Saylorville Lake, Sun – 83 Degrees at 9:30 am
One more sweltering day then a cold front will slam into us late today and this evening. Bringing with it storms and heavy rain in northern Iowa and the Des Moines River basin. Not good news for Saylorville. We got the official word from the rangers last evening that they are going to move us Sunday as soon as the circle they are going to put us in at Prairie Flower is vacant.
What’s it like you ask? I’ve talked a lot about adaptability and this will be a true test of everyone’s wear-with-all.
This morning I walked the trail through the woods that I often take to the lake. I wanted to see how far the water had come up the trail. About half way and just before the bend that goes across the little foot bridge over the creek that the marina run off drains into I walked into the water line.
[gallery ids="979,977"]
After checking back to see how Grandpa and a slowly waking up Nora were doing, I headed down the road that leads to the boat ramp and took my daily pictures. As I walked along out of our area and down the road I took notice that the birds were particularly chatty this morning. I started to imagine what they are calling back and forth so incessantly about. Maybe like humans they congregate and talk about their situations and gossip, plan and maybe vent frustration. Then I stopped and really took note of which birds were in front of me. I started to realize what the fuss was about. The ground feeding birds are running out of acreage to forge for food. The birds that nest and roost in low bushes or even on the ground are working their way up the trees and invading the territory of high canopy dwelling birds. That explained the territorial and warning calls I was listening to. The tree swallows who call numerous nesting boxes that are now under water are homeless now and flying about frantically annoying everyone. I have to admit, learning what I have so far about birds, their calls and habits really made for an interesting walk this morning.
[gallery ids="980,975,974,967,976"]
Amid all the ruckus of watching flood water come up and wait to hear if we have to move we managed to wear out another kid this weekend. Friday was a day of outdoor time, mostly in the shade since it was hot, a trip to the town square for ice cream after dinner and getting treated to free live music at the square park and about 50 local kids to play with on the playground. After a cool shower and an episode of PJ Mask, Nora dropped like a stone about 9:15 and slept 11 hours straight. The kids tell us all the time how worn out the grandkids are when they come home from a weekend with us. Honestly, we don't do it on purpose it just kind of happens! She will go home this afternoon, and we will start packing up and preparing to move to higher ground for how long, no one knows. In our mixed up, political, angst filled world, one thing remains constant. The power of nature cannot be negotiated with we can only bend to its will.
Until tomorrow…
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Day 121 / 244 The Flood Cometh
Saylorville Lake - Sun- On its way to 100 Degrees
It will be oppressively hot today. Actual temps around 100 with humidity above 80%. will translate to heat indexes around 110. The flood waters continue to rise. We picked up Nora last night and will spend the next couple of days with her.
This morning we didn't have to walk far to see the water. My trail through the woods that I like to take is now lake bottom. The curve in the road that leads to the parking lots for the beach and boat ramp is far underwater now. When Champ put out hazard buoys with 10' chains hanging from the top of the canopies at the beach it was hard to imagine the water being that high. Now those buoys are floating. The parking lot is about 12' underwater now. The water is up to the road on the west side now and the culvert is diverting flood waters into the timber behind us. Judging from the strong smell of skunk this morning I imagine many have been run out of their dens. It is really interesting watching it come up from day to day. They are still saying we should stay dry in volunteer village, although it will be at our back door. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story again today.
[gallery ids="960,970,966,967,968,928"]
Until tomorrow...
It will be oppressively hot today. Actual temps around 100 with humidity above 80%. will translate to heat indexes around 110. The flood waters continue to rise. We picked up Nora last night and will spend the next couple of days with her.
This morning we didn't have to walk far to see the water. My trail through the woods that I like to take is now lake bottom. The curve in the road that leads to the parking lots for the beach and boat ramp is far underwater now. When Champ put out hazard buoys with 10' chains hanging from the top of the canopies at the beach it was hard to imagine the water being that high. Now those buoys are floating. The parking lot is about 12' underwater now. The water is up to the road on the west side now and the culvert is diverting flood waters into the timber behind us. Judging from the strong smell of skunk this morning I imagine many have been run out of their dens. It is really interesting watching it come up from day to day. They are still saying we should stay dry in volunteer village, although it will be at our back door. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story again today.
[gallery ids="960,970,966,967,968,928"]
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Day 120 / 245
Saylorville Lake Overcast 90 Degrees
The heat is returning and the water is rising. We get to spend the next couple of days with our grand-daughter Nora. She is also 3 ½ but decidedly more subdued in nature than her cousin Isaac who is the same age. It is a very different experience having her stay with us. Still exhausting, because we’re getting old, but not as physical.
I thought it would be cool to show you some pictures of the rising waters behind volunteer village. On the last picture, our campers are about 100' behind where I am facing the flood waters. A small stand of timber separates us from the lake. It is really awe inspiring and a stark reminder that the natural world is firmly in control of its own destiny. We sometimes have to stay out of its way. They did say the “E” word out loud today. They are pretty confident that the water will get close but not in the village but they want us to be alert none-the-less. Evacuation is a real possibility if rain predictions are off or if Des Moines flooding increases and they are forced to slow down outflow from the reservoir.
I’ll let the pictures and the captions do my talking today.
[gallery ids="960,949,958,957,963"]
Until tomorrow...
The heat is returning and the water is rising. We get to spend the next couple of days with our grand-daughter Nora. She is also 3 ½ but decidedly more subdued in nature than her cousin Isaac who is the same age. It is a very different experience having her stay with us. Still exhausting, because we’re getting old, but not as physical.
I thought it would be cool to show you some pictures of the rising waters behind volunteer village. On the last picture, our campers are about 100' behind where I am facing the flood waters. A small stand of timber separates us from the lake. It is really awe inspiring and a stark reminder that the natural world is firmly in control of its own destiny. We sometimes have to stay out of its way. They did say the “E” word out loud today. They are pretty confident that the water will get close but not in the village but they want us to be alert none-the-less. Evacuation is a real possibility if rain predictions are off or if Des Moines flooding increases and they are forced to slow down outflow from the reservoir.
I’ll let the pictures and the captions do my talking today.
[gallery ids="960,949,958,957,963"]
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Day 119 / 246
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 85 Degrees
I saw a Red Fox hit on Highway 415 this morning on my way to my daughter’s house. Road kill is common around the lake. I never gave it much thought when I lived in my house. It was just part of living in Iowa with highways that are usually bordered by row crop fields or timbered river valley areas. While the news is covering damage to buildings when flood water invades, animals that den and burrow near those same lakes and rivers are losing everything they have as well.
Two things that are really cool about the life we have chosen are; we live near water for the most part and we live in a house that we can load up and drive away in less than an hour from time of the decision. We can move our house out of the way of a flood or a hurricane. The animals leave and go build a new one.
Living here at Saylorville this summer is giving me a new perspective on the plight of the very animals they work so hard to maintain habitat for. On any given early morning you can hear the coyotes calling out to each other along the lake shoreline as they return home from their night of hunting. Those calls are decidedly closer to the camper these days as the water pushes closer to volunteer village. Deer, who are not bashful at all about wandering into the village to eat mulberries off the ground or snort at my tethered cats are more present this week, as the rising water takes away foraging acreage from their daily routines.
Every now and then you see a news piece about the plight of pets who become separated from their owners after a big event like a major hurricane or a wildfire that burns for weeks. What we so easily forget is that this displacement goes on all the time for the animals that we share our communities with we just don’t notice. As an out spoken conservation minded person who has been accused of being a tree hugger on occasion I am a bit ashamed to realize that I have never really given much thought to this. The Red Fox got my attention this morning and the 30-minute drive to Kelsy’s gave me time to ponder. You can bet I’ll be watching the woods for wildlife not usually seen this close to the campers. I’ll think twice about letting my cats lounge behind the motor home after dark. After all, with them being tethered they are nothing more than bait to a coyote who could be nearby hunting on higher ground. I’ll never look at flooding the same again.
Until tomorrow…
I saw a Red Fox hit on Highway 415 this morning on my way to my daughter’s house. Road kill is common around the lake. I never gave it much thought when I lived in my house. It was just part of living in Iowa with highways that are usually bordered by row crop fields or timbered river valley areas. While the news is covering damage to buildings when flood water invades, animals that den and burrow near those same lakes and rivers are losing everything they have as well.
Two things that are really cool about the life we have chosen are; we live near water for the most part and we live in a house that we can load up and drive away in less than an hour from time of the decision. We can move our house out of the way of a flood or a hurricane. The animals leave and go build a new one.
Living here at Saylorville this summer is giving me a new perspective on the plight of the very animals they work so hard to maintain habitat for. On any given early morning you can hear the coyotes calling out to each other along the lake shoreline as they return home from their night of hunting. Those calls are decidedly closer to the camper these days as the water pushes closer to volunteer village. Deer, who are not bashful at all about wandering into the village to eat mulberries off the ground or snort at my tethered cats are more present this week, as the rising water takes away foraging acreage from their daily routines.
Every now and then you see a news piece about the plight of pets who become separated from their owners after a big event like a major hurricane or a wildfire that burns for weeks. What we so easily forget is that this displacement goes on all the time for the animals that we share our communities with we just don’t notice. As an out spoken conservation minded person who has been accused of being a tree hugger on occasion I am a bit ashamed to realize that I have never really given much thought to this. The Red Fox got my attention this morning and the 30-minute drive to Kelsy’s gave me time to ponder. You can bet I’ll be watching the woods for wildlife not usually seen this close to the campers. I’ll think twice about letting my cats lounge behind the motor home after dark. After all, with them being tethered they are nothing more than bait to a coyote who could be nearby hunting on higher ground. I’ll never look at flooding the same again.
Until tomorrow…
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Day 118 / 247
Saylorville Lake Rainy 77 Degrees
This is the last mild day for a while. We go right back to mid 90's with high humidity and storms continuing. It is a hot summer by Iowa standards. Random hot days are common this time of year but consistent 90 degree heat with 100 degree heat indexes is usually saved for July through about mid August. I know my friends in Texas are saying "oh whaaa, we have that all summer" After freezing in sub-zero temps all winter, Iowan's acclimate slowly to the heat.
