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| New Bern, NC |
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I’m going to jump ahead in our story to now (sort of like this clip). This jump is also sort of a metaphor about how fast summer slips by.
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| Axel ponders a jump of his own |
We left Stafford and spent a few days in Suffolk, VA, a bit south of Newport News and on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp. It was a little odd to be at a campground again after weeks of moochdocking, but other than the occasional feeling of being surrounded by cultists, it was pleasant enough. We went up to Smithfield for their “Vintage Festival” where vendors hawked old McDonald’s style drinkware – featuring the Smurfs, Star Wars, and Snoopy – from folding tables set up on closed streets. Other “antique treasures” included Corning crockery, Fisher-Price toys , and the other bits of detritus that can often be found skulking about in dark paneled basements with high-pile shag carpets and stained pool tables covered with macrame supplies.
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| Center of the Swamp |
We also went into the ‘Dismal. It was a bright sunny day, there’s a giant lake in the middle, and it was incredibly peaceful. Apparently they used to keg the peat-stained water from the swamp for trans-oceanic voyages because it was so clean.
From there we overnighted at the Morris Farm Store (a Harvest Host) in Barco, NC. We could see the ocean from the parking lot and bought a 2 pound bag of peanuts in the shell that were the most flavorful we’ve ever had. I also bought a coffee cake that, while tasty, wasn’t nearly as good as what my aunt makes.
From there we moved into the Croatan National Forest for a couple of weeks. We stayed at Cedar Point for a few days during our shakedown last March. This time we’re on the north side at Flanners Beach, just outside of New Bern. It’s quiet, functional but deteriorating – proof if anyone needs it that nobody thinks they’ll get reelected by funding our national parks. To be fair, I’d prefer more funding for highway maintenance… but still.
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| The Neuse River from Flanners Beach |
Anyway, we’ve enjoyed the stay and the punctual squirrels who start chucking nuts on our roof at 0700 every single morning. It was funny for a couple days, then not so funny, and now it’s coming back around.
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| The squirrels have multiple arcs of fire |
What’s not funny and hasn’t been funny and won’t ever come around are the giant spiders a local referred to as a “banana spider” that are huge. HUGE. And everywhere. Ubiquitously everywhere.
Even less funny was our trip along the Beach Swamp Trail. I had to use a spider web stick again and there were a lot of spiders and my wife feels about spiders the way I feel about snakes and we almost didn’t take the hike because walking through the grassy field at the parking area for the trailhead I almost stepped on a fat green snake. But we’re brave people and walked the trail along the high ground watching for spiders and waving the stick. Renee said, “Jon!!!!!” I stopped, took a step back toward her obvious distress, and she screamed, “GO!!!!” So I went.
Then she told me about the long (4 feet or so), fat, dirty, black/gray/green snake with the thin tail that was laying across the trail that I stepped over then (when I turned) straddled as it began slithering into the underbrush and fortunately went away.
Then she saw another smaller one slither off a few yards further along. It was a long half mile back to the road. I have not been excited about hiking any of the trails since. Turns out that in addition to the water moccasins we saw, copperheads, coral snakes, and 2 different types of rattlesnake are also COMMON in the area. And to think I started the walk more concerned about alligators.
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| Birthplace of Pepsi |
We opted to go into town after that, enjoying a Pepsi at the building where Pepsi was born and having a nice conversation with a retired teacher from Guilderland. We also visited with the bears, fed the ducks, got swarmed by pigeons, and gave directions to the local hospital to an older-than-us man who stopped and asked for them.
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| If you add a scoop of ice cream, Pepsi is almost as good as Coke |
In a separate conversation, Pam and Steve invited us to stay with them on their sailboat in the Bahamas this winter. We just need to get there, and bring our own food. I wonder if they’d like a keg of Dismal Swamp water?
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| Nothing spooky about that |
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| Cypress shoots reminiscent of Bamboo |
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| Renee baked cookies |
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| Jon made fried rice |
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