tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823682844649560932024-02-20T14:48:35.139-08:00Kathy's Retirement JourneyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-83220884481539499202018-04-09T13:42:00.002-07:002018-04-09T13:42:26.086-07:00FINALLY DID IT!<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Yes I finally shut down the store. It wasn't easy but certainly easier than I thought. I drove myself nuts worrying about what to do with everything but it all came together. Books were sold or donated, shelving was sold or donated, and my brother, daughter and myself ended up with a lot of wood.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTPBXc9Jo25fb27VeUX6CRqaIjBLHyQYG42gwuJuTtDlX0Bbwmage7EHbSngIHsdlPXG3CsXADkTk8gTZlftwpzlfDuQK5RBF9ay29wwJrXX4chDVZi18LT-eY0sIFN_6OT_auOYax9s/s1600/20180307_102902_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTPBXc9Jo25fb27VeUX6CRqaIjBLHyQYG42gwuJuTtDlX0Bbwmage7EHbSngIHsdlPXG3CsXADkTk8gTZlftwpzlfDuQK5RBF9ay29wwJrXX4chDVZi18LT-eY0sIFN_6OT_auOYax9s/s320/20180307_102902_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lots of books left</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm9J_HQNuqPZlyMCxAXlR2CmjKBtEuTdzYmFNt5pRxYQQhhV5pe979ex4R6PT6-Wjv3o8ZEUbvLosy9dfMZwboUHWfuAQswKAZCCjnerCJbetAYJUEffyVh1Jalop7JsYd7hNw2l3vjk/s1600/20180314_121627_1523294854768_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm9J_HQNuqPZlyMCxAXlR2CmjKBtEuTdzYmFNt5pRxYQQhhV5pe979ex4R6PT6-Wjv3o8ZEUbvLosy9dfMZwboUHWfuAQswKAZCCjnerCJbetAYJUEffyVh1Jalop7JsYd7hNw2l3vjk/s320/20180314_121627_1523294854768_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">Books all boxed & waiting for pickup</span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDRFDG9wy0xvJ5EakpWUtVbtUupwMyJWYMgiQaA0Mr5Y_QinyPyFVivg5ZLrO1t9KuW6BIvmxS9yjOXmMt8DNGdIOx-_NtP-VEGomTOl-_K2mNj-ZwWuj-7WndSuEFFaYfxnMlSzCbOA/s1600/bookcase5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDRFDG9wy0xvJ5EakpWUtVbtUupwMyJWYMgiQaA0Mr5Y_QinyPyFVivg5ZLrO1t9KuW6BIvmxS9yjOXmMt8DNGdIOx-_NtP-VEGomTOl-_K2mNj-ZwWuj-7WndSuEFFaYfxnMlSzCbOA/s320/bookcase5.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Empty shelving</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Tkk95L-Wl6D6rIHmW-ukhqN3F7pwkLIrt-FPh3PLPH1-jZ7uwF2-E6lLItu54ANN1egJnv3WilD7rRcUCRtcvYH33RdftMSXIe9lI4I8bCy_HWbFGXI-g2gNSJedQ5MR3-jLR1-h9c4/s1600/bk3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Tkk95L-Wl6D6rIHmW-ukhqN3F7pwkLIrt-FPh3PLPH1-jZ7uwF2-E6lLItu54ANN1egJnv3WilD7rRcUCRtcvYH33RdftMSXIe9lI4I8bCy_HWbFGXI-g2gNSJedQ5MR3-jLR1-h9c4/s320/bk3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">I'll be using some of the wood for the van build out.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">To start with I have a metal bed frame & I bought a twin mattress. The mattress will need to be supported with slats which I will make from some of the wood I kept. Then I will need a way to anchor the whole thing to the floor of the van in case of an accident. Any suggestions?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">I'm also planning to use some of the wood for building a cabinet or shelving in the back of the van. I've looked at a million build outs on the internet but I want something very simple. I'll probably take a trip or two before actually building out the kitchen area in hopes of discovering what will work best for me.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Last but not least, I must find a part time job to support my travels. I'll worry about that later.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Great to be back on here.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Everyone have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-54401603450294671562018-02-09T13:17:00.000-08:002018-02-09T13:17:04.921-08:00FEBRUARY 2018<span style="font-size: large;">Hi,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's great here. Hope your day is going well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Everything is moving forward towards shutting down the bookstore. I've even got a couple people interested in buying the whole thing. In the mean time I've got everything marked down & selling off extra stock.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was looking into working at a National Park during the summer. Then I realized I would have to pay someone else to cut my grass & take care of my house. So I will stay home this summer & get a part time job. Hopefully this will put me in a better position for next year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-44064794348293025872018-01-24T12:53:00.000-08:002018-01-24T12:53:22.610-08:00JANUARY 2018<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">It's been another year. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">In 2017 I had one vacation. We went to Lake Barkley State Park for our family reunion. Then I took a few short trips to hike trails in some state parks.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">That was 2017.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">2018 will bring big changes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">I've finally began the process of closing my store. The store should be closed by the end of February and depending on money I will pay for one more month rent. The last month will be spent taking down all the shelving and cleaning out the store. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Most importantly that last month will be spent building my bed, kitchen and storage for my van. Since I still have a house payment I wont be able to travel fulltime but I intend to travel as much as money and my work schedule will allow. Yes I will still need to work. Hopefully, I will make enough working part time to support myself and have a little money left for traveling.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Hope everyone has a wonderful 2018.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-27022670877146092752017-01-26T10:40:00.002-08:002017-01-26T10:40:57.817-08:00JANUARY 2017<span style="font-size: large;">Not much going on. Business is very very slow.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I read Grandma Gatewood's Walk. It was an interesting and quick read. This book made me think about how lazy I've been lately. Constantly making excuses for not exercising.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So I'm working on a plan to hike in all of the state parks this year. About 10 yrs ago my daughter and I started to hike some trails in the state parks but that soon got put on hold because of our jobs. Now I think I will try again.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There are 50 state maintained parks in Kentucky. That should keep me busy for a little while. I can't wait for the weather to be warm enough for sleeping in my van but in the mean time I'll start with parks that have lodges. Most of the lodges are pretty reasonably priced at this time of year. About $60 for a nice warm room and comfortable bed with bath & shower.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-10781504843968910272016-12-31T07:17:00.001-08:002016-12-31T07:18:14.124-08:00GOODBYE 2016<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">The end of another year.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">This year in recap.