We’re off on our RV trip this week. After picking up the RV on Monday; the adults loaded up in the sprinkles and then braved the traffic on the beltway/US-50 to get from home over to the Maryland Eastern Shore. Neil needed 2 drinks by the time we got over the Bay Bridge and onto lesser traveled roads…the number of idiots who will cut off a 20,000 pound RV is way too large. We arrived at Tuckahoe State Park and spent 3 nights here. The first two we were one of two RVs here; the last night a couple of small class A’s pulled in as well as two campers and a medium size class C. Almost everybody is friendly except for the mean looking little old lady walking the wolf…she just glared at Neil while he was biking. Maybe it was because he was biking the wrong way down the loop…but more likely she was just mean; she was the meanest looking person Neil has seen since Ms. Rufus McCombs was running for county judge when they were stationed in Auburn, Alabama back in the early ’80s.

Yesterday we went on a hike over to the Wye Island National Wildlife Refuge. Saw a bunch of Osage Oranges (which are actually lime green and nothing like an orange inside), a bunch of deer poop, and some squirrels. We also saw an immature Eastern Red Shoulder hawk sitting on a fence post…Neil was trying to get close enough for a decent picture but all he could get was the one below because the only car we say *all* day chose that moment to come down with his rap music a’blastin’ and turned around right next to the above mentioned fence post.

Immature Easter Red Shouldered Hawk

Earlier in the hike they sat by the lake here in Tuckahoe and saw this Northern Mockingbird doing some sort of display/mating/territorial thing. No sign of his lady friend but she must have been back in the bushes where we couldn’t see her; the male jumped in there and continued to display so he must have had an audience nearby.

Northern Mockingbird Territorial Display

This morning Neil went on a bike ride for about 10 miles and saw a couple of deer, an osprey, and a large porcupine (he was a ways off and silhouetted so he wasn’t really sure). Connie packed/stowed the RV and they’ll be heading off to Chincoteague Island until Sunday. They’ve got tickets to the Oyster Festival on Saturday (hey, it’s an R month) so will be pigging out with oysters and beer.

In other news; the insurance company and the body shop finally got together and Neil’s Mazda 6 will be fixed and ready for pickup the end of the month.

Cyas later and Roll, Tide!!