Mother Nature Enters Reboot Mode

Our view from the porch until April.

So.  Here we are.  It’s early November and this is what our world looks like.  We’re anticipating that the view won’t change hardly at all until April. 

Mother Nature has entered reboot mode.

It gets so cold here that Mother Nature literally reboots herself.  It’s like the slate is wiped clean with the subzero cold and snow, ready to start over again with the arrival of Spring.   I dig that idea. 

This is one of the many reasons we decided to return to northern Minnesota.  No, we don’t ski or snowmobile.  We don’t ice skate or ice fish.  Dave doesn’t put knobby tires on the bikes and continue cycling. I may  take a shot at snowshoeing at some point, but that remains to be seen.  That doesn’t mean we’ll be housebound for months.  Dave has a short walk to work.  I can still walk when feasible, i.e., not blowing a gale (literally) and conditions outdoors are tolerable.  One still gets out and about with errands or whatever, but I do try to schedule my outings to days when it’s not actively storming.  The main reason for that is it’s just less messy with bringing in groceries and the like when it’s not actively snowing.

Not only does one still need to run these types of errands, but you really do need to get out  during Winter.  It would be too easy to sit indoors and become a total hermit.  Even if it’s just a stroll around the parking lot a few times, get out and acclimate, embrace the environment.

I’ve been known to fire up the outdoor grill during snowfall when we lived in Hibbing years ago.  Almost surreal, that.

Towns up here are equipped for harsh (yes, I used the term “harsh”  ) Winters.  Snowplows are of the “we ain’t kiddin’ around” variety, with plows on both the front and side.  

When we were on-site security in New Jersey – February 2014.  That’s me clearing a path. What amazing times those were.  What adventures.  What memories!  We’ve done stuff, ya know?

A year ago, we were in Texas probably sweltering in the 80-degree November weather, occasionally commenting that we wondered if we’d ever see snow again.  Perhaps that’s when our idea of returning to Minnesota at some point began to emerge.

So here we are.  Momma Nature is in reboot mode.  We have it easy compared to the photo above.  Living in a 55+ community, management clears sidewalks and parking lot.  We don’t have to buy propane to fuel the furnace in our townhome.  Dave doesn’t have to get on the roof to clear snow.  Makes a difference!

Experienced my first Face Time chat a couple of days ago, connecting with a dear girlfriend from college days.  We visit via phone now then, but the addition of video to our “yap session” was such a joy!  We carried on like a couple of … college gals … and it was such fun!  Of course, visiting with her always does my soul good, but this was just about over the top fun.  We’ll be doing that more frequently in the future.

Life percolates along smoothly, and I am very grateful for that.  Seems like I have a lot to be grateful for these days. 

Better water the plants, then get geared up for another work day.  Yes, working from home is another thing I’m grateful for every  day.

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay safe out there, okay?

First Winter Snowfall …

… and it was a doozy! 

Folks are referring to it as a blizzard.  Snow accumulation wasn’t spectacular, but let me tell you – it was pretty darn wild Thursday afternoon and overnight into Friday.  I haven’t seen horizontal snowfall since our time in New Jersey a few years ago when we were still full-time RVers.  Winds here were absolutely howling; think snow hurricane!  A local used the term “blizzarding” to describe what was happening.  Didn’t know that was a verb … ha!

View from my home office Thursday afternoon before the winds really picked up.

Maggie on the left.  Baby on the right.  They’re waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

October 25 marked the first anniversary of the passing of our beloved Maggie.  You can read the post – Our Maggie - from last year about our Wee Widget.  I miss her every single day.  She and Baby both loved snow; Baby was with us when we lived in Hibbing.  I know they’d be having great frolics outside these days!

Although it was 28F out this afternoon, it wasn’t snowing and the winds had abated, so I ventured out for a walk. Layered clothing is “the thing” up here, so I was quite snug.

  Thirsty Moose cozy hoodie

We lived in Hibbing, MN (about 100 miles east of here) from 2005 to 2007, and enjoyed burgers and pizza at the Thirsty Moose.  During one of our visits, I picked up the hoodie in the photo.  It’s really, really warm.  I wore it a few times around campfires we’d have in NJ, but the only other place it’s been cold enough for it is … you guessed it … northern Minnesota!  Wore it during my walk today and I certainly was cozy.  My comfy hoodie has come full circle, being back in northern MN again.

We have snow of some degree and intensity the next couple of days, with a break on Tuesday, and then it kicks in again.  I also learned this past week that we are apparently living in Blizzard Alley.  You’ve heard of Tornado Alley?  Well … same thing, only blizzards instead of tornadoes.  I’m okay with that.  Lived in Tornado Alley for a while, and I’m content here, thank you!

“Pssst … Momma Nature … it’s October, not January!”  Another local mentioned that we’ve gone from October straight to January.  Hmmm … what happened to November and December?!  Well, I’ll still take the occasional snowstorm over December 90-degree days in Texas any day.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is looking pretty good right now, with sunny skies and a high around 31F.  Did major grocery shopping yesterday, so just have a couple of errands to run.  Today (Monday), we’re back to sideways-blowing snow!  I have to say, the management here did a fine job of clearing the parking lot and sidewalks.  Sweet.

Tuesday is also Halloween, and we’ll be off.  That hasn’t happened in a few years, and we’re looking forward to ordering pizza and watching some appropriate movies.

So it’s now our Friday – a couple of days have passed since I started this post – and we’re looking forward to our usual Tuesday/Wednesday weekend! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay safe out there, okay?

 

Blogland Seems Quieter …

When I started blogging about our adventures as full-time RVers, there were so many others out there.  Some were veterans and some were new to the life like us.  I was a pretty active contributor to “Blogland” for years, not only writing my own posts but following along with the lives of others doing the same.  One gets to feel you “know” others through reading their posts and mutual comments back and forth on each others’ sites. We even had the pleasure of meeting Phyllis and Leonard (My Own Highways in My Mind) while in New Jersey.  It does become a community of sorts, albeit mostly virtual.

The number of blogs I followed regularly has thinned out a bit, their voices becoming less frequent or altogether silent.  I know some have put down roots, either selling their RV as we did or using it for shorter journeys.  I have no idea what has happened to others; they simply stopped blogging.  I rarely posted from about 2014 until now; there really wasn’t anything to contribute with our being stationary in a park and with our life schedules.  

Anyhoo, my thoughts turn now and then to those who have drifted off into the mist of “Blogland.”

