Turning Around and Going Back

If you've ever glanced at our Facebook page, you'll notice the statement that quotes, "Follow our journey across the country, coast to coast, from Maine to Washington...". You may be thinking along the same lines that many other people have - "you're in Georgia... aren't you heading the wrong way?" Maybe we thought we did, but in reality, maybe we didn't.

There's an old wise saying, "you can't control people, places, situations and things." This journey has brought that home to us in spades. From a US government shutdown that closed all national parks (and numerous ones we planned to visit and stay at), to bridges falling apart and cutting off our way to another campground and seasonal work in North Carolina, a brutally cold and snowy winter across much of the United States, as well as other promises of work in Southern Georgia that evaporated, this left us with more time on our hands to revitalize, refresh, reexamine our lives - and how God is in control of it all.

It was as if every person we've met along the way contained a piece of information that was key to completing the puzzle of "... why Georgia?" as well as the repeated question, "How did you get here? You have no family or know anyone locally. Why are you here?" These are some of the mysteries of life and this road trip. We've taken many trips into town - many famous Civil War battles were fought here - and we've taken numerous back roads through the countryside. Spring is beginning here.

Just as we have been blamed for bringing the cold down with us, we hope to bring the heat home with us. In three days, we'll start our trek back to Maine. As we wrote back in December, we landed a job from the beginning of April through the end of October at the Gardiner-Augusta KOA in Maine. We are wrapping up our site-seeing vistas - which ironically all seem to resemble some type of death. From famous Civil War graveyards and memorials to the largest salvage yard in the country that specializes in vintage cars, Old Car City in White, Georgia.

We are also cleaning and packing up the Nomad, getting the RV road ready for the 1200+ mile journey, as well as Skyping our daughters and grandkids before being off the grid for a while. We remapped our journey home, three times, as we will be taking a different route home, seeing friends we haven't seen for years, and going places we've never been. We're also wondering what this part of the journey will hold.

We've been asked by many of our friends in Georgia if we will be back next winter. As of this writing, we can honestly say - we don't know... only God knows. Of all the lessons we've learned while on this trip, the most profound and simple one, is to breathe deep and keep on going. Have faith - we will all get to where we're supposed to be; to land where we're all supposed to land.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Blasting Solutions

The difficult is easy... the impossible just takes a little longer.

It's hard to believe it has been a year since we made the initial decision and goal to leave the state of Maine and head for Washington state. As of this writing, we've been on the road for 5 months and this is day 132. We've covered just under 3,000 miles, made over 580 phone calls, sent and received over 1,325 text messages, and slogged through over 200 emails. By the way, this is blog post # 44.

When all the National Parks closed for a while back in October of 2013, that put the final changes in our plans - we headed South instead of West. We also thought finding work would be easier, at least easier than it was currently in Maine. It turned out to be near impossible.

We prayed - then we prayed harder. Over the course of this journey, however, our prayers were answered, but not in the way we had hoped - at least initially. Currently, we are in northwest Georgia and have experienced some of the very things we tried to get away from in Maine; snow, cold temperatures, long grey stretches of weather, people who hibernate, and a lack of activity during the winter months.

We learned that people hibernate - even in Georgia. The weather changes no matter where you go and it gets cold in (at least this winter) in every part of the U.S., except southern California and Florida as well as Hawaii. The statements of the season have been, "This winter has been very unusual." "We never get this much snow." "It normally doesn't get this cold!"

We have been landing in small towns that do not have many sights to see nor activities to do during the winter months. With our schedules and a lack of a vehicle, it has been a tad difficult to do any sight-seeing. Dave and I have been able to get out to see the local area as well as for our daily constitutional. On our walks, we get to see farms and pastures filled with cows and horses - as well as finding a cool plastic sunflower that now graces our RV.

An expectation of yours from that last sentence is that what we saw was beautiful. It was - but along the way we also experienced loose, annoying, barking dogs, a great deal of roadside trash and litter, along with loud cricket bugs, which we thought were frogs. Everything is not as it seems.

