(The featured picture is of Rob & Ronan walking in the dried up Mountain Lake, VA) 

Rob was the one who introduced me to whole nature thingy.  I’ve always loved being outdoors, but besides Central Park (which has been my frame of reference for everything) and the adventures we’ve had together, everything is pretty much new to me. 

We’ve been following the West Virginia/Virginia border for a couple of days now and boy, are they different.  VA is beautifully manicured and rich with plantations, whereas WV is feral and plotted with abandoned schoolhouses and vultures.  The only thing that the two states had in common were lots of deer.  I still get excited seeing a deer cross us (and a black bear too!), but I keep hearing Louis CK’s voice in my head when I do.

Last night, we stayed over at the Pines and the boys kept growling and staring off into the distant dark which made us nervous.  At a nearby site another dog kept barking as well, so I wasn’t sure if I should worry about other animals, or other people.  We kept everything ready to pack in case we needed to leave quick.  Fortunately, we didn’t have any issues overnight and we actually met sweet Bella in the morning!

 

– Chelsea