We left the farm in Wisconsin on Sunday. But before we get into travel-mode completely it was important to stop and spend time with some good friends in Minnesota. Traveling and exploring are important to us, but maintaining relationships with friends is perhaps the most important thing one can do for a rich and satisfying life. As a matter of fact, most of our last week in Wisconsin was spent bidding adieu to family and friends too.
Today we started moving in earnest toward our objectives... Alaska, the Yukon, the Arctic Circle, and the highway that binds them... the Alaska Highway. With a somewhat late start this morning from the Twin Cities, we managed to knock off a bit less than 400 miles. Tonight we're in Michigan. No, not that Michigan. Michigan, North Dakota. For a small town it has one very nice city park that includes campsites for wanderers like us. Very inexpensive... just a donation, it's a great place to get a little work done as well as a good nights sleep.
Tomorrow we should be in eastern Montana.
We've been preparing for the border crossing into Canada and today realized we have more wine and beer on board than we'll be able to consume before the crossing. For the uninitiated, Canada has strict limits on how much of this sort of thing one can bring across. Not sure how we'll deal with that yet, so stay tuned. If you're along our path somewhere, let us know. We may be able to leave a little gift for you.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Freedom
One day this week my sweetie and I took advantage of a gap between her yard projects and the kids (grand-kids) returning from school and did what most other self-respecting and outdoor-starved PNW'ers do on the first few really nice days of Spring... head for one of the scarce dining/drinking establishments with outdoor seating along the mighty Columbia to soak up some views, some rays, some snacks, and perhaps a craft beer. The experience really puts the mind (and body to some extent) into a proper receptive state in preparation for the warm days of summer.
Figuring there'd be crowds, we arrived at our chosen joint after the noon crush. The first clue this wasn't going to go as hoped was the lack of parking spaces... the lot was plumb full. I dropped Dar off to elbow her way to the front of the line and get the scoop, while I found a parking place a block and a half away.
Of course we were time-constrained -- had only a little more than an precious hour before our presence was required back at the house when the kiddies get home from school. So when we got the news that it'd be a minimum half-hour wait before an outdoor riverside table would be available we grudgingly accepted the offer of an inside table with a river-view... sort'a. It was OK but we both stared longingly at the tables out on the deck, in the sun, as we nursed our beer and humus plate. "Com'on... enjoy what we have and make the best of it."
It was then that it hit me just how much we take our personal freedom for granted. Almost any other time we have a notion to take an afternoon break like this, we would've had no problem waiting for that outside table. We're not used to dealing with schedules or other restrictions on our time any more. The day just flows and we just flow with it. But so many people, by necessity, have to deal with the notion of time... must get to work on time; get out of work in time to get kid to swimming lessons; pick up other kid from karate; rustle up dinner quickly so everyone's fed and happy before running off to PTA meeting; get home in time to let the dog out; meet kid's bus after school; then there's soccer practice, play dates with friends, family and school functions, and all the house-work and yard-work that must be done before the neighbors start talking. It's just all so overwhelming. We did it. We did it for many years... so many years ago. I think this, glorious freedom from time constraint, is perhaps the single biggest positive feature of our life right now.
A Family Affair
I’ve had a little trouble getting back in the swing of posting to this journal after our nearly week long family festival down at Casa de Cher in Sun City West. It does seem writing is a habit as much as an exercise in creativity, at least for me. I also believe it’s important to take a break once in a while, to “give it a breather”, lest one slips into repetition, minutia, and boredom. Anything one does day after day, every day, can become predictable, dull, and tedious. For example, even travel, the raison d’etre of our life right now, if done day after day, every day, causes the most hardened nomad to yearn for a rest, a break, a time to change things up, relax, and gain some new perspective.
OK, enough of that.
Our family affair turned out to be a memorable and enjoyable time. Thanks mostly to the planning and organizing talents of Dar and her sister Cher, the 9 attendees, 6 of whom traveled by air to get here, had a good time. No brawls, fist fights, or unnecessary roughness at all. In fact, there were acts of kindness, expressions of love and heavy-liking, and even a few moist eyes… which could have originated with deep emotions… or could’ve been from desert air dryness.
