A Changing Beauty

 I am from an area where mountains are covered with pine trees, stands of quaken aspen and shrub oak. The mountain vegitation follows the seasons starting with soft greens in the spring. Summer moves in and the light green shades become deep and dark to be followed by orange, yellow and red when fall arrives.

I have found the beauty of the desert to equal the beauty of the mountains. One cannot out do the other; each presents it own special gifts. The desert is new to me and I am just becoming acquainted with its diversity and hidden treasures.

It has a spirit that quietly and gently draws you to explore and learn more. The mountains of rock change from red to pink and slide into soft peach as light changes through the day. The rising sun peals the darkness away from mounds of rock revealing bright orange rock.

We walked the trails through The Valley of Fire State Park in Neveda and found some of Mother Natures art work. It is hard to wrap your mind around the time line required to create this park. It took thousands of years, for wind and rain working in tandum, to mold its features.

A desert with all its harshness offers a beauty that some how finds the spot in us that seeks and appreciates beauty.

     

   

The People We Meet

The people we meet broaden our horizons and add a color to our lives. The further we venture from home, the more our scope widens as a variety of people cross our path. An ordinary day changes from uneventful to interesting by a chance conversation with a complete stranger.

Appreciation of diversity  comes with age. It is the maturity that age brings which gives us the gift of being able to look beyond ourself. Age also comes with the courage to look around the corner in an effort to find a new view of the world we know. Shaing bits and pieces with a stranger is a step toward understanding our world and those who also call it home.

Everyone has a story to tell, and for the most part are willing to give you the gift of sharing a small portion of their tale.  Ask a question and open the door a crack.  Question for question works both ways. The more people I meet the smaller the world becomes, and the warmer it feels.

I hope, as a whole we never arrive at the point where fear prevents us from seeing the commonalities we share as world neighbors. My experiences meeting new and diverse individuales have been positive. Perhaps my perspective on the world is still seen through rose tinted glasses. I hope I continue to see the world and the people I encounter through eyes that are open and astute enough to not judge too quickly.

As things  are brought to our attention from a negative aspect it is easy to view the unpleasant as the norm and we fail to realize that it goes far beyond that small bit that is shown to us.  One thing that proves true is the basic good that is inherent in the majority of the world's people. It would be a shame to deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from someone we view as a stranger simply because we only see the outward differences.

I think much of what the world has to teach us comes from the people we meet outside our tiny neighborhoods. Every individual has something worth sharing and I'm curious enough to put myself in a position to listen. My backyard has grown in size and color as I've ventured beyond its boundaries. The more I communicate the more I learn about the good of the world and the people, who just like me understand that we are the ones to keep it going in the right direction. Maybe there will come a time when we have learned enough from our conversations that we will see some of ourselves in the face of a stranger.      



 

My French Lady. I saw her standing on the bridge behind Notre Dame and took her picture. How I wish I'd been able to talk with her. I'm sure her story is special.     oil pastle painted by Nolan Olson

Getting Summer Started

 

Things have been quiet the last few weeks. It has been catch up time around the home front.  Little tomato plants brought home from Hagerman needed to be planted. Apparently, I timed their planting well as they have very small tomatoes on them. The patio pots are all so done and they too are doing well. The rain has helped get things off to a good start. It is nice to see the yard come to life after being dormant. I never get tired of the transformation that takes place in a matter of weeks. The perennials are impatient to get the show on the road. Little green heads push through the cold ground with strong determination and a desire to get on with their job. In very early spring they greet me as soon as the snow gives way to the warmer temperatures. Now the beds are lush and full just waiting for the sun to help them continue their job.
                                                                                    

a finch a little confused after a mishap



pansies are always the first to be brave 

A bright yellow bird feeder is hung to invite the birds to stop by for an easy meal. Slowly, they are finding it and taking advantage of the free meals. Such flighty characters, they have a hard time staying in one spot for very long and don't like to share the table with many companions. There is a constant fly by between my feeder and the neighbors as they check the days menu. The humming birds much prefer the feeders next door over my tiny little things, which I think are so cute and unique. Apparently, they aren't fond of change.

