highway.

After I dined I was chatting with a nice man (oddly we never exchanged names) across from Swish Swash and he told me to speak to the laundromat owner, Larry, and I could probably stay the night and Larry said it was fine, whew. The man also told me where to get Goliath checked. It ended up being a good day with a great night's rest until 3-4 am when the two trucks came to empty the two dumpsters beside us.

The next morn bright and early we head over to Bud's Electric in Clearfield, PA and I met Greg who is loaded with wealthy info about 454 engines, about time I met someone with true knowledge. The old timer, Bud, and his other son, Chris looked at Goliath and nearly keeled over as we would have never made it to the next exit because a wire harness was rubbing against the newly installed alternator and it was ready to go up in flames, omg! (wish I photoed it) Not only that but the wrong size belt was put on and put on incorrectly and that is why my battery was dying. The alternator pulley wasn't being pulled, ug. Take out the alternator and the wrong size pulley was installed on the alternator along with the wrong gauge wire and the wire was ready to fall off as it was never soldered on! I paid $300 on a $900 job for what ?!?  and gave him expensive antique ram horn candlesticks for this! For Goliath to go up in flames and I have to try to think of a way to get Kaiya safely out of the rig with flames between us!

Similar to what was gifted but mine were much better

It took Bud and Chris 6 hours to rebuild the alternator, fix and heatproof the wire harness and install the proper belts and put them on properly. At least these guys are only $45 per hour instead of $85 like the 4-5 other shops I have dealt with and they guarantee their work. Greg also knew why I smelled gas all the time. The smog pump was removed. Some people believe you will save on gas mileage. I don't know if this is a fact or a myth. They are hard to find in PA as now they are a must have to pass inspection and I am working on finding one. They contacted one junk yard and they didn't have anything left. They were hoping to install it while the belts were off since the engine requires 3 belts with the smog pump instead of using 2 belts as I have been doing. So I dropped $300 at Bud's. My wallet is now hurting. A husband pulled into the lot with his wife and she hears me chatter about how it is $60 a night to stay at the state campground and how I have been going some 50 miles from shop to shop so she hollers at me to stay on their property 8 miles away.

Here is

Bud's Electric Services Inc

207 Power Ave Clearfield, PA 16830

(814) 267-8091

Auto Electrical Service

https://plus.google.com/117037355041554999656/about?gl=us&hl=en

I dreaded the 8 mile drive to someone's home whom I don't even know when now I am just mentally, physically and wallet exhausted but I thought what the aye, may as well give it a try. So we put on the RV GPS and off we go up and down the hilly windy roads and wondering if I should have stopped for gas and food first but, like I said, I'm exhausted. Kaiya needed to rest also. So I give Chrissy a call to let her know we are on our way and she is oh so excited and supper will be ready when we arrive. So I just planted Goliath sideways across the driveway until instructed what to do and went into the house and we have vegetable stir-fry, now I am in heaven. Why? I have been a vegetarian for over 6 years and I was worried about the menu for the evening and didn't want to be impolite upon my new friends. We chat about this and that and we are all having a great time and Jesse receives a call from his son and Jesse runs to his house. What does he arrive back with? BBQ Ribs, omg, yes, I did, I ate them and they were GOOD!

I have SO much I must do. I better get going. I will finish this when I get back. Chrissy is hollering for me. It is past tea time.

Wild Deer Silver Plated Round Cufflinks 

 zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop

I want to thank MyNaturalFamily.com for the recipes

Here is the link:

http://www.mynaturalfamily.com/recipes/gluten-free/gluten-free-crock-pot-meals

Until Later,

Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies

Up the hill beside our rig. The creek is so tranquil 

Clearfield, Pennsylvania

Bald Eagle State Park, PA - Indoor / Outdoor Dog Pillows - Blueberry Cobbler

June 20, 2015

Yippy, we made it a few miles without any issues. I saw a sign mentioning a state park but didn't see the exit so we continued onward and then I saw a sign stating Bald Eagle State Park and took the ramp in Millsburg, Pennsylvania and had to backtrack apx 10 miles on some windy, hilly roads, some a bit narrow. If I knew this I wouldn't have stopped since we only get 5-6 mpg.  All state parks in Pennsylvania are free to visit and we think that is beyond awesome. We spent 3-4 hours, went wading then wandering a couple of the different plowed paths, some through meadow, through woods and along the lake, beautiful. It was nice to relax and soak in the sun as it just keeps on raining on/off.

Check out Bale Eagle State Park:

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/baldeagle

Blackberry season has just begun, yummy. I will only eat the berries that hang over the trail so the wildlife will have food and so we don't disturb the plants by trampling on them.

Common Yellowthroat

Many different species of birds, some rare to the area. I don't know what the brown bird is yet. We didn't get to see a Bald Eagle 

Motor boats are permitted as are jet skis and non-motorized boats on the 8 mile long lake (all boats must be licensed to use in Pennsylvania, please google the law for reference)

I found the prices a bit steep to stay. Apx. $60 per night with electric and water plus a fee to dump for out-of-state visitors for RV'ers. I inquired about rustic camping but didn't find the employee at all informative and had to yank the little information I did get out of her.

