If by chance we meet again…

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July 18, 2019

One of those, “Is that odd or is that God?” moments happened yesterday, and it filled my whole being with real joy. So much so, even thinking about it now makes me smile.

I had just gotten to the gatehouse to start my shift and was in the process of collecting everything I needed for my job when I noticed a gray jeep pulling into the lane designated for unregistered vehicles.

We keep track of the license plate number of every single vehicle that enters the campground, and since the Jeep wasn’t displaying a campground car tag, I figured the passengers were just out driving around like so many of our visitors do. We get a lot of people who just want to scope out the campground, whether they camp or not. I quickly gathered my pen and clipboard and approached the Jeep.

I walked up to the driver’s door and greeted the two occupants, asking them the standard questions: how were they doing and how could I be of service? Just as the driver started to answer, the passenger sat up in her seat and exclaimed excitedly as she leaned forward, “You stayed with us!”

I looked at her closely and suddenly remembered. Indeed we had! This was Hugh and MJ from Tylertown, Mississippi. Four months ago in March, on our way from Texas to Kentucky, we stayed at their little slice of heaven for a couple of nights. It was quiet and peaceful and relaxing, and Hugh and MJ were amazing hosts, so kind and hospitable.

Windy Farms Campground

A membership to Boondockers ($30 annually) links traveling RVers with hosts who have enough room on their property to accommodate a camper/trailer/RV. Most hosts are campers themselves. No money exchanges hands; it’s simply a way of connecting people who share a common interest, like travel or camping. We joined, thinking it might lead to interesting experiences. Running into Hugh and MJ again proved it already did!

The three of us just looked at each other, almost dumbfounded. After all, what are the chances that we’d meet up again 499 miles away?

Of all the campgrounds in LBL they could have gone to, what made them decide to check out Hillman Ferry Campground? And the timing! I literally had just signed in at the gatehouse after being off for a couple of days when they pulled in.

What was funny was that I had just been thinking about them a couple of days earlier because of Tropical Storm Barry and all the rain that it had brought to Mississippi. I even looked for their number in my phone, thinking I’d text to see how they were doing, but I didn’t have it.

I pulled up chairs for the three of us, and considered texting Dave to let him know they were here, but then as if on cue—or was it another coincidence?—he rode up on his scooter. He enjoys riding around the campground every day for an hour or so, picking up litter at the different campsites and alongside the road. His timing was perfect. The four of us had a great reunion and visited for a little while, and this time we exchanged contact information before they had to leave.

Incidents such as this remind me that this really is a small world, and that unexpected surprises like this really is the ‘spice of life.’ It certainly was the highlight of my day, and something I think I’ll remember for a long, long time. 🥰

All in all, it’s been a good summer. We’ve survived a couple of jam-packed holidays, several power outages, torrential rains, flooded lake conditions, and falling trees, not to mention having gotten to the it-doesn’t-phase-me-anymore stage with critters like chiggers, ticks, ants, and mice. I have finally gotten used to living in the woods.

It’s hard to believe, but we’re only about 100 days away from leaving again and heading south. There’s nothing like a milestone like that to kickstart all those projects that have been put on the back burner. Time goes by much too quickly, so enjoy it while you can!☺️ Until next time…

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June 24, 2019

Of all the weekends to have our 10-year-old granddaughter and her two dogs stay with us, it was when three wicked storms barreled through Hillman Ferry with pouring rain and scary high winds. ‘Scary’ because we are surrounded by a lot of very tall trees. Being in a motor home in a storm definitely jacks up my anxiety level.

Rain had threatened almost every day last week, so Friday’s forecast of possible heavy showers wasn’t about to stop campers, many of whom were already jockeying for their 4th of July sites. By mid-afternoon, the only camp sites left were those for tents.

It was early Friday evening when the first round of storms hit and before it was over, all of the power in the campground was out. Trees all over the campground were down. One took out the awning of an RV and trashed a vehicle, but there weren’t any injuries, thank God. By Saturday morning, the staff was told the campground also didn’t have water or sewer.

A nearly full campground with 374 sites and no utilities is not a pretty sight. Bathrooms and showers were locked. The outpost was only open to customers—one at a time—who had exact cash…and even so, the purchased items had to be retrieved by one employee while another stood at the door, not allowing anyone in.

