Thirteen months

Cash is 13 months old. I've had him for 10 months.  I got him when he was 12 weeks old. I had to go to Ohio to pick him up. I bought him from a breeder and judge of Maine Coon cats. I didn't meet the breeder, but I met her husband. Their house was full of cats. There were eight litter boxes in the living room, but no odor. They are cleaned out several times per day. There were many cat trees. I saw Cash's mother. There was a separate room for the kittens, but I wasn't allowed to see it.  

It was all business. I paid the remaining balance in cash, and Cash was mine to take. He cost $2000. I know it's a lot to pay for a cat, but that's what it costs to get a purebred kitten of any breed. Similar to dogs. I had always wanted a Maine Coon. I like big furry cats. I told the breeder that I wanted an orange  (red) one. She had two litters of kittens, with two male orange tabbies. Most orange tabbies are male. I sent her a deposit for one of the kittens. She sent me pictures every week or so of my kitten. I fell in love with the little guy from the first picture. Mom named him "Cash" since he cost so much money to buy. I also had to pay for him in cash.

Cash has been a wonderful addition to my pet family. He is sweet and lovable. He has gotten so big. I don't know how much he weighs, but it's a lot. He's an armful to hold.  He dwarfs Oliver. Ditto with Crissy (RIP). Supposedly, his sire was 30 lbs. Cash won't be full grown for a few years. I wonder how big he'll get. He doesn't seem to realize how big he is. He's very furry. 

March 27:  a few days old

March 31: a few days later

April 27: about a month old

May 10:  six weeks old

June 24: 12 weeks old and ready for his new home

June 27:  Oliver doesn't look impressed

July 1:  my "Zoom" buddy

July 14: goin' grow into the paws and ears

August 22: one of my favorite pictures

September 5:  "chillin"

October 9:  he's regal

October 22: in the clothes basket

November 25

December 20:  in the sunroom

January 17:  bed buddy

February 26: furry boy

March 24: an armful

April 11: over a year old 

In order to buy Cash, I had to agree to several stipulations. He had to be an inside cat. That was my intention. I couldn't have him declawed. I wouldn't. I had to have him neutered. I did. The breeder wanted me to buy pet insurance for the first year. I didn't. When I got Cash home, he didn't eat much and he kept vomiting. The other two cats went on hunger strikes. All three cats had vet visits. But eventually, everything worked out. The three cats didn't become best buddies, but they weren't enemies either. Cash gets along better with Ty than Oliver or Crissy did. 

Trough Creek State Park

Trough Creek State Park is a scenic gorge formed as Great Trough Creek cuts through Terrace Mountain and empties into Raystown Lake. It is a hidden gem in Pennsylvania's state park system. Ty and I visited yesterday. The drive from Clear Spring was quite scenic, meandering up and down through the countryside. Unfortunately, there wasn't any place to get a snack or go to the bathroom.  

Trough Creek State Park has many things worth seeing: Rainbow Falls, Balanced Rock, Cooperus Rock, a swinging bridge, an ice mine, and an old furnace. The most popular trail in the park is the Balanced Rock Trail, so this is the one Ty and I set out on. The first stop on the trail was the suspension bridge. Ty did not want to cross it. It moves as you walk and has lots of gaps in it. You didn't feel safe, though I'm sure you were. I've been on many suspension bridges. This was the creepiest one.

One of the highlights of the trail is Rainbow Falls. The 15-20 foot falls are very picturesque. Being spring time, there was plenty of water flow. There are steps beside the falls that you can climb to eventually get to the top of the cliff to get a close-up look at Balanced Rock, another highlight of the trail (and park). Ty and I started to climb them, but neither of us wanted to continue. I'm a bit afraid of heights and the stairs were scary. I was especially worried about coming back down the stairs with Ty in tow. 

Balanced Rock is the result of geologic erosion. It lies perched a top a cliff along Great Trough Creek. While it appears that it could easily be toppled into the creek below, it has maintained its current position for thousands of years. Ty and I had to settle for observing the rock from the parking lot below. Not sure Ty cared. 

Further into the park was the ice mine, essentially a hole in the ground. Apparently, when miners were looking for ore, they discovered this small opening could serve as a "refrigerator" to keep things cool. Ty did not want to go down. It freaked him out. I thought it was pretty cool, in multiple ways.

Cooperus Rock offered spectacular views of the different layers of rock. This is where Ty went into the water. There was even a little waterfall in the gorge. There is a rumor that Edgar Allen Poe was inspired to write "The Raven" after visiting the area, as it used to be a nesting place for thousands of ravens. 

We walked part of the Cooperus and Ledge Trail. This was a lovely trek through the woods. Before leaving the park, we visited the Paradise Furnace, also known as the Mary Ann Furnace. The furnace dates back to the 1830's. It operated from the late 1800's until the mid 1900s when economic conditions changed.

One crazy little goat

I decided I wanted to raise goats one more time, so I got a pair of Nigerian Dwarf does (bred). My sister named them: Thelma and Louise. Thelma gave birth to twins on March 20. One was dead in the straw. The other was a little buck my (Great) niece Gabby named Ramen (after Ramen Noodles). Louise hasn't had her babies yet. She's supposed to kid sometime this month (April). 

Ramen is something. He sneaks through holes in the gates, goes where he wants, and demands constant attention. He's a goat. Of course, he does all that. He runs. He plays. He jumps. He climbs. He bleats (if you can call it a bleat). He follows after every one. Everyone loves him. Gabby and Lara want to take him home. I wonder if Louise's kids will be as crazy as Ramen is.

Did I say people think I'm crazy for getting goats again?  I got rid of the other goats over 15 years ago and vowed never to raise goats again; they are so much trouble!  But I caved. 