Sherry (In the Direction of Our Dreams), you asked about the garages here.

Some of the detached garages in our cul-de-sac

It’s not that we’re waiting for them to be built; we’re waiting for one to become vacant.  Most of the townhomes do not have a garage, but you can get one of these detached ones when they are available.  I mentioned in my last post, there was one when we put down our deposit (while still in Texas), but I didn’t anticipate downsizing our truck 2 days after our arrival.  Ha!  Silly me.  There are a few townhomes that have an attached garage, but the rent is quite a bit more and those naturally face into the parking lot.  We like our privacy, being on the back side of our 4-plex and overlooking the fields, etc.  Check back with me on that in January!

While we’re talking Minnesota, Winter, and living in both those …

 That stick is so the fire hydrant can be found in the snow.

Funny … we have relocated literally across this great nation of ours, leaving my native Texas where we had friends.  You might think I’d be “homesick” or feeling displaced a bit.  Not so at all.  This just feels like … home.  Home is not wood, mortar and bricks.  It’s … well … it’s wherever we choose to make our home.

A friend once remarked when visiting my hotel room during the solo trip I made years ago back to Texas from, interestingly, Minnesota – that I could be in a hotel room for 5 minutes and it looked like my home.  Yeah, I had a photo of me and Dave, etc.  Did the same thing during a hospital stay in New Jersey during 2012.  It was a scheduled stay, so I took my laptop, a fave blanket from a friend, and a couple of other things that give me comfort and strength.  The nurses said it looked like an apartment and not a hospital room.

It’s about having those wee things … that blanket from a friend, a special photo, or whatever … that bring a sense of grounding, peace, strength and comfort.

Well, I finished working a while ago and Dave is working late, so I’ve had this chance to visit with you a bit.  He’ll be heading home soon, so I’ll say ciao for now!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be safe out there!

“Together the two paths form a north-south road, the good Red Road.  This is your spiritual path, the one where you will be happiest.” – Medicine Hawk, Council Chief of the Shadowlight Medicine Clan

 

Looking Down the Road

I’m grateful again today that we are in a park with concrete sites and roads.  Dave just now mentioned he could only imagine the state of the other park we were at briefly when we landed here in College Station.  The term “mud pit” surely describes it.  Here, though, we are good.

Break in the rains on April 18

The days and nights seem to fly by; perhaps it does have something to do with the aging process?  As one gets on the “downhill side” of Life years, does Time truly seem to pass more swiftly?  Perhaps it’s a “mental” thing.  When one is young, one seems to be waiting for different stages . . . summer break from school, graduation, first job, first home . . . you get the idea.  Looking down the expanse that is the open road of one’s life to come.  In later years, perhaps we subconsciously realize we’re gliding on the “downhill” side.  Get it? 

I have to smile . . . the song on my Pandora station right now is “Where Are We Going From Here?”  We have been casually talking about the future.  No, we’re not ready to make a jump at this time, and it will be, realistically, two years before that time comes.  With that in mind, now is the time to start visiting the topic.  We are looking at ultimately transitioning from RV living to a 55+ community, i.e., apartment/villa/townhome so we do not have maintenance, grounds upkeep, snow shoveling. 

I hear you exclaim, “Snow shoveling??!”

We lived in northern Minnesota for a couple of years; yes, that included Winters.  It was a small town with not much between us and Canada except a lot of trees, lakes and black bears.  We both really liked that environment.  It was wild, simple, pristine, laid back . . . yes, Winter is cold with temperatures dipping down to –30 or so.  It is a dry cold – trust me, that makes a world of difference - and easier for us to physically tolerate.  One adapts and dresses for it.  Yes, you cover your face in subzero conditions.  Your breath freezes.  Your nose hairs freeze!  Snow?  Yes, there’s snow; however, life in that environment continues.  Things don’t come to a standstill – except during actual blizzards – just because there’s white stuff on the ground.  Summers are mild.  There are fewer occurrences of weather-related disasters such flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and so forth.  Extreme cold each Winter also seems to “clear the slate,” if you will, with regard to insects, viruses, etc.  It’s like you start afresh each Spring.  We like that concept and feel the colder climes are healthier for us all around.

Me and Baby (our dog-child then) strolling around town – December 2006

There is something fun, magical, unique and perhaps a wee bit insane about firing up the backyard grill, standing in snow and having the white flakes come down on you while doing so.

Ever seen the sun shine on ice crystals in the air, causing them to look like twinkling diamonds suspended in air?  Stood on your back porch and marveled at the Northern Lights?  Ever cycled the numerous Rails To Trails paths and seen a young black bear up ahead or had a large deer cross your path right in front of you?  Heard Canada Geese and the call of the Loon from your open bedroom window in the early morning?  Have you sat at the feet of a Native Elder and been honored by the wisdom and insight of yourself bestowed upon you?

If you have, then you perhaps understand the voice that speaks inside, calling you back to that land. 

Looking across the alley at the maple tree in our backyard in MN

Pros and cons.  Unfortunately, there are financial considerations.  Minnesota’s health insurance premiums are predicted to skyrocket exponentially in the coming year and the state does have a personal income tax. 

Texas is financially more favorable as the overall cost of living is lower and there is no personal income tax.

Wherever we end up, I think we agree that it will be a smaller town, one which has necessary amenities but not a surplus of businesses, hustle, bustle, traffic and people.  We’ll be back where one more intimately shares the land, sky and water with Mother Earth’s creatures of the wild kind.

Security job site - Warren Glen, NJ – October 2012 – See?  This is the “problem.”  We spent 3.5 years at this site in a small community.  We became “spoiled” with the beauty, the remoteness, living in Nature, the simplicity, the “wildness,” the peace, the privacy.

So, that’s our “problem,” mine, at least.  My soul looks forward to the time of escape from a large city with so much traffic and so many people.  I know, I know.  College Station is not truly considered a large city; however, it is a megalopolis by my standards.

We’ll see what the future brings and how we can shape ours.  There may be communities in Texas which would suit our everyday living needs with regards to housing, but . . .

What about one’s soul?  Does one have to “settle” for something totally absent of what is desired?  I confess it saddens me to think so.  Can’t one manifest what one’s soul longs for?  I have always believed so.

In the meantime, today is our “Sunday.”  The rains have hopefully moved out of the area for a while this afternoon.  Dave is preparing to get out on the bike again today – he logged 52 miles yesterday – and I’ll be going for a much-needed hair trim later.  Then it’s cooking Mexican Lasagna once I return; it’s a great dish for a few meals this week and then for portioning and storing in the freezer for a later date.  An evening of chilling – we finished House of Cards and have moved on to Hinterland.  Tomorrow it’s back to work!

Thanks for strolling down the path of future plans with me!

February 10th, Really?

Well, I’m just about falling off the grid when it comes to blogging.  Once again it’s a record time in between posts, this time being almost a month.

Our days (and weeks) seem to pass by in somewhat of a blur.  I find myself occasionally stopping to ask myself, “What day is today?”  Crazy.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Our weekends are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Dave is still working at Walmart, really being “one of the gang” on his crew and even one of the long-timers by comparison.  I continue with my telecommuting as a virtual assistant and still enjoying that.  Our days and evenings are full, making the time we spend together before and after work (and our weekends) more special. 

Dave is now a fully permanent employee, so we’ve enrolled in health benefits and he is now accruing vacation time, although he won’t be eligible to take any time off until next year.  The health insurance is sort of a good thing and not so good thing.  A bit more expensive, but we’re now in a PPO vs. an HMO (via the Exchange) and there are some nice aspects of the plan we’re in.  It’s a bit scary . . . giving up some of our independence, so to speak.

One thing about this location; it is windy at least 9 days out of 10.  It’s reasonably flat here and quite open and, hey, it is Texas . . . so it’s windy. 

We’ve had a few warm days already, and I am really, really not looking forward to the summer months.  Mr. Sun hits the driver side of our RV all day; we’ll get to Lowe’s for some of the insulation panels we used to skirt the rig in Jersey, cut it to size and put it up on our big windows on that side.  Long before temps heat up.  I’m really only talking the side-facing windows in the slide-out on the street side.  There’s a small section of the big window that opens, so we’ll not cover that up.  Yes, it will make it darker in here, but that’s the idea.  Darker = cooler.  The door side of the rig is in shade all day.

Did I mention that we have changed out our interior lights to LED?  That’s excepting a couple of wall lamps.  The others that we use regularly are done.  I like the quality of the light much better and those puppies sure are a lot cooler, not to mention more energy-efficient.  Even though we don’t pay separately for electricity here, increased energy efficiency is a plus.

All that being said, I may be establishing my own private nudist camp in here during the hot summer months.  Well, not totally.  How about semi-clothed camp?  Ha!  And lots of quick cold showers.

The weather for our “weekend” (yesterday and today) this week has been pretty icky with nonstop rain.  So much for washing the rig again this week.  I did get out during a lull yesterday and headed to Office Depot in College Station.

A bit hard to tell from the photo, but that’s an ergonomic desk chair.  After snooping around on the internet, I found this model at Office Depot at a greatly reduced price.  I tested the display model, really liked it and was lucky enough to get the last one that was boxed.  Yay me!  I had an ergonomic chair prior to our full-timing in 2010; I sold it, as our rig had no desk and I didn’t need it any longer.  Well, now I have a desk and am spending quite a few hours each week working.  So.  Chair.  There are adjustments for height, seat tilt and lumbar adjustment and the armrests are height-adjustable.  I like it a lot so far.  I’ve always like the mesh-backed chairs, as they stay cooler and really are more comfy.

What else to do on a rainy day?

One other item I picked up at Office Depot was something for Dave’s cycling documentation.  At this point, he doesn’t have a proper desk, but uses a small computer table that is just big enough for his laptop and nothing else.  He keeps stats on his cycling, so his “stuff” was ending up on the floor beside his recliner.  Ugh. 

Now everything is tidy and handy for him to use.  It looks neater in his area and the hassle of moving all this stuff every time I vacuum is eliminated. 

Every now and then, actually just about every week lately, I go through another drawer, another cabinet, take a sweep through the closet . . . and am sorting through/organizing items with the result that some go out the door. 

Seems I am feeling burdened by too much stuff these days.  From 2011 up until last October, we had an office at our work locations.  We could spread out a bit, and we acquired some items that were necessary in our line of work, including heavy clothing and outerwear for the harsh winter conditions in New Jersey.  Our lifestyle has changed, we no longer have an office and, at least for the foreseeable future, we certainly are not experiencing harsh winter weather here in Texas.  Being outdoors was an integral part of our security jobs, and that is no longer the case.

That being said, I can’t (yet) bring myself to toss out expensive insulated overalls, heavy outwear and other items for extreme weather conditions.  Heck, most of those items weren’t cheap and I have worn/used them now and then even in our new way of life. 

Maybe it’s just the onset of Spring.  I’ve even measured living room furniture and our space in here with the thought of rearranging our furniture configuration. 

My measuring tape says that ain’t gonna happen.

I look at what folks are doing to their interiors on some social media groups and . . . sigh.  Oh well.  Ours is comfy and not disgusting . . . just not “spiffy” like some I see.  Of course, I wonder about the added weight of some of the furniture additions these folks make and I’m really not into painting the walls or cabinets in here.

I also wonder how folks keep the interior of their RVs looking like a showplace.  Really?  Do they actually live there?  Do they put the toaster away somewhere when not actually using it?  Do they realize the added weight of that wood wine cabinet and all those bottles of wine?  Perhaps it makes a difference that we eat at home all the time and that we are still working vs. being retired.

Ah well.  In the meantime, I did pick up a new comforter for the daybed that ties in better with the colors we have going on and a new doormat that does the same.  Whoohoo!  I’m glad I put in curtains while in NJ and that we have changed over to LED lighting.  Those things help.

Still . . . I’d love to be the winner on a program “Redo My RV Interior.”  Ha!

No, I don’t want a new rig.  I like ours and there’s nothing wrong with it.  I’d just like to do something with the inside.  Hence, new comforter, new doormat, etc.  Little things can make a world of difference.

But . . .

If you hear of a program like “Redo My RV Interior,” let me know.  I just might apply!

Stay safe out there, okay?  Thanks for stopping by!

T Minus 1

We ended up having fewer rainy spells today, so Dave took advantage of the wee break and loaded the bed of the truck this afternoon while I gave Maggie a good clip. She relaxed to the floor right from the get and enjoyed the pampering. She is such a funny puppy!

Earlier in the day, we went down the road a bit to the nearby Food Lion to pick up a few staples to supplement our road trip provisions. We had a nice dinner of fettuccini alfredo and a chopped veggie salad consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, green bell pepper and carrots with a wee dollop of Ranch dressing.  Oh! And a piece of Naan bread for each of us. Yummers!

The guy who is the regular here returned from vacation today and is parked across the street with his bumper pull. He’ll move into this site when we leave Thursday.

Tomorrow I’ll stow whatever I can, leaving just the last minute things to secure prior to traveling. I’ll dump our tanks and Dave will stow the macerator system and water hose, leaving us running off our fresh tank and hooked up to shore power only. We’ll also hitch up to the truck.

I’m keeping an eye on TS Joaquin, although I think (and hope) it will be a nonissue for us since we will be heading westward Thursday. Just a while ago, the forecast for Lexington, SC (where we will spend our first 2 nights) calls for heavy rain Wednesday night with conditions looking better starting Thursday (the day we arrive). Same forecast for here has the heavy rain coming in Thursday night. I am totally okay with this.

Sounds like the disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico has fizzled out, and the longer range forecasts for stops along our route look downright decent with sunshine. Woot! I am really, really okay with that!

Of course, we all know it is prime hurricane season right now and storms can develop literally overnight. One of the advantages of having a home on wheels is being able to sit tight in place or get the heck out of harm’s way.

Speaking of which, looks like New Jersey will take a hit from Joaquin. If we were still there, we’d be prepping the rig for evacuation to higher ground, as we did during storms Irene and Lee back in 2011. We sure had some adventures up there and gained quite a lot of experience and knowledge in living with the Momma Nature.

Maggie is crashed out on a blankie atop a pile of pillows on the sofa bed here in the living room. She is cuter than cute when clipped, and I just know she feels so relaxed after some “spa time.” Did I mention she’s such a good dog? Others might fidget, whimper or even express displeasure with clipping, but not our Maggie. She digs it and gets into a Zen groove.

Well, what would you expect from a Lhasa Apso, eh? Buddhist monks and all . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

What Are You Reading?

The grocery store we frequent has a Three-Books-for-$10 bin, and recently I scored three unexpected goodies.  One book each by W.E.B. Griffin, Clive Cussler and James Patterson.  I have made my way through Griffin’s different series, excepting Badge of Honor, enjoyed the adventures of Dirk Pitt that Cussler conjures up and curled up in blankets late at night with Patterson’s works . . .sometimes leaving a light on.  I haven’t started these new additions to our library, but am saving them for . . . a snowy day?  Hmmm . . .

Still having a balance on my iTunes card which was a Christmas gift, I downloaded Krav Maga by Boaz Aviram the other day.  This system of self-defense has piqued my interest for years; as much as over a decade ago, I toyed with taking classes while still living in Brenham.  I now wish I had persevered in doing so, as I don’t foresee that opportunity presenting itself again.  So.  I bought this book for self-education and just because I believe I will be able to glean some benefit from learning more about the system’s philosophies and techniques. 

Along those lines, when we got into our occupation of security work a few years ago, I purchased Israeli Security Concepts: A Comprehensive Guide For Selecting Training And Deploying A Security Team For Installation And Personnel Protection (Volume 2).  While targeted for a specific audience, there are so many techniques and practices that can apply in everyday life and situations.  Interestingly, one thing I do already is back into parking spaces.  I have been doing this for . . . well, a long time.  I would say it started when I began driving larger vehicles – my Tahoe and now the “Beast” F-350 – as it seems easier for me to pull out versus backing, but I do recall doing it with my Honda sedan.  It seems to be something I began doing instinctively.  At any rate, I believe a civilian could pick up some valuable personal security tips from this book.

I just finished another Zane Grey work, The Mysterious Rider.  Never a fan of Westerns per se in the past, I do so enjoy his books.  He not only conveys the spirit of bygone days of life in The West, but the stories of people living those in those times and environment.  I’ve been hooked on these for a while now.  They are available free on iTunes, and I read them on my phone.

My personal library was quiet extensive prior to full-timing, but I did keep books which comprise a core of that previous collection.   Shaman, Healer, Sage is one of those, and I am revisiting it. 

Ha-ha!  Now you know one of the reasons I am not blogging every day.  As our work duties are much lighter here  and I have much more free time, I figured I might as well indulge in some reading and studying.

What’s on your bookshelf that’s getting your attention these days?

“We do not want riches.  We want peace and love.”

- Red Cloud (Makhpiya-Luta), Oglala Sioux, 1870

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

A Taste of Winter

 

Winter does come to South Carolina, even if briefly.  It was snowing when I headed to bed around 2:30 this morning after my work shift.  Mostly what’s on the ground is ice, but there is a bit of snow here and there.  Nothing to speak of and certainly nothing when compared to this . . . .

February 13, 2014, in New Jersey

Tomorrow will be above freezing in the 40s, so we’ll venture out for propane and a few provisions before the next wee storm rolls in later in the day.

The past week has been relatively uneventful.  Maggie sailed through her dental procedure last Thursday.  I had a restless and pretty much sleepless night while she was overnighting at the vet and was glad to pick her up the following afternoon.  She took full advantage of being a lap dog that evening.  Yep, that was my purpose in Life . . . to provide a warm, blanketed lap to our Maggs while she recovered.  Good therapy for both of us.

The next project in my virtual assistant work has come along and I’m glad to be cruising along with work again.  There are lulls in between projects, but that’s okay.  It gives me some free time in the evenings for a couple of weeks and then things pick up again.  Nice.

We continue to play chess over the weekends, this past Friday and Saturday nights were truly epic matches.  Our games last 2.5 to 3 hours, which isn’t bad for a couple of amateurs just having fun.

We picked up this set in Rockport, TX during one of our holidays with our popup.  Gosh, that was back in June 2008.  We were in town prowling around and found this in an import shop.  It’s a stone set and thankfully came with a very nice case.  It was a bit of an extravagance at the time, but has given us so many evenings of enjoyment.  I was introduced to chess in the early 1980s in El Paso.  At the time, I was working for the Students’ Attorney at UTEP.  The attorney was an avid player and taught the basics to the intern and myself.  Dave has been an excellent player for “donkey’s years” (a very long time) and gave me proper schooling when I spent time with him in Scotland in 2005-2006.   I was a laughable player at the start, but he was a patient and supportive teacher, and I’ve progressed into a respectable opponent.  It’s fascinating to see each game evolve following our individual standard opening moves.  I won’t divulge mine, but it is a named opening move I found a while back when doing some research.  It seems to serve me well; Dave scores the most victories, but he’s an excellent player.  I do, however, give him a run for his money and put his king in some awkward spots.  My king has become bolder over the years and, when he goes down, he goes down fighting.  At any rate, it’s excellent fun and flexes the gray matter a bit. 

Funny . . . Dave remarked the other evening that when he gets in a tight predicament, he goes on the defensive . . . . but me?  He says I just keeping attacking.  Must be my Warrior nature, eh?

Well, Dave is catching up on some sleep that eluded him earlier.  I’m in the office with some afternoon quiet time; hence, this blog post.  I’m looking at nine more hours until my day winds down.  Caught up on work and personal paperwork yesterday and it’s totally icky out, so guess I’ll find some other things to occupy the rest of my day. 

“Whatever the gains, whatever the loss, they are yours.”

- Fine Wounds, Nez Perce

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

Another Week Gone

We have been here in South Carolina for almost 4.5 months.  Some days it feels as if so much more time has passed than that and other days it feels like we have just arrived.  Not sure what that says.

This past week was another in a series of the same-old-same-old. 

Maggie is on prescription dog food, so I have made an initial appointment with a local vet for this coming Wednesday.  A meet-and-greet, if you will.  Once I have a prescription, I can order the food online and have it delivered.  This will be a huge help given the distance to the vet and our work  schedule.  I’ll also schedule an appointment for teeth cleaning for her and ask about getting some flea prevention.  We didn’t have an issue with fleas (none, zip, zilch) in New Jersey, just an occasional tick which I removed (and she gets the Lyme vaccination),  but I have a feeling things may be different in this location.  At any rate, I’m hopeful this will be a good vet and that Maggie will not be stressed with them; reviews are quite glowing, the person I spoke with on the phone was very nice and they have emergency services, a rare resource in this area.

Maggie had a spa day today, albeit with yours truly providing the pampering.  Gave her a very thorough clip during the wee hours of my shift Sunday morning and then a bath Sunday afternoon.  The weather here was quite warm, so we were able to do this outside.  Crazy towel time afterwards!  Fun!

Taxes are done and dusted for year 2014.  Yay!  That’s one less thing on my plate.

We certainly are saving money on dining out here, even given the modest number of times we ate out in NJ.  About once a month we would treat ourselves to a lazy Sunday breakfast at Perkins or perhaps a Sunday dinner at Applebee's.  Here?  We have been out for a meal just once, to IHOP while out and about.  Again, our work/life schedule simply is not conducive to venturing off the property for meals or exploring the area.  When we do go out, it is to run errands such as refilling propane, to Lowe’s, for groceries, etc.  I get my hair cut once a month, and enjoy that wee bit of pampering.  Of course, Dave is off on the bike several times a week and I have a couple of hours of time for myself unrelated to errands off the property about once a month.

Yesterday I weeded out a few items – clothing and otherwise – and they went out the door.  I’m sort of in a paring-down mood.

It has been windy today . . . again.  I swear it’s either raining here or, if not, it is blowing a gale.  Rain returns tomorrow.  We have not had our awning out once here.  Strange, because when we were here for two months in 2010, we had our awning deployed and staked out the entire time.

We have had a couple of unsolicited initial contacts about other jobs; however, there has not yet been anything that has caused us to seriously consider leaving here.  Let me rephrase that . . . consider leaving this job, not this location.  We receive inquiries now and then, so this is par for the course.  Who knows?  Perhaps one day we’ll get an offer that will sound wonderful and we’ll be wheels up off to another adventure.

In the meantime, we’re holding our own and hanging in.  I feel like we’re in a holding pattern here, but grateful to be employed.  We play chess on weekends, and two of the games this weekend were absolutely our best yet.  If there had been an audience, they would have been on the edges of their seats.  Saturday’s match went for three hours.  Sweet.  I truly cherish our chess evenings.

Well, it will be time for my part of the night shift to end soon, so I’ll wrap this up for now. 

“I am not a child.  I can think for myself.  No man can think for me.”

- Chief Joseph (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt), Nez Perce, 1840-1904

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

Yes, I’m Still Here

I totally bailed out of the WordPress Blogging 101 course.  While I would recommend it to beginning bloggers, the assignments were tasks I had either already tackled or ones that would take my blogs in a direction I did not wish to pursue.  So here we are, back to our regularly unscheduled, sporadic programming.

Being on a night shift schedule seems to leave me with less spare time.  By the time we get up, tend to Maggie, have breakfast and perhaps run an errand, it just about time to get back here and go on duty. True, I have a window of three to four hours at night (like right now) on my own, but these hours are spent working my part-time virtual assistant gig, paying bills, taking care of other personal business, etc.  Rarely are my solo hours a blank palette for creativeness or just goofing off playing solitaire.   

Toss into that schedule about two days of feeling fairly punky, and I have been AWOL from Blogland.  Some days I simply . . . got ‘nuttin.

So!  Since last time I ventured here, I had a hair appointment (yay! for a shape-up) and took a couple of hours one evening for a “me” errand off the property while Dave stayed here.  Gotta get off the property now and then for a bit of fun and be around other like-minded folks.

It’s interesting how food available in markets and the quality of produce varies from place to place.  We are finding that produce here is not the same quality as in New Jersey, especially lettuce.  One thing we do enjoy is fresh pasta, not the kind that comes in a box off the shelf.  Well, this is the first place we had not been able to find such and, let me tell you, we were ready for a nice plate of fettuccini Alfredo.  We could find fresh (refrigerated, that is) ravioli here but not fettuccini or linguini, even of the same major brand.  Weird.  Heck, even the Walmart up in Jersey had this, so we were perplexed why we couldn’t find it here in any of the stores.  We chalked it up to differences in culinary habits of different regions; after all, we are in the South now.  Too, the area where we are is a bit . . . umm . . . industrial?  other side of the tracks?  not as up-market?  On mentioning the lack of fresh pasta to our facility manager here, he reminded me of another market, Harris Teeter, over in the neighboring town. 

Tuesday evening I dashed over to HT and . . . oh . . . my . . . goodness!  I called Dave from the store after scoring two packages of pasta and told him, “This is a real grocery store!”  Fresh-baked artisan bread – they even had a kiosk just for that.  Honest to goodness meat and seafood counter where you can point to something and say, “Yes, please, I’d like that one.”  Scored several items that we had not seen here yet. 

The clientele was definitely more upscale and so were the prices, so we won’t be purchasing our toilet paper from there.  Ha!  For specialty items, though, it is a godsend in what has been so far a barren landscape devoid of yummies for the tummies.  On arriving in the parking lot, I remembered that we had been there once during our stay here in 2010.  I can see a monthly stock-up trip on future calendars.

Dinner Wednesday night?  Breaded chicken breasts and fettuccini Alfredo.  Yes, folks, I cooked and we actually partook of dinner together, a rarity in our time here. 

Let’s see . . . Dave spotted the two rogue dogs on the property Saturday,  thankfully out in the hinterlands and not in our personal space up front.  Still, it’s head on a swivel and I do have items on my person to defend myself when on solo duty at night.   We had Friday night chess and were slated to match wits again Sunday evening, but things were a bit busy around here (issues with the company trucks and a potential parker in the lot out front) and we rescheduled our chess time for Monday evening. 

Dave finally met up with the local bike club Sunday and truly enjoyed cycling in a group again.  He didn’t really have that up in NJ except at races.  He had hung out with this SC group during the two months we were here in 2010.  Yay for Dave!

This afternoon my Reiki table came out of the basement and I set it up in the our office suite. 

The table’s covering is a nice purple, but I always put this blanket on it.

Dave was the recipient of a half-hour session this evening.  While benefitting the person on the table, I also reap the positive effects of performing Reiki.  Dim the lights, put on my fave Reiki CD and away we go!  I purchased this table over 10 years ago when my Reiki work starting blossoming.  The frame is aircraft aluminum and very lightweight but sturdy.  While the legs are adjustable for height, the variance in adjustment is based on my height.  After watching other folks  struggle with heavy wooden tables, I knew I needed one I could easily transport.  Did a lot of research and found Astra-Lite.  It was a bit more expensive than others but I also knew I would buy only one Reiki table in my lifetime.   I tell ya, this table looks and performs just as it did when it was delivered all those years ago. 

It folds flat and and has a soft-sided bag but, even so, it takes up a bit of space in our RV basement.  Thing is . . . I’d ditch most of my clothes and a lot of other things before this baby and I would part company.  Who knows?  One of these days I may teach or see clients again . . . In the meantime, it’s back in its bag propped up against a wall here in the office awaiting the next session.

Discovered today that my Reiki site is not accessible via iPhones, although it can be viewed on laptops.  Apparently there have been upgrades to the site design software, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada, which boils down to my having to go with the new version. (The old version is to be phased out in the near future.)  This means I will have to start over and build my site again from scratch.  sigh  Another project on the board for me.  Ah well, it’s a a labor of love.

I spent a lot of time building my site and, while it will be work to create a new one, I do enjoy this sort of thing.  I’ll just put on my geek cap and get into it.  Sometime in the near future, but not tonight.  I become rather immersed in a project like this, so it will have to be when I have a block of free evenings or a weekend to devote to it.

Okay.  Enough.  I’m outta here.  Thanks for taking the time to catch up with me!

“All things in the world are two.  In our minds we are two, good and evil.  With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly . . . We  have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart.  One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good.  So are all things two, all two.”

- Letakots-Lesa (Gray Eagle Chief), Pawnee, 19th century

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’

It dawned on me the other evening that one aspect missing from my life here versus where we were in New Jersey is physical activity.  At our previous site, we both were mowing (okay, it was with a zero-turn mower, but it was still something somewhat physical), I had a walking routine in place on the property, there was snow to shovel in Winter, I had flowerbeds and veggie gardens to create and tend, and so forth.  Here we are performing no grounds maintenance, we do no building walk-thrus, the site does not lend itself to the creation of flowerbeds or vegetable gardens, and I am not straying far afield to walk the property due to the current stray dog issue. 

Although the terrain here is flat, I am definitely not inclined to get out on the road with my bike in light of the experiences Dave has had, i.e., chased by dogs on almost every ride, run off the road by vehicles and the near-misses he has encountered from negligent/careless, or even – shall we say – drivers who apparently hold cyclists in contempt.  Read all that as this being a higher than normal hazardous area for cycling.  He has had a guy lean out of a vehicle and yell at him, and a woman followed him down a road and . . . well, behaved bizarrely.  Yep, we’re living Deliverance.

So . . . the other evening I asked Dave to set up my bike on the turbo (stationary trainer) so I can get some physical exercise.  I believe the lack of physical exertion is one reason I have been in somewhat of a spiritual and emotional funk here.  Being the awesome husband and best friend that he is . . .

My Trek set up in Dave’s office aka “the bike shop”

Riding indoors is not as fun or as stimulating (no, I’m not talking about the sort of stimulation one feels being chased by huge, snarling dogs!) as riding on the road, either alone or with buddies; however, one can do some things to help in this regard.  There are computer programs and even web sites that feature a program that simulates road riding or even racing.  Dave enjoys that.  Some folks have been known to read or listen to audiobooks. 

Me?

I listen to music.

Years ago, I had a stationary trainer and found a CD which provided me with a good workout routine . . . high-rhythm warm-up tune to get things going, followed by songs which maintain my pulse rate and varied in exertion levels, peaking with a flat-out effort and then a cool-down period.  I’ve used this same CD for over 12 years now, including during my breast cancer experience.  Following surgery and throughout radiation treatment, I was not physically up to cycling on the road; however, I could use the trainer effectively and with no ill physical effects.

This kept me “sane” and helped maintain my physical strength/energy levels.  It also made me a stronger cyclist by the time my wheels rolled on pavement again.

In case you’re wondering what that CD is . . .

Promise you won’t laugh?  Really?  Cross your heart?

Okay . . .

Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Oh man, you promised.

I could explain the routine to you, but it probably wouldn’t make any sense except to a cyclist.  Suffice it to say, it gives me a thorough and sensible workout. 

It also is taking me back to my “roots,” if you will . . . back to finding and calling upon not only my physical strength, but also my inner strength.

Sweet.

Some folks are content and fare well with essentially sedentary activities, and I have some of those, too; however, I have . . . I need . . . to have a balance of sedentary with pushing the physical envelope a bit.  Finding not only the physical strength but that inner Warrior strength.

Oh yeah.  This will work.  Definitely.

Peace, ya’ll . . .

“I hope the Great Heavenly Father, who will look down upon us, will give all the tribes His blessing, that e may go forth in peace and live in peace all our days, and that he will look down upon our children and finally lift us far above this earth; and that our Heavenly Father will look upon our children as His children, that all the tribes may be His children.  And as we shake hands to-day upon this broad plain, we may forever live in peace.”

- Red Cloud (Makhpiya-Luta), Oglala Sioux chief, late 19th century

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

 

 

 

 

 

Work? Optional!

Work? Optional!

If money were out of the equation, would you still work? If yes, why, and how much? If not, what would you do with your free time?

Today’s writing prompt from The Daily Post at WordPress

Would I still work if money were out of the equation?  No.  I have been in the workforce since age 16.  I could exit with no separation anxiety whatsoever.

Well, wait.  I would more than likely still be a full-time RVer, so I could workamp  for the RV site in a campground.  We would definitely be traveling with the seasons and taking in parts of this beautiful country we have not yet experienced.

On second thought . . . money is out of the equation completely?  Let me rethink this, then.

Why not pay for the site and support campgrounds financially?  Okay, that sounds reasonable.  We  would then be absolutely free to stay wherever we wanted, not choosing a location due to employment.

What would I do with my days?

I would explore whatever area we happened to be in and do so leisurely, not being on any daily timetable.  I would rise from slumber when my body had enough snoozing and hit the blankets when I was ready, not regimented by alarm clocks.  I would probably write more and read more.  Gee, who knows?  I might even cook more!  I might cook less!

We would definitely rack up a lot of miles on our rig, which might just change from a truck/5th wheel combo to a smallish Class A or B motorhome.  Hmmm . . . perhaps a new 5th wheel with automatic leveling and a dually truck?  Newer 5ers have a full-sized tub instead of a “garden tub.”  Yeah, baby.

We are dreaming here, right?  

Although I have seen much of the United States throughout my life, there are so many places I have not yet been and others I want to visit again in order to share them with my husband.  This doesn’t mean we’d be on the road constantly, rather sitting in one spot for a few weeks in order to truly experience an area.  Or having the option to vamoose lickety-split from a location if it did not suit us.

One of the things on my bucket list is to spend a Winter on the Texas Gulf Coast in Rockport or some other like quaint destination, or even in The Valley.  Yep, that would happen.  Oh heck, why not throw Arizona in there, too?  Winter in Arizona?  Yeah, I’d try that. 

I’d bite the bullet and even try Florida one Winter, as long as it was at one of the fancy-schmancy resorts with a covered BBQ cabana and huge concrete patio overlooking a bay.  I would make the supreme sacrifice and try that.

We could follow bicycle tours across the country one year and let Dave cycle in all the states in the USA.  Hey, that could include Alaska!  Whoohoo!

Although I am not keen on flying again and definitely not transatlantic jaunts, but . . .

We could book first-class tickets and travel to Scotland for extended stays.  A wee stone cottage in the Highlands?  Book a flat at The Knight Residence in Edinburgh again?  We’re talking at least six months at a time, folks.   Definitely a possibility. 

I could return to trusted physicians in New Jersey for my annual cancer check-ups.  That would be a huge bonus.

Oh my gosh!  It just dawned on me that we could rent Dolphin Watch in Cape May and spend some time there each year.  Woot!

You see, though, my life right now is a lot of these things.  With this particular assignment we’re on, we don’t awaken to alarm clocks.  When off duty, our time is our own.  I have time to read, write, cook, nap and hang out with my husband and our wee Maggie.  There are not a lot of hours between arising and going on duty to go out exploring but, you know what?

We aren’t the types who are into heavy-duty sightseeing.  We do not have to be constantly entertained.

We get off on simply “be-ing.”

The only things missing from my current existence, really, is the freedom to travel at whim.  If we’re lucky, we might just live long enough to be able to travel more.

Travel and the shiny new rig, but our truck and 5th wheel are just fine for now.

As I tell folks, I feel I have the best of both worlds.  I live the full-time RV life and have employment that I actually enjoy.

It is fun to fantasize a bit about a life where money is no object, eh? 

What about you?  Would you still work? 

“Often in the stillness of the night when all nature seems asleep about me there comes a gentle rapping at the door of my heart.  I open it and a voice inquires, “Pokagon, what of your people?  What will their future be?”  My answer is:  “Mortal man has not the power to draw aside the veil of unborn time to tell the future of his race.  That gift belongs of the Divine alone.  But it is given to him to closely judge  the future by the present, and the past.”

-  Simon Pokagon,  Potawatomi, 1830-1899

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

 

Stroke of Midnight

January 1
Stroke of Midnight
Where were you last night when 2013 turned into 2014?  Is that where you’d wanted to be?

WordPress Ebook:  365 Days of Writing Prompts

The above prompt is from last year, but I am going with it anyway.  I really would like to get back into the habit of daily blogging/writing and may utilize this and similar tools now and then. 

Daily blogging?  (insert maniacal laughter here)  Oh heck, who am I kidding?  Between two jobs, husband, dog and everything else that comes along with daily life, it will be a freakin’ miracle if I can set aside time for entertaining my Muse once a week.  Ah well, one can hope, eh?

Perhaps I can be a bit more disciplined about taking time for myself this year.  Do I hear a New Year’s resolution in there somewhere?

I think not.

To answer the questions above as they relate to 2014 turning into 2015 . . . um . . . well, yes and no.  Or is it no and yes?

When the clock struck midnight and 2015 came rolling in, I was (and still am) in South Carolina.   Did I want to be in South Carolina this New Year’s Eve? 

Honestly? 

I see you are nodding, “Yes, honestly.”

From a geographic standpoint, no, this is not where I want to be.  I would rather be in a pleasant campground in some small town on the Texas Gulf Coast.  I would rather be in Brenham, Texas, where I would be able to spend time with friends.  I would rather be in New Jersey still working the assignment we had prior to this one.  I would rather be in a small, cozy cottage on the Scottish seashore or in Glencoe.  I would rather be in Edinburgh for Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve). 

No worries, though.  I am not miserable and one sometimes chooses to go where the work is versus being unemployed.  It is all about choices, but that is a topic for another post, eh? 

It simply a writing prompt and I’m running with it. 

Moving along . . .

If we are talking about where I am in my life, I have to answer in the affirmative. 

I am living the full-time RV life and am employed in a line of work I dig.  I am cancer-free as far as I know and am feeling pretty darn good these days.  My body is in a happier place awakening naturally instead of being jolted awake by an alarm clock; the absence of waking at a certain time is one of the perks of working night shift.  (I’ll get back to you on other night-shift pros if when I think of them.)  I share my life with an amazing (and amazingly patient) man from a land far, far away and with a sweet dog.   We keep food on the table and the bills are paid each month.  It is a simplistic way of life by today’s standards and a comfortable one.

I confess that at times I really miss teaching Reiki.  Will I ever have a rockin’ teaching practice going again?  My crystal ball is on the fritz, so I don’t have an answer to that.  Whether or not I am teaching, the path of a Reiki Master/Teacher is part of who I am and will be with me always.  I’m good with that.

The only aspect of my life in need of more attention is my spirituality -  whether it be meditation, Tai Chi, “a-ha” experiences as in years past, writing, reading, etc.  I have set an intention in that regard (if you sense a post about intent in the future, you’re catching on!) and this January 1 post is part of that intention. 

I invite you to visit with me here as I walk, stumble and skip through 2015 in this journey we call Life.

“What is life?  It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.  It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

- Crowfoot,  Blackfoot warrior and orator, 1826-1890

January 1 - 365 Days of Walking the Red Road

 

I am a Warrior.

Looked Back Yesterday, Looking Ahead Today

If you missed my recap of 2014 yesterday, you can find it here.  2014 has been gracious to us and provided us with more memorable moments of this life we share as full-time RVers.

Looking ahead?  Resolutions for the coming year?  I tend to not make resolutions but just take it as it comes.  Life is truly unpredictable and, as many full-timers say, plans are made in Jell-O and subject to change in a New York minute. 

I am hoping to become more regular with blog posts and to get back to writing, not just recounting the day’s activities.

Well, what the heck.  Let’s talk about yesterday’s happenings. 

I ran to Walmart for a few things and Dave tackled trimming shrubs around our RV.  He did an outstanding job!

We can actually see the benches now!  These shrubs had totally gone wild and were in a bodacious out-of-control state.  Wish I had taken a “before” photo.  Makes the area around our rig so much nicer.

He also trimmed back some more branches and limbs from the tree in the photo.  This gives us a bit more light and reduces the amount of leaves that fall on the ground (and our rig).  Just a bit of a “facelift” to our area and it is really so much more pleasant and tidy-appearing.

Judy (Travels with Emma), a holiday getaway is not in our conversation at the moment.  As much as we love (and I do mean love) Cape May, that would be a bit of a travel stretch.  Gosh, I’d love to go back to Dolphin Watch again, and we absolutely adore the town of Cape May (we can see ourselves living there permanently); however, if we decide we can afford swing a vacation, more than likely it would be some destination on the coast in this area.  Myrtle Beach?  Too expensive and too touristy, but there might be some smaller town in that general area.  Long and short – no vacation plans at the moment.

I sort of feel like I am in “hunker down” mode here.  Check back with me about a getaway come August, when I’m suffering in a southern Summer again.  Ha!

In retrospect, we have said, “What were we thinking?” when we came down here.  Being the work-conscious types that we are – work ethic, time off = no pay, that sort of thing – it never even crossed our minds to take off a bit of extra time prior to arriving on station here.  Duh.  We could have hauled our home down to the beach, spent time in the Virginias prowling Civil War sites or, heck, even returned to Cherokee, NC (like that area a lot) for a spell.  I guess we didn’t think about it, since we had a nice holiday to Cape May earlier in the year.

Well, we learned our lesson with that one.  If possible, the next time we transfer, we will take some time for us.

Guess I had better skedaddle  out of  here for now.  Dave is about to get his last bike miles for 2014 and I am whipping up more sausage balls and olive/cheese puffs today.  We will have a bit of chess this evening and then I will be greeting 2015 while I am on duty.

Happy New Year!  Thanks for stopping by!

Looking Back at 2014

We have had another interesting year as full-time RVers, now 4.5 years on the road. 2014 has been another year of adventures, memories made and enjoyment of our lifestyle and work. Here are some highlights of our year.

We continue working as an on-site security team, starting 2014 in northwest New Jersey.  We experienced quite a bit of snow during January and February.

 

 

Betty shoveling during a snowstorm that dropped 15” of the white stuff

Even though we had quite a few days of subzero temperatures, our rig kept us comfortable and cozy.  One thing about it, these sort of conditions keep one hale and hardy!  The snow really wasn't all that bad, just mainly an inconvenience.

We were fortunate to again take a holiday, returning to a beach house in Cape May, NJ aptly named Dolphin Watch. The only thing separating it from the beach is a small street in front, and we enjoyed watching pods of dolphins glide by in the bay from the top deck of the house.

Dolphin Watch in Cape May, NJ

The rest of our Summer passed uneventfully, and we simply enjoyed ourselves with grilling outdoors, doing grounds maintenance (we both had fun mowing the lawns with the zero-turn mower) and me tending my flowerbeds. Dave cycled quite bit and I continued my walking routine. We had a fire ring and spent evenings by a campfire whenever possible.

 

 In late August, we were informed that a security team was no longer needed on the property, and were asked if we would consider a transfer to the property in South Carolina. We said, “Yes!” and late September saw us on the road headed south, arriving on station October 1. This location was our first job with the security company and the contracting company, having worked a 2-month gig here in 2010, while the resident team went on vacation.

 

The property in NJ was beautiful.  We made many memories there, including an earthquake, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy, numerous Nor’easters and my second cancer diagnosis in 2012.

 

We spent two nights in Harrisonburg, VA

 

At a rest stop in W. Virginia, hanging with the “big dogs.” 

Almost 800 miles and a few days later, we were back in South Carolina. Not having made a long trip with our rig in almost four years, it was an adventure and rather fun being on the road again. I do the towing of our rig and thoroughly enjoy it; yes, I am my father's daughter! We made the journey without mishap, gathering more memories of our life together along the way.

 

Bass Lake Campground in Dillon, SC

Bass Lake was our final landing spot prior to arriving at the work site on October 1, and we went on duty that night; we are now working nights and weekends.

 

Our current setup in South Carolina

We have gone from essentially running the property in NJ to more laid-back responsibilities here in SC.  The needs of every property are different, but it is interesting work and we are working with two good organizations.  Adjusting to night shift has been . . . well, an adjustment . . . but the good news is no alarm clocks!  We awaken naturally, and my body is pleased with that.

 

Night shift does have its moments

Our overall health remains good and we . . . well, we simply enjoy and cherish our days and nights together.  We often play chess or Scrabble, watch a movie from the comfort of our recliners, grill and just “be.”  I continue working part-time as a virtual assistant via oDesk and am having fun with that.

 

Our dear wee Maggie continues to delight and bring us joy.  She is a real trouper and excellent traveler.

It really has been another outstanding 12 months.  I am grateful to continue being cancer-free and feeling good, and am looking forward to more adventures in 2015!

How was your year?

 Happy New Year!   Thanks for stopping by!