Wandering Whimsy

I've been asked to share more about myself. Hope this gives some insights into Wandering Whimsy!

Husband and I have been together 45+ years and have traveled since our first date. Both of us grew up in the United States Midwest and still live in the central part of the country. To date, we've visited 49 states, 6 Canadian provinces, England, Scotland, Wales and Mexico. Our outstanding state is Alaska and we hope to achieve that goal in 2023.

We are very curious people and love to explore any and every place we go. We find adventure in every day life including routine chores such as the grocery store and our current area. Some of our mottos include:.

If you don't take the long way, why bother going?

Life is too short to be bored and

Find adventure every day.

We endeavor to live by those no matter what hardships we face.

We own a 40' bus we converted into a motorhome and were full time RVers until a few months ago when medical issues forced us to pivot. Traveling is part of who we are and will continue to do so as long as humanly possible.

I am writing blog posts about hundreds of our adventures as a way of reaching out and sharing our lives and the things we've enjoyed around the world.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask. Thank you so much for being interested in our adventures.

Chained Library
Hereford, England
August 2018

Knowledge is valuable. Always has been, always will be. How accumulated knowledge has been handled through history is fascinating to me.

One of the most interesting places I’ve ever been to is the chained library at Hereford Cathedral in Hereford, England. I’ve seen images of such libraries in history books, seen one in Game of Thrones with Samwell Tarley and heard about them all my life however none of those do justice to the real thing.

As I stood there, engrossed in the experience, the word awesome took on an entirely new meaning. The smell of age, the subtle lighting in the room and the peace engulfed me. This was home. This was where I was meant to be. In this space at this time with this old knowledge surrounding me. I’m not even sure how long I stood entranced at what I was seeing for the first time in my life. Ancient knowledge and history surrounding me. Reaching out and touching the pages of a book containing answers to some of life’s mysteries was possible for me after all. I never wanted to leave. I finally left when they requested and closed for the day. Hereford Cathedral also contains Map Mundi and I will tell you about in an upcoming post.

Most of the books in this beautiful building predate the printing press and are handwritten in the 12th century on cowhide, wood, leaves, clay, cloth, bark, metal and unbleached animal skin and bounded between boards and papyrus. From the late Middle Ages to the late 1800’s, libraries were known to chain and lock their most valuable reference books to the shelves so that the information could be read but the item could not be removed from the immediate area. The chains were fitted to the corner or the cover of the book not the spine.

The books were then shelved with the pages facing the patron to reduce the stress from the chains and movement of the items. Each book can be removed and opened with little handling and the chains do not get entwined. To move the book across the room to a better lit area, the librarian would use a key to unlock the chain and watch the patron carefully.

Librarians in the Middle Ages often invoked curses as well to keep books from being stolen. Once such curse written into the books was:

Steal not this book my honest friend
For fear the gallows should be your end,
And when you die the Lord will say
And where's the book you stole away?

Several libraries remain on my rather extensive outstanding bucket list. The Library of Congress, Washington D.C., United States is the highest on my list of libraries. I hope to be going to that one Spring, 2023 if my plans come to fruition. You must make an appointment and request specific books before your arrival. The books are placed on a table for you by a librarian. I can do that!

Laurentian Library, designed by Michelangelo for Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy is another structure that remains on my list. Designed by such a master and containing my favorite things, how could it not be on my list.

Marsh’s Library in Dublin, Northern Ireland is another. Built in 1701 and still housed in the original building, the books are not chained. The patrons are locked into cages to ensure the books are not removed. You have to admit, that would be an interesting experience. What book would you read while in a cage? What's been one of your library experiences?

Mother Nature’s Lesson

My guess is there’s not a person reading this who hasn’t heard the saying “don’t like the weather, wait a minute and it will change”. A camping trip during the month of April to Mosquito Lake State Park proved that statement to be an accurate reading of spring in northeast Ohio once and for all.

The winter I had just experienced was unusual in that there were highs of 50° for the majority of January and February. March temperatures taught me humility. It taught me that being optimistic about the weather can be Mother Nature’s funniest joke. March was brutal. Cold, rainy, gray and miserable for every day I care to remember of the month. In the past, I’ve painted outside on beautiful March days. This year, the only way that was going to happen would have been with frostbitten hands. Not something any sane person would risk.

