bump up the volume

The camp sites along the tow path have these old-time pumps for water. Here's Rick getting a work out at one of the ones that takes 30-40 pumps before any water comes up. Most people give up after three, but Rick is stubborn. We hypothesize that the higher we get from the water table the harder it is to get the water up the pipe.

We met a lot of wonderful people yesterday. First we met a real gentleman named Nacho. He stopped and chatted with us for about half an hour. Rick told him about the camp sites along the toe tow path and Nacho decided on the spot to take his four kids and two friends ("basically also my kids") on a camping trip.

Eventually some of the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Corp showed up. Nacho introduced us to them then went on his way. Paula and Stacy, the two volunteers had been friends since they were four. Grown apart, refound each other, grown apart and now shared shifts in the ambulance. Stacy's first husband wasn't supportive of her volunteer efforts so only in the last year, with the support of her new husband was she able to fullfill a long held dream of being a volunteer EMT. Paula's grown daughter has twins, a boy and a girl, so she proudly told us, her house is never quiet. Jackie, a garrulous local, filled us in on all the local history of Brunswick (nee Berlin).

Oh, yes, by this time we were at the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Company, where they had graciously driven us after my boot lashes tangled and I'd fallen flat on my face. Black eye blooming this morning. Once they realized I wasn't going the way of Natasha Richardson, both my father, my friend Helen and Rick got good belly laughs out of what a klutz I am.

We'll be staying in lovely Harpers Ferry for the next several days, taking day hikes and nursing my various wounds.