In every sense, it was an emergency situation. No water, no electricity. Hundreds of people. Most were dealing with it as best they could, but there were a few who came close to verbally abusing us who worked at the gatehouse, the only entrance to and exit from the campground.

We didn’t have the answer to their most pressing questions: “When’s the power coming back on?” And “can I get a refund?” In fact, we didn’t have answers to many other questions either, which made working Saturday very frustrating.

More than one person vented their anger by insinuating that we (meaning the forestry service, I guess) should be able to manage a situation as dire as this. I even walked away from one camper who just wouldn’t let it go, and I don’t ordinarily do something like that. I was grateful there wasn’t a bubble above my head filled with what I was thinking and wished I could say.

I love my job, but I couldn’t wait to go home Saturday! All the plans I had with our granddaughter were shelved because all of LBL was shut down. In fact, much of the area surrounding LBL had been affected, some places much worse. We couldn’t even go hiking. So what did we do? We played cards!

I taught her how play solitaire, a game she’d played before on the phone app, but didn’t really understand because the moves are virtually done automatically.

It was pure joy to see her “get it,” to not only see the pattern of red/black/red/black, but to realize when plays could be made. Losing didn’t deter her in the least; she played over and over, the hang of it getting easier and easier.

Sometimes the monotony would be broken with a few rounds of blackjack, which she loved! (Maybe too much?😄) And I also taught her to play 2-player solitaire. Her card shuffling gained finesse, and her basic knowledge of cards expanded. I thought of how my mom—her great-grandmother—was probably smiling down on her from heaven. She was quite a card shark and would’ve gotten a kick out of Maeby.

I was raised playing card games of one kind or another, and I think it’s a life skill everyone can benefit from. Aside from passing the time, with a deck of cards, one can entertain oneself, as well as others. Some people even earn their livelihoods with playing cards, though I’ll not tell my granddaughter about that just yet.

The rain may have ruined other people’s plans, but Maeby and I had a great weekend. I think it’ll be one she’ll remember for a long time. Especially when she sees these:😃

Camping is for the Birds

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June 20, 2019

This morning I was stationed at a nearby unoccupied campsite near the lake shore shortly before the sun was due to rise, but I knew it would be a long shot if it did. Thunderstorms were predicted for this entire week, and for once the forecast was right on. We’ve gotten a lot of rain, which explains why the woods are looking so green and lush.

Rain had been pouring just an hour before this, but now that it had stopped, the birds were tweeting their morning chirps as usual. It had been their chirps that convinced me that the rain had passed, at least for now, and to go outside in the first place. I really wanted to see sunrise.

The grey clouds were moving quickly eastward, but even so, it became apparent that today’s sunrise was going to be obscure at best. I started back home, via the dock and boat launch ramp, where most of my sunrise pics are taken. I waited there for awhile, but there’d be no sunrise…not here anyway.

I may have not experienced sunrise in the usual sense, but as it turned out, I was blessed to witness the day’s unfolding just the same. In the short time I was outside, I saw my friend, the heron, who I see nearly every morning; and a juvenile red-headed woodpecker, who was comical. I watched it scale a telephone pole—pecking the whole way up—reach a certain point and fly over to a wire. I watched it do it again and again, and then something else caught my attention.

These tiny creatures landed close by, and I marveled at how sweet they looked They nest in a bush growing in the water next to the dock, so I’ve seen and heard them from a distance plenty of times. I had just never seen them this close.

Prothonotary warblers, male and female

Several weeks ago I downloaded an app that identifies birds called “Merlin.” It’s free and extremely easy to use. You just plug in the location of where you spotted the bird, the date you saw it, and a couple of physical characteristics (size and colors), and Merlin IDs your bird. My little yellow friends are prothonotary warblers.

It’s because of workamping here at the Land Between the Lakes that I’m learning so much about the woods, a place that’s extremely foreign to this city girl. I’m grateful for apps that help me identify the birds, trees and flowers that I see here, because there are a lot! Mother Nature’s sheer abundance has opened my eyes in a most wondrous way, and learning so many new things jazzes me. It always has. I’m even learning how to deal with environmental realities, such as chiggers, mice in the RV, and poison ivy. But even then, I’m learning.

