Long Time no see!

   WOW, seems like I have really neglected this blog, a whole year has passed since I last updated.  I will try to find time to be a bit more diligent about updating in the future.  LOL  As for what I've been up to...

    I'm now attending Flathead Valley Community College, chasing a degree in Graphic Design with the intent of working as an independent, freelance designer.  I am also proud to say that my positive attitude and hard work have paid-off BIG TIME!  I'm being inducted into the International Honors Society:  Phi Theta Kappa.  This is a major big deal for me because most of my "school years" I was known for being a real screw-up and never got good grades except in the arts.  Go figure huh?  So you can imagine how thrilled I am to get this honor.

    Going to college at an older age is quite the challenge.  I wasn't sure if I could handle it but was determined to at least give it my best shot - I'm now in my third semester and am loving it!  I do carry a very heavy load and am buried in homework most of the time but the experience and hopes of a much brighter future are worth the efforts.  I've made some new friends, learned some great new skills and am well on my way to success!!!

    The photography end of things has also grown.  I still take a little time to shoot new images and I do share them on Facebook so look for BJJones Photography there and have a look, click a "LIKE" and enjoy.  I haven't had any recent adventures but plan to take time this summer to seek out new territory and do some soothing of my inner self.  One must take time to stop, breathe deep and quiet the mind.  I tend to be rather spontaneous regarding adventure destinations.  I'll let you know when the time comes (he, he, ha, ha).

    I am also working on ideas for book cover designs.  It's one of the freelance ventures that I wish to pursue.  Do YOU have any thoughts on this?  Since my roomie is a writer, I will be starting with some covers for her books, a couple of joint ventures as well and then perhaps on to other friends who are also writers.  From there - Travel brochures!  Gee, I might have to go places to do my own photography for them, what a deal that could be!

    Well friends, that's about it for now.  I hope you are all well and will continue to follow along with my blog and my adventures.  Remember to always be kind to others, be more tolerant of differences and treasure all that you have in your life.  The world is an amazing place with many different perspectives.  If you don't care for one, find another, look for the good points in all things and beings.  That is your challenge for this week.  Hugs and prayers to you and yours...

Acts of Kindness

Hello friends, I would like to take a moment to discuss "Acts of Kindness". It seems to me that there are just too many "sour-pusses" in our world today. Is being nice to people a thing of the past? Is a simple smile too difficult to muster? I understand that people are busy trying to make a life, jobs are scarce, money is tight, things are tough all over but you know what? ~ Being nice to people is FREE, takes very little effort, is totally painless and so desperately needed these days.

Would it really hurt you to smile at a stranger? That might be the only time anybody has smiled at them in ages! Maybe holding a door open for someone, telling someone hello, offering to help a person and asking nothing in return?!?!?! Manners have become a rare condition, ethics, morals, most have gone right out the window!!! I would like to challenge each of you to do just ONE random act of kindness every day for one month ~ Careful, you may actually enjoy it! It can make such a huge difference to somebody, it may even save a life. Wouldn't the world be better with more kindness and less anger? Please accept this challenge and then post a comment and tell us about how it made you feel. Hugs to you...

Leaping thoughts on Leap Year

As I sit and look at the calendar, it occurs to me that this is a Leap Year! Sounds like a good enough reason to Leap for Joy and count an extra day of blessings. Depending on what part of the world you live in, this seems to be the "Winter that wasn't" ~ I mean, where the heck is our normal snowfall in the northern states of the USA? I think it all went over to Europe and maybe I should mention that Alaska got more than they needed too.

I love the snow so long as I don't have to shovel it or work in it. It can be so inspiring as I watch it fall from the sky. The last couple of snow falls we had were from a BLUE sky, it was so amazing and fluffy looking. It seems to prompt memories, poetry, thoughts of froliking, and a desire to make a nice pot of fresh soup! Such wonderful and happy thoughts.

Spring is just around the corner ~ Flowers, greenery, baby animals and lots more warm & sunny days. My camera will beg for more outings, search for natures finest color, and lead me to more amazing opportunities to share the beauty of nature. I want to explore new places, capture more memories to share, and laugh more often. I want to make more friends, meet someone special, share more incredible things that I discover as I walk along life's path.

How many new things will YOU learn this year? Will you take classes, read books, study nature, apprentice, or just sit there and waste time? Challenge yourself to learn something new, chase a dream, learn a new skill, take-up a hobby. Life is too short to just coast along, make everyday matter, make it count, do something silly, be brave - try something bold, brave, exciting!! Live, Laugh & Love like you mean it!!!!!!