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">May & June...trip to Yellowstone</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqMeLcbaPyR66DYwdFqmiR9oqVjF58Ewb5uQAKUGfmnxQLL3Y6i8UpAIEVCBMNVt043zxAC6caUME4hBtjYvP8takolVXmRkSuHzUCHMHvSOLFNLJc01YrvW47Uy4EzqAzd510IrmPms/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqMeLcbaPyR66DYwdFqmiR9oqVjF58Ewb5uQAKUGfmnxQLL3Y6i8UpAIEVCBMNVt043zxAC6caUME4hBtjYvP8takolVXmRkSuHzUCHMHvSOLFNLJc01YrvW47Uy4EzqAzd510IrmPms/s320/208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">August trip to Arkansas</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8RB6L3s2hxgDaRTMws7YWJAAE0tYMz1f48moRsKlRHYNqGjmdDlgKM9bVD6YG294RRLHdoXTudzPH0IAldPXJaJ-WsgIKlUUO4YSJ6_G0ysH-tCDi0v47QvpuqAWyaShZYuIAg74NEw/s1600/Mom+Pat+%2526+Linda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8RB6L3s2hxgDaRTMws7YWJAAE0tYMz1f48moRsKlRHYNqGjmdDlgKM9bVD6YG294RRLHdoXTudzPH0IAldPXJaJ-WsgIKlUUO4YSJ6_G0ysH-tCDi0v47QvpuqAWyaShZYuIAg74NEw/s320/Mom+Pat+%2526+Linda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">October trip to Gatlinburg</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1DdYTXAfyV5FvPQZY6jemcn2wGAJuWNaTl6BIiyAIJ0sScNcgIUuiYQsCF7qdqw6OPUvlBhuIMl44Lx_YyzU3wCqzTVoLHtOBSV5qzX28tGvDlLQF9Q2WKtEWS-nlA_E6skMxfR9iXI/s1600/20161025_102052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1DdYTXAfyV5FvPQZY6jemcn2wGAJuWNaTl6BIiyAIJ0sScNcgIUuiYQsCF7qdqw6OPUvlBhuIMl44Lx_YyzU3wCqzTVoLHtOBSV5qzX28tGvDlLQF9Q2WKtEWS-nlA_E6skMxfR9iXI/s320/20161025_102052.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Over all it's been a good year. I still haven't retired and don't get the opportunity to travel as much as I would like. But I can still pay the bills & enjoy spending time with my family.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">December 21st new great grand baby</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIkxRYB88UB3NGQL39naikjQRkkNMhtnskSdnLJEf4N35eCxxTgNCwwi6v46U9p84i9lS7bIjquowTAth1hu477jJRBFNqDncvow5__wIRm13FtyvG5Vz1UL1dneJ7_53BlcqSf4TfuU/s1600/15723371_1360877650618819_3993591788054483401_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIkxRYB88UB3NGQL39naikjQRkkNMhtnskSdnLJEf4N35eCxxTgNCwwi6v46U9p84i9lS7bIjquowTAth1hu477jJRBFNqDncvow5__wIRm13FtyvG5Vz1UL1dneJ7_53BlcqSf4TfuU/s320/15723371_1360877650618819_3993591788054483401_o.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This year has also brought some health news. Type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Isn't getting old fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">See you next year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-56852990912446148262016-10-15T09:08:00.000-07:002016-10-15T09:16:10.845-07:00NEW ADDITION<span style="font-size: large;">My plan was to adopt a dog I could travel with when the time was right. However, my daughter found a puppy on Petfinder that she had to go see. Of course the one she was interested in wasn't there so she found a cute Chihuahua and Dachshund mix that she fell in love with. She convinced me to go look at this dog. Nyla is not what I wanted in a pet. Nyla is 7 yrs old, afraid of the leash and doesn't want to get up until about 9am. By 9am Georgie and I have already gone for 2 walks (a short one while it is still dark and then about 1 or 2 miles after daylight). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At least she is no trouble in the mornings. When we get up she goes out to potty with Georgie and when she comes back in the house she goes straight to her cage and goes back to sleep. While I make coffee and walk with Georgie she sleeps, only getting up when I start fixing breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She is too excited once she gets up to put on a leash but in the evenings if I set on the floor and work with her with treats she will eventually let me put the leash on her and then we go out for a short walk.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI_7k0xw6T9XjlEXGzD9dKOm9SB9QVYxw5TQcjCqzheDH9ZmkIjlbA1NIZVCVho4j0k9UD5H8nmQYNU36iY1e2BZRep4gqEHc3XqAkEtjrj_Ne1wVGd0RxS6AEbAoNmWVFjlm8Zy9__4/s1600/20161014_222032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI_7k0xw6T9XjlEXGzD9dKOm9SB9QVYxw5TQcjCqzheDH9ZmkIjlbA1NIZVCVho4j0k9UD5H8nmQYNU36iY1e2BZRep4gqEHc3XqAkEtjrj_Ne1wVGd0RxS6AEbAoNmWVFjlm8Zy9__4/s320/20161014_222032.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Her favorite spot on the couch.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzp7FiXYeCmZt7yJsliB0SqrdOF_QUeILqq4SQkKK7a10dJ5sbTpE67WRpacAZd_r5BD_Xe3k19UkbTiemw339c8Gjzjly9Vi_t9JuhUvuSj1pkx6RuSPNYY456n7gUZW7WRFNbh_WN_4/s1600/Nyla%2527s+big+ears+10152016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzp7FiXYeCmZt7yJsliB0SqrdOF_QUeILqq4SQkKK7a10dJ5sbTpE67WRpacAZd_r5BD_Xe3k19UkbTiemw339c8Gjzjly9Vi_t9JuhUvuSj1pkx6RuSPNYY456n7gUZW7WRFNbh_WN_4/s320/Nyla%2527s+big+ears+10152016.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Nyla with the big ears</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8ERG5kG1rWYvECqIOiFdfUD5844e1_vYoDTLlhW3YDtKVL8ymKgAjM2n8fkeXok10mOiRjb9xXgVv9B3JUNaKumObHmKgLCfnsEmOzp4DpvLi87WPYoT9QbJ0oTrZTfDAlUixW9Nfek/s1600/Nyla+and+Georgey+10152016-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8ERG5kG1rWYvECqIOiFdfUD5844e1_vYoDTLlhW3YDtKVL8ymKgAjM2n8fkeXok10mOiRjb9xXgVv9B3JUNaKumObHmKgLCfnsEmOzp4DpvLi87WPYoT9QbJ0oTrZTfDAlUixW9Nfek/s320/Nyla+and+Georgey+10152016-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Something moved over there</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsvnw8ve4-8spY2I3MMkjprpuNrTeZADshV8fo8SqrDGfuewgCxyissVx8L72NC-a2Mb31se7hXRPSKqcFiYIs4F0r809m_3LdKxfBoaTHGvYRkXw_83T1Yumz1KCDygHx_Cze38kwGA/s1600/Nyla+and+Georgey+10152016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsvnw8ve4-8spY2I3MMkjprpuNrTeZADshV8fo8SqrDGfuewgCxyissVx8L72NC-a2Mb31se7hXRPSKqcFiYIs4F0r809m_3LdKxfBoaTHGvYRkXw_83T1Yumz1KCDygHx_Cze38kwGA/s320/Nyla+and+Georgey+10152016-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Georgey will check it out</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAM09YkX_UE27jlnWYMsSSE_zRvDQjCd2-uzdWPwIxGLe9VgUV1M3EMBHPhp7L205IJeVm_ag4m6vdhyS0hxdP7wkqcai0yZOSJIrMxWPbyfQPf4kPQWq8r3cZDzzpNH7Y323kYhSFyg/s1600/20161015_090142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAM09YkX_UE27jlnWYMsSSE_zRvDQjCd2-uzdWPwIxGLe9VgUV1M3EMBHPhp7L205IJeVm_ag4m6vdhyS0hxdP7wkqcai0yZOSJIrMxWPbyfQPf4kPQWq8r3cZDzzpNH7Y323kYhSFyg/s320/20161015_090142.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Deciding who gets to pee in this spot first</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-49709817055270858602016-10-01T09:32:00.002-07:002016-10-01T09:32:25.913-07:00FALL HAS ARRIVED!<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Today I sat on the porch and practiced relaxing my face and smiling. Sounds strange. But for years I've been caught up in the stress of everyday life. After a while clenching my jaw and frowning just becomes a way of life. Sitting on the porch every morning listening to the world waking up around me is helping me to relax, stop worrying about tomorrow and just enjoy what is here.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Business was good in September. Only had 1 bad sales week. I've only been open an hour today but I've already had a few customers.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">I joined a van group on facebook and enjoy seeing the conversions people are doing on their vans. I only have a minivan and will not be full timing in it so I'm only going to add a bed for now. If I have an opportunity to take longer trips I will buy more gear but I'm fine for now.