Sometimes I have to laugh at how crazy my life must seem to some people. It certainly has been unpredictable, and yet fantastic. I write not so much for an audience (but if you’re reading this, Thank You), but so that I remember these days…because it truly is the little things that make life sweet.

Wild living

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June 14, 2019

A skunk milling around at the base of our hill took me by surprise this morning on my way to the dock to catch sunrise. Ever since I almost stepped on one laying in the grass a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been on the lookout for snakes, and my eyes were focused just a foot or two ahead, not 30. It was only by chance that I happened to look up in time to see something black and white, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Snakeskin found by my bike😳

The skunk didn’t, though. It continued coming straight up the hill—and me! I didn’t have to think twice about what to do: It wouldn’t bother me one bit to backtrack and go to the dock another way.

Just as I was about to, I saw that Pepé la P’eew had changed her direction, and that it was safe to continue my original path. At one point I was close enough to snap a photo or two of her, but I thought it better to err on the side of caution and just keep going.

Just the day before, one of the other workampers told me that a camper had reported a family of skunks nesting in between sites 58 and 59, just down the hill from us. All week, I’d seen a dad and his two young daughters tent-camping there in site 59 and, in fact, it was dad who reported the skunks.

I’d seen this family all week, and admired the dad from a distance. What an ambitious endeavor he’d taken on, taking these little kids camping by himself! A couple of times we heard the baby wailing, obviously upset about something, but he’d pick her up and all would be well in no time. From a distance, the older girl looked to be about 6.

Early one unusually cool morning earlier this week I was sitting next to the campfire when I saw them emerge from their tent, dad carrying the little one, and then all pile into his truck and head for the bathroom and shower house Later, I watched him cook meals on the grill while the girls played close by. On a couple of occasions I saw them all headed for the beach to go swimming.

When reporting the skunk sighting, he mentioned that every night he and his daughters watched the skunk family, and that the older girl especially got a kick out of it. I thought to myself that these girls are going to one day have some great memories of camping with their dad, and what a special gift that is.

June 17, 2019

It’s Monday, and we’re off work. My passion for catching sunrise has become an obsession, and I am down by the water every morning now unless it’s raining.

I’d finished all the preliminaries—taking the pups out and feeding them, making coffee, a few of my morning readings—by 5 a.m., so I headed out the door. Sunrise was slated to happen at 5:31. It was still dark.

I was focused on watching where I was walking when my attention turned to something moving about 10 feet away. It was the skunk!!

Fear suddenly overwhelmed me, and again, my first thought was to turn and run, but I was afraid that she’d get frightened and spray me. So I braced myself as best I could, hoped for the best, and kept walking ahead, trying my best to appear unassuming and harmless.

My heart raced and pounded as I passed her by, watching her as much as possible from the corner of my eye. I prayed she wouldn’t get frightened and spray me! When I had a sense that there was a safe distance between us, I was so relieved and felt like I’d really accomplished something.

I’m grateful I don’t have many fearful moments like that very often. It’s scary!But I’m grateful for the things I learned when I did go though times like that.

When I believe something is possible, I find that I can do more than I think I can. It’s refreshing when I meet others who believe this way, too. Just yesterday, I met such a person.

She and her husband had been camping here for a few days and were due to leave. She had come up to the gatehouse to say goodbye with gifts— a box of handcrafted paper corsages that were absolutely beautiful. She wanted those of us working to take one.

Their campsite was next to Tama’s, the workamper I was working with at the time, and the two of them had become fast friends. She was in her 60’s at least, and had been married for only the last four. She had been single and adventurous for most of her life.

Sunday mornings are slow, so the three of us yakked a while, first about where all of us had been—Kalispell and White Fish, Montana—and then about where they were headed next—Natchez Trace and then head west to Yosemite.

It was only when she turned away to leave that I saw that she was missing her right arm. How she pieced together the handmade corsages defied my understanding. Tama saw my surprise and said, “She’s lost her arm when she was 24. Car accident. She said her dad told her then that she could choose to let it kill her or she could choose to live.” Having just talked to her, I knew what her answer had been!

I think fear stops a lot of dreams from becoming reality, and whether you think you can or whether you can’t, you’re right. This makes me recall something I heard something recently that resonated:

If something turns out the way I wanted it to, I learned something. And if it doesn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, I learned something.

