My Blog - RETIREMENT WIVES

Life in Boxes

Buddy and I are moved in! It’s been a two and one half year adventure watching our first(and only) home building dream come to life. It is a true blessing to see the end result. And we finally get to see and touch personal items that have been in storage crates for what seems like forever! It’s a Christmas morning feeling… unboxing and unwrapping physical ‘history’ of lives together. It’s been a chorus of ohhh’s, awww’s, and ‘take a look at this’ exchanged between the two of us!

On that note, I would like to take a few moments to commiserate w/ all of you who have experienced moving to a new home. This can be a common life journey no matter what age; but seems a bit more trying and tiring as I’ve gotten older!

Stuff and Things

One of the first reasons is the natural process of collecting more stuff! How often a box of college papers or books, photos of people we can no longer name, or other memorabilia are taking up space and collecting dust in the back of a closet? And sadly, it may not even be our own box of life memories, but that of our children!

Letting It Go

Lifting and lugging boxes, diving headfirst into the cardboard abyss, and hours of unwrapping paper around each precious item becomes a bit exhausting day after day… after day. Why do we hang on to ‘this or that’ after 20 years for it to again sit in a box collecting dust? Is it that difficult to JUST LET IT GO?? “But I might need it” or “the kids might be able to use this” is a common excuse running through our heads. First lesson, if it has sat in a box, on a shelf, or in the cabinet without using it in the past year, it is likely not needed! Second lesson- ask your children. They likely don’t want it or need it either!

The Sweet Side

Oh, but there is a tender and sweet side to all of this. It feels great to unpack and unload! Clear out that clutter, simplify, and organize all the ‘stuff and things’ that are truly needed in life. This is therapeutic in both the practical and proverbial sense! It is an opportunity to give unnecessary items-no matter how big or small- to a non profit organization or outreach, friend or neighbor that could benefit from such generosity. And equally important, ‘the aww moments’ of finding the (cutest)baby picture, a hand made craft from your child’s kindergarten year, or old ice skates(and why have I kept them all these years?) that will catapult you back to a softhearted moment in time. It’s a sweet memory that sweeps you away from the cardboard and packing paper disaster looming in front of your eyes!

Buddy and I agree this will be our last move to a new home- at least within our control or mental faculties. We hope to enjoy our home with family and friends for many years. We are also so thankful to all who have been part of this crazy adventure!

To close, it’s both a new beginning and end of a dream come true! I may be dating myself, but Madeline Kahn’s “I’m So Tired’ song (and her facial expressions) comes to mind. The subtle sexual innuendos don’t really align with unpacking cardboard boxes, but the overall emotion still works. Enjoy! Blazing Saddles

Reflections…

The window to the soul isn’t made with glass that breaks. It’s created with compassion, the healer of heartache. Angie Welland-Creaty

I’m not sure about you, but I have read plenty of ‘2020 no more’ or ‘2020…is it over yet?’ How many memes have we seen that express our feelings of the past year?

Our struggles

No doubt, there is more than enough Covid info to reflect upon from 2020. Illness and isolation is overwhelming. The impact on livelihoods, businesses, and the economy has crushed many. Struggling health care workers and hospitals trying to keep up are emotionally and physically exhausted. But there are also incredible stories survival, of incredible resilience, and unselfish responses to a humanity in need.

Our personal experience

For some, the effect on daily life this past year pales in consideration to what has been personally experienced. How many reading this post may have been ill, have witnessed or cared for sick family members or friends? And the most tragic of all, the loss of a loved one. Yes, 2020 has been like no other.

Because of this, I do not have any right to share a personal litany of reflections about 2020. It would be much too narrow minded. I cannot do justice to the personal experiences of millions of Americans and others around the world who have personally experienced the effects of Covid.

Looking forward while looking back

Rather, I carry in my heart and mind the endless displays of humanity that have been shared via the media this past year. Listed below are just a few. Watch and read, smile and be heartened by the good that continues to rise above even the darkest of days.