All winter long I dreamed of camping. Escaping real life and trekking into the wilderness. The sounds of nature, the smell of the campfire, the views so different from my home that I could make believe I was in a different realm of existence. Ahhhhh…..camping. Didn’t matter where, didn’t matter the weather. After all, I sleep in a big motorhome so weather won’t be any issue at all.

Being involved in a project that is taking a 40’ Van Hool 57 passenger tour bus and remodeling it into an RV called Whimsy gave me a feeling of arrogance when it comes to Mother Nature. Whimsy has a bath and a half, queen size bedroom, spacious living quarters, lots of kitchen countertop, 4 chairs and a table as well as a washer/dryer. It also has solar panels, diesel heaters as well as a heat pump for heating and cooling.

I left my home to camp at the West Branch State Park Campground near Ravenna Ohio on a Friday afternoon. This was the first camping trip or shakedown trip of the year. Whimsy is still under construction so I had been working on it almost every day during the winter as this was installed, that was tweaked, tightened up this and redesigned that in an effort to finally finish the 18+ month project. It wasn’t done yet but I was sure it had everything I would need to camp for one too short weekend. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. The RV was in great shape. I just forgot one thing. The weather.

Upon my arrival Friday, the day was perfect. Temperature was 75°, slight breeze and the sun shining as it hadn’t for weeks. The campground was alive with people enjoying the first beautiful weekend of the year. Families laughing, dogs being taken for walks, meeting people, making new friends, couples relaxing and spending time together. I grabbed 2 brand new kites and took them to a small field in the center to try and fly them. The dragon kite flew a little, the Star Wars Millennium Falcon kite was unimpressed by the wind. Returning to the campsite and relaxing overlooking a great view of the lake was the perfect way to finish the day. Didn’t matter to me. I was CAMPING! Nothing could change my perception that all was right with the world.

Saturday dawned with a few clouds and that golden orb in the sky again. Temperatures increased while the clothing being worn decreased in the amount of fabric. Shorts, T-shirts and sandals were retrieved from the deepest area of the closet and happily sported. Summer had finally made an appearance and the campground inhabitants were displaying their joy. Nothing could stop any of us from enjoying a weekend outside after being contained within walls for months.
Then, the wind from the southwest increased in speed. Nothing to be concerned about because that’s normal for such a beautiful day. Settling in for a nap after being active in the fresh air for many hours, sleep came easily. Deep sleep, quiet sleep, great sleep. Stepping outside later, gathering the picnic gear, using the RV to block the wind and relaxing while eating dinner was perfect.

The shadows on the lake grew longer until the night sounds of nature became a soothing symphony. Collecting the gear and rounding the corner of the RV to head in for the night put my face right into the wind. Wind that had become cold and damp during the few idyllic hours of summer dreaming. The temperature had dropped almost 30° and was no longer pleasant on skin covered just by a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Brutal winter weather had returned and Mother Nature laughed at the mere mortals dumb enough to be surprised.

A few minutes later, the sky opened up and watered every inch of the area. What didn’t get hit directly by the liquid was lifted up by the gusting wind so that nothing was spared from feeling that cold rain. As the clock ticked into Sunday, the rain fell. All the way home, the rain fell. Arriving home, the snow began. Next time, I won’t be so quick to disregard Mother Nature. Next trip, I will take gear and clothing for every season possible so she can’t laugh at this dumb human.

You win Mother Nature. Lesson learned.

Mosquito Lake State Park
3620 Hoagland-Blackstub Road
Cortland, OH 44410

Located in northeastern Ohio, Mosquito Lake is one of the largest lakes in Ohio with more than 7,000 acres of surface area. The surrounding parkland covers 2,483 acres of mature woodlands and expansive marshes which provide safe haven for wildlife. Boating and fishing may be two of the top outdoor activities here, but the park also offers hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling in winter.

Facilities in the campground:
• Boat launching area for campers with shoreline tie-ups
• Two shower houses with flush toilets, laundry facilities, and pit latrines
• Basketball, volleyball courts, and playground area
• A seasonal camp store (ice, firewood, and supplies) 330-638-5700
• Free WiFi, games and sports equipment are available to registered campers at the camp office
Reservations are required and may be made up to six months in advance, online or by calling (866) 644-6727.