I’m grateful for all the opportunities to learn, just from living in the woods. It’s wild!

Summer 2019

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June 7, 2019. I love sunrises so much that I’ve gotten used to getting up at o’dark:30 just so that I can get down to the dock in time to catch them on most mornings. This morning it was 4:22 a.m. Even when it’s cloudy, such as today, daybreak is very interesting to watch.

Getting from our campsite to my usual perch on the dock is actually a straight shot across the road, through a grassy area and down 48 steps. But ever since last week when I very nearly stepped on a snake in the grass, I’ve stuck to walking on the pavement, which takes twice as long. That, being on the lookout for poison ivy, and dealing with a lot of chigger bites and a few ticks are just a few things I’ve come to accept as part of living in the woods. Spraying with Repel has become as ordinary as putting on deodorant.

I use this app a lot. PictureThis.

Area B of the campground—where we live— is the most secluded, and except for the hill where a handful of seasonals keep their campers all summer-long, most of the campsites are primitive. Cell service is extremely poor And even worse when our seasonal neighbors are here. Connectivity to the internet is uncertain. It takes forever for a page to load, and then there’s always a chance the whole thing will crash.

There are a few places in the campground that receive a much better signal, but they’re located closer to the beach or the activities shelter, areas that are busier and congested. So, what we lose in connectivity is made up in living on a rather secluded cul-de-sac surrounded by whole lot of Mother Nature. We make do.

Three college students are interning at the campground this summer, and two of them are sharing a trailer with their supervisor, who is not that much older than them. Remember the TV show, “Three’s Comany?” 😄

Among their varied assignments is planning weekend activities for the kids. As far as I can tell (having taken our grandkids to some), they’re doing a great job, doing rock painting, making crafts such walking sticks and bird feeders, a scavenger hike, a whiffle ball game, and corn hole. The interns are here for two months and then they’ll go back to their respective schools (Murray, Lindsey Wilson, and Eastern Kentucky U.) for their senior year.

It’s interesting to listen to them talk about their hopes and dreams and plans. Even their uncertainties. It’s been a long time since I was their age, and I laugh thinking about how I thought I knew it all back then, just because I’d graduated from college. Living life taught me so much more than academia ever did.

I had the credentials to be a teacher, but I taught formally for just two years. Life changed and opportunities presented themselves. Turns out I’m a risk-taker as well as impulsive.

The combination of the two led me to making choices that cumulatively have translated into one helluva life, from living on a boat (twice!) to being wiped out by a hurricane, just to mention a couple. I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I could.

Most people I know have lived in the same place their entire lives. Most people I know have worked most of their lives doing more or less the same thing. I used to measure myself against “most people” and doing that only made me feel different, distant, and definitely disconnected.

It’s taken a good part of 65 years for me to learn that even now, life never turns out the way I think it will, and certainly nothing like I thought it would when I was 21. That what life really is is a series of choices and opportunities and the challenges and consequences that come with it. That’s how it’s worked out for me anyway.

Dave and I were musing the other day that we had no idea a year ago that we’d be workamping here at Land Between the Lakes this summer. This time a year ago we were living in a trailer park near the state hospital, where drug deals and ambulance sirens were commonplace. We had just traded in our 5th wheel for Felix, our motor home. How things have changed!

Our boss asked Dave yesterday if we were going back to Texas this winter. We plan to, but as a good, old friend always used to say, our plans are cast in Jell-O. We’re enjoying the moment and the uniqueness of being in this place, right here, right now. Chiggers and all.

Actually, we’re relishing this calm before the storm…July 4th is just around the corner and campers are predicted to start coming in as early as mid-June to stake their claim for a campsite for the holiday. Fair warning to those considering camping over the 4th. It will be crowded everywhere!

Until next time…peace!

Maria

Summer 2019: Beginning of “The Season”

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May 16, 2019. This is for our friends who are interested in knowing what life’s like living in a campground that lies within a national recreation area. In fact, Hillman Ferry’s the largest one managed by the U.S. Forestry Department.

Memorial Day weekend isn’t for another week, and already the campground is filling up with campers jockeying for a good place to settle in for the inaugural summer holiday. Most of the hook-up sites are occupied, leaving just a few tent sites available. Our little Shangri-la has been infiltrated.