The many hands our health care providers have held and smiles shared through the tears:

https://www.stlukes-stl.com/St-Lukes-News/2020/Healthcare-workers-share-frontline-stories-of-caring-for-COVID-patients/

https://protecthealthcare.org/latest/covid-inspiring-stories

The signs held, music played, and voices singing to faces behind paned windows:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/family-sings-happy-birthday-100-year-nursing-home-69619424

Busy hands and bodies packing and distributing food to those in need:

https://2-harvest.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-19-report-print-in-house.pdf

Restaurants and workers serving and delivering dinners to those on the front lines:

https://www.nrn.com/people/how-restaurants-are-stepping-help-their-communities-during-coronavirus-pandemic-providing

And, international stories of hope and resilence:

https://www.apa.org/international/global-insights/stories-pandemic

Bethlehem Star … Fact and Faith

In a year that has been unlike any other, our earth’s sky will display a visual symbol of the hope we hear in the Christmas story. On December 21^st, Jupiter and Saturn will orbit close to Earth and appear as one giant star. This alignment is also rare, having occurred in 1623 but actually last seen on March 4^th, 1226! According to the NASA website, “Look for them low in the southwest in the hour after sunset.”

The Great Conjunction

The astronomy world calls this event between Jupiter and Saturn a ‘great conjunction’ as the two planets overlap each other in their separate orbits. According to a Huffington Post article, Nahum Arav, physics professor at Virginia Tech, states this rare event is “special because of how bright the planets will be and how close they get to each other in the sky… about 1/5 of the moon’s diameter.” Although appearing close, the distance between the two planets is still 450 million miles!

Get your cameras ready!

Southwest sky

Alan Duffy, the lead scientist at the Royal Institution of Australia, states, “For those who are in the business of taking pretty pictures, you probably want to snap them a little earlier,” he said. Duffy offers instructions to look for ‘two dots that, unlike stars, do not twinkle: a pure white dot for Jupiter and one with more of a golden hue for Saturn’.

‘I can tell you what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown’

Linus from Charlie Brown Christmas, gives one of the most endearing Christmas story narrations. This familiar Christian account of the Christ child’s birth is found in Luke Chapter Two. But nowhere is mentioned the famous star! However, in the Bible’s Book of Matthew, the story of the Magi following the Bethlehem Star is clearly described. Some Biblical scholars speculate if this star was a result of the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in 6 B.C.

A coming star…

Interestingly, the Old Testament also references a ‘coming star’: A sorcerer by the name of Baalam, at King Balak’s request, gave four oracles intending to curse Israel in the early 1400’s B.C. Instead, he blessed Israel and predicted, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star will come out of Jacob.” Numbers 24:17(referencing the future coming of Jesus Christ).

Looking Upward

So, no matter what scientific or spiritual thoughts may come to mind, we can look up on December 21st in awe and wonder. This once in a lifetime moment will no doubt put a little perspective and context to this tiny speck of our planet called Earth. And no matter what dark moments 2020 may have held, we look forward with joy and to a bright tomorrow!

Wash It Away…

… and help keep yourself and others healthy

Did you know the beginning of December kicks off ‘National Handwashing Awareness’ week?

In the current state of our world, this basic information can be live saving for some and a definite health benefit for all! A few high points for effective handwashing include: 1. getting a good lather 2. washing the palms, back of hands, and between fingers and fingernails, and 3. do this for at least 20 seconds. Finish up w/ drying your hands on a clean towel. Or, remember it by…

Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry

Keeping you Healthy

Washing hands has long been determined to be one of the best ways of minimizing the spread of illness. There are a number of ways to help keep us healthy in the cold and flu season. Some suggestions include: avoid/minimize time in large crowds during the high risk season, keep our hands away from our face, eat well to boost our immune system, and get a good night’s sleep. The CDC also recommends getting the flu and pneumonia vaccines. Be sure to talk with your health care provider if these recommendations are right for you.

Keeping Others Healthy

If you are not feeling well, it is best to stay home! Do the ‘Superman’ when you sneeze(sneezing into your upper arm) instead of sneezing into your hands. Or use a tissue and immediately throw it away. Do the fist bump or ‘air’ hand shake when greeting others. And remember to wash your hands- FREQUENTLY!

Being ill is no fun and you can make a difference in keeping yourself and others healthy. Keep on making those soap bubbles!

KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON!

After a two year hiatus(oh, how time can fly!), I am so happy to be sharing with all of you again! Buddy and I are enjoying life in our new community and magical corner of the world. The adventure continues after leaving our home base of 35 years – a true blessing for our marriage and life!

