Saga on the Seas of Hartwell

Lake Hartwell, made by the Savannah River and the Corps of Engineers, can sometimes look like the sea upon awakening. This trio forgot something back at the dock. I had fun capturing their images and I imagine they will have fun fishing. But isn't the best part of the day the earliest of the morning and its foggy forgetfulness?

Waterfront Property, Inherent Wealth

Once upon a time, I  had waterfront property. Now I am home and landlubbed. Looking from my loft window, a sea of blue-green and red- gold washes up on the breeze. In Winter, I see Max Patch in the next county gleaming like a glacier. Or, I can peer down on my teeny pond where the American Bullfrog who sat on a lily pad all summer, dives deep into mud for refuge.  Last week I parked  The Turtle on the shores of Lake Hartwell, Georgia at the end of a cove and watched the world go by. Without moving an inch. Except when I hung my Lumix around my neck and took off pedaling  my little red folding bike before dawn. My launching for this trip was along the shores of the Swannanoa River near Black Mountain. My eyes have seen The Glory reflected in water moving and water still. Still I can't quite figure out what to do with all this wealth I inherited.

Good Samaritans on Turtle Trip #4, August 28 to Sept. 26, 2014

 Linda Pharis and me, Roanoke, VA

 Linda and John Pharis, Roanoke, VA near Tinker Creek

 Pat Dougherty and Max, Goode, Virginia

 Pat Dougherty, Goode, Virginia near Bedford

 Carol and Oscar Phillips with Amos, Roanoke, VA

 Amy Messegee, Purcellville, VA

 Me, Amy and Sabrina, Three generations

 Amy Messegee and her daughter, Sabrina Vanderbilt in Purcellville, VA

 Amy and Tom Messegee, Purcellville, VA

 Amy and her Aunt Peggy

 Newell Eaton and Alli Middleton, Albany, NY

 Martha Fricke and Ruth Gingerich, Charlevoix, MI and Hartville, Ohio

Jeff DeBell and Mary Fitzgerald, Roanoke, VA

I am not sure I would have made it without my friends and family on this trip from my home in Spring Creek, NC (near Hot Springs and Asheville, ) through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York (The Hudson River Valley, Albany,  Adirondacks,Lake George, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Niagara Falls) Ohio and West Virginia. But I am sure I had a hell of a lot more fun by including them in my itinerary! Thanks to all of you. You are priceless.

OHIO..AS far as the Eye can see-O

OH Ohio, You bring us back and now we can see as far as times forgotten. To the tops of tall corn rows or along  banks edged with golden-rods. The river of the pioneers.  Lined with captain's houses overlooking beauty while powering progress with black chunks mined in earnest. Steubenville. Home of Dean Martin. Who flew with the flamingos to fame. Amish entrepreneurs. Flea Markets. Slinky, satin and pearl-ropes at the indoor hall of flame. Seduction. Plain and Simple.

One Amazing Turtle

 

The Turtle moves me. What can I say? To so many places I would never be able to see without her. To a strength I never knew I had. Her heart is small but powerful. A mere 4 cylinder putt putt engine pulling such a top-heavy load. The Turtle should be showing up at antique car shows.Instead she is chugging up mountains like The Little Engine That Could. Both of us chanting, I think we can. I think we can. And we have. Across the United States and parts of Canada and in every direction for the past 4 years. Anything more we are blessed with at this point in our journey, would be like double frosting on a triple layered wedding cake, and I would proudly place The Turtle on top of that confection in a heartbeat.
How can one leave home and never have left home at the same time? That is what it feels like when I am camping in The Turtle. I am the driver, but many times it feels like I have been transported to my camping spot by something else. I wake up in the morning to see a new scene as if I were on a train in the sleeping car or on a cruise ship sailing between exotic islands while I slumbered.
 At other times, I am working hard to keep things ship- shape in, out, around and on top of The Turtle.
I am the chief cook and bottle washer. The mechanic. The map reader. I keep the fires burning and the tanks full. I cross my fingers a lot and my toes and whatever else needs crossing to keep her on the road.
She has taught me to stay in the moment, to let go at every turn, and to trust myself.

I thought I paid for The Turtle, but it turns out she was a gift from the Universe. I thought I was the sole owner, but I am sure my friends and family own a share. I know this because they treat us as if we were their own with loving care when we arrive out of nowhere at their doorstep.

Blue Clad Beings Invade Niagara!(Seeing the World Through Blue Colored Lenses)

 Selfies Abound On Board Maid of the Mist.

 Maori Prince is all Eyes for The Maid

 Is It a Bluebird Wonders Blue Band Invaders?

 And To Your Left, Blue Buddies, We Have the Niagara Blue Glacier

 Blue Bumble Bee Visits Niagara Falls While the Canadian Ship Thumbs its Nose

Our Blue Band Trudges to the Top to End it All..... The End

Something about the blue plastic raincoats turned us tourists into a rather comical photo op. I tried shooting through the protective covering of heavenly blue. The image with the caption, Is it a bluebird?, is an example. The Canadian ship was called, Hornblower. Not very poetic or romantic. They wore red plastic raincoats. The Canadian border is somewhere in the middle of the Niagara River. But who cares about borders anyway! Unless they are blue borders.