Birds are abundant, and I often see Eastern bluebirds, bright yellow American goldfinch and occasional red-headed woodpeckers. Hummingbirds have been at our feeder for weeks now and show no indication of moving anytime soon. I even look forward to spotting Flower (the skunk) when I go to work! It’s really quite amazing being surrounded by nature. Toads and lizards and mice don’t freak me out as much as they used to. Poison ivy and ticks still do, though.

With the exception of one, our grandkids have spent every weekend with us since we’ve been at LBL. I imagine they’ll spend most of the summer with us as well, and that would be okay. I can’t think of a better way for a child to spend the summer than in the woods. Especially these days.

Now that they’re tweens they’re able to participate in a lot of the kid-centered activities that happen here at the campground. In fact, the summer interns reported yesterday, and part of their job is to plan programs for the kids. The local hangout seems to be the basketball court which starts attracting kids early in the day. It’s nowhere near our campsite, but our grandkids can find their own way there if they want—skateboard, scooter, or bicycle. Or, old-fashioned walking!

Our being here at this particular point in time is a godsend, particularly because it enables us to help our daughter, who’s busy being a single mom as well as a business owner. The funny thing is that a year ago, I had no idea that this sort of workamping opportunity existed so close to home. And yet, here we are with more than a dozen other retired “seniors” doing the same thing we’re doing: retired from work but not from life.

One of the workampers abruptly quit Sunday, and for the rest of that day, things were uncertain and tenuous. But as it turned out, it wasn’t hard to replace her. A single woman ‘our age,’ who’d recently come down from Pennsylvania in her RV, had previously applied for a workamping position at LBL, and just like that, it presented itself.

She is one of several women I’ve met in the past year (both here at the campground and on the road when we were traveling last fall) who are RVing single-handedly. I admire them for their courage. Imagine the nerve it takes to tackle this lifestyle by one’s self!

It takes courage to step outside one’s comfort zone, but it’s usually worth it—at least that’s what we’ve discovered. The characters one meets along the way and the experiences that present themselves are far beyond anything that can be imagined. Some are real doozies! But that’s the beauty of it. You never know what to expect. And that’s what makes life so interesting!

Until next time, xo! ☺️

Settling in…

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May 2, 2019. We’ve been at Hillman Ferry Campground in the Land Between the Lakes for a little more than a month now, and things have sure changed from only a month ago. Even Mother Nature herself illustrates beautifully what a difference 30 days or so can make.

Taken 2 days after arriving, March 30
Same view, May 1st.

I knew I’d like it here when they eased us into our workamping duties little by little. We arrived on a Thursday, had 4 hours of on-the-job training Sunday, and didn’t start work until the following Thursday. It was nice to have a few days off to get Felix all set up, and to get a general lay of the land. We were unfamiliar with this part of LBL.

Our job is essentially to welcome campers and visitors and help get them registered. It’s not hard, and it’s rarely stressful…but it can be, like when one camper after another comes in, especially on Friday afternoons.

Hillman Ferry has 374 camp sites, and nice weather—especially on the weekends—ensures that it’ll be hoppin’. Most campers are patient and understand that only one RV can be registered at a time, but there’s that occasional person who’s never been here before and thinks that things ought to move along faster. We’re to stay calm, smile, and do our best to encourage the campers to wait patiently inside their vehicle until it’s their turn to go to the registration window. Most people oblige without any problem. After all, everybody’s here to have fun.

Dave and I work 8-hour shifts at the gatehouse, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We split the shift, with me usually working the first four hours and him taking the last four. This schedule works out great since we can still get our RV chores done, as well as having time to do our own ‘thing.’ Writing for me, or in Dave’s case, updating HBC’s website, http://hopkinsvillebrewingcompany.com/

Morning journaling…

Our job requires a fair amount of walking, which I really like! On an average day, we probably walk a couple of miles. But on a weekend, it’s a lot more. By the way, Dave’s new knee is doing GREAT!

Our campsite is in one of the least populated parts of the campground It’s one of ten sites at the top of a hill where the other nine are “seasonal.” LBL has an annual lottery every January for 50, 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month sites. Lottery winners must choose the site they want on the day of the lottery, and be prepared to pay for it up front.

