I was asked by http://www.rvparking.com/ to write about Thanksgiving in a camper. Read it at their website.
It was a lot of fun to remember the craziness of our first Thanksgiving in a camper.
Check it out at the above website!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Heading North This Time of Year
Crazy is an adjective used to describe us for numerous reasons. I am about to give you another...
We headed NORTH
a couple weeks ago, to stay in Wisconsin for a month or two.
Yes, you read it right.
We headed NORTH!
This time of year most RVers are heading south to get a spot at the quickly filling campgrounds. There aren't a lot of places to spend a warm winter, so reservations are a good idea.
But, of course, we just couldn't do the norm. Instead, we packed our bags, left our camper behind and made the long trip to northern Wisconsin. You see, it has been six years since I have seen my Grandma and I decided I didn't want to wait another winter. So we winterized our camper, left it at a friends, and headed north. This is the first time away from our home on wheels in over two years.
After three days on the road, in motels, and with family, I told my husband,
"I am never traveling without the camper again!"
It took us sooooo long to get to our destination. On day two we stopped almost every 45 minutes for the 4P's
PEE
POOP
PUKE
OR PLAY
We left a trail of bodily fluids from Missouri to Wisconsin. I have children of all ages, and getting them on a potty cycle is almost impossible. So, we decided to enjoy the trip no matter how long it would take or how gruelling it would be.
The good news is that we found a cabin to rent for a month! It feels so weird to stay in a house again. We actually have privacy and peace and quiet again!
And, with visiting family comes the faithful sicknesses. It seems when ever we visit family we get sick. Why is that!? So we enjoy the cabin while we are cough, snort, and wheeze!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Life gets busy...we must not be blind
Traveling with six kids, trying to home school, and write three books, can sure be time consuming. Back on the road, after staying put for the summer.....life is busy! But, it is a good busy.
After two years on the road, we are finally getting to visit my Grandmother.
We only have two weeks here, so we have to treasure it. But, like with all plans, things change. Upon arrival, we found out two uncles died. One uncle was 88 and died of cancer, while the other was only 53 and his death was quite a surprise.
(This post was written before we rented the cabin)
Our happy vacation turned into a time of mourning and bonding. I brought my grandmother to the viewing of Eugene. The family was sad, but not overly distraught. Eugene was old and ready to be with the Lord. Of course, he left a huge farm with lots of items of value on it. I am hoping greed doesn't divide the family. If everyone will do what is fair and right, things will be fine....
Uncle Orville died too young. He has four children, all adults, but still too young to be without a father. When we got word of his death, we dropped everything. I told my husband that our vacation was over. Our only job was to help the family through this hard time.
You see, I lost my dad when he was 53 also. It was one of the hardest things in my life.
We made a huge salad and tons of enchiladas. I bought paper plates, silverware and cups for them. We brought them to their house. As I walked in, my cousin Sara rushed to me and collapsed in my arms. I'll never forget the sobbing and her body shaking with sadness. This was her daddy that died. Her heart was crushed. I led her to a bedroom and rocked her in my arms. We cried together for a while.
We didn't stay long, in fact, I didn't let the kids come inside. When someone loses a loved one so tragically, it is not time to visit or make it into a family reunion. I held her and comforted her until she was ok, then we left.
Two funerals were not what we wanted to do on our vacation up north. Yet, it is times like this that makes us question our motives for our traveling full time. Yes, we travel to see great sites, spend time as a family, have fun....but are we willing to sacrifice our own plans to help another in need.
We gave up three days of our vacation to help our family. I told my kids, "Are we here for us, or for God."
We helped clean up after the funeral, which took up most of our one of only two Saturdays here. It was the right thing to do, though. People must always come first...before sight seeing, playing, or resting.
It is like the good samaritan....when we see a desperate need,
Do we go on with our plans?
Do we keep driving and say the next person will help?
Do we feel that it is not our responsibility and they wouldn't do it for us?
Sometimes, it is the hard choice that is right. I am not saying all of this to act like we are so great and look how holy and wonderful we are. I write this to remind all of us to
After two years on the road, we are finally getting to visit my Grandmother.
We only have two weeks here, so we have to treasure it. But, like with all plans, things change. Upon arrival, we found out two uncles died. One uncle was 88 and died of cancer, while the other was only 53 and his death was quite a surprise.
(This post was written before we rented the cabin)
Our happy vacation turned into a time of mourning and bonding. I brought my grandmother to the viewing of Eugene. The family was sad, but not overly distraught. Eugene was old and ready to be with the Lord. Of course, he left a huge farm with lots of items of value on it. I am hoping greed doesn't divide the family. If everyone will do what is fair and right, things will be fine....
Uncle Orville died too young. He has four children, all adults, but still too young to be without a father. When we got word of his death, we dropped everything. I told my husband that our vacation was over. Our only job was to help the family through this hard time.
You see, I lost my dad when he was 53 also. It was one of the hardest things in my life.
We made a huge salad and tons of enchiladas. I bought paper plates, silverware and cups for them. We brought them to their house. As I walked in, my cousin Sara rushed to me and collapsed in my arms. I'll never forget the sobbing and her body shaking with sadness. This was her daddy that died. Her heart was crushed. I led her to a bedroom and rocked her in my arms. We cried together for a while.
We didn't stay long, in fact, I didn't let the kids come inside. When someone loses a loved one so tragically, it is not time to visit or make it into a family reunion. I held her and comforted her until she was ok, then we left.
Two funerals were not what we wanted to do on our vacation up north. Yet, it is times like this that makes us question our motives for our traveling full time. Yes, we travel to see great sites, spend time as a family, have fun....but are we willing to sacrifice our own plans to help another in need.
We gave up three days of our vacation to help our family. I told my kids, "Are we here for us, or for God."
We helped clean up after the funeral, which took up most of our one of only two Saturdays here. It was the right thing to do, though. People must always come first...before sight seeing, playing, or resting.
It is like the good samaritan....when we see a desperate need,
Do we go on with our plans?
Do we keep driving and say the next person will help?
Do we feel that it is not our responsibility and they wouldn't do it for us?
Sometimes, it is the hard choice that is right. I am not saying all of this to act like we are so great and look how holy and wonderful we are. I write this to remind all of us to
take the time
love others
give of ourselves when it is inconvenient or difficult
prioritize
I know we have not always made the right choice, or helped when we should have, but we are trying to be thoughtful to those around us and hopefully spread a light, that is not our own, but Christ's.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Fighting Fires!
When we stay at a nice campground, we assume that things are relatively safe. Usually the camphost is friendly and wants us to feel welcome. The bathrooms are somewhat clean, and the sites are acceptable.
But, yet there are dangers at all campgrounds; the mediocre to the best.
Fire. Definately a danger we did not expect to have to deal with.
A volunteer at a campground decided to leave a huge brush fire unattended.
The fire began to spread, out of control, towards our camper and the cabins near by.
My husband and I were on our daily walk, enjoying the pleasant fall temperatures when suddenly our 18 year old son came flying up to us on his ATV.
His frantic voice gave us a clue as to the seriousness of his announcement, "The field is on fire!"
My husband jumped on with Cody and they sped back to the camper. I walked as quickly as I could.
When I arrived, I told Hanna to take the kids to the lodge on the other side of the campground. I got on my ATV and drove to the field behind the trees next to our camper.
I made a quick assessment. There was no way Shae and Cody could put it out by themselves. I asked Shae if he wanted me to ride to the cabins on the other side of the campground to get some men camping there. I hoped to get them before the fire reached the forest tree line on the back side of the field and our camper on the other.
He told me to go.
By the time the men arrived back to the field, Shae and Cody had put almost the entire fire out. A couple of men were able to help finish.
I was astonished. The fire was huge! How did they put it out?
Cody told me later, with awe, "You should have seen dad. He was a crazy man. The fire got to the cedar trees. Dad was standing under one hacking at the tree branches with his shovel. The fire was above him and he just kept going."
Shae told me that when the fire reached the cedar trees on the edge of the forest, he thought it was over, the fire was going to spread to the surrounding national forest. From there it would spread to the lodge and cabins on that side of the camp, (not where the kids were, though), and our camper.
He told me that the winds would change at just the right time. They ran around the perimeter of the fire, with only shovels, trying to put it out.
The camphost showed up with the tractor and took over, making sure it did not flare up again.