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Three weeks ago Cookie (my little dog) passed away. I've missed her everyday but having my daughter's dog living here does help. I'm trying not to get another dog until I spend more time on the road and see how a pet will fit into my schedule. While all of my pets have enjoyed traveling with me I realize a time comes when their health makes it difficult for them to enjoy travel and new places.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A few pictures from Yellowstone:</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhUPn4BHy2QCCFOAyGgdBVUUYAKEWFodjUV0rTgb4q82-YgfJP3eQ5Sl7s38_fF0syvFLfZigh7uzEOOWxggkXoVZRdmYjHzgtUkhe9meH5BWoWy5CrkAKvYF1kbPP8rspAIlo29-91w/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhUPn4BHy2QCCFOAyGgdBVUUYAKEWFodjUV0rTgb4q82-YgfJP3eQ5Sl7s38_fF0syvFLfZigh7uzEOOWxggkXoVZRdmYjHzgtUkhe9meH5BWoWy5CrkAKvYF1kbPP8rspAIlo29-91w/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">We were told this fella was tagged that morning and was sleeping off his tranquilizer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEjX-iGUuSSnNuAIFkyxi6irZZRaiQeMgPjnfwu6uDVFDLmKynZ-ggp2LMtk77FQxJ9moh850r1PbmkAs131qisCRYMD2NpHjVTrOHKnXWDJ0Kf3wqlxdxJ8Eszavu7E107CtCOubme0/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEjX-iGUuSSnNuAIFkyxi6irZZRaiQeMgPjnfwu6uDVFDLmKynZ-ggp2LMtk77FQxJ9moh850r1PbmkAs131qisCRYMD2NpHjVTrOHKnXWDJ0Kf3wqlxdxJ8Eszavu7E107CtCOubme0/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">He was about 50 yrds off the road and people were walking closer to get better shots. Glad he didn't wake up.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-68870925199572486942016-07-28T10:24:00.000-07:002016-07-28T10:24:21.308-07:00MAY & JUNE<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I've never kept a journal so blogging does not come easy for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel that I should be writing
about my travels or something of interest to others instead of everyday life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I'm going to give this blogging another
try.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I just read over my last few post and realize nothing worked
out the way I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother had to
cancel our European cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't get
to take any overnight trips in my van this spring because<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent all my money going to Yellowstone at
the end of May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trip was expensive
and I ended up with debt.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Yellowstone is hard to say no to even when your broke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I traveled with a friend and my daughter and
it was a fantastic trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my
third trip to Yellowstone and I can never get enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We flew into Idaho Falls airport and rented a
car, entering through West Yellowstone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We spent 3 nights at Mammoth and 3 nights at Old Faithful, then we drove
through the Tetons to spend a night at Jackson Hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to spend a night in Jackson Hole to
buy more supplies (mostly water & junk food) and to see moose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were very lucky to get pictures of 2
moose, one was about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15 feet from the
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also saw our only bald eagle
while looking for moose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we
returned to Yellowstone for 2 nights and Canyon Village.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The bears were very active this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw grizzly's in the Tetons and near the
Morning Glory pool at Old Faithful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were also lucky to see black bears in Lamar Valley,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>West Yellowstone entrance and just north of the
Tower store we saw a momma and 2 cubs.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-2_0CIEO42vpk8Ti8KJGubplNcz1wGXLz0suP9dL1MVQzZRx1OufTSsUEkdw9kLoa0O5x4mYEUOXFWS-e1_lDWjKBabalz595lMYamgw69-wljbrdX_YijVDZhpmo_WPhkrkQJT4RBo/s1600/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-2_0CIEO42vpk8Ti8KJGubplNcz1wGXLz0suP9dL1MVQzZRx1OufTSsUEkdw9kLoa0O5x4mYEUOXFWS-e1_lDWjKBabalz595lMYamgw69-wljbrdX_YijVDZhpmo_WPhkrkQJT4RBo/s320/080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScLpdkQ_roG7Cieyj8EquSlprXexts-LDlzNNwQXlffdZLuoUZCJgW2DGvM9WTuReHJ-T7XSTeiNqsRu85bdDOC7DW_XfF_vgnOJSpwKcg0AMRFt5EPBvxGMjuLlIV9b2aV9Vfw0Hmbk/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScLpdkQ_roG7Cieyj8EquSlprXexts-LDlzNNwQXlffdZLuoUZCJgW2DGvM9WTuReHJ-T7XSTeiNqsRu85bdDOC7DW_XfF_vgnOJSpwKcg0AMRFt5EPBvxGMjuLlIV9b2aV9Vfw0Hmbk/s320/082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">We had an opportunity to watch a pack of wolves in Lamar
Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first time I had
heard them howling, a very eerie sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We spent about an hour watching them moving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>back and forth across the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was another pack in Lamar Valley with
pups but our equipment was not powerful enough to see them when they came out
of their den.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good pair of binoculars
and camera zoom lens are great but sometimes you just need a scope.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnEjUGu6nURR8yy6mOG9LJ7GytO-UuNUYU5D8maWwEq5_gct46kvRS47Sd7kfzj1ac7T9bfE6BpbycC1sLj0jIs8VJGjeK_dDCTaASoWdQ0ulSwiJTjgHabX0Vxbo-8zOrneOo0v5op4/s1600/151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnEjUGu6nURR8yy6mOG9LJ7GytO-UuNUYU5D8maWwEq5_gct46kvRS47Sd7kfzj1ac7T9bfE6BpbycC1sLj0jIs8VJGjeK_dDCTaASoWdQ0ulSwiJTjgHabX0Vxbo-8zOrneOo0v5op4/s320/151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZ99jb_0MOJO6Ap53eONQnYAMpabpdliLnal2EuvPrtntwFi_BRLB7zSZJk6buuI6rZ7gOLix5jAGE-4wHbwrUlhROWlEUmEyevBbDm8xFyK77hpdSWQKtUjv6yhPuylvSOju8Im27-I/s1600/227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZ99jb_0MOJO6Ap53eONQnYAMpabpdliLnal2EuvPrtntwFi_BRLB7zSZJk6buuI6rZ7gOLix5jAGE-4wHbwrUlhROWlEUmEyevBbDm8xFyK77hpdSWQKtUjv6yhPuylvSOju8Im27-I/s320/227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">That's all for now. I'll be posting more pictures later.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-79688512755997776442016-02-20T07:22:00.001-08:002016-02-20T07:43:30.476-08:00FEBRUARY 20, 2016<span style="font-size: large;">Good morning!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Still struggling with what to write. With the winter weather I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. Today will be sunny and warm (high 70) then tomorrow, when I have a day off work, we have 80% chance of rain. Then the temps are suppose to drop and we will have snow again before the end of next week. Exciting weather report! Ha!