From my plane window, I opened my eyes to this sight. What is that I wondered? Is it a glacier? Did I board the wrong flight? Did we take a wrong turn and are headed to Alaska instead of sunny Mexico?
Just a cloud bank – how different they look from above, hey?
OK, you say. Blue posted that photo from the airport and we haven’t heard a word since.
Que’ pasa?
Truth be known, it takes me a few weeks to adjust to the altitude and the physical exertion of living in a mountain community. That plus I am making a doubly (triply?) concerted effort to learn the language this year, so with studying, and tutoring, and studying, plus the normal activities of life (did I mention studying????) I am up with the sunrise most days and fall into bed exhausted at night.
With the holiday break, I am finally feeling like I am catching up with myself and vow to keep you all informed if only with quick picture posts of my travels and adventures featuring the breathtaking, amusing, or totally head-whacking, “what were they thinking?”.
Stay tuned.
Here it is November. It is 70 degrees, the sun is shining, and the grass is still green. Almost seems a shame to be heading “South of the border” when it is so nice here.
Yet the cold, north wind and rain that pelted us a few days ago and the projected temps for the end of the week are reminders that I am getting out of town just in time.
This is my favorite time of the year and I have been hard pressed to get out and enjoy the fall colors.
Not totally though. Ahhhh what a glorious season!
Life is crazy, busy, chaotic, and more. Slow things down. Take a moment to reflect on the good things. Give someone a hug today!
A week in the Ozark Mountains — good company, beautiful weather and spectacular scenery. A grand adventure!
Between a rock and a hard place.
Indian Cave Trail, Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
With supersized drinks and fries, I guess it was only a matter of time…
Each of the four occupants of this monster tent has their own “bedroom” plus a screened common area AND a screen room outside. And this was not the only example of such “largesse” either; these monsters were popping up everywhere.
Where I am located between two bluffs of the Baraboo range, a clear view of the sunset is hard to come by. But one night I happened to catch this pre-sunset display in the sky.
Awesome!
Before the days of steam engines, the world relied on manpower, wind, and water to get things done. Wooden ships with tall masts sailed the seas under yards of canvass sails. Journeys were long and dangerous; many perished in battles, pirate attacks, and storms that battered the ship and sent all hands into an unforgiving sea.
Though today, wood and rope have been replaced by steel, and sexton by GPS, it is still felt that only by matching hands against the elements under sail does a seaman truly learn about the sea.
When in Portland, Maine recently, the “tall ships,” a collection of sailing vessels from around the world sailed into Portland harbor. Ships large and small, including a replica of a Spanish galleon, provided tours and sailing opportunities to throngs of visitors, while pirates roamed the streets, flags flapped in the breeze, and music filled the air.
Since the festival extended into Monday, I had the opportunity to board the USS barque Eagle, the Coast Guard sailing training ship. Gleaming in polished wood, and brass and strung with miles of cabling, yards of canvass sails, and baggywinkle (see the link), it is a magnificent vessel of a former time, preserved for today.
All aboard Matey!
The Adventures of Blue Bear 