Garden Week Six - Children's Garden at Winterthur /  by Dave Hileman

What a delightful place this must be for young children or for old men, ahem, who still think a bit like a child. The Children's Garden is full of secret little spaces, toadstools to sit on, a nest to climb in, swings, and bridges. But the centerpiece is a wonderful, imaginative stone cottage with all sorts of play activities, tiny nooks, gnome-sized doors, and high thrones to rule from. All surrounded by enough plants to make the "hundred acre wood" come alive in the minds of A. A. Milne's generations of readers. If you have a child of elementary age, this is a place where real imagination is unfettered. And not a mouse in sight.

May I pour?

Garden Week Five - Not Planned! /  by Dave Hileman

Actually the one that was planned will occur tomorrow. I got home after a long slog of a drive very tired and by the time I got to this project thunderstorms started popping up all around - So enjoy these four flowers from the spectacular gardens.

Garden Week Four - The Proposal /  by Dave Hileman

At the top of the stairs in the photo I shared yesterday leading from the pool, you turn right, across a portion of the house and then down a bit to a balcony overlooking small ponds, water courses, ferns and flowers under a canopy of huge trees - just a beautiful spot of complete serenity. We stopped here and Jill said, “Isn’t this just beautiful?” Well, that was my cue for in my camera bag -clutched all day tightly to my side, was an engagement ring. I took the ring case from the bag and while on my knee asked this amazing woman if she would marry me. She said yes and we both shared a few tears of joy over what God has done in our lives. After a few minutes I went to the front entrance and asked one of the staff to come and take a photo. She was happy to do so. We found ourselves surrounded by flowers and beauty but all I could see was Jill. We celebrated at a lovely restaurant in Kennett Square, named Portobello. After our scrumptious meal, a desert arrived from Carin and Evan (Jill’s daughter and son-in-law) as a delicious surprise. Wedding plans are well underway for a small wedding to take place in Knoxville, Tennessee in early August.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8 NLT

A partial view from “our” balcony

Garden Week Three - The House /  by Dave Hileman

Let me start with this excerpt from the web site:

Winterthur Museum is filled with historic and decorative objects collected and arranged according to the aesthetic principles of its visionary, Henry Francis du Pont. A passionate collector throughout his life, he transformed his family home into a showplace for objects made and used for centuries, then opened it as a museum to share America’s diverse stories with the public. The collection of more than 90,000 objects includes items ranging from the streamlined, functional furniture produced by the Shakers to opulent masterworks of 18th-century craftsmanship.

The rooms we were able to visit on the 4th and 5th floors of the house were just beautiful and the objects were exquisite. Flowers adorned every room with artful displays and vases of cut flowers. There are several tours you can take that include more of the museum/ home than we saw on our first visit but with your admission comes a tour of two floors either five and six or five and four. The guides were well informed and anxious to answer our questions about the objects. This 175 room home turned museum is cleverly built to obscure the home’s enormous size, 9 floors and nearly 100,000 square feet but the placement of the trees and gardens are such that the most imposing aspect is the beautiful partial views you have framed by trees, lawn and gardens. Remarkable.

Front of the house - the entryway is out of the photo well to the left.

A glimpse of the house from the pool. You would go up about 40 steps to reach the “back” door. It leads to my favorite spot, be sure and tune in tomorrow for that view!

This is all authentic colonial era furnishings, fabrics, and even the walls and fireplaces were saved from old homes originally located in one of the first 13 states.

Music room

Garden Week Two - The Quarry (4 photos) /  by Dave Hileman

Winterthur is a large property of more than a thousand acres. There are vast fields, woodlands, gardens, ponds, and paths to wander and as you do you discover small gems like the quarry. Here the old rock of the quarry walls seep water into the bottom where they mingle with two streams. The ledges create spots for moss, ferns, small shrubs, and flowering trees. A stone bridge crosses the edge of the quarry and the whole area is a tiny spot among the forests and fields. It is not much bigger than the main house dinning room. Yet what a magical spot. Ringed with trees and richly blanketed in a profusion of colors that bloom in succession across the seasons. You could sit on the rocks by the flowers and see more and more as you allowed your eyes to pick out details and sense the sweet fragrance mingling in the air. No photo captures the experience of being there.

Garden Week - One /  by Dave Hileman

Welcome to Two Lane Touring’s first ever Garden Week. We are focused (another brilliant pun at no additional charge) on the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library located Winterthur, DE, a bit north of Wilmington, Delaware. This area is a very pretty part of the country. Winterthur has a house you can tour consisting of 175 rooms, a smaller cottage of about 55 - much of that house is a gift shop, miles of hiking and walking trails in a stunning natural setting. Simply one of the more beautiful places you can ever visit. The lilacs were found in two areas, one was nearly finished blooming then on our second time at the gardens, (you cannot see all of this is a day, or two) we came across a section full of lilacs with glorious, abundant blooms. This is among Jill’s favorite flowers and she was delighted to have found so many and enjoyed being surrounded by these flowering gems.

Cades Cove /  by Dave Hileman

Cades Cove is found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a loop road of about 11 miles that is often bumper to bumper with traffic. You can spot bear, deer, turkey and more as well as several original buildings, so lots to see. In mid-winter the crowds are fewer and the scenery just as pretty. Especially on this warm winter day.

Playing for Change (or Bills!) /  by Dave Hileman

This street musician was found outside the Farmers Market in Lancaster, PA. He not only kept up a tune on his fiddle, but had a percussion section operated with his feet and he sang. Pretty adapt at all of them, fun to listen to him.

Portrait Project #29 /  by Dave Hileman

This is Alan. He was at the turn-around point on his Sunday ride into the Virginia countryside. I caught up to him in the parking lot of an art gallery in Sperryville, VA. His Harley, that he said was nothing special, was gleaming in the afternoon sun. Pleasant fellow, appreciate his kindness allowing me to take his photo.

Nesting Site /  by Dave Hileman

This is the top of the steeple of Christ’s Episcopal Church in New Bern, NC., where a bird found a great spot for a well-protected nest. It is atop an 18th century site with an elaborate building now dating from the early 1800’s. It has a bible inside on display that was given to the church by King George II in 1752. They also have a stunning display of silver, also from King George II, used for communion. It was made by Mordecai Fox in England.

Memorial Day /  by Dave Hileman

Today is not about outdoor cookouts, picnics, ballgames and a weekend away. But all these and so much more are possible because of what this day represents. There are so many angry voices today decrying the value of America - they are for the most part ignorant of history, of valor, of sacrifice, of culture, of the blessings this land has provided. On this day we honor the men and women who gave their lives for this country from the War of Independence, the Civil War, the War to End All Wars, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Wars in the Middle East and so many more hostile encounters across the globe. We give you our thanks.

One town’s tribute to the number of soldiers who died over two and a half centuries from their community.

Local memorial in a small town in Pennsylvania.

Looking for a new home for the Oliver /  by Dave Hileman

Oliver Elite 2015 Travel Trailer

I am selling the trailer following my wife’s death last year. I went out with the Oliver three times, two short trips and one extended journey and, simply, it was not the experience I was hoping for. Everything has a season and mine with this wonderful camper is ending even as I hope to find someone who will enjoy the travel as much as I did.

This is not one of those that went out for a month each year or parked at a beach for a bit. We traveled in 49 states and enjoyed every inch of scenery and beauty we saw. My goal was to reach 400 of the National Park Service parks and we achieved 363 (so far) but the next few will be with a different form of travel. Some photos under “camping” here.

However well-traveled the trailer is it also very well-maintained. I did not let things go and every year had an inspection in January to prepare for the year’s travels. Some things broke on the road, a sail switch twice, a water fitting, also twice and water pump replaced last year in Utah. I also had a furnace issue in Vermont and while fixed it is no longer relevant for Oliver has a new current generation furnace that works very well.

Which brings me to the biggest issue. We had a lightning strike near to us in Texas on the coast. It turned out to have created a mess with the main power line into the trailer fusing several smaller lines. To say the least nothing worked. I towed it to the Oliver factory and they kept it for 3 months and rewired a lot of the trailer, most of it upgraded to current standards. That is where I also had the electric fuse panel replaced, a window that had lost the seal, a new set of Battleborn lithium batteries, new controller, Vitronic monitoring, new Dexter current generation axle and new inverter installed. About $11,000 dollars invested in 2022. It has worked flawlessly since, much better in some respects than before. I also recently had a new thermostat and control panel for the AC done. I have a lot of paperwork for the trailer.

Additionally I will include all the required equipment to hook up: water filter, hose, sewer hose and new one in box, various fittings for different situations for both water and electric, cable, electric surge protector and more. There are also numerous little holders, clips, towel bars, bedding system etc that go with the trailer.

I will provide 1/2 up to $500 for any repair needed within 60 days. Delivery for a day’s drive is available (300 miles from Raleigh) for free.

Contact is 757-897-0223 davehileman@icloud.com

These are a few sample images lots more specific ones if you are interested.

Early Spring in the Blue Ridge /  by Dave Hileman

Along the back side of Old Rag Mountain in Central Virginia is a portion of the Shenandoah National Park that is a bit “out of the way” from most who visit here. You must make a decision to find this spot. I don’t recall the name of the stream but the beautiful lime green colors of the new foliage and the sounds of the rushing waters were a delight on this afternoon. We did not have time to hike the short distance to a waterfall, next time for sure.

Peonies /  by Dave Hileman

I’m getting a flower education from Jill. These are found at the Winterthur House and Gardens in Delaware. Stunning. Both the place and the flowers. More to come. Lots!

Dreamy Thoughts /  by Dave Hileman

For me, there are few better places to think than by the sea. The rhythm of the waves, the chatter of the gulls, the breeze and the scent of the salt spray just put me into a spot where wonder and renewal lead to introspection and new ideas. Love the wonder of what God creates in both nature and our minds.

Rare /  by Dave Hileman

I was so fortunate recently to photograph this skeleton of an ancient rhino that had washed up on the beach at Chincoteague NWR in Virginia. Not much is known about this long extinct creature but only a few of them have been recovered so well preserved and nearly the whole structure is intact. By now I am sure the Smithsonian has acquired this so look for it someday in the Natural History Museum.

Not Just Tacos, No, No. /  by Dave Hileman

These are tacos arranged by a food designer for a photo shoot at a restaurant in Clermont, FL. Walking into the area, I noted that the food designer was putting the final touches on this trio, lights were set, plate in place and I asked could I take a quick shot, she said, of course. So when you see my photo, or rather a photo that looks like mine but likely a bit better, on a menu you will know why it feels so familiar. It will have nothing to do with the fact you have eaten several hundred tacos over the years.