These seasonal campers are then able to set up their campers for the long-term, and most of the ones we’ve seen have all the comforts of home to include porches, wooden steps, privacy fencing of some sort, outside freezers and refrigerators, party tents, and enough firewood to last a while. And most, if not all, have golf carts to get around in.

I like the palm trees and outdoor sink.

As such, we see our neighbors mostly on the weekend, and they are all very nice. Otherwise, it’s just us. It’s very peaceful.

We took my bike in for a tune-up, and now I ride it to work on the weekdays (when it’s less crowded) and on the weekends I hike a trail to the gatehouse. Either way is lovely. I am so grateful to live in this paradise! Being surrounded by nature is like heaven on earth.

I have a feeling that more will be revealed as our time here goes on because there is so much to learn about so many things! As volunteers, we get free admission to all of LBL’s attractions, like the Planetarium, the Nature Station, and the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, and we intend to take advantage of those opportunities, especially when we have our grandkids with us. I am very excited and very grateful for this time of growth and change!

Spring 2019: Texas to Kentucky

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April 17, 2019

Much has happened in the time since we left Texas less than a month ago, so this may be a lengthy read.

We took our time and made the 1,200-mile trip back to Kentucky in seven days. Except for one incident, the trip was uneventful, which is always a good thing.

Dave leaves the trip planning up to me, and something that had me concerned was driving through Houston, the 4th largest city in the U.S. At one point of I-10, there are six lanes of traffic going each way! I think of driving in Nashville as a nightmare, but Nashville ranks a distant 24th.

Before leaving Bandera, I sought advice from friends who had experience transiting Houston. The consensus was that ‘timing’ was critical: either in the very early morning hours, or just after the morning rush hour. Our friends also suggested that if we had to stop for the night, staying on the west side of the city was safer than the east side. I paid close attention.

We left Bandera around 9 in the morning, and about 3 p.m. in the afternoon decided to stop for the night in Katy, just west of the city (Katy Lake RV Resort, w/Passport America 50% discount, $30.) It was too late in the day to try going through Houston.

The RV sites that are reserved for transients such as ourselves who only want a space for the night, are immediately inside and to the right of the automatic gate. But making a sharp right turn there is impossible. So, it was recommended that we drive Felix straight into the RV park, turn at the end and come back around.

Once inside the gated entrance, I noticed a couple of people who looked at the rig funny as we pulled around and into our site, but it wasn’t until we parked that I learned why: one of the tires on the car hauler was flat. From the looks of it, it had to have just occurred. I was grateful that it hadn’t happened while we were on I-10…there was a lot of construction going on and there was no shoulder to use in case of an emergency.

Since his knee surgery, Dave can’t bend his left leg, so we worked together on getting the car off the trailer so that the trailer could be jacked up enough to get the tire off. We didn’t have a spare, but luckily there was a Firestone dealer less than a mile away.

It took the techs a couple of hours to get to it because they were pretty busy, but the tire was able to be repaired, and we got it back on the trailer before sunset. All things considered, we couldn’t have asked for things to have fallen into place any better, but what a long Day 1!

The trip had a few pleasant surprises along the way. For one thing, we used our membership to “Boondockers Welcome” for the very first time.

BW is a service that connects campers to “hosts” (who oftentimes are campers too–but not always) that allow overnight parking on their private property for free. The annual membership is $30.

I compared the map of possible hosts to our route and found one in Tylertown, MS, a few miles east of I-55 and just across the Louisiana/Mississippi state line that had enough room for our rig. This particular host allowed campers to stay for up to 3 days, and the reviews of the property were good.

After our request to come and stay for two nights was approved, we were able to communicate with the owner directly. From the sound of his messages, he was gracious and accommodating. He texted specific directions to his place and was waiting for us when we arrived. He even had set out an orange cone marking the driveway to his property, making it easy to find.

And what a piece of property it was! It was their slice of heaven on earth, nestled in the middle of tall pine trees off a quiet 2-lane road. Our host met us on his 4-wheeler and accompanied us down the driveway to a spot that had more than enough room.

The site had electric and water, and there was a dump station near the top of the driveway if we wanted to dump our tanks before we left. This was more than we expected, or even imagined. It was so peaceful and quiet here.

We stayed from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning and visited with our hosts here and there throughout the weekend. Hugh and MJ couldn’t have been more gracious. They traveled in their motor home from time to time, so we swapped stories from the road.