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My mom booked us for a Mediterranean cruise for 2 weeks in April. Now her husband is sick and she may not be able to leave him. She has wanted to take this cruise for years and has booked the cruise for the last 3 yrs and had to cancel every time. I don't see how she is going to leave him this year but she is determined to go. If everything works out for her, we will see Barcelona, Rome, Florence, Naples and more. Sounds exciting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been looking at places to visit on my long weekends this spring and summer. A couple places on my list are: Natchez State Park in Tennessee, Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee. If anyone has any suggestions of things to see or do in these areas please let me know.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been asked about traveling with a pet and I have to say my dog is too old to enjoy hiking or camping. I took her to Cumberland Falls state park with me last year and she did very well as long as she could take very short walks and lay around in the cabin. Her arthritis is too bad for her to walk very far without pain. When looking for a picture to post everything I found was just a big black furry blob. Apparently I didn't take any pictures of her outside running and playing when she was young and she doesn't run and play anymore. Here is Cookie, she is 15 yrs young and enjoys our walks to the end of the street and back, rides in the car, and treats.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilQYzSNESHBXKvHFnEAOCSmZhM7tGj6pEokgxS7yNNLh8qF0sbZC9Ho0njwpe9BDhn-nxrw75O_nsmr9XgUHREQ_7C3dx050re-GrnBOGyhB6XkZnbn8N8Z1gAHnNoB8-dAeac1kibhY/s1600/new+polaroid+camera+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilQYzSNESHBXKvHFnEAOCSmZhM7tGj6pEokgxS7yNNLh8qF0sbZC9Ho0njwpe9BDhn-nxrw75O_nsmr9XgUHREQ_7C3dx050re-GrnBOGyhB6XkZnbn8N8Z1gAHnNoB8-dAeac1kibhY/s320/new+polaroid+camera+006.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cookie resting after playing hard</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMUM0o2OQiF7XMSpPZn-yv-LOHjqQmqjO4y3BMsXizL1cMP7LWhD2xzRjToQ437Rc7RhxIW9svTWFNzIbq5akXZ0vvnK8rE-48YdLxjE7UrVxZpyuOXAssY6h7SAO0hNNB_6VW0-OfGM/s1600/new+polaroid+camera+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMUM0o2OQiF7XMSpPZn-yv-LOHjqQmqjO4y3BMsXizL1cMP7LWhD2xzRjToQ437Rc7RhxIW9svTWFNzIbq5akXZ0vvnK8rE-48YdLxjE7UrVxZpyuOXAssY6h7SAO0hNNB_6VW0-OfGM/s320/new+polaroid+camera+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The little dog in front is Georgie. (my daughter's dog)</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll leave you now. Have a wonderful day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-30995626173385581472016-02-05T10:29:00.002-08:002016-02-05T10:31:45.671-08:00FEBRUARY 5, 2016<span style="font-size: large;">I've spent the last few weeks actually working. I've gotten a lot of books on the shelves and the store was looking pretty good then boxes of books started coming in. I should be stocking today but there is always tomorrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After much deliberation I've decided to change my hours for the summer. Right now the store is only closed on Sunday & Monday. Starting sometime in May I'm going to start closing on Tuesdays also. My plan is to stay open later on Wed, Thur and Fri. plus start running special Wednesday sales now so people will get used to the idea of shopping here on Wednesdays. Today I will put a sign on the door and a notice on facebook about our Wednesday sales.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If the store can survive, this will give me 3 days off each week so there will be more time to take short trips each month. I enjoy the planning and research for trips so now is the time to start that planning. We will see how it works this summer. I sure like the idea of only working 4 days a week.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In addition I'm going to try my hand at container gardening for a few vegetables. I can't believe the price of squash and bell peppers. So this year I will try to plant a few in containers and see how they do. I'm going to start with spinach. It is a cool weather plant so I should be able to start it in the next couple of weeks and have fresh spinach for April and May. If the spinach survives I should be able to get the squash and bell peppers started.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Well I have customers coming in I should get back to work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-65519316993039451232016-01-14T10:23:00.000-08:002016-01-14T10:24:42.427-08:00JANUARY 14<span style="font-size: large;">Hello,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A new year and I'm still not retired.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the problems I've had with writing is doing exactly the same thing everyday. How does one write about the same thing everyday? When I first started the plan was to record my journey to full time rving. Now a year later I'm still doing the same thing. </span><span style="font-size: large;">My first reaction was to quit blogging but now I've decided to continue in the hope that recording life will benefit me down the road.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My youngest daughter moved in with me in December. I thought this would benefit both of us financially but so far she has only worked 1 week out of 4. She did have minor surgery requiring her to be off work for 2 weeks, then she worked a week and had another minor health issue. She just needs to get back to work so our lives can become somewhat routine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week I checked out driving to Florida for the weekend. Too many hours driving to overnight in Florida then head back home. Today I'm going to check on temps and camping around Atlanta or maybe Mississippi. I need somewhere within a 6 hr drive. Florida is 10 hrs or more. It's just too cold for camping anywhere close.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's plan: Research trips within a 6 hr driving range and price and stock all the books on the 2 tables. Then I can start on the boxes of books under the tables.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to get off here and do some research.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-84878208318937455402016-01-07T12:30:00.004-08:002016-01-07T12:31:40.570-08:00THE NEW YEAR<span style="font-size: 18pt;">2015 goals:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">sell house</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">purchase a van or truck</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">rent a kayak</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">take an all day hike</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">hike alone</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">#1 changed my mind</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">#2 purchased a van</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">#3 didn't take advantage of opportunity</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">#4 didn't even try</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">#5 was a little different but okay</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">So I actually completed 2 of 5 items. Yeah! at least I did something.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">2016 my only goal will be to live one day at a time. I spend way too much time worrying about how to change things and not enough time enjoying what I have.