Time to move on

Well, this is it. Our last full day in Arkansas for this trip. We're taking off in the morning for Iowa.

What an AWESOME experience it has been. We know that this is just the first of so many excellent experiences we will have as we travel the country. Each place will bring it's own interesting takes on life, love and faith.

I expect questions about Table Rock Lake and Branson entertainment. I won't be able to give an educated answer to either. We expected we would fish a bunch but we didn't. We thought we might go see a show or two but we didn't. We found our fascination in the people, the wildlife, the local business people, church people and watching each other learn about new things. I expect that is the way it will be for as long as we are mobile. Those things created to entertain hold little fascination for us. We're people watchers, social butterflies and food critics. ha ha ha If you ever drive through or near Hollister, Mo., just South of Branson, please stop at Elenenitas Mexican Cafe and Cantina. You won't be disappointed.

More later .....

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Yet another photo opp

Nearly every day I find something fascinating enough to find through the lense of my camera. This morning, when Bubba & Mijo came home from their walk, they told me about this tortoise they found in their field. Needless to say, the tortoise was still in the field when I got out of the shower and took my camera outside.

At first I photographed him in the grass, then decided to move him closer to the pond to see if he was interested. He took a drink and a quick bath, but headed up the bank quickly after.

I think this photo is another I will be proud to submit to Green Eye Photo.

More later .....

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Odiferous memories

Memories are created by a variety of sensory input we experience. I have found that my sense of smell is one of the strongest receptors. Last night we lit a campfire and sat next to it for an hour or two. This morning the wood was still burning so we added to it and had morning coffee next to the fire. When I smell a campfire and feel the crisp spring air it sends me back in time. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Labor Day trips to Uncle Roger's cabin in Wisconsin.

The smell of a campfire sooths me. It makes me feel nostalgic and happy. I think I need to market "campfire" as a new scented candle or room freshener. ;-)

Well, I better go. Mijo had a bath this morning and he needs to go stroll through the park and show off before I shave him again. He's forgiven me by now for going to a dog show this weekend and coming home smelling like 10 different dogs. I had been thinking that some day I would like to keep a Great Dane as a house dog but changed my mind after he slobbered all over my new shirt. ha ha ha ha

More later ............

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Sad but true

It seems like a lifetime ago I was learning about a personal computer and all it could do for me. I didn't appreciate it at first but gained an overwhelming appreciation these past several years. It has progressed to the point of feeling lost and disconnected when I'm off line ..........

This is my predicament for the next several days. I'll sign in once a day to check messages on Bubba's computer but will be struggling through withdrawals. Pray for me! ha ha ha

Guess it will give me more time to prep the trailer for the trip home. Have been saying I was going to do that for the past few days and haven't gotten to it.

More later .......... Much later ............ ;-)

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Words can not do justice to what my eyes behold

I found this beauty at the top of the hill, on the perimeter of space #1. I think I'll send this one to Greeneye Photo!


This is Owen. He's one of our new neighbors. I had to laugh with his Momma this afternoon because Owen suffers from tractor envy. Bubba was on the lawn mower and Rene was on the tractor with the mower on the back ......... and Owen was jealous. ;-)

I decided there is another reason Bubba wasn't ready to go home yet ............ he was waiting to help Rene mow the park for the first time this season. He had a fantastic time on the mower the past couple days. Of course he has the same problem Nick has on the mower; its built for someone Rene's size. ;-)

Sunday

Some mornings, during our ritualistic coffee talk, Bubba & I will touch on little things that pop into our heads during prayer. I seem to have a hard time concentrating while I pray and tend to follow my mind as it wanders. I try to choose a specific person or group of people to pray for each day and let my mind wander through the experiences I've had with them and the gifts I pray for them.

Yesterday I was praying for a friend who is as big an animal lover as I am. Bubba and I saw a clip from the ASPCA and, this morning, talked about how people across the world treat animals so differently. Just here in America, to some folks animals are family members, to others they are commodities. In some countries, unthinkable as it may be to us, horses and dogs are a regular food source.

In our home the white, furry canine rules. I named him Mijo (mi hijo ~ my little boy) because he is my little boy.

Today I reflected on the fact that the word DOG is the word GOD spelled backward. A mirrored image so to speak, yet philosophically more. Our dogs give to us what God gives to us; unconditional love and attention. They want us to be happy and to share our joy. Even when we make mistakes and do unforgivable things, they forgive us and continue to love us wholeheartedly. I believe we need to serve as the reflection for our dogs as well and care for them the way God cares for us. We should insure they have everything they physically need, yes, but so much more. We should give them purpose and value. We should return the unconditional love they offer and involve them in our family activities. Like us, God put dogs on the Earth to serve a purpose and I pray more people will pay attention to what that purpose is.

Today, April 13th, SNOW fell from the sky here in Arkansas. It didn't stick, thankfully, but it was a light flurry for most of the morning. As is always the case, on the coldest day of the month, we ran out of propane before sun up. It almost made me laugh out loud. We've gotten so comfortable with the temperatures from the 50's to the 70's during the day and in the 40's at night that we've become lax in checking our propane levels. This morning it was in the 30's and we ended up getting out of bed at 5:30. Since Rene lent us one of his 100 pound tanks we've filled less often and allowed it to slip our minds. Bubba went out and switched the connection back over to our little tanks so we could be cozy over coffee and not pester Rene till later.

