Tag Archives: Feeling Grateful

Getting Ready-Heading South

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After so many months it seems a bit strange to say I am “getting ready to roll”. Yes, the owners are returning to their lovely home on Whidbey Island. My time is up and I am heading south. I am ready for a bit less rain and warmer temperatures. It has been raining a lot lately. One week it rained for almost a whole week straight before the blessed sun returned to the sky and everything dried out.

I have enjoyed my stationary time. Well mostly stationary. I have made a few excursions to the Oregon coast to meet up with friends. After a week away I returned to Whidbey and the house. I also have been to the Olympic Peninsula twice. I love exploring our national parks.

I have lived full time, well mostly, in my tiny RV for more than five years. Staying in one place has been a new experience for me. I have had plenty of time to explore. I have experienced the changing of seasons in the Pacific Northwest. I arrived at the beginning of spring and am leaving halfway through the fall.

For the first time in years, I have experienced changing of the seasons. It started rainy and blustery. As the spring progressed the rain stopped and everything came alive. I discovered when the rain stops in the spring everything greens up and flower season begins. After living in southern California for almost thirty years I thrived on the green here. There are so many tall trees. Walking in the woods smells wonderful. It really helps when that walk often ends at a beach.

This year I got to watch the progression of flower seasons. When I first arrived Daffodils and Tulips were everywhere. I was able to meet up with a good friend and enjoy tulip season in the Skagit Valley. It was breathtaking.

Tulip season folded into Rhododendron season. There was color everywhere. I discover private and public gardens to explore on my walks and bike rides. The east coast lilacs I grew up with competed for attention with the Rhodies. I love lilacs and it was a joy to have them in vases in the house. I would walk downstairs in the morning and smell the lilacs as I entered the living space. What a wonderful smell.

As the season rolled into summer the flowers faded, replaced by green, sunny, warm days. I got my fair share of kayaking, walking, and cycling in. Except for a few days, the temperatures were mild. It was good to be outside.

The flowers made a reappearance this fall when the Dahlias stepped forward to fill the flower void. Oh my, there were dahlias everywhere. They were on display at roadside stands, farms, yards, and even my front yard. I love dahlias. 

I have also seen a progression of birds as the season’s change. Hummingbirds were here and then they were gone, while they raised their young, and then they reappeared. Recently the crows who have been around all summer have disappeared. Where have they gone? I have seen eagles, osprey, sparrows (golden-crowned, song, white-crowned), finches, and flickers. My joy this summer was seeing Harlequin and Pintail Ducks for the first time. I have treasured the birds and the time I have to enjoy them. 

And then, of course, there is my special little brown birdy, who has made me feel so important, special, and unique. I see him every few days. He always acknowledges me. I enjoyed the times that he seems particularly thrilled to see me, flying over to visit and sitting on my foot or leg. I will miss him. I also know he is OK out there in his birdy world. 

I have made friends on Whidbey. One of them, Lela is going to join me for part of the trek south. She owns a Roadtrek RV as well. My neighbors, Robyn and Tom have been such a great resource and a delight. I am glad to have met them. 

All in all, it has been a very good way to spend another Covid summer.

Thank you Jim and Sandy for loaning me your beautiful home with the drop-dead gorgeous sunsets. I will always be grateful for this opportunity. 

Now the days are shorter. It gets dark early in the afternoon and stays dark later in the morning. I find I am longing for the sun and the warmth. It is time to go.

Today I am feeling thankful for the opportunities that present themselves to me. Today I am thankful I can recognize them. Today I am thankful for life.

 

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Once again I have successfully traversed the lower 48. I arrived in Boise Idaho about a week ago. There were a few mishaps on the way but Elsie the Cat, my rig and I have all made it in one piece.

Field of Dreams

I loved the Field of Dreams Movie site. Have you ever had a movie touch something inside of you? This movie was one of those movies for me. I thought I would spend about an hour there. Instead I signed up for a tour and spent close to three hours there, before I headed west. Truly, it wasn’t hokey. Our tour guide was excellent and he had so much trivia about the filming of the movie. It was a great tour. The only thing missing was the corn. It was barely beginning to grow.

I had always promised myself that if and when I drove cross country again I would head back to northern Nebraska and ride the roads just south of South Dakota. I rode the Bridges to Buttes Highway, the Outlaw Highway and the Lewis & Clark Highway. It was lush and green and so spring. I stayed in state park campgrounds. I have discovered that Nebraska excels in their State Park system. Both parks were beautiful. I rode my bike through one of them, ending with an amazing overlook of the Upper Missouri River. I took some time to ponder the Lewis & Clark expedition and what it must have been like to see this country without roads or bridges. They had no idea what lay ahead. Whew-a powerful moment.

Driving across the middle of this nation.

The Missouri River, Moi with a giant jackalope, Camping at Chadron State Park, NE

After a bit of a traumatic drive across Wyoming I made it to this lovely mid-size town in Idaho and my friends. I have had a wonderful week catching up.

Currently I am sitting in the Seattle airport and am on my way to Sitka, Alaska. My friend Leslie, offered me an opportunity I could not refuse so I am off on another adventure that begins today. The cruise begins on Sunday. Leslie and I will meet up later this afternoon. I have not see Leslie is a few years, at least. Yet we maintain a good friendship and I am so looking forward to catching up.

Boise Sunset

Friendships have been on my mind and close to my heart this morning. Ah a repeat theme. Here is what I know today. I feel so fortunate to have such good friends that want me in their life and want to take adventures with me. I love to travel alone. However, just as I am getting tired of my own company I am close to where a friend lives and I am invited in.

I appreciate the many ways my friends love and care for me.

  • Linda, her husband, Steve and son, Andrew are taking Miss Elsie in so I can travel north in comfort knowing she will be loved and all her cat needs will be met. Linda is also taking my rig in for appointments while I am gone. Now that is friendship.

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    Steve & Linda I Poncho the pooch

  • Leslie has gone above and beyond the call of duty arranging places for us to stay in Sitka and managing the upcoming cruise.
  • Helen and Norb, lovingly took me and El in for four days. We laughed and shared our way through this time together.
  • My sisters are always glad to see me when I show up at their door step.
  • Joy and her sister Diane invited me to be a part of a real family Easter.
  • New friends open their driveways and homes to me.
  • My San Diego community call, email and remembers me. I am very grateful for this.
  • Then there is the larger community in the Universe. I belong to the Roadtrek Facebook Page. These people support me along my solo journey. I know I can always reach out to them, if I have questions or need help.

These are just a few examples of my experiences with people within my immediate friend environment and those beyond who I have not met yet.  It gives me faith in humankind. I believe there is a lot of good out there in the world. Sometimes I need to put my inner critic aside and see people for just who they are. On the whole I think most people in this world are pretty darn amazing.

I want to take time here, to thank everyone, those I remember and those who silently cheer me on, for all of your ongoing love, caring and support. It makes me flow through my day and adventures a bit easier, knowing that so many are silently or verbally cheering me on. Even if I am alone, the truth of it is, is that I am not truly alone. People wait for my photos. People wait for my blogs. People wait for me.

Today I am grateful for humankind.

Arriving & Departing

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Two weeks ago I arrived in San Diego. It was hot, like really hot. Even though I don’t mind camping in all kinds of weather….the heat did me in. I lasted a day. I don’t care if I have air conditioning in my rig, I don’t care if my little home on wheels is super comfortable. When it is over 100 degrees at 7 pm, I give up.

I know I have told all of you this before but….here it is again. I have wonderful friends. They are caring and loving and giving. I feel fortunate. My dear friend Pat rescued me from the heat and took Elsie and myself into her home for most of the two weeks. I feel so fortunate and grateful to her. I got to sleep in a comfortable bed with air conditioning. Elsie had a large space to romp about in. Pat and I had ample time to catch up and enjoy each other’s company. I am grateful to Pat and to those treasured shared moments in time.

Entering into San Diego this time was hard. I had a busy agenda. Most of what I needed to do is complete. I am signed up for Medicare. The next step of my dental work is complete. The rig is ready to roll. Once all that was done I had time to visit with friends. It was a busy couple weeks.

Emotionally I have been all over the place. Coming to San Diego really triggers all kinds of emotions and feelings for me. I feel vulnerable. I feel strong. I feel sad. I feel joy. Sometimes I am close to tears, more often I am not. Man those emotions really bounce around. I wonder sometimes if I don’t feel a sense of displacement when I arrive here. It is not unusual to have friends welcome me home and yet I am not sure this is my home. I am beginning to feel a longing to figure out where home is to me.

I don’t think I stayed here long enough. It felt rushed. I think when I return in November or December I will stay at least a month. Maybe I can find a rental and Elsie and I can settle in and see how it really feels. I don’t think I will spend all winter in San Diego. I have a longing to winter up north, somewhere in the Monterey Peninsula. That is a changeable goal. Everything is changeable. Life is change. I am certainly learning that and yet I  need to be reminded.

The view from close to where i am camping.

Tonight I am camped on Mission Bay in San Diego and am enjoying the temperate ocean breeze. Tomorrow morning I am heading inland. Elsie is going to visit a friend of mine in Colorado for about two weeks. She has been to Deana’s before. Deana and her sweet pup are going to care take Elsie for two weeks while I head to southern Utah and adventure off with my good friends Mary and Linda.

We are going into the back country of Canyonlands National Park. I am excited and looking forward to this next adventure. It is fun to have met others who like to do the same things I do. Some of this adventuring is a bit daunting on my own. When I am with others, it becomes a grand and fun adventure and less of a challenge.

The full package of who I am follows along with me each day. I am grateful to have friends I can call and share deep felt emotions with. I am grateful for friends to have fun with, share a dinner, share a movie or just sit and talk. I keep seeing and feeling the phrase in my mind “all we can do is walk each other home”. I am glad to have those around me who are willing walk the journey with me.

Tonight I am feeling so grateful and every other emotion in between.