Discoveries Around Every Corner - June 30, 2014

I got up early for the sunrise...and it was nice!

Everything was looking towards another sunny, summer day....

And so was I !

Sun = Solar = Power......right?  Well, this was the day to try out my 100W solar panels!  I was thinking there was probably going to be some kind of catch to hooking it all up....  1) unzip outer case; 2) remove panels; 3) unlatch panels and pull out leg stands; 4) open hood of RV; 5) put red on red, black on black...on the "house" battery.  Voila!  It's a miracle!  Instant solar power!  The green charge light came right on and we're in business!  This solar panel will charge the deep cell house battery that powers the interior lights and a couple of other things.  A true off-grid necessity!  And my plan is to boondock/off-grid the majority of the time!  Whoo hoo!

So I have my breakfast watching the sun move higher into the sky....91* today...it will be a hot one, but like I've said before, "it's summer!"

But, while it is still relatively cool, I decide my hike around the neighborhood should start pretty soon. There's a sort of "path" that runs along the sunflower field.  I'm thinking it was nice of the Dick Cross WMA to make this a little easier than it was over at Featherfin.  I'm just walking along, looking for "nature" things....find several different kinds of "shrooms"....but only one of each.  I won't be taking any of these home for dinner!

And there were different kinds of mosses, which I love for some reason.  

And of course, the wildflowers...some different ones here....

As I'm walking down this path, I'm also noticing a lot of blackberries (I referred to them as "raspberries" the other day...don't know what I was thinking...)  Anyway, I was wishing I had a little container of some kind to take some back home... Oh well... maybe later.  So....I'm just moseying along minding my own business, "this path is nice...this day is nice...all this nature is nice...the sunflowers are nice..." coming around a little bend in the path and the next words out of my mouth, literally, outloud were........................................."Oh wow!"

There's a nice pond right in front of me!  Now this is a good Monday morning!  

As I look around the edge, there are lily pads and other pond plants.  Not blooming, but still.....  a neat addition to this find!

This is great!  I start walking around the pond...not too rough, but lots of briers.  All of a sudden, ants in my pants!  Owwww!  Some kind of red ants...biting right through my jeans and, apparently, going up the leg of my pants. 

I must have looked like a wild person and pretty comical jumping up and down to get them off me and move out of their territory!  LOL!  But, in a couple of minutes, all is back to normal and, fortunately, there are no ill effects  These are prevalent in the south, but not so much in Virginia....yet....maybe these were the first arrivals to scout out the area!  

I go back to finding more little nature things I thought were fun and interesting....without a second thought of the ant intrusion....well, really I was intruding on them!

And, you can't go to a pond without seeing one of my favorite insects .... dragonflies!  Several different varieties!

I stayed down at the pond for a long time...it was still cool enough and soooooooo relaxing, as being "on the water" always is!  But, eventually I had to leave....at least for now.  Took a few last shots...

Headed back to the RV.....sat outside under the awning... it's getting hot and sticky now.  It's close to lunch time so I grab a cold blueberry yogurt and make a pork tenderloin sandwich.

Speaking of berries, after lunch and working on photos,  those blackberries were still on my mind, so I get a container and start foraging....

I see a fruit salad in my very near future!  And yes, I did leave some for the birds! 

Pretty warm out there, so I come inside, turn on the A/C, charge up the laptop, Kindle, camera batteries, and phone.  Have to think ahead when using the generator so you take full advantage of having it on. While all that is generating, I work on photos and this blog and turn the solar panel a bit and put out my solar shower apparatus!  A dragonfly was checking it out, too!  Must have followed me home from the pond!

You just fill it with water and put it out in the sun.  In about 3 hours, the water can be as hot as 120*. Hang it higher than your head (I'll have to work on stringing it up somewhere...it's kinda heavy, but it will be worth the little extra effort!), open the spray nozzle and you have the perfect outdoor hot shower!  Can't wait to try it out later!  It's certainly private enough at this site that I shouldn't have to worry about any Peeping Tom's!  

Snack around for dinner...leftovers....left over, but still delicious!  Then, time for another sunset.  Some think "you've seen one sunset, you've seen them all...."  Well, I don't think that way....they are all unique and I enjoy to taking full advantage of them when a nice day produces a beautiful sunset...each with a special thought and memory behind it.  

