Westward from Delaware

We left Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Milton Delaware for parts west. We had a great visit with the highlight of our time spent here being the time we spent with Marisa and Sammy our 3 and 2 year old grandchildren. On several occasions, Bill and Ann (Son & Daughter-in-law) took a weekend off and sent the kids home to the RV with us. Boy did we have fun. One day to the beach, a trip to the board walk at Rehobeth, an evening driving around looking for deer and other wildlife, coloring, playing with toys and all kinds of things that grandparents like to do with grandchildren.

At the refuge we spend several weeks presenting an educational program on insects to local second-graders. Four days a week, twice a day, Sandi and I and 4 or 5 other volunteers would make inquisitive youngsters entomologists by collecting and studying grasshoppers, beetles, and butterflies. Lots of fun.

On additional duty we had was to man the hunter check station. Several times during our stay here we would man a hunter check station where we oversaw the lottery for blinds for deer and duck hunting. Deer and waterfowl abound here at Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge. Snow Geese are here in the tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands. Teal, mallards, black ducks, Canada geese and others are seemingly everywhere.

In addition to our grandparenting duties, and volunteer activities on the refuge, I also took the time to do some hiking on the Appalachian Trail in New York. I caught a military hop out of Dover AFB and flew to Stewart ANGB. Worked out great. I can now say I have hiked some of the AT in every state north of the Mason Dixon line. I also managed to go fishing numerous times and although the fishing was not as good as last year I caught something almost every time. Usually I caught us a meal of bluefish ans several times caught strippers that were just shy of the 24” minimum. Skates and sharks made up the difference.

Another highlight of the visit here was golfing with Bill, my son, and Ken, my brother. We’d all been bragging about our golf prowess and each of us fell considerably short of our proclaimed skill level. Never-the-less we had a great time.

I turned 60 a few days ago. Had a nice birthday party with Sandi, Bill, Ann, Marisa, and Sammy. Bill and I had played a round of golf and I used the carved fossilized mammoth tusk greens keeper that Bill got me for my birthday. The fossil is about 10,000 years old and I think Bill got it for me so I would not feel so old.

Happy Anniversary

Sure seems hard to believe that 34 years ago we walked down the isle in an outdoor wedding and we still remain a couple. Strange as it may seem we passed that 34 year point on Saturday and celebrated by getting up early for a day trip across the Delaware Bay to New Jersey. After a breakfast at the Crackerbarrel in Lewes Delaware, we drove to the Cape May/Lewis Ferry Landing on Cape Henlopen. Arriving an hour early we went into the gift shop and killed some time looking at the photos of the landing and the ferries as they were just a few years prior to our nuptuals. We often saw the signs for the Ferry when we visited this area in our younger years but we had never made the crossing and felt to do so would be a great way to celebrate our marriage. The ferry arrived and we drove on board within view of the two light houses and the World War II sub towers on the Cape. Departing the harbor we passed Cape Henlopen which was lined with surf fishermen trying to land one of the fall run stripped bass that are cruising the Delaware coast. The New Jersey Coast is just out of sight but a half hour into the 90 minute trip the land could be sighted. Except for the laughing gulls and herring gulls no other wildlife was sighed by us as we walked the decks watching the caost grow closer as we rocked back and forth on the waves always present at the mouth of the Delaware Bay.

The cape May Ferry Landing is on the Cape MAy Canal that goes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Delaware Bay and as we entered the canal we both recalled memories of the "SANJAY" our 44' trawler that we travelled/lived on for 18 months. We cruised through this canal about this time in 1998.

We headed northward to Wildwood to play tourist at the Irish Festival. About an hour of bagpipe and drum music which terminated with a memorial for a fallen commrad where about 200 bagpipes played "Amazing Grace" -- awesome and very moving.

After sampling food and drink at the festival we went to Menz's Resturaunt near Cape May. great ambience, great food, great time.

Caught the ferry back arriving about dark. We will probably remember this anniversary.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

We made it to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and we will be here until near the end of October. We will be assisting with a nature program on insects fors econd graders. The schedule has us doing two programs a day, four days a week. That should keep us busy. There is something to be said about being parked in the middle of the refuge. We see deer daily, Canada Geese are abundant and the first of the migratory ducks are arriving.

We did have a great weekend with the grandkids. Mom and Dad took the day off and left Marisa and Sammy with Pop Pop and Nanna. Did we have fun. In addition to coloring and baking cookies, we went to the Broadkill Beach on the Delaware Bay (about three miles away) Those youngsters sure enjoyed the water.

Fishing has been satisfactory. Last night we caught enough bluefish for a couple meals. I've landed a few flounder in the last week but non of them made the Delaware state minimum of 17 1/2". Last night the small stripers were feeding and I managed to catch four between 18 -22" but again I had to release them because they did not meet the state 24" minimum. Give me enough time and a dumb big one will swim into my hook.

Grandkids and Hurricanes

Grandkids are great. We spent last Sunday going to church and playing with Marisa (3) and Sammy (1 1/2), the daughter and son of our Son, Bill, and his wife Ann. On Thursday they all came to Tuckahoe for a hot dog roast. we had a great picnic, Marisa and I performed on dulcimer and harmonica. We played greats like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Are You Sleeping, and Mary Had A Little Lamb. Sammy provided vocal accompaniement on a few pieces. A barred owl (see previous post) also provided some accompaniement.

Friday ther reminants of Ernesto passed by with 50 mph winds and rain in the neighboerhood of 6 inches in 24 hours. It appears as if the rain is now stopping and we will probably see sunshine by this afternoon.

We will not be going very far for the next fer days. I took our jeep to a shop to determine the source of a loud hum and found out that my transfer case is going bad. Fortunately it is fully warrented but I expect that we will have to live without it for a week to ten days.