Another expectation fizzled as our 10 year old microwave finally died. Dave and I thought that it would be better to take along our large, tried and true microwave that used to be in the house back in Thomaston, Maine, instead of keeping the smaller unit that came with the Nomad. 

Adding insult to injury, we found to our dismay that campfires are frowned on here in the campground as many of the sites are too close together and it's been too dry of a winter. So, it's been sandwiches, cereal, and other cold foods until we can replace our impaired microwave. However, we have been contemplating a combination microwave / coffee maker as we also brought our old coffee pot with us that happens to be 11 years old - and we have no idea when that appliance will blow. Dave swears he can't go a day without coffee.

Another expectation: the campground has (and advertises) a "camper kitchen" and recreation room. We expected both to be used by fellow campers. However, almost all the extended-stay campers either work all day and basically only sleep there, or they hibernate. Those two amenities never get used. No get-togethers, no pot luck suppers, no bonfires.

We did find a church through the back woods and have connected with people. Remembering when we first pulled into this campground, just as the day was getting dark, we could see the steeple lit through the leaf-less trees - like a comfortable lighthouse beacon. At this church, there are pot lucks, numerous get-togethers, but no bonfires. We're hoping to change that!

We've made many new friends, even though we are "Yankees". One couple in particular has shared our camping experiences and we bonded right off. Lori and Terrance along with their two teenage boys also invited us to their home for barbecue chicken dinner - a nice change of pace from camping. While taking in new surroundings, we noticed a decal of the local high school mascot that was on the back of a den door - the Cass Colonels. There were also many equine decorations adorning the walls. We are definitely not in Maine people...

Where has the time gone? In two weeks, we will be leaving Georgia and make our way north. It will be with great sorrow that we leave these new found friends behind. If we could, we would bring the entire church with us. It is an excellent example of Christian worship - lively music with a large choir, a humorous and energizing pastor, as well as a responsive congregation. There is a two-way conversation - pure worship (worship being a relationship with Christ).

One thing we weren't expecting was Spring to be here so soon. The signs are everywhere. First, we heard an odd burbling and searched the trees until in a clearing we saw a huge flock of migrating cranes. Second, were blooming daffodils and hellebores. Lastly, we were invaded by small ants. We tried to be kind to these beasts of nature by sprinkling pepper on our counter-tops, floor, all the outside connections to the ground, as well as the tires. After three days, if they hadn't been smushed by our thumbs, or be gone by their own free will - they were blasted with bug spray.

In retrospect, the things we thought would be difficult were in fact simple. Solutions came in many different forms. Many would not have come from our way of thinking. The impossible has become possible given more time and persistence. 

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Weather Or Not... and Turning Cartersville Upside Down

First things first - we are aware of the spelling in the title - it is meant to be an intentional play on words. Follow along and we'll experience one of those "ah-ha" moments together. One question that came to mind as we write this is, "where does the time go?" It's been almost three weeks since our last blog and we've been working / living at this KOA for six weeks. Even more incredible is the fact that we head back to Maine for our summer job at the Gardiner / Augusta KOA in just four and a half weeks. We'll be taking our time, seeing friends and family along the way - which also means more blogs and pictures for you to enjoy!

One of the big buzz phrases we've been hearing over the past three weeks has been "weather permitting". We've also come to realize that this phrase must be taken with a fairly large dose of perspective. When we first arrived in Cartersville, Georgia, it was just like Maine in the winter - COLD! However, by our first weekend here, it warmed up to almost 70 degrees. That was all well and good until the thunder storms came barreling through.

The weeks that followed were like a Coney Island roller coaster - whether we liked it or not. We've experienced two small snow storms, an ice storm, days of rain (and the resulting mud), thunder storms, hail, tornado warnings, low temperatures at night that have been in the single numbers (including one that registered at -2 below), and one high wind advisory that resulted in a large branch landing on the Nomads' roof with a resounding thud. However, we are happy to report that our RV still has no leaks, damage and is none the worse for wear.

