Flamingo on a Stick

Zion National Park,  Utah, December 2010 Harris Hawk at Sonoran Desert Museum, Tuscon Feb. 2011 When we left Cedar Rapids it began our 4th year of living and traveling in our RV. The last three years have flown by and we are still not ready to go back to a sticks and bricks life. We have traveled a lot of the western US but even with time out there all three years there are so many places we have yet to discover. This year will be our first going south and east, all new places for me and many new ones for John. I think one of the things that I learn every time we find somewhere new is how beautiful this country is. If you slow down and take the time you will find amazing things everywhere. I think the thing I appreciate the most about this lifestyle is that freedom to take it slow. BLM land near Quartzite, AZ in January 2011 Putah Creek, Winters CA in Jan.2013 Crater Lake, Oregon, fall 2012 Diamond Lake, Oregon, fall 2012 When we first took off we w...

Evie the drool monster. Fall is here and it was time to pack-up and leave Cedar Rapids. It was much harder saying goodbye this time, all because of one little girl. A few tears were shed but the other part of me was ready to get back on the road. Our summer trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota did help prevent our hitch itch to a point but it finally overcame us and we were ready to hit the road. Mark,Janie & John Originally we were going to visit John’s brother Mark in Belleville, IL, but instead he came and spent a couple days with us and met Evie. It was short but very fun visit. He tells the best stories. So instead of that direction we decided to visit our other son and his wife in NW Iowa. We had not spent much time with them so wanted a few more days. Previously we had stayed in Storm Lake but I found a county campground about the same distance from them with FHU sites for just $15. Its Hagge Park in Sac County. It is a nice little park but the flies we terrible so d...

Though this is a few days late, I wanted to commemorate John and my wedding anniversary.  This year we celebrate 29 years of marriage and 3 years on the road. Our anniversary is September 1st and on our about that date three years ago we left on this incredible journey. I wouldn’t change one minute.  We have a pretty crazy story. We met the first weekend of March in 1984 at a going away party for a mutual friend. Another friend of mine, Penny, actually wanted me to meet his friend Joe but John arrived first and sat down next to me. There was something there from the very start. I’m not sure either one of us could tell you exactly what it was but we both knew this was something different than what we had experienced before. The last weekend of April 1984, about 8 weeks later, we were engaged. We married on September 1st, about 6 months from the time we met. People often ask how we knew that this would work and I don’t think either of us has a real answer for that, we ju...