The more we talked, the more I liked them. Nice, honest people who’d been blessed with good fortune and who, in turn, were sharing their blessings with others. It was a positive first-time experience with something we hadn’t tried yet, and we ended up making two new friends in the process!

Another first for us was staying at the Army Corps of Engineers park at Enid Lake in northern Mississippi. I’d always thought that the sites at USACE campgrounds weren’t large enough for us, but I was wrong.

For two nights at $10/night (half-priced using the America the Beautiful pass for seniors) we stayed in a pull-through site overlooking the lake with all the amenities: electricity, water, and sewer. It was absolutely beautiful and I wish we could’ve stayed longer, but duty was calling.

After six months of travel and being exposed to the elements, Felix was long overdue for a bath, so we set the GPS for the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in south Memphis. This was our first time ever going through a commercial truck wash.

I had no idea what to expect, so I researched its safety on one of the RV forums we follow, IRV2, and the comments were generally positive. Someone suggested tipping the crew before they start washing, and that idea was genius.

It took less than 20 minutes for a crew of six to scrub Felix from top to bottom, stem to stern. We paid extra for the Rain-X rinse, and it was well worth it–Felix was revitalized! The wash and Rain-X rinse cost less than $60, compared to 3 or 4 times that if it were done by a mobile RV washing service.

We finally arrived at our destination, the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, or LBL for short. We are two of nearly 20 workampers at Hillman Ferry Campground, on the northern edge of LBL, just south of I-24 in Western Kentucky. In exchange for 40 hours of service, we get a free campsite with electric, water, and sewer. It’s a win/win.

Dave and I work at the gatehouse, welcoming campers and helping them get registered. We’re outside most of the time and there’s a fair amount of walking. We split the 8-hour shifts, five days a week however we want, so I’ve been working the first four hours of a workday and Dave relieves me and works the second half. We’ve been at it for two weeks now, and Dave’s new knee hasn’t given him any problem, and that’s a miracle!

Our first week of work happened to be the week of spring break, and it was baptism by fire.

More than half of the 374 campsites here were occupied, and kids swarmed everywhere. This is very much a family-oriented campground, and generational, it seems. A lot of families who camp here now camped here when they were kids.

Our grandkids spent last weekend with us, and Maeby’s already announced that she’ll be spending the summer here. To be honest, we’re living in the middle of nature, and it’s really nice. Our site is at the top of a hill overlooking the lake, and an array of birds can be heard singing from morning till night.

We are so grateful for this opportunity at the Land Between the Lakes, and for all the blessings of being close to family and friends. The plan is to be here through the end of October, and that’s fine by me. Life really is better at the lake!

When one door closes, another opens…

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All week long I’ve been saying goodbye to our winter family here in Bandera, Texas. I don’t use the term “family” loosely; I love these people as much as I love my blood relatives. I’m going to miss them very much.

After four decades of wandering, one would think that saying goodbye gets easier, but it doesn’t. If anything, it’s gotten harder, and I think that’s because I’ve realized my mortality as I’ve gotten older, and I understand that life can change in a heartbeat. I’ve begun saying, “God willing,” anyone asked if we were coming back next year.

Nowadays I don’t take things for granted like I used to when I was younger. I’m grateful for learning to appreciate ‘today,’ and everyone and everything that goes along with it.

I’ve been incredibly blessed to have lived an unexpected life–one that’s been filled with adventure, both planned, unplanned, and occasionally surprising. The people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, and the experiences I’ve had have enriched me in ways I never could have imagined had I stayed in my hometown my whole life.

Please don’t misunderstand; I love my hometown! It’s just that it wasn’t in the cards that I live there forever. I guess I could blame it on Dave Russell, but the reality is that we both took a chance when we left St. Louis to see what it would be like to live on a boat,

A while back I read that everything one could ever want was just one step beyond one’s comfort zone, and I’ve found that to be true. It’s only when I work up the nerve to try something new that I find out what I’ve been missing–like learning how to dance the Texas two-step this winter. Being on the dance floor is much more fun than sitting on the sidelines, just watching.

So now we’re on the cusp of another adventure, one that will take us back to Kentucky. We have at least two weeks of exploring before we settle into our workamping gig at Hillman Ferry Campground in the Land Between the Lakes. Even that will be an adventure because part of it is working a cash register and, believe it or not, I’ve never done THAT before!

One of my favorite sayings is from Grandma Moses: “Life is what we make it. Always has been. Always will be.” I have no idea what adventures lie ahead, but as long as I remain open and willing, the sky’s the limit. Expect the unexpected. I can hardly wait!

Let the Good Times Roll!

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For the past week and a half I’ve been flying solo while Dave’s been in Missouri dealing with family matters. The passing days have been rather uneventful, and I’m grateful that RV-related things have gone smoothly in his absence. As my dad always used to say, no news is good news.

This was Mardi Gras week in Bandera. Although my partying days have long since gone, I am not a dud. As long as I’m home by, say 7pm, I can still have a lot of fun.

Admittedly, I have a hard time keeping commitments. I love to be invited to go places, but when the time comes to go, I often don’t want to. I know this about myself–and I really want to get better about that–so I’ve been purposely trying to say “yes” more often to invitations when someone is nice enough to ask me.

There were plenty of opportunities to practice “commitment” this week. Last Sunday I was invited to go to the Wild Horse Saloon with a group from here at the RV park who were in my country-western dance class. John and Jeannie, our dance instructors, have been encouraging us to get over our shyness and try out what we’d been taught ‘for real.’ With my life-partner away, I was kind of reluctant to go, but I really like to dance, so I said I’d be there.

When Sunday came, the feeling of wanting to back out was overwhelming, but I made myself go. I really don’t want to be “that person.” A table near the bandstand had been reserved for our group, and it filled up in no time. The band began playing at 4pm, and almost instantaneously, I didn’t feel so bad about being there by myself. There is just something about classic country music that is settling, and all of the musicians I’ve heard in this town are really good!

Everyone else at our table had a partner, and most of them got up to dance the first dance. I didn’t mind sitting and watching my classmates. As it turned out, that was the only one I didn’t dance to. I danced every dance for more than an hour, first with some friends from the RV park, and one dance with John, our teacher.

Then a man I didn’t know asked me to dance, and I nearly froze! What if he was a good dancer, like many Texans are? I felt every bit the beginner. I couldn’t refuse though…that wouldn’t be polite now, would it? More than 50 years later, Dave still remembers a girl who said “no” when he asked her to dance at an 8th grade mixer.

So I let the stranger lead me onto the dance floor, and I managed to two-step the entire dance without stepping on his feet. Right after the song was over though, I decided it was time to leave. I didn’t want to take a chance on being asked to dance another dance by a local. I was proud of myself for honoring the commitment I made and for getting out on the dance floor. Plus, I had a great time.

For being a small town, Bandera sure knows how to celebrate Mardi Gras! Live country and Cajun music bellowed out of the saloons and honky-tonks beginning on Wednesday. Stores and restaurants were decorated especially for the occasion, and the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold were everywhere. The RV park we’re at filled to capacity, mostly revelers from San Antonio and Austin. Everyone was in a party mood.

Saturday was the big day, starting at 7am with the gumbo cook-off, and highlighted by the parade that began at high noon. Our RV park is only two blocks from town, so it was nice being able to walk everywhere and not mess with traffic. There is one road going through Bandera, and beginning Friday afternoon, a parade of cars, trucks, and RVs were backed up, bumper to bumper.

The Mardi Gras parade in Bandera is one of the best I’ve ever attended. People line both sides of Main Street for blocks, vying for the best place to score loot: beads, candy, trinkets, and still more beads. Horses, mules, and longhorns–all handsomely adorned–proudly ambled along the parade route. One horse in particular thrilled the crowd with its prancing gait and regal sophistication.

After the parade I chose to go to the Junior Rodeo instead of one of the music venues. I’m glad I did; it was a lot of fun to watch kids 12-and-under do their best to hang on to massive bucking bulls, most of which were not at all happy about being in the box awaiting their turn.

All in all, it was a great weekend. I’m sorry Dave missed out on the fun, but the Hog Explosion–to include Bacon Bingo–is in a couple of weeks and he’ll be home for that. I hear that’s really something to see!

I never suspected that an inner cowgirl lurked inside this city-girl, but during Mardi Gras in The Cowboy Capital of the World, I guess anything is possible. Let the good times roll!