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Today I'm working on getting books on the shelves. I've taken in more books than I've sold which means a lot of boxes sitting around waiting for shelving. Getting them all on the shelf is what keeps me in business. And the business is what will pay for my next trip!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-84389474748385472552015-12-09T10:31:00.001-08:002015-12-09T10:31:28.935-08:00DECEMBER 2015<span style="font-size: large;">Once again I've ignored the blog for too long.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A lot has changed in the last few months.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">First my daughter decided to move in with me. This seemed like a good idea because frankly I can't afford to travel and take care of the house. So she will be paying rent and helping with taking care of the house and my dog when I am out of town. Hopefully this will be beneficial for both of us. She works a low paying job and has many health issues which uses a great deal of her income so she has not been able to afford a car. The intentions are for her to pay me less rent than the apartment she was in so she can afford a car.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Second my store sales have dropped so much I may need to close the store. When sales were bad in Sept I blamed it on not advertising in August. Then when sales only picked up slightly in October I blamed it on being closed for one week so I could go on vacation. But in November I barely made enough to pay the rent and utilities on this place. Now I'm on week 2 for December and will be in real trouble if business doesn't pick up in the next 2 weeks. Christmas time is always bad for business because people just don't spend their money on books for themselves. They will come in and buy 1 or 2 books as gifts but not much else. Even my gift certificate sales are down this year. Last Christmas season I sold 15 gift certificates before Christmas. So far I have not sold a single one this season.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Closing this place down would be a major pain. There was once a time when you could mark the books down or sell to a reseller but there are so many bookstores out of business now the market is flooded with books that aren't wanted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A large used bookstore chain out of Texas has 2 stores in my city, both are on the other side of town. In September they held a huge 14 store sale at the fairgrounds where many people were able to stock up on books for their winter reading. I am the only bookstore left on my side of town and it feels as though this company is not satisfied until they force all other bookstores to close. The most frustrating part is the customers that don't understand they will have to drive across town to shop in the future. Every few weeks someone will come into my store and tell me how glad they are that I'm on their side of town and then they leave without buying a thing. How long do they think we can stay open without sales?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Okay, enough ranting for today. Everyone have a wonderful Christmas!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-82546306193271365452015-10-28T07:51:00.001-07:002015-10-28T07:52:13.069-07:00ARKANSAS<span style="font-size: large;">A lot of things have changed since my last post but first here are a few pictures from my trip to Arkansas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We started in Hot Springs and drove up route 7 to Harrison. Then we went into Branson, Mo. for one night. Then it was on to Eureka Springs, AR. We had a wonderful time. A lot of relaxing and a lot of walking, I needed both. Wonderful food, lots of little shops with local art, and beautiful views of the mountains. The trees weren't as beautiful as usual but we enjoyed what color there was.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-JimtPeJoTpb4dnqd7RUKa8JbwGfKjRtTcwRGMoIsi9z126kAnOxRVpMMr7mZY_gR4sERpD4YheG_OQn52wN1Ro4k0hyphenhyphenEqsWO724lS3MOUVO_VNY9ZHSvR-rqDCOh39zbqRd2jv-RHo/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-JimtPeJoTpb4dnqd7RUKa8JbwGfKjRtTcwRGMoIsi9z126kAnOxRVpMMr7mZY_gR4sERpD4YheG_OQn52wN1Ro4k0hyphenhyphenEqsWO724lS3MOUVO_VNY9ZHSvR-rqDCOh39zbqRd2jv-RHo/s320/076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaZTghYgJKnQCTsYnQ3Rgql4wD2uZkMfg9viINgjZpPOoObdmFJukeC75DcM5ivQHnd6l2JJt1vQxpWxNNqbkoR9T9v__KnynmNO8kal5ZT_PeH7cIfBRZQGNcFYn8MD6ksuL6p2wNO4/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaZTghYgJKnQCTsYnQ3Rgql4wD2uZkMfg9viINgjZpPOoObdmFJukeC75DcM5ivQHnd6l2JJt1vQxpWxNNqbkoR9T9v__KnynmNO8kal5ZT_PeH7cIfBRZQGNcFYn8MD6ksuL6p2wNO4/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc1e-l31BMdW8EXSko4aNHVi9KK3369ie_JHFT1T17FYu2fufwIeeHt_Q963untiG8ZIW9EiR3X8qMi3CL72mchDJPgWQdMjqQZrshvDqD46sQsIJqTgJyqv86zffr5jcMGxy7zlczRU/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc1e-l31BMdW8EXSko4aNHVi9KK3369ie_JHFT1T17FYu2fufwIeeHt_Q963untiG8ZIW9EiR3X8qMi3CL72mchDJPgWQdMjqQZrshvDqD46sQsIJqTgJyqv86zffr5jcMGxy7zlczRU/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmtO1PYlrU2lBALwmWS5hCTldd0qjpMnEx_bFFEj3sC0huywULvUkX1vEfqStpGkKbTJqBK4-QyioRF4Al5WFYdJu9HyXYVmpx8Qeja4IHbLRrJLwIj5EIyaQn2Wtd2PNoCZoAMUcDhg/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmtO1PYlrU2lBALwmWS5hCTldd0qjpMnEx_bFFEj3sC0huywULvUkX1vEfqStpGkKbTJqBK4-QyioRF4Al5WFYdJu9HyXYVmpx8Qeja4IHbLRrJLwIj5EIyaQn2Wtd2PNoCZoAMUcDhg/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1piKtPs-Z98lwR4SnICihjh4tV2V-AO4_oOpuBR-y2f8Mj57LdvSgy_0XlmSt9w0bIYdRAmPQkphV8LWHbxdCSv304FL0Dl8H77k9H5LG8u0PBISQL8SRlZWy9jfuIHZlio7fD57DXA/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1piKtPs-Z98lwR4SnICihjh4tV2V-AO4_oOpuBR-y2f8Mj57LdvSgy_0XlmSt9w0bIYdRAmPQkphV8LWHbxdCSv304FL0Dl8H77k9H5LG8u0PBISQL8SRlZWy9jfuIHZlio7fD57DXA/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-22524657911862362992015-10-13T08:32:00.000-07:002015-10-13T08:33:09.972-07:00OCTOBER<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">October 13, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Still haven't spent the night in the van. After driving for 4 hours the camp ground where I was planning on staying was full. I checked into the lodge and spent the night on a comfortable bed. Since I had packed my breakfast I woke up early and headed out to explore at sunrise. I found a national forest camping area with no facilities right on the lake. This is where I will try camping on my next trip this way. One deer and 2 wild turkeys on this trip. The turkeys must be very plentiful this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This Saturday I leave for Hot Springs, AR. I hope we are on time for the leaf changing. We will be taking rt 7 through the mountains on the way to Harrison, AR. the drive should be beautiful. There won't be any camping on this trip. All hotels with breakfast before we start out everyday.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">October 2, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's been over a month since my last post. Nothing much has been happening around here just the usual work work work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This weekend I'm planning a trip to my mothers with the hope of camping in my van on Sunday night. It has finally cooled off enough to sleep in the van with lots of covers. Sleeping in a van with the windows closed at 50° is much easier than 90°.