Camp Office:  (440) 564-1195

Park Office:  (440) 564-2279

April 7-10, 2005

Mileage Start 29,528

Home 29,629

Miles:  101

 

Attended:  Dad, Mom, Gracie Allen, 5¢fritz

 

Click any of the images for a higher resolution picture

Punderson, although it has a very poorly designed Campground, is a winter wonderland.  It has ample snow and things to do in the snow.  It's the only or at least the only close-to-Cleveland electrical-available winter camp. It is about an hour east of North Olmsted, Ohio.

With the kind help of B.J., a friend who works with me, we were able to fix the power steering pump problem and are out again!  This is our first campout without Fezziwig who left us on April 6.  He seems to still be here.

The first thing to happen is my being misled into believing that the upper loop was open.  I checked and made a reservation only to find the loop closed.  The reservation system is broken and needs to be fixed.  See my discussion of these issues.  Site 84 turned out to be a nice site although I'd rather be on the hill.  Gracie was sporting her winter coat for this early spring campout.

The first flowers of spring.  Look closely.  There are flowers within the flowers.  You can't really see the second, inner ring of flowers when looking at them with the naked eye.

April 7 was rainy but a strong high pulled in that evening and stayed the weekend.  It was gorgeous.  We come here off season as during the summer the park is too full and there aren't enough sites to accommodate our motorhome.  Another reason is that there are always new restaurants, good restaurants.  Each year a few of the restaurants change hands and this provides new experiences.  In northern Ohio people know how to cook and each new change brings with it new tastes.  We are currently eating our way through the menu at the latest, and we can confirm the greatest, reincarnation of Dutch Family Restaurant in Burton/Newbury/Mesopotamia area.  Belle's Restaurant continues to be excellent.  There are others, many others.  You will never starve when camping at Punderson!

There is a woodpecker a long way away that must be six foot tall. He is banging on a tree and you'd think he was using an air compressor and jackhammer. Two crows started yakking right behind the motorhome so loud I went out to see what was the matter. Either of them could have provided an adequate lunch. There were three stork-like birds flying very high, in a circle, yakking to themselves in a blue-heron dialect I, unfortunately, couldn't understand.

Gracie and I took a long walk in the woods.  She sure did appreciate that!  A walk in the woods is worth three or four walks on the street!  I only wish I had my GPS with me as we were getting uncomfortably close to wondering where we might be headed.  Never fear, eventually one finds a landmark, like a water tower.
 

You might click on the images to see larger versions.  The dogs found a Frisbee and we were off on a long game of Frisbee on one of the closed roads.  Below you'll see that BOTH Fritz and Grace take turns!


 

There were many buzzards enjoying the cool, clear days.  Two landed on a tree next to where we were walking.  We checked each other out.  Again there are larger pictures available by clicking.

EMERGENCY BATHIE TIME!

Gracie decided to roll in something that appeared to be deer urine mixed with a larger pile of racoon poop that sat in a puddle of water for a few days.  She smelled AWFUL.  Luckily it was warm enough to take a walk past a hose and she got an emergency bathie.  She was NOT happy.  Nor was I.