Check out August 25, 2018 ‘On the Road Again- the Backstory’ to give a little background as to my ‘itchy feet’ that led to our move. And yes, I will write ‘part II’! As to the longer than planned RetirementWives break, it’s been a time of having fun each day without a lot of plans. Buddy and I have been enjoying the beauty of the four seasons– hiking, biking, skiing, and water sports… AND right out our own back door! I’m still pinching myself, even after two years!

New Adventures

Oh, and I guess I should mention we are in house building mode. It’s been a 2 year project that has taken up just a little bit of our time!

Buddy and I once again prove that opposites do attract- if he likes a particular finish or design style, I am more inclined to pick the other one! I do know after 35 years of marriage and a few home remodeling projects, we eventually come around to either one of us giving in or choosing a new compromise. Who knows, we might even be beating the world record odds of couples that divorce after a prolonged home building project!

We also have a recent new addition and FIRST to our family clan: A PRECIOUS GRANDBABY! I’m sure to be blogging about the joys of grandparenting in future posts. And I do have to tell you that being a grandma, nana, memaw, Mameo (Irish for grandma) is somethin’ special!!!

On the retirement front, Buddy and I are now BOTH retired! My job finally came to a close the middle of 2019. I am blessed to have had such an awesome career and a work team that gave me the autonomy to work remotely after moving.

This Little Light

So, for those of you that have been the second partner to retire, how has it affected you? Was retirement an easy transition for you or were/are there some challenges that maybe you weren’t expecting?

I don’t know if it is necessarily a retirement thing or just part of ‘getting older’, but I do think more about this season of life. Will it be a slow beautiful sunset, displaying the kaleidoscope of evening’s colors, a hazy or subtle overcast that casts a dull film over the emerging stars, or a rush of clouds and sudden storm that darkens the transitioning evening sky? I don’t really know and will choose to focus on the ‘keeping the lights on’ to the best of my ability each and every day!

With the year that we all have experienced together, I will share a little ‘wash it away’ in my next blog post coming soon. Until then, stay healthy and spread some good cheer as we eagerly await 2021.

BE PREPARED

Buddy was both a Cub and Boy Scout but not long enough to really understand and practice the Scout Mottos: Leave No Trace and Be Prepared. Having been with my spouse for close to 35 years, I believe he embraced these two scout lessons as life dealt him both the happy and challenging moments as he grew into adulthood.

My thoughts of ‘Being Prepared’ go to my and Buddy’s early hiking adventures together as a young couple: starting with the research (oh, boy, does he like to research!), having the right gear and supplies, strategic packing of it all, and knowing the terrain, environment and weather. I’m sure there is much more that I am not including…
but you get the idea!

I would like to put the ‘hiking boot’ on the other foot and share a recent experience of my needing to ‘Be Prepared’. As I wondered how I would write about Buddy’s recent biking accident, this classic scouting phrase came to mind. And having had a long history as an AHA BLS Instructor and completing a recent update, CPR training was a physical lifesaver for my spouse and an emotional lifesaver for me on this fateful day.

Although not having nearly the level of preparatory ability as Buddy, I have guided many individuals and families in wellness related areas as a health care provider. My BLS instructor training has been put to good use in multiple circumstances throughout the years. But none more important than a couple of months ago when Buddy sustained serious injury while we were on a group biking vacation. His injuries could have been so MUCH worse, and thank God, has recovered exceptionally well.

I won’t go into too many details about Buddy’s accident but will share important CPR related instructions that helped me assist my spouse and gave me a solid plan during this highly emotional event. The following information is taken from the American Heart Association’s ECC Guidelines:

Scene Safety Importance of having a safe environment for both the rescuer and victim

This was critical for Buddy and I as the accident happened on a public street at the bottom of a hill with approaching traffic in both directions. As I approached Buddy, I was waving my hands high over my head to alert the car coming down the hill and I engaged the driver of the stopped car on the opposite side of the road to help stop traffic.

