I love October in Belleplain State Forest (NJ). The maples, elms, oaks, sassafrases and hickories (among other trees) change colors. There is always some reds, last year there were amazing shades of red. This year the maples turned red, but orange seems to be the dominant color. the temperature must not have dropped to the necessary degree to signal the production of red in the leaves (see my post, My Favorite Campground in New Jersey: Belleplain State Forest).
I visited Belleplain at the beginning of the month. Many of the leaves had not turned yet, except one maple near the lake. I went out early in the day and took pictures of the reflection on the lake from different locations.
- Red at the park
Another view of the red
On this particular trip, I camped for most of it by myself. I have never camped by myself. Yes, I was in my wonderful motorhome with most of the conveniences of home, but I was dry camping, meaning I had no hook ups to water, electricity or sewer. With Johnnie, my husband, usually with me, I don’t have to pay attention to water usage, the charging of the inverter so that there is ample power to run the furnace if needed, or running the generator to charge the inverter or to use the microwave or the coffeemaker. This was the first time that I cooked in our motorhome. And I did cook using the stove, not just heat or cook meals in the microwave. It was an exhilarating experience.
What I loved most was that I found my rhythm. I am in graduate school and needed to write while I was away. I knew that I wanted photograph the leaves and walk on the nature trail. Since I had our dinghy with me, I also wanted to take trips to Moores Beach and Reeds Beach which are both on the Delaware Bay and, if time and weather allowed, a trip to Cape May Point State Park. I found that I was up each morning shortly after sunrise which was a treat since my work week 5:30 am is in the dark. I started the generator then made coffee, followed by cooking oatmeal for breakfast. I worked for a few hours and then dressed. After getting dressed, I snacked on fruit and then went outside. After an hour or two, I came back to the RV to make lunch. Cleaning up after lunch, I went on my trip. Moores Beach was a bit too isolated for me and I did not feel safe by myself amidst the six-foot tall marsh grass surrounding me. If I had visited the place previously, I might have felt safer, but this was all new territory for me. I’ll visit again with Johnnie. When I walked the nature trails and was within the Lake Nummy Recreation area, I felt safe because I know this area like the back of my hand and I know the rangers patrol on a regular basis. I always wave to the rangers and make eye contact so that they are aware of my presence. Most of the week there were only two other sites in my camping area that were occupied, so I really was alone.
I discovered that one of my favorite times of the day was the hour before sunset. I made a cup of tea and drank it at the picnic table on my site. Woodpeckers and blue jays were out at this time and I was able to learn a lot about them. The blue jays were trying to get the woodpeckers to move by flying close by the woodpeckers so that they would fly to another tree. The woodpeckers would sit on the branches and call. I had never identified the call as the woodpecker. When they make the call, their body feathers ruffle and the body trembles. Unfortunately in the receding light, I could not get a clear picture of the woodpeckers. They blended into the light and the pine trees.
Once the sun set, I made dinner and settled in for the evening. Park rules stipulate that generators can be run between 6 am and 10 pm. Sometime after 8 pm I would run the generator for an hour so that I charged the inverter. The furnace was set at a comfortable 69 degrees. Each night the furnace would come on in the pre-dawn hours when the temperature dropped the lowest. One night the furnace came on a few times during the night. I was grateful for my comforter and for the furnace.
I loved my time alone and I enjoyed my reunion with Johnnie when he came for final few days. One day had been rainy so I had not had a chance to get to Reeds Beach or Cape May Point State Park before his visit. We did visit both places. Reeds Beach is a tiny little waterfron community with beach houses. One road goes through the community. On the Saturday that we visited, the weather was warm and sunny, so people were visiting for the weekend. We went to the pier and watched boats come up the Delaware Bay. We had packed a picnic lunch that we ate at Cape May Point State Park before returning to Belleplain.
Birds on the pilings at Reeds Beach
View from the pier
The road into Reeds Beach
Our camping season is coming to an end. The weather will get too cold for dry camping and almost all of the campgrounds in our area close from November to April. I look forward to the first warm weekend in spring when we return to Belleplain.
Views from the Rear Window 