Movin' On...to Boydton, VA...another WMA - June 29, 2014

I checked out of Featherfin WMA....no real reason, just wanted to see what was around the next corner!  I found out there is another VA WMA down by Boydton, VA...almost on the NC border...only a couple of hours away, if that.  Since I have the WMA Permit and that's the direction I'm heading anyway, I might as well explore!

I drove into Farmville and stopped.  Wanted to check it out.  There is definitely civil ware history here. Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park is the site of the last major engagement of the Civil War.  On April 6, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia lost 7,700 men, including eight generals, in the Battle of Sailor's Creek.  This defeat was key to Lee's decision to surrender at Appomattox Court House 72 hours later, thus ending the war in Virginia.  Several other civil ware related events also took place here.

Farmville has some neat old factory buildings...some of which have been turned into retail space and restaurants.  People were pouring into one restaurant there right at 11:00 a.m.  Must have a good brunch!  I, on the other hand, had the rest of last night's pulled pork BBQ.  Just as good as their brunch, I'm sure!  And way less expensive!

Time to get going to the Dick Cross WMA near Boydton.  Not very far.  On the way I stop at a Food Lion to pick up a few things, then just before the turnoff into the WMA, I fill up the gas tank.  $3.34/gal! I kinda wished I had needed more gas at that price!  It's been fairly low through Virginia.  The generator doesn't come on if I'm under 1/2 tank.  It's hard to discern exactly how much gas the generator is using so it's a safety precaution so you don't run out of gas out in the middle of nowhere.  Who do we know that would be out in the middle of nowhere???

I'm expecting a bit more of the same type of landscape as I experienced at Featherfin.  It definitely starts out the same...down a long, one lane gravel road -- about 4-5 miles.  No confusion here, tho', about whose property is whose.  There are no houses along this lane!  I go past the signage with all the "rules".  I am seeing some pronounced turn-in spots - all empty, of course.  But I keep going to see which one might be the best.  Primarily, they are directly on the road...big enough for the RV, but just barely.  I'm thinking....oh well, it's  nice and quiet out here and no one is going to be here, so smallish is fine.  Just as I'm thinking about how I will turn around, I see I'm at the end of the lane.  There's a big iron gate across the road.  Well, there's also a pretty sizeable site right there, too!  YAY!  It's a little lower than the road, and relatively deep, so I won't be sitting right up on the road...and there's plenty of space!

OK!  I think I'll stay!  I back in after a few tries getting to the most level part of the site...turn off the engine, hop out and look at my levels.  Not right on center "0", but pretty close.  I don't think this will be a problem!  I'm enclosed by high foliage/thicket on one side and dense woods on the other and in the back.  Perfect!

In no time flat, I'm all set up with my mat, chair, table and the awning is out.  With just a about a week under my belt, I'm getting pretty good at this!

Of course, I want to see what's around here...not going "hiking" per se...will do that tomorrow, but just going to take a glance around.  This is the road that got me out here...

 And this is the field on the other side of the thicket...the thicket divides my site and the field...

Guess what??? It's a field of sunflowers!  You'll see more pics of them as we go along, but I wish I was staying for another week...they would all be in bloom!  I was wrong about the landscape being the same as Featherfin!

I turn around and go to the iron gate...it's easy enough to walk past it, so I wondered what was down that way...

Well, that's a cute little barn....more like a large shed, I guess.  What else....

I'm thinking this is where the WMA keeps some of their equipment...there's no house down here although there probably was at some point and these are the out buildings that went along with it.  It looks like maintenance-type equipment.  Here's another old building on the property...pretty cool...

This is the end of the trail...so I'm in the last site...paid to go to the end of the line!  It's the best one!

Time to settle in and think about dinner, cleaning up, etc.  I think I'll grill a pork tenderloin...along with the remaining corn/tomato salad, but with some relish added.  I'll make up some jalapeno jelly glaze for the pork.

Turned out perfectly...enjoying the sunflowers, too!  Yes...some are blooming!

I picked up some peaches on the way...they are sizzling on the grill in butter and brown sugar!  Will make a fine dessert!

But first, the sun is setting...let's see what that brings from this new vantage point...

The sun is setting exactly between two groves of trees looking across the sunflower field.  Interesting swirly cloud pattern and colors! Glad I caught it!

The close of another day....I think I'm going to like this spot!  Time for those sweet, warm peaches!

Whenever you might be reading this....bring a little sun...flower...into your day!