Adding insult to injury was a conversation we had with a local resident before a church service last Sunday. She said spring will basically start by the end of February. However, she also pointed out that according to the Farmers Almanac, there is supposed to be one last snow event by the end of March. Another local who was in attendance promptly commented that she didn't buy that; "Winter is just about over. We'll be in tornado season by March and it'll be really warm and humid by May." A third person finally quipped, "This winter has been totally screwy - someone needs to give Mother Nature a globe!"  In the same jesting mode, we told our new friends that they can lay off the snow - we already feel at home here.

Undeterred by all of this, we did find a temporal day to spend in Cartersville. We focused on the old historic downtown area which has been in a state of revival. We played tourist once again, taking pictures and talking with local business owners ranging from clothing stores, art galleries and diners. One gallery was in the process of changing its works when the manager asked Jill if she had any paintings she was willing to display once she found out Jill was a fine artist. Jill said, "Sure do... they're out in our RV. Would you like me to retrieve some of them?" Suddenly it was let the back pedaling begin! "The artwork has to be juried into the show." Be careful what you say to strangers who happen to be artists! We also found a cool restaurant named Meg-Pie (reminded us of our oldest daughter) as well as an eclectic shop called Psycho Sisters. We were half tempted to ask the owners if they were at least partially responsible for the crazy weather.  All the shop owners made sure to mention another shop or art gallery that we may enjoy seeing pouring on the hospitality the South is known for.


We also stood on railroad tracks (with trains approaching), under bridges, and near construction zones all in the name of collecting unusual pictures and memories. We've also been walking the general area around the campground - whether its through the woods or down a country road complete with horse farms, lazy cows and barking dogs. We especially love the river that passes by there complete with wooden bridge with no rails and a hilarious truck weight limit sign. However, it gives us a sense of peace and serenity along with the Canadian geese and cranes that are starting to fly north. We are eager to fly north as well weather permitting!

The Dangerous Duo

One of our regular blog readers once commented, "You guys and your adventures... I love them! You engage and embrace life so much, that you're borderline dangerous!"  Remembering back to that comment make us look at this concept a little more closely. What is being dangerous anyways? Websters defines "dangerous" as engaging in an act that may invoke harm, injury, or death. Our first thought was, "Geez - we're not that bad. How dangerous is it working at a campground?"

First, we ran down the litany of things we do on a daily basis as well as since we arrived here three weeks ago. Dave started things off how he and his co-worker Stillman get into all kinds of trouble (they call it fun and being efficient) with the maintenance buggy - the Bull Dog BD-300. They never do the speed limit (their excuse is that the cart doesn't have a speedometer), never follow gravel roads (hey, it's an off-road machine), and using a farm tractor to assist them in the cutting down of old trees ("those old John Deere tractors can push anything over").

Jill chimed in with her housekeeping duties. The campground uses more cleaning chemicals than you can shake a stick at. If one isn't careful, one could easily get asphyxiated. The basics of cleaning is using soap and water. When the temperature drops, water is more difficult to work with (it freezes) and soap tends to separate from water more easily and doesn't dissolve as well (leaving a much more slippery floor). Sometimes guests use the restrooms directly after they are cleaned. One can also tell that they are still a little slick as the footprints left on the still-wet floor look like a fox-trot dance lesson.

With all due respect, and no offense, fellow RV'ers can be downright dangerous. Some are not very good at maneuvering their RV. Mostly because it's just to big (or too long) for them to handle. We've seen light poles, water hookups, and cable TV ground boxes hit and taken out on a weekly basis. All the lamp posts at this campground are painted yellow. One RV'er was surprised that he hit one... until we showed him the new yellow streak of paint that now adorned the side of his 5th wheel. That's one of the major reasons why we purchased the Nomad - it's only 25 feet long. It is a perfect first-time RV for us.

The campground itself can be a little dangerous. Old systems and outdated electrical can be entertaining... sort of. Even performing basic electrical maintenance has tripped a circuit breaker a few times or has resulted in light bulbs blowing up inside their covers. The roads here are all gravel. Loose gravel can result in a twisted ankle - just ask Jill about that one. Not once, but twice.