Champ has been busy with natural resources placing water bladders around new trees to provide them with consistent moisture as they get established. (Who knew it would start raining everyday?) The latest project has been planting several hundred prairie plugs. What is a prairie plug? I wish I had a picture. Neal Smith Wild Life Refuge in Prairie City provides them to the Corps for Prairie Restoration projects. They are simply a core root plug of a young prairie flower or bit of native prairie grass. The plug is approximately 1" in diameter and about 6" long. Champ and the rangers take a small auger and make a nice clean hole to drop it in. It is part of the very ambitious restoration work going on at Saylorville, that has included the removal of several hundred invasive tree species, 100's of acres of prescribed burning, planting nearly 1500 native tree saplings and now the flower and grass plugs.
If there is a silver lining to the record rain fall, it is that all the new saplings are getting plenty of moisture to help them get established and thrive in their new home. Flooding is the theme of the month here. Saylorville and the rivers that run through Des Moines headline the evening news and we watch everyday as areas go underwater. Here are some comparison photos to give you an idea of what is going on here. The lake will continue to rise for another 7 or 8 days. Everyone involved is holding their breath and hoping for the best.
[gallery ids="927,952,948"]
[gallery ids="321,949"]
Until tomorrow...
This is the last mild day for a while. We go right back to mid 90's with high humidity and storms continuing. It is a hot summer by Iowa standards. Random hot days are common this time of year but consistent 90 degree heat with 100 degree heat indexes is usually saved for July through about mid August. I know my friends in Texas are saying "oh whaaa, we have that all summer" After freezing in sub-zero temps all winter, Iowan's acclimate slowly to the heat.
Champ has been busy with natural resources placing water bladders around new trees to provide them with consistent moisture as they get established. (Who knew it would start raining everyday?) The latest project has been planting several hundred prairie plugs. What is a prairie plug? I wish I had a picture. Neal Smith Wild Life Refuge in Prairie City provides them to the Corps for Prairie Restoration projects. They are simply a core root plug of a young prairie flower or bit of native prairie grass. The plug is approximately 1" in diameter and about 6" long. Champ and the rangers take a small auger and make a nice clean hole to drop it in. It is part of the very ambitious restoration work going on at Saylorville, that has included the removal of several hundred invasive tree species, 100's of acres of prescribed burning, planting nearly 1500 native tree saplings and now the flower and grass plugs.
If there is a silver lining to the record rain fall, it is that all the new saplings are getting plenty of moisture to help them get established and thrive in their new home. Flooding is the theme of the month here. Saylorville and the rivers that run through Des Moines headline the evening news and we watch everyday as areas go underwater. Here are some comparison photos to give you an idea of what is going on here. The lake will continue to rise for another 7 or 8 days. Everyone involved is holding their breath and hoping for the best.
[gallery ids="927,952,948"]
[gallery ids="321,949"]
Until tomorrow...
Monday, June 25, 2018
Day 117 / 248
Saylorville Lake - 73 Degrees Storms
The 6 o'clock news is dominated by flood reporting in Iowa. Saylorville Lake is at the center of it all. Des Moines is flooding and rains in northern Iowa are creating 33,000 cubic feet per second inflow to the lake. The outflow is 16,000 CFS. Flood control is an illusion but the corps of engineers does a very good job unitl Mother Nature decides to remind us who is really in control. Like now.
We watch the water rise and know the only thing we can really do is get out of the way.
My thoughts today are summed up about like this.
Until tomorrow...
The 6 o'clock news is dominated by flood reporting in Iowa. Saylorville Lake is at the center of it all. Des Moines is flooding and rains in northern Iowa are creating 33,000 cubic feet per second inflow to the lake. The outflow is 16,000 CFS. Flood control is an illusion but the corps of engineers does a very good job unitl Mother Nature decides to remind us who is really in control. Like now.
We watch the water rise and know the only thing we can really do is get out of the way.
My thoughts today are summed up about like this.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Day 116 / 249
Saylorville Lake Rainy 85 Degrees
It’s been an action-packed weekend with Hunter and Isaac! It started on Thursday afternoon as soon as I got off work we headed to our daughter’s house to fetch Hunter. Thursday night was the night Bobber The Water Safety Dog, Saylorville’s mascot threw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game. (Chicago’s AAA team in Des Moines) Volunteers and staff here were able to buy a block of half priced tickets and sit together behind home plate. About 24 of us went. Great times even though it drizzled for a little bit.
[gallery ids="934,933,932"]
Friday afternoon we went back and retrieved Hunters little brother Isaac and both boys stayed the rest of the weekend. We had a perfect night for a campfire. The boys had a great time flying paper airplanes made from the left over newspaper into the flames. “Crash and burn!”
Saturday was wash the motor home day. With sun and 80 degree temps the weather was perfect to put on swim suits and get out the pressure washer, hoses, buckets and big brushes. The boys were good help. Saturday was an outdoors day all the way. Hunter loves learning to cook so he generally picks what we have for dinner, then helps me make it. Friday, we made meatballs and spaghetti sauce (from scratch of course, I don’t cook any other way) last night was stir fry night. He loves getting to use my big knives to cut veggies. He does really well. I remember teaching his mom when she was about his age how to handle a kitchen knife. My theory was always to teach them how to do it correctly, since they are kids and prone to try it out on their own eventually when no one is looking. We played Uno after dinner. Isaac, who is 3 ½, is learning and won most of the games. Beginners luck didn’t make big brother too happy! The boys dropped about 8:30.
[gallery ids="939,938"]
Sunday morning before breakfast, we walked down the trail to the parking lot to see how far the water has come up since Friday afternoon and of course throw rocks in the lake. The water is up about 10 feet in 36 hours and still surging in. The rangers predict the parking lot we walked through this morning will be underwater this time next week. Lots of clean up is in our future as volunteers here. After a big breakfast and some park time, the boys will go home this afternoon, spent from a busy weekend. The couch will look pretty inviting this afternoon!
[gallery ids="935,937,936"]
Next on the agenda is to get our youngest son’s daughter who is also 3 ½ down here for a visit for a few days. In the meantime, we continue to wait on our AC part that I’m beginning to think will never come in and back to our summer part-time work routines. I can’t believe the July 4th holiday is just around the corner.
Until tomorrow…
It’s been an action-packed weekend with Hunter and Isaac! It started on Thursday afternoon as soon as I got off work we headed to our daughter’s house to fetch Hunter. Thursday night was the night Bobber The Water Safety Dog, Saylorville’s mascot threw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game. (Chicago’s AAA team in Des Moines) Volunteers and staff here were able to buy a block of half priced tickets and sit together behind home plate. About 24 of us went. Great times even though it drizzled for a little bit.
[gallery ids="934,933,932"]
Friday afternoon we went back and retrieved Hunters little brother Isaac and both boys stayed the rest of the weekend. We had a perfect night for a campfire. The boys had a great time flying paper airplanes made from the left over newspaper into the flames. “Crash and burn!”
Saturday was wash the motor home day. With sun and 80 degree temps the weather was perfect to put on swim suits and get out the pressure washer, hoses, buckets and big brushes. The boys were good help. Saturday was an outdoors day all the way. Hunter loves learning to cook so he generally picks what we have for dinner, then helps me make it. Friday, we made meatballs and spaghetti sauce (from scratch of course, I don’t cook any other way) last night was stir fry night. He loves getting to use my big knives to cut veggies. He does really well. I remember teaching his mom when she was about his age how to handle a kitchen knife. My theory was always to teach them how to do it correctly, since they are kids and prone to try it out on their own eventually when no one is looking. We played Uno after dinner. Isaac, who is 3 ½, is learning and won most of the games. Beginners luck didn’t make big brother too happy! The boys dropped about 8:30.
[gallery ids="939,938"]
Sunday morning before breakfast, we walked down the trail to the parking lot to see how far the water has come up since Friday afternoon and of course throw rocks in the lake. The water is up about 10 feet in 36 hours and still surging in. The rangers predict the parking lot we walked through this morning will be underwater this time next week. Lots of clean up is in our future as volunteers here. After a big breakfast and some park time, the boys will go home this afternoon, spent from a busy weekend. The couch will look pretty inviting this afternoon!
[gallery ids="935,937,936"]
Next on the agenda is to get our youngest son’s daughter who is also 3 ½ down here for a visit for a few days. In the meantime, we continue to wait on our AC part that I’m beginning to think will never come in and back to our summer part-time work routines. I can’t believe the July 4th holiday is just around the corner.
Until tomorrow…
Friday, June 22, 2018
Day 114 Rising Waters
Saylorville Lake Cloudy - 71 Degrees
Iowans are letting out a big sigh as the rain stops for a couple of days and the temperatures moderate. We have a big weekend happening that we’ve been looking forward to since before we returned in April. Our daughter’s boys 6 and 3 ½ are with us till Sunday.
The reservoir is doing its job this week. Even though it is a major boating and camping destination in central Iowa, its real purpose is flood control. With historic rain fall in Iowa the past 2 weeks and flooding occurring in Des Moines south of the dam the Corps of Engineers is holding back water so Des Moines has half a chance to keep its two major rivers in their banks as they meander through downtown. A perfect scenario for flooding is setting up. Northwest Iowa, where the Des Moines river that feeds Saylorville Lake on it’s way to the Mississippi, begins, has received feet of rain this past few weeks. That is translating to the lake levels rising at the rate of 4-6 feet per day. The boat ramp near us is almost to the top and there has already been one vessel casualty in the marina. A buoyed house boat’s bilge pumped failed as we got 3” of rain in less than an hour on Wednesday. When I drove across the dam on my way home from work, I saw it listing badly to the back corner. Only about half of the cabin and the front of one pontoon was above water.
Champ worked an extra day yesterday, helping the rangers place hazard buoys, remove docks and signs. Gates were closed to the beach and launch area here at Sandpiper since the entire area will soon be underwater. The portable bathroom buildings were removed with a crane and all the picnic tables and canopies from the beaches are now sitting in Volunteer Village, where they should stay high and dry along with us.
[gallery ids="928,926,923,927,924,922"]
The lake is predicted to crest next Saturday and 884 MFS (mean feet above sea level ) Normal pool is 836 MFS and the lake goes over the emergency spillway at 890 MFS. Everyone is holding their breath hoping the forecasters have the rain prediction correct. It will be a close call.
The veteran volunteers are talking a lot about 2011 when Volunteer Village became lake bottom and all the volunteers were evacuated to the public campgrounds till the water subsided and all the clean up took place. Everyone learned to run a chain saw that summer! I remember that summer as well. We camped and boated here all summer. From our former perspective as visitors, we only noticed that most of the boat ramps were closed and the lake was nearly twice it’s normal size which made for some nice boating. The lake was so high we were able to get up into the river channel and went several miles north. Now, from our perspective as volunteers and residents here we see how much activity is going on behind the scenes to preserve property, make it as safe a possible for visitors and monitor the quickly changing conditions.