I love covered bridges.

I've always loved covered bridges. I've taken may drives to seek out covered bridges. Whenever I encounter a covered bridge on a drive, I stop to see it and take pictures. Mom enjoys going along for the ride when I'm in pursuit of covered bridges.

Frederick County has a three bridge tour of historic covered bridges: Utica, Loy's Station, and Roddy Road (pictured below). They are located in northern Frederick County, all within twelve miles of each other. Each has a different truss system. You can still drive across all three. There are only three other covered bridges in Maryland: one in Cecil County and one shared by Harford/Baltimore counties. I've not seen any of these.

There are more than 200 covered bridges in Pennsylvania, more than any other state. I've knocked quite a few off my bucket list, but am no where near having seen them all. Last fall, I (we) embarked on a tour of the covered bridges in Columbia County. There are 21 covered bridges in Columbia County. Only two Pennsylvania counties have more. The highlight of the tour was the twin covered bridges: the East and West Paden Bridges. The road by-passes the bridges, so the area is now a park. 

Just 11 years after it was built, both Union and Confederate armies crossed the Sachs Covered Bridge near Gettysburg. Supposedly, three Confederate soldiers were hung from the bridge's wooden support beams. Their crime:  trying to flee the war. For this reason, the bridge is thought to be haunted. The bridge is no longer open to vehicular traffic, but you can walk across it. It is one of the most picturesque bridges I have seen (so far). It is a must-see landmark for Civil War and covered bridge enthusiasts. 

One of my favorite places to take Ty is Martins Mill Covered Bridge State Park in Antrim (near Greencastle). It has a long 200-foot bridge that spans the Conococheague Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River. The bridge is closed to traffic, but you can walk across it (it's kind of creepy), but you can't go on the other side of the creek, as it is privately owned. The bridge is in a nice park there where you can easily access the creek. Ty loves the water. He swam for the first time last summer, though I had to throw him in the creek. I hope to go tubing on the creek this summer. Don't know how Ty will feel about that. I have a life jacket for him.

Most covered bridges are red, not to resemble barns, but because red paint was cheaper. There are some white covered bridges. We stumbled across this one while driving to Raystown Lake (PA) last summer. Halls Mill Covered Bridge is one of 14 historic covered bridges in Bedford County (PA). The bridge is in excellent shape and you can drive across it. It spans the Yellow Creek. The area is clean, scenic, and well-kept. It's located in an open area so you can see the countryside all around it.

I took this picture almost 40 years ago when I was living in West Virginia. It is of the covered bridge in Philippi, one of the few that is part of the federal highway system (Route 250). It is also one of the few surviving two-lane covered bridges. Philippi was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War. Both armies heavily used the  bridge. The bridge survived the war relatively unscathed, but was damaged by severe flood in 1985 and nearly destroyed by fire in 1989. Care was taken to restore the bridge to its original form. I have not seen the restored bridge, but it's definitely on my bucket list of places to go.

Covered bridges are a colorful slice of Americana. According to Wikipedia, over 14,000 were built in the US, mostly in the years 1825 to 1875. In the mid 1880's metal bridges replaced wooden bridges, and they didn't need covered. Less than 1000 (1 in 10) covered bridges remain in the US. Thankfully, some have been added to historic registers and preserved for all to enjoy.

Cunningham Falls

Cunningham Falls State Park is home to Maryland's highest cascading waterfall at 78 feet. Ty and I visited on March 8, and I took Mom there on March 17.  Both seemed to enjoy the falls. Only one went in the water.  I had visited the falls last summer, but there was little water flowing, due to the lack of rain.

Cunningham Falls State Park borders Catoctin Mountain Park, a federally protected area. It is a short hike along a boardwalk to reach Cunningham Falls. I was able to push Mom in a wheel chair. Ty and I took the longer hike to reach the falls. There is a cliff walk that takes you to the top of the falls. I'd like to do this hike at some point, but probably without Ty. Ty and I have done other hikes in Catoctin Mountain Park, including Hog Rock and Blue Ridge Summit.

Washington Monument

I've lived in Washington County for more than 20 years, but had never visited the Washington Monument. I rectified this on April 14 when I took Mom there on one of our Sunday drives. Unfortunately, the trail to the monument is not handicapped accessible. She waited in the car while I made the short hike to the monument. When I got back, I showed her pictures of the monument and surrounding area.

The Washington Monument in Washington County was built two decades before the one on the Mall in Washington DC. It was erected on July 4, 1827 by the citizens of Boonsboro to honor the first president. It is a stone monument that resembles a milk bottle in shape. It was built with stones from the area. It is 30 feet high and located near the summit of South Mountain. During the Civil War, the monument was used as a signal station by the Union Army. The Battle of South Mountain took place nearby.

Like most things, the monument fell in disrepair over the years. During the time of the Civil War, only about a third of the monument still stood. It was rebuilt at least twice in its history, most recently by the CCC in 1936. In 1972, the monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is now maintained by the Maryland Park Service as a state park. The trail to the monument intersects with the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, there are signs commemorating important milestones in George Washington's life. 

The Little Known History of the First Washington Monument

Annapolis Rock

Annapolis Rock is a scenic overlook in South Mountain State Park in rural Maryland. It is a 5.3-mile hike, up and back, on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, to get there. The 1700 foot cliff overlooks the Cumberland Valley.  The view is breath-taking. It is considered a moderately difficult hike. There are some strenuous sections with rocky stairs to navigate. Overall, you gain about 780 feet in elevation. At times, footing can be difficult to navigate. Ty and I did this hike on April 16. I was proud of us. We're both amateur hikers and a bit on the chubby side. Next time, I need to bring more water for Ty. Fortunately, some people at the top had some water to spare for Ty. And, some treats!