We never would have guessed...

We never would have guessed when we started on this adventure how many experiences and new friends would come our way.
We started last fall to head to our first gig in the Texas hill country. A beautiful area.  A different beauty than what we were used to, but beautiful in it's own way.
While working there, we became neighbors with John and Barb Eppler, another workamper couple.

Christmas day, we started heading to our next gig in the Florida panhandle.

Taking a few days to decompress before starting our new job, we made a stop in New Orleans to see Matt and Carrie, the nearly weds!  As always, time with them was too short.

We arrived in Blountstown Florida to such devastation from Hurricane Michael.

If you've never seen how destructive the force of a hurricane can be, it will take your breath away.  Trees toppled every direction you looked.  Homes and businesses blown apart. Blue tarps covering almost every roof you see.

We knew that we would be needed at the Pioneer Settlement.  Not for the skills we thought they would need, but for other skills we possessed.

This collection of historic buildings, had literally, been blown to bits by the hurricane.  They too, were part of the "blue tarp nation".  Walls blown out, roofs ripped off, buildings off kilter.  And the trees!  Once, when you walked into the settlement, the proud southern pines stood sentinel over this idyllic location.  Now they were gone.  Snapped like toothpicks. Littering every part of the settlement.  Some blocking your path.  Some through roofs.  Some laying down like the wounded.  The smell of pine pitch permeated the air.

The work to be done was overwhelming. There was not one building that didn't need fixing.  But, the man " upstairs" knew who would be needed to bring the settlement back to life.  Roofers, carpenters, electricians, office people, computer people, groundskeepers, gardeners, cleaners, the list goes on.

Each of the workampers brought a skill that was needed to see past the destruction, see to the future.

We learned what everyone's skill set was and how best to utilize those skills.

Below you will see pictures of these people that we proudly call friends.  

The founders of the settlement (who are in their 80's!) were there, working alongside those of us who wanted to see hope, once again, in their eyes.

God speed to these amazing people.  See you in the fall.

Everything old is new again

We've been here at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement for almost three weeks.
When we signed up for this volunteer job, we thought it would be a nice fit for us.  I would get to "dress up" and do tours and living history.  Rick would be able to lend a hand with the maintenance end of things.  A good fit for us.
Then Hurricane Michael came along and walloped the Florida Panhandle.  Since the Settlement is about forty miles away from the Gulf Coast, flooding wasn't a big concern.  The destruction here was from the wind.  A category 4 storm packs a powerful punch. And punch it did.  From trees uprooted to roofs blown off to whole homes destroyed. Pictures don't do justice to the aftermath of the storm.
Seeing pictures posted by the Settlement, we weren't sure we would have a place to come to!  When we called, they assured us that yes, they needed our help, now more than ever.
When we arrived, we were overwhelmed by the destruction from the storm.  Every mile that brought us closer showed just how powerful Mother Nature is.
As we walked around the Settlement the day we arrived, we wondered how it would ever be able to come back to the wonderful place it was. A gathering place for the community.  A learning experience for visitors.  Pieces of history preserved for the future.
But a force greater than a hurricane has been at work here.
We, and our fellow workampers, were supposed to be at this place, at this time.
We have six couples currently working.  Everyone brings a certain skill set to the table.  Every one of those skills are needed to bring the Settlement back to life.
As volunteers, we're only required to work ten hours a week to "pay" for our site.  We all laugh at that....we put in many more hours.  But none of us are complaining.  We have a job to do.  We have to see this wonderful place back up and running.
Each day, we can see the difference that we're making.  Is it a slow process? Oh yes it is.  But we close our eyes each night knowing that we're a little bit closer (and a little bit sorer than we were that morning).
It's the most rewarding job we've ever had.

It's that time of year again.  Normally, I'm posting about Christmas preparations, looking forward to having my family around, and all of the cooking and baking that needs to be done.
Not this year.  This year is quite a bit different.  This year, for the first time in almost 40 years (😲), our family Christmas will just be Rick and me!
Christmas traditions are still being upheld.  Special cookies baked.  A loaf of yulekaka (a traditional Norwegian holiday bread), made by my wonderful sister-in-law.  Eating our way through Christmas Eve.
But, it just feels weird. 
This year, there won't be any children or grandchildren scurrying around the house.  The noise level will be turned way down.
We'll miss seeing their faces as they open their gifts.  Hearing the squeals of joy or seeing that look of "oh.  Thanks.  Socks."
We knew when we headed out on our adventure that some things would be different. And they have been.  Not in a bad way, by any means. But definitely an adjustment to the way we had lived our lives. 
This Christmas, we'll literally be on the road, heading towards our next destination.
Rest assured, we'll be thinking of each of you with much love in our hearts.
Life is all about change.  We're experiencing that change every day. We chose to have this adventure, and we're glad we did.
But just remember, even though you're not sitting at our table, each and every one of you are with us.  Not just at Christmas, but every day.
Much love and good wishes to you all!

"Ringling Ringling, slipping away..  only forty people living there today.  The streets are dusty and the bank has been torn down...it's a dying little town."~Jimmy Buffett
In our travels we have been through major cities, small towns, and everything in between.  If you want to see the real life part of our country, get off of the interstate.
Some of the small towns are picturesque.  A Norman Rockwell painting come to life.  People passing on the sidewalk, stopping for conversation, purchasing something from a small Mom and Pop business.
This seems to be more prevalent in the Northeastern part of the country.
As we've traveled through the Southern Plains, the towns are farther apart.  There doesn't seem to be much industry, or much of anything to employ the folks in these towns.  And, truth be told, there isn't.
So many of these small towns are dying.  The town that was once booming has now gone bust.
Folks who can,  have moved on to bigger/better places.  Those who chose to stay watch their town die a bit more every day.
The part of Oklahoma we are in right now was once part of the mighty Chisholm Trail. Ranchers drove their cattle through here to get it to market or to the railroad to ship them back east.  While cattle still seems to be the main economic factor, the means of transporting said cattle no longer requires weeks of a cattle drive.
Now these small towns, once an important link, are nothing but a shell of what they once were.
Someday...the whole town will be nothing but a memory.  Alive only in tales and memories.
Perhaps we were lucky to see them before they're gone forever.

Campgrounds are the same, right?

One thing that we have discovered during our travels is that campgrounds are as varied the folks you meet.
Some are crowded... campers close enough to each other you can join in on your neighbors conversation without ever leaving your camper.  Those campgrounds are usually the "chain" campgrounds.  Think KOA, Good Sam, etc.
In defense of these places, they usually have nice amenities.  Swimming pools, laundry, playgrounds, bikes or kayaks to rent, and a social director who keeps things hopping.
We stay at these types of places if we're not staying very long.
If you're looking for a bit more room to spread out, try looking up your destination on "Recreation.gov".  The Army Corp of Engineers have fabulous sites.  For an average price of $22 a night (as opposed to $45-60 per night at the chains), you get a large site, room between you and your neighbors, and peace and quiet.  If you happen to have a National Park Senior Pass, your price drops to $11 a night!
For us, (turtles who drag their house with them) the COE sites are fabulous.
Now, we realize that some folks idea of camping in staying at a hotel with no room service....and that's fine! But we would rather have our own bed to sleep in each night.  Coffee just the way we like it in the morning.  The sounds of nature lulling us to sleep at night, or birdsong to wake us in the morning.
Creature comforts are wonderful.  We are of an age that tent camping isn't what it used to be for us (think old bones and hard ground!)
Whatever your idea of "getting out there" may be, just get out there!

Wild and Wonderful

Traveling when you're retired is a whole different animal.
When you're employed, you have a limited block of time to get out of town and relax.  We jump in our cars, hop on a plane, or cruise to parts unknown.... knowing that our time is limited.
Traveling, when retired, is a whole different outlook.
Normally, we would have packed up and hit the road.  Driving about eight hours a day. ( If we weren't towing a camper, the day was even longer!). You hurry to where you want to be to relax.  You need the stress of the drive to wash away. 
Our travels, this time, are completely different.  Is there still the stress of driving?  Of course.  There are a lot of stupid people on the road.  But, this time around, our travel days are four to five hours long.  You don't feel that "hurry up and go" that you've known for years.
I guess it's safe to say that we're trying to get used to the "stop and smell the roses" mentality.  It takes some getting used to!
This time, we get to stop and visit with friends and family along the way.  We get to visit places we've always driven past saying "I'd love to stop there someday."
It seems that we've reached that magical "someday"!
We're learning, slowly but surely, to enjoy the ride.

See ya later, alligator!

Tomorrow is the day.  New sights.  New experiences. New chapter in life.
All I can say is "oh boy".
That phrase can be taken many ways.  "Oh boy!!!" Like you're so excited...like Christmas morning or a trip to Disney.
Then there is the "oh boy" when you see flashing red or blue lights in your rear view mirror.
I'm stuck somewhere between the two.  I'm really excited about starting this new chapter.  I'm also terrified.  But, I'm not the first to ever experience these emotions.
Imagine a few hundred years ago.  You pack all you worldly goods into a wagon and head off.  Or perhaps you boarded a ship and travelled across the ocean.  Leaving everything and everyone you knew behind. You have a destination planned, yet it's the stretch from point A to point B that may be a challenge.
Are we up to the challenge?  You bet! 
Of course, like our ancestors, there will undoubtedly be "surprises" along the way.
This is a whole new way of doing things. 
As long as you "expect the unexpected" and keep a good sense of humor, anything is possible!