The weather has also changed many job descriptions for the volunteers. One thing we are learning quickly in this work camping life is that weather can and usually does result in ‘other duties as assigned’ .
We’ll enjoy the weekend with our daughters two boys here and watch the lake rise.
Until tomorrow…
Iowans are letting out a big sigh as the rain stops for a couple of days and the temperatures moderate. We have a big weekend happening that we’ve been looking forward to since before we returned in April. Our daughter’s boys 6 and 3 ½ are with us till Sunday.
The reservoir is doing its job this week. Even though it is a major boating and camping destination in central Iowa, its real purpose is flood control. With historic rain fall in Iowa the past 2 weeks and flooding occurring in Des Moines south of the dam the Corps of Engineers is holding back water so Des Moines has half a chance to keep its two major rivers in their banks as they meander through downtown. A perfect scenario for flooding is setting up. Northwest Iowa, where the Des Moines river that feeds Saylorville Lake on it’s way to the Mississippi, begins, has received feet of rain this past few weeks. That is translating to the lake levels rising at the rate of 4-6 feet per day. The boat ramp near us is almost to the top and there has already been one vessel casualty in the marina. A buoyed house boat’s bilge pumped failed as we got 3” of rain in less than an hour on Wednesday. When I drove across the dam on my way home from work, I saw it listing badly to the back corner. Only about half of the cabin and the front of one pontoon was above water.
Champ worked an extra day yesterday, helping the rangers place hazard buoys, remove docks and signs. Gates were closed to the beach and launch area here at Sandpiper since the entire area will soon be underwater. The portable bathroom buildings were removed with a crane and all the picnic tables and canopies from the beaches are now sitting in Volunteer Village, where they should stay high and dry along with us.
[gallery ids="928,926,923,927,924,922"]
The lake is predicted to crest next Saturday and 884 MFS (mean feet above sea level ) Normal pool is 836 MFS and the lake goes over the emergency spillway at 890 MFS. Everyone is holding their breath hoping the forecasters have the rain prediction correct. It will be a close call.
The veteran volunteers are talking a lot about 2011 when Volunteer Village became lake bottom and all the volunteers were evacuated to the public campgrounds till the water subsided and all the clean up took place. Everyone learned to run a chain saw that summer! I remember that summer as well. We camped and boated here all summer. From our former perspective as visitors, we only noticed that most of the boat ramps were closed and the lake was nearly twice it’s normal size which made for some nice boating. The lake was so high we were able to get up into the river channel and went several miles north. Now, from our perspective as volunteers and residents here we see how much activity is going on behind the scenes to preserve property, make it as safe a possible for visitors and monitor the quickly changing conditions.
The weather has also changed many job descriptions for the volunteers. One thing we are learning quickly in this work camping life is that weather can and usually does result in ‘other duties as assigned’ .
We’ll enjoy the weekend with our daughters two boys here and watch the lake rise.
Until tomorrow…
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Day 112 / 253 The Leaving
Saylorville Lake – Rain 80 Degrees
I was getting my hair cut yesterday and Erin, who has been cutting my hair for years, asked me if it gets easier leaving each fall. I thought about that for a moment and realized there wasn’t a quick answer to that question. I kind of talked through my initial thought process for a minute without really answering her question. It was deeper than it appeared at first.
So today as I ponder ‘What’s it like?” I have had 24 hours to mull that one over.
The first fall we felt much anticipation and no idea what we would think of being away for the winter. We were both ecstatic to being escaping winter weather but other than that we really didn’t know how it would feel or what we were getting into. We were both pretty certain we would like it. That first fall as we gathered our growing family for a big fall dinner, we thought about Christmas and how hard it would be not to be present for the winter birthdays. The kids were still visibly shaken that we were really going to do this. We were still trying to get used to the idea that we had sold our home and not bought another one the same day.
Flash forward to last fall, our second year. I think it was harder to say goodbye. We knew Christmas would suck, there’s simply no nice way to say it. We were looking forward to the culture of the snow bird RV park where we knew we would socialize all we could stand and have the comfort of that community for big holiday potlucks where we could eat too much and share our misery of being away from the kids with other snowbirds. We knew we would enjoy our time in Texas and were looking forward to another year in a new area and a new volunteer gig that January. We left knowing we would come back to Volunteer Village with some of the same people. The agony for us was the nagging guilt for being excited to get to our winter destination away from sub-zero temps and feet of snow. We were dreading having to watch winter birthday candles be blown out through Video calls. Last winter brought a new twist. We had serious health issues at both ends. Our daughter’s family was severely stricken with flu, consecutive times resulting in the 3-year-old being hospitalized. It about killed me not to be home to help. The only thing that kept me from getting in the car and driving the 16 hours home was the knowledge that JP’s parents were there and a great source of support to their young family. I did get close enough to have the route in my GPS with a route and ETA. I was literally one text with more bad news away from heading to Iowa. Champs emergency surgery was another event that got every one’s attention. We both just kind of dealt with it. The kids shared later, how hard it was to get that call and not be able to come to the hospital but, be at the mercy of whatever news came in the next phone call or text.
We have no intention of making any changes to our routine. I imagine all snow birds go through this to some extent. Travel comes with trade-offs and taking a hiatus from being present in the kid’s geographical space is the big kahuna of trade-offs.
The answer I guess is “no, it doesn’t get easier.” I think there will be a progression of it being harder for who knows how many years depending on the experiences that test the distance between us and the kids from year to year. I do think at some point the angst of leaving in the fall will plateau for all of us. We are fortunate to have close relationships with our kids and grandkids. I take comfort in that and never forget they are sacrificing as well, so Champ and I can do this. It is a great gift to have supportive family and friends.
Until tomorrow...
I was getting my hair cut yesterday and Erin, who has been cutting my hair for years, asked me if it gets easier leaving each fall. I thought about that for a moment and realized there wasn’t a quick answer to that question. I kind of talked through my initial thought process for a minute without really answering her question. It was deeper than it appeared at first.
So today as I ponder ‘What’s it like?” I have had 24 hours to mull that one over.
The first fall we felt much anticipation and no idea what we would think of being away for the winter. We were both ecstatic to being escaping winter weather but other than that we really didn’t know how it would feel or what we were getting into. We were both pretty certain we would like it. That first fall as we gathered our growing family for a big fall dinner, we thought about Christmas and how hard it would be not to be present for the winter birthdays. The kids were still visibly shaken that we were really going to do this. We were still trying to get used to the idea that we had sold our home and not bought another one the same day.
Flash forward to last fall, our second year. I think it was harder to say goodbye. We knew Christmas would suck, there’s simply no nice way to say it. We were looking forward to the culture of the snow bird RV park where we knew we would socialize all we could stand and have the comfort of that community for big holiday potlucks where we could eat too much and share our misery of being away from the kids with other snowbirds. We knew we would enjoy our time in Texas and were looking forward to another year in a new area and a new volunteer gig that January. We left knowing we would come back to Volunteer Village with some of the same people. The agony for us was the nagging guilt for being excited to get to our winter destination away from sub-zero temps and feet of snow. We were dreading having to watch winter birthday candles be blown out through Video calls. Last winter brought a new twist. We had serious health issues at both ends. Our daughter’s family was severely stricken with flu, consecutive times resulting in the 3-year-old being hospitalized. It about killed me not to be home to help. The only thing that kept me from getting in the car and driving the 16 hours home was the knowledge that JP’s parents were there and a great source of support to their young family. I did get close enough to have the route in my GPS with a route and ETA. I was literally one text with more bad news away from heading to Iowa. Champs emergency surgery was another event that got every one’s attention. We both just kind of dealt with it. The kids shared later, how hard it was to get that call and not be able to come to the hospital but, be at the mercy of whatever news came in the next phone call or text.
We have no intention of making any changes to our routine. I imagine all snow birds go through this to some extent. Travel comes with trade-offs and taking a hiatus from being present in the kid’s geographical space is the big kahuna of trade-offs.
The answer I guess is “no, it doesn’t get easier.” I think there will be a progression of it being harder for who knows how many years depending on the experiences that test the distance between us and the kids from year to year. I do think at some point the angst of leaving in the fall will plateau for all of us. We are fortunate to have close relationships with our kids and grandkids. I take comfort in that and never forget they are sacrificing as well, so Champ and I can do this. It is a great gift to have supportive family and friends.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Day 111 / 254
Saylorville Lake- 80 Degrees- Rain
The theme of the summer here is extreme heat or rain. We can't seem to get the cool part without torrential downpours. As a result the rivers are bank full, Saylorville is high and full of debris from the river inlet. At least it isn't snowing anymore!
In the absence of a full-time Interpretive Volunteer, Emma asked me early this spring, if I would undertake the two weekly newsletters. Since I am working in town this summer and Champ is the primary volunteer at the lake. I was thrilled to have a way to contribute, while also working to pay for my health insurance that is off the charts due to the debacle that is Iowa politics at its absolute worst. (That talk would be a whole other blog site)
Enter, Jody Werth. If you are a full-time RV volunteer you have likely worked with or maybe even have been, a volunteer who showed up mid-game after cold calling a park to see if they needed help while you were in the area. Jody is one of those and she is a peach. A retired teacher, she is the official Interpretive Volunteer for the summer at Saylorville. . She came to me when they arrived and asked if we could work on them together. I love that she didn't just show up with and take them away from me which she certainly would have been within her right to do. Now I have a partner to collaborate with on both newsletters each week. I get to stay involved and the difficulty of gathering material while not being physically present around the park as much as I'd like to be has been solved. She and her husband are in the process of transitioning to full-time RV life after dabbling more or less 3/4 time the past couple of years.
I write all the time about how I relish the relationships that develop as a result of our lifestyle. You never know who will cross your path. Jody and Rick are another one of those couples. When Jody and I meet to hammer out the newsletters each week we also drift off onto topics that are allowing us to get to know each other on a level that goes beyond a temporary professional interaction. The bonus is they are our next door neighbors at volunteer village.
Just another day, season and person in the life of this RV Volunteer.
Until tomorrow...