June is just around the corner, and as hard as it is to believe, the longest day of the year is close on its heels. Summer  must be used and savored. She moves so fast, if we don't move with her, we will find ourselves trying to grab her by the tail to slow her down. There is much to fill the short months of summer: yard work, repairs, gardens to plant, trips to take, and family activities. It will soon be time for us to roll the little guy out of the garage and hook him up. Roads we have not traveled await us and our feet are getting itchy. The patio pots will be moved so the sprinklers can tend them in our place, the birds will be on their own, and the flower beds will take care of their own needs. Coming home is always rewarding to see the changes that have taken place in our absence. Flowers will have bloomed, the tomatoes will be bigger and the birds will pout for awhile because we abandoned them. Everything survives without us and the places we have yet to explore keep calling to us. We enjoy the summer in our backyard, but other backyards have summer splendor too.

Yes You Can Say NO!!

Just a feel good picture for me

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity, but I don't want to." Silence was the response on the other end of the phone. Perhaps, I shouldn't have been so honest. I could have made excuses, dodged  around the question and played the usual game of trying to get out of something I had no desire to be part of.

Why is it so hard to say no when it is one of the first words we learn as a child. I had not one child who hesitated to use the word no. It was a natural, honest response given with no guilt attached. It has taken me a long time to realize that I can give myself permission to say no. It was almost painful the first time I honestly expressed my true feelings. I knew all the appropriate responses to give so someone else could have my opportunity: Oh, I'm so sorry, but I have something else scheduled that evening, darn I think I may be out of town and in desperation the best excuse which everyone understood--I have to watch my grandchildren. No one touched that excuse with a ten foot pole.

After, giving lame excuses and feeling guilty for far too long, my circuit breaker flipped back and made connection with the light blub. Somewhere, I found the courage to say no--just no and then deal with the wordless responses that stared me in the face. No one really knows how to take No. If excuses accompany the answer they know what to say and how to sympathize, but no one is prepared for a flat two letter response. Somehow, the air becomes tense and breathing difficult as each party simply sits in heavy silence. I learned after a few uncomfortable encounters, that I had to be the one to bring back normalcy. With a simple --thank you for asking-- the breathing stared again and everything in the world was back on track.

My new found ability to be honest lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders. There are however, situations where no is not the correct answer. Life experience teaches you what is worth your time and what is not. This knowledge begins to develop somewhere between 50 and 55. It takes the brain a number of years to process this knowledge, which allows an individual the time necessary to assimilate the newly acquired information. For me, 65 became the magic age of understanding. I have been a practitioner of NO for two years. I am finding that as time goes on I am feeling very little guilt, if any.

Thankfully my life is now under my control, which it should be at this age. It is a right of passage earned from years of hard work. I am taking time to learn about me: who I am and what I want at this point in my life. Thanks for asking and offering me the opportunity, but NO!

Teardrop Travel Adventure

                                                       Just a little thing made for fun!

 

 

Just Pure Relaxation

Our tiny trailer is resting in the garage. He has just returned from a 2500 mile trip. He started in Idaho and traveled through Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. We took him on a winter get away. The purpose of the trip was to escape the snow, cold, and gray skies of south eastern Idaho.

Unlike most winter escapees, we travel only a few weeks during winter. By February the weather has taken it's toll and our mental health is at risk. Even a few weeks in a sunny, warm climate makes the rest of winter tolerable. There is a magic about sun shine that renews and invigorates us and gives us the fortitude we need to make it to April.

We love the RV resorts as much as the dedicated snow birds. Who doesn't like sun, green grass, and a pool. You don't have to be big to enjoy all the amenities the resorts offer. Our means of accommodations is some what smaller than that of the conventional winter nomad. Heads turn when we pull into our assigned spot, unhook the little guy and push him into place. Our little home on wheels is a classy teardrop called a T@G Max teardrop. We often refer to it as a bed on wheels.

Not too much time lapses before the curious start walking by with a dog that suddenly needed exercise. The first past is just a casual pass by, but the second go around is slower and we receive a definite, hard look.  Eventually they return minus the dog and approach us. "What a cute little outfit. How do you sleep in there? Aren't you cramped? Don't you get cold and what do you do when it rains?" So the tour begins. We hear the same response--so cute, what an amazing little trailer, it has everything you need.

