What a great day we had yesterday.  Great castle in Akron Ohio.  All interior was original antiques.  Very large, probably the largest we have seen. We are now in Loudonsville Ohio for a couple of days.  Lot to see here and explore.  The weather has changed a lot.  You will see later.

Great room 

Harpsicord

 

Gathering room and looking down hall way.

This is a harp/piano

Formal dining room with original china, crystal and silver.

Pool, referred to as the "plunge" in the basement.

mens pool room

Arrived just in time for the night.

 

Awoke in the morning to this and 25 degrees and had about 30 to 40 mph during the snow storm

But we are having FUN

 

A lot has happened since we last wrote.  Today is April fools day but our fools day happened a day early.  We were at a castle in the morning and then traveled for a long time trying to find another castle but could not find it.  So looked for a camp ground on the garmin mapper.  Found one called Camelot.  How romantic.  Drove  for a long time to get there.  It was a beautiful drive.  Finely got to the drive up to the camp Camelot.  It was a muddy and narrow drive and a little up hill.  Got to the gate and read the sign that said" Closed For Good". 
      That was fool #1.  Choice was to back down the hill on the narrow muddy road or turn around and that was fool #2.  Got stuck, trailer bottom out in the back, truck slid sideways into a depression and we were in a real pickle.
       A lady came out from the other side of the gate saying we were not the first ones.  The camp had been closed for 10 years and the owner refuses to take down the signs on the roads that lead to this place.  After some time of jockeying around, using the leveling squares, and removing the load levelers which made the trailer lift up, got the trailer and truck back on the muddy road.   They opened the gate so we could pull into the camp and find a turn around point.
     That's not all.  Then the lady led us to another camp ground because we didn't know the area.  Guess what, that one was close until May 1st.  The lady at the hillside camp was nice and let us stay in a rocked area for the night, since it was dark by now.
     Fool #3
      Now it is April 1st and we have another great day.  Because everything got so muddy, we decided to find a car wash after breakfast.  Found a reason not to travel with dogs.  Got the truck washed and went to move the trailer forward to wash it.  Told BJ to get back in the truck but it was locked.  The dogs had stepped on the door lock and my keys are in the ignition.  "Well BJ , use your keys"  "I could but they are in my purse in the truck", she says.
      Try telling a dog to unlock the door, right.  They would step on the lock but seemed unable to understand the command "unlock the door"
       Tried to call the police department but the phone was always busy.  I tried to use a hanger, self made key, but after 45 min. I gave up.  Called a tow service, he got it open in less than a minute.

       Again, not just a vacation but an adventure.

Finally got on the road and saw a great castle called Glamorgan Castle in Alliance ,Ohio. We are in a camp ground now, safe from any more April fools phenomena .  Pics to follow.

First castle from 2 days ago.  Castle was never finished

 

This guy got us into our truck so I could scold the dogs.  More training necessary.

 

Front door to Glamorgan castle

 

 

Dome room

 

 

Family living room

 

 

Hand carved chair and pillar.  Very intricate carving. 

 

Top of dome room

Swimming pool in basement.  There was also a two lane bowling alley that was covered over to make  an office.

 

Just before I was about to publish this, got a call from home and we have 4 sheep in our pasture now with the two horses.   Will April fools never end.

All this is true and is not an April Joke.

Happy Easter everybody.  We missed the snow in Wichita because we are in NJ.  Went out to breakfast at Rose's Lunchenette and then viewed some revolutionary war sights where George Washington had his command center in Morris Town.  Then had Johnnys famous hot dogs.  Then went to the river to "roll" our traditional easter egg in the river, which we christened the Temporary Arkansas River, to keep our 50 years of rolling an egg in the river on Easter.  As you can see we had to toss the egg instead of rolling.

 Dog was glad to see me.

 Hike in the woods with Brother Clyde and out dogs

 These guys missed the jump

.
 Look for the two eggs in the river.

   

 I Before we left Als in Georgia  I lost my glasses.  BJ comes up with a temporary pair until I could find mine in the day light.  Was happy to find them outside the next morning.

It has been several days since we wrote.  Left Georgia and are now in New Jersey with my brother Clyde and his wife.  went to Blairtown and had a grand tour of town.  Went to Lee's art gallery and saw some neat stuff.  Here are some pic of the town.  We also walked through a very old cemetery that had head stone that were very hard to read.  Stones as old as the early 1800s.

 Sorry this pic is sideways.  It is a reflection of us standing on the bridge above the water fall.  You see the structure of the bridge and them us as a reflection.

 

I  will start this post as we woke up in the rest area, to a phone call from our friend Al in Atlanta.  His wife Reba, had suffered from dementia for yrs, had taken a really bad turn.  Since we were planning to visit them soon, we just headed that way immediately.  It took twice as long as it should have due to road constructions, traffic jams 7 lanes wide each way, and stupid drivers.  She past at 3:45, and we got here at 6:45.  Al is ok, but I am sure its going to be hard tomorrow, and every other day for a while.  He is all alone here now.  Reba had 2 daughters, who live right here, but hardly spent any time with her.
Now, Here's Gary to finish.  Al and I have been friends since college at Ottawa university and have always stayed in touch over the years,  BJ and I had planned to come visit him and his wife on this trip, but not under these circumstances.  We will spend several days here just for him.  Then it is on to my brothers place in New Jersey.