What’ s So Hot About Hot Springs?

The View From Bathhouse Row

Before we wind up falling further behind in posting than we already are, here’s a post on our time in Hot Springs. Arkansas from January-March 2017. Our first visit to this area was in 2010 before we were full time RVers. Still dazzled by the splendor of the western parks we were very unimpressed with Hot Springs and left wondering why this was a National Park. A National Historic Site or even a Monument but a National Park? We are so glad that we had the opportunity to return, spend time and learn about both the national park and the city. We really had missed the boat the first time around! So if you come here be sure and take the time to do tours and come prepared to learn. Both the park and the city have lots to offer but you can’t do it by whizzing through in a day or less. It is like an iceberg. There’s what you see above the water but when you start looking deeper there’s more and more.

A Tub In The Fordyce

Fordyce Music Room

The Quapaw Bathhouse

Us At Work In The Fordyce

 

 

Chari’s Reflection In The Hale Bathhouse Window

 

 

Monument To The First NPS Ranger Killed On Duty

 

We were working at the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, the museum and information center for Hot Springs National Park on Central Avenue in the historic district. There are 8 remaining bathhouses along what is known as Bathhouse Row in the national park and 6 of them are open to the public: the Fordyce visitor center, the Lamar gift shop and the Ozark art museum for the park, 2 operating bathhouses (the Buckstaff and the Quapaw) and the Superior microbrewery. So here’s some of what we learned and shared during our tours.

The Buckstaff, The Lamar and The Former Army-Navy Hospital (now ACTI)

Hot Springs National Park is the smallest of the 59 National Parks and the only one with a city completely within its borders. The geology of the hot springs is special because it is one of only 2 in North America not heated by volcanic activity. The rainwater takes 4,400 yrs. to travel over a mile and a half into the earth reaching 150 degrees but returns to the surface in about a year thus retaining its heat (139-143 degrees). So when you drink from the springs you are drinking water that fell as rain at the time the Egyptians were building the pyramids! That’s another big difference. Most national parks warn you to not take anything while Hot Springs NP encourages you to drink the water and take some with you by having drinking and jug fountains all around. In fact the original legislation protecting the hot springs states that the water will forever be free to the people.

Historic Hot Springs, Arkansas

 

It Is Always Spring Time In Hot Springs

 

Filling Up At The Jug Fountain

 

The Stevens Fountain

Old Hot Springs Artwork At The Ozark

The springs yield, on average, 700,000 gallons per day. Of that the park collects and distributes about 250,000 gallons. People come from hours away to fill pickup trucks full of bottles with the mineral rich water. Don’t want to drink hot water? There are two cold springs from another source as well. However, don’t expect to dip in the springs outside. They’ve been covered up for over a century to protect them from man-made and natural contamination. We occasionally had the opportunity to assist the water technicians as they tested the springs each week. The park contains the oldest land in the world ever set aside by a government to protect a natural resource. That was in 1832. If they had named it a national park back then, Hot Springs rather than Yellowstone would have been our first national park. Instead it was called Hot Springs Reservation and did not come under the NPS until 1921 as the 18th national park.

Volunteers Help With Water Testing

Recording Water Quality Data

So what is a bathhouse? In the days before modern medicine (post WWII) as we know it, people had few medications and surgery was very risky. So they depended upon the curative properties of heat, light, water, exercise and later electricity. The bathhouses were the rehabilitation facilities of the day. We told visitors that coming to Hot Springs was coming to the Mayo Clinic on one side of the street (Bathhouse Row) and Las Vegas before Las Vegas existed in the city. Hot Springs was also the primary spring training area for major league baseball before it relocated to Florida. Other sports stars like Jack Dempsey trained here. Babe Ruth hit his longest home run here (over 500′). Follow the signs on the Baseball trail to learn more.The museum is filled with interesting old equipment.The Fordyce featured the best appointed gym in Arkansas when it opened in 1915. A few items like the Hubbard tank from the 30s and the Hoyer lift from the 50s I used during my career as a physical therapist. Well, not those models but a generation later. Once again I’m seeing my life in a museum! Make sure to take the guided tour and hear some stories. When that’s done, take a hike or drive and check out the view from the observation tower. Steve was reading in preparation for our next volunteer job about some of the ways Lewis and Clark handled medical issues using Indian sweat lodges and alternate heat and cold. Equipment may change but principles stay the same.

