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Boardwalk — Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
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Raymond Pool from the Raymond Observation Tower

Raymond Pool from the Raymond Observation Tower. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware. Road trip, November ’24. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Day Thirteen
Raymond Pool from the Raymond Observation Tower. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware. Road trip, November ’24.
We plan to head down the Delaware and Maryland coast, cut across Virginia, and visit North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and hence back home to Missouri. We’ve no idea how long that’ll take, but I have a dental appointment on November 27. So, we’ll be back before then!
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Beaver Moon. Road trip, November ’24
Day Four
Drove to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Days Five – Eight
Business Event.
Day Nine
Pack up and drive to Philadelphia.
Days Ten – Eleven

Beaver Moon. Road trip, November ’24. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. After three days traveling followed by a very busy four days, we were ready to just crash. We stopped for three days in a hotel on the outskirts of Philadelphia to regroup and make some outline plans for our route home.
During our stay I spotted this picture of the Beaver Moon from our hotel room.
Day Twelve
We drove to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and visited the Mercer Museum. After spending several hours there, we set off toward Delaware, stopping for the night in New Castle.
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On the road again

Nice view spoiled by the hotel buildings. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Road trip, November ’24. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We’re off on our travels again. This time, it is to a four-day business event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Following this, we will take a slow, as yet undecided, route home.
Day One
Our trip started with a diversion as the I-44 was closed due to flooding. We managed to find a quiet detour with almost no traffic on it. Crossing the Gasconade river was interesting, as the river was almost up to the bridge deck (I should have stopped and taken some pictures). Once back on the I-44 it was an easy (but long) drive to Indianapolis.
Day Two
We drove from Indianapolis to our hotel on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Day Three
Today we are going to tour some museums, and tomorrow we head off to Lancaster, and the event.
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Sign by Jim
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A change of plan

A change of plan — Here I am enjoying the sunset and beer on the deck at the cottage. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We were staying at the cottage this past weekend, so I wasn’t expecting to be returning here anytime soon. But Jim needed some tests done in Springfield (all okay) and wouldn’t be able to drive home. I volunteered to drive, and now here I am!
I’ll drive them back to Springfield tomorrow for another appointment, and they’ll be able to get themselves home from there.
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Trout Fishing on Spring Creek, Rockbridge
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Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Rockbridge
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Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill
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Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill

Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill
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Jim’s 1978 Chevrolet Scottsdale Pickup

Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Jim’s short wheelbase, 400″ block, black, 1978 Chevrolet Scottsdale Pickup.

Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile Cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill

Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile cruise, stop at Hodgson Mill, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Jim invited me to join him in the Ava Hometown Hotrods Festival — 100 Mile Cruise. We arrived yesterday and spent some time with Lanie, who had been visiting her grandparents for a couple of days.
Jim and I were in his polished and spotless pickup bright and early Saturday. Too early as it turned out, but that was good because it gave us a chance to have a hearty breakfast in Ava before setting out.
I didn’t try to count how many vehicles took part, but it was a lot!
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Lanie — Just being Lanie
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Blue Bowl, Blanket Box, and Crocs

Blue Bowl, Blanket Box, and Crocs. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was passing through the ‘Sparkle Zone’ when I noticed the light on the bowl, blanket box, and Crocs. The latter, with their color popping.
- The Blue Bowl is, of course, another item in Ginger’s Blue Glass Collection.
- The Blanket Box was made by Ginger and her dad many years ago. We’ve discussed refinishing it, but thus far we have not been able to come up with a solution that won’t totally obliterate the patina it has developed over the years. The stains running down the side? Most likely that’s cat vomit. You are welcome. 🙂
- The Crocs, like Ginger’s glasses, pop up in random places around the house, and every now and then I shepherd them back to their home by the front door.
Confession time. I too have a couple of pair of Crocs. One pair by the front door for quick trips outside in inclement weather. The second pair live in the ‘Cottage‘ at Ginger’s parents’ house and serve the same purpose. Mine though have a very fetching gray camo pattern.
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Journal: Five days R&R in Piney Creek Wilderness, September 2024

After my last backpacking trip in April, the weather got too hot, and then we spent August in the UK. I was overdue for some lakeside R&R. With the minimal three-mile hike and five days of lounging around, it was more hammock camping and hardly any backpacking!
For details of my trip
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Gary at Piney Creek Wilderness

Gary at Piney Creek Wilderness — Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I spent most of my time sitting and watching the lake and trees, with the occasional swim to cool down, which was exactly what I wanted to do.
There’s no end of trip picture, so that’s it. The hike out was straightforward and without incident. That’s just how I like them.
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Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri (looking southwest)
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Piney Creek Wilderness, Missouri (looking southeast)
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Just another picture of my campsite by Table Rock Lake













