Superbowl Sunday: We are now at the Barnyard RV Park, a very large campground in suburban (or maybe sub-suburban) Columbia. (Although this RV Park has a goose pond which helps keep the campground dry, there is nothing “Barnyard”y about it – this seems to be the name of the neighborhood.)
Most private campgrounds provide cable, and this is true of the Barnyard RV Park where we are now camped. However, our RV is also equipped with a digital antenna, (which finds the stations automatically) and this proved to be the key to good reception for the game.
Most private campgrounds also provide wifi, but the Barnyard RV Park does not. Chuck had prepared for this by arranging for a hotspot on one of our phones. This is also handy for confidential interactions such as credit card purchases. (Chuck did a lot of research into RV life before we left, and it is paying off big-time.) This is fortunate because Chuck is falling behind at work and we need internet.
One of the things that has surprised me on the trip is how few people we have really chatted with. I thought RV life would be more social. It may be that it is just too cold for people to be outside. However, we rarely see other campers, even when walking the dog. And people may wave, but they seldom stop to chat. Besides the laundry room conversations and a few “how do you do that” tips, most conversations have started with the license plate: “I see you are from PA” or “I see you are from Canada,.” At our last campsite, we camped beside a family with 3 kids for 5 days and did not do more than nod at them.
The parking lot type campground structure reduces interaction. The campers are packed in tightly, at an angle to the road. The main entrance to an RV is on the passenger side so that is where the picnic table, awning etc are, while the electrical, water and sewer hook-ups are on the driver side. As a result, each camper has its own space that is accessible from the road, but not directly from another camper. Just imagine a street of small houses with each house rotated by 90 so that people on the street see the side of the house and walking out of the front door brings you to the back of the next house. When we make an effort, people are friendly – inviting us in to see their RVs or spending time chatting.
For example, an RV just like ours pulled in towing the same model car we have pulled in while we were spending a day lazing. We spent part of the afternoon picking the brains of this 80+ couple, who have been RVing for years, and go from place to place to ballroom dance. Continuing to do this at their age takes a great attitude as well as good luck!
Another interesting feature of the Barnyard RV Park is that it is beside a flea market. I have been to flea markets in other places, but nothing like this. Besides clothes and the usual assortment of junk, cheap goods from overseas etc, there was a lot of fishing and hunting equipment (including holsters but no guns), all kinds of toiletries, bulk food and so on. And swords – yes several people were selling swords. I wanted a picture of the swords, but decided it would be best to talk to one of the vendors first. 
He and his competitor were really friendly. They explained that these were mostly collectable. the competitor told me that they mostly were not sharpened – we then felt a blade and discovered it was razor-sharp. He also had a very impressive display of hunting knives.