I looked at Cody and Shae. They were black from head to foot, both coughing from all the smoke. Cody didn't have regular shoes on, only sandals. He said he didn't have time to get anything else.
Shae told me that if they had been even one minute later, the forest would have burned, it was that close.
All of this happened so fast, that I didn't need to call the fire department. This camp is so rural, that it would have taken too long for them to get there anyways.
With the Lord's help and His strength, the fire was put out, and just in time.
But, yet there are dangers at all campgrounds; the mediocre to the best.
Fire. Definately a danger we did not expect to have to deal with.
A volunteer at a campground decided to leave a huge brush fire unattended.
The fire began to spread, out of control, towards our camper and the cabins near by.
My husband and I were on our daily walk, enjoying the pleasant fall temperatures when suddenly our 18 year old son came flying up to us on his ATV.
His frantic voice gave us a clue as to the seriousness of his announcement, "The field is on fire!"
My husband jumped on with Cody and they sped back to the camper. I walked as quickly as I could.
When I arrived, I told Hanna to take the kids to the lodge on the other side of the campground. I got on my ATV and drove to the field behind the trees next to our camper.
I made a quick assessment. There was no way Shae and Cody could put it out by themselves. I asked Shae if he wanted me to ride to the cabins on the other side of the campground to get some men camping there. I hoped to get them before the fire reached the forest tree line on the back side of the field and our camper on the other.
He told me to go.
By the time the men arrived back to the field, Shae and Cody had put almost the entire fire out. A couple of men were able to help finish.
I was astonished. The fire was huge! How did they put it out?
Cody told me later, with awe, "You should have seen dad. He was a crazy man. The fire got to the cedar trees. Dad was standing under one hacking at the tree branches with his shovel. The fire was above him and he just kept going."
Shae told me that when the fire reached the cedar trees on the edge of the forest, he thought it was over, the fire was going to spread to the surrounding national forest. From there it would spread to the lodge and cabins on that side of the camp, (not where the kids were, though), and our camper.
He told me that the winds would change at just the right time. They ran around the perimeter of the fire, with only shovels, trying to put it out.
The camphost showed up with the tractor and took over, making sure it did not flare up again.
I looked at Cody and Shae. They were black from head to foot, both coughing from all the smoke. Cody didn't have regular shoes on, only sandals. He said he didn't have time to get anything else.
Shae told me that if they had been even one minute later, the forest would have burned, it was that close.
All of this happened so fast, that I didn't need to call the fire department. This camp is so rural, that it would have taken too long for them to get there anyways.
With the Lord's help and His strength, the fire was put out, and just in time.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Staying on track...Remembering why we travel.
When we first decided to sell our home and travel full time, we made numerous lists.
We get distracted with so many different things such as too much sight seeing, continual chores that never seem to end, computer, tv, work, etc. It is not that these things are bad in themselves, it is that anything can be done at the wrong time, too often, or not enough.
The other day I looked at our list of goals we made when we first decided to do this trip. I wouldn't change much. In fact, I need to remind myself more often the reasons why we did this trip. Writing a list and putting it in the bathroom will be the best reminder for everyone. Any time I want the family to learn something, Spanish, Latin, bible verses, I put them on the bathroom wall. It is a captive audience!
- Pros
- Cons
- Budget
- Where we want to go
- Goals
We get distracted with so many different things such as too much sight seeing, continual chores that never seem to end, computer, tv, work, etc. It is not that these things are bad in themselves, it is that anything can be done at the wrong time, too often, or not enough.
The other day I looked at our list of goals we made when we first decided to do this trip. I wouldn't change much. In fact, I need to remind myself more often the reasons why we did this trip. Writing a list and putting it in the bathroom will be the best reminder for everyone. Any time I want the family to learn something, Spanish, Latin, bible verses, I put them on the bathroom wall. It is a captive audience!
Friday, September 24, 2010
My memories of kayaking Lake Wappapelo, pregnant!
Lake Wappapelo, in Southeast Missouri was a great place to stay. It is one of those few areas that we would consider moving to when we are ready to settle down. The small town, self-sufficient, not a suburb, was very appealing to us. But, since this is the kayaking article, I best stick to that subject and not go on a rabbit chase.
The lake is quite beautiful and has good fishing. Shae, Cody and Hanna went on an exploration kayaking trip around the lake. The air temperature was pretty cold, so no swimming.
