The Beginnings of "The Master Plan"

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post called, "Shall I stay or shall I go?"  I ask readers what were the most important things that contributed to their decision to become a full timer.  Thank-you to all the readers who contributed their thoughts and ideas.  I so appreciate  the opportunity to learn from your experience. The answers have given me fodder for much thought.  Next March is Social Security Day, (SS) Day.  That is one Birthday I look forward to celebrating.  It certainly is time to get all the ducks in order.  So here is the beginning of The Master Plan....

•  Make a list of accumulated material possessions and determine action needed.  This includes animals, vehicles, all possessions from a barn, tack room, garage and 5 bedroom house.  
•  Follow many RV blogs gleaning from writers information needed to make wise decisions regarding preparations for travel. 
• Continue Financial planning for SS Day in 10 months.
• Pay down all debt
• Travel in the local area extensively including 'alone' travel to get a feel for solo travel
•  Make re-connections with significant people of my life  and spend quality time together.
•  Make preparations for House Sale - Make updates and clutter removal
•  Make preparations for Home of Record, Insurance, Storage of Important Papers and Family Items
• Make Dream List -  Where and When to go
• Determine D Day
• Live every day fully..... Enjoy every moment!

Given that I am generally a spontaneous person, extensive planning is not my first nature.  It will require a great deal of self-discipline (which I often lack) to expand the above list to the detailed action steps  accomplishing  these activities.

Probably one of the greatest gifts to myself will be the  realization that this will be a learning process... one in which I must be face my fears, free to learn, and shift direction to where the process takes me. I shall wear flexibility as my new purple cloak.


Thought for the Day 

First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality.  The beginning, as you will observe is in  the imagination.
                      Napoleon  Hill

Technoloyg has its way with me!

Today is the first day over 70 degrees.  It absolutely requires some outdoor play.  Dog, check.  Kiddo, check.  Camera, check. Geo-caching GPS, check.   So off to the river we will go.   I had downloaded 3 caches (treasures to hunt called geo-caching).  Obviously I'm rusty after a long winter.  My old brain just couldn't handle the frustration of figuring out the technology of the GPS.  After trying to find 3 treasures, in frustration I finally gave up.  (Technology 1, Karen, 0).  After abandoning treasure hunting,  I needed some time to decompress.  So on to plan B.... hiking along the river trail...  I'm good with seeing what nature has to show us today.  Just soak in some splendor and see what is all around us.

           Check out the 2 foot tall Red ant hill.  It is literally covered in little biters!


We found this hill right beside the trail where I was going to sit down on the ground for a little rest.  Close call. Just as I was going to sit, my buddy yelled not to sit there!!!!   I certainly need to wear bifocals all the time! I also discovered a problem with my camera.  For some reason the memory disk write-protected itself while 'noone' was watching.  After many attempts to undo this I gave up....... I also discovered I could only take 3 pictures on the internal memory.  Geez, what a way to spoil a gals fun!!   (Technology 2, Karen 0 ).  Two more pictures was all I was allowed for this day adventure.

                                A picture of the swollen Spokane River

                Yep!   It is snow in dem dar hills.......  Is it almost Spring?

  Do you have days where nothing seems to work right? 

  So what is your technology frustration? 

Thought for the Day :         
It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.
             Clive James

Exploring has always been in my blood

Exploring my world is something that I remember from an early age.  I loved hiking, and camping and always looked for another trail to check out.  You probably have hiked with someone like me, always wanting to lead the way.  Never wanting to turn back but instead needing to go around the next bend or see what was over the next hill.  It is still in my blood.       

When I was a child I hiked the hills near my home.  Some of those hills are dotted with homes but recently, I hiked some of the hills nearby.

This is the view from the hill near where I live now.  (It is about 2 miles from where I grew up)  It was a long way up.... but still more above this spot.  I took this as a point of reference as I could see where my house is from here.  It is near the left corner on the flat land where the brown turns to green.  The lake in the distance is Liberty Lake.  
When hiking today I never want to come back, I still want to see around the next bend.  But reality (usually  back pain) keeps the meandering under control.  After all I still need to make it back home.


Camping was always dear to my heart.  Mostly though, as a child we went to the same spot, year after year.  It was like returning to a dear friend but I still wanted to check out the next campground... the next best spot.  Indian Creek Campground on Priest Lake, Idaho was a pristine lake with all the hiking, swimming and boating a young lass could desire.  Picking huckleberries for breakfast pancakes and hiking the creek area are fond memories that I cherish.  But I still longed to explore the many sights unseen.