Mother Nature’s Lesson

My guess is there’s not a person reading this who hasn’t heard the saying “don’t like the weather, wait a minute and it will change”. A camping trip during the month of April proved that statement to be an accurate reading of spring in northeast Ohio once and for all.

The winter I had just experienced was unusual in that there were highs of 50° for the majority of January and February. March temperatures taught me humility. It taught me that being optimistic about the weather can be Mother Nature’s funniest joke. March was brutal. Cold, rainy, gray and miserable for every day I care to remember of the month. In the past, I’ve painted outside on beautiful March days. This year, the only way that was going to happen would have been with frostbitten hands. Not something any sane person would risk.

All winter long I dreamed of camping. Escaping real life and trekking into the wilderness. The sounds of nature, the smell of the campfire, the views so different from my home that I could make believe I was in a different realm of existence. Ahhhhh…..camping. Didn’t matter where, didn’t matter the weather. After all, I sleep in a big motorhome so weather won’t be any issue at all.
Being involved in a project that is taking a 40’ Van Hool 57 passenger tour bus and remodeling it into an RV called Whimsy gave me a feeling of arrogance when it comes to Mother Nature. Whimsy has a bath and a half, queen size bedroom, spacious living quarters, lots of kitchen countertop, 4 chairs and a table as well as a washer/dryer. It also has solar panels, diesel heaters as well as a heat pump for heating and cooling.

I left my home to camp at West Branch State Park Campground in NE Ohio on a Friday afternoon. This was the first camping trip or shakedown trip of the year. Whimsy is still under construction so I had been working on it almost every day during the winter as this was installed, that was tweaked, tightened up this and redesigned that in an effort to finally finish the 18+ month project. It wasn’t done yet but I was sure it had everything I would need to camp for one too short weekend. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. The RV was in great shape. I just forgot one thing. The weather.

Upon my arrival Friday, the day was perfect. Temperature was 75°, slight breeze and the sun shining as it hadn’t for weeks. The campground was alive with people enjoying the first beautiful weekend of the year. Families laughing, dogs being taken for walks, meeting people, making new friends, couples relaxing and spending time together. I grabbed 2 brand new kites and took them to a small field in the center to try and fly them. The dragon kite flew a little, the Star Wars Millennium Falcon kite was unimpressed by the wind. Returning to the campsite and relaxing overlooking a great view of the lake was the perfect way to finish the day. Didn’t matter to me. I was CAMPING! Nothing could change my perception that all was right with the world.

Saturday dawned with a few clouds and that golden orb in the sky again. Temperatures increased while the clothing being worn decreased in the amount of fabric. Shorts, T-shirts and sandals were retrieved from the deepest area of the closet and happily sported. Summer had finally made an appearance and the campground inhabitants were displaying their joy. Nothing could stop any of us from enjoying a weekend outside after being contained within walls for months.
Then, the wind from the southwest increased in speed. Nothing to be concerned about because that’s normal for such a beautiful day. Settling in for a nap after being active in the fresh air for many hours, sleep came easily. Deep sleep, quiet sleep, great sleep. Stepping outside later, gathering the picnic gear, using the RV to block the wind and relaxing while eating dinner was perfect.

The shadows on the lake grew longer until the night sounds of nature became a soothing symphony. Collecting the gear and rounding the corner of the RV to head in for the night put my face right into the wind. Wind that had become cold and damp during the few idyllic hours of summer dreaming. The temperature had dropped almost 30° and was no longer pleasant on skin covered just by a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Brutal winter weather had returned and Mother Nature laughed at the mere mortals dumb enough to be surprised.

A few minutes later, the sky opened up and watered every inch of the area. What didn’t get hit directly by the liquid was lifted up by the gusting wind so that nothing was spared from feeling that cold rain. As the clock ticked into Sunday, the rain fell. All the way home, the rain fell. Arriving home, the snow began. Next time, I won’t be so quick to disregard Mother Nature. Next trip, I will take gear and clothing for every season possible so she can’t laugh at this dumb human. You win Mother Nature. Lesson learned.