We're counting down again until our trip North. Less than three weeks and we'll put our new exhaust break to the test. I'm excited about traveling in springtime weather. It will be grand to be home again and dig into springtime projects. I hope Mom still wants to put a little new paint on her RV. I'm looking forward to helping with that. Camping with them is going to be such fun. One of the first places Bubba wants to go is to the Grotto in West Bend. I grew up in Iowa and had never even heard of it....

More later ..........

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Beauty Everywhere

Lots of little projects on the crochet hooks lately. Bubba needed a couple potholders and a few dishrags. I decided I would try a crocheted washcloth for my shower and I like it. I'm tossing the old washrags and replacing them. The cotton yarn by the pound seems to last forever.The birds have become predictable. I love the flickers that spend time under the trees every day. They're really striking.

More later .....

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

P.S. ...........

A follow up with more potential crochet charities.

http://www.dailycrocheter.com/charity.php

Another valuable knit/crochet charity

When I signed up for the Lion Brand Yarn weekly newsletter I had no idea it would lead me to so many valuable things. I've printed and tried some new crochet stitches and patterns and shopped some kits on sale, but the best part has been their information about charities and ministries related to the 'fiber arts'.

The first one I linked to was the Prayer Shawl Ministry; today I would like to pass on information about Warm Woolies. This organization is based in Colorado and accepts knitted and crocheted items from all over the country and the world. They send finished items all over the world and, more specifically, to the poorest American Indian Reservations in the US. One of the Reservations my family is very familiar with as they made multiple mission trips there through the Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Clarksville. If you knit or crochet please check out this web site to see if their efforts are something you may be interested in participating in or contributing to.

http://www.warmwoolies.org/index.html


More later .......

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Spring has sprung

Sunday afternoon felt more like our past experiences at an RV resort than any Sunday prior in Arkansas. We gathered at the new pavilion to enjoy a new barbeque and to christen the facility. Rene & Cecilia, Bubba & I enjoyed a great meal and a few games of Aggravation. Theresa joined us as well as Kevin, a contractor from Iowa and Gary & Alfie, a couple here from Toronto. We had some laughs, a couple drinks and simply enjoyed each other's company. We were hoping Nick and Tiffany could join us too but they were both headed off to work Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday Bubba helped me with some spring cleaning. We loaded up more laundry than I've done at one time in ages. We washed all bedding, sofa blankets and towels with several loads of clothes. The big new laundro-mat behind Tractor Supply proved to be up to the task and we filled 8 washers at one time. All the BIG machines were in use, but there were 42 new Maytags available. It seems like a lot of work to load up so much laundry and haul it to town but we had 8 loads folded and on the way home within just a couple hours; a great big job done.

A week ago or more I was out taking pictures of daffodils. Today I could take pictures of the tulips blooming up by the office. They're beautiful. There are more daffodils blooming up there too, not solid yellow but bi-colored and white. There are thick bunches of purple flowers blooming on the hillside too but I don't know what they are.

Rene and Cecilia are hard at work in the office and the bathrooms. Fresh paint and new floor tile are really going to put a fresh face lift on the place. After a year's worth of hard work you can really see the progress they've made and how the park and the campers have benefited.

I'm praying that our delay in returning to Iowa will allow us to enjoy springtime twice, to an extent. I don't know if the flowers are blooming up home yet but I hope we will still see some in a few weeks. We're planning to head North on the morning of May 1st. We'll drive a couple easy days and be home in the afternoon of the 2nd.

I'm excited to get back to family and back to church. I look forward to projects and camping with Mom & Dad. I look forward to Angel Food Distribution days. I look forward to small family get togethers and big family ruinions. And, I look forward to planning our next trip. If all goes well we hope to visit with friends in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama & Texas before heading back home for the holidays.

I think I've babbled on long enough for today.

More later ........

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Bird watcher's Paradise

It has been some time since I've posted and I have so much to share ......... but I must get busy on chores today and catch up later. I did want to share one thing that I've finally documented and LOVE about this park. Its a bird watchers paradise. I'm sure I've forgotten some and have seen some that I couldn't yet identify, but have made a list of the birds I've seen and photographed in the past few months. I haven't caught up to you yet, Dad, but I'm still trying! ;-)

Robin ~ Snowbird ~ Wren ~ Meadowlark ~ Flicker ~ Cardinal ~ Blue Bird ~ Blue Jay ~ Mockingbird ~ Red Bellied Woodpecker ~ Downy Woodpecker ~ Blue Herron ~ Bald Eagle ~ Turkey Buzzard ~ Black bird ~ Sparrow ~ Red Tailed Hawk ~ Nuthatch ~ Chickadee ~ Starling ..... and the list will go on.

And, in addition to all the armadillo, red squirrel and grey squirrel we see almost every day, we saw a fox run across the field about a week ago.

More later .........

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH