Joy On The Road

One advantage of the vagabond lifestyle I’ve adopted is that I’ve visited numerous national and state parks from coast-to-coast. I’m starting a series highlighting the major features of the national parks.

In October 2009 I drove from Indiana to Colorado where I visited with family and friends in Colorado Springs and attended the fall workshop of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Society for Indexing in Denver.

One of my sisters, Mary Hunt, flew there to meet me, and we began a 10-day road trip that for her ended in Portland, Oregon, because she had to fly back to Indiana. I then drove to Bellevue, Washington, for a house/pet-sitting assignment which provided me with new places to explore…but that’s another post.

To view a slideshow of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, click on any photo. If info about the photos is not displayed in the slideshow, click Show Info.

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

A serious snowstorm challenged the beginning of our road trip, but we persevered. When we encountered a total white-out lasting just a few seconds on I-80 West (after we left Cheyenne, Wyoming), Mary and I both screamed. Thankfully the white-out lasted only a few seconds. Much scarier than any snowstorm or fog I’d previously encountered!

Jackson, Wyoming was our home for the few days we spent exploring the highlights of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Although I’d attempted to reserve a room at Old Faithful Snow Lodge months in advance, I was unable to book a reservation. Thus we’d reserved a room outside the park. I’d been able to make dinner reservations at the dining room at Snow Lodge, and when we walked into the hotel a sign proclaimed Rooms Available. I guess it would pay to recheck the reservations site closer to the date you’ll be visiting a national park.

Highlights of our trip: Grand Teton mountains, Old Faithful Geyser, hiking the Geyser Basin, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Mule deer, coyotes, and bison were abundant. A herd of the bison grazed along one of the roads. Mary had the passenger window rolled down as I drove very slowly through the herd. She was able to photograph one of the bison very up close and personal—no zoom lens required!

A bison strolled by the road allowing my sister Mary to photograph him up close and personal.

I never had the privilege of pet-sitting for Mia, the beloved dog of the Emersons in Austin, Texas. I did enjoy her company when we had outings at Lake McQueeney and when both the Emersons and I were guests of our mutual friends in Houston, the Alexanders.

Obedient. Patient. Congenial. Faithful. Calming. One could not ask for a better dog to be his best friend.

Mia died early in 2010, a sad event indeed.

To view a slideshow of Mia, click on her photo. If info about the photos is not displayed in the slideshow, click Show Info.

Christmas, 2007—Mia relaxes on her blanket with her new red toy.

After a lovely wedding in the town park in Lakeport, California, the crowd traveled to nearby Kelseyville for Chris and Devona Hunt’s wedding reception.

A banner proclaims the occasion. ••• Chris and Devona. ••• Devona prepares to throw her bouquet.

Click on any photo to see a slideshow of the highlights of Chris and Devona Hunt’s wedding reception. If info about the photos is not displayed in the slideshow, click Show Info.

On July 31 families of Chris Hunt and Devona Boerema, along with numerous friends, gathered in Lakeport, California, to share their marriage ceremony and reception with them.

Chris’s mother Mary (my sister), and some of our other sisters, Joyce Ann, Barbara Jean, Nancy Lynne, and I and two of my nieces, Melissa and Nancy Carol, met in San Francisco for two days of sightseeing before driving to Redding, California, to visit overnight with Angie (Sunnie), who is Mary’s daughter. The entire crowd then drove to Lakeport for a weekend of fun, the wedding being the main event!

Here Chris and Devona are flanked by her two children, Daryl and Melissa, who participated in the ceremony in a gazebo in the lovely lakeside park on Clear Lake.

To view a slideshow of all the wedding photos, click on one of the photos. If info about the photos is not displayed in the slideshow, click Show Info.

Off to the reception. Chris and Devona ride their Indian motorcycle to the reception in nearby Kelseyville.

Devona’s friends created a proper helmet for the bride!

Pumpkin, the Alexanders’ yard cat, produced a litter in late May, and Piper immediately realized the advantages of being a loving cat and thus became a permanent addition to the household.

To say that he is a bit of a “spaz” is an understatement. Observe!

To view a slideshow of all of the Piper, click on one of his photos.

Piper, peeking from behind the shutter, presents his “I’m very cute” pose.

Piper is washing the dishes…before the dishwasher has its chance.

After I’d read about a Quilt Trail in far Northeastern Tennessee, friend Doris and I decided to take a “spur-of-the-moment” trip in early June.

We never made it to the section of Tennessee I’d read about. These photos were taken over two days in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

A kind hostess in the county’s visitors bureau provided a brochure that had both addresses and GPS coordinates of buildings that had quilt patterns painted on them. Without using those coordinates, we would have never found all these locations.

We visited some where taking a photo was impossible; a couple we never found. However, we visited and photographed approximately 40 of the 60 places listed in the brochure.

A fun three-day trip!

To view a slideshow of all of the quilts we photographed that were painted on various buildings, click on one of the photos.

Not painted! This quilt pattern is made of small ceramic tiles, a beautiful creation.

This design was painted on a barn. We found designs painted on all types of buildings.

Raja, the 20-year-old cat of my close Houston friends (Alexanders), died last week. Raja had become quite ill in January of 2009 and was not expected to survive the month. But…survive she did, until June 15, 2010.

Click on the photo to view a slideshow of Raja during the last five years.

Raja drives Scooter’s car…and he doesn’t even object.

For the last year and a half, if Raja meowed and someone was there to hear her, she was either talked to, picked up, or fed regular food, soft food mashed up with water added, evaporated milk, treats, canned tuna, or cooked chicken or fish.

I’ve had the privilege of caring for Raja (along with Miss Black, Fugley, Scooter, and Bella) when the Alexanders travel. Returning to their home and not having Raja to greet me will be difficult. We’ll all miss our “fur baby.”

My time in Austin house/pet-sitting for the Emersons was a delight. My older daughter Helena and her husband Dan live there. We found many reasons to get together: an art gallery show of the works of one of Helena’s friends, a yard art tour, and birthday celebrations for Helena and me, who both have March birthdays, and for Dan’s mother Virginia in early April.

After a trip to the AAA office for a map of the Hill Country, exploring Austin and as many of the small towns around it as time permitted was my goal. With helpful hints from Helena and Dan and from travel/food articles, I found great restaurants.

Austin: For my birthday we dined at The Grove (http://www.GroveWineBar.com), which has become Dan’s favorite place. Note: The opening of The Grove’s website has cool graphics.

Marble Falls: Friend Kim Scott, who lives in Georgetown north of Austin, and I lunched at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls (http://bluebonnetcafe.net/). Kim is another former Macmillan Indianapolis employee. You won’t believe the height of the meringue on the cream pies.

Bastrop: I drove southeast of Austin to Bastrop where I dined at Baxter’s On Main. An interesting dish was the mashed sweet potatoes with green chilies. Tasty combination! (http://austin.citysearch.com/profile/39221144/bastrop_tx/baxters_on_main.html)

From Lampasas and San Saba northwest of Austin to Llano, Marble Falls, Burnet, and Johnson City on the west and Blanco and Wimberly on the southwest, I photographed wildflowers which started blooming late in March.

To view a slideshow of all the wildflowers, click on the photo below.

Bluebonnets