July 4 PA; July 5 West Virginia

 July 4, 2016

A cool 64 degrees this morning!  After breakfast at Gwynne’s, we said goodbye to her and to Christi and headed west on route 30, to Anita’s.  We have never driven route 30 with so little traffic!  Great!   Through Lancaster farmland, Amish buggies, shops; then the city of York with more industry, farms and shopping,  and then south to Hanover,  farmland and rolling hills.  

Arrived at Anita’s about 10:45, visited and toured Kevin’s Rock Shop – one room in the basement.  Kevin purchased a lot of equipment and rocks from someone who was retiring – cutting machines, polishing machines and lots of interesting specimens!  Anita and Kevin have cut and polished some nice agate and other rocks.

 Mike and Jen arrived and finished opening wedding gifts. 

 Anita and Kevin did ribs on the grill, corn on the cob and lots of other good stuff! It was a little cool and dripping outside, so we had an indoor picnic.

Vanessa came by too – her Kevin had to work.  Nick, Sara , baby Knox and dog Wesson  (named after the gun, not the vegetable oil!) completed the family get together including Tom and Sue and Greg and I.  

Later in the evening John and Yvonne came by too and we had fun sharing stories and catching up a bit.  John is like Chap in his great story-telling.

July 5, 2016 

After finishing some morning appointments/chores, we pack up and head for Harper’s Ferry, WV where Anita has rented a house for us for a few days.  She rides with Tom & Sue and we follow.  Kevin will join us in the afternoon after he finishes some work details.  It is only about a 2 1/2 hour drive but we go through PA,  a smidgen of MD  & VA to get there.   Stopped at a grocery store and then at the Harper’s Ferry visitor’s center en route.

We make some sandwiches for lunch,  unpack and go for a walk to the nearby Shenendoah River. 

Skipping stones

 This is a  fawn which Sue spotted bedded down in some high weeds.  Looks more like a chihuahua with those ears!

  Also saw rabbits, squirrels and lots of these yellow butterflies

 We are in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the roads are hilly and twisty – or steep and crooked if you are from Arkansas.

Kevin arrives and Greg cooks some terrific worsts on the grill.  We eat and talk the evening away, finishing with a bit of the Tour de France on TV.  Lots of laughs and stories….