Window shopping in Georgetown
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Roamin' our way back to Maryland for the night...this is one of the reasons we don't live in the DC area anymore!!!
We leave for Molokai tomorrow...
We leave for Molokai tomorrow...
12/14/12
12/13/12
December 13, 2012
The Good House
Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls, Virginia
We roamed to my sister Ann Good's house in Great Falls, Virginia this afternoon. The narrow, winding roads and low-hanging trees in Virginia are a bit challenging, to say the least. We always have to be aware of the Roamer's height--11.5 feet.
Did some last minute laundry before we leave for Molokai and shared a lovely dinner with Ann and her husband Steve. We're camping outside their house tonight and enjoying their Christmas lights...especially the multi-colored peppermints and pink flamingos. While "Rudy" can certainly hold his own in the light department, I think he might need a strand or two of pink flamingos next Christmas. They actually sell them for RVs at our new favorite store...Camping World.
Did some last minute laundry before we leave for Molokai and shared a lovely dinner with Ann and her husband Steve. We're camping outside their house tonight and enjoying their Christmas lights...especially the multi-colored peppermints and pink flamingos. While "Rudy" can certainly hold his own in the light department, I think he might need a strand or two of pink flamingos next Christmas. They actually sell them for RVs at our new favorite store...Camping World.
12/12/12
December 12, 2012
Adobe Lightroom 4 Class
Peter Krogh
Kensington, Maryland
Peter Krogh
Kensington, Maryland
We roamed to Kensington, Maryland yesterday and spent the night in Alyson and Peter Krogh's driveway. We were up bright and early to attend Peter's photography class on Lightroom. Peter, author of The DAM Book (Digital Asset Management) is a great photographer and an extraordinary teacher. The class went on from 9:00 to 5:00--our brains are fried but we're inspired!!! The frustrating thing about digital photography is that it's constantly changing. The exciting thing about digital photography is that it's constantly changing. The learning curve is steep sometimes...and I wouldn't have it any other way!
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
Mahatma Gandhi
12/11/12
December 11, 2012
Properly Attired
Reston, Virginia
Reston, Virginia
No roamin' today--just a root canal and a Christmas party..
12/10/12
December 10, 2012
Surf N Suds Laundromat
Reston, Virginia
Reston, Virginia
We are camped out by our storage locker in Reston, Virginia tonight. Today was a work day--catching up on paperwork and e-mails, picking up some items that we had left behind (and trying to find room for them), laundry, etc. We will be in Virginia for 4 action-packed days --a root canal, a photography course, a Christmas party, haircuts, and packing for a 2-week trip to Molokai. No..."Rudy" won't be going with us. He's ready for a break-- 8,600 miles and 25 states in 5 weeks!
12/9/12
December 9, 2012
Attention Walmart shoppers!!! Roamer in aisle one!!!
Barbour, West Virginia
Barbour, West Virginia
We pulled into a truck stop to make a pit stop. As we exited the Roamer we were approached by a young driver who had just parked his red flatbed on the end of the row. He had all the usual Roamer questions--"What is that?" "What do you do with it?" "Do you really live in it?" "What about those tires?" As we wandered into the building I asked him how long he'd been driving a truck. He revealed that he was kind of an ex-Amish. In reality, he really defines himself as a "Modern Amish." He used to be a wood cutter. Ten years ago he decided he wanted to see the country so he left his small town in Ohio and became a truck driver.
He had an infectious smile and a genuine warmth about him. There was sincerity in his eyes. He shared with us what it was like to grow up with no electricity, no TV, no car. Transportation was by horse and buggy and ironically, he was seriously injured as a youth when a truck hit his buggy. He went on to tell us what it was like to be a truck driver. He hauled all kinds of things, from sand to cattle. He was especially proud of the fact that the cattle he delivered to the slaughter house weren't injured in transit. That seemed to be important to him. When he's not on the road, he returns to his roots in Ohio.
After we all used the facilities, we gave him a tour of our home. He invited us to visit his Amish community and take photographs. After we exchanged phone numbers he headed back to his rig for a nap and we got back on the road.