But then we thought of a lesser known, affect of "dangerous". How is a persons thinking and attitude towards numerous aspects in life dangerous? Life itself is still an adventure - it is what we make it and how we live it. Today is the last day of January - it has been a colder than normal winter and Georgia has not escaped Old Man Winters' icy grip. Overnight temperatures have been in the teens and even the single numbers on several occasions. The campground has had to shut the water off to prevent freezing and damaged components. As we put the finishing touches on this post, we are thawing out from the two inches of snow we received the other day. People still grouse like crazy - and it's usually the ones who stay put. Other campers have pulled up stakes and left for warmer climates like southern Florida. People have to remember - this type of weather happens. We're all living in an RV, which is short for recreational vehicle. It's not a house.

Speaking again of RV's, even proven Maine methods of snow removal can backfire and be a little dangerous. Obviously, there is no snow removal equipment this far south, so Dave & his co-worker Stillman, had to improvise. Once again, out came the John Deere tractor and it's bizarre array of attachments. Instead of plowing, they "dragged" the snow out of the parking lot, sites, and roads. They were proud of themselves that in a mere 2 1/2 hours, they had everything cleared, shoveled, and salted. However, when the remaining snow melted from numerous areas, streaks of gravel were left behind. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, except that a sharp piece of gravel got lodged in a departing campers' tire, causing a flat. He was not a happy camper! On the flip-side, if Stillman and Dave had "left the snow to melt", as they say down in these parts, the campground would have been a skating rink (and possibly more accidents would have occurred). We had RV'ers coming in the day of as well as the day after the storm through Atlanta and were travel weary. They were grateful for clear roads and sites. Just goes to show, that you can't please everyone and dangerous can be a win or lose situation regardless of best intentions.

We met one fellow RV'er who has been living this lifestyle for 50 years. Yes, you read that correctly - 50 years. Even he still makes mistakes, (he forgot to refill his backup water for the below freezing weather), but goes with the flow. "I'm always forgetting something. But hey - I'm human", something he mused before he left this morning. Great food for thought...

In our opinion, one of the keys of life is to be happy with our circumstances, regardless what they are on a daily basis. One can be "dangerous" to oneself with negative thinking and feeling hopeless. We all have to count our blessings - the weather may be a bit colder than we like, resulting in chilled fingers and toes, but at least there is warmer weather in the forecast. We have great heat, warm clothes and blankets. Finally as Jill added - no bugs!

On that note, we can honestly say "we are happy campers"!
Until next time,
Jill & Dave

Will We Survive The South Or Will The South Survive Us?

Let us preface this blog by stating one very important fact - Dave and I are NOT prejudiced in any way. As of this writing, we have been below the Mason-Dixon line for going on three months and we've had wonderful and unforgettable experiences with people of all color and races. These experiences are part of our travels... our journey. This is merely a recounting of them.

When we originally left Maine, we given some "basic survival instructions" from our son-in-law, Matt, who spent many a year in the South. One of them was, "...when down South, do as the Southerners do".

On Accents and Drawls - 

At times, communication has been our number one difficulty. We have noticed, that even in the deep South, accents can vary - even in the same state. Some folks have just a southern twang, while others have a heavy drawl. One of these times was when Dave and I were in southern Georgia and I had to ask a very nice gentleman to repeat himself three times before I could understand what he was trying to tell us. I became frustrated with myself. The heavy accent, coupled with his lack of teeth, didn't help matters either. It took the three of us over a minute and a half to communicate and understand that the local store was closed due to a lack of power. He thought maybe we were walking to the store, even though we weren't. Once we had that issue resolved, we thanked him for his courtesy, wished him a Happy New Year, and he did the same.

One of our new co-workers, Marie, has always lived in Georgia. Dave, Stillman (Daves' co-worker) and I are all from Maine. At times, by the way we speak, I swear she wants to ring our necks! A recent classic example - a door-yard. A totally confused Marie asked, "What the hell is a door-yard?" We all explained that it's the area where the side door of a house (not the front or back) that goes out to the section of yard that usually meets with the driveway, sometimes where kids play. Marie still rolls her eyes when any of us mention that "... we have ta pahk the cah".

We also feel it's interesting that a lack of accent can still present a problem - especially when you factor in that we talk fast. We're from the Northeast; it's part of our culture. A local shopkeeper asked us the other day, "Where ya'll from?"
"Maine", we replied.
"Where?" came back with a slightly confused look. "Maine", we said again, slower with more annunciation.
"Oh - I didn't know what you were saying", came the shopkeepers' slight relief.

Where's the Lobster?

Food, or more precisely, what locals call it creates more fun confusion. It's bad enough that lobster is very difficult to find down south, especially when one is a distance from the ocean. We mentioned to one southerner that we were missing the taste of lobster rolls. "What's a lobster roll?" came the obvious question. We described the luncheon delicacy as basically chopped up lobster, mixed with a little mayo (or tarter sauce), some spices, and you pile it high in a grinder.  
"What's a grinder", followed with a baffled look. 
"A grinder is a big roll", we explained.  
"So what you're saying is, it's like a hamburger, except with lobster?"
"No, no, no! It's like a big hot dog bun", we tried clarifying.
"You mean a hoagie! And it's a hot dog roll. A bun is a sticky thing you eat for breakfast. You people from up north are so weird", quoted our friend, her head shaking.

It's All Fun And Games, Until...

This one didn't hit us until we arrived in North Carolina. With the sun setting past 5:30 p.m. at night and the

temperatures still fairly warm back in November, outdoor activities were still plentiful.
"Ya'll play corn hole?" was a common question among the locals.
"Do we even want to know what you're talking about?" we asked the first time someone inquired.
"Ya know - corn hole. It's a slanted wooden board with a hole in it near the top. You toss a small bag filled with dried corn and you try to get it in the hole", came the explanation.
"Oh, you mean bean bags!" we exclaimed. "Yes, we have that up north."
"Why on Earth would you put beans in a bag and throw them?"

How's The Weather Down (Or Up) There?

This is a common one, especially now that the colder chills of January are being felt. One campground manager asked us once how in heavens name could we live in a climate where the temperature struggles to reach 50 degrees for five months straight. We replied with the reverse - how could one live in a place where it's 85 degrees or hotter and humid for at least four months solid. It's all about perspectives.

January Is Black History Month - 

After a two week lull, mostly due to poor internet conditions, we were finally able to connect with our oldest daughter Meg's family and have a video chat via Facebook for almost an hour. Both of our oldest grandchildren have birthdays in January and received their homemade cards in the mail. They showed us the airplane models they put together with the help of their Dad. Then the subject to what they are doing in school. Turns out both kids are discussing some basic parts of the Civil War and slaves. Tristan began with, "...the slaves had to take the underground railroad to be free."
I asked, "What was the underground railroad? Was that like an underground train or subway?"
"No, no, not Subway - that's a place where you eat", Tristan said.
Alyssa, not to be outdone, spoke up; "It's how the slaves got to Canada; to be free." Then she began singing the song about "following the drinking gourd" and I joined her as I remember that song from my teaching days. I even had to explain to Meg that the "drinking gourd" is the Big Dipper constellation in the sky. At the tip of the handle is the North Star. Basically, they were singing to go north - follow the North Star. Skipping the part about the underground railroad, I moved on to who exactly were the slaves. Alyssa continued, "...they were people who had darker skin. It wasn't fair what happened to them. I think most of them are dead now, though."
Tristan added, "I think they were people from California". We all busted out laughing.
"Ok", I continued, "Do you remember where they were from? And no, it's not California!"
Alyssa added they were from Africa. Regardless, with some of the slightly off answers, both kids did remarkably well with their information. Very impressive for eight and seven year olds.

And with that note, we wish you all a happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Remember the man, his vision, as well as his messages. Still very moving and very crucial.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Onward To New Digs... And All That Entails

January 15th 2014 -

In our last post, we mentioned that we were leaving our friend Cindy's place near the Florida state line and heading for the Cartersville, Georgia KOA for our winter work camper job. We never thought 320 miles to the northwest part of the state would make that much of a difference... label us now educated.

As all of you know by now, this winter has been a crazy one, weather wise, and Georgia has not been exempt from it. The morning we left Cindy's house, the entire eastern part of the U.S. was experiencing it's coldest arctic blast yet of the season. The day before we trekked north, Cartersville experienced a low temperature of 5 degrees - even at Cindy's house, the thermometer crept down to 24 degrees. Schools, state wide, were cancelled because of the cold. Being from Maine, we found this hilarious, but apparently this was a big deal in these parts (as stores do not sell winter clothing). We pondered the thought of spending an additional night at Cindy's to ride out the second night of cold, but being the Maine ruffians we are, we decided to head out - we can handle this.

Traffic was light up I-75 and even through Atlanta. People who have traveled through this metro area know that traffic can be a nightmare. Not for us - we breezed through city traffic even though it was mid-afternoon. Numerous friends stated that we were very lucky on this occasion. Perhaps the cold worked to our advantage here as well. We checked into our RV space and did one additional errand. By this time, the sun was going down and the temperature was already dropping below 25 degrees. We started entertaining second thoughts that maybe we should have spent a few more nights at Cindy's...

We found out that one of the other work campers, who is in a neighboring site, was also from Maine. We settled in for a day or two, before our bosses could meet with us for our orientation. Both were on sight - they just had other emergencies to deal with - like a campground full of angry campers because the water would be shut off for an second night due to the cold. Water pipes inside various RV's were either frozen, while a couple even burst. Fun!

Upon orientation, we went over our job responsibilities with our managers. One thing we have going for us is they are fairly laid back and are easy to get along with. We have also become friends with our fellow work campers and have met quite a few of the long-term RV'ers. We're getting some ideas together for some possible camper fellowship and will toss them by the managers. This campground doesn't have many of the activities that we became used to at other campgrounds. Being winter, people have a tendency to hibernate. The way we see it, regardless of the season, camping and RV'ing is supposed to be fun. Not staying in your 40 foot tin can all day. 

The first few days of our new jobs went well - Jills' co-worker, Marie, showed her the ropes while Daves' co-worker, Stillman, gave him the ten-cent tour. Conversations ran the gamut. For example, Jill mentioned to Marie that she was domestically impaired. Marie asked half jokingly, "then why are you doing this job?" The way we figure things, we had to start somewhere. This next 2 1/2 months will get our feet wet in the KOA world, pay for the space where we rest our heads and put some money in our pockets.

By the end of the week, the cold weather even departed and it warmed up to 70 degrees by Saturday morning. We actually felt like we were getting into our groove - with our schedules, work duties, and fellow employees - when the Nomad decided to make things interesting. At 6:00 a.m., Jill and I were abruptly awakened by the CB in the cab of our RV blaring a loud noise for about 5 seconds... and the CB was off. It repeated this drill, about every five minutes, three more times. In between the 2nd and 3rd blast from the CB, we heard substantial rumbles of thunder in the distance. After the 3rd blast, Dave turned on the CB's weather band and listened to the latest forecast - NOAA issued severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings - and we were right in the line of fire.

Within fifteen minutes, the fast moving front was right overhead. The rain (and penny size hail) was so loud on the Nomads' roof that we could barely hear the tornado siren going off. We weren't sure if the siren was going to hold up through all of this as it sounded like a cross between a sick cow and an old dog howling at the storm. We quickly looked out the windows and saw that none of the other motorhomes or 5th wheels were making a break for it, so we hunkered down in the Nomad to ride things out. By now, it was almost 7:00 a.m. - adding insult to injury was our alarm clock beeping as if we weren't already awake. Fortunately, we're parked at the top of a small hill in the campground with just a few trees surrounding us. Although it was loud at times, the storm did pass and all that was left by 9:00 a.m. was some moderate rain. The trees survived as did the Nomad - no damage what so ever. Our RV is over 36 years old, but this is the 2nd significant storm it's weathered us through - label us impressed yet again.

Until next time,
The "Fair Weather" Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

New Year, New Changes

1st week of January 2014 -

First off - Happy New Year! Some of our friends have been asking us about the lapse of blog posts, mainly from mid-December through the first few days of January. We decided to truly enjoy the Christmas season and disconnect electronically for a spell. Don't worry - we're still here!