The next day we took the kayaks to the spillway for the reservoir.
I was very pregnant with Tytus at the time, but decided I would take a quick spin anyway. Those of you who know me know that I can be very adventurous. I climbed in, with a lot of difficulty since my belly was huge! Josie decided she wanted to ride with me. She climbed in and we headed out. I didn’t get too far from the shore in case we tipped over.
Fisherman dotted the shoreline, some catching fish, others not.
Seeing the spillway and enjoying the water from a kayak is a wonderful way to enjoy God’s creation. There is something special, peaceful sitting on top of the water; no waves, quiet, no rushing or appointments.
He grabbed little Josie and set her on shore. I, on the other hand, was not as easy. Sitting so low in the kayak coupled with the water being much lower than the rocky shore, made for a bad combination. I put my left leg out of the kayak and realized that there was no way my large, pregnant body was going to follow.
The police officer, sitting in his car, near the shore, looked at me like I was crazy as I attempted to boost myself out of the kayak, with no success.
I had Cody grab my left forearm. He pulled as I pushed with my right.
Legs flailing, arms grasping, loud grunting, my dress flying up, are just a few of the actions of the moment!
I noticed the police officer looked away politely as my legs flew up and my dress slipped past my knees. I think I would have rather had him come help me, though!
(This story actually took place in the spring of 09. I am going back in time to tell some of our earlier stories. Hope you enjoy!)
The lake is quite beautiful and has good fishing. Shae, Cody and Hanna went on an exploration kayaking trip around the lake. The air temperature was pretty cold, so no swimming.
The next day we took the kayaks to the spillway for the reservoir.
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| Spillway of Lake Wappapelo, Missouri |
Fisherman dotted the shoreline, some catching fish, others not.
Seeing the spillway and enjoying the water from a kayak is a wonderful way to enjoy God’s creation. There is something special, peaceful sitting on top of the water; no waves, quiet, no rushing or appointments.
Josie got a little antsy and wiggly, so I decided I better get to shore before she tipped all three of us over; her, me, and sweet baby in my belly! I paddled to a little inlet where I thought we could disembark. Cody, my 17 year old was nearby so I hollered to him for some help.
The police officer, sitting in his car, near the shore, looked at me like I was crazy as I attempted to boost myself out of the kayak, with no success.
I had Cody grab my left forearm. He pulled as I pushed with my right.
Legs flailing, arms grasping, loud grunting, my dress flying up, are just a few of the actions of the moment!
I noticed the police officer looked away politely as my legs flew up and my dress slipped past my knees. I think I would have rather had him come help me, though!
With absolutely no grace and complete embarrassment, I got out of the kayak and on to shore, vowing not to get back in the kayak until after the baby was born.
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| Shae had two kids for a ride in his kayak. |
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| Cody and Hanna tried to ride together. It was so funny as they almost tipper over - over and over again. |
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| Gabriel thought he discovered a new island and named it the "Island of Pine". He got to be a real explorer, and THAT is one of the many reasons we do this trip, so our kids can do amazing things. |
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How Do Eight People Use One Bathroom?
Many people want to know...."What about the bathroom, for all of you?"
We have six kids and have been living in the camper for 2 years now.
I think it would be great to have a second, though. I do not use bath houses at campgrounds. My thought is, this is my home, I wouldn't go to the neighbor's to go potty, why go to the bathhouse. The amount of time it would take me to run 4 small children back and forth to the bathhouse would be ridiculous. I don't like my older daughter using them alone, too many weird-os out there.
My son and husband use them some, but not a lot.
Cody, my 17 yr old, dumps the sewage tank every four days, sometimes we can push it to five.
There is a pecking order to the potty
1. me, when I was pregnant and now our little wee one potty training
2. our 3 yr old daughter
3. our girls, the boys can pee outside if need be
4. our 6 yr old son
5. me, when I am not pregnant
6. dad and our oldest son
Now, when dad is going in to the bathroom, everyone else better hurry up and go first. He may be awhile.
No reading in there, or at least not any longer than how long it takes you to go, except for dad.
We did put a lock on the inside, up high so the little ones can't reach it. We have tried signs that say occupied or empty, but they didn't work, our little ones kept tearing them down.
Privacy is horrible, though! If someone makes a sound in there...everyone can hear it. Giggles fill the room when daddy goes in. He is so loud and the kids think it is so hilariously disgusting!
A little secret, turn on the tv or music for cover noise when in the potty. I don't know if my husband realizes that is why I put Jimmy Kimmel on the tv for a few minutes later at night!!!
Another problem, not to get crude, but the stink can spread quickly. We always turn the bathroom fan on.
Our sink and shower are seperate from the toilet which is nice.
I cut a shower curtain in half and put hooks through the holes. The hooks hang over the side of the shower. They can be moved around the door to cover the shower for more privacy.
Happy camping!
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| Shae, hubby, cleaning out toilet with our drinking water hose??? I hope not! |
We have six kids and have been living in the camper for 2 years now.
One bathroom!
My son and husband use them some, but not a lot.
Cody, my 17 yr old, dumps the sewage tank every four days, sometimes we can push it to five.
 |
| We figure Cody must like toilets after we found him drinking from this one at the Discovery Center |
There is a pecking order to the potty
1. me, when I was pregnant and now our little wee one potty training
2. our 3 yr old daughter
3. our girls, the boys can pee outside if need be
4. our 6 yr old son
5. me, when I am not pregnant
6. dad and our oldest son
Now, when dad is going in to the bathroom, everyone else better hurry up and go first. He may be awhile.
No reading in there, or at least not any longer than how long it takes you to go, except for dad.
We did put a lock on the inside, up high so the little ones can't reach it. We have tried signs that say occupied or empty, but they didn't work, our little ones kept tearing them down.
Privacy is horrible, though! If someone makes a sound in there...everyone can hear it. Giggles fill the room when daddy goes in. He is so loud and the kids think it is so hilariously disgusting!
A little secret, turn on the tv or music for cover noise when in the potty. I don't know if my husband realizes that is why I put Jimmy Kimmel on the tv for a few minutes later at night!!!
Another problem, not to get crude, but the stink can spread quickly. We always turn the bathroom fan on.
Our sink and shower are seperate from the toilet which is nice.
I cut a shower curtain in half and put hooks through the holes. The hooks hang over the side of the shower. They can be moved around the door to cover the shower for more privacy.
 |
| This was no doubt one of the grossest times on our trip. The poo overflowed in the dump station and our own turds were floating across the road! I was pregnant and got out of the truck to see what was going on, I almost puked. It was so unbelievably disgusting, I am cringing now, two years later, just thinking about it! |
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| It was quite unpleasant when the sewer hose ran under our stairway! Everyone had to be careful not to trip on our poo! For more stories about poo and other (fecal) matter, read my son's article "Into the Depths" |
Happy camping!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sometimes I don't think I can do this anymore....
I about lost it. Sometimes I don't think I can live in a camper anymore. I don't have these days very often. Just every now and then. If I can get through those moments, hours, or days, I will be fine. Endurance....it is very hard sometimes.
It has been two years on the road now. Traveling has been wonderful, yet I miss having a home sometimes.
Trying to get all of our stuff, for eight people, and live in a 8'X42' box is so hard. I have been working at it for over two years, from when we bought our camper. About two weeks ago, I walked into our back room and said, "I give up, it is impossible. Eight people cannot live in 42'. So, it can be messy, cluttered, and some things can break, and I'm ok with that." I can't fix it. I try and try. I purchase different storage shelves, change things around, pack up some items while purchasing others all in an effort to make our life better in this home on wheels. I finally realized that no matter what I do, I cannot do it! It is actually a good place to be, in my heart that is. I spend too much time trying to live in an impossible situation.
I have found that in my moments of greatest weakness, God moves the most. When I am trying to fix, change, manage, and do, I tend to fail at some level if not all levels. Am I saying that I don't have to do anything? God will sort my laundry and change diapers? No, I am talking about my striving and having no peace in the midst of such abundant blessings. Yes, I am preaching to myself right now. It is so easy to get caught up in the here and now, the immediate need of the moment and lose the eternal value of the day.
