Happy: My New Summer Camp Dog House

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... That's why they call me Happy!

Macgellan and I have settled into our "summer camp" here in south-central Pennsylvania. We're in a really nice park with lots of space to walk, explore and even play my favorite game, "Loose dog!"

The weather was perfect over the weekend: Cool and clear with a gentle breeze that brought lots of sweet smells my way. It's raining again today, but that's okay because I have a new dog house!

Somebody left this old table here, and Macgellan has very nicely added sides and a back to it. Throw in my old bed (which I don't use anymore because I now own the big bed) and its perfect!



On nice days I like to sleep in the sun, or in the shade, or even under our picnic table. But on rainy days my new dog house lets me stay comfy and dry while still being able to enjoy the outdoors!

(Just in case you're keeping track: Since I retired, I've accumulated a big dog house, a little dog house, a big bed, two little beds and a truck. Pretty good for a poor dumb girl from the sticks, eh?)

WHQOMRN-SCPA

I've just set up "world headquarters of me right now" in south-central Pennsylvania. I'm at the same park as I was in for a while last year, and you can see that I've snagged a really good spot!



With the wooded area for "transients" to the southwest of me, I'm at least partially shaded from the worst of the afternoon sun. One benefit of having a short rig, I was able to park at an angle across the lot -- instead of backing straight in -- to maximize my view. Even when "transients" show up, I'll still have a much better view from my window than looking at the side of my neighbor's rig.



There's a small slope right behind my rig, so Happy also has a nice view from her usual hangout underneath.

It's all pretty well shaded, and she took no time at all to find a comfy space to lay out.

I tried to catch her sleeping again, but she picked her head up just in time.

Perhaps she wants you to know that she doesn't sleep all the time!

I'll keep you posted as things evolve here over the next few weeks… Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 20: Canandaigua -- Intermission

I've had a couple of really nice days in Canandaigua. The weather has been excellent, almost too good to be true. As you saw in Happy's last post, we're in a very pretty spot and have enjoyed spending time outside for a change!

Canandaigua is a little more touristy than I care for, but it has treated us well. Good restaurants, interesting shops and amusing attractions are topped off by a truly lovely lakeside setting.



As much as anything, it's been a perfect couple of days to hang out, catch up with myself and recharge my batteries. To be honest, this has been a long, hard drive and it's worn me down a bit.

I've got some work scheduled for the first half of June, down in Pennsylvania. Instead of racing to the finish line of US Hwy 20 in Boston, I'm putting an intermission into this road trip for a few weeks.

When I've taken care of business, I'll come back up here and continue east... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: Welcome To Happy Hollow!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Welcome to Happy Hollow!

This is my favorite campground so far: Comfortable grass everywhere, in a nice little wooded area!



I've got my water bowl and plenty of shade. Macgellan has his chair set up, and he's got my leash handy for immediate use on a moment's notice. I love this place!

(PS to my old pack mates back at SP Kennel: Can you believe how big my new doghouse is?!?)

US Hwy 20: Conquered Concord

I left Lake Chautauqua this morning and rejoined US Hwy 20 in Westfield, NY, the "grape juice capital of the world." The town earned that nickname as the home of Welch Foods, which has been growing and processing vast amounts of the region's tangy Concord grape here since 1897. The Concord's success in the area accounts for the seemingly endless vineyards along the highway.



I don't have much to report about my drive today. A good two-lane roadway took me northeast along the shore of Lake Erie, then skirted Buffalo to the southeast before turning due east to the western edge of NY's finger lakes region. At and average speed of 45mph, a very long series of small towns separated by farms and woodlands made for a very pleasant drive. Cool temps, clear skies and no wind made the drive downright idyllic compared to most of what I've dealt with on this road trip!

I've stopped in Canandaigua, which you can see is a very tidy, prosperous looking little town of old brick buildings and festive bunting. I'm going to stay here for a couple of days… Stay tuned!



Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: Pillows Rock!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... That's why they call me Happy!

Macgellan is working late tonight, so I thought I'd warm up the bed for him. Pillows rock!

US Hwy 20: Lake Chautauqua

Lake Chautauqua is a very pretty area, and we finally had a beautiful day to enjoy it. Here's the view from our campground!



Happy and I spent the day cruising around the lake, a circumnavigation of about 45 miles. We stopped here and there to check things out, even making a visit to the local Ford dealer to have a basic service done on my truck. Just another of the many logistics required on a long road trip!

The lake is surrounded by a number of small, old villages. Back in the day, they were probably pretty well separated and delineated from each other. Now, they're pretty much a rolling sprawl of tangential towns, connected by an assortment of vacation establishments: camp grounds, golf courses, motels, marinas, etc. There's still a little farming in the area, but not much that I could see.

It's all very pretty, but not really all that interesting. The area is much more about relaxation and recreation than exploration. I found myself happily heading back to my headquarters in the RV park to enjoy the setting. You probably won't be surprised that I have the place to myself!



The weather is supposed to stay very good tomorrow, so I'm going to push my luck and hang around. I may do a little more exploring, but don't be surprised if I join my narcoleptic dog in a lazy day of sleeping, reading and catching up with myself… Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: Sunshine!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... That's why they call me Happy!

We had another short drive today, so I didn't get my full quota of sleep in the truck. Lucky for me, it's nice and sunny in our park this afternoon.



Macgellan says I'm narcoleptic, whatever that is. I say I just know a good place to take a nap when I'm in it, which is pretty much anywhere!

US Hwy 20: Tri-State Hop-Skip-Jump

I pulled out of Geneva this morning, happy to put the eeriness behind me. US Hwy 20 continues as a decent two-lane road through a few old towns, most of which look slightly more prosperous than what I've seen. Shortly, and with barely any fanfare, the road crosses into Pennsylvania.



There are only about 50 miles of Pennsylvania coastline along Lake Erie, so it's a pretty quick traverse. Mostly it's a series of "historic" towns -- so the signs all tell you -- that date from the early 1800s. They're generally tidy and healthy looking, another notch up the economic scale.



The city of Erie is a little spotty and I was satisfied to drive right through it, hindered only by stop lights practically every block. In between towns, the rural landscape begins to feature vast grape vineyards. There's a lot more to that story, which I hope to explore in depth tomorrow.



Shortly and with little fanfare again, the road crosses into New York State. There's nothing beside the sign to delineate the transition, though the quality of the roadway did improve.



I've driven just a short distance into NY and turned south a few miles to Lake Chautauqua. I'm now camped on a hill overlooking the lake, centrally located amid a varied assortment of towns and attractions. The weather has cleared and warmed, so I'm actually hopeful about having a couple of nice days to enjoy the area… Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 20: (E)Erie

Just in case you thought I was kidding, here's a photo of my lone camper in this huge park.



Just in case you thought I was kidding, here's a panoramic photo of the deserted "strip" in town.



It's very eerie here on the Erie shore. Nothing is open, there's nothing to do, and the weather was nasty again today. I'm pushing east tomorrow… Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.