Playing "Catch Up"...

Well friends (if there's any left), it looks like I really dropped the ball on this one. Please accept my apologies for not writing/updating in such a very long time!!! So much has happened in my life since I last posted, both good and bad. I have been on quite the rollercoaster physically and emotionally, health issues, art issues, financial issues ~ LIFE happens!

I have been trying to expand my photography skills and knowledge. Learn how to best market my work, displays, techniques, frames, posters, etc... I'm working toward a nice exhibition of my work on a particular website for a fancy Home Decor store in Colorado. With any amount of luck, some of the canvas' will sell and create some income to create more and build things up for a greater showing.

I also created a 2012 calendar of my photography that has been successful! That came out in November 2011. Then Christmas happened... My health took a bad turn downward and I was basically on "Death Row". I had to do something quickly if I wanted to continue to live!!! I did some deep research, took serious/drastic action and am on my way to recovery now.

My inspiration for living is my 3 son's and all of my many, many grandchildren. They inspire me every day in one way or another. I have found many new Photography friends on Facebook as well and they also inspire me with their work and kind words to me. My friends that I've had for many years are also the glue that holds me together most days. I am so very blessed with amazing friends and I treasure each one of them!!!

Fall has passed, Winter is present and Spring is on the way... I will share some new photo's here with you but you can also see my work by visiting: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BJJones-Photography/228417527189794 Be sure to click on the "LIKE" button. When I post new stuff you will be told about it and can share in the beauty of the world as I find and share it. I derive such pleasure from sharing my passion for photography. Nature and all it's splendor is what drives my THOUGHTS AND INSPIRATIONS. What drives yours?

Until next time friends ~ Take care, think positive, and share a kindness...

Middle of August 2011

Here we are in the middle of August and the summer here in Kalispell is starting to diminish, hints of fall are beginning to appear. It seems very odd that the leaves are beginning to show hints of red & yellow and yet the crabapples have not matured yet. We had a very late and wet spring this year so it looks like many things won't ripen before the cold of winter sneaks in. The color of the sky is also changing daily, closer to the bright blue of September.

I really don't mind because I know for certain that God has a plan for everything and that HE is in full control of how and when those things occur. HE has shown great mercy on us this summer and we were NOT part of that intense "Heat Dome" that so many others have suffered through this summer. Our weather here in Kalispell has been fantastic.

As Fall does approach, the kids are returning to school... Teach your children to be kind to each other, smile and say hello to ALL the other kids no matter what they may look like on the outside, they may be scared or very lonely on the inside. Maybe they aren't the prettiest, most fashionable or from the "better side of the tracks" ~ They still have feelings and can still be a great friend if given a chance. Help STOP the bullying by teaching our kids that it's okay to be different ~ Remember that "Jesus loves ALL the children in the world" (Sunday school song). If I offended any non-christian's I apologize for the offense to you, but I AM CHRISTIAN and will never apologize for that fact, get over it.

My summer has been one heck of an emotional rollercoaster but like the amusement park ride, it will eventually come to an end and everything will resume to "normalcy" again. Life is good, full of many blessings every single day - look for them, embrace them and be thankful for each moment of life. We must all learn to quit whining about what we don't have and be grateful for all that we do have: Family, Friends & Love from many different directions...

I have been doing a lot of photography which can be found on my FaceBook page where I also have a "Fan Page" for many of my photo albums - drop by and have a peek! All my photo's are available for sale as prints: to grace your home or give as a gift. I'm also making a 2012 Calendar and am taking reservations now for however many copies you want. The theme will be "Water & Stone" and are only $25 each. They will be available in early November. All Calanders will be on a "pre-paid" basis because of the very high cost of printing each one.

Until next week friends... Keep looking up, that's where all the answers come from.

Spring and Summer of 2011

It seems that I have neglected this Blog far too long so I will make more effort to keep it updated. We have been home from our tour since early May and my goodness what an experience we've had. We are very happy to be back in Kalispell, MT and especially with the horrendous heat-wave that has plagued most of North America this summer. We are so fortunate to have escaped those 100° plus temperatures. Our weather has been much more comfortable here in the northwest portion of the country. We've had very warm days too with exceptionally high UV index's but our area cools way down at night into the 40's & 50's. Such a fantastic blessing...

I have had some serious personal health issues since I last posted. I will not go into great detail but suffice it to say that much of my "longer-trip" traveling is done. I will still be able to do short little adventures but that even has limits. Getting older can be a real challenge for some of us but I refuse to let my physical challenges get in the way of my way of thinking. I just get resourceful and think of new ways to accomplish things. I try to maintain a positive attitude (that's a challenge some days too).

One of the many things I learned from this "Tour" is that despite all the intense frustrations and percieved failures, there were also MANY hidden blessings. I learned things about my inner-self, I learned what it's like to have technically "no home" other than what you carry with you, I learned the true meaning of real friendships ~ amazing and powerful lessons. I met some fantastic new people I now call friends as well.

I can't truthfully say that this tour was a positive experience but many positive things occurred as a result of it. I now know just how little a person really needs to live day to day. I also came to the conclusion that material possessions have much less important meaning in my personal life and are not near as valued as before. God teaches us that we really only need a few important things: Food, Shelter, Water, and Love. Everything else is merely "comforts" in life.

I packed my little car with everything we thought we would need to "Tent Camp" our way across America and we were really stuffed (see photo's). We planned to be on the road for an entire year ~ We researched every tiny little detail except for the most obvious: Economic changes! We set our budget, planned our route, thought sure we'd thought of everything... We did not plan on the wrath of Mother Nature nor the sky-rocketing costs of fuel. We also were shocked at the HUGE increase of campground fee's and closures that we encountered. Things turned to major frustrations and anger very quickly (for me).

I will go into a bit more detail in my next posting (next week) about all the things we were met with and how we dealt with each one. Stay tuned friends....

Adventure Tour

I finally re-established my link to my own Blog (LOL) so I think perhaps I should post an update. My side-kick Claudette and I began a "Tent Camping" tour of our great country on Dec. 11th 2010 from Kalispell, MT.

We left there with the hopes of spending the winter months touring, photographing and writing about the nice warm southern regions. When we left Montana it was 17 degrees F and about 30" of snow still on the ground. We made our way south to I-90, turned west to I-5, headed south for sunny California and what did we find? Foul weather followed us everywhere we went! We got to eastern Washington and hit a blizzard near the Columbia river all the way to Snoqualime pass then heavy rain all the way through Oregon and into Paso Robles, CA. We stopped to visit friends there and got one day of non-rainy weather out of 3 days spent there. Shortly after we left, they got hit with torrential rains causing bad mudslides and havoc. We never saw any sunshine until we hit I-8 east and got to El Centro, CA. Needless to say, tent camping was not even remotely possible yet. When we finally got to southern Arizona, we made camp and caught some beautiful photo images of sunset & sunrises. We stayed for 3 days there before the weather turned very frigid and also wet again. Onward we continued... New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, back to Texas, on to Louisana, Mississippi, Alabama, and finally Florida.

Well now, one would think that Florida (even in January) would be warm, sunny, wonderful... but NO, not this year! We got to an area just north of Tampa called Holiday, and the weather was freezing at night and not much warmer during the day. Yes, there was torrential rains too. We began to think we were "weather cursed" for sure. By this time, our travel funds were tapped-out since we could not tent camp and cook our own meals - things got way too expensive, gas was going up by the day and the crummy weather just kept on comming! We decided it was time to go spend some quality visitation time with Claudette's family in Kentucky & Indiana. Many of her relatives are elderly and in poor health ~ now would be an opportune time to visit and allow ourselves some recoup time as well.

Now along this journey, the weather pretty much dictated when and where we went; timing was everything! We left Florida just as it started to finally warm-up a bit, headed for Kentucky. It was an interesting and pretty drive but we didn't have the time or funds to see as much along the way as we would have liked to see. We went north on I-75 from Florida, through Georgia, Tennessee and into Kentucky to Harrodsburg. Naturally, the very next morning after we arrived - snow! Yes, we had now come full circle back to winter weather.

From that point on we have had to outrun snow storms, one after the other! With our funds running extremely low, I chose to return to Oklahoma where I know the area and lots of people. I needed to find some work/a paycheck in order to continue our journey. We got to Pryor, OK just in time for the worst blizzard in state history. We were actually accused of bringing it with us (LOL). Since being here in Oklahoma we have been buried by not one but two major blizzards. I give up... Come spring, we are headed back to Montana via I-40 across to California and back up the west coast. I am determined to see the beautiful coastlines that we had to miss because of rain and fog the first time around! With any luck, things will improve soon.

There ya have it folks - that's what I've been up to for the past two months. I've seen some amazing things, learned a great deal of our history and also learned to be more patient and enjoy life as it is handed to me. Has winter taught you anything new?

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...