2. Assess victim Checking for responsiveness, breathing, pulse

Because of the nature of the accident and my observation of no movement as I was running up to Buddy, I was already moving onto Step 3, ‘Activating EMS’ by yelling at the stopped passerby to ‘Call 9-1-1’

Activate EMS Send someone to activate EMS or use your cell phone or leave the victim to call if you are alone and secure an AED as quickly as possible

Upon assessing Buddy for breathing and circulation, I again yelled to the passerby to confirm EMS activation. Because this was a possible head injury/neck trauma, my training was telling me ‘DO NOT move the victim’ unless we were in physical danger or my needing to initiate ventilations/compressions

Begin CPR as indicated following the most recent AHA guidelines

Going through my CPR steps, no rescue breathing or compressions were initially necessary. However, I was also aware that I did not know the extent of any internal injuries. I physically and mentally prepared myself to be ready to initiate ventilations/compressions if Buddy’s condition changed before the paramedics arrived.

*Know that the above steps can be done simultaneously dependent upon the situation

According to the 2015 updated AHA guidelines, ‘there is clear and consistent evidence of improved survival from cardiac arrest when a bystander performs CPR and rapidly uses an AED’. About Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

I would strongly encourage all of you to take an American Heart Association Heartsaver course which includes the use of an AED. I would also recommend taking a First Aid class. Most of the time, the help you offer will be with SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Keep your skills current and periodically review these life saving steps. You just never know…

BE PREPARED which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY. (Scout Motto)

On a happier note… scroll down the bottom of the Photo Gallery for pictures and happy memories
of Acadia National Park and beautiful East Coast farmlands

The Black Hills-pictures & perspective

A FORGOTTEN PEOPLE…

As Buddy and I rambled across the S. Dakota Plains, our conversation seemed to do the same while reflecting on the Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore historical monuments we had recently visited. We also shared our personal recollections of learning about and experiences related to this part of our American history.

Buddy grew up one of the Plains states and has often shared his favorite phrase describing the area of his birthplace, ”It’s not the end of the world but you can see the end of the world!” As we each described our individual perspectives of Native American history, it became apparent that Buddy’s education as a youth was more experiential while my understanding came purely from high school and college American History classes.

I have to be honest and say that my perspective of our First Nation was likely influenced by the ‘good vs bad’ culture that I grew up with: having family dynamics with the good girl or boy label, being a ‘good Catholic’ or watching the Hollywood ‘spaghetti westerns’ and being part of the neighborhood kids shouting about who got to be the cowboys in our childhood game of ‘Cowboys and Indians’. As my education progressed, I don’t recall hearing any professorial perspectives or having any discussions/debates of perceived injustice toward our American Indian peoples during the time when our nation was being explored by our early settlors.

Fast forward to our present day, we now have literary works that are attempting to correct earlier accepted written history of how the Western plains were settled. And we did hear and see evidence of this while visiting the local Plains area. My heart aches as I learned of treaties that were made and broken to our First Nation peoples- all for the sake of moneymaking commodities like gold and oil.

In our current society, we live in an atmosphere of heightened racial and social injustices that takes many forms. What is personally bothersome for me, having just visited two incredible National Monuments in the Dakota Plains, is the lack of NATIONAL attention to the challenges that faced the American Indian people in the past as well as today. I believe they can be considered a forgotten group of citizens in our nation’s political arena.

Buddy shared that the same social injustices experienced by African Americans and have received national attention were also pervasive in the American Indian culture as he was growing up in North Dakota. Being denied entrance to places of business was common for the Sioux population as Buddy often witnessed. Talking further, we agreed it may come down to a disparity in awareness and cultural education about the American Indian on a regional rather than national level.

This is the FIRST time I have traveled through this part of the country; and this trip has ignited my interest to revisit our First Nation history with fresh eyes and be sensitive to the many and not well known consequences of our forefathers’ exploration westward. And I certainly do not consider myself qualified to make any historical determinations without first doing my homework!

Hope you enjoy the pictures and descriptions!

“Spurred by rumors of gold, many prospector groups attempted to enter the Black Hills in the 1870’s. Without regard to the Fort Laramie Treaty, they planned to enter the region and explore the untapped wealth. A group of 28 people headed west from Sioux City, Iowa, and eluded the calvary across the Dakota Territory. Following the wagon trail of the Custer Expedition, they made a permanent camp in this area December 1874. Named after their leader, John Gordon, their structure became known as the Gordon Stockade…”

This stockade is located just outside of the town of Custer and next to the Custer State Park

Custer State Park

Mt. Rushmore

Crazy Horse Monument

Letter from Henry Standing Bear to Korczak Ziolkowski requesting his help to sculpt the Indian Chief

Custer, South Dakota

ACES AND EIGHTS

A man holding aces and eights with his back to the door of the Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon; another man shortly thereafter coming into a town a bit further west and bragging about the killin’ and getting away with it…. until of course he was hanged!