A rumination about the day: a person doesn’t realize how many people you touch during the course of your life. For most of us, it’s really quite remarkable.
Now that the guests are all gone, Casa de Cher is cleaned up, furniture back to it’s normal position, and the neighbors are able to sleep normally again, Dar and I are itching to go exploring.
And that will happen very soon. Stay tuned.
Dec 26 - Experiencing Life at Sun City West
Sun City West, AZ
Can't say I've ever experienced life in a real retirement community until now. My attitude about communities of this type was probably like many other "youngin's": why would I want to live with so many old people? And there's the fear that if you live with them... you'll rapidly become one of them. No sir, just didn't have any interest in that kind of lifestyle at all.
But a weird thing happened this past week. I'm either softening or actually becoming one of them without realizing it. I'm finding life in a "Sun City" is actually not that bad. I'm finding there are a lot more active (even athletic) folks here than I'd ever have thought. And there are so many recreational opportunities and clubs, groups of people with wide ranging interests (literally, almost anything you can imagine), that if you're so inclined you'd never be bored.
Golf may be a dying sport, in part due to the big and increasing cost of keeping golf courses green in a desert, but there are still plenty of them around to satisfy folks with that weird tendency toward self-flagellation. There are recreation centers with what must be a dozen different racket sport courts. The opportunities to get out and move... to raise your heartbeat above "lazyboy levels" are plentiful. You'll only hasten your decline when you choose not to partake.
There's even a grocery store here that falls in the category of "my kind of place". It has a full service wine and beer bar right smack dab in the middle of the store. Cool. Offering a large selection of craft beers on tap (along with some unfortunate mundane big brands) and interesting wines, it's the perfect place for a break while your partner does the shopping... or, if shopping alone, a perfect oasis for a respite from the rigors of shopping. This was a first for me. It also gave me hope that the collapse of our civilization may not be as imminent as I thought.
We had a very good holiday here with family. Too much food, a little drink, (but offset with a good vigorous walk), watched a couple movies and actually made one of our own. If you're into wasting about 6 minutes of your life, you can watch what came out of our attempt to make a Christmas Greetings video for the absent family in the frozen north. [click here] I hope you all are having a good holiday.
But a weird thing happened this past week. I'm either softening or actually becoming one of them without realizing it. I'm finding life in a "Sun City" is actually not that bad. I'm finding there are a lot more active (even athletic) folks here than I'd ever have thought. And there are so many recreational opportunities and clubs, groups of people with wide ranging interests (literally, almost anything you can imagine), that if you're so inclined you'd never be bored.
Golf may be a dying sport, in part due to the big and increasing cost of keeping golf courses green in a desert, but there are still plenty of them around to satisfy folks with that weird tendency toward self-flagellation. There are recreation centers with what must be a dozen different racket sport courts. The opportunities to get out and move... to raise your heartbeat above "lazyboy levels" are plentiful. You'll only hasten your decline when you choose not to partake.
There's even a grocery store here that falls in the category of "my kind of place". It has a full service wine and beer bar right smack dab in the middle of the store. Cool. Offering a large selection of craft beers on tap (along with some unfortunate mundane big brands) and interesting wines, it's the perfect place for a break while your partner does the shopping... or, if shopping alone, a perfect oasis for a respite from the rigors of shopping. This was a first for me. It also gave me hope that the collapse of our civilization may not be as imminent as I thought.
We had a very good holiday here with family. Too much food, a little drink, (but offset with a good vigorous walk), watched a couple movies and actually made one of our own. If you're into wasting about 6 minutes of your life, you can watch what came out of our attempt to make a Christmas Greetings video for the absent family in the frozen north. [click here] I hope you all are having a good holiday.
May 30 - Special Edition... Meet Lydia Marion Hoch
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| Hello World! There's a tiny little hand somewhere inside that sleeve. |
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| Lyddy with Dar. We'd forgotten how small newborns are. |
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| First Family Portrait with Lyddy. |
It's the circle of life on our little planet. We lost some of our family during the past year, but reinforcements (replacements?) weren't far behind.
Welcome Home Lydia.
