Book update

My mind is totally focused on writing about the recent trip. It’s hard to pull away to get other things (like my job, ha ha) done. I’ve spent the last couple of days doing research about areas I traveled the second day and discovered some of my previous assumptions were way off.  

I wanted to know about the elevations and mountains that I-81 traverses through Pennsylvania. Uh, oh, that area isn’t really considered the mountain as I had believed, although there are a few mountains in the areas. This information will be an excerpt in the book. I’m still trying to get an understanding of it all from reviewing the atlas, Google maps, various websites, and geology. I’ve spent a lot of time on this one subject and it’s time to move on.

And so, yesterday, I moved into Day 3. I’ve written the first draft from what was blogged during the trip, written in the journal, and little notations written in the pocket notebook I carry on my person. I edited, earlier this morning, a dozen of the photos taken while driving. Virginia is a beautiful state for photographs. I love some of the scenery along the highway. 

There are the usual issues with photo editing and how I see the pictures on the laptop and the light in that room is different from working on the PC. (The first couple of days of travel I hadn’t saved the pictures to Dropbox which can be accessed by both computers, so those earlier days are only on the laptop.) And there’s always the decision of printing out the photos so I can see them while I’m writing. 

So many decisions that sometimes I get stuck and can’t move. The hardest thing is that there isn’t really anyone to advise me. Friends may make suggestions, but I really don’t know anyone who is doing what I am doing.

Book Decisions

I’ve spent time the last few days (in between newspaper editing and article writing) working on the new book. The goal is to provide more description. I’ve managed to get through Day 1. Photos were edited which also help me to remember details I hadn’t written in the travel blog or journal. 

Yesterday, I perused Google Maps and the atlas tracing the route, and came up with a couple of surprising revelations. A quick glance at maps does not always translate well to the subsequent actual traveling. There were a couple of times when my sense of direction was totally off, even with the compass in the car. Yesterday’s scrutiny of the New York Thruway interchanges contradicted what my feelings were as the interstate was accessed. My mind kept saying, “This is not what I felt while actually driving!” I studied the maps. How did I not understand this before? 

After I finished writing Day 1, I copy and pasted it to a new sheet to see how adding photos would look. I realized that too many pictures detract from the text, so I definitely want to do a picture book of the journey. That book will contain more of the along the road shots while the travel book will have the better, more artistic pictures. 

I want to work on both books at the same time. I didn’t do that for the 2013 trip and subsequently never got around to doing anything with all the pictures that didn’t make it into the travel writing book. What a waste of some beautiful photographs. I’m not going to let that happen again. 

“Not Too Cold for Alligators” is being written at the moment in MS Word. The printing/publishing decision will be made when I’m further along with the book. As for the picture book, I’ve looked at templates and pricing with createspace.com, Blurb’s Booksmart, and Shutterfly. These books are expensive. They sound good for a copy or two, but to sell these books... there’s no room to make any money. (And I’ve learned from past experience that it is even impossible to break even!) It’s a lot to think about.

I’m almost wondering if an ebook is the best bet for a picture book. Oh, I would still want a printed version for myself and I have some feelers out to a couple of local publishing places and I’m waiting to hear back.  

My focus is on writing, but in the back of my mind, the call to draw is getting stronger. Ideas vie within my mind. I tell myself I’ll only work on the book a couple hours, but the next thing I know, most of the day has gone by. Once the light begins fading, drawing in the studio is not an option. My poor mind feels like it goes through the wringer.

 

Catching up from the Trip

Another brutally frigid morning with below zero temperatures and more snow predicted for later today through to tomorrow. I’ve only been back 10 days and I’m tired of this weather. I’m still in recovery mode from the trip and feeling overwhelmed with everything I want to do. I’m beginning to think overwhelmed is a constant state of mind for me.  

I started working on the new book, thinking I’ll call it “Not Too Cold for Alligators” to tie it into the 2013 trip as there were similar aspects with this one. Plus, I did see more alligators on this trip. Photos are slowly being edited and that’s one of the bigger issues and it drives me crazy. 