The best news is now I get to decide.

So much to see, so little time.


Thought for the day:
 “Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”
  L. M. Montgomery

Shall I stay or shall I go?

I have embraced my life in my home town.  I have loved taking care of foster children needing a home and guidance.  The children have learned to connect, trust and care for the rescued animals before they could trust people. There has been laughter.  There has been tears. It has been my dream and it has been a good life.

I stand at a crossroad, (pardon the cliche) .   I am considering what the next portion of my life will contain.  I have wanted to live on the road, experiencing our great country and the people around our land.  What is currently clear is my house, animals and dreams are all mortgaged!  All available funds (and then some) are required to support my present reality. 

I am currently following many blogs of women and men who when standing at this crossroads have taken the leap of faith and embraced the gypsy lifestyle.  I am guessing that each one has been on this fence exploring all the options and yet hesitating, fearful of making the 'wrong' choice.   I have wondered what were the deciding factors that influenced your decision. 

 
Shall I stay or shall I go?



Thought for the Day
Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake   Henry David Thoreau

Meet the Kritters and Kids

Meet the Kritters and the Kids

Nothing ever stays the same for long at this house.  The kids come and go.  I never know how long they will stay but it is always difficult when they leave.  Some more than others.  

It seems the Kritter population changes as often.

Due to confidentiality I am not able to share the children's names. But aren't they beautiful!!

 (I am at liberty to tell the names of the critters) I am able to make up some of the rules!

                                  The Momma donkey is Stella        Her daughter is Katie

                                   The king on his throne is Furby.  He was my mothers dog
                                         When she passed away he came to live with us.
                                                       He fits in nicely don't you think!
                                   

                      This is my mare, Holy Scat.  She is fiesty and she will forever own a big piece of my heart.        She has taught me many skills, such as training horses and how to gracefully get off the ground.

This big boy is Holy Scats Shadow,  Shadow for short.  He has many talents including opening barn doors and escaping the pasture.  But hey, whats not to love....Look at those big brown eyes!

The turkey's are heritage turkey's.  The white one is a Royal Palm.  The dark ones are called Bronze.  I don't name any of the animals that are raised for meat.  We currently have 6 turkeys but the hens have started to lay eggs.  So we will see if they hatch any babies this year.

We currently have about 15 chickens and 2 roosters.  Only one has a name.  He wears his name, Renegade Red like a badge of freedom.  He is a free spirit preferring  to live in the wide open spaces or hanging out with the turkeys.  He certainly does not want to be cooped up with the chickens and meanwhile  I have developed great rooster wrangling skills. His antics entertain me daily.

Emmit

  Tiger 

We also have 3 cats....and par for the course they were not interested in participating in a photo shoot.  These were the best that I could come up with for today.  Come home Spook!  Your photo shoot awaits. Well here at long last is Spook. Queen of the House.

 I will add more as the cat kritters will allow.

Tha....Tha....Tha......That's all folks.... 

Thought for the day

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family:  What ever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."  Jane Howard

The Fish has a new home

Anyone who has ever lived in a house with children knows that hilarious events occur on an ongoing basis.  Some times, the authors of these tickle your funny bone events are caught in the act other times, events happen with  no one seeming to know how they took place or who was involved.  Some times I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat vowing to find the culprit but other times I just dissolve in the hilarity of the moment. The advantage of only having one child in the household narrows down the suspect list.  So on to the mystery.......

                                                       Fish belong in the pond


I have had a pond in my back yard for years.... I built the first one big enough for fish in 1995.  I have found the sounds and peaceful view renewing and a wonderful place to plan the day with a cup of coffee and wind down after a long day.  So imagine my surprise to discover one of my treasured koi out in the pasture in the horse water tank.

                                       Note to kids...... Fish do not belong in the horse water tank!

As these things happen, I was home alone.... so I had plenty of time to plan the inquiry.  As it turns out, he 'decided'  Cali was big enough to have a house of his own....     Not yet bucko!  After a quick arm numbing swirl around the water tank, Cali returned to his pond home.  Only in a house with kids!


Thought for the Day:

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.  The minute it crops up, all or irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.    Mark Twain