Author: Richard

Biking With The Vizsla


One of the challenges of traveling and camping is too eat healthy and get enough exercise. Fortunately, with the Airstream we can manage our food choices and not be stuck with the fast food options that seem to be everywhere.

On the exercise front, it often boils down to walking the dog — which isn’t aerobic (unless she slips her collar) but is one good alternative. We take two or three ten minute or often longer walks per day just to keep sanity — for her and for me.

I’ve written before about biking with Penny. I did it long before we started traveling and have used a Springer system which works well for me. I was riding a high-end mountain bike until last year but the geometry was to0 radical for a 70-year-old back — so I sold it on Craig’s list last Spring. My friends at Onion River Sports — one of the northeast’s best bike shops — sold me a hybrid which is comfortable and perfect for riding with the dog. I got it set up yesterday for the Springer.We went out again today on a long ride to look at birds and explore the nature trails at Fontainebleau State Park in Louisiana. We probably went about 8 miles on a combination of grass, gravel, and mucky trails. We passed a “Don’t Feed The Alligators” sign and whisked by something posted about Cottonmouths. The combination of surfaces was perfect for Penny’s pads and challenging enough for my early-season riding form.

Of course, coming back to the park, we passed several dogs with whom Penny seemed to have issues. I gave up on the “break-away” tabs when she snapped them while lunging for dogs so now, I just tie a leash tight and she can back and tug all she wants. Picture this — a Vizsla going sideways down the road talking trash while her owner peddles the bike straight ahead. I’m sure campers don’t forget her — although it’s over fast.

She starts out runs at top speed and I hardly have to pedal for the first half mile. Later, it’s sort of even-steven and then, at the end of long rides, she’s pooped and we walk it in. The trick is to give her rest breaks and carry enough water — although she’ll opt for puddles when available.

Our other exercise option later will be kayaking. Somehow, I don’t see a role for Vizsla — although I’m sure she does. A tired Vizsla is a good Vizsla.

Biking With The Vizsla


One of the challenges of traveling and camping is too eat healthy and get enough exercise. Fortunately, with the Airstream we can manage our food choices and not be stuck with the fast food options that seem to be everywhere.

On the exercise front, it often boils down to walking the dog — which isn’t aerobic (unless she slips her collar) but is one good alternative. We take two or three ten minute or often longer walks per day just to keep sanity — for her and for me.

I’ve written before about biking with Penny. I did it long before we started traveling and have used a Springer system which works well for me. I was riding a high-end mountain bike until last year but the geometry was to0 radical for a 70-year-old back — so I sold it on Craig’s list last Spring. My friends at Onion River Sports — one of the northeast’s best bike shops — sold me a hybrid which is comfortable and perfect for riding with the dog. I got it set up yesterday for the Springer.We went out again today on a long ride to look at birds and explore the nature trails at Fontainebleau State Park in Louisiana. We probably went about 8 miles on a combination of grass, gravel, and mucky trails. We passed a “Don’t Feed The Alligators” sign and whisked by something posted about Cottonmouths. The combination of surfaces was perfect for Penny’s pads and challenging enough for my early-season riding form.

Of course, coming back to the park, we passed several dogs with whom Penny seemed to have issues. I gave up on the “break-away” tabs when she snapped them while lunging for dogs so now, I just tie a leash tight and she can back and tug all she wants. Picture this — a Vizsla going sideways down the road talking trash while her owner peddles the bike straight ahead. I’m sure campers don’t forget her — although it’s over fast.

She starts out runs at top speed and I hardly have to pedal for the first half mile. Later, it’s sort of even-steven and then, at the end of long rides, she’s pooped and we walk it in. The trick is to give her rest breaks and carry enough water — although she’ll opt for puddles when available.

Our other exercise option later will be kayaking. Somehow, I don’t see a role for Vizsla — although I’m sure she does. A tired Vizsla is a good Vizsla.

Mississippi Birds

Tufted Titmouse

We stopped for two nights at Clarko State Park in Quitman, MS and ran into some nice birds.  The park was nearly vacant and birds were all over it — this is a Tufted Titmouse that was around our site.

There were tons of Northern Cardinals and high in the trees, warblers.  Of course, I didn’t have any better luck down south than I do in Vermont identifying them.

The first walk with Penny just before dark revealed this Great Blue Heron all hunched down, waiting.  The plumage was such that I was not sure what it was — but saw it again the next day all stretched out, looking normal.

Mary and I went out together so that she could try out her new binoculars — a Christmas gift — and we practiced on Cardinals and a bouncy warbler.  The highlight was this cooperative Golden-crowned Kinglet which we watched from a viewing platform for some time.  He hopped around but much less frenetic than a warbler, and a great look for new birder Mary.

