Almost Gypsy Soul

....with Old Glory. I am absolutely in love with this photo of Franklin that Nick Duncombe captured on our Memorial Day camping trip last year. I even got a copy of it for the wall for Christmas last year.

You know I'm headed south on this one. Even though this has been over a year ago, I enjoyed this trip so much that I'd be ashamed if I didn't share this destination with you. Sister Sara earner her ARA accreditation for her general appraiser license, which is a really big deal! I mean she got to go all the way to Savannah, Georgia to accept her award! Congratulations Sister Sara! Our hotel was on the east side of the Savannah River, just across from historic River Street. We would take the ferry across the river each day to see and learn about Savannah. Savannah River Ferry Dinner with General Oglethorpe, founder of Savannah I was able to attend some of the meeting activities with Sara, but I also spent some time on my own while she went to continuing education sessions. I always scoped out the best things and then planned them with her. Hands down our favorite thing was the food, some of the best food that I've ever had. I loved going to breakfast

Well its hard to believe its been nearly a year since I packed my bags and headed to Florida for my best friend's wedding! I tacked on a few extra days to catch some sunshine and sights...I mean who would I be if I didn't do a little sightseeing??? Florida was beautiful and meeting up with old friends was great, and made some new friends along the way. Its always interesting to me, how we can have one thing common, ie. a mutual friend, and then we proceed to get along like long lost friends. I flew into Orlando and got a rental car. I knew I didn't have time for everything, as usual, but I'm happy with my choices of entertainment. I spent an entire day at Kennedy Space Center. I was there when it opened and I really didn't have enough time to take it all in. And I just did the things that were included with admission! My favorite attractions was the Atlantis museum, the bus tour to the launch pads and the Shuttle Experience. The shuttle experience is like a th

I've been around hunting as long as I can remember and I enjoyed it. Not so much the kill part always, as I'm my own worst critic and am always concerned with making good, ethical shots. I like to take my time and sometimes that makes it very hard for me to come away with meat in the freezer. I went through a couple of years of not pulling the trigger because I wasn't confident in myself to make the good shot. The part of hunting that I enjoy most is not pulling the trigger, rather I look forward to being outdoors with the people I choose to go with me. I like the feel of the crisp air on my face, followed by sunshine. I like watching wildlife. I like having wild game in the freezer to eat all year long. I even enjoy processing the game meat to fill the freezer. This year, I met a boy who loves to hunt and he drug me out to remind me how much I enjoyed it as well. I made some good shots this year, renewing my confidence in myself. Coyote then Antelope. Most people don&#

I really enjoyed Puerto Rico, but some of my all time favorite things from my time in Puerto Rico. COFFEE! Puerto Rico is known for its coffee, strong and black! I loved it and had to buy another suitcase to get it all back to the States with me. Cafe Oro, resturant, cafe and processing, Lares Cafe Lareno, Lares   Flowering Trees We were told that the trees were just starting to flower again in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. I loved the beautiful vibrant colors that were everywhere you looked. The orange flowers of the Flamboyan were some of my favorite! Flamboyan   The farmers and Puerto Rican FSA staff. Although I struggled to communicate with a majority of the farmers that I worked with without an interpreter, I found many of them to be just like home. Salt of the Earth. They were a joy to work with and so grateful for us to be there helping them get back on their feet. This was one picture shared with me by a grower, a mango tree left in the wake

Hotel accommodations were a problem during my tour of duty in Puerto Rico. Often times, we were driving back to San Juan over the weekend to have a place to stay for a night or two. We tried to plan our meals around things we wanted to see/do on our route. These are some of the sights we managed to squeeze in on our drives or for dinner. Sometimes dinner was a nice restaurant on the beach, sometimes it was a granola bar and a beer in our hotel room. Birth of the New World, Arecibo Dinner view at Playa Brava Restaurant, Arecibo Las Salinas (Salt Flats), Cabo Rojo Gozalandia Waterfall, San Sebastion La Cordillera Centra (drive between Utuado and Adjuntas) Playa de Hilton Beach at Ponce

Teaser The work part now on to the fun part....my 200 hours of "See Puerto Rico" Fajardo Its safe to say that Fajardo is exactly what one thinks of when they see the postcard perfect pictures of Puerto Rico. Beautiful, crystal clear waters, sun shine and sandy beaches. Our first Sunday we opted for a catamaran cruise to an island complete with rum punch, snorkeling and a sunburn. After a very stressful first week, it was exactly what the Dr. ordered. Our vessel was the Catamaran Spread Eagle II. El Yunque National Forest El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the National Forest System and also one of the smallest at 29,000 acres. Parts of the forest were still closed due to damage from Hurricane Maria, but some parts had been recently opened. It was beautiful, trees as far as the eye could see and waterfalls gurgling around what seemed like every corner.    After dashing to the El Yunque, the plan was to grab some dinner and then head out to