Horses?? -- In a Campground???

 Day 38 - Sunday, August 21, 2022

Artillery Ridge Campground and Horse Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Being a little farther south, we don't get daylight until 6a, but we have a cool start to the day at 65 degrees.  Our morning walk is through a park and around an area of the Schuykill River, which has a weir dam originally built to pump water into a now defunct ice house.  

Herb selects a starting point and we follow the city's designated path, meeting a local resident who tells us why there is only one swan in a section of the river.  She says their names are Abbey and Rambo and they mate for life, but it is not a good idea for them to have young here.  Sadly, we learn that the male will destroy the young.

One area of the river is a bit stagnant because the water is flowing very slowly, but part of the green color is a reflection of the trees.  In the next photo you can see that the water is flowing faster and appears clear.

The end of our walk takes us by St. James Episcopal Church, but even though it is Sunday, we are too early for services, and must leave during the time of the main service.

We get on the road at 10a and notice a sign telling us the elevation is 1400 feet.  Clouds are ahead, and rain is predicted.  We enjoy a pretty drive with more curves and steep grade and arrive to our destination in Gettysburg a little bit after lunchtime.  We leave early because a festival is scheduled to begin around noon, and we don't want to encounter blocked off streets.  Elevation here is down to 572 feet.

When we check in at the office in Gettysburg, we are assigned a site on Blue and Gray Way Street.  We are looking forward to our stay here, because we will be able to tour the Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District tomorrow.

But for today we'll see what's going on near us.  There's pool across the street from us and we occasionally hear screams and laughter.  Then we see the bucket at the top of the water tower.  A faucet above is continuously filling it, and when the bucket gets full, it pivots over and dumps bucket-load of water onto the swimmers below.  Kids are delighted, and it seems to be a challenge to them to anticipate the time when the bucket will tip over.  When they see it start to tip, some stay, some quickly swim away.

The bucket is hard to see against the green of the trees, but zooming may help.

There are games for the whole family, and a firewood vending machine that will take a credit card.

We were surprised to learn that this campground is also a National Riding Stables Horse Rescue organization.  Their mission is to save distressed horses from abuse, neglect and slaughter, and to place them in retirement homes as trail or companion horses.  Guests are invited to take a guided horse tour ride, and to donate for their care.

Another way to help is to rent a cabin on the 'street of the little town.' 

Near the children's playground is a sculpture of a horse and rider on the roof of a house, with signs that give direction for the path the horse riders should take.

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown,

   and of Walldog and Willie

   Sunday, August 21, 2022