I saw several Grey Catbirds, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadees left and right, as well as others that I see regularly in Vermont.  The new camera is working well with the tele lens.

This morning I was treated to good looks at a Great Egret.  I got a bunch of shots — this is one I particularly like. 

This afternoon, arriving at Fontainebleau State Park in Louisiana, we were met by two red-headed woodpeckers.  I hear there is a Great Horned Owl in the park with a nest and babies due any day.  Bodes well for good birding up ahead.

Great Weather and WiFi

Any day that starts with seeing a Great Egret on an early morning walk and ending the day with a bike ride with the dog alongside is a good one.

Yesterday (Day 4) was a “get it together” day at Clarko State Park in Quitman, MS. I got the water system operating after winterizing it. You always worry about problems due to freezing and we had one split spray nozzle — which was easy to replace. I washed the truck and the Airstream, taking off months of salt and crud.

There were only a few campers at the state park so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. The birding was wonderful (see my birding blog) — and the dog could run free on the miles of back trails and roads. She went nuts with the many squirrels around — chased a wild turkey, and had her nose down in an armadillo hole until I pulled her away.

Today, we had an easy trip down Highway 59 to I-12 and ended up at Fountainbleau State Park in Mandeville, LA. It sits at the northern end of Lake Ponchartrain on an old sugar plantation. Louisiana parks have WiFi which is a big help — we can only do so much with our iPhones.

I got the bikes unloaded from the chaos that is the back of the pickup, hooked up the Springer system, and took Penny for a spin around the park. She gets a wonderful workout and is snoring beside me on the couch.

We are going to stay here for a couple of days — do some bike riding and birding — and then head on to Texas. Weather is nice — today got up to 70 but it will be in the 50’s tomorrow. However, reading the weather forecast that my Vermont friends are facing, mid-fifties sounds pretty good.

This state park is about half full with many people who stay for weeks — with big rigs. We are the only Airstream here.

3 Days on the road & gonna settle down tonight

After waiting out the storms and dealing with the electrical problems noted in my last post, we launched early Friday morning with the temperature holding below 10 degrees. The first trick was to get down our snowy driveway. I took it easy, in first gear, but halfway down, the truck and trailer all started sliding with brakes full on and I just got it down and around the corner and could then slow down on the sanded Wood Road. Fortunately, it was very early and no one was coming down the hill in the dark. Once our heart rates slowed, we trundled down through sleepy Montpelier and had an uneventful drive down to Bethel, Killington, and up over Mendon Mountain. Roads were dry, snow flurries were minimal, and traffic was light.

The first day brought us down to Albany and then down I-88 to Binghamton. We then join the rat race south with truckers headed home on Friday and driving like crazy. With gas stops (we paid $3.30 a gallon at a ripoff joint on I-88) every 180-200 miles, my debit card was getting a workout. We made it as far as Chambersburg and stayed at a Walmart in very cold conditions. There was a Hoss’s restaurant on site so we ended up having a good dinner storing up calories for the night ahead.

The Airstream, when operating on battery power, is heated with a propane heater up at one end. It’s not easy to get the sleeping end heated when it’s 15 degrees so it was not the most comfortable night we’ve spent. We tanked up on coffee in the morning and were again on the road before seven.

Saturday is a good day to travel. The truck traffic is reduced as is commuter travel. We were out of Pennsylvania at once and zipped through the ends of Maryland and West Virginia and then spent a lifetime in Virginia. I-81 has some pretty scenery through this stretch and we thought we’d got out of the snow cover — but after an hour of bare ground, we came back into where last week’s storm had dumped a lot.

Knoxville is a tough city to negotiate, even on a weekend. The merging of interstates, the ever-present trucks, and some event at UT made this trip through town stressful. We decided to stop at the Walmart in Athens, Tennessee, having called ahead for permission.

I had talked to a local cop patrolling the parking lot — just letting him know we would be there overnight, with permission. We had a nice chat about Vermont and he told me to call them if we noticed any problems. Well, for a bit, I thought we’d have to take him up on it. For an hour or so, several hot cars seemed to be doing laps around the parking lot with loud engines, tire squealing, and lots of sitting, idling, and whatever. The scene quieted about 9:00 and I later figured that the kids were waiting for buddies working in the tire/lube section of Walmart.

Today was a relatively easy Sunday drive — if you call driving 370 miles hauling a trailer easy. The traffic was ok and we negotiated Chattanooga and Birmingham and then encountered a stretch of concrete highway that was hell. It reminded me of the NY Thruway where decades of truck traffic had trashed the right lane, leaving the left lane relatively smooth. The road was horrible — I was very concerned about the trailer tires. So, we drove 20-30 miles primarily in the left lane — watching the mirrors as best we could. Of course, we then hit construction and had a twelve mile stretch with only one lane — the right one — and it was painful. The truck and trailer did ok in spite of the thumping.

The rest of the journey, through Tuscaloosa and into Mississippi, was easy. We have stopped at a state park in Clarksdale where for the first time, we can activate the water system and have power. There’s no one here — just a couple of families — and it’s a good place to bird and run the dog. We’ll catch our breath for a few days before moving on to Louisiana.

The park in just south of Meridian, Mississippi. I learned to fly jets at NAS Meridian many years ago and we live in Meridian during the height of the civil rights movement. We were sort of insulated from the events but did get a taste of southern attitudes from our neighbors — so the airfield has good memories for me but the town still leaves a bad taste in our mouths. We may check out the air station while we are here — just for nostalgia’s sake. And find a wifi hotspot.

Bluebird in January?

Bluebird in January?

We are finally launched on our trip to the Southwest after snow delayed us several days.  Yesterday, Day 2, starting out in frigid Pennsylvania, we drove southward on I-81 and started to see birds.  Hawks were starting to move about — it’s a little hard to ID them at 70 mph but I think most were Redtails with a couple rough-legged and one harrier thrown in.  Saw our first turkey vulture in Virginia.  After the last month of rather sterile winter birding in Vermont, it was exciting to see more and more activity.

Since we are moving with a winterized Airstream in below-freezing temperatures, we tend to overnight in Walmart parking lots.  Well, last night we were in Athens, Tennessee, north of Chattanooga, and it was warmer (45 degrees) but still had snow from last week’s storm.  Walking the dog just before dark, I was noticing how this massive superstore had been carved out of the fields and oak forests around it — and a little saddened by it — when I noticed a lot of bird activity down over the bank in the brushy fence line.  I didn’t have my binoculars but could see that some of them where Northern Cardinals due to there shape and crests.  I went back to the truck, got my binoculars, and spotted about a dozen mourning doves roosting along with the cardinals.  I know I got some strange looks from the Tennessee pickup truck drivers wheeling in and out of Walmart on a Saturday night.  From the squealing tires and speeds, it looked like they were NASCAR wannabees but far from it for me, with Vermont plates, to call them out on it.

After dark, I took Penny on one last walk around the massive perimeter of the parking lot.  As I came around the back of the store, I saw a bird fly up to one of the spruce trees planted along the periphery.  It sat there as I watched (as did the dog) but I could not identify it without binoculars.  The strong lights made it look like daylight (which raised a whole set of questions about impact on birds who live here) so I returned once more to the truck and grabbed my binoculars.  The bird, once I returned, flew to another tree and waited.  I was amazed to see the brilliant blue of a male bluebird.  It sat for a bit but wouldn’t turn so I never really saw the breast for a positive identification.  I’m pretty sure it was not an Indigo Bunting.  Looking at recent sightings in Tennessee on eBird, I saw that Eastern Bluebirds were seen in the last three weeks at several spots so that’s my call.  In any case, it’s a great way to get juices flowing as we head to Mississippi.  I’d like to wait around and check it out but we need to hit the road.  Good birding.

Ready, Set, Wait Another Day

As is the case before most major trips, we were up very early this morning. I had plowed the driveway yesterday (we got nearly a foot of new snow), and cleaned off the trailer. I had a lot of trouble getting it into place and whacked a piece of ledge submerged in the new snow. Finally, we spent all evening finishing loading.

We were ready to launch at 6:15 A.M. In a last minute check, we found that the trailer lights didn’t work. Shades of day one last year — except it wasn’t along I-81! I realized that in the struggles to extricate the trailer and get it moved into the driveway, I had trashed the electrical connector to the truck. It was at first depressing, especially since it was dark, snowy, and windy. Then the truck lights were wacky — brake lights staying on, turn signals inoperative. That improved once I disconnected the broken connector.

I was able to back the trailer on to flat land in front of the garage and get unhitched. First, I tried to tape the broken connector up with electrical tape — in 15 degree temperatures and wind with Mary holding the flashlight. No way, Jose.

So after thawing out, I went downtown and bought hand warmers first (enough frostbite the last few days) and then a new plug and some truck fuses. The next several hours was spent wrestling with 7 frayed leads and set screws — plugged it in and…. nothing. I dug out the Ford manual, studied the fuse layout, and replaced a 20 amp fuse. Running lights! The right turn signal worked, left not. Aha, the fuse — I replaced it, tried again — nothing (but a blown fuse.) I knew I would have to take the plug apart again so I went to to warm up and have coffee. I wrestled the plug apart, got the left turn wire reconnected and carefully put it together. Tried it .. nothing. Oh yeah, the truck fuse was blown again. I took the cover plates off, found the fuse .. which was again blown, and replaced it. Finally, after about four hours plus, things were working.