We stay at Flying J Truck Stop, which was close enough, until the 24th and did 2 visits to Bald Eagle. The second visit we stayed about 7 hours and walked a couple more trails. One trail was nicely done going through "deep looking" woods and we scared a deer so badly it was skissing away at us. I call it skissing since that is what it sounded like, somewhat.

Across from Flying J, another large, noisy truck stop/24 hour repair service area with a nice, fairly priced restaurant with fantastic employees, is a large meadow and you will see several deer.

I picked a very bad spot to stay on our 3rd night. Right at the entrance. Coke has a distributing company just around the corner and trucks come in every 5 minutes all day and night long to fuel up. We got almost zero sleep so we left early in the morn to try to beat out the next rain storm. 

Back onto 80 West we go! Our next stop,  Clearfield, Pennsylvania, for grub (food) and laundry and to stay at Walmart.

 

Indoor or Outdoor Dog Pillow

West Branch Susquehanna River Railroad Bridge, Clearfield, Pennsylvania 
zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop

I just learned it is blueberry picking season so I thought a Blueberry Cobbler would sound great, how about you? Would you like ice cream on top? How about whipped cream?

You can find the recipe here:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-ever-blueberry-cobbler

I sure hope you enjoyed today's blog. If you have any questions about the fantastic Bald Eagle State Park please ask away, don't be shy.

Until later,

Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies

Alternator Issues on RV - Baby Deer Tote Bags - DIY Old Spoon, Fork Ideas

Yep, I know, I am behind on the blogging, again. We have SO much going on, whew. I don't know if you all can keep up with all these mechanical issues, some the fault of the RV from sitting for 4 years and some the fault of one careless mechanic after another. 

So June 18, 2015

We leave Pennsylvania's Welcome Center and back on 80 West after resting for 2 nights. The 454 engine is so loud and we have not adjusted to the noise level yet and Kaiya's window is rattling and I haven't figured out why so she sits beside me most of the time instead which is safer. 

We only get some 70 miles and an engine belt is screaming and the temp gauge maxed out, again. I pull over on the highway and the antifreeze is steaming out of Goliath. Kaiya and I go and bunk down and wait for the engine to cool. After an hour I try to get the radiator cap off and it will not come off. I stand out with a HELP sign and a lady in her later years from out of state pulls over and we both struggle and defeated the cap. I fill her up with 2-3 gallons of antifreeze and started Goliath up and the temp again quickly rises so back to resting we go. After some 90 minutes two State Police arrive and ask what is up and after placing all my info into their system they let me know there is a truck stop and garage less than 2 miles down the highway, thank goodness. It took us 3 hours to go that far because the engine kept getting hot. We finally arrive at LGC Truck Parts and Service, 24 Old Berwick Road, Drums, Pennsylvania:

https://plus.google.com/109157198943210241433/about?gl=us&hl=en

Looks like I threw away the photo of the shop since we ended up with worse issues after we left here. I'll get into that after.

So I get to the shop and I explain to the owner that my alternator has died and he gets me a young and energetic mechanic to work on Goliath and who insists my alternator is fine that I blew the head gasket. I told him to remove the alternator and he can check the gasket later. So it ends up that my new belt that was replaced in Massachusetts snapped and wrapped around the fan because it wasn't the proper belt (for the second time) and the alternator apparently died from age, the head gaskets are fine. They order a new and bigger alternator from "The Alternator Specialists". I don't know if this is the company in Hillsville, Pennsylvania or not since they are 4 hours away. So here we stay overnight at the biggest truck stop we have seen thus far, Pilot Truck Center, over 100 trucks, all running all night long. Both truck lots full so 2 pull along us and 2 pull in front so the vibration and noise was awful. The next day the alternator was installed. This was an all day job. The mechanic couldn't figure out how the belts went on and said the alternator was too big and he had to ginny rig to make it fit, oh joy. It rained on/off and my carpet and living room chair is covered in oil and grease from the mechanic's clothes and oil soaked boots with blood on the front passenger seat. The owners, husband/wife team, had sympathy for us and gave us a handsome discount and only charged $300 for parts and labor. The total was apx $900. When I got into Goliath I cried for an hour easy. I gave the Mrs a pair of antique ram horn candlestick holders valued at $350 for their generosity. The husband came out to thank me and told me they are being placed on the mantle of their summer home in the Pocono's. After the very long day of waiting we spend another night here but I moved Goliath to a little more secluded area of the garage and we got some rest.

We move onwards on June 20th, finally, up and running, or so we thought....

Sorry for lack of photos. We have been so upset that it looks like I threw away many.

Forest Laurel found in the Delaware Gap State Forest, Pennsylvania

Erie Train found in Port Jervis, New York

 Cute Tote Bags, several sizes/styles to choose from:

zazzle.com/CapeCodGiftShop

Thank you DIYFunIdeas.com for the helpful ideas!

 http://diyfunideas.com/cool-stuff-to-diy-with-old-spoons-and-a-few-forks

So we did hit the road and I must catch up with the blog. 

If you have any questions about the mechanic shop or any sights we have seen just ask away.

Until later,

Spirit and Kaiya

The Wandering Gypsies