Fordyce Gym

Indian Clubs

The Hubbard Tank Room

Chari and Steve Hiking On Hot Springs Mountain

The city is just as interesting. Gambling, bootlegging and other carnal activities were the main business. While never legal it flourished d/t payoffs to police and government official until the mid 1960s. When Winthrop Rockefeller was elected he vowed to clean up corruption and gambling. He did. Learn more at the Ganster Museum. We enjoyed the tour there and as you can see hammed it up a bit with some pics. At the same time the golden age of the bathhouse was declining. Hot Springs fell on hard times. In the late 1980s the NPS remodeled the Fordyce Bathhouse into the Visitor Center and repurposed others. This was no small task. Today you can visit the Fordyce and see the most opulent of bathhouses restored to its former beauty. Don’t miss the beautiful stained glass on three of the four floors or ride the original elevator car. Only the Buckstaff never closed its doors. Today you can experience treatment as if it were one hundred years ago at the Buckstaff or enjoy the mineral rich spring water at the Quapaw Baths spa pools. We did both and came out feeling like a piece of cooked spaghetti each time! I (Steve) had a bad cold and went to the Quapaw. Almost immediately I could feel the congestion in my chest lessening. I do believe soaking in the water cut the length of my cold in half. 

Make My Day! Steve At The Gangster Museum

This Lady Is Serious!

 

Stained Glass In The Fordyce Women’s Bath Hall

Skylight In The Music Room

Neptune’s Daughter

The architecture of the town from the 1890s-1940s is terrific and makes for some great photos. Like to shop? Only your credit card limit will dictate where and how much. Hungry? We enjoyed numerous good restaurants in Hot Springs. A few of our favorites were McClard’s for BBQ (also Bill Clinton’s), Colorado Grill for Mexican, Rolando’s for Ecuadorian, buffets at the Arlington Hotel, a Southern Living best breakfast winner Colonial Cafe and the Ohio Club where you can rub elbows with Al Capone (or at least his statue). For fun in the evening catch the monthly free performances of the Jazz Society, attend a show at the Five Star Dinner Theatre or feel like a kid at the Maxwell Blade Magic Show. Garvin Gardens was just as magical in the Spring as it had been at Christmas with a sea of tulips at peak bloom. We didn’t go to the horserace at Oaklawn but it is a big attraction from late winter through April. In summer there is the Magic Springs amusement park and all the water sports of lakes Hamilton, Catherine and Ouachita plus the Belle of Hot Springs riverboat.

Exterior Window At The Fordyce

The Arlington Hotel Lobby

 

Stairway At The Ozark

Volunteers And Ranger Touring The Archives

Ranger Leading A Guided Tour

Best Breakfast In Town

The Name Says It All

Tasting A Flight At Superior Brewery

When all is said and done it is the people from Hot Springs National Park we will remember. We made new friends with several volunteers. The Rangers were fantastic. They coached us and taught us so that we could hone our interpretive skills. They made it possible for us to visit places not open to the public such as the water distribution system, the Hale and Maurice Bathhouses and the museum archives. They thanked us for our time volunteering at least once a day. While we enjoy new experiences by volunteering at different parks or for different agencies, if we ever do repeat a job this will rank high on the list. Thank You Hot Springs National Park for a fabulous three months!

The End!

Walking In John Muir’s Footsteps – Yosemite NP

Tunnel View Panorama

This is our 200th post on our blog. Yes, we are still way behind and it looks like that might be a permanent condition for us! If you have noticed, over the past six months the posts have gotten much shorter. Better to post a shorter version than nothing at all! We have just passed 40,000 views as well. Thanks to all who enjoy our footloose and carefree life even if only from the comfort of their home. May some of the wonder and laughs we experience come through to you.

View Of Eastman Lake From Our Campground

How fitting that we pass a milestone on the blog just as it was time to write about one of America’s Icons: Yosemite National Park. Next to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon it is probably the most recognized landscape in the USA. So what more can you say that hasn’t been said before… not much. At this point (late March) we were camped at Codorniz, a USACE park on Eastman Lake in central California. We had a full hookup site, Whoopee! Like going to a resort for us. The lake level is low as we are finding all through the west. It is about an hour to Yosemite but the drive itself is beautiful.

Driving To Yosemite

Scenery Along The Way To Yosemite

John Muir In Yosemite Forever

How often had John Muir sat at this very point soaking in the beauty of the valley below? Of all the National Parks he is most associated with this place. His likeness is immortalized in bronze so he never really leaves.

