2026-05-11 12:00:00
Trip: 56
Nights: 187-190
And the 2026 camping season has started. We spent the weekend at Machicomoco State Park near Gloucester, VA. It's only a 70-minute drive from home. Until a few weeks ago it was Virginia's newest state park, as it opened in 2021. It is dedicated to the history of the native people who lived there for centuries before any Europeans showed up.
The park features the Timberland mansion, which was built in 1793. It was open for tours, but we had the dog with us, so we did not take the tour. It also features an open-air pavilion that highlights the history of the land and the people inhabiting it, starting with the end of the last ice age. Furthermore, it is waterfront, so there is also a car-top boat launch.
The campground has a total of 27 campsites: 13 with electric and water hookups for various equipment—tents, pop-ups, and RVs up to 60 feet long—and 14 walk-in tent-only sites. The RV sites are mostly open with very limited shade. We had a beautiful weekend, but I don't think I'd want to camp there in July and August. The bathhouse is immaculate, featuring 10 or so private, large bathrooms, a few of which also have showers. The campsites are only mowed in a 3 or 4 foot perimeter around the camping pad. The rest of the area is managed in a natural state for pollinators.
Outside the campground, the grounds are a mix of York River and tributary shoreline, large, expansive meadows, and some forest. It's fabulous birding habitat. We got 53 species on Saturday and 50 on Sunday. On Saturday afternoon we ventured into town to kick back at the Gloucester Brewing Company, where I had fine examples of a red ale and a brown ale. Our evenings were passed as they usually are, with us playing cards or board games.
It was a fabulous start to the camping season. Machicomoco State Park is a wonderful addition to the Virginia State Park system, and we will likely return in the fall.
2026-05-02 12:00:00
My phone served up a cover version of this John Denver classic as I was chauffeuring my wife around yesterday. Something about the lyric hit me in a way that I'd never noticed before.
Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze
That is scientifically accurate. The Appalachians are the oldest mountain range on the planet and certainly predate human life, if not all life, by millions of years.
So now I'm wondering, was Denver taking a poke at creationism with that line? Or did the words just flow? It's from the album title, Poems, Prayers & Promises, which is a little on the nose. But Denver was way more of a liberal than his marketing, especially in the 70s, would have one believe.
2026-04-30 06:33:00
15 weeks of classes, 5 or 6 field trips, a final exam, and a practical application (I made a zine) to earn this.
2026-04-27 04:14:00
After some much needed rain last night, the temps barely hit 50°F (10°C) today, with the wind making it feel much cooler. I have not left the house today. I haven't really left the computer. I had some much needed vacation research to do. I've booked a campsite for the Little World Series in August. 44 years after my playing days ended, I'm finally making it to the LLWS. We actually visited the museum and the ballpark a few years ago when passing through Williamsport, PA, on the way home from a camping trip. There are pictures, if you are into that sort of thing.
I also have our Florida birding trip this fall mostly sorted. One campground doesn't allow reservations earlier than 179 days before arrival, so I've got a note to do that on the appropriate day. It's a very popular campground on the water in Florida, so I figure it's 50/50 at best that I'll even get a site. The other three places we will be camping are all reserved. I really should buy a spotting scope before that trip. More research to do. More money to spend. If you have opinions on spotting scopes, feel free to share. The contact link is at the bottom of the page.
Yesterday I attended training to become qualified to do bird-friendly yard certifications for the Richmond Audubon Society. In doing the training, I learned I have some work to do with my tiny patch of yard before I can get it certified.
I picked up the new Drivin N Cryin album this week. It's a classic DnC album, mixing rock, country, folk, and punk into a sound that is uniquely theirs. Peter Buck of REM contributes on a couple of songs too, which not surprisingly, feature 80s college rock jangly guitars.
Speaking of music, I finished my review of the 1986 albums that I owned. Stay tuned for 1987, next year!
Only a couple of links this week, but I have finally fixed my link collecting workflow, so hopefully I'll save them more often in the future.
As a Purdue Boilermaker, it pains me to share anything positive about Notre Dame. But 100 years ago Notre Dame students literally beat the KKK out of town.
The average new car payment in the US is $806 a month. That is freaking insane. It also makes me feel a lot better about dropping $10K on repairs on our vehicle last year.
If you are a baseball nerd, this tabletop game looks fun. I'm going to download it and keep a copy in the camper for rainy afternoons.
2026-04-25 12:00:00
I've spent the morning tweaking CSS for the site. Please let me know if anything is off for you. It all appears to be fine on my desktop and phone.
2026-04-23 14:35:00
I keep the list of books I read at the books link above. Here are the highlights from the first quarter of 2026.
The Society of Unknowable Objects: This follow up to The Book of Doors mostly delivers.
Life After Cars: A depressing look at all the ways cars ruin everything, with some hopeful examples of places getting it right.
Automatic Noodle: This story of robots running a bakery in late, late stage capitalism is just delightful.
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Answers the question, what if aliens destroyed humanity to turn the planet into a D&D version of The Running Man that is broadcast to a universe-wide audience? And there is a talking cat. #TeamPrincessDonut
Carl's Doomsday Scenario: Book two in the series is even better. They are on level three of the earth dungeon, and shit is getting real.
