"" Writer's Wanderings: July 2020

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Put In Bay--COVID or Not

The reservation had already been made before the lead story on the evening news was that there was a cluster of COVID cases at the island. It was only 16 cases and they were said to stem from gatherings in some of the bars and a pool with a swim up bar. Since we had no intention of going to any bars, we continued with our plans. After a Sunday morning wedding, we found ourselves aboard the Miller Ferry in the afternoon. 

Being Sunday, most of the traffic was coming off the island rather than going to the island. We took our car this time since it is really a little cheaper than renting a golf cart although the cart is a lot more fun. Before checking into the Arbor Inn, our favorite bed and breakfast on the island, we stopped in to visit my brother and his wife. We had hoped to see them in August at a wedding but unfortunately the wedding is now postponed to next year. We had a great visit sitting on their deck and enjoying conversation and fresh breezes off the lake.

The state park beach used to be best for 
skipping stones.
Our check in at the B&B was contactless. A registration paper was set on the table for us along with the key for our room. We filled out a check and left it with the completed registration and went up to our room to change into more comfortable clothes. 

Back out and into the car, we took a bit of a tour around the town and out to the South Bass State Park where Bob is hoping to set up his portable station for the Ohio State Parks On The Air day in September. Last year he and his brother worked from Oak Point State Park, a little patch of green near the fish hatchery. There was so much goose dung that they had to borrow a rake and clear a spot. They are hoping the large park will work out better. There certainly were fewer geese.

Stopping by the Perry's Victory & International Peace Monument, we found we were in time for the last rifle demonstration of the day. We missed the preamble about the history behind the uniforms and rifles but were able to watch them load and fire. Must have been terrifying with troops advancing on you considering the time it took to reload.

Dinner was at the Goat where I got my annual fish tacos. They were a little crazy with a reduced staff due to COVID but we observed them being very diligent with their cleaning and hand sanitizing. (Testing was done over the weekend and the spread was found to be not nearly as bad as they anticipated.) 

Bob enjoyed an ice cream cone from the Chocolate Cafe and then we got coffee and water and found a picnic table in DeRivera Park downtown to enjoy the evening and reminisce about our first date--a trip to Gibraltar Island in the bay for an open house at the Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory. That was fifty-five years ago. 

Oh and while we were at the monument, we took a moment to sit under our favorite tree from that summer. Bob pointed out that there was a camera on the tree now. Hmmm.


Saturday, July 04, 2020

Holiday Sale!! 99 Cents!

Three of my Kindle editions are on sale beginning July 4 for 99 cents . Here are the titles and links:



Ginnie Scott looked forward to the beginning of a new life in Fort Lonesome. She felt a new sense of freedom leaving behind the parents she had so deeply disappointed. She was starting fresh as a preschool teacher where no one knew her past. Little did she expect that the past would catch up with her.
Grant Richards’ life has been through some deep valleys. Just as he thought his heart might mend from the loss of his wife, Becca, he has to cope with his daughter’s perilous brain tumor. Then Bonnie’s new preschool teacher arrives to throw his life into more turmoil. Is she Becca’s ghost? The resemblance is uncanny.
Martin Westfall ruined Ginnie’s life with his rash promises and failures to fulfil them. He’s found her again and this time he won’t let anything come between them, not even a little girl and her cowboy father.
Fort Lonesome, Florida, is classified as a ghost town but the only ghosts in town are the ghosts of the past that come into Grant and Ginnie’s lives. Will those ghosts bring the two together? Possibly, but only if they can overcome their fears and find the hope they need for the future.


Annie Pickels, a 65 year old widowed pickle entrepreneur is in real trouble. One of her city farmers is growing marijuana on his rented plot of land. Annie, thinking it is marjoram, uses it as a secret ingredient in her pickles. 

Insisting Tommy is a nice young man, Annie discovers his beloved Mary Jane is not the name of his girlfriend when Annie is arrested for cultivation and sale of marijuana. But Annie knows God always takes care of her. On a cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2, Annie met Arnie, the man who may solve her impending legal dilemma.

Elma, Annie's best friend, knows that Arnie is just what Annie needs in her life. But is he? Annie's niece thinks Arnie is out to fleece her aunt. Is she right? Or is Arnie the one who can get Annie out of the pickle she's in?


Annie Pickels, a widowed pickle entrepreneur, and her best friend Elma are off to London for a little holiday. While in London things are happening back home that threaten to cause the loss of Annie’s farm property. Once again she will rely on Arnie, her friend who is a lawyer but who wants to be so much more in her life, to help her out of trouble. A trip to Alaska and a meeting with her deceased husband’s family solves some of her problems but there are still questions to be answered. How far will the people who want her property go to get it? And, is there room in her heart for Arnie, the one Elma keeps telling her is the “man of her dreams”? It’s a dilly of a pickle Annie finds herself in but with friends, family and faith the answers become clear.

The 99 cent sale is good until July 11. To see all my books, go to my author page: Karen Robbins, Author

Thursday, July 02, 2020

1996--Our Amazing Fall Road Trip

Fall colors in Northeast Ohio are spectacular in the perfect Autumn weather. We had always heard though that the fall foliage in the New England area were the best. In the Fall of 1996, we decided to see for ourselves. We weren't disappointed.

Our trip began with a flight to Connecticut as best we can recall since our first stop was in Mystic. The Mystic Seaport Museum has quite a few historic ships moored there and we explored several. I remember it being a quaint town but that was back in 1996. Hard to say if it is still the picturesque place I remember.

From there we drove north through Boston and up to Salem. Of course how could you visit Salem without exploring all the history behind the infamous Salem witch trials. For some reason, I was surprised to discover that Salem was also home to the House of Seven Gables, made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name. I had no idea that it was an actual place.

Acadia National Park was a little more than a four and a half hour drive. I believe we stayed in Bar Harbor but again, I did not take good notes and I've lost my initial planning for the trip. The park was beautiful and the surrounding seaside was fun to explore. We took a whale watching tour where we sighted a few whales but the season for seeing the really big whales was over by then. They had headed south for better food prospects for the winter. 

I have a picture that appears to be a huge Maine clambake of sorts with lobster. I don't remember that but I do remember a very nice dinner in a restaurant that was on a dock where we could look down and watch the lobster boats come in and unload their catch. Needless to say, the lobster was really fresh.

We also made a stop in Kennebunkport after driving past the Bush compound. In town, we treated ourselves to a lobster roll. By the time we had left Maine, we'd had quite a lot of lobster. 

From Bar Harbor we turned west and began our journey through the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. The weather was a bit misty and rainy but I was amazed at how brilliant the colors of the leaves were--mostly gold but even in the cloudy and rainy day they stood out. We began to see signs warming of moose crossing. We didn't see any but when we stopped for the night, we heard stories about them.

Vermont is where I believe we found the covered bridges I have pictures of. Of course we made a stop at Ben and Jerry's which was interesting and amusing. Vermont was very beautiful and the Burlington area was a nice place to stay for a bit.

Burlington was our "turnaround point". We headed southeast again to the place we'd started to turn in our car and fly home. As I recall, the trip back to the airport was not quite as picturesque. I think we went through more populated areas. 

All in all, it was a great trip but I think in any given year, our Fall foliage in Ohio is as pretty as anywhere else.
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