These two towns in South Dakota and Wyoming, Deadwood and Cheyenne would be forever linked together in the history books because of the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok and the outlaw at the other end of the gun, John ‘Broken Nose Jack’ McCall on that fateful day back in 1876.

History came alive as Buddy and I spent time in each of these two cities born out of the fervor of opportunity and the search for gold in the 1800’s. Although very different in their appearance, the lingering of debauchery, lawlessness, and desire to strike it rich could still be experienced through the retelling of the old west tales of these prairie lands. Both downtown Cheyenne and Deadwood have been characteristically preserved, but I do have to say that the latter still has that feeling of ruggedness around its edges- from the Main Street structures(rebuilt a few times as a result of fires and floods), and the simulated gun fights and selling of magical healing elixirs as we strolled through the center of town.

An interesting view into the many Deadwood storefronts was the colorful blinking lights of slot machines while many of the eateries were tucked out of view in the back of the buildings. I can only imagine the classic western movie scene of gamblers, rustlers, and brothel ladies coming to life here in Deadwood!

Buddy and I thoroughly enjoyed this peak back into time through the eyes of Cheyenne and Deadwood. I highly recommend taking the trolley tour through Cheyenne and would consider making a visit during its Frontier Days celebration held each summer.

The reintroduction to the characters and stories of these areas has certainly peaked my interest in the Old West days and fueled the desire to delve deeper into the exploration and settling of the West- the good, the bad and the ugly(no movie reference intended!)

Included are links for each town for you to explore and plan your next Western adventure!(Remember to hover over the italics)

Cheynne.org

Deadwood, S. Dakota

Coming next… a brief personal perspective about our western heritage and pictorial post of Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore monuments and surrounding Custer National Park areas.

Where’s WALDO?

I’m taking a little detour from my ‘On the Road Again’ saga; appropriately so as we continue our RV adventures from one coast to another! In past posts, I have shared adventures through Seattle and Boston. Check them out for interesting adventures/fun facts if considering visiting or possibly setting up new digs.

I am consolidating Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins in this post and will write about the Black Hills/Mt. Rushmore area in S. Dakota as Buddy and I begin to explore these historical wonders of our country.

Passin’ through(hover over the italicized names to link to the website)… Buddy and I spent the day in Old Colorado City walking the kitchy old style downtown while eyeing a variety of unique shops and tasty eateries. We enjoyed a yummy lunch at La Baguette and I sampled a chocolate éclair that brought back sweet childhood memories of eating this creamy pudding filled chocolate topped pastry with my dad. Another common sight in most areas of Colorado(besides the occasional green crosses highlighting the local dispensaries) are the pubs… no shortage of brews on tap in this state!

Garden of the Gods is the magical backdrop of Colorado Springs and a haven for rock climbers- hence the name of this post: Can you find the rock climbers in each of these pictures?? Scroll down in the Photo Gallery and find the climbers!

The surrounding community next to this incredible landscape seemed no different than other Colorado residential areas. BUT, take one turn and towering majestic red and grey rock formations come into view. We experienced different perspectives of the same rock formations as we meandered through the various jagged and pot marked stone groupings jutting out of the red Colorado soil.

And, the icing on the cake was witnessing the many rock climbers prepping their ropes with their partners to ascend the irregular stone giants and then gently tap against the rock’s side as they rappelled their way back to the flat ground below. In some cases, the climber would take a brief pause at the top and raise both arms high above to celebrate his climbing victory. Of course, my victory would only need to include keeping both feet on the flat ground below at ALL times!

Moving on to Ft. Collins, Colorado… this was a spontaneous stop due to Mother Nature blowing her breath in strong gusts along the open countryside(not a good combo for RVers). Buddy and I explored the historic Old Town and home to the Colorado State University Rams- CAM the RAM.

