In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Think Global, Act Local.”
I don’t quite understand it but hear that global warming is responsible for the bitter winters the U.S. has been experiencing. If true, perhaps residents of the frigid northern states will overrun Florida, purchasing every available property and my home will become immensely valuable. I could then sell it for a ridiculous sum of money and trade in my 17-foot Casita travel trailer for a large ostentatious RV and follow the sun wherever I wish. Or not.
Travel
Think Global, Act Local
Categories: Daily Prompt, Humor, Life, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: Casita, Daily Prompt, Florida, global warming
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Sisters Camping Trip … Get Ready!
My sister has never been camping. She’s somewhat of a princess. Just kidding … she IS a princess. She puts on makeup and fixes her hair to take the garbage out. Just kidding … she NEVER takes the garbage out. That’s what husbands are for.
She’s beautiful, I’m a tomboy. She has an outfit for every occasion; I borrow her clothes. She enjoys shopping, I borrow her clothes. She has beautiful jewelry to match every outfit; I borrow her jewelry to match my borrowed clothes. She is a fantastic cook and hostess and loves to entertain; I love to attend her parties. She vacations at beautiful condos and cute cabins in the mountains; I go camping with my travel trailer and get stuck on the top of mountains. She is funny and effervescent; I am, ummm – droll?
We are opposites in so many ways but adore each other and have fun adventures (although we did almost kill each other in Costa Rica a few years ago). She’s an “un-packer”; I’m a “throw your suitcase on the bed and let’s go” traveler. We had great adventures on our road trip last October but this camping trip could be a game changer. Setting up a campsite can be hard physical work, not to mention having to back the camper into the site. I told her I absolutely forbid flip-flops with wedge heels at the campsite. I don’t care if she did just get a pedicure and a new toe ring. I warned her that camping means a minimum amount of outfit changes, little or no makeup and flat shoes or sneakers. She thinks I’m bossy.
I explained to her that the most important thing when camping is to pack light and consolidate your belongings. So, we agreed that to save space we will forego her bottles of rum and coke and my bottles of red wine. We figure one large bottle of vodka, a couple of bottles of diet tonic water and a half dozen fresh limes should do it. See how nicely we play together when we compromise?
Tomorrow I’m loading up my Casita and Saturday will drive 150 miles to Orlando to pick up the Princess, then we’ll leave for three days of camping on a beach on the east coast of Florida.
Pray for us.
Categories: Camping, Family, Humor, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: blogging 101, camping, Casita, sisters
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An Offer I Couldn’t (and didn’t) Refuse
Daily Prompt – Race the Clock: Here’s the title of your post: “An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse.” Set a timer for ten minutes, and write it. Go!
“Hey, Mom! Whatcha’ doing this weekend?”
“Nothing special. What’s up?”
“Well, you know that seminar in Washington, DC I’m speaking at? I just found out that I have the suite they booked for me through the entire weekend and my last talk is Friday morning, so why don’t you hop on a plane and come play with me?”
Are you kidding? I was packed, had my boarding pass printed out, my credit cards burning a hole in my pocket and was half-way to the airport before my daughter could say goodbye.
I had never been to Washington DC and I knew that with Heidi I would get to see and do everything I wanted.
United States Capitol Building
I arrived on Friday morning and as soon as I threw my suitcase on the bed in her beautiful hotel room, we were off! First we hopped on the metro for Georgetown. As we rode the escalator up to the street, her little nose began twitching as she sniffed the air. “I smell Lush”. Sure enough, there was a Lush store on the first block and we spent our first few minutes sight-seeing buying bath bombs and salts. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around, stopped for drinks at cute outdoor cafes several times and staggered back to the hotel for an early bedtime.
Early Saturday morning we jumped on a tour bus and did all the touristy things: Ford Theatre and the Lincoln Museum, Arlington Cemetery, raising the flag at Iwo Jima, saw all the monuments, Lincoln Center, etc. We ate and drank our way around the city. Sunday was the Smithsonian. I think we made it through only five of the museums, the capitol, the White House because at 5:30 p.m. we met our tour guide for an night-time walking tour of the memorial monuments.
