Spring is in the air!

Wed. and Thurs. March 14 and 15, 2012 HARRISONBURG, VA – There’s a distinct scent of “eau de farm” wafting in the window of our RV, mixed with woodsmoke from a big fire that the KOA camp staff have set as they clear broken branches and dry leaves from the sites before the busy season is upon them again. Tonight will be our last night sleeping in the motorhome, since we can’t be sure our pipes won’t freeze from here on, and campgrounds in states north of Virginia aren’t open this time of year. This year, it looks as though they could be, though, because it has been unseasonably warm – the warmest winter on record in some areas. As we traveled north yesterday from near Savannah to just before the North Carolina state line, we were delighted to see fruit trees in blossom by the highway. Other trees already have that early spring blush of pale green as buds begin to swell, and today we saw hosts of daffodils when we crossed into Virginia! Not long after we turned from Interstate 77 onto I-81, we passed a section of highway several miles long where there was lots of machinery and workmen, and they were blasting and moving earth to widen the highway. Fortunately for us, it was the southbound side that was closed. When we got to the closing-off point, we saw a huge lineup of cars and tractor-trailers being slowly diverted to another highway. We were very glad to be north-bound! The land was fairly flat yesterday, but today we came in to rolling hills, and then the blue peaks of the Appalachians came into view. It was lovely to see peaceful farms and little towns with a church’s tall white steeple contrasting with the dark mountains beyond. And everywhere, there were clusters of snowy white fruit trees, at the peak of their blossoms! Beautiful! Our KOA site in Charlotte last night was on Scary Way, in a campground reflecting a Hallowe’en theme, probably because of its proximity to the witch capital of the US, Winston-Salem. Other streets were Scream Street, Monster Road, Spirit Lane, Haunted Hill Road, Spookywoods Boulevard and Hallowe’en Street! When October rolls around, they really get into the spirit of things! Although we were supposed to have free wi-fi with the site, it wasn’t working. This is often the case, unfortunately. Here at the Shenandoah Valley/Harrisonburg KOA, we are connected, but tenuously. One never knows. It’s a pretty spot, though, with farmland to the east and more blossoming trees and even some hyacinths poking up through the leaves. I could hear robins too; another sound that gladdens my heart when winter is on the wane. In the morning, we will winterize the plumbing system and pack bags for the hotel portion of the trip. We’ve tried to use up the perishables in the fridge with as little waste as possible, and with mini-bars and microwaves in most hotel rooms these days, we should be able to finish off the last bits. Today Val started out in shorts and sandals, but by lunch time he switched to jeans and put on socks for the first time in weeks. It’s farewell to summer temperatures now, but at least we’re hoping all signs of the white stuff will be gone by the time we hit Ottawa!