2023 Summer Adventure

 

It's good to be back. Winnie will reside once again in Croton Point's RV park while I "commute" to and from my apartment in Peekskill. Now back into reality, my apartment plants have been lovingly taken care of as well as my piled-high mail (Thank you, Stella). There are medical appointments scheduled and I look forward to the many dining excursions with family and friends. An interesting factoid: when I left for my travels on 1/8/2022, I weighed myself. Then, upon my return 5/12/2023, I weighed myself again and found my weight to be exactly the same as when I left. That should lay to rest all the comments and concerns about those wonderful dining experiences I enjoyed and shared during my travels. 

Just sayin'

And now my attention turns to another beautiful time of the year, summer. My itinerary is set and with continued good luck, it will include 110 days full of wonderful experiences.

While working on my cryptograms, I had

a visitor...could it be a "bookworm?"

Looked it up and closest I could find was

the Copper Underwing Caterpillar...

I've been blessed with terrific weather; sunny days with temps in the mid-70's, even had heat overnight as temps dipped into the 50's. One night in early May, the NWS issued a "Freeze Warning."

I'm making this blog short. If you've ever visited and spent time sitting with me at any of my campsites,  you'll agree, it's all about "Nature." Vicki and George are the only fellow RVers I know that are here. My other enjoyment is marveling at the wonders of nature. The silence while practicing the art of observing, that's what it's all about. I'll just highlight what I experienced so far...and some dining memories, of course.

...which will become a moth.

 

While seated at the picnic table one day, there was another attention-getting, loud buzzing of a nearby bee; a carpenter bee to be exact. These are the critters that bore into wood to form their nests and to lay over during the winter. The biology teacher in me beckoned for more observations. I marveled at the accomplishment; boring a hole in the table leg for a nest. It's the female that does the work of boring and preparing the nest. They can sting but it's not that painful. Being anti-social and reclusive, they're not a threat. The males don't have a stinger and are harmless in that regard. Patience not being my strong suit, I knew this was a time to study the birds and the bees, with an emphasis on the bees. I took slow motion videos over a long period of time to observe their behavior. I then edited and spliced together the sequence for a 2:15 minute story in the life of this colony of carpenter bees.

The story goes: Once upon a time, long before I arrived, a colony of carpenter bees bored a hole deep into the leg of a picnic table. I watched their comings and goings. Flying off to gather pollen, the male returned laden with pollen sacs or baskets clearly visible. I decided to be mean and insert a twig into the hole and block its entry. The next trip in, it would hover, examine and determine its next move. Without approaching, landing or touching the twig, they'd fly away. Meanwhile, from within, the queen would begin pushing the twig out of opening. I would re-insert the twig not once but three times. Each time the queen would push it out. Finally, I left the entrance way clear. The returning male remained suspicious and it would not enter the nest. After a few minutes, the big fella returned and entered with a massive amount of pollen. And they lived happily ever after.

Entering with a lots of pollen

Leaving the nest "clean." Yeah, I put the stick in thinking the queen would once again push it out.

Days later, she's still busy boring.

For homeowners, things you should know about carpenter bees can be found HERE.  

My stay at CPP has allowed me to remain very busy. Having my Caddy of course is a big plus. I've taken care of five doctor appointments, dined at my favorites, Cosimo's Trattoria and watched daughter play bocce in Poughkeepsie, visited Sakura for sushi and caught the sun setting behind the Palisades across from Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.

Another blessing was enjoying yet another birthday. I am so gratified for the number of well-wishers on FB and emails received. A pizza party held at my apartment complex by neighbors topped off the day. I was reminded of a past birthday by family: All I could see is that "I've still got it" (that should be in past tense, I know).

We won't discuss how long ago they were taken. Hint: the little guy in front is now 21 and the little gal giving support is over 25. (The things we do for our grandchildren.)

My cousin, up from Florida, always makes it a point to dine at Sakura. She and Carlo treated me for my birthday...and the gang at Sakura helped with the celebration. Thank You.

An "Alex Special"

Couple of shaggies out for a ride.

Well, so much for a totally relaxing time at CPP. Next up will be greeting up to 15 (RVs) of my fellow Hudson Islanders who are due for the first of our annual rallies right here at CPP, June 7 through the 14th.  That's over 25 people. The second will be in September. Till next time take care and stay safe.