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's not just the weather holding me up. I have a 14 yr old dog with arthritis, she cannot walk very far and does not do well in extreme hot or cold weather. Leaving her behind when she is obviously in pain and poor health has not been easy, but she would not enjoy being on a camping trip either.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On the 18th I am going to Hot Springs & Eureka Springs, AR. I'll be traveling with a friend in her car and staying in hotels along the way. We will be driving through the mountains with the hope of seeing the fall color.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-46005700350563172042015-08-26T08:43:00.001-07:002015-08-26T08:44:05.839-07:00BUMBLEE BEES<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">August 19, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Didn't make the camping trip last weekend. I did go to the lake for the afternoon on Sunday and that was very pleasant.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So what kept me from camping. On Saturday I received a call from the yard man because he had awakened a bumble bee hive. I watched the bees on Saturday evening and then called an exterminating company on Monday. They want $175 to dust the hive and then come back and dust everything under the house. The bees have gotten under the house through the vent and made their hive in the insulation against the outside wall. Now it would seem killing the bees would be a no brainer but as with most of the country our bee population is declining. Bumble bees pollinate many plants and while they are not as necessary as honey bees they are still important</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Some research on the internet is helpful. Male bumble bees die in the winter and only the fertilized queens hibernate. They go underground for the winter and when they awaken in the spring they establish new hives for their off spring. The bees under my house will either die or become inactive within 1 to 2 months. The BIG question is will they move out from under my house or will they establish more hives under the house. </span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">August 26, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing much going on. I spent another Sunday setting on my friends deck overlooking the lake and watched the birds fight over the feeders. I've contacted the county extension office about the bees and they along with everyone else think the answer is just killing them. I'm going to set an appointment with another company that only charges $90 but they only come out once. I think one trip will be enough for as late as it is in the year. They tell me the chemicals they use will not stay active through the winter so no matter what I do now I will probably be calling them back in the spring.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's it, that's all I've accomplished in two weeks. Next weekend my mother will be in town so there won't be any trips to the lake. Maybe I'll get some housework done before she gets here. We'll see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-84649629972542726042015-08-14T08:31:00.003-07:002015-08-14T08:32:08.396-07:00LOOKING FORWARD<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">August 14, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not sure when I became so disorganized but I have noticed on the last few trips I've taken I'm scrambling at the last minute to get everything together. Last night at the grocery I walked around in circles trying to decide what to take with me this weekend. Finally decided to go home and make a decision about how I was going to be cooking before buying food.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I considered eating out, using the electric hookups to use my coffee maker and a small electric grill, or buying a small propane stove. For what I would spend eating out I could buy a small stove and I don't want to wait for my morning coffee. In the end I have decided to just use the electric hookups for coffee and grill. With that decision made I can buy groceries. I'm planning to take a couple frozen hamburgers, a container with some lettuce and tomato slices and buns for dinner Sunday and lunch Monday. For breakfast I'll take some bacon to cook on the grill and either boiled eggs or maybe make an omelet that I could warm on the grill. I've always loved a big breakfast when camping but I'll keep it simple for this trip.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It costs $5 more for a site with electric hookups but I will need a fan since it is suppose to get into the 90's on Sunday. Overnight it is only going down to about 77 still plenty hot and humid for sleeping. I'm hoping by running the A/C to cool down the minivan before bedtime and using the fan to move the air, maybe it won't get too hot to sleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I first started planning this the forecast called for cooler and dryer weather but in our area the weather changes every few days. I could cancel and wait until fall but I want to get this first camping trip under my belt so I can move forward with my plans. I have plans for setting up the minivan better but I'm too cheap to spend the money if I hate camping in it. If I enjoy this trip I know I can make the van even more comfortable.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Can you tell I'm getting excited? The last time I went camping was 30 years ago, with 3 children and a tent. The girls and I got pretty good at building fires and we had fun most of the time. However, I made a lot of mistakes and it always rained on us at least one night during our trips. When you live in Kentucky no matter how hot and dry it has been if you put up a tent it WILL rain.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Time to get to work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-5263769711535227352015-08-12T09:10:00.000-07:002015-08-12T09:11:13.003-07:00GETTING READY FOR 1ST CAMPIN TRIP<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">August 12, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This past weekend I made shades for the windows in the van. I made them from foam board that I purchased from the Dollar General store. One of the rear ones is a little too short and would allow someone to see in between the shade and the back curtain but I'm not going to worry about replacing it yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This weekend I'll go to one of the state parks to try camping. I'm going to use my couch cushions for the bed and I have rope and sheets for curtains at the front and back. The only thing I will buy is a rechargeable LED light and a camping stove. The camping stove is the biggest issue for me. I can get a single burner that uses the small propane tank as the stand for $20 or should I get a two burner Coleman stove. I worry that the single burner would not be very stable. I haven't done anything about a canopy for shade but I've got a good idea of how I want to make it. I just don't want to spend the money for that just yet. This is a very cheap set up to start with. As I'm writing this I realize I will have no where to make coffee if it is raining. I'll have to give that some thought. Maybe the canopy is a more important investment than I originally thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have customers in the store so I must go to work now.