Washington Memorial and Reflecting Pond
The monuments are spectacular during the day but at night they are magnificent. The Viet Nam Wall, WWII, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, and the Korean War Memorial. By the time we finished the tour, my little 4 foot 10 inch daughter was walking behind me pushing my butt up the hills. We arrived back at the hotel too tired for dinner, had a vodka tonic and slept like babes.
Lincoln Memorial
Monday morning we rode the metro and took a bus out to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate. We took a walking tour through the house and grounds and were duly impressed imagining our country’s first president entertaining there. Then back to the hotel to take a taxi to the airport and home.
Korean War Memorial
Time’s up!
(I only had 10 minutes to write this, but I’m taking a few more minutes to insert some pix. So, sue me.)
Categories: Family, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: Capitol, Daily Prompt, Korean War monument, Lincoln monument, national monuments, Washington DC
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No More S’mores! (a 5-year old’s first camping adventure)
Roasting marshmallows over a campfire, then placing the blackened goo on a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers; the hot marshmallow melting the chocolate … the iconic image of camping with kids. We couldn’t wait to make them with Rebekah, our 5-year old granddaughter on her first ever overnight camping trip. She assured us she loves s’mores … well, except for the marshmallows … maybe hold the graham crackers …. o.k. … just give her the damn chocolate!
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- Our Casita Spirit – all the comforts of home in 17 feet of “cute”
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- I always wanted to be a cowgirl so that’s how I decorated my Casita
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- Stove, refrigerator, sink, a/c, heat – all the creature comforts
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- My family assures me that I do, indeed, kiss better than I cook
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- A new twist on an old question; right, Ladies?
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- Bathroom behind door #1, closet behind door #2
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- What happens at Grandma’s, stays at Grandma’s
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- I know we’re supposed to enjoy the great outdoors, but just in case
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- Waiting for camp to get set up
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- Pig heaven!
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- Playtime on a rainy afternoon
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- Just big enough on a rainy day to stay inside & watch movies
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- Inside dining for two – granddaughter & Grampy
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- The ranger gave a lecture on owls, then made s’mores with gummy worms (in honor of the owls). Bekah ate the worms and chocolate.
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- Good morning, Sunshine
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- Kettle corn from the farmers market at the historic Koreshan meeting house
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- Taking a rest overlooking the Estero River, watching kayakers and paddle boarders
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- Rebekah and Grampy at a stand of bamboo
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- Until next time
We camped at Koreshan Historic Site State Park in Estero, Florida between Fort Myers and Naples on Florida’s west coast.
Categories: Camping, Family, Life, Retirement, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: blogging 101, campfires, Casita, Estero Florida, Koreshan, Koreshan State Park, s'mores
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Bird Song and Carillon Bells on Easter Morning
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Re-springing Your Step.”
I hooked up my Casita travel trailer when I got sick of the cold and snow at my vacation cottage in Michigan last April and waved goodbye to my husband. I hit the road without any thought other than heading south and getting warm.
Although I spent some time berating myself for being pig-headed, stubborn and maybe a little selfish and careless, I didn’t beat myself up for too long because travel energizes me and makes me happy. I was feeling mighty fine until I got to northern Florida and realized I was too tired to safely drive any further and I was still four hours away from my home, my children and granddaughter.
I had to camp by myself for the first time ever and it was Easter Eve. I found a camp site at the Stephen Foster Memorial State Park and prepared myself for a drizzly kind of night alone. Since I’d been flying by the seat of my pants and hadn’t stocked the camper, I dined on bagged popcorn and a bottle of Cabernet. I was feeling a little sorry for myself, but had a good night’s sleep … the Cabernet, you think?
I woke at daybreak to the sound of bells. When I stepped outside I found the drizzle had become a light mist blurring the towering pines and oaks that dwarfed me. The Spanish moss hung from the trees like an old woman’s prayer shawl and the bells became music welcoming Easter morning. I made a quick cup of coffee and sat enchanted on the wet picnic table bench.
Stephen Foster State Park, Carillon Tower
The carillon tower was playing hymns and Stephen Foster’s famous melodies. As the day brightened and the mist dissolved, the birds joined the carillon and I felt as if I was sitting in a cathedral and the choir was singing just for me. I thought my heart would break with the beauty. I felt alive and energized, healthy in body and spirit. So, I said a prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving and sent silent wishes to my loved ones for a wonderful, meaningful Easter day.