The theme of the summer here is extreme heat or rain. We can't seem to get the cool part without torrential downpours. As a result the rivers are bank full, Saylorville is high and full of debris from the river inlet. At least it isn't snowing anymore!
In the absence of a full-time Interpretive Volunteer, Emma asked me early this spring, if I would undertake the two weekly newsletters. Since I am working in town this summer and Champ is the primary volunteer at the lake. I was thrilled to have a way to contribute, while also working to pay for my health insurance that is off the charts due to the debacle that is Iowa politics at its absolute worst. (That talk would be a whole other blog site)
Enter, Jody Werth. If you are a full-time RV volunteer you have likely worked with or maybe even have been, a volunteer who showed up mid-game after cold calling a park to see if they needed help while you were in the area. Jody is one of those and she is a peach. A retired teacher, she is the official Interpretive Volunteer for the summer at Saylorville. . She came to me when they arrived and asked if we could work on them together. I love that she didn't just show up with and take them away from me which she certainly would have been within her right to do. Now I have a partner to collaborate with on both newsletters each week. I get to stay involved and the difficulty of gathering material while not being physically present around the park as much as I'd like to be has been solved. She and her husband are in the process of transitioning to full-time RV life after dabbling more or less 3/4 time the past couple of years.
I write all the time about how I relish the relationships that develop as a result of our lifestyle. You never know who will cross your path. Jody and Rick are another one of those couples. When Jody and I meet to hammer out the newsletters each week we also drift off onto topics that are allowing us to get to know each other on a level that goes beyond a temporary professional interaction. The bonus is they are our next door neighbors at volunteer village.
Just another day, season and person in the life of this RV Volunteer.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Day 109 / 256
Saylorville Lake – Sun 95 Degrees
We’re in a rut of sauna like weather this week. The problem with relief from the heat in the Midwest in the summer is that it is preceded by violence in the form of severe storms. We will get that again in a few days.
[caption id="attachment_910" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Birthday surprise from my son Chris[/caption]
It’s been one of those busy weekends that in my working days I would say, I came back to work on Monday to rest up from the weekend. My birthday on Friday was a real joy. Very seldom in my career did I get my birthday off. Even if it fell on a weekend, I had a knack for picking careers that included weekend work, like many of us. This year I had a day off to be a lawn chair supervisor and was surprised by visits from both of our boys.
[caption id="attachment_911" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Miss Sydney Rose[/caption]
Randy, the oldest drove down from Jewel and had with him our oldest great granddaughter whom, I thought I had missed for the summer. She left the following day to go to California for her required 6- week custody agreement stay with her mother. I was thrilled that she was still here! Our next oldest Chris, who lives 100 miles away in northwest Iowa, happened to be in Des Moines for a shop meeting and stopped by to visit as well. Dinner out with our summer volunteer family rounded out a very enjoyable day.
Yesterday, we got out on the water on our pontoon boat and relaxed in the water-cooled summer air and worked on our tans. Hot weather has not only brought many to the lakes but has been a sobering reminder of the dangers of water. At least two people have drowned this weekend, one is still missing and another, a two-year old, is in critical condition after nearly drowning 5 miles away at Big Creek Lake last evening.
[caption id="attachment_913" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Who needs a water gun when you have a hose![/caption]
Today we spent the day at our daughter’s house with her in-laws. It's a fun day as we have always got on great with Kay and Mike and consider each other friends. We had a good afternoon playing with the kids outside. We took our swimming suits and put the sprinkler in the back yard and played baseball with Hunter in the cool shower of water, then when JP came out with the water guns I retreated to the deck with my daughter and watched the boys wage water gun wars on each other. Their 3-year old quickly figured out that the hose they were filling the water guns with was a much more effective weapon. Leave it to the littlest one to put big brother, Dad and Grandpa on the retreat! It was pretty funny to watch from the second story deck.
As I sit here and look back on the weekend and ahead to this week, I realize amidst all of the mechanical failures the past several weeks, the extreme weather swings and people who are absent from my life, I am fortunate to be able to literally live my dream of being a full-time RV volunteer and have so many awesome people in my life. I savor these summer holiday weekends knowing I will miss many events this winter when we are in parts south. I saw all three kids, some of the grandkids and many friends this weekend. It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.
Until tomorrow…
We’re in a rut of sauna like weather this week. The problem with relief from the heat in the Midwest in the summer is that it is preceded by violence in the form of severe storms. We will get that again in a few days.
[caption id="attachment_910" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Birthday surprise from my son Chris[/caption]It’s been one of those busy weekends that in my working days I would say, I came back to work on Monday to rest up from the weekend. My birthday on Friday was a real joy. Very seldom in my career did I get my birthday off. Even if it fell on a weekend, I had a knack for picking careers that included weekend work, like many of us. This year I had a day off to be a lawn chair supervisor and was surprised by visits from both of our boys.
[caption id="attachment_911" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Miss Sydney Rose[/caption]Randy, the oldest drove down from Jewel and had with him our oldest great granddaughter whom, I thought I had missed for the summer. She left the following day to go to California for her required 6- week custody agreement stay with her mother. I was thrilled that she was still here! Our next oldest Chris, who lives 100 miles away in northwest Iowa, happened to be in Des Moines for a shop meeting and stopped by to visit as well. Dinner out with our summer volunteer family rounded out a very enjoyable day.
Yesterday, we got out on the water on our pontoon boat and relaxed in the water-cooled summer air and worked on our tans. Hot weather has not only brought many to the lakes but has been a sobering reminder of the dangers of water. At least two people have drowned this weekend, one is still missing and another, a two-year old, is in critical condition after nearly drowning 5 miles away at Big Creek Lake last evening.
[caption id="attachment_913" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Who needs a water gun when you have a hose![/caption]Today we spent the day at our daughter’s house with her in-laws. It's a fun day as we have always got on great with Kay and Mike and consider each other friends. We had a good afternoon playing with the kids outside. We took our swimming suits and put the sprinkler in the back yard and played baseball with Hunter in the cool shower of water, then when JP came out with the water guns I retreated to the deck with my daughter and watched the boys wage water gun wars on each other. Their 3-year old quickly figured out that the hose they were filling the water guns with was a much more effective weapon. Leave it to the littlest one to put big brother, Dad and Grandpa on the retreat! It was pretty funny to watch from the second story deck.
As I sit here and look back on the weekend and ahead to this week, I realize amidst all of the mechanical failures the past several weeks, the extreme weather swings and people who are absent from my life, I am fortunate to be able to literally live my dream of being a full-time RV volunteer and have so many awesome people in my life. I savor these summer holiday weekends knowing I will miss many events this winter when we are in parts south. I saw all three kids, some of the grandkids and many friends this weekend. It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.
Until tomorrow…
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Day 108 / 257
Saylorville Lake – Sun 94 Degrees
We took the boat out for the first time this season. Between the cold weather on arrival in April, flooding and running around we got a late start this year.
[caption id="attachment_905" align="alignright" width="300"]
Looking toward the marina cove[/caption]
The weather was ideal. There is nothing like being on the water on a hot humid summer day. You don’t even know it’s hot until you get back on land and wilt while you get the boat wiped down and covered. Since we are quartered in the same area as the boat ramp at this end of the reservoir, we load the cooler and towels at our site, take the tow straps and cover off and I ride the short ride to the ramp in the boat, since it’s my job to unload and load. This morning as we made our way down the 1/3 mile of road along the lake I sat in the seat and let the sweet smell of the purple pom-pom milkweed flowers flood my nose. The lake was sparkling and not yet busy with boat traffic at 10:30 this morning when we launched. We waited behind one boat at the ramp and less than 20 minutes from taking the cover off at our site we were headed out on the water.
With the recent heavy rains, the lake level is rising again and bringing along debris from the Des Moines River Channel, in the form of big logs and trees. We took a slow leisurely vigilant pace as we made our way to our favorite place to anchor and relax in the water at the other end of the lake.
[caption id="attachment_906" align="alignright" width="300"]
Prairie Flower Campground from the lake[/caption]
I have to say it is a fine thing working at the lake where we have done most of our boating over the years. The view from the lake sure has changed this year with all the hard work the rangers did removing over grown, invasive tree species from the shoreline and campground perimeters. It’s really cool to be on the lake and know what lurks behind the tree line. Champ is out three days a week working with the team that maintains it all. We do love it here.
We returned mid-afternoon tired from the sun yet relaxed and happy. Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Father’s Day and then the big birthday weekend will come to a close as wel look forward to the next weekend when we’ll have our 6 and 3-year-old grandsons for the weekend and who knows what adventures.
Until tomorrow…
We took the boat out for the first time this season. Between the cold weather on arrival in April, flooding and running around we got a late start this year.
[caption id="attachment_905" align="alignright" width="300"]
Looking toward the marina cove[/caption]The weather was ideal. There is nothing like being on the water on a hot humid summer day. You don’t even know it’s hot until you get back on land and wilt while you get the boat wiped down and covered. Since we are quartered in the same area as the boat ramp at this end of the reservoir, we load the cooler and towels at our site, take the tow straps and cover off and I ride the short ride to the ramp in the boat, since it’s my job to unload and load. This morning as we made our way down the 1/3 mile of road along the lake I sat in the seat and let the sweet smell of the purple pom-pom milkweed flowers flood my nose. The lake was sparkling and not yet busy with boat traffic at 10:30 this morning when we launched. We waited behind one boat at the ramp and less than 20 minutes from taking the cover off at our site we were headed out on the water.
With the recent heavy rains, the lake level is rising again and bringing along debris from the Des Moines River Channel, in the form of big logs and trees. We took a slow leisurely vigilant pace as we made our way to our favorite place to anchor and relax in the water at the other end of the lake.
[caption id="attachment_906" align="alignright" width="300"]
Prairie Flower Campground from the lake[/caption]I have to say it is a fine thing working at the lake where we have done most of our boating over the years. The view from the lake sure has changed this year with all the hard work the rangers did removing over grown, invasive tree species from the shoreline and campground perimeters. It’s really cool to be on the lake and know what lurks behind the tree line. Champ is out three days a week working with the team that maintains it all. We do love it here.
We returned mid-afternoon tired from the sun yet relaxed and happy. Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Father’s Day and then the big birthday weekend will come to a close as wel look forward to the next weekend when we’ll have our 6 and 3-year-old grandsons for the weekend and who knows what adventures.