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">August 5, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday it rained. I sat out on my front porch and watched the birds. There are 6 or 7 hummers fighting over 2 feeders. I've always liked rainy days and often took long walks during the rain. If I was retired what would my day have been like? How long would I have sat outside and then what? When I got up this morning it was cool outside and the high for today was suppose to get to 80. Another beautiful day spent inside working. Depressing!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Reading the blogs of full time travelers fill my days. There are those that will live their life in their van, trailer or motorhome and there are those that will eventually settle into another stick & bricks or at least park their rv on a permanent lot.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-56950603918176968052015-07-29T12:06:00.000-07:002015-07-29T12:07:59.899-07:00MORE RAMBLINGS<span style="font-size: large;">Well, the Adkins diet didn't last long, about 3 days was my limit. On Sunday the 19th I had my children & grandchildren over for dinner and that blew the diet. On the bright side I have lost 3# since my last post. So, at least I'm headed in the right direction.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The plans for the minivan are coming along even if I haven't actually done any work. Just measuring and shopping around for items to make curtains. It's too hot and humid right now to sleep in it but I want to have it ready for a trip this fall. I saw a blog about a woman getting ready to travel in a mini van but I can't find it now. She has a mini van with a tent that attaches to the back of the van. I clicked onto her site through someone or something else I was reading about so I'll have to do some research to find it again.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My mother is looking to buy or rent a house in the same area where I live. Right now they live about 3 1/2 hrs southwest of here. We've looked at retirement homes but they are just too expensive. My step father is in poor health and my mother is struggling with walking because of osteoporosis in her spine. What prompted her desire to move closer to my brother and I was having shingles and pneumonia a couple of years ago and not having any help available in her small town. While there are more health care and home care advantages here I'm just not sure she would like moving.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Does this effect my plans? Not really sure. It would be very hard to leave town if she needed me here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My mother has always been a very adventurous person. She was the first person I knew that owned and drove an RV. She loves travel and drove through all 48 states and cruised Hawaii and Alaska. She's been to Mexico, South America, China, Ireland, Germany and a few other countries.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's enough rambling for today I better get back to work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-66162952195054061442015-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:002015-07-15T12:38:41.550-07:00THIS AND THAT<span style="font-size: large;">This post will be a bunch of stuff about nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I received an offer on the store earlier this week but it was way too low. The owner of a nearby thrift store wants my location and will take my inventory. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The store is not actually for sale. In order to put it up for sale I would need a future plan and I'm not there yet. The property is leased so the only value is the inventory, shelving and equipment.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I was rereading last years posts. One of the reason for starting this blog was so I could look back in a year to see if I had made any progress. I've actually gone backwards with my full time rving plans and I've made no progress on getting my house or business ready to sell since the beginning of the year. My one concession to traveling has been to purchase a minivan that I'm working on getting ready to use for camping.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thinking about going to the RV-Dreams fall rally. This would give me the opportunity to test out the minivan and learn about others full time experience. In reading over the list of classes I could benefit from almost all of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The hummer with the damaged beak has not been back to my yard. Maybe it was just something stuck on his beak and he got it off. At least that is what I prefer to believe.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to start the Atkins diet tomorrow. I've been working on low carb for a year without much success so I'm just going to go full throttle into the Atkins. My blood sugar has been staying under control with low carb but I'm not loosing any weight. We'll see what happens with a few weeks on Atkins.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's about it for today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-18122908814313083532015-07-08T09:09:00.002-07:002015-07-08T09:09:55.170-07:00CREATURES CLOSE TO HOME<span style="font-size: large;">Hi,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I chose to close the store on the 4th and spend my time cleaning house. I set outside and watched the birds in my own yard every morning and afternoon. I have 2 finch feeders and 2 hummingbird feeders in my yard.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last year I had 2 house finches in addition to all of the gold finches. This year the 2 house finches came back and apparently had a nest nearby. Now we have 2 males and 2 or 3 females. The young house finch feed from the hummingbird feeder as well as the finch feeder. I was surprised by this but the book I have says the house finch will eat fruit so I guess that's why they are attracted to the hummingbird nectar. They feed off the feeder with store bought nectar and a perch. When the feeder is empty I will refill it with sugar water and see if the house finches will return to feed. Such interesting observations while avoiding housework.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On Monday the 6th I went to Bernheim Forest. While driving up to the treetop lookout I passed a wild turkey with baby and a doe with a fawn. The turkey was moving into the woods so fast I could be mistaken about it's identity. On the other hand, the doe stopped in a clearing and waited for the fawn to catch up then she continued into the woods and the fawn stood there and watched me for a few seconds before following mom. The fawn was very small maybe 4 or 5 weeks old.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What a wonderful weekend without leaving town. (and no I didn't get much housework done)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This morning while sitting outside I saw a hummingbird with an injured beak. It seemed to be eating fine and was defending both feeders from other hummers. My camera doesn't take a good picture from this distance but below is a picture of the little hummer with the damaged beak. Does anyone have any info about hummers survival with a damaged beak?