Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Excursion Progress

Image: Weather in the Albuquerque area this evening – courtesy Damsel – Click to enlarge

It has been over two weeks since since posting about our progress on the big summer RV excursion. At this point, to make a very long story short, we’re on the last couple of stops before returning to our home. In the image above, you can see the weather in the area where we’re camped.

Damsel has been posting some photos on social media, but we have been remiss in doing that here. A major reason for the lack of posting is some adversarial conditions encountered, which I won’t elaborate on now. Perhaps I will in our trip summary to be posted when we’re settled in at home again.

We got as far as the Atlantic Ocean in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. We made our way back to our present location by following several interesting locations and finally along historic route 66.

Meanwhile, we’re making progress and will be done with the excursion real soon.

10 Aug 2025 by Environment Wanderlust

Starlink and DirecTV Accessibility

Clickable image – Northern Sky View.

We’re camping in a very nice place in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia. It is a wooded area with lots of large trees. Unfortunately, for the reception of signals from space satellites, the trees attenuate the microwave signals from the satellites, and can make reception difficult or impossible.

The image above is our view of the Northern Sky where we would point our Starlink® antenna for internet access. After trying to access the Starlink constellation, the app on the phone reported that there was no access to the internet. Note that the orbits of the Starlink satellites are moving across the sky with the ground antenna attempting to lock onto and track the satellites as they move across the sky. The access failed and we finally gave up on using the Starlink at this location.

Clickable image – Southern Sky View.

This next image is of the southern sky from our campsite. In spite of the ominous presence of signal-impeding trees, we are getting good DirecTV satellite reception. I suppose that the stationary (geo-synchronous) satellites are visible between the branches of the lofty trees in that direction.

So, we’re watching our TV shows and enjoying them on DirecTV. As for internet access, we have a fallback position for secure access via our smartphone carrier. We pay a few bucks a month to have this backup and it’s doing its job tonight.

24 Jul 2025 by Cyberspace Entertainment Notions Technobabble Wanderlust

Monongahela River

We’re still roaming around the land of ancestors on this excursion. Today, we visited the place of my paternal grandmother’s birth in Barrackville, West Virginia. One of the major landmarks in this area is the Monongahela River, which is in northern West Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania.

Some facts about this river from Brave Leo AI:

The Monongahela River is a 130-mile-long river that flows through north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. It is formed by the confluence of the West Fork River and the Tygart Valley River in north-central West Virginia. The river flows northward, joining the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

The name “Monongahela” comes from the Unami language and roughly translates to “falling banks”, referring to the geological instability of the river’s banks. The Monongahela River is an important waterway for industry, carrying coal, coke, iron, and steel. It is made navigable by a series of locks and dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The upper reaches of the Monongahela River basin are known for their whitewater kayaking and rafting opportunities. The river also has a significant history, including being the site of the Braddock Expedition during the French and Indian War in the 18th century.

Clickable image.

23 Jul 2025 by Notions Photography Retirement Wanderlust

Completing Another Orbit

Well, my 82nd birthday finds us in West Virginia, which happens to be a place where of one of the branches of my ancestors can be traced back to the family’s original immigrants who arrived in what was then the Virginia Colony. They prospered after lots of hard work and were actually pioneers to the area.

We will pass through Barrackville, WV, tomorrow on the way to our next campsite in Morgantown. My paternal grandmother was born in Barrackville and her grandfather and possibly more ancestors are buried here. We visited grandmother’s grave in Pueblo CO, a few days ago.

So, we’re camped here in Sutton, WV, and as a celebration of the special day, we grilled a couple of petite Filet Mignon Steaks and Damsel prepared a wonderful Romaine salad as an accompaniment. It was a good day.

Clickable Images.

22 Jul 2025 by Ancestors Notions Wanderlust

Starlink Mini Report —
 Internet On The Road


Last year when we camped at Monument Valley on our way to view the Total Eclipse of the Sun in Texas, our internet service options were terrible. We had both the campground wi-fi and a hotspot provided through the cell phone; either one was very crappy. It was at that time that we decided to (eventually) go the Starlink way.

This year, our first stop was, in fact, Monument Valley. I did not bother comparing their wi-fi to the Starlink Mini. Once I got the unit turned on and the antenna oriented correctly (per the Starlink App), we were off and running with internet speeds adequately high bandwidth to not only run our laptops, but to stream movies and other content on the big RV TV using an Amazon FIRE® Stick.

The screen shots below are typical of the up and download speeds we get in places that are not perfectly clear. There is enough open view of the northern sky, which Starlink seems to like, in these places where we have been camping.

We are even getting good internet in the land of OZ.

Click on any image to enlarge.

17 Jul 2025 by Entertainment Notions Technobabble Wanderlust

Wilson Arch

We stopped to water the dogs and take a break from driving at Wilson Arch along US 191 south of Moab, UT. We’ve seen this arch many times over the years as we navigate through Utah. Photo from my Samsung Galaxy. Clickable.

From Brave Leo AI:

Wilson Arch is a natural sandstone arch located in southeastern Utah, just off U.S. Route 191 in San Juan County, 24 miles south of Moab. It has a span of 91 feet and a height of 46 feet. This arch is easily accessible and can be viewed from the road, with turnouts and interpretive signs available.

For those interested in exploring further, a short 0.4-mile hike offers a spectacular view of the majestic rock formation and the blue Utah sky beyond. The hike is considered easy and rewarding, with a chance to stretch your legs and explore the natural marvel up close.

Wilson Arch is also a popular spot for photographers and nature enthusiasts, with the changing light and shadows around the arch providing endless inspiration. Its imposing structure, set against the vast desert sky, creates a striking contrast that begs to be captured.

11 Jul 2025 by Photography Retirement Travel Wanderlust

Monument Valley

After sort of a long day of travel, we’re camping in Monument Valley for a couple of days. The trip was uneventful and only punctuated with a little summer rainfall north of the San Francisco Mountains in Northern Arizona.

We will be traveling eastward but not before heading north from here up into Colorado to drop by a couple of Ancestors burial places. More on those stops later.

Meanwhile, we’re relaxing in the valley made famous by John Ford, John Wayne and others in various cinematic performances of yore. Regardless of the cinematic fame, this place is awesome and one of God’s greatest creations.

08 Jul 2025 by Photography Travel Wanderlust

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