The scenery from West Virginia crossing into Ohio changed quickly. There were still hills and trees, but not to the same extent. Ohio also didn’t have a welcome center, only one sign a few exits in, but West Virginia has a last stop rest area to say goodbye. Strange. Also, on the sides of the highway in Ohio, many signs warning about drugs were posted. All throughout the state- ‘Don’t drive impaired’ and ‘report suspicious behavior’ and ‘suspect something illegal’ signs littered the road. I’ve never seen that before and assume that Ohio must really like to party. I don’t really know what to expect from Cleveland; basically, I’ve heard mixed reviews and I know it’s a big sports town (that I don’t follow). When Mom was still with me we were talking with one of my sisters (hi Jennine!) about visiting Ohio and she asked us something about the sports going on now. I’m like, ‘yeah it’s baseball’, Mom’s like ‘no it’s football’, and Jenny is like ‘really? it’s basketball’. Yeah, that one.
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| ~550 miles and one pit stop later, I'm here. |
With Dave’s help, I back the Drag Queen into the driveway, meet his wife, Kelly, and his furbabies, Frank and Davinci. The pups get sniffs in and I go inside to meet the two cats, Delilah and Jimmie. Dave is pretty handy with the woodworking skills and has built some specialized furniture for their home, and it’s awesome! And he’s happy to build you a little specialized something something too. I did the same ole routine, walk Neville around the neighborhood and set up camp. The area reminds me of an old school neighborhood, the kind with kids running around, dogs in the yard, neighbors actually knowing each other, and the ice cream man driving around. Reminded me of where I grew up, except not as hot and no palm trees in sight. I noticed on my walk that one house had their mailbox right up by their front door. Weird. Maybe the person has a handicap or agoraphobia or something? Who knows. I bring this up to Dave and Kelly, but apparently, what I failed to notice, is that no one has mailboxes out by the street. Most people have them on their house or affixed to something, but not everyone has a full sized mailbox right by the front door. The mail man/woman parks in one spot and walks the streets to deliver the mail, and I keep thinking of that poor soul in the dead of winter, trudging through the much. We salute you, post man! My lovely hosts had cooked a dinner that smelled sooo good.. ribs! I may have drooled a little, but I kept myself together as we reminisced and shared stories.
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| Dave's mad skills |
I’m the type of person who is regularly hot. If someone else is at a comfortable temperature, I am probably sweating. If someone is cold, that’s just about right for me. I woke up the next morning and it was flat out COLD outside! I had on shorts, a t-shirt, and flips flops to walk Neville and had to turn around and put on close toed shoes and a sweater. I texted Dave how happy I was with this weather and he did not share that happy feeling with me. After 8 months of cold, harsh, winter weather, he is ready for sunshine and warmth. Not today, Dave! I didn’t really know what to do with my day since I didn’t have to work, so I enjoyed a lazy morning and FaceTimed one of my besties before heading out. It’s so nice having solid wifi! Neville was wrapped up in a blanket and napping beside me. Dave and Kelly left me access to the house so I did some laundry, played with Frank and Davinci, and just did nothing. I almost felt guilty about it, but that passed. Kelly told me about Chuppas Market and I took a trip to stock up on food. At dinner the night before they had told me about this ice cream spot called the Honey Hut and I saw that Chuppas sold that ice cream. I almost bought some but figured, nah, I’ll try it straight from the source. By the time I returned, Dave was back from work and we set out to walk the pack. I followed him to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we park at the Terra Vista trail, and it was definitely not what I even slightly imagined Cleveland to be. I did not associate quiet green trails with the city. The first opening we came to showcased a small, old cemetery, with tombstones dating back to the 1800s.
We followed the trail through high grass and tall trees and the dogs were so happy to be exploring every inch of it. Once we were deep into it, the noise of the cicadas was so loud! Dave educated me on them, informing me they are Periodical Cicadas and only show up every 17 years or so. What good timing I have! We stop and listen and enjoy. That’s one to remember for 17 years from now. We continue on the trail, into open fields, and it’s safe to say that Neville would take this hike over a walk in the city any day. Nearing the end of the trail, it happened again- a deer! Right on the trail! I was excited all over again, but it turns out this happens regularly. Dave (who I texted after my initial deer encounter in North Carolina) is just a good, supportive friend, and was excited for me since it was out of my norm.
We wait for the deer to pass, get back to the cars, check for ticks, and head back for dinner. Kelly made lasagna and I kept thinking I should have bought the Honey Hut, because fat kid wants some ice cream. Well Kelly and Dave already thought about that and planned on going tonight. Yes! They spoil me. We drive over and I got salted caramel mixed with vanilla… I was in the zone. It was delicious! It’s getting late out, not that you would ever know since the sky is still light, but we head back and turn in for the night. Dave has off work tomorrow so we plan to wear the dogs (and ourselves) out with some more hiking! With all of this hiking and nature, I feel like I’m really tapping into my inner Roni! In case you missed my first post, she’s a friend of mine currently hiking the Appalachian Trail. Check out her blog: http://bezziewrites.blogspot.com !
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