Steve had visited Yosemite twice before we became reacquainted. This was my first visit. He’d described going through the tunnel and exiting to find the amazing valley spread in front of you. As we entered the tunnel I could feel my pulse quicken in anticipation of what lay before me only seconds away. I was even salivating! My palms were moist. And then … there it was! As if God was opening his hands and offering a very special gift. How many rear end collisions occur here as people slam on their brakes? I really am at a loss for words as hard as that is to believe!

Tunnel View In Spring

 

 

 

El Capitan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yosemite Falls

 

 

 

 

 

Rushing Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yosemite In Blue

On our second visit to Yosemite we drove to the northern end of the park known as Hetch Hechy. We had taken longer arriving as we took another scenic route. We were informed that Hetch Hechy closes at 5pm and the gates would be locked. Pets are not allowed on trails so after a short walk along the road Opal settled down for a nap. Some “scenic view” I had. As usual, all I saw was the inside of the truck!  We set off for a 4-5 mile hike to some waterfalls. John Muir thought this section was even more beautiful than Yosemite Valley and fought against flooding it for a reservoir. Alas he did not succeed. As we hiked along the shore and enjoyed its beauty for over 2 hours, I could not help but wonder what had he seen that we will never know? We took our time enjoying the scene around us. Surrounded by all this majestic beauty one has to remember to look down and take in the smaller miracles of wildflowers in Spring.

Yosemite In Blossom

Then I asked Steve “what time is it?” “3;30 he answered.” “OMG! We have to be out by 5p!” “I forgot. Let’s get going.” We walked back as fast as my rather short legs could go. I fell and scraped my knee rather badly so now I looked like a clumsy kid. I really didn’t think we’d make it back in time and had visions of spending the night in the truck with trail bars for supper and coveting Opal’s Kibbles. We jumped into the truck and drove the eight miles to the gate making it out with three minutes to spare.

Once is not enough. So let us say, when we come back…

Hetch Hetchy Wildflowers

High And Mighty

A Long And Winding Road To Sequoia National Park

We rolled on to the Central Valley of California with a stop at Tule Recreation Area, a U. S. Army Corps of Engineers lake and campground near Porterville. No doubt we are in the agricultural hub now. Great Spring weather greets us but the lake is low. This is primarily an irrigation lake and only secondarily a recreation lake. With rain and snowfall low throughout the west it will be a challenge to meet water needs this summer.

A Long Way Up

Porterville proves a good stop for restocking with groceries and supplies after Death Valley. The Hispanic influence in the area is strong and our choice of supermarkets takes us on a trip. With cactus leaves piled high in the produce section along with other fruit we can’t identify, several types of chorizo and hot sausage and a whole aisle devoted to tortillas, it doesn’t take much to imagine you are in Mexico. Steve tries to ask how to cook prickly pear leaves but gives up when he gets five employees trying to tell him different methods all at the same time. We try several sausages and buy a few new ones that turn out to be delicious.

Our main reason for stopping here is that we are about a half an hour from Sequoia National Park. In a normal year the park would be questionable to visit this early. Not this year. With the snow pack at less than 50% the park was open and quite busy. The only place we couldn’t reach due to snow was Kings Canyon NP that adjoins Sequoia although we could get to the Visitors Center. Not that we need an excuse for returning but we have one. We made two visits with the first one concentrating on the three Visitor Centers, hiking to the General Grant and General Sherman trees and marveling at the size and age of the sequoias despite huge lightening scars or hollow trunks. On our second visit we enjoyed the mountain views, wildflowers, historical photos, Tharp’s log and colorful meadows. You can’t help feeling dwarfed by these giants. They were young trees when Rome dominated the world. From a photography perspective we composed vertical panoramas, black and white landscapes, macro shots and put an artistic twist on others.

Strolling Among The Giants

General Sherman Tree

Hollow Tree View

 

Sequoia Vertical Panorama

Towering Twins

Sequoia Starburst

Soft Trees In Fog

Yellow Twig Dogwood

Red On Red

Impressionist View Of Sequoia

A Grand Canyon Birthday

Chari, steve and Opal at the grand Canyon January 2015

So far for the past two years as we travel each Spring we’ve fallen way behind in posting to the blog. We’d sworn we wouldn’t do it this year. Guess what? Never say never! So we are going to crank out a few quick posts in an attempt to catch up.

On our 2010 trip to the west we spent two days on the north rim of the Grand Canyon only to have it filled with clouds and fog. When New Years 2015 brought snow that reached all the way to the canyon floor we decided to visit the south rim. By the time we had our days off much of the snow had melted. Enough remained to give this icon lovely contrast and warm weather to enjoy it. Besides, if you don’t want to feel older on a birthday just go find something that’s six million years old. You’ll feel like a youngster!