Feb 5 - A Cold Shoulder from Wisconsin
Our time in the Midwest is drawing to a close again... at least for this trip. What started out as a quick trip back to get the truck camper turned into a three week stay that included the death of my Mom, her funeral, cleaning out her apartment, and tying up all the other loose ends that needed tying. It's been traumatic and emotional for the family but we're finally coming back to a semi-normal place. And Dar and I are sooo ready to get back on the road.
This crazy cold January weather isn't exactly cooperating with our plans. Of course we'd like a week of calm weather all the way West, complete with warm tailwinds and sunny skies. The reality is that we'll likely have quite the opposite. But we're so ready to go that we just picked a day, tomorrow (Thursday), and will hit the road and take on the challenges as they come. Some needed adventure perhaps.
I will do my best to post to this journal as we move along.
This crazy cold January weather isn't exactly cooperating with our plans. Of course we'd like a week of calm weather all the way West, complete with warm tailwinds and sunny skies. The reality is that we'll likely have quite the opposite. But we're so ready to go that we just picked a day, tomorrow (Thursday), and will hit the road and take on the challenges as they come. Some needed adventure perhaps.
I will do my best to post to this journal as we move along.
... we're left to remember... alone.
I had put this photo up on Facebook shortly after Mom's funeral, but need to get it into this journal to complete the record. It's a wonderful photo of the two of them, taken by my brother Bill, as they were walking alone in Yellowstone National Park.
For some reason this photo really speaks to me... has more meaning now than originally intended. As they head off into the unknown, we're left to remember... alone.
For some reason this photo really speaks to me... has more meaning now than originally intended. As they head off into the unknown, we're left to remember... alone.
Feb 1 - Snowmobile Accident
Monday, January 30, Dar's brother Dennis had a serious snowmobile accident. A Marquette Michigan resident and long-time "Yooper", he was out on the trails with a few other guys when he somehow tangled with a tree. His buddies and the authorities apparently worked quickly and efficiently to get him to the hospital where the full extent of his injuries were discovered.
He suffered a tear in his aorta, a very serious injury which many, maybe most, don't survive. He was rushed into surgery. It was all happening so fast. Laura, his wife, was scrambling to alert family and friends. But there was nothing else to do but wait.
Dar was working when Laura called. I, in turn, called Dar and filled her in. Being more in the know about medical things she knew right away how serious it was. Carrying the burden of this terrible news, it was hard to keep her mind on her work and duties. Her supervisor was able to find a nurse to relieve her so she could come home and wait for more news. She connected up with other family members during the watch.
About 7pm we got word that he had made it through the four hour surgery and was stable, but still in critical condition. If the next day, two, go well, his chances for recovery are good.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the news continued to be positive. Thanks everyone for your concern.
He suffered a tear in his aorta, a very serious injury which many, maybe most, don't survive. He was rushed into surgery. It was all happening so fast. Laura, his wife, was scrambling to alert family and friends. But there was nothing else to do but wait.
Dar was working when Laura called. I, in turn, called Dar and filled her in. Being more in the know about medical things she knew right away how serious it was. Carrying the burden of this terrible news, it was hard to keep her mind on her work and duties. Her supervisor was able to find a nurse to relieve her so she could come home and wait for more news. She connected up with other family members during the watch.
About 7pm we got word that he had made it through the four hour surgery and was stable, but still in critical condition. If the next day, two, go well, his chances for recovery are good.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the news continued to be positive. Thanks everyone for your concern.
Velcro
As we prepare for our departure from the Portland area, it occurred to me that leaving family, grand-kids, good friends could be compared to separating two pieces of Velcro: a distressed ripping sensation of two joined pieces that, the first time you do it, you swear couldn't possibly be re-joined in the same way again. But in the same way we were amazed by our first experience with Velcro, their "hooks" and our "loops" will mate up again in a few short months.
Brief Kid-Watch Update
We've been on the job now for over a week... full time too. These two little guys both wear us down and lift us up... at the same time. How is that possible? It's exhausting work but there's no where we'd rather be or anything we'd rather be doing.
Haven't had much "online" time, or time to write... opting instead for time with these two.
We think they're worth it.
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