The Adventure begins...

Hello One & All!
The final countdown has begun... Packing and moving our stuff into storage is in full swing now. Our weather has presented many challenges but we are winning. The outside temp's are in the low 20's with plenty of ice and snow on the ground as we push the hand-truck loaded down with boxes, tubs, and furniture to the garage for storage. This too has been a challenge, packing the garage for long-term storage is like a giant jigsaw puzzle - it ALL has to fit in 16'x20'x10' tall. Amazing how many times we've had to re-work the arrangements. LOL

Our adventure of "Tenting Across America" begins on the morning of December 11, 2010 and will take us all over the country. We will of course be spending the winter months in the Southern states and working our way north as weather permits. We will be visiting friends and family along the way too - sharing our experiences, campfire and laughter. I will be posting our progress here as time and internet access allows. We are sure looking forward to living our dreams, meeting new people, fresh air and living a very simple lifestyle.

Here is a challenge for you: You are invited to join us for any or all of this great adventure. Do you have the courage to caravan along with us? You are welcome for a single night or as long as you wish. Bring your own gear, food and tent - call it an extended camping trip/vacation!

My thoughts for today are to be kind to everyone you meet, laugh at yourself, give thanks to God for all His many blessings and share a part of yourself with others. Practice random acts of kindness everyday - it makes you feel amazing! Thank you for following my blog and

Merry Christmas to all....

Excitement Grows...

Hello from the snowy lands of Montana. As I sit here today, watching the snow continue to fall and make everything look enchanting, I dream about my upcomming adventure. The boxes are stacking up in my apartment in anticipation of being moved to the storage garage for a very long rest. The camping equipment waits for me to load in my little car. The sunny shores of the gulf call my name, and my camera is anxious to get this journey started. My childhood dreams are beginning to take on a new reality. I'm so excited to have this rare opportunity to make this dream come true.

What is dreaming really all about? I think it's the hearts desire to fulfill a niche that has been left empty. We all have a purpose in life and it is our job to find that purpose during the time we are given here on earth. For many it's being a parent, a lover, a poet or achieving something unusual. For others it's serving others, sharing knowledge, enhancing another persons existance in some positive way. For me it's the romance of adventure and then taking it one step further and sharing it with those I love. I am a very creative woman who lives each day to the absolute fullest extent possible. I thirst for excitement, love and laughter. These are all elements of my dreams. What's your dream? Do you long for something more?

As the time to start draws near, I feel the tingle and the passion that awaits me as I explore this great nation of ours. My internal dance of joy ignites and my dreams intensify. I hope that many of you that read this will stay tuned and follow along. It will be amazing!

The Human Race...

As I sit and read many posts on social sites this frigid morning I am appalled to read that in the middle of our country, a family who is burying their child is being tormented by a "Church Group" that is picketing the funeral! How on earth can the human race, especially a group calling themselves Christian, be so cruel? How can another human being stoop so low? Has our society become so self-absorbed, blaming anyone & everyone for anything, not taking any responsibility, and forgetting the Ten Commandments? We are supposed to love one another, help one another, be merciful and kind!

It breaks my heart to see people act like this at a time when our world is in such chaos. This same group of folks also picketed a Military funeral. Opposing the war is one thing but at least be respectful enough to allow a family to lay their loved one to rest in peace. Has the human race become so hateful and corrupt that it can no longer show kindness or respect? In my opinion, Satan seems to be winning the human race....

Please share your thoughts today as we all prepare to give thanks for all of our many blessings. As we sit around the Thanksgiving table this year, please try to think of others who are hungry, cold, lonely or away from their loved ones. Take a vow to be more kind to one another and help those less fortunate. It will greatly enrich your life!

Changing Seasons in Our Life

There comes a time in everyone's life when change is necessary. Knowing what to change, when to change and just how much to change is often difficult for most people. I too needed to make some serious changes in my own life as well as my life-style. I spoke earlier of a fantastic trip that my blind side-kick and I were planning... Well, we have been spiritually called to begin that journey now. Yes, you read that right - now, in the middle of winter! We decided to just take a giant leap of faith and answer that "call of the wild" so we are currently in progress to pack up our household belongings and put them all into long-term storage. Keep out our Tent, camping gear, a large suitcase a piece, my laptop computer, my camera gear, and Claudette's writing acoutroments ~ stuff them into my little economy car and hit the road!!! We will be tent camping across America for the next 12-18 months. The intent is to travel all 48 contiguous states, compose photo-essays, articles of interest, fabulous photo's and compile it all into a book or two. It will depict all the wonderful places in America that the average person seldom ever sees or hears about. It will also show that just because one has a bit of "snow on the roof" doesn't mean that seniors can't have fun adventures too. We intend to visit our friends and family along the way as time and locations allow. We will be setting up a special blog site so that all of our family & friends can follow along with us and be part of this phenominal experience. I hope to be better at keeping this blog updated more often too.
Some have called us "Brave" and others think we're a bit "Crazy" for taking such a huge assignment all alone and in a TENT. The purpose is not to prove anything to anyone but to challenge ourselves and to enjoy life to the very fullest extent possible in a very simple manner. We will get to experience a very basic and simple lifestyle and fulfill our dreams of traveling the U.S. of A. in a really unique way. Best of all, we can share our joy with so many other people.

Two old ladies & a tent...