The teardrop proves that big things come in little packages. We definitely can't walk around or turn somersaults, but we don't feel cramped. On those occasions when it does rain, we do what everyone else does: watch TV, read, watch movies, or listen to music.  There is a queen bed, TV, stereo, air conditioning, storage cabinets, and LED lights as well as porch lights. The back opens and reveals a compact, well appointed kitchen. I have a small counter for prep, two burner stove, a sink with running water, under counter cupboards, and a refrigerator.





Yes organization is a must

The one amenity that could not be squeezed into such a small unit is a bathroom, but I see this as a positive. RV resorts have great, clean restrooms and showers for their guests. I am more that willing to use their facilities and let them do the cleaning . After all, I am on vacation.


We have discovered from this winter trip that two weeks is very doable and could easily stretch into three or even longer. Because we travel small we are forced to find outside activities wherever we stay. Meals are eaten outside, which some how makes everything taste that much better. We are travelers and like the ease of mobility. We always have our own bed, kitchen, and necessities. The ease of set up and take down makes it possible to relocate with little work. We fit in any space and backing in is not an issue. The teardrop has handles made for positioning the little rig.   

Ocean Side California

The Little Guy gets to rest for a while as we figure out our next great American adventure. Maybe another RV resort or a state park with dark skies and brilliant stars, a desert or mountains. Who knows where we may end up next. There is always a surprise around the corner,

The Beauty of Remembering the Past

 

 

 

 I had a friend who lived down the street from me when I was in grade school. Her parents had an old travel trailer parked on the side of their house. It was great fun to use as a play house. It was never used for vacations or any sort of travel.  The years took their toll. The sun, rain and snow beat down on it turning it from a shiny silver to a dull grey. The girls in the neighborhood cooked up many imaginary meals and traveled thousands of miles on pretend trips. The door did no close properly and the benches around the table had torn upholstery. It definitely had seen better days and had not been loved.

Move forward to 2016 and you might see that poor neglected tin can in the modernism trailer show in Palm Springs. The first generation of small RVs has found new life through the clever hands of restorers. I find it interesting that so many people, myself included, are drawn to the things of the past. Is it because old is new to us and the nostalgia of a past we can only imagine peaks our curiosity? Perhaps, the past helps us make sense of the present.

The simple little camp trailers brought the post war generation of the 50's and 60's to the road and the travel bug and the desire to explore has continued on. Many of those first homes on wheels have been saved and lovingly restored even down to the dishes and period fabrics. Unique in their simplicity and functionality they are a curiosity. I find myself thinking of families that vacationed in these small units and how they opened up the world of travel.  Parents were able to show their children the  sights of the of the United States in an affordable and exciting way.

The oldest trailer at the show this year was a 1948 tear drop, which happens to be the year I was born.
The wood was polished and the bed covered in a simple cotton fabric. The basic of the basics, but a darling loved once again by an new generation. Today's road homes are without a doubt more livable, beautifully equipped and comfortable.  I have to explore the question--are they as charming and endearing. The answer lies with restorers who take their old ladies on the road and experience the past of trailer life. Ask them how they feel about traveling with the old, newly refurbished charmers and the answer is always the same--I love her. Fortunately, the old and the new can co-exist together and both find travel companions to continue the quest of travel and adventure on the road.

 

 

 

Small Pieces of Beauty

 

 

Small perfect pieces of beauty surround us and go unnoticed, perhaps we forget to look or we take them for granted. The orchid reaches perfection without shouting and drawing attention to itself. No hurry--no push--just a gentle, slow journey to completion. The end result is a bloom created in pastels;  pink, lavendar, and yellow. It has become a perfect flower.

Maybe perfection arrives as a rare day in January when the cold lifts and the sun shows its face to warm the air. Hope starts to spark and you know that winter will pass in its own time and patience settles in to wait for longer days.

The old farm left much as it started; sheds and out buildings storing history as keepers of the past. All reminding us what was and how far we have journeyed. To appreciate the present we must know the past. These simple things ground us in a world of turmoil. Looking out of ourselves and reveling in the  renewal of of our soul, we find a place to rest and find that perfect moment.