Travel Time

OK let the adventure begin.  We are prepping to go see Crater Lake and the surrounding area.  We are keeping a positive attitude that we will do everything right this time.  Well as near right as we can.  I know our history with the Beast is a little questionable, but I just know this time it will be different.  I am thinking positive here people.

I have preloaded, prepacked and checking the list, so many lists.  Just in case I miss something, I have a list of the list.  We have enough food to feed a whole campground and now the trailer may not budge.  If it does manage to roll, we will visit every other gas station to make sure we reach our destination.

We have reservations all made and confirmations in hand.  I have reconfirmed these and cancelled two.  We decided to venture into the unknown and found a couple of what we hope are nice campgrounds closer to our destination.  Sorry KOA.  But, I do wonder when someone tells me oh we have you down, but we don't need anything upfront.  Gives me pause for thought, but then we are venturing out. 

I check the weather everyday for the area we are headed and it seems good now.  Unfortunately, we have a history with Crater Lake.  Last time we traveled there, it was on fire and shut down.  So we ventured to the coast only to encounter FOG.  I could hear the ocean, but couldn't see it.  So we traveled to the redwoods and saw most of the trees as they towered up into the fog.  Then we have a knack for taking unknown roads which sometimes turn a six hour drive into 12.  This time we are planning our route a little more carefully.  The navigator learned his lesson on that one.

I even got a quick brush up on camera usage.  My dear friend Rod probably wonders why I can't retain this information, but I do thank him for having the patience and the experience to help me through it.  I have been practicing daily the things he showed me and am hoping for some really good opportunities to take some great shots. 

Hubby likes to take pictures too.  When I got my new camera, I graduated him to his first big boy camera:)  He doesn't know the terms, has no idea what the buttons do and cares less about learning.  But, he has a natural eye for just the right shot and no matter what he has the camera set on, they are perfect every time.  I on the other hand am not a natural, but I am learning that my biggest problem is I need to slooooooowwwww down. 

Like most things I do in my life, I rush through photography and that is not going to produce great shots.  I need to pay attention to myself.   When I suddenly come up on a great shot and instead of just saying, "Oh I SHOULD turn around and get that," I should actually do it.  I have a bad habit of rushing from point A to point B and not enjoying the trip in between.  So, that being said, I am going to make a concerted effort to slow down and really enjoy the experience On The Way to new adventures.

Let's Get Mowin'

My dear husband has had to work for the last last 17 days with only one day off.  They have been busy getting the schools ready to open and evidently there were a few not quite there yet.  He is plum tuckered out!  I am thinking he is more than earning a few vacation days.  I find I don't like having to entertain myself.  Not that I can't, but I would prefer not to.  But, I have been forced to take care of few things around the house. 

I was bemoaning the fact that the grass needed mowing and realized poor hubby just didn't have the energy.  I had just about made up my mind, very reluctantly, to try it myself, when I got a knock on my door.  The kid next door was looking to earn $5 and wondered if he could mow my front and back yard.  Now I am always willing to help out a neighbor kid and who doesn't love a bargain like that.  I told him to have at it!  In the meantime, dear hubby comes home and is mortified that I got someone to mow.  I told him the story and he thought, wow, what a good deal.  Well, I am also a soft touch for neighbor kids and actually gave him $10 and then hubby threw in $2 for gas.  It was great and I didn't have to do it!

I thought we had made a good bargain!  Job was done and hubby could rest.  But, leave it to him to point out that I was not fussin' over the fact that the kid mowed it too short.  I have to admit I do give dear hubby a hard time about that every time he mows.  I tried to convince him that it just looked too short because it had gotten too long.  He didn't buy it of course so next time he mows I am doomed to have short grass like it or not.  Boy, do a guy a favor and he takes advantage ever time.