My favourite (publishing from England now, must use English spelling) boardwalk in the whole wide world (what little I know of it) , a zigzag path at Destin:
Zigzag ripples left in the sand by the retreating tide at Destin:
Zigzag reflections in the Withlacoochee River (cool name, kind of makes your tongue zigzag when you say it) taken during an airboat ride:
Whoever thought prairie dogs were this big? Or are the Park rangers confused? Or have the bison nominated themselves as guardians of the prairie dogs’ diet?
The juxtaposition of the sign with the bison was worthy of a photograph. What I didn’t realize until I downloaded the photo was that a prairie dog was in the picture as well.
Can you see him?
Who is the extra? The prairie dog or the bison?
To see other Extra, Extra Photo Challenges or to take part click the big W below:
A heartfelt thanks to all my friends,
While on our jolly way we wend.
So many have come through for me,
To wish us well, not misery!
Just one blogger I’ve met in person,
‘Cause the world’s too large you’ll hear me cursin’!
And yet that’s where adventures lay,
To seek anew another day.
So should you ever venture near,
Make contact! And we’ll drink some beer
Or wine or tea or your beverage of choice.
I’d love to meet and hear your voice.
Your written words have helped me through
The mush upstairs – my mental stew.
I’m not the only one to be
Confused. You’ve shared your thoughts with me.
You don’t advise or judge or preach,
But say life’s road is there to teach.
I was running out of blogging stuff.
But soon I’ll have more than enough.
While we work out our future’s bugs,
I say thanks again and grateful hugs.
If you have just stumbled on my blog this poem is in response to the outpouring of support, good wishes, hugs and shared experiences on my previous post Confused DNA and our impending departure to parts known and unknown which was alluded to on this post.
Thank you to Lil Miss Poutine for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Pop over and see her site of photography, food, cycling, movies, music, technology, TV, travel and . . . . . bowling? A varied and fascinating blog!
To be eligible for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, you must please (sounds nicer):
(a) provide a link to and thank the blogger who nominated you for this award;
(b) answer ten questions;
(c) nominate 10-12 blogs that you find a joy to read;
(d) provide links to these nominated blogs and let the recipients know they have been nominated; and
(e) include the award logo within your blog post.
TEN QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS:
1. Favorite color?
Blue – especially aquamarine, ultramarine and space cadet. I don’t really like space cadet but I’ll bet you didn’t know it was a color!
2. Favorite animal?
Alligator. I feel a special bond with them after spending time in Florida.
3. Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Oh come on. We all know I need to say wine. Champagne when available, but any color is acceptable.
4. Facebook or Twitter?
Neither really. Oh my.
5. Favorite pattern?
Here’s an interesting one. The Golden Ratio Spiral as found throughout nature.
6. Do you prefer getting or giving presents?
I know what I’m meant to say, so I’m skipping this one.
7. Favorite number?
The year of my birth.
Oh, did you want to know that is?
8. Favorite day of the week?
It doesn’t matter. Every day is the weekend.
9. Favorite flower?
Daffodils – the precursors of spring! Not too many of them in the desert right now. Except at Safeway.
10. Favorite passion?
You don’t really think I’m going to put that out there do you?
Use the above questions OR list 10 interesting (printable!) facts about yourself.
Here are 10 blog sites I’d like to nominate. Sistas!
Hilarious tales of a Brit living in France with her French husband, three children and a smelly dog – named Smelly Dog. I think a cat and a goldfish figure in there somewhere but I’m not sure the goldfish is still alive.
A Canadian with a zest for travel and photography. Many of Sue’s destinations are seen from the open air aspect of a bicycle. I invited myself along to their next cycling trip to Italy, opted out of pedalling and offered to meet them at a wine bar at the end of the day. They graciously accepted.
Pooky is a recently (mere weeks ago) qualified PhD who apparently needs no sleep as she writes a poem (humorous and heart-wrenching – not poetry as you know it) a day, has two pre-schoolers, trained for and just ran the London Marathon and is writing a book with a deadline of September.
Another Canadian, Joanne believes in living outside her comfort zone, including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Yes! You read that right! Her current A to Z writing challenge is an amazing example of the diversity of her life.
LuAnn and Terry have been full-time RVers for nearly three years now. Despite the challenges that being on the road throw at them LuAnn is always ready with a comment or some encouragement to others while they continue to “paint” their landscape with their narrative and lovely photographs.
Judy is a wonderful photographer and is not averse to photo editing her photographs with fantastic results. She is a breast cancer campaigner. Read about it here: Boobie Pirates
Pam and John are “two retired educators touring the country in their motorhome.” I’d been following them for a while but really took to Pam when she stated “nobody in their right mind would be a fan of a Pittsburgh team.” It’s good to have opinions where sports is involved! They’ve been tootling around the southeast and posting photos and narratives since they saw Pittsburgh lose to the Orioles.
Mona Lisa and her husband Steve are travelling the States in their motorhome, Betsy, are having way too much fun and document it all with beautiful photographs. Though Mona Lisa is from the Philippines, she seems to have a cousin in every U.S. state.