Oddly enough, Steve and I felt some kind of connection with Dave, the ex-Amish truck driver. What was it? Why were we supposed to cross paths with him? Just like Curtis, the blacksmith, we met him for a reason. It was no coincidence. One of the reasons we decided to take this journey in the EarthRoamer was to simplify our lives and get back to what's important. Simple living has been a major tenet of Dave's life. And while we're not ready to give up electricity, the TV or our rig, we have a lot to learn from the amazing people we meet along the way. It's about being present to those seemingly random encounters that enrich our lives in untold ways. We will definitely be going to Ohio.
He had an infectious smile and a genuine warmth about him. There was sincerity in his eyes. He shared with us what it was like to grow up with no electricity, no TV, no car. Transportation was by horse and buggy and ironically, he was seriously injured as a youth when a truck hit his buggy. He went on to tell us what it was like to be a truck driver. He hauled all kinds of things, from sand to cattle. He was especially proud of the fact that the cattle he delivered to the slaughter house weren't injured in transit. That seemed to be important to him. When he's not on the road, he returns to his roots in Ohio.
After we all used the facilities, we gave him a tour of our home. He invited us to visit his Amish community and take photographs. After we exchanged phone numbers he headed back to his rig for a nap and we got back on the road.
Oddly enough, Steve and I felt some kind of connection with Dave, the ex-Amish truck driver. What was it? Why were we supposed to cross paths with him? Just like Curtis, the blacksmith, we met him for a reason. It was no coincidence. One of the reasons we decided to take this journey in the EarthRoamer was to simplify our lives and get back to what's important. Simple living has been a major tenet of Dave's life. And while we're not ready to give up electricity, the TV or our rig, we have a lot to learn from the amazing people we meet along the way. It's about being present to those seemingly random encounters that enrich our lives in untold ways. We will definitely be going to Ohio.
12/8/12
December 8, 2012
Rudy's Room
Manor Grove Nursing Home
St. Louis, Missouri
Manor Grove Nursing Home
St. Louis, Missouri
I approached his room with trepidation, not knowing what to expect. He was sleeping soundly on his back, not in his usual fetal position. Apparently, that's pretty much all he does these days. I looked around his tiny room, the center of his universe now. I saw a TV that's rarely turned off, tuned to The Newlywed Game, a wheelchair, a package of adult diapers. There were some framed photos of family neatly lined up on the window sill, a bulletin board randomly covered with pictures of familiar places, a plastic jack-o-lantern and a small table-top Christmas tree--a few reminders of life as he once knew it.
I stood and watched him sleep for awhile. It's remarkable how good he looks at 91. He's smaller now but he still has a full head of snowy white hair. He didn't stir, even when I made noise. He looked peaceful, not agitated like the last time I saw him. I wondered what he was dreaming about--his Belgian family in Mishawaka, the Navy, Swarthmore College, electrical engineering, his English bride Rosemary, his four daughters, his beloved Michigan...
A stroke is a cruel thing. It has robbed him of his dignity and his quality of life. He can no longer will his body to do what he wants it to do. So he sleeps...
I didn't wake him. I wanted to. I wanted to see if he still knew me. But I didn't want to intrude upon the one place that gives him peace--his dreams. Dad, I hope you're dreaming of Halloween candy, golden retrievers, duck hunting, beach picnics, Point Betsie Lighthouse, Tennessee Ernie Ford, crossword puzzles, "Blame It on Rio," Studebakers..............
As a tribute to my dad, Steve and I have decided to name our Earth Roamer "Rudy."
I stood and watched him sleep for awhile. It's remarkable how good he looks at 91. He's smaller now but he still has a full head of snowy white hair. He didn't stir, even when I made noise. He looked peaceful, not agitated like the last time I saw him. I wondered what he was dreaming about--his Belgian family in Mishawaka, the Navy, Swarthmore College, electrical engineering, his English bride Rosemary, his four daughters, his beloved Michigan...
A stroke is a cruel thing. It has robbed him of his dignity and his quality of life. He can no longer will his body to do what he wants it to do. So he sleeps...
I didn't wake him. I wanted to. I wanted to see if he still knew me. But I didn't want to intrude upon the one place that gives him peace--his dreams. Dad, I hope you're dreaming of Halloween candy, golden retrievers, duck hunting, beach picnics, Point Betsie Lighthouse, Tennessee Ernie Ford, crossword puzzles, "Blame It on Rio," Studebakers..............
As a tribute to my dad, Steve and I have decided to name our Earth Roamer "Rudy."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)