Homeward Bound

We are back at our home in northern NH a few weeks earlier than planned. As the coronavirus has spread to various parts of the country many things are shut down and cancelled from sporting events to schools, and yes, some RV campgrounds are closed except to full time residents. Some boondocker hosts are not accepting guests. Others are still hosting, even allowing people who are in quarantine to stay as long as they need to. Many RVers are full time so have no permanent home to go to. Mom and Dad wanted to make sure those people had places they could go. They also figured that if it happened they should have to be quarantined that it would be infinitely more comfortable to do it at home rather than on the road.

So let me take you back to TN for some of the things we did while there.

Mom was able to visit her friends Von and Shannon, who own a sheep farm in Holladay, TN. She got her baby fix by feeding a bottle lamb who's mom had no milk. Von was extremely helpful when Mom was first learning about sheep. This knowledge was then transferred to goats. Now Mom helps everyone in her area when goat or sheep questions or problems arise.

After the tornadoes were over life settled into tourist mode. We visited the National Military Park in Shiloh, TN. Shiloh National Military Park contains a wide array of historic sites. One of which tells of the most epic struggle in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Nearly 110,000 American troops clashed in a bloody contest that resulted in 23,746 casualties; more than in all of America's previous wars combined. Located within the boundaries of Shiloh Battlefield is also a United States National Cemetery, which contains around 4,000 soldiers and their family members. A National Historic Landmark in its own right, The Shiloh Indian Mounds are also located within the park boundaries. If you want to learn more, visit their website here.

We also took a drive through David Crockett State Park. Since this is the off season most everything is quiet. That's OK because Mom and Dad aren't the touristy kind of people anyway. They prefer to meander through things on their own to leisurely enjoy the sites. Most everything had self guided tours with plenty of plaques to let you know what to look for throughout the areas.

The Trail of Tears passes through both the State Park and the National Military Park at Shiloh. In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States and to migrate to an area designated as Indian Territory, which is in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects. Approximately 60,000 Native Americans made this journey of over 5,043 miles long that covers 9 states. 4,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, and disease on their way to the western lands.

William and Cheri Caudle

At church we met William Caudle who has authored several books. His wife Cheri is both a genealogist and a member of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). We were invited to their meeting on Tuesday. Not only was the meeting extremely interesting, but Bill treated us to lunch. The speaker gave a presentation on the electoral college, it's history, how delegates and super delegates are chosen, how they vote for presidential candidates, and it's relevance in today's voting process. Mom said she thought she already knew a lot about it but was amazed how much more there was to learn.

Bill Caudle also gave Mom a signed copy of his book Sugar Creek, a historical novel set in Civil War times. Since historical novels are Mom's favorite genre she's anxious to read it.

Pear trees in bloom, Hohenwald, TN

As we left TN the pear trees were in full bloom. Spring is working its way north, and so were we. We've decided to end our winter excursions a few weeks early due to the coronavirus Covid-19. There are already large areas being quarantined, and public health officials are warning to stay away from crowds. Since we live in a small community in upstate NH Mom and Dad felt it prudent to head for home before things get worse. This was a decision based on information and advise from many sources. One of the most devastating things in times like this are when people panic. As the saying goes "Keep calm and carry on." Home is an easier place to do this than on the road.

Mom is disappointed she didn't get to visit her son in Kansas City. If things get worse we're already at home, if they get better we can always go out again this summer or next fall. With a traveling house we can go anywhere, anytime. And we've all agreed that we'll head to Kansas City first next winter.

So ends our winter travels. It's good to be home but it's still cold here. Spring weather doesn't really get to the north country till May. Meanwhile, I turned 6 months old yesterday, 3/13. I'll keep you updated on any excursions we take this summer, or definitely connect next fall when we leave again for the winter. 

--Cruz