Wednesday August 25, 2010

 

Road Trip – Day 1

D & S New Hope Lodge

Hornets ~ Dogs ~ Interior

Wednesday, August 18

 

 

This photo of the lodge shows what used to be the church’s entrance steps.

 

 

Sandy (the “S” in D & S New Hope Lodge) and Cerwin. She works at the Ranger Station – thus her ranger uniform.

 

 

I know that I am a bit slow sometimes, but I was home, looking at the pictures when I realized why the words New Hope are included in the lodge’s name. The name of the church was (and is) New Hope Church of the Brethren.

 

 

We came upon the new church when we were leaving the area on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Back at the lodge, Sandy pointed out the hornet’s nest in their truck. Notice it above the upper right side of the back wheel.

 

 

This amazing creation is as deep as the wheel.

 

 

My internet research tells me that these are Bald-faced Hornets.

 

 

 

 

Dave & Sandy’s Bloodhounds

Oliver has a fabulous bay (howl) that seems to come from deep in his belly. I enjoyed leaving the lodge just to hear him bay. He always bayed for a bit when we went to the car or walked anywhere he could see us.

Bloodhounds are the oldest breed of dog to hunt by scent – and according to Dave and Sandy are good at tracking humans.

 

 

Isabelle’s bay is not quite so deep.

 

 

Daisy is a Redbone Coonhound and is pregnant with Oliver’s puppies. Redbones are a mixture of bloodhounds and foxhounds.

 

 

Inside the Lodge

They kept the raised pulpit area. Dave said it didn’t seem right to remove this area when they changed it from a church into their home.

 

 

A front corner of the pulpit – now kitchen area.

 

 

Another view of the kitchen as Cerwin and Dave visit.

 

 

A wider photo of the living room/kitchen. Their dining area is behind Sandy. Notice their daughter Kate behind Cerwin. The steps to her loft bedroom are behind her.

 

 

I took this photo with my back to the kitchen. The space above the steps (right) is another loft with a small lounge for Dave and Sandy. Their bedroom is behind the seating area.

 

 

A photo of a mounted fox as I came down the steps the lounge.

 

 

An area of the lodge behind the kitchen. They decided to not remove this painting from a children’s room that was part of the church. This space has beds for several hunters and is reserved for Dave’s family during hunting season.

 

 

There is a room in the basement that sleeps three or four hunters.

 

 

The main part of the lodge was originally the fellowship hall. This is where our guys stay when they hunt, and where Cerwin and I stayed on Wednesday night.

 

 

 

 

Cerwin and I chose the king-sized bed.

 

 

Our bed is in the background, then a single bed, and in the foreground is a regular sized bed. There is another bed, plus a sofabed.

 

 

It’s a great place to stay when traveling through this part of West Virginia.