For the most part, books are either picture books or story books (novels). Yes, some pictures and images can be added to the latter, but printers/publishers frown at combining pictures with a lot of text. The printed version ends up unaffordable. Still, I am pushing. The technology that is available should allow more pictures with story. 

I never did manage to pull together a full picture book of the 2013 trip and wonder now if I should combine those photos with the current ones. There are many very good pictures that haven’t been shown. I work hard to get these photos and if they can’t be shared, what is the purpose? 

As a photographer and a writer, it is important to me to use both photos and the written word. I figure if I talk about it enough, a solution will come my way on how to resolve the issue. How can I tell my story with the written word and pictures and have the book be affordable? 

Of course, the book isn’t the only thing on my mind. I’m trying to update all my spreadsheets to properly track expenses, art inventories, sales, etc. Each year improvements are made; as my art evolves so must the record keeping. There are lots of ideas and desire to do new drawings and paintings, too. And I still have those unfinished works on the easels.  

There are bills to pay, house to maintain, and the freelance job with the InterTown Record. That means editing, putting together the community calendar, writing and arranging the weekly column, and any extra stories or interviews that come my way. 

I have to continue downsizing and it’s imperative I find a smaller house. Time management has never been my forte. But I’ll keep trying. 

Enjoy your day. Stay warm and safe.

Travels with Sasha Day 23

February 11, the last travel day

I can’t get out of this crappy Days Inn fast enough. As soon as it’s light, I’m out of the room and getting the luggage trolley. I haul everything out and bring the trolley back while leaving the car running. The windows are all icy. The desk clerk checks me out and never asks how the stay was, never wishes me a good day. While I like Port Jervis, N.Y., as a stopping place, next time I travel in this direction, I’ll have to either stop sooner or drive later to another town. I never want to stay in this place again! 

I scrape and wipe the windows because they’re still not totally defrosted and I’m on I-84E by 7:30 a.m. The sun is blinding and I swap glasses. The speed limit is 65 mph and the roads are clear so traffic moves along. Windshield picks up salt and grime; not good for trying to get photographs; doesn’t matter anyway, as the traffic is heavy. 

Google maps had been perused before leaving the hotel. There are three ways to get home from here and all are almost six hours give or take five minutes. I could return the way I came which would be I-84 to the New York Thruway to NY 7 and to Rte. 9 across Vermont and to Rte. 114 in Henniker to Bradford. Or, I could stay on I-84E into Hartford, Conn., and pick up I-91N to Rte. 9E in Brattleboro, Vt. The third way is recommended by friends Gayle Hedrington and Candy Bliss, and that’s to take the thruway to Rte. 7, but staying on Rte. 7 in Vermont before taking Rte. 11 across the state into New Hampshire and catching Rte. 103 home. They say that way is a pretty ride. 

The final decision will be made when I get to the turn off. I tend to stick to something more familiar… especially on the return home. Plus, I want to get a photo of the bridge across the Hudson River that I missed the last time, so when the turn off to the thruway comes up, I stay on I-84E. Five minutes later, I regret that decision as the traffic becomes bumper to bumper, stop and go across the bridge. No photos can be taken in this situation. Then there’s the toll after the bridge and as I approach, the two lanes widen into many and I don’t know what lane to be in. 

The signs are hard to read, but I finally make out, on the far right, something about all vehicles. Luckily, I am able to cut over four lanes. I don’t even know how much. It’s only $1.50. I tell the guy how confusing this is and it’s hard for drivers unfamiliar with this route to know what to do. (At least it’s cheaper than the thruway… though not enough to be a big deal.) 

Connecticut is boring; at least it is to me and I again regret the decision not to take the recommendations of friends. Next time, I promise. There also seems to be more city-type areas along this route and closer together. I make it through the tunnel in Hartford and take the right onto I-91N and the traveling gets better. Snow banks are higher and some of the signs are buried. The further north, the more the traffic thins and I am more comfortable. There are better views and road crews are out cleaning up snow in preparation, I guess, for more snow coming. 