Until tomorrow…
Friday, June 15, 2018
Day 107 / 258 Beating The Heat
Saylorville Lake, Sun – 95 Degrees
The heat wave is underway in Iowa. Strong southwest winds are ushering in Gulf heat and humidity. One of the things full-time RV dwellers dread is extreme weather. Cold is just as bad as heat. The very nature of the construction limits the capabilities if insulation. In our recreational camping days, we simply didn’t go when the weather was extreme. We stayed home in our homes with attics and 18” of insulation and 8” stud walls full of insulation topped with Tyvec and siding.
We learned a simple trick from a new neighbor in volunteer village and is worthy sharing. We have all reached into the pantry or other cabinet located in a slide out and pulled out a mushy bag of chocolate chips or liquified shortening. Or the opposite, cold clothes in the winter when you are trying to stay warm. This solution fits all the RV life criteria, inexpensive, lightweight and doesn’t take up much space.
[caption id="attachment_900" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Reflectix[/caption]
Your local home improvement store sells rolls of reflective blanket insulation like the stuff the silver car sun visors are made of. A pair of scissors, and a staple gun and you can improve your indoor climate a great deal with a couple of hours work and around $50.00.
We simply cut it to fit the ceilings and exterior walls of all the cabinets in the slide-outs and the big storage area in the driving compartment. Staple it in, since glue will just melt and lose it’s adherence in the extreme temperatures that will be trapped behind the insulating layer. It will make a noticeable difference. Another unexpected benefit we noticed was the silver reflects light, you don’t feel like your feeling your way around in a cave when you are looking for the birthday candles, or trying to read a soup can label. The baking chips are still individual pieces and the sardines are not cooking themselves in their cans.
Even if you are not full-time this easy modification will make a huge difference on those hot weekends when you are in a sunny camping spot.
[gallery ids="899,898"]
Until tomorrow,
The heat wave is underway in Iowa. Strong southwest winds are ushering in Gulf heat and humidity. One of the things full-time RV dwellers dread is extreme weather. Cold is just as bad as heat. The very nature of the construction limits the capabilities if insulation. In our recreational camping days, we simply didn’t go when the weather was extreme. We stayed home in our homes with attics and 18” of insulation and 8” stud walls full of insulation topped with Tyvec and siding.
We learned a simple trick from a new neighbor in volunteer village and is worthy sharing. We have all reached into the pantry or other cabinet located in a slide out and pulled out a mushy bag of chocolate chips or liquified shortening. Or the opposite, cold clothes in the winter when you are trying to stay warm. This solution fits all the RV life criteria, inexpensive, lightweight and doesn’t take up much space.
[caption id="attachment_900" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Reflectix[/caption]Your local home improvement store sells rolls of reflective blanket insulation like the stuff the silver car sun visors are made of. A pair of scissors, and a staple gun and you can improve your indoor climate a great deal with a couple of hours work and around $50.00.
We simply cut it to fit the ceilings and exterior walls of all the cabinets in the slide-outs and the big storage area in the driving compartment. Staple it in, since glue will just melt and lose it’s adherence in the extreme temperatures that will be trapped behind the insulating layer. It will make a noticeable difference. Another unexpected benefit we noticed was the silver reflects light, you don’t feel like your feeling your way around in a cave when you are looking for the birthday candles, or trying to read a soup can label. The baking chips are still individual pieces and the sardines are not cooking themselves in their cans.
Even if you are not full-time this easy modification will make a huge difference on those hot weekends when you are in a sunny camping spot.
[gallery ids="899,898"]
Until tomorrow,
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Day 106 / 259
Saylorville Lake - 62 degrees - Storms
We awoke to greenish / gray stormy skies in central Iowa this morning. Adventure is definitely the key word of the day. It will get to the mid 80’s with tropical humidity today. In a few days that will seem like a cold spell. Iowans are bracing themselves for upper 90’s and high humidity the next few days. (The AC is still waiting on a part to come in to run a full capacity, yay!)
My first adventure today was culinary. As I transition to my new food fuel, I tried my first green smoothie. I generally love green food as long as it is in the form of a big plate of leafy greens or my favorite vegetable, steamed spinach with a little balsamic vinegar. A big glass of green goo has never looked very appetizing. It is highly encouraged with my new Paleo diet, so I gave it a whirl this morning. I watched the blender full of kale, strawberries, a little pineapple and some coconut milk reduce to a thick greenish science fiction kind of breakfast and tried to convince myself that it wasn’t radioactive waste. Kale in a smoothie is quite good! Who knew?
[caption id="attachment_895" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Should have worn crocs to work[/caption]
The adventure continued when I turned the key in the door of the store where I work part time. As I entered the dark store I heard the distinct sound of water running. It sounded like a horse peeing on the floor. As I worked my way to the back of the store to get to the lights, I found the culprit. The good news is, there wasn’t a quarter horse trapped in the ISU section relieving itself. However, the storms overnight found a weak spot in the flat roof of the building and water was running like a faucet through the sheetrock into the ISU kids clothing section. Not a call I was excited about making to my friend who owns the store and isn’t really a morning person to start with.
Today is my last day of work for the week. The best part of this wonderful vagabond, semi-retired life is I don’t have to worry about any of it after 3:00 pm today. I can go enjoy my birthday weekend. All in all, it still beats the heck out of the adventure of the fire ants in Texas last winter. At least I didn’t take my pants off in public today!
Until tomorrow…
We awoke to greenish / gray stormy skies in central Iowa this morning. Adventure is definitely the key word of the day. It will get to the mid 80’s with tropical humidity today. In a few days that will seem like a cold spell. Iowans are bracing themselves for upper 90’s and high humidity the next few days. (The AC is still waiting on a part to come in to run a full capacity, yay!)
My first adventure today was culinary. As I transition to my new food fuel, I tried my first green smoothie. I generally love green food as long as it is in the form of a big plate of leafy greens or my favorite vegetable, steamed spinach with a little balsamic vinegar. A big glass of green goo has never looked very appetizing. It is highly encouraged with my new Paleo diet, so I gave it a whirl this morning. I watched the blender full of kale, strawberries, a little pineapple and some coconut milk reduce to a thick greenish science fiction kind of breakfast and tried to convince myself that it wasn’t radioactive waste. Kale in a smoothie is quite good! Who knew?
[caption id="attachment_895" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Should have worn crocs to work[/caption]The adventure continued when I turned the key in the door of the store where I work part time. As I entered the dark store I heard the distinct sound of water running. It sounded like a horse peeing on the floor. As I worked my way to the back of the store to get to the lights, I found the culprit. The good news is, there wasn’t a quarter horse trapped in the ISU section relieving itself. However, the storms overnight found a weak spot in the flat roof of the building and water was running like a faucet through the sheetrock into the ISU kids clothing section. Not a call I was excited about making to my friend who owns the store and isn’t really a morning person to start with.
Today is my last day of work for the week. The best part of this wonderful vagabond, semi-retired life is I don’t have to worry about any of it after 3:00 pm today. I can go enjoy my birthday weekend. All in all, it still beats the heck out of the adventure of the fire ants in Texas last winter. At least I didn’t take my pants off in public today!
Until tomorrow…
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Day 104 / 261 You Are Worth It
Saylorville Lake – Sunny – Humid 85 Degrees
Today is the day I get on my soap box each year and make a statement to whoever may be reading or listening about the fate of my youngest sister. Our Full-Time RV lifestyle enables me to reach even more people that I ever would have had we stayed in Williams and didn’t travel, getting to know so many people. Hers is a story of incredible artistic talent and the genetic predisposition to addiction that seems to accompany the talent in many artists.
[caption id="attachment_889" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Susan about 3 years before she died[/caption]
Three years ago, today she died of a drug overdose, alone in her apartment. It would be another 24 hours before she was discovered and about 36 hours before I got a phone call during my 50th birthday party. I spent my 50th birthday a couple of days later that year making arrangements and trying to console my inconsolable mother. I would write and deliver her eulogy a few weeks later when we buried her ashes in the Elkhart Cemetary. I had a small bit of her placed in a sterling silver and tourquise heart that stays with my in my motor home.
My message is simple, addicts feel alone as a result of the behaviors and choices. People who love them watch in dismay as they slowly self-destruct. I took my turn as many others who loved her trying to help her, not only by giving her money and a place to live many times. Caring for her son, who committed suicide at age 19, I believe as a direct result of his inability to find is way out of the life she forced him to live most of his young life, in the shadow and wreckage of her addict life. The last few years of her life I was angry as hell at her for her continued choices and seeming inability to recover for any length of time. But…. I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER OR BELIEVING SHE HAD IT IN HER TO RECOVER! That is the message.
I shout this from the rooftops hoping that maybe there is someone in my path who is battling an addiction and woke up today, weary and not wanting to stay the path because it’s hard and they don’t thing anyone cares. I say to you ‘You are wrong!” People care, and they want you to succeed. There are many people in my life who I love deeply who fight this fight everyday with varying degrees of triumph. Keep fighting. As I always say to people who come to me for support “Stay on the high road, the view is much better from up there!” This is where the inspiration for the name of this blog comes from.
Addiction isn’t just illegal drugs, it comes in the form of food addictions, cigarettes, alcohol and yes, abusive relationships as I experienced personally in my young adult life. You are good enough to have a better life. Say it out loud to yourself every day and find whatever it takes to see your way out. If you don’t you will surely succumb to the demon one day.
I don’t know if Susan’s overdoes was intentional, or accidental but the end result was the same. She died at her own hand, far too young and took with her, an amazing talent and beautiful soul. She is a part of me and I believe I will find her again someday in another life. In the meantime, her presence visits me from time to time and sets my heart at ease, knowing that she is finally free, just not in the way I had hoped for. It still hurts like hell to know I will never celebrate a birthday with both of my sisters the way we used too, since our dates were so close together in the summer.
I’m a deep believer in life after this life and stay alert for signs. My sign today was when I was sitting in the car after my Facebook Live Stream this morning crying uncontrollably, the Peter Gabriel song “Don’t Give Up” came on. It was a sign from her I know. If only she could have taken that advice while she was here with us.
Until tomorrow...
Today is the day I get on my soap box each year and make a statement to whoever may be reading or listening about the fate of my youngest sister. Our Full-Time RV lifestyle enables me to reach even more people that I ever would have had we stayed in Williams and didn’t travel, getting to know so many people. Hers is a story of incredible artistic talent and the genetic predisposition to addiction that seems to accompany the talent in many artists.