Today I sit in deep contemplation of planning and preparing for an ambitious journey, a new challenge to say the least. Are you ready --- My sister and I are going to "Hit the Road" this spring for a long and exciting tour of the U.S. of A. We will be putting most of our belongings into storage, packing only the absolute essentials along with our tent and camping gear for a one year camping trip across the country!

Yes, you read that right, ONE YEAR! We intend to live our dream of travel and adventure, document everything complete with photographs and then compile it all together for an exciting new book called "Tenting Across America." We intend to visit many of the wonderful little towns that the tourists seldom ever see. We want to write about the fabulous little places that enrich America, the REAL America and show the hard-working, wonderful people who make her great! We will be posting our progress via our blogs.

We are serious and very excited about this adventure. Now, in order for it to become a reality we must find buyers for our two properties. One is in Muskogee, OK and the other is in Pie Town, NM. Both properties are listed well below their appraised value - We're done with the responsibility of owning real estate - it's for the younger folks! If all works out, this grand plan of a one year tour will begin in April 2011.

We will be doing photo essays of places along the way for submission to lots of media locations and I will be putting photos onto a couple of Stock Photo sites for sale. We also intend to visit many friends and family along the way. It will be challenging, invigorating, exciting and quite educational for us. Many people never get the chance to follow their dream - don't let yourself fall into that catagory! Always keep reaching for the stars...

I thought perhaps I would share with you some of my recent experiences.... Through the strong encouragement of family & friends, I have now become a "Freelance Photographer" and see the world from a new and fresh perspective. I am so blessed to have the fantastic people in my life that I do. As I develop my skills in photography, I find myself taking lots of "Road-trips", sometimes taking my side-kick Claudette with me. She is a writer and enjoys the time communing with nature. We find lots of inspiration while on these little excursions. We recently returned from a 3.5 day trip over to the Olympic Penninsula in Washington State. We left our home in Kalispell, MT before dawn on Tuesday 9/10 and headed west on I-90 cruising along through the mountains, thru Idaho and into eastern Washington. We started our ride along I-90 with double rainbows just east of Missoula. The weather was wonderful - warm but not too hot or humid, gentle breeze making the growing fields of wheat, corn, peas, potatoes, and hay shimmer in the warm rays of the sunshine. There were produce stands dotting our route, bursting with farm fresh, just picked fruit's & veggies. Ahhh, the wealth of summer goodness. As we continued into Snoqualime pass region, the clouds of fog & rain began to play. The mountains became almost magical, mysterious. We continued on, enjoying the diversity in the geography, mezmerized by the changing scenery at every turn. I have made this drive many, many times yet every time I notice subtle little differences - amazing how the changing of the seasons provides new excitement to my eyes. We continued on through Tacoma turning south to Olympia (the state capital) and then onto the Penninsula Loop 101. I had not been there in many years and the entire trip was so beautiful - everything felt new yet familiar. We stopped at many interesting places mostly "off the beaten path" where I started shooting my nature scenes. We traveled counter-clockwise around the loop, making discovery after discovery. I could have been quite happy to spend at least a month or two photographing that area. I definitely will have to go back again next summer! There were lakes, ponds, mountians, beaches, coves, villiages, parks & campgrounds galore. It was all very exciting and the sea air was intoxicating. I shot everything from trees & flowers to animals to water and everything in between. That is a definite MUST SEE area of our country. I strongly encourage it for an excellent vacation destination. After 3 days of shooting photo's and visiting with the locals, we returned home via the same route. I shot over 400 pictures, covered 1600 miles in all and have new and happy memories to add to my life. I managed another great moment to "Stop and smell the roses". Until next time - Live, Laugh & Love Always!

Challenge

Today is another beautiful day in which to embrace all that the Lord has given us. As I sit at the computer and ponder, it occurs to me that too many people are so self-centered and wrapped-up in personal drama's that they tend to lose track of the important things in life. Things like Love, Laughter, Family, Friends and the really big one: Communication! Do you ever pause for a moment and wonder how someone from your past is doing? How long has it been since you contacted an old friend just to say hello and you're thinking of them today? When was the last time you did something nice for a stranger just because you wanted to commit a random act of kindness? When was the last time you told your best friend just how much they mean to you? The only thing that we are really in control of is our attitudes - how is yours? Happiness draws in happiness, love draws in love - positive attitude is what it is really all about (not the hokey pokey). I challenge each of you to Live, Laugh & Love often and to practice random acts of kindness every single day. Kind words and a big smile when given to others comes back to you in amazing ways!!! Until next time.... Keep dreaming.

Thoughts for today...

Here goes my very first real blog...

I am a single lady who is starting new chapters in my life. I have been spending lots of time exploring my new home state of Montana. I transplanted here from Muskogee Oklahoma in April 2010. The more I experience the more I find to love. I have also recently begun a new and very exciting hobby of "Nature Photography" - they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I guess I am lucky enough to capture volumes then. Being a hopeless romantic I find such pleasure in nature. The Lord has given us so many beautiful sights to enjoy if only we can slow down our busy lives to fully appreciate them and give thanks for His amazing creations. I try to spend time each day to enjoy something new outside. It is so amazing what one can see if they just look around! From the very moment I drove into this valley surrounded by such beauty, I have fallen under the spell of Kalispell. There are not adequate words to describe the emotional waves as I face each direction taking it all in.

I will be posting new blogs with pictures each week for all to enjoy. I look forward to reading your comments. I will see you again soon. God Bless...