Massachusetts - Day 2

Northampton/Springfield KOA
Sunday, 2 September 2018

There's a sparrow lying in the sun on the picnic table next door, and the odd thing is he's lying with his belly flat on the table and his wings all spread out.  Sunbathing, clearly.

I made the reservation here weeks ago to be sure of having a place to park over Labor Day weekend.  I decided I could use the time here to plan what I'd be doing for at least the next week or so - sights to see and campgrounds I could afford - and these days that makes a wifi connection pretty much mandatory.

Well, it turns out the space they gave me doesn't have a wifi connection - it's too far from their signal.  And my little hot spot doesn't pick up a signal there either.  That site is about as far from the office as you can get in this park.

I thought about just sitting here for 3 days, not even being able to figure out a place to go after I leave here, decided that wasn't a palatable choice, and walked all the way down to the office.  I'll bet it's about a third of a mile.

Well, at the office there was a sign saying they were sold out for the weekend, but it never hurts to ask, so I did and explained why I was so desperate for a wifi signal.  They consulted with the manager and, in less than half an hour, were back up at my campsite saying they'd found another spot that would be a tight squeeze but they thought I could fit into; the only thing was that it was a more expensive spot because it offered cable TV and sewer - neither of which I'd use.  They drove me down in one of those little golf carts that figure so heavily into KOA parks and I decided I could fit, and then they said it'd cost an extra $11/night, which makes that wifi signal a very expensive amenity for me.  I hemmed and hawed and finally realized I didn't have much choice so did it.

And we do fit in the space, and I do have a wifi signal.  Not a completely steady one, you understand - it comes and goes - but a signal nonetheless.

The park is incredibly full and about every third site has a dog in it - including the one next door.  She's an 11-month-old something like a cross between a dalmatian and a weimaraner, and her name's Zoe and Dexter really wants to be friends.  Her people are a nice young couple - well, young enough that they're sleeping in a tent.

Anyway, I'm afraid to take the dogs for walks that are very long at all because I never know when the next campsite we come to is the one with the 2 labs I saw earlier today.  Shoot, my dogs'll bounce around like crazy if what's barking at them are a pair of pomeranians.  But I do take them all around the campground early in the morning before anybody else is awake and hope it'll take care of them for the day.  It's a shame - it'll be easier as the fall comes on and fewer people go camping.  Actually, it'll be easier tomorrow after all the holiday people check out.

I heard on the news this morning that Northampton where Smith College is, one of the towns I went through yesterday, is host to the Tri-County Fair, which is the oldest continually operating agricultural fair in the US - this is the 201st year.  I'd love to go - I love fairs like that with exhibits of vegetables and crafts and livestock - but I remember the crowd I went through yesterday that I think was fair related because police were directing traffic and I don't really want to fight through that for a parking place.  Something like that I'd need to plan to be there early, be one of the first to park, and I didn't get this site business worked out until about 10:30 this morning.  Too bad.  But maybe I'll find another one somewhere else this month - September is a good time of year for stuff like that.

cornhole players

I'd never heard of the game of cornhole before I started this trip, but I've been finding it more and more as I come farther north.  I pulled this photo off the internet.  Look at those rough tough guys playing with beanbags. 

Some campgrounds even have tournaments for the campers.  A lot of the campers have their own equipment and play with their family and friends.  The trouble it causes for me is that Gracie interprets the thunking sound the bags make as something that will hurt her, so she wants to hide from it - under the RV or under the table or, if it gets really bad, in the shower with the litter box (a problem for Roscoe).  Oh well.  I guess people won't play so much as the weather gets colder, so she'll have some relief.