[caption id="attachment_889" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Susan about 3 years before she died[/caption]Three years ago, today she died of a drug overdose, alone in her apartment. It would be another 24 hours before she was discovered and about 36 hours before I got a phone call during my 50th birthday party. I spent my 50th birthday a couple of days later that year making arrangements and trying to console my inconsolable mother. I would write and deliver her eulogy a few weeks later when we buried her ashes in the Elkhart Cemetary. I had a small bit of her placed in a sterling silver and tourquise heart that stays with my in my motor home.
My message is simple, addicts feel alone as a result of the behaviors and choices. People who love them watch in dismay as they slowly self-destruct. I took my turn as many others who loved her trying to help her, not only by giving her money and a place to live many times. Caring for her son, who committed suicide at age 19, I believe as a direct result of his inability to find is way out of the life she forced him to live most of his young life, in the shadow and wreckage of her addict life. The last few years of her life I was angry as hell at her for her continued choices and seeming inability to recover for any length of time. But…. I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER OR BELIEVING SHE HAD IT IN HER TO RECOVER! That is the message.
I shout this from the rooftops hoping that maybe there is someone in my path who is battling an addiction and woke up today, weary and not wanting to stay the path because it’s hard and they don’t thing anyone cares. I say to you ‘You are wrong!” People care, and they want you to succeed. There are many people in my life who I love deeply who fight this fight everyday with varying degrees of triumph. Keep fighting. As I always say to people who come to me for support “Stay on the high road, the view is much better from up there!” This is where the inspiration for the name of this blog comes from.
Addiction isn’t just illegal drugs, it comes in the form of food addictions, cigarettes, alcohol and yes, abusive relationships as I experienced personally in my young adult life. You are good enough to have a better life. Say it out loud to yourself every day and find whatever it takes to see your way out. If you don’t you will surely succumb to the demon one day.
I don’t know if Susan’s overdoes was intentional, or accidental but the end result was the same. She died at her own hand, far too young and took with her, an amazing talent and beautiful soul. She is a part of me and I believe I will find her again someday in another life. In the meantime, her presence visits me from time to time and sets my heart at ease, knowing that she is finally free, just not in the way I had hoped for. It still hurts like hell to know I will never celebrate a birthday with both of my sisters the way we used too, since our dates were so close together in the summer.
I’m a deep believer in life after this life and stay alert for signs. My sign today was when I was sitting in the car after my Facebook Live Stream this morning crying uncontrollably, the Peter Gabriel song “Don’t Give Up” came on. It was a sign from her I know. If only she could have taken that advice while she was here with us.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Day 102 / 263
Saylorville Lake - Rain 70 Degrees
I love a rainy Sunday when I need to slow down. Sunday's are a day of extremes for me. It usually leans toward extreme activity. A day of rest is not in my wheelhouse. It makes me feel behind schedule or lazy, as if being unproductive even if only for a half a day is a mortal sin. A Sunday with rain forces me to stay inside and stay quiet, compared to my usual warp speed on days when I can be outside where I prefer to be. Now that our lifestyle allows us to escape blizzards, rainy days are the only thing left to stop me from working myself into a coma.
I am looking toward next weekend and the jumping off point for my new way of eating. I have done exhaustive research on my new thoughts about what to fuel my body with and today I attended a lecture with my daughter given by a doctor who developed a version of my new style of eating, engages in it herself and passionately spoke of how it has positively impacted her journey with autoimmune illness. It was 2 hours well spent and with the rain outside I was fully engaged. If the day had been nice, I had plans to work in the Butterfly Garden this morning and probably would have been physically exhausted by the time I picked up my daughter to go to the lecture.
Her parting advice was so simply profound. No matter what kind of change you are considering it is perhaps the best four words I have heard in a long time. "Read widely, think deeply" . - Dr. Terry Wahls
Until tomorrow...
I love a rainy Sunday when I need to slow down. Sunday's are a day of extremes for me. It usually leans toward extreme activity. A day of rest is not in my wheelhouse. It makes me feel behind schedule or lazy, as if being unproductive even if only for a half a day is a mortal sin. A Sunday with rain forces me to stay inside and stay quiet, compared to my usual warp speed on days when I can be outside where I prefer to be. Now that our lifestyle allows us to escape blizzards, rainy days are the only thing left to stop me from working myself into a coma.
I am looking toward next weekend and the jumping off point for my new way of eating. I have done exhaustive research on my new thoughts about what to fuel my body with and today I attended a lecture with my daughter given by a doctor who developed a version of my new style of eating, engages in it herself and passionately spoke of how it has positively impacted her journey with autoimmune illness. It was 2 hours well spent and with the rain outside I was fully engaged. If the day had been nice, I had plans to work in the Butterfly Garden this morning and probably would have been physically exhausted by the time I picked up my daughter to go to the lecture.
Her parting advice was so simply profound. No matter what kind of change you are considering it is perhaps the best four words I have heard in a long time. "Read widely, think deeply" . - Dr. Terry Wahls
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Day 101 / 264 A Golden Day
Saylorville Lake - Sunny, 88 degrees Humid
Today we travelled about and hour and a half to attend one of the happy events, on the calendar this summer. Our friends Joyce and Wayne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary today with a surprise party arranged by their daughter at the lake home where they are retired.
Joyce and Wayne were in the group Champ was camping with the weekend I met him 17 summers ago, so I have known them from the beginning of our journey together. The best part, aside from seeing them for the first time in several years, was that they were actually surprised. Somehow, everyone in the tight-knit community where they live kept it under wraps! It was another fun afternoon, seeing people we hadn't seen since come back to Iowa this season along with many we hadn't seen in many years. It was nice to make those connections somewhere besides a funeral, which is how it seems to start happening at a certain point in one's life.
I smiled when I saw the sign with their wedding date, June 7th. My paternal grandmother's birthday and also her wedding day, 20 years after she was born, when she married grandpa. I'd say June 7th is a lucky day!
Until tomorrow...
Today we travelled about and hour and a half to attend one of the happy events, on the calendar this summer. Our friends Joyce and Wayne celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary today with a surprise party arranged by their daughter at the lake home where they are retired.
Joyce and Wayne were in the group Champ was camping with the weekend I met him 17 summers ago, so I have known them from the beginning of our journey together. The best part, aside from seeing them for the first time in several years, was that they were actually surprised. Somehow, everyone in the tight-knit community where they live kept it under wraps! It was another fun afternoon, seeing people we hadn't seen since come back to Iowa this season along with many we hadn't seen in many years. It was nice to make those connections somewhere besides a funeral, which is how it seems to start happening at a certain point in one's life.
I smiled when I saw the sign with their wedding date, June 7th. My paternal grandmother's birthday and also her wedding day, 20 years after she was born, when she married grandpa. I'd say June 7th is a lucky day!
Until tomorrow...
Friday, June 8, 2018
Day 100 / 265
Saylorville Lake Sunny – 81 Degrees HUMID!
Procrastination has never been in my wheelhouse, much to the irritation of those around me who believe it is a natural human condition rather than a flaw. However, the past couple of days, in the excitement of the week I have told myself around mid-day, when I’m usually starting to think about my blog post for the day, “I can’t focus right now, I’ll do it after dinner”. If you follow each day you know how that went for me! Part of my thinking is that I’m afraid it will be boring so I’m trying to come up with something to do on slow news days.
Coming off our celebration of Will and Judy’s big honor, we went out for dinner Wednesday evening with our friend Beth, who is at Saylorville for a couple of weeks. We got caught up and had a really nice dinner, completely unaware that the weather was getting dicey outside. We were in an interior dining area with no windows. My daughter called to see if we were okay and I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about till we left the restaurant to a full-out downpour and weird green skies.
[caption id="attachment_880" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Joyce - Erin and I[/caption]
Thursday after work, I went to meet my friend Joyce and her daughter Erin, who just returned from a semester abroad in Malta. We had some good dark beer at the Brewery in Bondurant ( likely one of my last) and enjoyed a slide show and stories from her trip. I suspect Joyce, was hearing a couple of them for the first time based on her expression. I was in awe of the change in her having experienced so much international travel the past 16 weeks along with three years of college and maturing. She is a really neat young woman.
[caption id="attachment_881" align="alignright" width="300"]
Eastern Meadowlark[/caption]
Today was a morning spent walking through Red Feather Prairie, with Beth who had only rode through on the bike trail. I had a chance to share it with her from my perspective and we had a great talk as I pointed out a couple of birds to her that she had never seen. A couple of hours with a friend in the outdoors is a beautiful way to start the day.
I met with a nutritionist at Natural Grocers today, who helped me digest and organize all of the research I have been doing on the eating regimen I am about to embark on. I think it was just about the most productive informative hour I have ever spent with a professional. I came home armed with some organized thoughts, a couple of supplements, some food lists to help me shop for my new revamped pantry. the great thing about Natural Grocers, for full-time RV living, is they are nation wide. I have a sporting chance of finding one when we are nomadic during the winter months.
So, there you have it. It took all the discipline I could muster to settle my unusually disorganized mind and sit down and write. I have to admit it has been calming to write to you today. I think some days I may just post a picture with a caption. I hear they can be worth a thousand words. Hopefully it stays interesting for those who are following.
Until tomorrow…
Procrastination has never been in my wheelhouse, much to the irritation of those around me who believe it is a natural human condition rather than a flaw. However, the past couple of days, in the excitement of the week I have told myself around mid-day, when I’m usually starting to think about my blog post for the day, “I can’t focus right now, I’ll do it after dinner”. If you follow each day you know how that went for me! Part of my thinking is that I’m afraid it will be boring so I’m trying to come up with something to do on slow news days.
Coming off our celebration of Will and Judy’s big honor, we went out for dinner Wednesday evening with our friend Beth, who is at Saylorville for a couple of weeks. We got caught up and had a really nice dinner, completely unaware that the weather was getting dicey outside. We were in an interior dining area with no windows. My daughter called to see if we were okay and I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about till we left the restaurant to a full-out downpour and weird green skies.
[caption id="attachment_880" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Joyce - Erin and I[/caption]Thursday after work, I went to meet my friend Joyce and her daughter Erin, who just returned from a semester abroad in Malta. We had some good dark beer at the Brewery in Bondurant ( likely one of my last) and enjoyed a slide show and stories from her trip. I suspect Joyce, was hearing a couple of them for the first time based on her expression. I was in awe of the change in her having experienced so much international travel the past 16 weeks along with three years of college and maturing. She is a really neat young woman.
[caption id="attachment_881" align="alignright" width="300"]
Eastern Meadowlark[/caption]Today was a morning spent walking through Red Feather Prairie, with Beth who had only rode through on the bike trail. I had a chance to share it with her from my perspective and we had a great talk as I pointed out a couple of birds to her that she had never seen. A couple of hours with a friend in the outdoors is a beautiful way to start the day.
I met with a nutritionist at Natural Grocers today, who helped me digest and organize all of the research I have been doing on the eating regimen I am about to embark on. I think it was just about the most productive informative hour I have ever spent with a professional. I came home armed with some organized thoughts, a couple of supplements, some food lists to help me shop for my new revamped pantry. the great thing about Natural Grocers, for full-time RV living, is they are nation wide. I have a sporting chance of finding one when we are nomadic during the winter months.
So, there you have it. It took all the discipline I could muster to settle my unusually disorganized mind and sit down and write. I have to admit it has been calming to write to you today. I think some days I may just post a picture with a caption. I hear they can be worth a thousand words. Hopefully it stays interesting for those who are following.
Until tomorrow…
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Day 97 / 268 Will & Judy's Big Day
Saylorville Lake, Sunny - 92 Degrees
Today was a special day. One of the couples we have become friends with here at Saylorville over the past 2 seasons, were honored today.
[caption id="attachment_876" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Commander Satinger, Judy, Will and Emma[/caption]
Will and Judy Carter have been full-time RV Volunteers for some 18 years now. They have spent every summer of those years here at Saylorville for the same reason we will, the kids are here and they love this place. We have had the privilege of getting to know them and consider them friends.In the summer they are our across the street neighbors here in our village. They are the very model of what Champ and I hope to experience, both longevity in the life style and a variety of jobs over the years to keep it interesting.
Last fall the volunteer coordinator nominated them for the National Corps of Engineers Volunteer of the Year Award. She received word this past winter that they had been chosen. Will and Judy aren’t big fans of public recognition. It was hard to convince them that a lunch and formal presentation was an okay thing to do. The District Commander from Rock Island came along with Corps Foundation Officers to present the award to them and thank them publicly for their hard work and dedication over the years. Emma, the volunteer coordinator went to great lengths to be sure the other volunteers here at the lake could get away from their duties and come celebrate with them.
It was neat to see them be honored in such a way. They have both become very dear to us. I was also amazed to hear the commander share that the Rock Island District alone (basically the upper Mississippi Valley area) utilizes an average of 900 volunteers working 50,000 hours collectively each year! When people ask me if the parks use a lot of volunteers, I have always responded very confidently that volunteers are a big part of the efforts at most parks. I was stunned to hear that notion be quantified with such large sums.
My part-time job allowed me the day off to be able to celebrate with them. “Thanks, Alayna!” The informal festivities will take place on their patio, in the form of happy hour later on.
Until tomorrow…
Today was a special day. One of the couples we have become friends with here at Saylorville over the past 2 seasons, were honored today.
[caption id="attachment_876" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Commander Satinger, Judy, Will and Emma[/caption]Will and Judy Carter have been full-time RV Volunteers for some 18 years now. They have spent every summer of those years here at Saylorville for the same reason we will, the kids are here and they love this place. We have had the privilege of getting to know them and consider them friends.In the summer they are our across the street neighbors here in our village. They are the very model of what Champ and I hope to experience, both longevity in the life style and a variety of jobs over the years to keep it interesting.
Last fall the volunteer coordinator nominated them for the National Corps of Engineers Volunteer of the Year Award. She received word this past winter that they had been chosen. Will and Judy aren’t big fans of public recognition. It was hard to convince them that a lunch and formal presentation was an okay thing to do. The District Commander from Rock Island came along with Corps Foundation Officers to present the award to them and thank them publicly for their hard work and dedication over the years. Emma, the volunteer coordinator went to great lengths to be sure the other volunteers here at the lake could get away from their duties and come celebrate with them.
It was neat to see them be honored in such a way. They have both become very dear to us. I was also amazed to hear the commander share that the Rock Island District alone (basically the upper Mississippi Valley area) utilizes an average of 900 volunteers working 50,000 hours collectively each year! When people ask me if the parks use a lot of volunteers, I have always responded very confidently that volunteers are a big part of the efforts at most parks. I was stunned to hear that notion be quantified with such large sums.
My part-time job allowed me the day off to be able to celebrate with them. “Thanks, Alayna!” The informal festivities will take place on their patio, in the form of happy hour later on.
Until tomorrow…
Monday, June 4, 2018
Day 96 / 269 When in Rome
Saylorville Lake, Sunny 85 Degrees
We are learning quickly that traveling around requires constant vigilance about regional customs and etiquette. It is just as easy to commit and unintended social faux pau in the United States as it is travelling abroad.
I remember the first time someone called me ma’am. I was in my 30’s, I nearly cried. Growing up in the Midwest “ma’am” was a title reserved for your great aunt or maybe the scary nun at Catholic School. It automatically implied significant age and strict authority over person who uttered the title. In Texas, we learned quickly, ma’am and sir are simple titles of mutual respect and courtesy. It’s more a congenial title, than an implication of decrepitude. Age has nothing to do with it. People call each other ma’am and sir regardless of age dynamics. As long as assign the correct title to the right sex you’re good. I think it is a required prefix to the period at the end of spoken sentences in Texas. After some time, I started to feel like I was perceived as a little disrespectful toward others if I didn’t end a response with it. It’s simply a part of the warm, friendly way of Texans. After two winters there it comes quite naturally to me to use the terms.
When we first arrived back in Iowa this spring I was checking out at the grocery store and out of my mouth came, “Thank you ma’am, ya’ll have a nice day” Sounds fine when you say it in Texas. In Iowa? Not so much. The checker visibly bristled. I wondered if it was the first time she had been called that or if it was because she was about my age and thought I perceived her as older. Either way, I knew I had stepped in it, by Iowa cultural standards. Stiff ole’ northerners.
Another one is talking to strangers. In Texas a short grocery line is one that has less than 10 people in front of you. In Texas people stand in the line and merrily chat about whatever comes up. It’s almost pleasant to stand in line. I’ve seen people get to talking and end up exchanging numbers or sharing Pinterest stuff. It’s an incredibly friendly place compared to Iowa in those terms. People go out of their way not to talk to each other in my home state. Look at a long line in Iowa and you will see people standing around sighing, glued to their smart phones or staring into space. If they say anything to each other at all, it is just to complain about the wait and how the store doesn’t have enough help.
Just for fun the other day, I was standing in line a JoAnn’s Fabrics, a store famous nation wide for their long waits at the cashier, since they never have enough help. I started trying to engage the woman ahead of me, about her upcoming project and she looked at me like I was from Mars and physically turned her back on me. I smiled at the woman ahead of her who was witnessing this horror and she fixated on her phone and made it a point not to make eye contact with me, for fear I would do something awful like try to visit with her or maybe eat her children.
It’s a matter of culture. I’ve lived in three different states and I decided a long time ago that Iowa culture is anything but warm and friendly compared to other parts of the county. I hate to diss my home state but it’s true. Maybe we’re all just trying to cope with our crazy extreme weather. Maybe it’s the stiff Scandinavian heritage, or remnants of tough depression era farm life only two generations past. Whatever it is, I think I’ll keep chatting in line at the grocery store just for the amusement. Who knows maybe I can single handedly start a cultural shift in my home state!
Ya’ll have a nice day!
Until tomorrow…
We are learning quickly that traveling around requires constant vigilance about regional customs and etiquette. It is just as easy to commit and unintended social faux pau in the United States as it is travelling abroad.
I remember the first time someone called me ma’am. I was in my 30’s, I nearly cried. Growing up in the Midwest “ma’am” was a title reserved for your great aunt or maybe the scary nun at Catholic School. It automatically implied significant age and strict authority over person who uttered the title. In Texas, we learned quickly, ma’am and sir are simple titles of mutual respect and courtesy. It’s more a congenial title, than an implication of decrepitude. Age has nothing to do with it. People call each other ma’am and sir regardless of age dynamics. As long as assign the correct title to the right sex you’re good. I think it is a required prefix to the period at the end of spoken sentences in Texas. After some time, I started to feel like I was perceived as a little disrespectful toward others if I didn’t end a response with it. It’s simply a part of the warm, friendly way of Texans. After two winters there it comes quite naturally to me to use the terms.
When we first arrived back in Iowa this spring I was checking out at the grocery store and out of my mouth came, “Thank you ma’am, ya’ll have a nice day” Sounds fine when you say it in Texas. In Iowa? Not so much. The checker visibly bristled. I wondered if it was the first time she had been called that or if it was because she was about my age and thought I perceived her as older. Either way, I knew I had stepped in it, by Iowa cultural standards. Stiff ole’ northerners.
Another one is talking to strangers. In Texas a short grocery line is one that has less than 10 people in front of you. In Texas people stand in the line and merrily chat about whatever comes up. It’s almost pleasant to stand in line. I’ve seen people get to talking and end up exchanging numbers or sharing Pinterest stuff. It’s an incredibly friendly place compared to Iowa in those terms. People go out of their way not to talk to each other in my home state. Look at a long line in Iowa and you will see people standing around sighing, glued to their smart phones or staring into space. If they say anything to each other at all, it is just to complain about the wait and how the store doesn’t have enough help.
Just for fun the other day, I was standing in line a JoAnn’s Fabrics, a store famous nation wide for their long waits at the cashier, since they never have enough help. I started trying to engage the woman ahead of me, about her upcoming project and she looked at me like I was from Mars and physically turned her back on me. I smiled at the woman ahead of her who was witnessing this horror and she fixated on her phone and made it a point not to make eye contact with me, for fear I would do something awful like try to visit with her or maybe eat her children.
It’s a matter of culture. I’ve lived in three different states and I decided a long time ago that Iowa culture is anything but warm and friendly compared to other parts of the county. I hate to diss my home state but it’s true. Maybe we’re all just trying to cope with our crazy extreme weather. Maybe it’s the stiff Scandinavian heritage, or remnants of tough depression era farm life only two generations past. Whatever it is, I think I’ll keep chatting in line at the grocery store just for the amusement. Who knows maybe I can single handedly start a cultural shift in my home state!
Ya’ll have a nice day!
Until tomorrow…
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Day 95 / 270 Red Feather Prairie
Saylorville Lake Sunny 75 Degrees
I started my Sunday morning doing my favorite thing. Going outside and just being present. After a busy Saturday of socializing I was ready for some alone time. I needed to go to Red Feather Prairie and take some pictures for the feature story in the newsletter that I write for the lake. It turned into one of the best birding excursions I’ve had on my own.
I set out this morning about 7:30 with my camera bag and binoculars. The brilliant morning sun was rising above the eastern tree line giving perfect lighting for photography. At 62 degrees being outside was inviting and pleasant after 10 days of oppressive heat and humidity. The birds agreed.
Red Feather Prairie is a special place in central Iowa. Having camped here for over a decade, I didn’t even know it existed till last year when we began volunteering for the park. I simply didn’t notice it when all I wanted to do was sit by the campfire or go out on the lake in our boat. It boasts 4 specific habitats. Native Prairie, Oak Savannah, Wetlands and Timber all nestled against the eastern shoreline of Saylorville. The variety of wildlife that call this place home is astonishing.
As I set out on the trail I saw the Henslow’s Sparrow for the second time in my birding life and photographed it for the first time. The bird’s numbers are declining rapidly and this is one of the few places it can be seen. As I walked along the trail past the first of several wetland habitats that dot the area I could hear the wind blowing through the giant Cottonwoods. It was a soothing sound that reminded me more of water rushing over a fall, than wind blowing through leaves. People passed me on their early morning bike rides or jogs and I took my time. As I made my way down a narrow trail from main path to the lake shore I flushed out a male wild turkey who was resting in the tall grass. Within arms length of each other, neither one of us was too concerned about the other, but he moved into the tress just in case.
I realized toward the end of my 2-hour visit that I am hearing birds before I see them. I recorded 23 species, from shore birds to grassland birds, the most I have ever done without an experienced birder with me. I wonder if that means I’m becoming an experienced birder? I’ll put my list from this morning at the end with some pictures.
I get very philosophical and contemplative on mornings like this. I marvel at the beauty of nature and feel somewhat ashamed that I lived most of my life in the shadow of this place without even knowing it existed. As we work in different areas and put our efforts into preserving and sharing these kinds of places with others, I become more passionate by the day about teaching others an appreciation for slowing down from their busy life to notice how beautiful the world is when you get away from the concrete, high rises and fast pace of the urban areas where most of us live. With a little luck maybe after spending some time with me, they will think twice about throwing out an old chair, when it could be fixed or maybe toss a can into the recycling bin instead of the trash, knowing they are doing their small part to keep the world clean and beautiful. When people visit me at Saylorville, this is the place I long to bring them and hope to instill a deeper appreciation for the environment and the wonder of watching animals go about their life in these tiny slivers of natural habitat that we have left in between our modern world. It’s hard for me to explain but I think it’s about as close to the abstract thought of god that this unapologetic atheist can get. With my cortisol levels low, and my spirit souring I came back to my patio to try to put my thoughts into worlds and share my morning with you.
Until tomorrow…
6.3.18 Red Feather Prairie
In order of sighting:
Henslow’s Sparrow, Red Winged Black Bird, Dicksissel , Eastern Kingbird, Blue Heron , Baltimore Oriole , Widgeon , Turkey Vulture , Wild Turkey, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Robin, Field Sparrow , Indigo Bunting, Lark Sparrow, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Western Meadowlark, Eastern Phoebe , Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black Capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird , Dark Eyed Junco.
[gallery ids="869,868,867,866,865"]
I started my Sunday morning doing my favorite thing. Going outside and just being present. After a busy Saturday of socializing I was ready for some alone time. I needed to go to Red Feather Prairie and take some pictures for the feature story in the newsletter that I write for the lake. It turned into one of the best birding excursions I’ve had on my own.
I set out this morning about 7:30 with my camera bag and binoculars. The brilliant morning sun was rising above the eastern tree line giving perfect lighting for photography. At 62 degrees being outside was inviting and pleasant after 10 days of oppressive heat and humidity. The birds agreed.
Red Feather Prairie is a special place in central Iowa. Having camped here for over a decade, I didn’t even know it existed till last year when we began volunteering for the park. I simply didn’t notice it when all I wanted to do was sit by the campfire or go out on the lake in our boat. It boasts 4 specific habitats. Native Prairie, Oak Savannah, Wetlands and Timber all nestled against the eastern shoreline of Saylorville. The variety of wildlife that call this place home is astonishing.
As I set out on the trail I saw the Henslow’s Sparrow for the second time in my birding life and photographed it for the first time. The bird’s numbers are declining rapidly and this is one of the few places it can be seen. As I walked along the trail past the first of several wetland habitats that dot the area I could hear the wind blowing through the giant Cottonwoods. It was a soothing sound that reminded me more of water rushing over a fall, than wind blowing through leaves. People passed me on their early morning bike rides or jogs and I took my time. As I made my way down a narrow trail from main path to the lake shore I flushed out a male wild turkey who was resting in the tall grass. Within arms length of each other, neither one of us was too concerned about the other, but he moved into the tress just in case.
I realized toward the end of my 2-hour visit that I am hearing birds before I see them. I recorded 23 species, from shore birds to grassland birds, the most I have ever done without an experienced birder with me. I wonder if that means I’m becoming an experienced birder? I’ll put my list from this morning at the end with some pictures.
I get very philosophical and contemplative on mornings like this. I marvel at the beauty of nature and feel somewhat ashamed that I lived most of my life in the shadow of this place without even knowing it existed. As we work in different areas and put our efforts into preserving and sharing these kinds of places with others, I become more passionate by the day about teaching others an appreciation for slowing down from their busy life to notice how beautiful the world is when you get away from the concrete, high rises and fast pace of the urban areas where most of us live. With a little luck maybe after spending some time with me, they will think twice about throwing out an old chair, when it could be fixed or maybe toss a can into the recycling bin instead of the trash, knowing they are doing their small part to keep the world clean and beautiful. When people visit me at Saylorville, this is the place I long to bring them and hope to instill a deeper appreciation for the environment and the wonder of watching animals go about their life in these tiny slivers of natural habitat that we have left in between our modern world. It’s hard for me to explain but I think it’s about as close to the abstract thought of god that this unapologetic atheist can get. With my cortisol levels low, and my spirit souring I came back to my patio to try to put my thoughts into worlds and share my morning with you.
Until tomorrow…
6.3.18 Red Feather Prairie
In order of sighting:
Henslow’s Sparrow, Red Winged Black Bird, Dicksissel , Eastern Kingbird, Blue Heron , Baltimore Oriole , Widgeon , Turkey Vulture , Wild Turkey, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Robin, Field Sparrow , Indigo Bunting, Lark Sparrow, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Western Meadowlark, Eastern Phoebe , Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black Capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird , Dark Eyed Junco.
[gallery ids="869,868,867,866,865"]
Friday, June 1, 2018
Day 93 / 272
Saylorville Lake Sunny 92 Degrees
We have AC again, sort of. The bitch about electrical machines is that when one component goes bad it often makes other components week and you start this domino effect of failures. New compressor fan motor went back in, they fired up the AC and after about 3 minutes, the second phase of the compressor crapped out. Sigh…. The good news is while we wait to have that piece fixed, Zack worked is HVAC magic, bypassed the second phase and it is running in first stage. Since I scared Champ into buying the table top unit last week, between the two cooling units, the motor home is comfortable. We are making progress. The best news is we will have highs in the upper 70's for a few days after we bake one more day today.
In case you haven’t noticed from my stories, being full-time is sort of like being retiring. Instead of sitting in the lawn chair lazing one’s way through one’s golden years, we often get busier than ever! Summers are like that for us when we are back among friends and family. The weekends are filling up quickly. I have a day off my part time job today and am like an ant scurrying around getting little tasks done. Now that the RV isn’t 90 degrees inside I’m working on the laundry that has piled up considerably, despite doing a giant bachelor’s load at my daughters last weekend.
My other task is over hauling my pantry in preparation for my upcoming food intake changes. Champ is outside installing the hitch we bought for my Equinox, so we can move our pontoon boat around without borrowing trucks from friends and family. That was a change we still hadn’t addressed since selling the truck that pulled our 5th wheel before we bought the motor home last fall.
I am looking forward to my friend’s daughter returning from her semester abroad in Malta. I have known this kid since she was 3 and still can’t get my head around the idea that she is an adult who can enjoy a glass of wine with me while she tells me all about her 4-month life altering adventure. With 2 weddings, a tropical vacation and countless weekends with grandkids spending the night ahead, I am really getting in the swing of what will be a lightening fast summer before we leave in late October.
Back to my self-imposed honey-do list.
Until tomorrow…
We have AC again, sort of. The bitch about electrical machines is that when one component goes bad it often makes other components week and you start this domino effect of failures. New compressor fan motor went back in, they fired up the AC and after about 3 minutes, the second phase of the compressor crapped out. Sigh…. The good news is while we wait to have that piece fixed, Zack worked is HVAC magic, bypassed the second phase and it is running in first stage. Since I scared Champ into buying the table top unit last week, between the two cooling units, the motor home is comfortable. We are making progress. The best news is we will have highs in the upper 70's for a few days after we bake one more day today.
In case you haven’t noticed from my stories, being full-time is sort of like being retiring. Instead of sitting in the lawn chair lazing one’s way through one’s golden years, we often get busier than ever! Summers are like that for us when we are back among friends and family. The weekends are filling up quickly. I have a day off my part time job today and am like an ant scurrying around getting little tasks done. Now that the RV isn’t 90 degrees inside I’m working on the laundry that has piled up considerably, despite doing a giant bachelor’s load at my daughters last weekend.
My other task is over hauling my pantry in preparation for my upcoming food intake changes. Champ is outside installing the hitch we bought for my Equinox, so we can move our pontoon boat around without borrowing trucks from friends and family. That was a change we still hadn’t addressed since selling the truck that pulled our 5th wheel before we bought the motor home last fall.
I am looking forward to my friend’s daughter returning from her semester abroad in Malta. I have known this kid since she was 3 and still can’t get my head around the idea that she is an adult who can enjoy a glass of wine with me while she tells me all about her 4-month life altering adventure. With 2 weddings, a tropical vacation and countless weekends with grandkids spending the night ahead, I am really getting in the swing of what will be a lightening fast summer before we leave in late October.
Back to my self-imposed honey-do list.
Until tomorrow…
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