My one year old tried to go in the back room two days ago. He couldn't even walk because of all the "stuff". It is all really wonderful "stuff" mind you, but still too much of it! If we had a house, it wouldn't be much at all. In a camper, not much is a whole lot of "stuff". I lost it. That is it! Walmart was my destination and nothing would stop me. I bravely jumped in the van with my 17 year old son and 1 year old son. Everyone could sense that mama had reached the end. I bought a bunch of plastic containers of all sizes, crammed them in the van and headed back, after paying of course.
Everyone had to sort, again, and try to take out as much as possible. One of the main reasons we sold our home and gave away or sold most of what we owned was so we would not be so bound to material things. Yet, here we are, once again, spending all of our time maintaining our "stuff".
NO MORE!
I have to admit, it was not easy. It was like I was packing away some of my dreams. I thought that I would have more time to paint, draw, craft, sew, cook, etc, with my kids. I brought lots of projects I had hoped to finally get done, thinking I would have more time. This is not the case. So, as quickly as possible, I passed the boxes to Cody, who crammed them in the van. It was a lot of hard work for everyone, and sad in some respects.
I know, though. all those things are just things. I want to see my kids hike mountains, kayak rivers, meet amazing people, learn the history of this wonderful country.
We will do those projects some day...or not....
But, I do know that I am ok...my kids are ok....and the earth will still revolve with out all of our "stuff".
It has been two years on the road now. Traveling has been wonderful, yet I miss having a home sometimes.
Trying to get all of our stuff, for eight people, and live in a 8'X42' box is so hard. I have been working at it for over two years, from when we bought our camper. About two weeks ago, I walked into our back room and said, "I give up, it is impossible. Eight people cannot live in 42'. So, it can be messy, cluttered, and some things can break, and I'm ok with that." I can't fix it. I try and try. I purchase different storage shelves, change things around, pack up some items while purchasing others all in an effort to make our life better in this home on wheels. I finally realized that no matter what I do, I cannot do it! It is actually a good place to be, in my heart that is. I spend too much time trying to live in an impossible situation.
I have found that in my moments of greatest weakness, God moves the most. When I am trying to fix, change, manage, and do, I tend to fail at some level if not all levels. Am I saying that I don't have to do anything? God will sort my laundry and change diapers? No, I am talking about my striving and having no peace in the midst of such abundant blessings. Yes, I am preaching to myself right now. It is so easy to get caught up in the here and now, the immediate need of the moment and lose the eternal value of the day.
My one year old tried to go in the back room two days ago. He couldn't even walk because of all the "stuff". It is all really wonderful "stuff" mind you, but still too much of it! If we had a house, it wouldn't be much at all. In a camper, not much is a whole lot of "stuff". I lost it. That is it! Walmart was my destination and nothing would stop me. I bravely jumped in the van with my 17 year old son and 1 year old son. Everyone could sense that mama had reached the end. I bought a bunch of plastic containers of all sizes, crammed them in the van and headed back, after paying of course.
Everyone had to sort, again, and try to take out as much as possible. One of the main reasons we sold our home and gave away or sold most of what we owned was so we would not be so bound to material things. Yet, here we are, once again, spending all of our time maintaining our "stuff".
NO MORE!
I have to admit, it was not easy. It was like I was packing away some of my dreams. I thought that I would have more time to paint, draw, craft, sew, cook, etc, with my kids. I brought lots of projects I had hoped to finally get done, thinking I would have more time. This is not the case. So, as quickly as possible, I passed the boxes to Cody, who crammed them in the van. It was a lot of hard work for everyone, and sad in some respects.
I know, though. all those things are just things. I want to see my kids hike mountains, kayak rivers, meet amazing people, learn the history of this wonderful country.
We will do those projects some day...or not....
But, I do know that I am ok...my kids are ok....and the earth will still revolve with out all of our "stuff".
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A Day Like Today Makes it All Worth It
As I have said before, this lifestyle is not for everyone and for us, with six kids, it is not an easy one. But, days like today make it all worth it.
I enjoyed a long walk and swim today. It was amazing. The family went to the pool this afternoon and we had a blast.
Hanna tried driving for the first time. She has her permit now. It went pretty good, lots to learn.
If we had a house, we would not be here, right now.
Sometimes I want a home so bad, but then I take a deep breath, thank God for my life, and enjoy my day. I didn't feel that way today, though. Today was wonderful.
I enjoyed a long walk and swim today. It was amazing. The family went to the pool this afternoon and we had a blast.
Hanna tried driving for the first time. She has her permit now. It went pretty good, lots to learn.
If we had a house, we would not be here, right now.
Sometimes I want a home so bad, but then I take a deep breath, thank God for my life, and enjoy my day. I didn't feel that way today, though. Today was wonderful.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wild, Dangerous Beasts are Everywhere!
One of my bigger problems is all of the dangerous animals we encounter in our travels. I have kids of all ages and it seems that most places we go they are like bait.
Last year we spent the winter in central and south Florida. I couldn't believe all of the alligators! They were everywhere. One campground had a pond in it, and guess who lived there? Yes, an alligator!
The parks we walked in and playgrounds we played in had signs everywhere that said to beware of alligators! Why in the world have they not killed them or at least relocated them? Kids run right by those ponds every day!
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| This sign is found on the way into the Florida Keys! |
Then, of course, there were the sharks in the ocean. I have never let my kids watch Jaws, and never will. We had a lot of fun playing in the surf and kayaking the waves. Cody got a little freaked once when he saw something swim by him in a wave, while he was on the kayak.
Cody on his kayak at Playa Linda, Florida
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| I actually paid to hold an alligator! I rested it on by pregnant belly. The kids thought I was crazy! But then they did it, too! |
We can't seem to get away from snakes. I grew up in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Nothing deadly can live up there, except bears, lymes disease carring wood ticks, and millions of mosquitos. But, when I was a kids I didn't even really notice them. Up there, though, no poisonous snakes. I could walk through a swamp and not even worry about it.
Living in Missouri, I have had to get used to copperheads. We had 13 on our property one year! We saw one in northeast Kansas, in Marysville. It got real close to Shae and Josie. Shae was so mad at it, he chased it down the hill with a tree branch, trying to kill it!
There was one, huge rattlesnake at Superstition Mt. near Phoenix. He was right on the side of the trail, all coiled up. Nasty thing.
Heading into South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana brought a whole nother' level of beast. Mountain Lions are down right evil. I hate the way they watch us at the zoo. Then the black bears, grizzlys, and moose, sure keep us on our toes. I remember hiking in Glacier National Park. We all sang, "This is the Day", clapped our hands, rang bells, carried bear spray, and stayed together as we walked to see an amazing water fall.
While at Yosemite, we giggled that the sign said to not even leave food in the open because bears will break into our cars!
We did see a grizzly and two black bears at Glacier National Park. I was thankful we were in our van, but just in awe of those magnificent creatures. Now, if I had been on foot, it would have been another story!
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| A grizzly at Glacier National Park |
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| A black bear at a bear encounter in Bozeman Montana. |
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| A black bear at Glacier National Park eating huckleberries. |
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| Black bear in Glacier National Park |
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| Yummy huckleberries |
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| Grizzly at bear encounter |
Since being in Missouri, we have killed 3 rattlesnakes and two or three copperheads! I can't believe it! I have decided there is nowhere safe, no place is free of its beasts, I just have to learn to live with them, or at least in the same forest as them. Now, if they come after me or my kids, well, that is another story. I have hunted my whole life and am not afraid to kill an animal of any sort.
I remember in Key West, there was a scorpion. It was on my kid's toys. I took their play hammer and beat it so badly that the only thing that was left was a claw!
I unloaded a whole clip on a copperhead, just to make sure it was dead. I didn't want to get close to check, so I just kept shooting.
Now, I did check the law, and it is illegal to kill poisonous snakes in Missouri unless they are a threat to people. Well, all of these were in our yard and where the kids play. We had to kill them.
Speaking of scorpions, there was a very poisonous one sitting on our atv tire when we were in Arizona. Cody kept it in a cage for a while until it climbed out. It was a good thing he didn't have it in the camper!
Lastly, Cody was riding his atv this afternoon and came across a huge tarantula. I am thankful they aren't very harmful. He wanted to catch it of course.
We try to read up on what are the dangers in a particular area or state. Education is the one of the best deterrents to fear. We try to learn all we can, and then do all we can to not be a victim. Beyond that, it is out of our control.
We pray and trust and have a lot of fun!
There is always something, everywhere. We enjoy our trip and deal with what each day brings.
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