West Branch State Park
5570 Esworthy Road
Ravenna, OH 44266

West Branch State Park offers a large campground with more than 200 sites and numerous amenities including a beach and boat launch. Pets are permitted on all sites. Reservations may be made up to six months in advance online or by calling (866) 644-6727.
• Camp store sells firewood and supplies (330) 296-3239
• Games and sporting equipment available for loan to registered campers

Mother Nature’s Lesson

My guess is there’s not a person reading this who hasn’t heard the saying “don’t like the weather, wait a minute and it will change”. A camping trip during the month of April proved that statement to be an accurate reading of spring in northeast Ohio once and for all.
The winter I had just experienced was unusual in that there were highs of 50° for the majority of January and February. March temperatures taught me humility. It taught me that being optimistic about the weather can be Mother Nature’s funniest joke. March was brutal. Cold, rainy, gray and miserable for every day I care to remember of the month. In the past, I’ve painted outside on beautiful March days. This year, the only way that was going to happen would have been with frostbitten hands. Not something any sane person would risk.

All winter long I dreamed of camping. Escaping real life and trekking into the wilderness. The sounds of nature, the smell of the campfire, the views so different from my home that I could make believe I was in a different realm of existence. Ahhhhh…..camping. Didn’t matter where, didn’t matter the weather. After all, I sleep in a big motorhome so weather won’t be any issue at all.
Being involved in a project that is taking a 40’ Van Hool 57 passenger tour bus and remodeling it into an RV called Whimsy gave me a feeling of arrogance when it comes to Mother Nature. Whimsy has a bath and a half, queen size bedroom, spacious living quarters, lots of kitchen countertop, 4 chairs and a table as well as a washer/dryer. It also has solar panels, diesel heaters as well as a heat pump for heating and cooling.

I left my home to camp at West Branch State Park Campground in NE Ohio on a Friday afternoon. This was the first camping trip or shakedown trip of the year. Whimsy is still under construction so I had been working on it almost every day during the winter as this was installed, that was tweaked, tightened up this and redesigned that in an effort to finally finish the 18+ month project. It wasn’t done yet but I was sure it had everything I would need to camp for one too short weekend. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. The RV was in great shape. I just forgot one thing. The weather.

Upon my arrival Friday, the day was perfect. Temperature was 75°, slight breeze and the sun shining as it hadn’t for weeks. The campground was alive with people enjoying the first beautiful weekend of the year. Families laughing, dogs being taken for walks, meeting people, making new friends, couples relaxing and spending time together. I grabbed 2 brand new kites and took them to a small field in the center to try and fly them. The dragon kite flew a little, the Star Wars Millennium Falcon kite was unimpressed by the wind. Returning to the campsite and relaxing overlooking a great view of the lake was the perfect way to finish the day. Didn’t matter to me. I was CAMPING! Nothing could change my perception that all was right with the world.

Saturday dawned with a few clouds and that golden orb in the sky again. Temperatures increased while the clothing being worn decreased in the amount of fabric. Shorts, T-shirts and sandals were retrieved from the deepest area of the closet and happily sported. Summer had finally made an appearance and the campground inhabitants were displaying their joy. Nothing could stop any of us from enjoying a weekend outside after being contained within walls for months.

Then, the wind from the southwest increased in speed. Nothing to be concerned about because that’s normal for such a beautiful day. Settling in for a nap after being active in the fresh air for many hours, sleep came easily. Deep sleep, quiet sleep, great sleep. Stepping outside later, gathering the picnic gear, using the RV to block the wind and relaxing while eating dinner was perfect.
The shadows on the lake grew longer until the night sounds of nature became a soothing symphony. Collecting the gear and rounding the corner of the RV to head in for the night put my face right into the wind. Wind that had become cold and damp during the few idyllic hours of summer dreaming. The temperature had dropped almost 30° and was no longer pleasant on skin covered just by a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Brutal winter weather had returned and Mother Nature laughed at the mere mortals dumb enough to be surprised.

A few minutes later, the sky opened up and watered every inch of the area. What didn’t get hit directly by the liquid was lifted up by the gusting wind so that nothing was spared from feeling that cold rain. As the clock ticked into Sunday, the rain fell. All the way home, the rain fell. Arriving home, the snow began. Next time, I won’t be so quick to disregard Mother Nature. Next trip, I will take gear and clothing for every season possible so she can’t laugh at this dumb human. You win Mother Nature. Lesson learned.

West Branch State Park
5570 Esworthy Road
Ravenna, OH 44266

West Branch State Park offers a large campground with more than 200 sites and numerous amenities including a beach and boat launch. Pets are permitted on all sites. Reservations may be made up to six months in advance online or by calling (866) 644-6727.
• Camp store sells firewood and supplies (330) 296-3239
• Games and sporting equipment available for loan to registered campers

MAMA BEAR and her cubs!

Mama bear and her three cubs! That is what we saw at the Cranberry Glades near Hillsboro, West Virginia. This area has a raised platform wheelchair path through one of the most beautiful areas in West Virginia with unusual flora and fauna. Being in a wheelchair at the time, this was the ideal adventure for Marty and me.

When we go to a new area, we travel very slowly whether it is by car or foot. This was no exception. We were stopping to look at every new plant and tree. We studied every creature that flew, crawled, floated, or walked. Several new species were added to our knowledge base during this very leisurely stroll including a butterfly moth and cranberry plants.

It was a beautiful early summer day. 73 degrees F, sunny with a slight breeze. Our peace was shattered by two small children and a woman barreling down the wooden path obviously terrified and short of breath towards us. When she saw us, she called to the children to slow down, they passed us and stopped. She told us there was a mama bear and her cubs around the next corner and that her husband has stayed near them out of curiosity while she and the kids scrambled away.

Our plans for the next several hours changed in an instant! That path still looked very inviting however we quickly decided that the mama bear needed it more than we did.

Knowing that we were encumbered by the wheelchair usage, we made our way as quickly as possible to the parking area. While backing up we glanced down the parking area and what to our wondering eyes did appear but a Mama Bear and her three cubs. The cubs were running circles around their mama, and she was frozen in time watching us as just we were watching her.

What an amazing sight! That was as close as we ever wanted to be to a protective mama and her proteges. Alas, the event happened so quickly that no video or pictures were able to be taken. You will just have to believe that it happened just this way!

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
Near Hillsboro, West Virginia

Location
Latitude:
38.203147
Longitude:
-80.265797

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area

The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area protects the largest area of bogs in West Virginia. Bogs are acidic wetlands more commonly found in the northern areas of this country and in Canada. The ground in a bog is spongy and consists of partially decayed plant material known as peat. Because of its unique conditions, some unusual plants grow in bogs, including carnivorous or insect-eating plants. The Botanical Area encompasses 750 acres.

Rentals & Guides: Guided tours are conducted throughout the summer months. Contact the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center to inquire about scheduled tours or to schedule a special tour.

Information Center: Additional information is available during the summer months at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center at
(304)653-4826 and during the winter months at the Gauley Ranger District at (304)846-2695.

General Information
Directions:
Access to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area is from Route 39/150 just north of the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. From Route 150 take Forest Service Road 102 north approximately one mile.

Accessibility:
The boardwalk for this area is wheelchair accessible.

Never know what Wandering Whimsy is going to post! Our dinner time companion was a beautiful fox.

Working on my Duck Duck Jeep corral!

Selling our land in Tennessee and hitting the road again! Wanderlust is a thing my friends!

Honk if you see us out and about!

Whimsy will be wandering again soon. We're working on clearing some land we bought in northern Tennessee so Whimsy has a place to rest when she needs to in the southeast. We're planning on going to the Gulf Coast area in a few weeks. Haven't been there in awhile. Anyone want a visit?

U pick Maine blueberries! Life is great!

Penobscot Narrows Bridge observation tower

More from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, Maine observation tower

This is where Google says we've been since 2012. Whimsy began her trips in 2017. We REALLY love to travel!

Maine is a beautiful state! First video is of Penobscot Bay from Caterpillar Hill. Second video is of the crossing onto Little Deer Island.

In under a year, Whimsy has traveled from California to Maine! Stay tuned to more adventures.

Boston! Oh yea! Cruised on water taxi (x2), whale watching (seeing) cruise, 2 masted schooner and enjoyed the harbor and bay for days. We even managed the Big Dig tunnel twice. What a wonderful city and trip!