Another Canadian? Ruth and Mike sold up five years ago and bought a 5th wheel to begin a “carefree” lifestyle never having RVed before. They must be as mad as we are! Their long list of tags and great photographs indicate that they must have got the hang of it by now.
Nancy recently completed a year – 365 days – of exercising every day and documenting her journey. Through rain, snow and life’s commitments she met the challenge she set herself. I took up a small challenge with her recently and hurt my back. I can be a dummy sometimes, but she is an exercise warrior princess. From Canada.
If you are a no award blog or already have this award just think to yourself isn’t she sweet? Shame she can’t read. And let it go. I’m okay with that if you are.
Finish this joke:
A Filipina, two Brits, four Canadians and four Americans walked into a bar . . . . . . . . .
Thank you Janet at Seize the Day RV Adventure – for honoring me with this award! “Seize the Day” is a great principle to adopt. Visit Janet and Kevin on their blog of travel, RVing, birding, Jeeping (I made up that word!), eating and more.
The Liebster Blog Award is described as; “ An award to spread blog love and draw attention to blogs with fewer followers”. Many thanks, Janet!
The criteria for accepting this award – numbers are flexible:
1. Favorite author?
I could not possibly name just one. I have a list and here are a few: Peter Mayle, Bill Bryson, Sebastian Faulks, John Steinbeck, Diane Ackerman, Joanne Harris, Clare Francis, Lauren Belfer, Sue Grafton. Look them up! Enjoy!
2. Why did you start blogging?
I had already written dozens of stories. I just wanted to put them “out there.” I hope when you read them you don’t think I’m “out there.”
3. What’s your favorite TV Show?
Doc Martin, about an unusual country doctor practicing in my favorite English county – Cornwall.
4. What is your favorite season of the year?
A prefect English summer -whenever that might happen.
5. If you have some spare time, what do you do?
Read or write! That’s predictable isn’t it?
6. What is your favorite type of music?
Not much of a music doyen, but I don’t like jazz and rap.
7. What do you do to keep fit?
Yoga, swimming and walking from one room to another and back again because I forget why I’m there.
8. Tea or Coffee?
If I really have to choose – tea. But I’ll have a cup of coffee when you’re not looking.
9.What is your favorite kind of animal? Dog? Cat? Fish? Deer? etc
Cat. But maybe dog if it’s a Labrador.
10. Favorite place you have traveled?
UNFAIR! Absolutely cannot answer this. Somewhere (or everywhere) in America or Europe.
Here are some blogs I would like to nominate for the Liebster Award. Read! Enjoy!
http://discoveringwithdaisy.com/
http://vanessaspostcards.wordpress.com/
http://beartracksblog.wordpress.com/
http://twotrailsoneroad.wordpress.com/
http://mosblissfulbouquets.com/
http://theprestemons.wordpress.com/
http://motormommy.wordpress.com/
http://midlifeonwheels.wordpress.com/
Should you decide to accept this award – and there is no pressure to accept – here are some questions for you to answer:
If you can’t be bothered with all those questions, and I wouldn’t blame you, please just answer the last one. I really would like to hear what you have to say!!! Anyone reading this is welcome to jump in with an opinion. 😀
Dear friends, faithful followers, drop-ins and countrymen and women of various countries,
I have been honored over the last few weeks with several awards which I have ungraciously put in my back pocket favorites file until I had some more time.
How some of you work full time, organize families, exercise and run a household as well as blog is beyond me. I guess you don’t sleep. Or am I lazy?
Anyway, I have finally answered questions, perused my followers file and put these awards in an orderly queue to dole out over the next few days.
If I have missed you out, awarded you twice or failed to read your side bar/awards page to note that you don’t accept awards – huge appa-logies!
Many thanks to all of you who have felt that I am worthy. I appreciate enormously your visits, likes and comments. Awards are icing.
Once the awards have all been rolled out I’ll be publishing a harrowing tale of air travel titled, “Airport Gestapo.”
But first . . . . .
***********************
Which Way Now 101 has been nominated for the “Wonderful Team Readership Award” by Coach Muller. I highly recommend that you visit his site, Good Time Stories to read his inspiring and heartwarming stories.
Thanks Coach for including me on your team!
What is a Team?
A team comprises a group of people linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent sub-tasks.
Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize his/her strengths and minimize his/her weaknesses. Team members learn how to help one another, help other team members realize their true potential and create an environment that allows everyone to go beyond their limitations.
A team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual commitment creates synergy, thus generating performance greater than the sum of the performance of its individual members.
It is now my privilege to announce my nominations for this awesome award. Before I do, please allow me to show you the rules for this award.
1) The nominee of the “Wonderful Team Readership Award” shall display the logo on their blog.
2) The nominee shall nominate 14 other bloggers they appreciate over a period of 7 days, all at once, or little by little, linking to their blogs and telling them about it at their blogs.
So here is my list of nominations for the “Wonderful Team Readership Award.”
http://smallbluegreenwords.wordpress.com/
http://walk-and-bike-in-france.com/
http://bigsheepcommunications.wordpress.com/
http://jadedapothecary.wordpress.com/
http://cravesadventure.wordpress.com/
http://gusgus64.wordpress.com/
http://earthquakeboy.wordpress.com/
http://thegreatamericanlandscape.wordpress.com/
If you are counting, there are only 10 blogs listed. More to come!
The embarrassing wreath I described in this post had been consigned to a dumpster, but I hadn’t given up on the puddling and exasperating lights.
We had made a carelessly arranged Santa’s grotto by plugging in a string of lights and hanging them ’round the bed – the bed that is in our sitting room/dining room which is in the kitchen. The soft glow of the little lights had a kind of artless charm.
But our cozy grotto had to be dismantled each time we moved campsite, which was frequently, as we had neglected to make reservations at this we-now-know busy time of year.
Who wants to go camping for Christmas? Quite a few people as it happens. Those who want to get away for Christmas and those who want to get away from Christmas. And us, because we’d nowhere else to go.
New Year’s Eve was spent at a campsite where you would not choose to go intentionally and the lights did not put in an appearance.
On New Year’s Day we arrived at Henderson Beach State Park on the Gulf coast near Destin. It was a sunny but sheltered site where we could pull out the awning. When I say we, I mean I busied myself with the awning and Plan C for the lights while Jimmy fiddled around with inconsequential things like unhitching the trailer from the car and plugging us in to the mains and water.
With the awning extended and pulled down where I could reach it, I wrapped the lights around one strut, strung them across the top of the awning and then down and around the other strut. I hadn’t anticipated needing to open and close the door, so had to take down and rearrange all 46 feet of lights so I could raise the awning a little.
That accomplished I waited for darkness. Very pretty.
The next day thunderstorms were predicted and as we were going out for the day we had to furl up the awning. So the lights came down. But never mind. I strung them through the bushes next to us. Very pretty.
The next day the park ranger came to our site to tell us that we couldn’t hang the lights from the vegetation. But never mind. I took them down and strung them along the washing line next to the trailer. Very pretty.
The next day we had to move the trailer to another site within the campground. Of course the lights had to come down. At the new site . . . well the washing line post was a long way from the trailer, but I hung them up anyway, looping them right across our campsite so they were dragging on the ground.
They looked stupid.
But never mind, it was Twelfth Night, so I took them down.
Happy New Year to all my friends, relictives (haha) and bloggy pals.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful new year.
I’ve been nominated for a Sunshine Award! I’ve never thought of myself as someone’s little ray of sunshine. Himself thinks it’s hilarious. Don’t think him unkind. You don’t have to live with me.
My nominator, Joanne took the trouble to research the award so rather than reinvent the wheel I will pass on her words to you. “It is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers who “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogoshere.” (Questionable punctuation is mine.)
Gosh. Thanks Joanne for the nomination. You are my little ray of sunshine with your wonderful blog http://mylifelivedfull.wordpress.com/
I am to nominate up to 10 blogs – hard to keep it down to 10 – and think of 10 vaguely interesting things to say about myself – horribly difficult.
I’ve read these types of lists on other blogs and admired the author’s imagination, ability for introspection, self-knowledge and sense of humor. I panicked and blanked at the very thought of it but here goes:
My blog nomination choices are a combination of travel, RV travel, photography, history, poetry and humor. I am following dozens of blogs and would like to list them all and have agonized over choosing just 10.
Please visit these blogs and prepare to be amazed:
http://andieduncan.wordpress.com/
http://livelaughrv.wordpress.com/
http://pookypoetry.wordpress.com/
http://judylindophotography.wordpress.com/
http://visitstothepark.wordpress.com/
http://myyearofsweat.wordpress.com/
http://unclespikes.wordpress.com/
I wanted to nominate http://multifariousmeanderings.wordpress.com/ for the Sunshine Award but she had the unmitigated gall to accept the self-same award from someone else first!
To accept this award please:
And speaking of sunshine, here is a favorite sunshine photo:
Fellow blogger Uncle Spike has been rash enough to invite me to write a guest post on his blog. An Englishman, he leads an interesting life as a farmer (amongst other things) in Turkey with his Turkish wife, five-year-old son (who I’m firmly convinced is 15, not five), dog, chickens and olives.
Hop on over to Turkey to accompany me to Cornwall in England for a Nice Cup of Tea.
http://unclespikes.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/guest-post-a-nice-cuppa-by-carol-a-k-a-whichwaynow101/
A lunch date at eleven thir – tee,
With Ingrid of LiveLaughRV,
Had us both in stitches,
With laughter like riches,
A friendship was destined to be.
I’d never done this before.
It certainly wasn’t a bore.
Ingrid’s met lots of folks,
So I said, “okey doke!
Let’s meet up and tell tales some more.”
We’d never laid eyes on each other.
Our blogs were anonymous cover.
The gravatar pics,
Were enough for a fix,
On each other to clock one another.
We giggled like girls of thirteen,
Taking selfies after a preen.
Our lunches got cold.
The waitress did scold.
That’s a lie. She’s a sweet, young thing.
I hope we can meet up once more,
Our blog trials to further explore.
We had lots to say,
But there’s more to convey,
Of both of our USA tours.
Which Way Now 101 