Travels with haRVy

Yesterday was a mix of pleasure and pain.

We spent most of the day driving through the Catskills on Route 28, which normally would be a very pretty drive. And sections of it were lovely. Unfortunately, the damage created by the rain brought on by Tropical Storm Irene literally devastated other areas, including several small towns.

We were not prepared for the scenes we witnessed, since the media that we had seen didn’t even mention how hard hit this area had been. Rivers crested their banks carrying sheets of asphalt from parking lots, rocks, huge trees, and debris onto main streets to crash into and through homes and commercial buildings alike. In some cases, even the buildings were washed down river.

That was a bridge into Phoenicia

Yep, that road slipped into the river

So far, we’ve only heard of one fatality, which is very hard to believe after witnessing how much was wiped out. All we could see was what was visible from the main road as the National Guard, Fire Departments, and Rescue Squads were keeping everyone off the town roads so they could continue cleaning up. We did see some people salvaging what they could, while others hugged each other or just sat on what was left of their porches crying. It was difficult to keep our own eyes dry thinking about what they must be going through.

Interesting business combination in Delhi

After we had passed the worst of it, we stopped for lunch in Delhi. If you are ever through that way, we would highly recommend the Crossroads Cafe. Very fresh, wholesome food that is reasonably priced and cheerfully served. Who can ask for more than that, right? It was Farmer’s Market day so we perused the goods purchasing some maple syrup, peaches, raspberries, and a big loaf of wheat sour dough bread to augment tonight’s dinner being hosted by MaryEllen’s sister Kathy.

We finally arrived in Auburn about 6 o’clock where we enjoyed the aforementioned pasta & salad dinner in an outdoor country gathering of MaryEllen’s family members. We then parked haRVy on the shore of Lake Owasco at her brother Dave’s house.

Last night some wild thunderstorms roared through, but today has been quite lovely with partly sunnys skies and pleasant breezes. Five us went for a very nice hike in a wooded area nearby.

Tomorrow we will head a couple of hours west for WestyFest IV, a gathering of owners of Westfalia Sprinters like ours. We are looking forward to seeing how others are using and customizing these unique vehicles.