Work & Play

A personal philosophy is that one should work hard and play hard...and if you are not having fun, go find something else to do!  My time in Ohio has been filled with both and I have been having a great time.  I have met Annie's new friends and most importantly the new man in her life, Dale.  We have been catching a pretty regular workout at "Curves", gone shopping and of course a great cup of java at Caribou coffee.  Most recently was a trip to one of my favorite international grocery stores, Jungle Jim's - 6 acres of international foods from over 50 different countries!  It has also been a time to help out with some "projects" like painting the upstairs room and hallway and I couldn't help but grab the rake and start tackling the leaves outside.  Next Tuesday one of my friends from PA will be arriving for a visit and then it will be off to Muncie for a few weeks.  Time flies when you are having fun!

 

Country Living and a Warm Welcome

One of the wonderful aspects of being home is being able to visit family and friends and gain a glimpse into the lives of those I care about but have not seen in awhile.  Arriving in Ohio was the first time for me to see Annie's new place in the country and to meet her new friends.  She definitely lives in the country in a quaint two-story old farm house that is nestled next to a horse farm.  This view is from her back yard!  A few days after my arrival she had invited some friends over for a bonefire and a time of singing.  Unfortunately it rained that day which put a damper on the outdoor activities but we still ended up having a great time together inside.  What a joy to finally meet the people I have been hearing about for such a long time!

Ride and Drive Challenge Update

My "ride & drive" challenge has slowed down some although I was very tempted in California to ask my great aunt and uncle's neighbor if I could take his combination "road/dirt" bike for a spin.  I did drive a Hyundai Sonata rental car which I was able to put over 1500 miles (2400 km) in just 8 days.  

I am now in Ohio visiting Annie for a few weeks and had the opportunity to go horseback riding with one of her friends.  Here is a picture of Sandy riding one of their mules and I got to ride "Doc".  This was after getting to throw around a few bales of hay and groom the horses!  

Beholding Beauty part 2

Annie and I continued our time in California by visiting Yosemite National Park.  What an amazing place to see and experience!  It seemed that every turn we experienced breath-taking views of Creation from huge mountains of stone, crystal clear streams and so many variety of trees.  

We stopped at the base of "El Capitan" (pictured left) where we were able to look through a telescope with 400x magnification to watch three climbers ascend the face of the mountain.  Amazingly the climb takes 4 days to reach the top!  To see more photos of the spectacular scenery in California, visit my photo album on Facebook.   

 

Beholding Beauty!

Annie arrived Monday evening from Ohio and we spent the first few days of our week hanging out in Morro Bay.  We indulged in my Great Aunt Iva's baking (oh my land can she cook!) and had a wonderful time walking the beach and chasing the seagulls. 

 On Thursday we headed out in the rental car for King's Canyon & Sequoia National Park which is home to the largest trees on earth.  The largest Sequoia is "General Sherman" which is 2,200 years old, weighs 1,385 tons and has a circumference 103 feet!  This tree is nestled in a forest of other Sequoia trees that were absolutely amazing to behold!

 

While traveling through the park, we came across 6 black bears and one 6-point buck who tip-toed away as soon as we got the camera out to take the shot.  

 

2259 Miles and Then Some...

In 16 days my parents and I managed to travel over 2200 miles in the RV to arrive in Morro Bay, California. We have been able to see some amazing landscapes from the plains of Kansas, to the mountains in Colorado and the deserts and ocean in California. We arrived earlier in the week in San Bernardino, CA (home of the first McDonalds and the entrance to Route 66) to visit with my Aunt Judy and enjoyed getting to know others with the Victory Knoll Sisters who minister in the area. From there it was on to visit my great aunt and uncle at their home in Morro Bay where we got to hang out on the beach!

Breathtaking & Inspiring

Our travels out west have been a spectacular display of Creation that has often left us without words to accurately describe the beauty that has surrounded us.  It has truely been a display of glory!  Rather than go into great detail, let me just share a few of those images.  

Bryce Canyon (Utah)

 

 

 Garden of the gods (Colorado)

 Red Canyon (Utah)