OH, SHENENDOAH

In planning out the next stages of my trip in my safe haven in Maryland, I decided I needed a break from cities for awhile. I decided to get as far away from killer crosswalks and pricey street snacks as I could--and head for the largest swatch of green on my roadmap, which turned out to be Shenendoah National Park. I did eventually come to realize that perhaps Shenendoah isn't quite as remote as I had thought (it is home to "Skyline Drive"; you can actually motor through the whole park, stay in swank lodgings, and pretty much forgo the wilderness experience if you like) but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

I camped in Matthew's Arm campgrounds the first night, although I never did find out why it was called that. Due to the positive feedback to my renaming the Yellowstone spot Elk Butt, I renamed this particular site "Quickmunk", for my speedy little striped friends who made frequent laps around the car and picnic table at will. I went for an uneventful hike upon establishing my set up, wandering down one trail head that later linked to a fire road. Although there were plenty of cars and people at the campsite, I didn't see a single soul on the trail. When I hiked back into the campsite the back way, I turned and realized the 4 foot wide, cleared and maintained trail was labeled "backcountry". Hmm.

I had some mealtime entertainment back at camp, as a rowdy family of four set up a temporary picnic at the site next to Quickmunk. It was something out of a cartoon, with two hyperactive boys, a dad in an old tank top undershirt, a mom with a serious mullet, and a well-fed rottweiler, who was promptly tied to the nearest tree as mom passed out buckets of fried chicken. They first caught my attention when one of the boys yelled "duuuuuuuuuurrng, lookit THIS one!" and triumphantly held up an apparently interestingly-shaped chicken nugget. The other boy wasted no time in knocking it out of his hand and the doomed nugget was then chucked under the table. Mom witnessed this and began to cuss the boys out for attracting bears (my ears perked up at this and I realized this family fun may indeed result in attracting danger to Quickmunk. I began to ponder whether the rottweiler was a plus after all?) The boys then turned their attention to the dog, narrating its bodily functions: "Maaaaaam, Brandy's whizzing on the leash! Brandy's whizzing on the tree! Brandy's whizzing again!" I settled into my dinner, preparing for a long night of Brandy-whizzing and chicken-flinging, but luckily once the food was gone, the family packed up and drove on.

MARYLAND: THE OASIS

I have to admit I was still wiping tears away as I drove out of DC with my broken window whistling on the highway. I am so grateful and lucky for Theresa, one of my mom's best friends, and her family who live in nearby Maryland for offering me a safe haven after the break in. I couldn't have asked for anything more; big hugs, hot shower, a delicious homemade dinner (with a delicious desert to top it off!--see left), and a safe driveway to park the car. They even covered my window overnight to keep animals from getting in (I never would have thought of that; I'm sure if it was up to me I'd be road tripping with a family of racoons riding shotgun).

The next morning was fix-it day. As we all know, when it rains it pours, and my cell phone decided now would be an excellent time to go on the fritz. It would only function on speakerphone mode, which is a little rude if you ask me. I managed to contact the broken-window-glass-guy who agreed to come out to the house and replace the window there, and in the meanwhile Theresa and I went out in search of a new phone. Anyone who accompanies another person while shopping for a cell phone is a saint. Especially when that person has a debilitating case of "I-hate-shopping-for-electronics-and-am-indecisive-on-top-of-that" syndrome. Thank you, Theresa.

The next fix-it was my ukulele. I realize that I neglected to report during the intense heat of the farm in Illinois, one of my uke strings popped right off! I had, up until this point, taken a hiatus from uke-ing. Luckily my gracious guardian angel host family took me to a music shop and I was able to get it re-strung! (Although this wasn't without obstacles either; the first shop we tried laughed at my "little guitar"...they had never seen a ukulele before!)

I ended up spending a few days in Maryland. We gardened, went for walks, played intense domino games, and did sight-seeing at Fort McHenry and Baltimore. I even learned how to eat blue crabs! (see right, weilding tools of the trade...) I can't possibly describe how lovely this visit was. In retrospect, I realize I was actually quite lucky to have my window broken in the first place, or I may not have gotten to spend this time with such a great family.