Gas is getting low so I stop in North Adams, Mass., and decide to also have something to eat. I haven’t eaten at a Friendly’s in years and order French toast and bacon. I only eat half and get a to-go box. There’s an Irving station across the street and that has the cheapest gas I’ve seen all morning at $2.11/gl. Getting out of there is tough with the traffic backed up from road crews cleaning up snow, can only go one way out at one exit which is the wrong direction and no cross traffic. To come out at the lights, I have to contend with a stream of traffic from BJ’s and whatever else is down that way and there are a lot of vehicles.

Someone finally lets me into the left turn lane and when the light turns green, I follow the car in front. Unfortunately, I forgot to pay attention that these lights don’t have arrows and the light is green from both directions. I turn right in from of some guy shooting straight across and earn a blaring horn for my inattention. Thank God that’s all that happened.  

Back on I-91N, I cross the Vermont border at 11:42 and I’m in New Hampshire at noon. I just want to be home at this point. There’s more snow, but it’s not until I reach Bradford that it hits me that there really is a lot of snow. I swear there’s more here than I’ve seen all day! 

I get to my driveway which has been plowed nicely. However, my walkways haven’t been shoveled. That’s a let-down. I back into the garage, get out, and run into the house without bringing anything else but the camera.

“Kitty, I’m hooommme!” I yell, but I don’t have to because she’s right there. She’s meowing and rubbing against me even before I put the camera down. I scoop her up. “I’ve missed you so much!” Tears run down my face and I just hug and cuddle her. I try to put her down, but she clings so I walk around the house just holding and petting her. She finally lets me set her on the table and she sits there while I bring everything inside. 

I make a second trip to the bathroom and her hear meowing again. “I’m in here,” I holler and she comes running. She’s been close by and even now sleeps in the chair beside me. 

Well, I’m home. I’m going to relax the rest of the day and tomorrow I’ll have to dive into paperwork and getting things in order. Oh, there’s a lot to do and I can’t even think about working on the book yet. Yep, home and work. There’s lots to do… starting tomorrow.

 

 

Travels with Sasha Day 22

February 10 

I woke up early and was in the shower at 5 a.m. Everything is packed but the laptop. The morning writing is done and when I pull back the curtains, I see snow in the parking lot lights. Wait a minute! I hung out here two extra days to avoid snow. The forecast said rain. 

I finish up and am eager to get on the road. I take a couple of small bags out to the car. The doors are frozen and I have to give a tug to get them open. I start the vehicle to put on heat and defroster while I’m rearranging and things inside. I scrape the windshield and move the car to the covered drive up and bring a trolley to the fourth floor to load up the rest of my belongings. I’m all checked out and ready to go at 7:15 a.m. 

The temperature is 32 degrees and the weather helped in the decision of the route. No extra sightseeing today. I head up Rte. 17N. Traffic is heavy, but after awhile, when away from the city, the highway narrows and the traffic thins. This is the Virginia I love with the open rolling hills and farms. I take some photos… maybe I’ll do a book of Taken along the Highway. 

The driving isn’t bad. I catch I-66W to I-81N and cross the West Virginia border at 8:55 and cross the Potomac River into Maryland 20 minutes later. There are patches of snow in the fields now and the speed limit drops to 65 mph and it’s only 60 mph going through Hagerstown. The Pennsylvania border is crossed at 9:25. 

I love, love, love the farms along this route with their humongous fields and huge silos. Again, there is much open countryside, rolling hills, and interesting trees. (I need to find out the trees that have white and brown trunks and limbs. Usually the upper trunk and branches are white.) But sometimes the big trucks block my view. Awwww.  

There is more snow in the fields and now in the meridian. I-81N climbs and a couple of cities – Chambersburg, Harrisburg – are passed. The terrain becomes rockier. Three hours go by and I keep driving. My legs start to ache as the driving goes on and on with me picking up the camera occasionally to get a couple of shots. Sometimes my brain kind of zones out and I catch myself drifting. I yawn a lot and I’m on my second bottle of water. For some reason, I’m very thirsty today. 