Not wanting to move the trailer as it was set up with additional insulation for our stay at PEFO, we found a pet friendly hotel in Flagstaff. After arriving and checking in we headed for the Museum of Northern Arizona. If you want to learn about Colorado Plateau geology, paleontology and ancestral puebloan culture this is a wonderful place to start. The display that grabbed our attention was the story of Tim’s Cave. In 1991 Andy Seagle was taking a helicopter ride near Flagstaff in memory of his brother, Tim, who had died the year before from cystic fibrosis. Tim had been interested in archeology. During the flight, he spotted a cave high on a mountain containing some large pottery vessels. He contacted the USFS archeologist and together they located the cave and retrieved large intact ancestral puebloan jars. During the retrieval Andy discovered that Tim had worked with USFS archeologist,  Peter Piles Jr., the previous summer. The cave was named in Tim’s memory. We also saw silver work by Fred Kabotie who had painted the murals at Painted Desert Inn. Those murals were some of the last ones he did before turning his talent to silversmithing. The museum houses a mural by Fred’s son, Michael.

Discovering Tim’s Cave

Exquisite Ancestral Pueloan Pottery

Paleontology On Display At Museum Of Northern Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day we had breakfast at Brandy’s Cafe, a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives location. Yummy! Then off to the Grand Canyon. What can words or even pictures do to describe the canyon. How could one river do all of this? We headed first to the Desert View area to see the Watchtower. The structure is one of Mary Jane Coulter’s best known buildings at the Grand Canyon. With our new found fascination in the Fred Harvey/Mary Jane Coulter period we really enjoyed our visit. Best of all, just three days prior, the NPS had taken possession of the Watchtower from the concessionaire. Instead of the first floor being filled with tourist trinkets it is empty so you can focus on the details. The NPS plans to have interpretative displays there in the future. As you go up the spiral staircase the native graphic paintings are everywhere. Then on to several overlooks, a visitor center and finally photographing a grand Canyon sunset. It was almost a full moon and we would have stayed to do night time photos but the temperatures plummeted and we were like two ice pops by twilight.

The Watchtower At Desert View

An Example of Watchtower Murals

View Of The Watch Tower Ceiling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paintings Cover Every Surface

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty Is In The Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Canyon View

 

Nature Is A Sculptress

 

Sunset At Mather Point

We’d planned to wait for dinner and hit another Triple D joint in Flagstaff. However our stomachs didn’t cooperate so we stopped in Williams, Arizona on the way back at a historic brewery and restaurant.

Leave Only Footprints…

Fossilized Dino Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home to PEFO we took the scenic route back stopping at the dinosaur track site near Tuba City. This was a tourist trap but interesting. Later on we also learned the hard way that one should not go wandering around unescorted in a reservation. Suffice it to say, we were “escorted” out by the Hopi police.  We certainly won’t do that again!!

What Else Can They Do With Rock #2? – Black Canyon Of The Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Panorama

Now we move on to Colorado. Our original plan was to see both Dinosaur National Monument and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison but we made a last minute change in plans. We’d hold Dinosaur NM for a later trip. The drive to our campground at Curecanti National Recreation Area would be nine hours. We could make it a one day drive from Salt Lake and get there after dark. We hate setting up in the dark. Plan B would mean an overnight stay at Walmart in Grand Junction and on to Curecanti the next day. We are becoming Walmart people! As in other stays we were not alone. The lot was full of RVs.

Google Earth View of Curecanti NRA

Curecanti National Recreation Area is a National Park site on the Gunnison River with several campgrounds. We stayed at Blue Mesa where we had an electrical hook-up and tank water. At this time of year they have shut down shower rooms so we used our RV and were conservative on water. The campground does not take reservations but this is off season and there were lots of vacancies. We liked the area and hope to return again for some kayaking and fishing. On our last night after a rainy day we were treated to a gorgeous rainbow.

Curecanti NRA Rainbow

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park began like so many of our parks as a national monument in 1933 and became a park in 1999. The park contains fourteen miles of canyon out of the forty-eight miles the Gunnison River  has cut through the Gunnison Uplift. For years this gorge was considered impassable. It wasn’t until 1901 when five residents of the nearby Uncompahgre Valley made an exploratory float of the river on a rubber mattress that the canyon was deemed passable. It remains the steepest and narrowest canyon in the NPS. Some facts: 1) In 48 miles the Gunnison River looses more elevation than the entire 1,500 miles of the Mississippi, an average of 96 feet/mile. In one two mile section the river drops 480 feet 2) the narrowest point of the canyon is a mere thirty-eight feet across 3) the deepest point is 2,772 feet, approximately one and a half times the Empire State Building 4) the name Black Canyon was given because there are parts which never receive daylight. Long overshadowed by destination parks like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, Black Canyon deserves more attention.

Graph Showing The Shape Of Black Canyon

Graph Showing The narrowest Part Of Black Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a place where a picture is worth a thousand words. Because of deep shadows on the canyon walls and bright sunshine it is a very contrasty situation for photography. Sit back and enjoy a few pictures from our time there. As always, to bring pictures to full screen just click on the picture.

Along The Scenic Rim Drive

On The Gunnison River At Canyon Floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More River Views

 

 

 

 

 

Closeup Of Canyon Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Into The Abyss

 

 

 

Steve And Opal At Black Canyon NP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chari’s Best Dead Tree Shot

Black Canyon As Seen From Google Earth

 

 

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year to all!  We hope you all had as fantastic a year as we did, and hope that 2014 will be even better!

Last year, at New Year’s Day, we posted a blog entry listing our goals for 2013.  Well, here we are at New Year’s Day again!  How did we do?  Here’s a repeat of last year’s post, with our comments and goals for 2014.

In 2013 we said “We can’t imagine a year more exciting, challenging, draining and life altering than 2012. What could 2013 offer? We don’t know and that’s what keeps us on the move as we seek new places, new adventures and check off a bucket list item or two.

I’m not going to call them New Years Resolutions that way I can’t break them. I’ll call them goals instead.”

Here were Chari’s Top 5 For 2013:

1)   I want to develop our blog to be more user friendly, add new features and reach 5000 views. In 2012 after just 6 months the blog has 21 followers and reached 1,188 views. Now that’s nothing compared to some of the top rated blogs but we appreciate each and everyone who has taken an interest in Homeless and Loving It!

By New Year’s 2014 – To my utter amazement this was achieved and surpassed. We now have 69 followers on the blog and many more via Facebook, Twitter and Linked-in. We ended 2013 with 11,175 views. So where to go from here? Shall I really reach for the stars by saying I want 25,000 views? Yes.

2)   I want to ride a Segway on a tour in some city or other place. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and now it’s finally reached the top 5. 

By New Year’s 2014 – Done and enjoyed in Savannah. Don’t have a new challenge selected for 2014 but I’m sure one will come along.

3)   I want to take a sailboat day trip. I’ve been on big ships and small boats. I’ve kayaked and canoed but I’ve never been on a sailboat.

By New Year’s 2014 – Didn’t get out all day but had a wonderful time on an evening cruise in Halifax Harbor.

4)   I want to continue seeing National Park sites toward our goal of seeing them all. I haven’t counted recently but I think we are at 60 out of 391. What are the chances of reaching 25% next year? That means 38 more places. Mmmm, a tough one. It’s not the count that matters but the fun and learning along the way.

By New Year’s 2014 – Made it to 22% and our count is 86 NPS sites. So let’s shoot for 30% in 2014. That means 123 sites but we’re heading west and there are more parks out there.

5)   See a moose in the wild when I have my camera with me. Two years ago I was kayaking in Idaho when I rounded a bend and came within 100 feet of a cow moose and her calf. I stopped and said “I won’t hurt you” meaning “and I hope you won’t hurt me.” She just looked, decided I didn’t need further investigation and walked away with the calf in tow. To this day I consider this the best wildlife shot I could have had, the one that got away.

By New Year’s 2014 – Saw 5 moose, once w/o the camera handy and 4 when it was too dark to shoot from our truck.

       New For 2014 – Two out of five from 2013 are moving forward to 2014. What else should I shoot for?

1)  Make myself use my tripod more often. I have a bad habit of just grabbing the camera and taking off.

2)   Keep current with our blog. Easier said than done!

3)   Get myself out of bed and do sunrise shots. For this I’ll pretend to be going back to work (yup I just said the W word). Definitely easier said than done!

Better not get too carried away I’ve already had enough self-improvement for today.

Here were Steve’s Top 5 For 2013

1-     I want an adventure.  Something I’ve never done before.  2012 saw two, flying in a hot air balloon, and flying in a sailplane.  Don’t know what this new adventure will be, just know that I want one!