Way Down Upon the Suwannee River
A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells that are precisely tuned and arranged in chromatic progression so that music in any key can be played. Unlike other types of bells, carillon bells are fixed in a frame—the bells do not move.
Categories: Camping, Family, Life, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: blogging 101, carillon bells, carillons, Stephen Foster State Park, Way Down Upon the Suwannee River
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I Met Angels on Lookout Mountain
It was snowing last April when we arrived at our cottage in Michigan after driving our new 17-foot Casita travel trailer from Florida. I was expecting lilics and cherry blossoms and I only lasted three snowy days before I told my husband I was heading back to Florida. He was to fly home whenever he was ready and I took off on my first solo adventure towing my little Casita behind me. My only fear was that I would have to back it up since I had never practiced driving in reverse with the camper. But I figured it was a straight shot south on I-75 from Michigan to Florida, what could go wrong?
The snow followed me to Chattanooga, Tennessee and I spent the night in a Comfort Inn since it was too cold to set up the trailer on a campsite. The morning dawned bright and sunny so I decided it was a perfect day to drive up Lookout Mountain to visit Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall, before continuing to the Chickamauga Battle site to do a little Civil War exploring. I planned to reach Atlanta before nightfall.
Lookout Mountain
The drive to Lookout Mountain was easy but I must have taken a wrong turn because as I drove up the mountain higher and higher, the road got narrower and the houses scarcer. I figured what went up must come down so I would just drive to the top and then drive down the other side and eventually find my way to Ruby Falls. I figured wrong. The pitted one lane road ended abruptly with a sheer drop to infinity on the right and a steep rock wall on the left. There were a couple of shacks that looked abandoned. I was too nervous being a woman alone on an isolated road in the middle of nowhere to approach either of the dwellings. I started sweating and praying since the only way down was in reverse.
I tried backing up inch by inch; the same six inches in reverse and then forward again because the trailer and the car kept going in opposite directions. Alone on a 10 foot wide road at the top of a mountain was not the time to practice backing up a travel trailer. My face and neck were flushed with tension, I was practically sweating blood and I was jibbering. Every time I checked the road on my right I was looking at a drop off down to the treetops below. I was scared to move forward or back. I was alternately cussing and praying. I eventually t-boned the car and the trailer and was good and truly stuck with my trailer about 12 inches from infinity. For one of the few times in my 60+ years, I honestly did not know what to do. I didn’t know who to call. I didn’t know where I was. So, I just sat in the car to get my heart rate under control and when my breathing stabilized, after two puffs from my rescue inhaler, I decided to lock everything up and hike back down the road to civilization. I wasn’t worried about leaving my car and camper since I was literally at the end of the road and I hadn’t seen a soul since I started up the road 30 minutes before. I grabbed my purse, locked the car door and turned around to begin my hike.
Standing behind my camper were eight children where there had been no one before. They were a diverse group; Anglo, Latino, black and Asian carrying rakes and shovels and hoes. They appeared to be as astonished by me as I was by them. “Where did you come from?” I asked. They pointed down the road. “Do any of you know how to back up a trailer?” They shook their heads which was understandable since they appeared to be 12-14 year olds. They told me they were with the Lookout Mountain Conservancy and maybe their counselor could help me. Around the bend came a sweet looking woman who assured me she could get me turned around since she was a FedEx driver. She handed her hedge trimmers to one of the kids, got into my SUV and with the help of the kids, we maneuvered the camper in reverse to a small dirt turnoff where she got me headed in the right direction. She told me the teens were inner-city kids who volunteered once a month to help keep the brush and trees from overgrowing the roadway and I was just lucky it was their volunteer day.
I don’t know why or how those children were at the top of that mountain at that exact time on that day but I know they were angels. And, I will pass their good work forward so I, too, can be an angel to someone in need.
Categories: Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: angels, Casita, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Ruby Falls
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Flip Flops, Snowboots and Mucinex – These are a Few of My Favorite Things
When we left our home in Florida the day before Thanksgiving it was 89 degrees and sunny. We closed up the house, turned the air-conditioner to 80 and made sure the pool was clean & shocked then jumped in the car and drove 550 miles to Atlanta to have Thanksgiving with our daughter’s family where we picked up the flu before jumping in the car to drive the last 750 miles to our cottage in Tawas, Michigan.
Flip flops and Go Walks
So I wore my flip flops from Florida to Atlanta, then as my feet got cold, I switched to my enclosed Go Walks by Skechers. If you don’t have a pair of Go Walks for everyday use, do yourself a favor and buy some. They’re like walking on air. As we got farther north I added a pair of socks with my Go Walks and started coughing & sneezing. We stopped early in Kentucky because I was such a hot mess and was begging for Mucinex and Delsym cough medicine. So,there’s three recommendations in one paragraph — Go Walks for your feet, Mucinex for your nose and Delsym for your cough. Isn’t there an old joke about being built backwards, “my feet smell and my nose runs”?
By the time we got to our cottage in Tawas, Michigan we were both hacking & snorting & shivering & feverish and spent the first two days doing the flu shuffle …. from the bed to the chair in front of the fireplace to the sofa to the bathroom & back to bed. My ensemble was flannel pajamas and woolen socks.
Water proof snow boots and leather hiking boots
Today I finally was well enough to go outside and walk down to our little beach on Tawas Bay on Lake Huron. I wore my waterproof boots because it snowed yesterday. I saw raccoon and deer tracks in the snow and the frozen sand, the sun was shining in a blue sky and you’d never know it was 19 degrees.
So that’s my 1,300 mile footwear travelogue. I enjoyed every step.
Our little beach on Tawas Bay, Lake Huron
Categories: Family, Health, Life, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: Delsym, flip flops, Go Walk, Lake Huron, Mucinex, snow boots, Tawas Bay, Tawas MI
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Winter Wonderland or the 9th Circle of Hell?
Dante’s Ninth Circle of Hell – a lake of ice
My winter wonderland
When I moved from Florida to Ohio as a young bride I had no concept of “cold”.
I believed:
- That snow is pretty, white and fluffy – when in fact snow is also wet, cold, slushy & gets dirty
- That winter fashions in magazines are beautiful leather, wool, plaids, boots, sweaters, overcoats, scarves, socks & boots – when in fact, by the time I bundled up to be warm enough to survive, I couldn’t fit behind the steering wheel of my VW Beetle;
- That ice filigreed trees, snow-covered walks, icicles, frozen lakes and rivers are picturesque – when in fact I slid on the ice and fell on my ass every time I walked out the front door;
- That the cold air is crisp and invigorating – when in fact it burns your skin, covers your face in snot, chaps your lips and generally makes you look ugly;
- That children are adorable in their snowshoes and mittens – when in fact, by the time you get them stuffed into their snow pants, zippered into their winter jackets and shoved into their boots and mittens, they have to pee;
- That our home would look like a Currier and Ives print with sunny blue skies and pristine snowfall – when in fact, after Christmas there are still three months of dark, dreary days until Spring.
I spent 11 winters dreaming of moving home to Florida and have spent the past 30 years enjoying sunny, warm winters. Why am I now planning to spend a month between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the northern woods of Michigan and hoping for snow?
I’m retired and have a cute little cottage on the shores of Lake Huron where I can retreat and do nothing but the things I want, no responsibilities or schedules. If it’s bright and sunny maybe we’ll go snowshoeing; if it’s miserable maybe I’ll set up my sewing machine in the kitchen & quilt or maybe I’ll sit in front of the fireplace and read until I get tired enough to shift to the sofa for a nap. On clear days we’ll put on our weatherproof boots and walk along the shore of the lake taking pictures of the frozen fractals.
The difference is having to go out in the snow and cold vs wanting to play outdoors in the snow and cold.
I can’t wait.
Heaven or hell … I choose heaven.
Categories: Family, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: 9th circle of hell, Dante, fireplace, Florida, ice, Michigan, quilting, sleet, snow, winter, winter wonderland
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Sisters Road Trip – Last Stop Kayaking on the Rainbow River, Florida
We decided to take the road less traveled on our way back to Florida from Memphis. We wanted no interstates, only state and county roads meandering our way down to the west coast of Florida and south to the Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon. The first night we ended up in Ozark, Alabama which quickly cured us of any romantic notions of fun-filled adventures on the byways of America. I apologize in advance to anyone from Ozark but we did not have a good experience. So what … we were on our way to beautiful Rainbow Springs.
We arrived in Dunnellon in the early afternoon and checked into a quaint little motel at the confluence of the Rainbow and Withlacoochee Rivers. We met a friend for dinner at Swampy’s, a restaurant with outdoor seating right on the Springs. Great food but bring your own mosquito spray if you want to sit outside. We did.
Swampy’s Bar & Grill
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky & the temperature was in the mid-70’s.
This trip down the Rainbow River was a present of beauty to my sister. I’d been down the River several times and had tried to describe the almost spiritual feeling of serenity and peace, but I needed to show her. She never kayaked and is not especially athletic or graceful (runs in the family), I was a little trepiditious taking her on a 2-3 hour paddle with no turning back. But she insisted she could do it and do it she did! Her reaction was everything I wished for … an audible gasp when the shuttle dropped us off at the launch site into the River.
My sister’s first time in a kayak
Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak
We rented a tandem kayak from Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak, parked our car and were shuttled upriver five miles where the owner helped us into the kayak and headed us in the right direction – downriver. The thing about the Rainbow River is that it is a constant 71 degrees year round and flows at the rate of one mile an hour. So if we did nothing but flounder, we would eventually float back to our car. Up to 500 million gallons of pure water flow from more than 100 spring vents ever day replenishing the river with crystal clear water. I assured my sister that there were no alligators or snakes in the river due to the cold temperature and she believed me.
Beware Alligators!
Paddling a kayak for 3 hours is thirsty work so after we returned our kayak we headed back to Swampy’s looking and smelling like swamp rats.
And that was the finale to our Sisters Road Trip 2014 … central Florida to Atlanta, to Nashville, to Memphis, to Dunnellon. Not only was it a chance for my sister and me to re-connect and visit some of our family, but it was an opportunity to share with her my philosophy of going, doing and exploring when the spirit moves you. We’re retired, our children are grown and there are no constraints, no boundaries, no schedules. It’s our turn to have fun and we did.
Sisters Road Trip – Third Stop, Memphis!
Left Thompsons Station (Nashville) TN headed to Memphis
We drove 212 miles southwest from Nashville to Memphis along I-40. The leaves were changing at Nashville’s elevation of 600 feet but the trees were mostly still green at Memphis’ lower elevation of 300 feet. Coming from southern Florida where we’re only 4 feet above sea level I’m surprised we didn’t get altitude sickness. Only kidding … I had altitude sickness when I visited Machu Picchu in Peru at 15,000 feet and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Why is it that you’re always hungry on a car trip? My sister and I can’t seem to drive for more than an hour without wanting to nosh. So when we passed a sign for Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen, we had to stop.
We had a wonderful breakfast at a very reasonable price. The sausage and bacon came from her farm about 8 miles up the road in Hurricane Mills, TN. About an hour after breakfast we kind of kicked ourselves for not driving out to her farm to say “howdy”! Sure.
I’ve always been drawn to the old west and I’ve decorated my 17-foot Casita travel trailer in 1950s retro cowboy style – my best childhood memories are of Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Sky King, Bonanza, et al. I was a tomboy and wanted to grow up to be a cowboy – not a cowgirl, they were too, well, “girlie”. Loretta has a great little gift shop and I had to buy this plaque for my baby Casita.
My 17-foot Casita Spirit
So, we got to my niece/nephew’s gorgeous home in Memphis and went to dinner at a really fun place called Sliders Inn then spent the rest of our visit walking in a nearby park and enjoying the wonderful weather and great company.
Greeted by my niece with apple caramel martinis
Went for a stroll to work off those apple caramel martinis!
Johnson Park, Collierville, TN – beautiful
We made our famous Chicken Almond Stew for Mike & Jenny & Josh for dinner so they would have plenty of left-overs to remind them of our visit. Then left for the last leg of our journey … kayaking on Rainbow Springs!
Adventures
I’m the one on the right!
Long Key, FL
Can’t Get No Satisfaction
Beware Alligators!
Mamacita with her new Casita!
Gammill Classic Long Arm Machine
Getting Old Ain’t for Sissies
Wander Woman 