The gas gauge drops. I push further and finally take a break for lunch when I reach Wilkes-Barre, exit 168. I saw a sign for Applebees, but decide on Red Robin. I’ve never eaten at a Red Robin. It advertises “gourmet burgers.” There’s a bar inside and TVs every few feet. Oh, my, God! Then there are little computer things on the table with more advertising. I hear a guy in the next booth talking about being able to play games on these things… for a price. Gosh, can’t people come in for a meal without TVs, computers, and cell phones? 

The burger is good and you can have all the fries you want. When I go to pay, the waitress says the credit card can be run on that computer on the table. I’m not sure how I feel about all that. While the burger was good, that would not be a place where I’d return. 

There are no gas stations near the restaurants. First I drive one way for a bit, then turn around and come back by the restaurants and stores. I find a Sheetz station at the bottom of the hill on another road. How confusing. The gas costs $2.39/gl. The most expensive I’ve seen all day. 

New billboards now have flashing advertisements. Personally, I think these should be illegal. It’s too easy to get distracted and not watch the road, especially the ones that advertise more than one product or event. Also, there were times when the flash made me jump thinking it was police or emergency vehicles. Some signs are very, very high. Again, I find these hard to read. When looking up that high, it’s hard to see the traffic around. I don’t get it. 

The speed limit on I-81N drops to 55 mph due to construction areas around Pittston and for miles further. Some vehicles never slow down even though there are signs threatening double fines for speeding in these zones. This makes the driving even more tedious. For some reason, I have a harder time keeping awake when moving slower and do a lot of wriggling in my seat. 

Scranton is reached and it’s up, around, down on I-380 and finally east on I-84. Hmm, I should have looked at the atlas to see how many exits. It’s easy to count down because it gives an idea how far  to go, but when the exit numbers go up, I have no idea how much further and I don’t remember the towns I traveled through on the way south.  

I thought I had another half to an hour more to go and am surprised when I see the sign for Metamoras, Pa., and Port Jervis, N.Y. I consider driving further, but a stop is needed anyway, so I may as well call it a day.

 

The woman at the desk isn’t the friendliest. Oh, I miss those southerners! This one could probably care less if I booked the room or not. She assigns Room 105 and I go check it out (and to use the facility). There’s a good-sized vanity in the bathroom, but the sink is at the same end as the toilet. That’s kind of yucky to have to squeeze beside the toilet to wash hand or, worse even, brush teeth! 

I get my things inside the room. I have to pull up on the door handle from the inside to get it to latch. Oh, I’ll definitely be double locking tonight. The TV is old style and there are not enough electrical outlets for this day and age. I unplug the coffee pot so I can plug in the laptop. The chair to this desk is not a swivel desk chair nor on rollers and it has a cigarette burn in the seat cushion (and this is a non-smoking room). 

One thing I do like is the burnt orange comforter on the bed. The spot of color is nice against the white sheets and the white snow bank outside the window.  

However, this price is the average I’ve been paying for rooms and this one if far less quality. I understand older and things getting run down, but to charge the same price as better quality places… Then again, there isn’t much else between here and home unless I want to drive a lot further (either direction).

But I did my goal today. Tomorrow I’ll arrive home.

Travels with Sasha Day 21

February 9 

I’m not ambitious today and think I’ll just hang out at the hotel. I write for awhile then go down to the breakfast room for biscuits and gravy. At least the TV isn’t blasting depressing news – except for the storm in the northeast. I’m glad I chose to stay in Fredericksburg until tomorrow. 

Part of me would like to go back to that battlefield I saw on the tour yesterday, but I just don’t feel like driving. I have two more days of heavy driving to get home and I want to save my energy for that. I do pour over Google maps again. I could be in Port Jervis, N.Y. in a little over five hours depending on traffic, weather, and road conditions, but that would be going I-95N a bit more then taking I-495 around D.C. and catching Rte. 15N. I don’t want to go anywhere near Washington and I-495 is a toll road. 

There are a couple other options. Rte. 15N could be accessed by going east along I-66 from Rte. 17N and that would bring me into Harrisburg, Pa., where I-81 would be picked up. Rte. 15 goes through Gettysburg. Then there is that route those people told me to take yesterday. But it would be so tough to go by historical places and not stop. Any stopping might not get me to the New York border because I’ll be too tired. 

