What do you call it when...

...-you have the opportunity to head out on an adventure, no expectations, no time table (and with someone you love)

-you have a cozy A frame tent to sleep in

-when you can manage to get up off the ground in the morning without too much trouble

-the restroom is close by in the middle of the night (and clean)

-you wake up in the morning to a heaven full of stars

-you have breakfast on the beach watching your world grow light (raisin bran never tasted so good)

-you are able to visit a state park / a place where wounded animals are nursed back to health, a place where the staff and the volunteers are knowledgeable and friendly (on the trip to the island the boat driver filled us in on the park and it’s wildlife and anything we saw along the way, on the way back he invited us to enjoy the ride in silence, another person while talking about the manatees was asked about their intelligence the ranger’s answer was something like ‘by who’s standards are you judging?)

-you see so many different types of birds, fish and also otters, alligators, and people

-you enjoy a simple picnic lunch

-when you have supper on the beach watching the sunset show

...Whatever you call it, it springs from a sense of awe, wonder and gratitude.

 1/12/13

Oh, My Heavens...

…the heavens are aglow with all the stars of the night competing for attention.  It is breathtaking!

A couple of firsts today -

-kayaking with the manatees – Jerry of course could not confine himself to the kayak so he got up close and personal, as much as you are allowed.  We were out for about 2 hours.  Also saw a couple of herons, a turtle, fish and an osprey – wow.

-to retain what little sanity I have left I got a hair cut at a barber shop.  It was handy and the price was right.

-we grilled supper on the beach and watch a wonderful sunset.  This is what fairy tales are made of.

Not bragging - just reporting

 1/11/13

Ah, the joys of camping...

1/10

…ah, camping, one of the joys of life. 

(First of all let me explain that the F key is sticking on the laptop.  Has been for a while now.  So you may need to use a little imagination if either the spell check or I don’t catch it.  i.e. life turned in to lie in the sentence at the beginning – just bare with me.  Thanks!)

So, we survived our first night in the mini-tent.   It was cozy to say the least.  But it worked.  As I lay awake this morning waiting for the first light of dawn I realized a little shift in the mattress pattern might help things out.  Well, at the moment it seems to be okay.  We even have room for a few extra things. Simple pleasures.

The day was a good one.  We managed to survive a close call in the car when a giant camper with and elderly gentleman driver literally ran us of the road.  Thank God – literally -there was a usable shoulder.  Jerry did a great job of controlling the van.

Jerry drove first this morning while I did some chores.  First charging the phones, then charging the kindle, then charging the laptop.  I thought we were getting away for all of this.  Oh yea, Tom tom needed a charge also.   Then there was the map to look at since neither of us have a smart phone – thank goodness.

One of our main goals today was to make it to Crystal River (ele.4’) and to find a place to stay for the weekend.  It is a challenge when you don’t know where you are going or what you’ll find when you get there.  A couple of phone calls found us a few vacancies but nothing that called our name.  We visited one campground out in the middle of nowhere that was just a field, a no shade anywhere horse field.  No thanks!  All the places we called were $32.-$40. per night.  All we needed was a place to put our tent – mini at that.  We drove for a while hoping for the best.  Finally we found it – the best.  ‘Pine Valley Campgrounds.  Camping $16. 55+only’.  So here we are in our tent after another day of a lot of driving.  Hoping to hang here for a couple of nights, depending on how tonight goes.  We ate at Mama Sally’s (I mention that for my niece.) 

Another challenge of camping at this time is that the darkness comes around so soon and stays late into the morning.  When there is nothing to do after dark – no fire rings here – except crawl in to the tent it makes for some very long nights.  Not complaining – just reporting.

So, if it is three strikes and you're out...

1/9/13

….does strike 4 negate 1, 2 & 3?

The 6:00 a.m. Angelus Bells were ringing as we were putting the finishing touches on packing up.
ROAD TRIP !

We were headed south on I- 75, actually to the very end of I-75.  A quick stop in Richmond to drop o some things that Christy forgot to take back with her to EKU.  While at her apartment Jerry realized that he forgot to pack the little grill.  Christy to the rescue…!  She let us take her grill, cheeseburger stains and all.  A little later Jerry remembered he forgot the grill basket that we use over open fire cooking.  No Biggie.   There was something else he mentioned that we forgot – again, no biggie.

Richmond brought with it rain, heavy at times that lasted all the way through KY, TN, and the northern part of GA.  Thinking of my BFF’s favorite camping mantra ‘I see blue sky’.  Tried as hard as I could I could not in all honestly say it.

I ended up driving through Atlanta.  At least it wasn’t raining at that point.  Can’t say I saw anything if the city except the white dashes that are suppose to keep cars in their proper lanes.  At least it wasn’t hush hour.

I had found a couple of state parks in GA close to the expressway.  We chose High Falls State Park.  So  National Parks have wonderful senior citizen rates why not state parks?  Hmmm..?  Okay $25. for a tent site.  At lease it is not crowded and we’re not hemmed in by RV Giants.  There is even a hiking trail of a little over a mile long that lead to – High Falls.  But first we need to set up the tent so we’re not doing it in the dark.  Got the external ground cloth down.  Got the tent out of the van.  Open the bag and then…realized that we had brought the wrong tent.  No?   Really? 

