Thom and Dar's Sabbatical Journal

In September of 2004, Dar and I were on Grand Cayman Island for a day... one of the ports-of-call for a Caribbean cruise we were on. That same day Hurricane Ivan had grown to a huge Category 4 storm, had little Grand Cayman in it's cross-hairs, and was only three days out. We cabbed a couple miles up Seven Mile Beach and wiled away the day soaking up sun, sand, and beer, the latter from this little beach bar I'll never forget... a small open air shack... about a dozen stools around the three sided bar... a mixture of locals and tourists trying to enjoy the day but aware of the inevitable devastation just a few days away. Curious as to why I didn't see much storm-preparation activity... boarding up windows, etc... a local guy, a cab driver, explained "island time" to me. To paraphrase: if a thing doesn't get done today, it might get done tomorrow... or the day after. There's no urgency... no panic... no worries. Things might get done... but then again, th

We're closing in on the halfway point of our stint here along the Coastal Bend of Texas. The second historic cold wave in as many weeks is now waning and I, for one, am ready for a little warmth and sun. Since Dar has been deep in the bowels of the local hospital for 50 or 60 hours each week recently, she's escaped the creeping onset of camper fever that's effected this half of the Sabbatical Project duo. But the days continue to march by and I find plenty to keep me busy or interested or involved. And, in any case, Spring is just a few weeks away. Disclaimer: Occasionally this blog strays from the subject of our RV fulltime life... and this is one of those times. If you're here mostly for that reason, you may want to move along to the next blog on your reading list... and save yourself some time and, perhaps, the ravages of elevated blood pressure. I've been very interested in world and national goings-on the past few weeks. The Middle East looks like it's

The weather has been the number one story for the past few days here on the Coastal Bend of Texas. It's been cold, below freezing much of the time... the coldest spell for longer than most can remember... at least 25 years. Cold is one thing, freezing rain quite another. Starting yesterday afternoon, liquid precipitation, rain and drizzle, fell all night. We woke to 26f degrees, more drizzle, and a thick layer of ice on everything -- 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Of course, the way these things always seem to work out, Dar was scheduled to work today. NOT going to work because of a little ice was out of the question, of course... she has a deep sense of duty and knows that especially on a day like today the hospital will need as much staff as they can get. So as she got ready for work, I slipped outside to check what she'd be faced with. While there was a layer of ice on everything above ground -- wires, plants, trees, campers, cars -- ground surfaces like sidewalks and roads were only

This week I turn 60.  I haven't thought about it much... actually not at all until the last few days. It certainly isn't "bothering" me... well, at least it wasn't until the recent spate of emails, cards, and comments with various geriatric themes... all meant, I think, in good humor.  But I now feel a need to say something about this milestone... I mean, it's just the kind of thing that belongs in a journal, isn't it?.. a report on the "state of the sexagenarian self" that belongs in the permanent record? Perhaps it will give some future descendant a little insight into old crazy Thom from back in the early 21st century. Or maybe someone will stumble across this post and it might be the reason they decide to pause for a few moments, put down their latest electronic distraction device, and ponder their own existence for a while. That would make me smile. For what it's worth, I don't feel 60. Many years ago I came across a thought... a q

Willow Alaska is about 40 miles north of Anchorage, out along the Susitna River and Highway A3 that runs up to Fairbanks. Every morning I check the weather in Willow. We know a couple intrepid explorers who are building a cabin out in the wilderness near there, and I like to see what they're dealing with... at least as far as weather is concerned. This morning it was 29f degrees in Willow... and 24 here in Rockport. How's that for a little topsy-turvy with your morning Wheaties? Yes, it's cold here along the Coastal Bend of Texas... the longest and coldest blast of arctic air in the past 22 years according to the weather guy on a local Corpus Christi TV station. We'll have lows in the 20's and highs in the 30's until Saturday, along with a good chance of sleet and snow on Friday. This lobe of chilly air is being drawn southward by that big winter storm, the largest in years, menacing the Midwest and Northeastern USA. This morning the attention-starved fol