WHY DO I LOVE FULL TIME TRAVEL?

Each morning, I wake up before John.  I take the fur kids out for their morning walk and return to our coach for my cuppa tea.

Looking out our front window, I marvel at whatever sight might be there that day and I say to myself, "I absolutely L O V E  this life.

The freedom to see new sights and make new friends is remarkable.  These friends might not be with us for a long time, but we will see them down the road...maybe.  But whatever, they will always be friends.  

Being able to go to bed and have a view of the sky from the bedroom window is magnificent. Bright, brilliant stars and the moon in it's various stages.  Then to awake to either quiet, the sounds of the surf or bird's singing it's greetings to the new day.

Peace, peace.  Wonderful peace.  Sweet peace.  God has blessed us with this time of our life and we are both so thankful.

Where but fulltiming can we  experience geography and history lessons 365 days a year?  

We experience first hand fault lines where earthquakes have occurred and will happen again.  We even experience our first earthquake.     

Wild fires followed by mud and rock slides scour the sides of the mountains. 


In the southwest, rivers carve deep canyons.  





There are mines to explore.  The list goes on and on.  





Two years ago we parked next to a forgotten, sleeping volcano in Amboy, California on Route 66.  It was quite an experience to approach the volcano and walk over the hardened lava with the ripples and ridges showing it's path across the desert floor.  People view the crater and think it is a curious site.  Curious?  I don't think so...It is history.  OUR history.
When will the Amboy volcano awake, rumble and spew its molten ash around? When will Mount St. Helen's, Yosemite awake?



Petroglyphs  are a history lesson in pictures drawn on rocks hundreds of years ago.  But, what story are they telling?  Do we rely on what other's translations?  Do we use our own imagination?  


What would the giant redwoods tell us about the history of their lifetime?  The flat lands of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska?  How about the New England States?  

What about the Gulf States?  What would they tell us?  Would they describe the heartbreak of the thousands of lives extinguished during the Civil War battles?  The lives lost in the hurricanes?  What would these states say?  

The difference in the mountains is striking.  In the east, they are covered with trees, shrubs, etc. 





In the southwest the 
mountains are exposed 
sharing the beauty of the 
formations, fault lines and 
changing colors.  





The sounds of full time travel are amazing.  We hear the rumble of vehicles that share the highways and byways with us.  

The roar of the Pacific as it pounds the shore.  

As the water returns to the ocean.  we hear the tick, tick,tick of the pebbles being rolled over and over back to the ocean.

At the next location, it is quiet...we hear nothing!  Silence...total silence. 

These are only a few of the reasons we enjoy our new life of full time motorhome travel.  You just might want to give it a try if you have not yet had the experience.  

GETTING THE "ITCH"

I had decided not to post on my blog this evening.  I thought I had nothing to say that would interest anyone.  I was comfortable with my decision and off I went to play Spider Solitaire. 

BUT, then something happened.  As I was playing with a blank mind, I had a strange feeling.  A feeling of being someplace in the southwest.  A feeling of peace, tranquility, happiness.  What the heck???

I actually felt the way I did last winter as we toured  Amboy Crater, 

Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego.  What can I say, I was "outta here".  

 Joshua Tree

On our way to Death Valley and a Ghost Town....John Manson style. 

Our home on wheels with Oliver in the window, but almost hidden by the reflection of the sun.

Traveling and living in our motor home this winter, for the first time, was such a neat experience.  It was liberating, refreshing, it was a joy!  

The beauty of the southwest is amazing.  It lingers in my mind and surfaces at least once a day.  But tonight, I felt like I was there in the midst of it all.  What joy!  

Tonight, Al of the Bayfield Bunch wrote of being at the half-way point to their winter travels.  This writing must be what clicked my brain into winter drive and revived the good feelings from last winter.  I think I am as eager as he is to be "outta here".  But we must wait a bit longer.  

We will have Thanksgiving with the family here, hopefully celebrate Christmas a bit early with our Indianapolis family, then set out to be in California with our other daughter.  We have not had Christmas with her in at least twelve years.  It's her turn this year, don't you think?  

I digress....what, if not Al, made me have those feelings?  I keep asking myself.  Probably a combination of things.  

I've mentioned that we plan to put our little farm up for sale.  You know that we have installed cherry hardwood floors.  

Now we have started up-grading our kitchen.  We purchased a French door refrigerator with double freezer drawers on the bottom.  Tonight, we found the dishwasher to go with the stainless steel frig.  The only other things we need to take care of are the counter tops and the new stove/oven. 

Couple that with walls painted, then we will be able to list the house for sale!  How exciting.  AND  the housing market here is not in a slump.  Places in our price range seem to be moving quickly.  Hopefully, it will not take long to sell...............But,.............. oh my gosh!  Then the eliminating begins....

OK,  I have totally frightened myself to death!  I am not going to think about it any more!  I will never get to sleep tonight.  It is already one a.m.

Actually, I have been going through the process of getting rid of "stuff".  I have some empty drawers to show for my work.  

BUT, then there is John....I eliminate, and he removes the "stuff" from the trash to a barn for a garage sale!  So the "stuff" is only moved from one place to another!  We still have to get rid of it~!   

Help!  I think I'm loosing my mind!  I have no clue when we will have time for a garage sale.  My art shows and fiber festivals start with a vengeance in about five weeks.  We will be on the road then till mid November. Then comes Thanksgiving and I've already shared our plans for Thanksgiving and after. Then comes December pre-Christmas shows. 

My thought......  use Craig's List to sell of  some of the stuff.  Call antique dealer to appraise and buy said antiques.  Make numerous trips to homeless shelters with donations.  That would be my choice.  

I choose not to use Goodwill very much.  They charge for their goods and the needy people of the inner city, the homeless, etc have a greater need.  I shop at Goodwill!  I buy silk garments to use in my felting pieces.  It is a cycle....a good cycle. 

Goodwill is good.  It serves a purpose in helping physically and mentally challenged people by providing them with a job.  But we also have seen what donations to the small, homeless shelters, food banks, etc can do for people. 

Hum, I thought I didn't have anything to say tonight.  That changed, didn't it!  Now, I'm off to bed so I can dream of Craig's List, homeless shelters, Goodwill, garage sales, painting, oh my...I'd better get some rest so I will be ready to felt tomorrow!  Nite all!

God Bless!