By New Year’s 2014 – Well, I don’t know if anything in 2013 qualifies as a special adventure comparing to ballooning or soaring in a sailplane.  Guess I’ll have to keep working on this one.

2-    Just recently we’ve eaten a couple of meals that place first and second on my all-time favorites.  One was Emeril’s recipe for Shrimp and Grits, which we made with fresh caught Gulf Shrimp.  The other was our own recipe for Cajun style baked oysters.  Don’t know which one places first and which one second, it may be a tie, but at some point in 2013 I want to make and eat a meal that pushes them to second and third place!

By New Year’s 2014 – Finding the Atlantic Snow Crab processing plant in Nova Scotia definitely qualifies!  Buying crab right from the factory, bringing it home, making a salad, popping open a beer, and sitting outdoors dipping crab meat into a half dozen different cocktail sauces…  Ahh, Life Is Good!  And, this meal did double duty!  Putting all the shells in a pot and cooking them down made a great stock for a fish chowder!  (Or chowdah, as a certain sister-in-law might say)

3-    I want a “National Geographic Moment”.  I’ve experienced a few in my life, and Chari has had some.  One of mine was being so close to Northern Right Whales in the Bay of Fundy that when they spouted, I got wet.  Another was being on the fifty-yard line watching while two bull elk locked horns in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  Chari and I watched enthralled as the bats flew in their hundreds of thousands from Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and wound their way to the horizon in the twilight sky.  I’d like another “National Geographic Moment”.

By New Year’s 2014 – Let’s see…  would being up-close and personal with humpback whales in the Bay of Fundy qualify?  Umm…  YES!

4-    I want to experience a moment of pure wonder and serenity.  Once, I sat under a pine tree at the Grand Canyon, in the midst of winter, when the only other person in sight was my brother, who also sat under a pine tree about a quarter of a mile away, and watched while the canyon slowly changed colors as the evening sun sank into the western sky.  Another was sitting on the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse watching as the morning sun rose to my left, a thunderstorm raged to my right about a mile or so offshore, and a pod of porpoises played in front of me.  And watching a fantastic display of the Northern Lights while driving alone through the night across North Dakota was another.  I’d like to experience this feeling again.

By New Year’s 2014 – Driving along a coastal road in Nova Scotia, we turned off on a side road leading to a town called White Point.  It turned out to be a small fishing village, maybe a dozen homes and eight or ten fishing boats in the harbor.  At the far side of “town” was a path leading out onto a peninsula, about half open meadow, and half wooded.  The ocean waves swept the shores on both sides while seabirds soared overhead.  We walked passed a grave, marked “The Unknown Sailor”, and I told Chari that we found the place where she could scatter my ashes (hopefully not for another fifty years or so!) 

Also in Nova Scotia, near the town of Lunenburg, we kayaked in an area known as Blue Rocks.  Paddling through the calm waters, among rocks and islands covered with a golden colored seaweed was absolutely beautiful…  rivaling the Antelope Canyon paddle on Lake Powell as the prettiest paddle I’ve ever done.

5-    I’d like my life of wandering with Chari to go on forever.

By New Year’s 2014 – Still working on this one, and now we’ve got another year under our belts! 

Overall, I’d say that four out of five is pretty darn good, and as for having a great adventure?  Well, Life is an adventure, and we’re having one every day, so I guess that makes five out of five! 

What are my goals for 2014?  I can’t think of any from last year that I would change.  Let’s just list the same goals again!

Here’s Opal’s Top 5 For 2013

1-   I want to actually catch a squirrel.

By New Year’s 2014 – Still working on this one.  But, I’ve come close a couple of times.  For 2014, I’m going to add “catching a pelican”.  Either one will do!

2-  I want to run and roll in the sand on 10,000 more beaches.

By New Year’s 2014 – Only 8372 to go!

3-  I want Mom and Dad to take me everywhere and not leave me in the stinkin’ trailer.

By New Year’s 2014 – We’re not making any headway on this one.  What does it take to educate those people?  Guess I’ll still need to keep rolling my big brown eyes at them when they look like they’re going to leave me alone.

4-  I want “people food” with every meal.

By New Year’s 2014 – We’re doing good, but we’re not up to 100% yet.  We’ll keep this one on the list too.

5- Just once, I want to be left alone after I’ve fallen asleep for the evening instead of getting woke up to go out and pee. 

By New Year’s 2014 – They actually did it!  Once.  Let’s shoot for two times in 2014.