Thru windshield across the Mississippi at
La Crosse  evening clouds

No, blogger family I have not abandoned my blog though it may seem so.  Just no tiome to write so many thoughts and happenings.  Those of you on Facebook can keep up. others, not so. You are indeed my family along with so many long time friends.  It's just that it has been the busy time again.  I have managed all the trimming. pruning, clipping and weeding  all on my own this year while Jerry is nicely recovering from his back surgery.  It takes a bit of time and spring does adventure near for days or so here and then retreat through the rain and the colder temps.  What colder?  Why just a few months ago 54 degrees would have felt balmy, today it's nippy and calls for jeans and jacket  again although I did wear sandals all day to show off my pedicure.    

I have oft commented that some people use Facebook as a blog, they go on an d on and on.  I do not do so nor do I set up diatribes there,  but admit that Facebook is so much easier, post  a photo here and there from the phone and download and comment.  So for those of you who do not join in, I miss you.  And I do try to check in on blog, but this time of year time  flies.  From workout in the AM to domestic chores and errands, pretty soon  the day wanes.  and I find myself  in the refrain of retirees, "where does the time go?"  I have lots of mental thoughts to ponder but little time at the keyboard. 

One backyard bird feeder

Gold finches gather off back deck  thistle feeder

Orioles busy feeding on  grape jelly

The birds are feasting. especially the orioles who consume copious amounts of grape jelly.  A quart in 3 days is not unusual.  Sam's club was out the other day when we stopped so I had to buy generic jars at the Quillin's market locally.  The orioles did not object.   I must be the only one in this neighborhood feeding them. Some locals complain they have not seen any--please call and I will send some of our hundreds your way.    Hope our next door neighbors who are  also Morrison's return soon from their winter in Arizona because Tim feeds the birds and our birds await.  Rather expensive here meantime. 

End of our street cul de sac  blooms abide

So bloggers there has been scarce online time, please follow on Facebook.  l hope to catch up soon, but   ???

The catch up, not Heinz

At the Erie Canal museum, Syracuse, NY
The last remaining lock load building of all the great canals
in the country that were engineering marvels of their day..

Have not fallen off the face of the earth, but have been east and now  home for a month  preparing for next departure to Alaska and playing at catch up with yard work, domestic activities, local community,  friends,  financials, and my blog.    Peculiar testament to how things change, advance, or become more complicated is  that my actions now five years down the highway of life  from when I first started of this blog are not matching the original intent. Not synced as the term is between my phone and tablet.   I created this blog with the intention of it faithfully being the place where I would record our travels at the time we were traveling, so friends and family could track us.  Silly thoughts I had back then because today with life's twisty turns, there is little to no family and those who are do not read this blog. And blogger is undergoing traaaansformations too that require adjustments with some of my software.  Friends track our escapades on Facebook, which is easier to access from my smart phone or tablet as we travel.  Heck it's easier to post a quick line or photo to Facebook while we are at home too.  While Facebook cannot replace blogging, although some FB users treat it as their blog and post on and more, FB has earned its place as the easiest way to stay in touch.  One of those techie changes.  

We had a great trip and a different rally experience at the Syracuse Good Sam RV Rally,  then explored previously unvisited parts of very rural north eastern PA  before swinging back down to home town.  But not once did I post onto this blog the entire time we were gone, you already know that..  We arrived home June 28 and am just now getting my blog on.  Our round trip in motor home with tow car was 2459 miles over 7 states, just about 43 hours driving time in the

Muddy pond and wet hillside 

motor home,  consuming 311.1 gallons of diesel at $1216.45.  There is still over 3/4 of a tank of diesel left  awaiting the next trip.  We did something we usually avoid which was driving toll roads which invested $129.40 in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. It was faster moving over all and since this was a destination trip not so much for sight seeing along the way we took the pay route. We also drive a big rig that does not scoot easily down back country lanes and with changing weather conditions and rains, we  did not want to risk getting off the  main interstates and encountering roads  flooding or bridges washing out  as was happening in the east and midwest this June.  

Storm clouds ahead view  from the
windshield

I am not opposed to toll roads, because I like the idea that users pay for the privilege and non users do not.  But it  really does not work that way, everyone pays and still the infrastructure maintenance is questionable..  The states collect the tolls and who knows where that money goes because parts of Interstate 80 through Ohio are some of the worst roads in the country.  And then there is my home state of Pennsylvania, where it must be a continuous governmental employment program, roadwork always,  that Pennsylvania turnpike is ever in transition. .  

I have enough digital photos to fill another album and that is another activity for when?  I have complicated my life with these  digital photos, which  while certainly preferable to the old days when  we had to wait for development of photos, I now have flash drives full of pics.  Here again my intentions are to edit, organize  them into albums, and perhaps publish a book or two on Shutterfly,  but my  reality does not catch up to my intentions. Please pass the  Heinz, maybe a good squirt of red here and there would do it.

While many things happened that will provide good stories later continuing the Facebook teasers, I share a couple photos now and am back to what was my  task at hand on the computer, bringing our Quicken up to date with financial postings.   It"s too easy to click and stray the keyboard when sitting in front of the computer and well my lack of  discipline or my wandering attention span take quick advantage of the flick of the mouse.  

Mt Laurel in bloom  Stillwater, PA
This is the Pennsylvania state flower which  I had not seen let alone
smell the bloom for probably 50 years. 

Our coach aka rig not quite set up but
 we just got in ahead of the storms
for that day in Indiana 

.

I was not kidding about the storms and rains this
trip,  here are some dark clouds moving right
in as we stopped for the night in Decatur Indiana.
Midwest downpour is about to begin. 

I've been everywhere.man, I've been everywhere...

That is my ear worm today--I can hear and sing along with the words, Johnny Cash made famous...."I've been everywhere, man.  I've been everywhere, man.  Crossed the desert's bare, man. I've breathed the mountain air, man.  Of travel I've had my share, man.  I've been everywhere.    I've been to:
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa ...." and on the song goes..  

I have  friends/acquaintances  who use Facebook as their blog posting very lengthy editorials, collections of hundreds of photos and  those who scour the internet copying trivia and sharing it as  their wisdom of the day; then there are those who feel compelled to document stages of their lives for all to see.  Too much information.   I find this behavior strange and a regular occurrence among a limited few within my age group who seem to need to get a life or perhaps just don't comprehend  the purpose of  social networking and brevity. So it goes, to each their own.  For a time I thought I'd migrate to twitter where at least brevity rules.  The positive side of this is that I spend less and less time on FB which can be a giant time waster and I do not even play those ubiquitous games.  I went to FB to stay in touch with a few keystokes daily and save individual emails.  It is great to use traveling and it streams seamlessly to my Blackberry.  Do people really need  instruction in how to use FB?  Has anyone else noticed this strange FB phenomena?  My  solution is to not read these things and no one is the wiser. 

Meantime, a little levity here where I share this comical meandering with my own observations including an addition of a most unfunny experience I had yesterday.

 Places I Have Been!

I have been in many places, but I've rarely been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone. Actually there used to be a chain of restaurants/bars in California named Cahoots.  A friend had a birthday gathering there but we were not able to attend and so passed our opportunity to be in Cahoots.  Likely proving the adage opportunity knocks but once because we never did go there.


I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. Our 50th High School reunion is on the calendar for September.  I wonder how many of us will be in Cognito there. 

They say one cannot be in Visible, but I disagree.  I have been there a time or two or so it seems.  Occasionally while shopping when I cannot find a store clerk to give any assistance, such as happened at Walgreen's last week, I do believe I was invisible. 


I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work. I live close so it's a short drive.  I find that even the price of gas ever escalating does not deter folks who want to drive me there. 


I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.


I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.


I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.


Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.


One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!


And, sometimes I think I am in Vincible but life shows me I am not.


People keep telling me I'm in Denial but I'm positive I've never been there before! Isn’t it a river in Egypt?

I have been in Volved many times and try to avoid it now as I find more time stealers than I have time.....well you saw my post last week on tempus.


I have been in Deepshit many times; the older I get, the easier it is to get there. I actually kind of enjoy it there. Except yesterday on French Island, town of Campbell which we all know as French Island area of La Crosse, WI. I was “awarded” my very first ever traffic citation for going over the speed limit of 25 mph; well driving 25 on that stretch of road gets you passed by serenaded by the impatient horn of other drivers and the finger wave as though there were am orchestra near to conduct.  While sitting there in my SUV on the balmy day, window rolled down as the officer went to his car computer to scan, download, and print my ticket, I could see I was an example for all the other drivers who immediately hit their brakes. This is revenue that the town needs and since I was guilty as charged, I will be paying my first ever traffic ticket under protest.   I remembered both my Uncle Carl and Aunt  Jinx who hated being tailgated when they  drove the speed  limit which no one pays attention to.  Uncle Carl would get his Polish stubborn on and go even slower just to "piss them off."  Today I see the effect of illiteracy on  the population--obviously no one can read because no one drives the posted  speed limits on any road in any part of the country.  Don"t even try to keep the posted speed on the interstates, you will be immediately in Sulted in many ways. 


So far, I haven't been in Continent; but my travel agent says I could be there someday too.