I’ll see what tomorrow morning brings and make decisions then. I’ll be checking the weather and the routes. I want to be out of here by 8 a.m. 

I finish catching up on the blogging and work on editing photos. Eleven pictures are posted to Facebook. I’m only up to the first full day in St. Augustine and that was Tuesday. St. Augustine is one of my favorite places. I love the history, architecture, and friendliness of everyone and it doesn’t feel hectic there. I had loved the Nature Coast of Florida, too, where Andrea and Lance have their house. 

I again have lunch at Perkins Family Restaurant. I drive over because today is much cooler than yesterday and there’s a bite to the air. Later I go for a swim and sit in the hot tub… figured out where to turn it on this time. One of the workers has been painting and propped the door open while he cleaned brushes and equipment outside. Oooh, that air is cold coming in. I keep my shoulders below the surface. Steam rises from the water.

Back in the room I am totally unambitious. Maybe it’s because I didn’t sleep well last night. Yes, I am a bit worried about the journey home, then being home with all that snow. Snow is beautiful, but I don’t want to deal with it and the cold any more. Gosh, I’ve been saying that a lot, and once I actually see how much, I’ll probably be saying it more. 

Still, I want to be in my own place, sleep in my own bed, and enjoy the company of my little fur ball. I can’t wait to cuddle her.

Travels with Sasha Day 20

February 8 

A good night’s rest; maybe the swim and hot tub helped. I spend an hour and a half back and forth between Google maps and weather.com trying to decide if I should move on or hole up here. With sleet, rain, snow through Pennsylvania, snow across New York and continuing into Monday, I decide to stay put. Tuesday and Wednesday look to be clear days, so I’m make the run for home then. I could make it in one day, but if I drove straight for 11 hours, I wouldn’t be able to get out of the car without falling on my face… if I could move at all. There will be a stop for one more night after leaving here. I’d like to shoot for Port Jervis, N.Y. 

I go down to the lobby to let them I’ll stay two more nights. The rate is $5 a night lower. I fill my travel mug with coffee. Hopefully this stuff is better than the in-room coffee; it is. As usual, there is nothing appealing on the breakfast bar and listening to that TV turns my stomach. 

The coffee is stronger, but bitter. At least it’s drinkable. I catch up on more blogging, check messages, edit a newspaper column and call about the trolley tour. No, they do not do hotel shuttles and it’s a tour only, no getting on and off. She gives me directions and I’m heading out by 10 a.m. The temperature is 60 degrees.  

The woman had said to go to the bottom of the hill and take a right at the lights. Near the bottom, there’s a blinking light and further on a full set of lights. At the blinking light is a Visitors’ Center sign and I turn right. She had said to get in the left lane. Wait, this is only a two way road without extra lanes. It’s more of a country road running along the river. This can’t be right. I have to drive a bit before I find a place to turn around. 

I return to Rte. 17 and take the right at the next set of lights. Ah, this is better. What the woman failed to mention was that many of these are one-way streets. What’s worse is that I can’t see street signs for some of them. Do I look on the left (as I need to turn left) or do I look to the right? I miss Charlotte Street where I am supposed to turn and go through two sets of lights before reaching one where I can turn left. The next left puts me on Caroline Street and I’m starting to drive past a street when I see the trolley. Oops. Good thing no one is behind me. I pull in the exit only way to a parking lot. It’s Sunday morning and things are quiet. I figure I can get away with it. I straighten out so I can pull into a head-on parking space next to the trolley. 

The Visitors’ Center doesn’t open until 11 a.m. on Sundays, so the tour is given first and the tickets bought afterwards. I’m a little early and chat with the driver/tour guide. Another guy gets on. He’s a driver/tour guide in training and in talking about my traveling north, he suggests taking Rte. 3W to Rte. 29N Rte. 17N to Rte. 66W instead of Rte. 17N. A woman boarding hears him and agrees saying it’s a much nice route with less traffic going through Chancillorsville and Culpepper.  

Soon we are off for the tour. The trolley has large windows. There’s one problem. The top window is a huge arched piece and the bottom is a small 12-inch high two pane wide window where the right slides to the left to open. Unfortunately, the frame between the top and bottom is right at eye level. I can’t see over the top without standing and to see out the bottom, smaller windows, I have to bend over. Not a very comfortable to manipulate the camera. And the front windows, which are very tall, are a little narrow for photographs. 

But the history stories are great although I’m not into statues and monuments. It was interesting to hear something of George Washington’s younger years and the farm from which he came. There’s a university here named after his mother, Mary.  

The driver explains that all the streets are named after King George’s relatives and that Sophia Street is pronounced with a long i. Many of the older houses are narrow because at one time, property taxes were determined by the width of the house. The trolley travels around the city and to the edges. The city is along the Rappahannock River which once was a major seaport as it was much deeper in the earlier days. When the railroad became prominent, shipping down the river to Chesapeake Bay wasn’t as lucrative and the bigger ships stopped coming. 

Many stories are told, but I focus on trying to get photos. Oh, I wish I could get off the trolley for a few. He stops often to tell the tales, but the angles aren’t good for pictures. To actually visit these places, I’d have to drive here as some are not within walking distance. Fredericksburg needs to have trolleys like St. Augustine and Savannah. 

The spot that interests me the most is the Fredericksburg National Military Park. The driver had been having us imagine most of the buildings not here and there were just fields looking from the hill down across the river. He talked about the union and confederate soldiers on either side of the river. The confederates had burned the bridges into the city and held the high ground. Union soldiers would build pontoons to try to sneak across the river at night. It was December and too cold to swim.  

However, at this one park, that has been preserved is open except for some trees, he says, “Imagine the hundred thousand wounded soldiers screaming in agony, crying for help, for mothers, wives, and loved ones. The sound would be echoing across the hill and valley. If they weren’t dying from their wounds, they were freezing to death in the December cold.” 

In that moment, I could hear them crying. Can you imagine thousands of men screaming, crying, or moaning? I could see bodies, thousands of bodies, littering the expanse of the hillside, writhing in pain or totally still in the odd positions they dropped. It’s one thing to read about these events in stories or to see movies, but to actually be in the place where this happened; my heart contracts and I choke down tears. It’s hard to describe what actually being in this place is like. 

I am reminded of when I visited the Virginia Civil War Museum off I-81 on the trip down and I stood in that family’s farmyard and envisioned what it was like to have a war overrun your farm and have your fields full of dead and dying young men. I was emotional that day, too. Would you ever want to eat crops from those fields again?  

Maybe more people need to experience moments like this; feel the dying, seeing the hurt it does. Yes, the land will replenish, but there are still scars to it and to those who can feel the horror and grief of war.

There are a couple of cemeteries. The one for the confederate soldiers have many unnamed graves where bodies were buried sometimes two or three to a grave because the soldiers were unknown. There are even a couple of mass graves.  

I pull myself back to the present as the trolley rambles on. It takes a few minutes to get my head out of that space and soon the trolley is parked. I pay for my ticket inside the VIC center and she gives me a map to show how to get back to I-17N and the hotel. First, though, I want to walk around. It’s only a block to the river, so I cross the street and head down the hill. 

However, this part of the river doesn’t have a lot of nice views. I do enter a parking lot with signs saying No Trespassing, Parking for Motorists Only. Hey, I’m only after a few pictures. As it is, there are other people here relaxing in the warm sun and enjoying the views. 

I go back to Charlotte Street and wander for a ways in one direction, then cross the street to return. There are many little shops and cafes. Each café has a couple little bistro chairs outside which makes is nice, especially on a day as beautiful as this. I plan to lunch at an Irish pub, but there is a 20 minute wait and I choose to move on. 

I stop in an art gallery and meet Robyn Ryan, the docent of the day and an artist. We have a magnificent conversation about art, creativity, and the courage to change styles. This is a highlight of the day and the art work on the walls is amazing. I love the different styles, techniques, and media. 

Eventually, I head back to the hotel and stop at the Perkins Family Restaurant for a delicious burger, fries, and chocolate mousse cream pie. I would definitely like to see more of Fredericksburg.