Moving Day, Ohio Oasis and Mail Surprise

Location: Harrison Lake State Park; Fayette, Ohio
(click pics to enlarge)

Note: I went back and added the pictures to the last post that I was unable to do so at the time of posting due to poor internet connection.

I pulled out of Delaware State Park about 11:00 am on Thursday. Before leaving, I picked up my general delivery mail from my son. I get these mail package about every month and this is the 3rd one. The way it works is I have to figure where I'll be at about 10 days in advance. I pick a small post office near that location and text the address to my son. He puts my mail in a package and sends it to me at that address in care of general delivery. This time there was a classic miscommunication between me and the post-mistress. I blame it on her being a Yankee and not being able to speak plain ole southern English. When she brought the package from the back, she gave me a funny look. As I reached for it, she pulled it back to her. That caught me by surprise and I looked back at her and started to question what was happening. Before I could speak, she bluntly asked me, "how long have you been receiving general delivery?" I did some rough calculations in my head and said about 2 to 3 months, which is true since the first mail drop I received was back in May. She didn't like that answer at all and pulled my package even closer to her. In her best Nurse Ratched (ya'll guess the movie reference) impersonation she said, "you will have to do a change of address to get this package". The conversation quickly deteriorated at that point but of course I stayed calm and polite while she chose excited and rude. It went something like this:
me: Why?
her: Because it's more than 30 days.
me: 30 days from when to when?
her: Look, you can only received general delivery for 30 days.
me: this is my first general delivery here
her: we have post office boxes for rent
me: I don't live here
her: Why are you getting mail
me: I travel around the country and my son sends my packages to general delivery
her: I understand that, but you can only get general delivery for 30 days.
me: my next general delivery may be in South Dakota
her: I understand that, but you can only get general delivery for 30 days.
me: I'm never in one place longer than about 4 to 5 days.
her: I understand that, but you have to get a post office box to get more mail.
me: Apparently you don't understand, but if you give me my package, you will never see me here again, I promise.
her: Don't let me see you again asking for general delivery.

She gave me my package and I told her, "have a nice day, see you next time." She didn't like that at all. I guess she mistakenly thought I was being sarcastic.

After getting back to the campground, I finished hitching up and pulled out. As I was driving out, there was a loud bang. I stopped and got out to see what happened. There were some other campers that were breaking camp and I asked them if that sound was from me or them. They pointed up and said I hit a tree limb hanging down. That was strange because I didn't hit it going in to the campsite. I got back in and went to the dump site to empty my tanks. I checked the top of Liberty the best I could and the only damage I found was some scratches on the round bubble over the skylight in the shower. That is actually the highest part of Liberty and since it is off-set to the left side, I guess I missed the limb going in but got it on the way out. I later removed the cover from inside the shower to see how it looked and saw no problems. This is also the place where my spider friends had been living, so I made sure they were all gone.

OK, the post-mistress and the limb were two bad things. Since they come in three's, I was trying to figure what would be next.

Perfect Traveling weather

The trip was nice. The weather was perfect with the temperature in the mid 70's and white puffy clouds everywhere. They looked as if they were just out of reach. There were only a couple really bad bridges that bounced Liberty around. I also had to use about 30 miles of the Ohio Toll Road. The toll was $5.45. Something isn't right with all of these toll roads up here and in the Northeast. Most of them are in poor condition but still collecting tolls. Someone ought to check to see who's brother-in-law is running the tolling business.

I got to Harrison Lake State Park around 2:30. The park had been described as being an Oasis in a Desert of Farmlands. I definitely saw the farm

Typical Farmland

lands. Houses are scattered along the roads about every 3/4 of a mile with nothing but cultivated farmland in between the houses. It looked like corn and soy beans were the main crops right now. The only trees around this part of the state are next to houses or a thin line of along property lines. But in the distance there was a

Harrison Lake Campsite

large stand of trees which turned out to be Harrison Lake. It is a man-made lake, built by the state in 1941. Nine years later the state park was constructed. In the early 1800's, this part of Ohio was a swampland. Only after drainage was

Peaceful place

installed did it become some of the richest farmland in the country. It is still the most sparsely populated part of Ohio.

The park is one of the best maintained parks I've seen. Trees are everywhere, but set back a ways from the campsites. The grass is mowed and

trimmed. The lake is fresh and full. It is a very peaceful place. In talking with an older couple camped next to me, they said most

everyone that camps here lives around the area. The area residents have sort of adopted the state park as theirs and take care of some of the

maintenance and up-keep. This type of local ownership really shows in the way the park looks. They have done well.

Remember the third thing I was waiting to happen? It happened as I was opening all of my mail. I have been summoned to Jury Duty in Louisiana for the 28th of July. I have applied for an exemption based on "undue hardship" and put that letter in the mail yesterday. I'm not sure what happens if the request is not approved. I guess we will see if a Sheriff's deputy starts looking for me around Desoto Parish, Louisiana.

My Mug Shot??? lol

Tomorrow is moving day and I will be going to Lakeport State Park in Michigan. It is on the banks of Lake Huron. To get there, I have a choice to go thru Detroit or to go way around it. I have not fully decided yet, but am leaning to avoiding the town completely. It's a shame, because it has a rich history going back hundreds of years. It just goes to show what happens when too many liberal policies are put in place. When you take from one group of people to give to another group of people, you have a problem when the givers get fed up and move away. What you're left with is too many people that are used to being taken care of and it will take time for them to learn how to do it on their own. Given time and the right leadership in place, Detroit could come back to its former glory, but I'll still avoid it on my way through that area.

Ya'll take care of each other. Cya down the road.