Day 6: Harmony to Millersylvania in the Rain

This morning we woke up and I did my chores. River had a rough morning because I couldn’t take him with me into the laundry room. But we have to get used to the reality that some things I’ll just have to do without him.

We did walk around the grounds this morning before taking off, so here are the pictures of Mayfield Lake and Harmony Lakeside RV Park. 

This is the "Natural Area"

The leaf-covered trail leading down to the lake

Our first view of the lake

River finally managed to stay on top of this mossy log

Is this poison oak?

River checking out the rocks

Lichen

Mayfield Lake and its mossy rock shore.

Then, in a case of perfect timing, as soon as we unhooked and drove off, the sky opened up and we got our first real good rain of the season in the Pacific Northwest. It was pouring like we don’t often get around these parts. Really really raining. 

After driving for about fifteen minutes, I stopped for gas and put $100 in the tank, which took it from just over 1/4 full to just over 3/4 full. River was alone in the cab while I did that. Then we stopped in Centralia because I saw a Safeway from the road and needed to restock my refrigerator. River was alone for that, too, and when I came back probably twenty minutes later, he was howling like a wolf at the moon. What a dramatic guy. 

We stopped for the day at Millersylvania State Park this time. I wanted to avoid RV parks and go back to the wilderness. This place is similar to Yakima Sportsman in that it is very natural and yet provides full hookups. This park, though is more forested, although I don’t think we’re actually in a national forest. 

It looks beautiful here, but we haven’t seen much outside the camper because of the rain. I’m also a little paranoid about poison oak. I keep thinking I see it everywhere and I don’t want River to get near it. I haven’t had it since I was a kid, but I used to get it fairly frequently and I remember it being a hellish experience. 

I decided to stay two nights here. As of yet, we haven’t had the experience of waking up, spending the day and then going to sleep in the same place. So tomorrow we’ll have all day to run out in between cloudbursts to try to enjoy some of the beauty we’ve only seen from the windows of the motor home and our occasional pee walks. 

I’m having an issue with the black tank monitor that’s supposed to tell me how full it is; it seems to be stuck. I have emptied it a number of times, but it never registers being less than 3/4 full. I’m just going to stop relying on it and keep emptying it every day or so because its so much fun. Not really. It’s easily the least enjoyable and most disgusting part of RVing. 

We spent a lot of time at Millersylvania looking out the window and waiting for the rain to stop

I also don’t know how to tell how much propane I have. I was told not to worry about it because I have enough to last for 7-10 days and I’m only taking it out for a week. But I’m wondering if anyone cooks in these things. I’ve been cooking on the stove two meals a day, and that uses propane. I don’t suppose it would be the end of the world to run out, but it would mean taking cold showers and munching raw vegetables until I can refill it.