Secondly, welcome this new year without closing the door completely on the old one! We had a peaceful ending to 2013. We awoke early enjoyed a trek out to our friend Cindy's place of work on Christmas Day. We woke up early and took in a beautiful and peaceful sunrise at the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. While it was chilly, we experienced sights & sounds that we may not have the opportunity to witness again. That evening, we enjoyed a southern Christmas dinner - tasty doesn't even begin to describe it! Thanks Marilyn for the spiced yams!

Third - embrace the new year! We enjoyed yet another southern tradition for the first day of the new year; grilled pork, cabbage, black-eye peas, rice & sweet potatoes called Hoppin' John. Legend has it that this fare brings prosperity. 

We also wanted to pass along these thoughts to you:  
"Finish each day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
 - Two of the most useless phrases in the English language are "what if" and "if only". We waste so much time and energy thinking about we might have done and wishing we had acted or reacted differently. We imagine how things might have turned out. "If only..."
 - All of us make mistakes. To go back and wonder and wish about our yesterdays prevents us from living fully today. Each day is a fresh chance; a new beginning. We can only squeeze what we can out of the moment and let the drops fall where they may.
 - Some will evaporate... some will be rainbows.

A few days later, our friend Cindy made a trek to northern Florida to another wildlife refuge to photograph the Snowy Owl. This bird normally lives in much more northern climates and it's extremely rare to see them this far south. Is it possible that Jill and I are kind of like the snowy owl? With this winter being so brutal (thus far) above the Mason-Dixon line, did the snowy owls have to leave their normal habitat in order to survive better? We realize now that this was true for us. With all the snow and cold temperatures back home, Jill would have not had the right resources in order to survive. This was not a 100% pleasure jaunt - it was a matter of survival.

However, we have been caught in a quandary. While the past is over and the future looking brighter with our acquired job in Maine for 6 months starting in April - what about today? What about until the beginning of April? The generosity of a friend will see us through today - it is what it is. We can't live in the past nor the future.

We shall endure with peace and happiness. Some people say, "That's great - but it doesn't put money in your pocket." However, happiness is a choice. We have to begin somewhere to do the next right thing. We could easily sit and spin and think about how did life get so expensive? When did we acquire so many needs? Why are 400 people applying for the same job as I am? That type of thinking will get us nowhere. Worry and fear does not have to control us. Looking back, would we have done things a little differently? Maybe... maybe not.

Also during the first week of January, we had opportunities to stay in the Brunswick Georgia area - possibilities seemed to be abound. Jill even got word she could show and sell her art at a Farmers Market in the same city. The problem was, with the opportunities came assumptions. All that was dashed one afternoon, by no ones fault. What made it all the worse was that we made the mistake of assuming. We've been taught to never assume - we just make an ass of ourselves (and other people).

For about a day, we went back and forth like an endless tennis match. What do we do now? Do we go farther south? Do we go to the pan-handle of Florida? We made the decision to start in our own backyard - Georgia. We called every campground and RV park in the state. This took the better part of an entire day. Some campground managers didn't have any work, but wished us well. Others were downright rude. Ironically, the very last campground we called had a sudden work camper opening due to another work couple cancelling on them at the very last minute. After a lengthy conversation, we landed a contract until the end of March, work, and a place to hang our head until the end of March.

Our next assignment will be at the Cartersville KOA, about 45 miles northwest of Atlanta. We felt a big
wave of relief. Many of the little inconveniences that seemed to be building didn't seem so inconvenient anymore. Being able to return to this more positive mindset, we can enjoy more of the real-life that surrounds us on a daily basis. Whether it's laughing at a power outage on a day when the laundry must get done, or talking with a local whom we can barely understand, due to the extreme accent and lack of teeth, to attending a local church service that was truly rocking. Never mind we were the only white people in the building! We were still warmly welcomed and met some wonderful people. And yes, the sermon was about change... very fitting.

Until the next "change",
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave