Closing Comments from Rhode Island

Some Final Thoughts on Rhode Island

Editor's Comment:  as we continue to add posts to this blog, the order of display will always be the most recent first, so if you miss an entry or two, you can "catch up" chronologically by going down the list and working back up

As we all know, the state of Rhode Island is a small area.  Driving across or up and down the state is easily accomplished in short order!  But since it was settled in the 1600s, there is a lot of history to discover and uncover! 

Visit to the State Capitol

We went back to Providence specifically to visit the capitol building.  Luckily, we arrived just in time to join a guided tour.  We learned that the dome of the building is the fourth largest self-supporting dome in the world--which simply means it sits on four pillars. 

Each of the pillars has a painting on it.  The artist used his wife as the model, so all four of the ladies prominently displayed in the paintings look familiar!

We visited both chambers of the state legislature--from the visitors galleries, of course.  On every desk was a computer screen and a mouse--automation is certainly a part of daily life in all corners of the civilized world!  We stepped into the library where all of the proceedings, laws, and important state records are kept--the stacks are impressive!

In the Governor's Reception room, there is a large portrait of George Washington.  It is a familiar pose--his face is the one which we see almost every day on our one dollar bill.  The state purchased the portrait for less than $1,000 back when--it was recently appraised for $10,000,000!!  I don't think it is for sale!

Rock Strewn Fields

One of the features of the landscape which is unescapable is the presence of rock walls/fences.  The early settlers had to clear the land of lots and lots of rocks to make the fields farmable, so everywhere you look there are stone walls.  Rather than normal fences, they just piled up the rocks around the edges of their pastures or fields--where else would you put truckloads of rocks back in the early days of our country?

 

 

The land must have seemed very daunting to those venturesome folks back in the 15th Century when they left England and Europe to start a new life in a new land full of Indians, different wildlife, and lots of trees and rocks!

Gypsy Moth Infestation

In our campground in Ashaway, RI, we had young oak trees that were planted one to a campsite.  All of them were barren--in June!  After closer inspection, we saw caterpillars moving up and down the trunks and branches.  As we had driven up I-95 on the way into Rhode Island, all of us commented about the lack of vegetation on the trees along the highway.  This was even more noticeable driving up to East Greenwich and into Providence.  We commented on this to a staff member in the campground and he said it was gypsy moths.  That put us onto the Internet for some research and we found out that they have no enemies in the animal world--only a particular virus and a fungus.  JJ found an aerial view of central Rhode Island on the Internet--the landscape looks like it was taken in winter:  there is no foliage on the trees!!  Apparently a very dry Spring has kept both the virus and the fungus from counter balancing the infestation, so the gypsy moths are flourishing!  Sad! 

First Stop in New York

It was a short hop from Wilkes-Barre to Corning where we will spend the 4th of July weekend, celebrate two birthdays and an anniversary:  Tam's birthday and Tam and Ray's anniversary is on the Fourth of July!!  On the 6th, it will be time for Rich to tag another year onto his longevity.  So there are reasons for celebration other than our country's birthday party!

Our campground is in a pleasant valley northeast of Corning--Ferenbaugh Campground.  All three coaches are lined up and pointed in the direction we are eventually headed--northeast!

 

The first few evenings have been on the cool side, so the first campfires of the journey were put on the evening agenda.  Unfortunately, the wood we purchased from the camp store was very fresh--there was more smoke than fire!  The second evening went better because we picked up a bundle of seasoned (not green!) wood from a roadside stand south of Watkins Glen.

 

 By night number two, we had pulled out the pie makers and marshmellows.  Now, not just your standard marshmellow:  JJ found Campfire Marshmellows at Wegamen's Grocery Store!  These babies are two for the price of one, for sure!  So we put fresh white bread into the pie makers, added cherry pie filling--Jack and I added pieces of the giant marshmellows--and dropped the pie makers into the fire for a couple of minutes.  Hey, my first time for this delicacy:  oh my, a total replacement for toasted marshmellows!  (Well, not totally--time is coming for S'mores!)

 

More to come in the days ahead!

 

Rich H.