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMAppoAVD6w8tVRNyM2UxGLIa9rKHWgh9okTWAfu0edWdu6vnmek1tYc35rNQRpiqXhJGQj7kGxe5WxykPtILhRPTho0uzrG1ae8cgnCbUeyz3e1LfG9LGsMdFpyTCjAFys1rN2ygVgw/s1600/bird+pictures+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMAppoAVD6w8tVRNyM2UxGLIa9rKHWgh9okTWAfu0edWdu6vnmek1tYc35rNQRpiqXhJGQj7kGxe5WxykPtILhRPTho0uzrG1ae8cgnCbUeyz3e1LfG9LGsMdFpyTCjAFys1rN2ygVgw/s320/bird+pictures+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sad little bird, I hope he will be alright</span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-56009309824895514242015-07-03T07:56:00.002-07:002015-07-03T07:57:27.029-07:004th of JULY<span style="font-size: large;">Hi, I hope everyone has a great 4th.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought about trying out camping in my minivan this weekend then realized it was a holiday weekend. A crowded campground did not sound like a good place for my first experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I put some couch cushions in my minivan to test out the sleeping arrangements. Then I decided to sleep in the van in my driveway last night. I went to sleep just fine but soon woke up with a pain in my neck and decided to move inside. The cushions provided plenty of support but the uneven floor was the problem. I will get a piece of plywood to level the floor out and I may build a raised platform for the bed. I was considering an air mattress but I like the solid feel of the couch cushions so I'll be looking for hi density foam cushions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">With the bed in place there is plenty of room for storage in the back of the van. I'm considering building a box for storage that will have a flip down lid that can double as a cooking table when it is raining. When you are standing at the back of the van with the rear lift gate open you would unlatch the door and it would drop down to provide a table. I could store all of my kitchen needs in this box for easy access. I will need a place for the cooler and shelves for clothing. I'm thinking milk crates will work best for the clothing and the cooler can sit behind the passenger seat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Since I'm still working there won't be time for long trips so should I consider solar power or just stay in campgrounds with elec hookups? Keep in mind that living in KY means the solar unit will not get much use unless I'm going either south or west for a weeks vacation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And I'm confused about propane choices for a camping stove. I once had a little propane grill that used the small green propane containers. These would only last for 3 o 4 dinners. I don't see how one of these would make coffee and heat meals for a week. On the other hand I don't like the idea of carrying a large propane container in the van. Are there any other choices out there?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for any advice you might have.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-67454732805330177112015-07-02T10:12:00.000-07:002015-07-02T10:12:43.462-07:00FAMILY REUNION<span style="font-size: large;">The family reunion turned out really well. The 5 living brothers & sisters plus our mother, 12 of the nieces and nephews and their families all showed up. All totaled we had 43 people in 5 generations of the family. There was lots to do, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, and a campfire every night. Lots of good food and interesting conversation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNKWd5DhkzdsdiLIq0DW3HAmDCHEBSr0hcrRXFfyi6kvSq6eLXh6NrdT4kLUHArsuRuzm4bgNZFZz032A0Dh9WrVuvnebP64TEGQVDN_mhLcIXW_GYJLjCrCCJR4vrHpXS0DbcXHX_Q/s1600/11125217_10153346261578076_2006770701377404802_o+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNKWd5DhkzdsdiLIq0DW3HAmDCHEBSr0hcrRXFfyi6kvSq6eLXh6NrdT4kLUHArsuRuzm4bgNZFZz032A0Dh9WrVuvnebP64TEGQVDN_mhLcIXW_GYJLjCrCCJR4vrHpXS0DbcXHX_Q/s320/11125217_10153346261578076_2006770701377404802_o+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Having this at the state park allowed everyone to enjoy activities with their children and share with cousins. Each family had their own cabin or lodge room which allowed for down time yet we were all close enough to participate in the current activities if we wanted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I can't wait for the next one.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-53327178644098020812015-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:002015-06-11T09:49:23.371-07:00PURCHASED A MINIVAN<span style="font-size: large;">I purchased a used minivan last week. It needs tires and a few other things but I'm ready to take a trip. Every time I get in it I want to just keep driving.. heading south or west. I've checked the prices on blowup mattresses, portable potty, tent, and an enclosure that allows you to sleep with the back door open and keeps the bugs out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is no RV but will allow me to travel some without making a commitment to full timing until I'm ready. On June 21st I head to Cumberland Falls for our family reunion. I have a cabin there so will not be sleeping in my minivan. After that I will take a few one night trips to see how well I do sleeping in the minivan. It is very humid here during the summer but if I stay at campgrounds with elec. hookups I will be able to run a fan. I don't want to spend a lot of money on camping supplies until I decide how much I will use it. Since I only have 2 days off, the camping will be pretty close to home. If the weather is too bad I may end up waiting for fall to do much camping.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is so exciting to have a vehicle for travel. I have to force myself to come into work everyday and I know I will have to force myself to come back home after Cumberland Falls.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll try to post more often now that I will be doing something beside whining about making decisions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-882368284464956093.post-10921675773450882682015-06-05T14:24:00.000-07:002015-06-05T14:24:14.891-07:00IT'S BEEN SO SO LONG<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't realize it's been so long since I posted. Nothing really exciting has happened. I'm planning a trip to Yellowstone in June 2016. Have a family reunion coming up in three weeks. I'm trying to find a way to keep my house. Trying different ways to look at the meaning of retirement.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been working on the assumption that I would not have enough social security to keep my house once I stopped working. I started looking at books on retirement and they were always about how to prepare financially for retirement while you're still making good money. Those days are over for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last Saturday I picked up a book about different ways of thinking about retirement. This book is more about what you will do with your time during this part of your life. Of course everyone mentioned in this book has lots of money to make their choices. But the idea has made me think a little differently. Working my bookstore into my 70's was part of my original plan. Just because business is poor doesn't mean I can't still do this. I won't be able to save as much for the time when I can no longer work but if I still have the house I could take out a reverse mortgage later if I needed to.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05661256533759222591noreply@blogger.com0