Yep !  We have this great 9x9 tent that fits us to a T.  Room for 2 air mattresses and a place of a lantern and our duffel bags.  We can even stand up in it – great or changing clothes.  That tent however is home in our basement at the moment.  What we have is a much/slightly smaller tent – it depends on your mood at the moment.  So we did manage to get the 2 air mattresses in sideways.  However, that took up all the floor space.  But believe me, after you are use to using air mattresses They are the last thing you want to give up.  (Being old might have something to do with it also.)

Okay, I believe in the simple life – and I thought tenting defined that fairly well but I guess Someone had other ideas and wants us to really concentrate on simplicity.  Okay, yeah, I know…we’re headed south to where it is warm, we’re out on the open road, free spirits….  I’m really not complaining just reporting.

It is now 6:00 p.m.  I’m not hearing the Angelus Bells.   I’m really not hearing much of anything, no traffic, no voices only darkness.  So this is what darkness sounds like!

 I’m thinking sleeping bag, head lamp and book – at least of 20 minutes or so….

The holidays are over...

…and we’re left with only memories of 2012.

-Jerry hiked the John Muir Trail.

-I visited and worked at Lott’s Creek School in Cordia, KY.

-the grandgirls continued with basketball / did very well in school.

- spring break with the grandkids at Natural Bridge State Park / a lot of hiking/ a lot of looking at rocks, arches, flowers, stars, streams, bugs /cooking together/sitting by the fire/ good times.

-saying goodbye to our good, faithful and loving dog of 13 years.  

-good times with family and friends.

-watching the lights from our Christmas ‘tree’ dance as they were reflected in my cup of tea.

-volunteering at our neighborhood school a couple of days a week / enjoying the kids tremendously.

-a weekend at Wood’s Hole Hostel in VA / a very interesting and enlightening experience.

-camping in the Shenandoah’s with long time friends.

-blessed with good health / joined a gym.

-reconnected with old friends.

And so at the end of 2012 I am extremely grateful to all our family and friends who shared the year with us and to all who crossed or walked the journey with me.

Onward to 2013….

There is a tiny little nail...

.…in our kitchen.  It lives near our wall phone – yes we still have a land line.  The normal job of this tiny little nail is to hold the sky chart for the current year.  It is a good little nail and does its job very well.  The chart too is a good chart giving us knowledge of the stars and planets shining above our house.  The schedule of the space station’s sightings lives elsewhere in the kitchen – under a magnet on the refrigerator.  The thing about the sky chart and the ISS sighting schedule is that you have to stay up after the sun sets to use them.  But that is another story.

Sometimes the tiny little nail holds other things.  Two years ago it held a 4 ft long map of the Appalachian Trail.  That is when Jerry hiked from GA to ME.  He was gone for about 6 ½ months so the map and I spent a lot of time looking at each other. 

More recently the tiny little nail held a map of CA with the John Muir Trail highlighted.  That happened when Jerry and three friends flew out west for some more hiking adventures.   According to Jerry it was all good.

And now the tiny little nail is holding a map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park perhaps getting ready for another future adventure.

To be continued….

13 women...

Mostly strangers, together for a week and we all survived. Actually we thrived. The journey began at noon on a hot Saturday in mid-July. We met, introduced ourselves, shared a meal and hit the road. Women in Service – that’s us. Headed for Lott’s Creek KY. Three vans with luggage, food, donations all headed south on I-75. 64 east out of Lexington, Mountain Parkway past Koomer’s Ridge Campground to the Campton exit. As we passed through Campton we stopped for a visit with Sister Amy who has served the people of the area for many, many years. She shared with us her knowledge of and love for the people. She talked of programs, progress, trials, natural disasters, and of people. People who are in need. People who come to serve. People who are like people everywhere. Sister showed us around the church and the grounds. The grounds were a little soggy but filled with people doing good things. We then headed down RT 15, past Jackson, Lost Creek, Hazard and on to Lott’s Creek. Our first sign that we were truly on the right path was the sign that read Lott’s Creek Community School 6 miles. We found the drive and took the branch to the right. We passed a cabin and at the end of drive we discovered the cinder block dormitory that was to be our home for the next 7 days. On the second floor we found the shower room (2 showers) and the bathroom (3 toilets, one without a shower curtain door that didn’t get much use). There were a number of bedrooms with 2 to 4 sets of bunk beds in each. On the ground floor there was the kitchen, dining room and small sitting area. The chairs were all cane chairs. There were rockers outside that faced across the road, pass the school and looked out on to a wonderfully green mountain side. Two of us were dealing with respiratory issues and decided to separate ourselves for the rest of the group at night for the good of all. We slept in the cabin which was the original house of the founder of the school, Alice Slone. The house was full of character and positive energy. The tasks for the week included, but not limited to, painting the inside of a four room house where 11 people presently lived, helping to mud and sand drywall in a new home being built, sanding and staining bleachers in the school gym (they recently hired a new coach which some people might appreciate-Rodrick Rhodes who played for UK and the MBA), working in organizing clothes and books for the thrift store and library. Meals and clean up were a group effort. Prayer was a part of our days. Evenings were spent watching DVDs of local interest, talking and learning. …….. It has been two weeks since I wrote the above entry. A lot has happened since then, most notably being the fact that we had to put our dog Comet to sleep. She had developed a cancerous tumor which caused a stress fracture in her hind leg. There is probably more that could be said about Lott’s Creek but at this point it will be sufficient just to let it pass in to an experience that will be reflected as part of my life’s journey.