By now, it was approaching mid-day and I had not been impressed with the road conditions during my earlier trip. We were tired, stressed out by the hassle, and decided to wait until tomorrow morning. The forecast is better, we’ll double-check everything once more tonight – and should be good to go. Now I’ve got to haul in some more snow-covered firewood and take Penny for a long walk. She’s been “clingy”, knowing something is up but not completely sure she’s going. She’ll go if we go — and tomorrow the internet/cable gets disconnected so we’ll be out of here.

I guess I’m glad that all my learning last year on systems and replacing stuff helped. However, doing electrical work in biting wind is above my pay grade. We need to get the Airstream, and ourselves, south pronto.

Northern Hawk Owl

A Northern Hawk Owl

The digest of VTbirds this morning had several reports of a Northern Hawk Owl about 10 miles from here.  It’s a bird that I’d not seen and rather rare to Vermont — one or two a year get spotted each year.

So the dog and I hopped in the truck this morning and went over to River Road and sure enough, there were a group of birders standing beside the road with scopes and binoculars looking south.  I knew several of them and they pointed out the bird sitting in a tree quite a ways off.  It is a life bird for me.

It was hard to see clearly without a scope — which I had left in the truck — but several scopes were already set up and all of us got some good looks.  The owl left to hunt for a bit and then cooperatively perched on another tree about the same distance away.  Since the word was out (and it was the start of a new year of counting) birders were showing up from all over upstate Vermont.

Later, I went up to visit my other bird, my Luscombe, and install a new canopy cover to protect it from the elements. It was a nice way to start off the new year. 

photo by seabarium

Bringing a Boat Along This Time

On the trip last year to the Southwest, we were surprised at how many times we were next to bodies of water: the Gulf of Mexico, Falcon Reservoir, Choke Canyon Reservoir just to name a few. It made us wish that we had our kayaks along. I have been thinking about the drag of two kayaks plus the Airstream and asked my brother Barry, a seasoned Airstreamer, what he and Mica did for a boat since I knew that they had paddled in Florida and along the Gulf Coast in their travels.

He told me that they often carry a small canoe — that they would worry too much about the expensive kayaks during a trip — but then said, “Why don’t you take our folding kayak – it’ll just be sitting down cellar this winter?” I thought about it, did some research on Folbots, and took him up on the offer.

So yesterday, he drove over and dropped off the big bags of equipment and gave me a tutorial in our living room. (I had pulled an operations/assembly manual off the internet and done some reading, knowing my struggles in the past in putting together tents.)

He walked me through the process and I took some photos of specific steps but we will see. Everything is marked and it seems straight-forward but I am going to assemble it one more time by myself downstairs before we load up. Even then, I suspect my language will attract a crowd at the campground down south when I first lay out the parts and hope to end up with a boat. It also will be the first time that Mary and I have paddled a kayak together. Stay tuned.

Varied Thrush is Visiting

Today I saw the Varied Thrush which has been hanging out in upstate Vermont since last weekend.  I’ve been monitoring the email reports but reluctant to bother the couple whose backyard it is visiting.  Hearing of their hospitality and realizing that I knew them from my affordable housing activities, I drove over today and sat in the truck, hoping to see the bird from the road.

Shortly, Don came out and invited me to come into the house to see the bird.  So before I knew it, I was sitting on the bed in their bedroom, watching for the thrush out the window.  June kept saying, “Be patient, it was here earlier.  It will come back.”  I was out of the snow and cold, watching Blue Jays and a host of winter birds hit the feeders, and having a wonderful conversation with June about our work together converting a Vermont Inn into a successful elderly housing unit.

The bird popped into view and was very accommodating, perching high in the tree, coming down to ground feed, and leaving and returning.  It was bigger than I expected and looked very healthy.  The colors are striking — but it’s thousands of miles from its normal winter location out west and one wonders where it will go, how it will survive.  I guess that’s always the questions on vagrant birds so far off course.

The photos are poor because they are shot through several panes of cloudy glass (plus I am never good compensating for snow) — but who’s complaining?  It was such a wonderful pre-Christmas gift and the couple feeding the VT (as they call it) could not be friendlier or more inviting.  If you want to find out more, email Pat Folsom.  It is a life bird for me and a beautiful sight with the newly fallen snow.   I have posted photos here.