We found this downtown area to be an enjoyable walk from the town square park that included an unexpected treasure of history

and ended up on the main street with classic style brick buildings as well as a fun college vibe. Buddy and I enjoyed a tasty lunch at Austin’s American Grill and stopped by the nearby cookie shop for a buy 6 and get 2 free deal. Did I forget to mention the 15+ variety of Frisbee sized cookies to choose from? It was soooooo hard to decide!

… Sweet memories of a couple of days on the road as we make our way to spend time in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Five Fun Facts about each of these areas:

Colorado Springs:

The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the second largest city founded in 1871
Colorado Springs is rated as the number 1 physically fit cities in the U.S.
‘America the Beautiful’ was written by Katharine Lee Bates after visiting the city
This city is one of the sunniest places in the country with more than 300 days of sunshine per year.

Ft. Collins:

Old Town Ft. Collins served as the inspiration for Main Street USA in Disneyland
It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence in Ft. Collins
More than 60, 000 Canadian geese winter in Ft. Collins
Ft. Collins also enjoys over 300 sunny days per year
Home to the original trolley car west of the Mississippi, Car21 has been fully restored and is still in operation May through September

Colorado:

Colorado has the highest mean altitude of all the United States
Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other state
The first license plate was issued in 1908 in Denver, Colorado
It is illegal to throw snowballs at a person or building in Aspen, Colo.
The first Teddy Bear was invented by maids at The Hotel Colorado in anticipation of giving it to its famous visitor, Theodore Roosevelt.

Until next time…

Almost On The Road Again- the backstory

As I started this blog post about being on the road again, I realized some backstory information was important to first share with all of you. So, let us begin with Part 1 of a 2 Part story which takes us briefly back to Buddy’s pre retirement days!

While Buddy was in full work mode, we would take yearly long weekend trips in the Fall to a favorite vacation spot and enjoy some time together along with a caravan of friends. It was a much needed break and welcome change to experience the refreshing climate and relaxing atmosphere. These yearly get-aways would lead to dreamy discussion about possible areas to consider living once Buddy did make that big step into retirement. As we all know, dreams sometimes come and go. Oh sure, as time passed, there was the occasional conversation about moving to a new area of the state, but for the most part, our time and energy was being spent elsewhere.

To get an idea, check out this clip from The Money Pit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaWD0ezM9HQ

The routine Buddy and I fell into as we adapted to his retired life was not necessarily what I believe either of us had anticipated nor expected. Besides some of the adjustments we both experienced from my previous writings, I found this new life together a little less than satisfying. Plainly said, I really didn’t like it much! Oh sure, I enjoyed my own recreational activities, time at church, and job. But the relational side of life with my spouse seemed to take a ‘back seat’. I’m also confident that Buddy was ‘settling’ for our new ‘post career’ lifestyle but not what he really desired for us either. It seems we had fallen into a ‘parallel’ type of existence together with the occasional dinner or evening out. Otherwise, Buddy would go biking while I stayed at home checking emails; I would go to my part time job while he worked on home projects; and, we even went to different churches on Sunday!

Something seemed wrong with this picture- except for the times we were together in our RV, a.k.a. our Traveling Box! So, you might be saying, ‘Well, just take more trips in that fun little vacation mobile on wheels! You’ve got the time now!’ The good- no GREAT news is that our RV adventures and other travels together have been very exciting and lots of FUN! Most of our traveling time has been spent together w biking hiking, and visiting beautiful areas of this impressive country. But as you all know, traveling requires available expendable income- which is another one of those adjustments that come with retirement!

Hang in there…. we are getting close to winding up Part 1 of the backstory!

So, last year we had the grand idea of visiting four National Parks: Bryce, Yellowstone(a MUST SEE for all of you who haven’t yet been!), Glacier, and Crater Lake. This was a 25 day RV adventure which helped to ‘seal the deal’ of now being ON THE ROAD AGAIN! Midway through this National Park trip(did I mention the environmental wonder of Yellowstone and being a Bucket List trip for sure?)… anyway, we stopped and visited with some dear friends in one of our nearby states. It was here that we realized, this beautiful new location could be Buddy and my’s perfect playground. And this is where the Part 1 story ends.

Or should I say, BEGINS…..

Part 2: ON THE ROAD AGAIN post coming soon!