It's a Wrap!

As I am writing this, we have been home several days.  The camper needed to be cleaned and put to bed for the season.  Now that that is done, I wanted to write a few comments on this trip.  This was the wettest two weeks we have ever had while camping in Turkey Run in October.  Fortunately, it rained the hardest when we were sleeping.  We did have a lot of overcast days, but we were able to do the things we had planned.  It was cool but, again, that makes for good camping weather (in my opinion!).  I am sure it must have affected the vendors at the Festival.  When at Mansfield, we always camp in Jim's parking.  It was very muddy and the workers had to push out several cars that were stuck in the muddy field.

It is amazing how spotty phone service is in this area.  There is no cell phone service in Bridgeton.  Carol took some things to the car and we planned to contact each other by cell phone to reconnect.  Bad idea!  No cell phone service!  Fortunately, we ran into each other.

Every year it is interesting to see what the "hot item" the vendors are selling.  This year it was bamboo pillows.  People were buying them like crazy.   I don't know how much they were but a lot of people thought the price was a bargain from the number I saw being carried out of the festival.  Another item I saw was sky lanterns.  I am not sure how the lanterns are lit and propelled but I saw some being sent skyward over the campground (on a rare clear night) and it was a beautiful sight.  I also found some packets of chemicals?? That makes the flames of a campfire change colors.  On our last night we enjoyed a campfire and added the packet to the fire.  It was beautiful watching the flames turn bright blue and green.

A man enjoying the fire before the chemical packet.

Once the packet was added, the flames turned blue and green.  We will have to buy more of this stuff next year.

This walking stick investigated Carol's fire poker.   This trip we saw several wild turkeys and some deer.  Even though we are sure there are deer in the area, we have never seen any.

It's a Rewrap!

It must be because I am feeling my age because I noticed more old things this year.  We love to drive the rural roads in this part of Indiana.  We saw several old houses and barns that have seen better days.  I always wonder what stories these places have to tell.  Why are they abandoned and left to slowly crumble?  What happened to the families these houses sheltered?  

We saw lots of these old concrete property markers.  They seemed to be concentrated in the Parke County area.

This house was lived in but we loved the old fence that surrounded it.

It's a Rewrap! Rewrap!

Some ramdom thoughts.  We were pleasantly surprised to experience lower gas prices this year.  Gas finally fell below $3.00 a gallon.  As of this writing, gas is even lower at $2.67.  It probably won't last long so we are enjoying it while we can.

In the distance is Bridgeton.  This is the line of cars heading that way.  We were in this line a couple of times.

Marshall is a small town known as the town with the Arch.  There is a little restaurant  after you pass under the Arch at which we ate supper.  The building is the old hardware store and has the original floors and brick walls.  The food was good as well!

I took the picture above when we first arrived at the campground.  The picture below was taken on the last morning.    You can see how the leaves turned and the empty campground the last day.

One final word about patriotism.  This part of the country is very appreciative of the military.  Carol wears an Air Force ball cap when we are out and about.  It was not unusual for people to come up to him and thank him for his service even though that service was 45 years ago.   All in all, it was another great two weeks in Turkey Run.

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Today we went to the Children's Museum in Indy.  It is a neat place.  My favorite area was the Terra Cotta Warriors that were on display.  It cost extra to see them so we didn't do that but there were interactive things to do and information about them.  This is the only place in the US that the warriors will be displayed. Hunter liked the science area of the museum and Papaw liked the benches!

It hasn't rained so we plan to have a fire tonight and roast hot days.  You can't camp without a fire, roasting hot days and eating s'mores.  Tomorrow, Jason and family are driving back to Turkey Run to pick up Hunter.  The boys' camping days are over for this year but we are staying until October 22.

Kids Day in Indiana

Friday Hunter came to Turkey Run to spend the rest of the weekend so we had both boys.  It was fun but for sure God knew what He was doing when He planned for kids to be born to younger people.  Our knees and legs don't work as well as they used to.  We took a hike at Shades State Park in the morning.  It was a neat trail with what seemed like a zillion steps down and up, in and out of a canyon.  Only Sandy hiked without complaining!   I did manage to take some interesting pictures.

Taking a rest at one of the few benches on the stairs.

Is there something interesting to look at in the woods or is this a more serious event?

Do you see Sandy?  Papaw is trying to hide behind the tree so he can scare the boys but unfortunately, Sandy spoiled the surprise.

In the afternoon we went to Hobson Farms.  It has a corn maze which Hunter and Papaw enjoyed while Keegan and I took part in other activities.  Keegan especially liked riding the corn train.  He rode it five times!  Around six o'clock Jason came to pick up Keegan and Hunter will be staying until Monday.  Hunter has made friends with some boys his age and they are having fun playing army in the canyon at the end of the campground.

On the Road

Yesterday we got back to camp at 4:00, ate supper and relaxed.  Keegan and I went to the "park" as Keegan calls the playground, played with Legos, cars, and a card memory game before we settled in to watch a DVD.  It was too damp to have a fire so no s'mores last night.  This morning it is still cool and damp but we are hoping it won't rain so we can take a hayride this evening and have a fire and s'mores.  We carved Keegan's pumpkin and took him to a covered bridge before we got on the road again to Decatur to pick up Hunter.  We will have both boys tonight and tomorrow.

Papaw and Keegan

Keegan with the pumpkin we carved.

Cox ford covered bridge.  The spots on the picture are raindrops.

Papaw, Keegan, and Sandy before walking across the bridge.

Keegan on the bridge.

The view from the bridge.

The road to the bridge.

Turkey Run 2014

Yesterday, October 8, 2014, our little caravan left Decatur headed east for our annual two-week camping trip to Turkey Run State Park, Indiana.  This is the seventh year we have stayed two weeks.   We had a beautiful "blood moon" lunar eclipse this morning.  Sandy and I enjoyed watching it as we walked this morning.  It seems like most eclipses happen in the middle of the night but this one was full around 5:30 a.m.

When we are loading the camper, Sandy makes sure she is near a vehicle.  She does not want to be left behind and we don't want to leave her behind either.  Carol drives the truck with the camper and Sandy and I follow behind in the car.  After we get the camper set up in our spot (#204), we park the truck and drive the car for the next two weeks.  It saves lots of money for gas!

This old motor inn is located on US 36 near the Illinois/Indiana state line.  It has never been open since we have been driving this road which has been at least 30-40 years.  In its hay day, it was probably filled nightly with travelers passing through the flat farmland of Central Illinois heading east and west.  There are several two unit cabins set back in the small wooded oasis.  I wanted to get a picture of this symbol of an era of travel long ago before someone comes in with a bulldozer and puts an end to it.

We had a cool but clear night but woke up to thick clouds.  Because there is no Internet near the park, I am posting this as we drive back to Decatur to pick up Keegan.  It will be his first camping trip with papaw and Memaw.  It is a good day for this drive because it is raining.  I hope the rain ends before this evening.    We would like to have a campfire and some s'mores!