It seems my life has had separate compartments for the different seasons of my life. This year I have seen some blending of the seasons.
I lived most of my life in pretty traditional ways.
House, kids, work and all the necessary supports and limitations needed to make it all work. Work and kids in school limits when you can travel and how long you can be gone. I loved my life but longed for the adventure that travel while living on the road provides, yet then I missed family and friends. Yet, there are always compromises. An early retirement (due to a spinal injury) prompting an earlier move to a mobile lifestyle set the change in motion. Life is full of adventure and new experiences but family time is more limited and requires extensive planning.
I experienced five months of travel in Arizona before heading back up to Washington State. Since late April, I have been in Spokane to visit family and friends. My daughter has been visiting from Connecticut for the month of June.
Her family joined us the last two weeks and we have enjoyed many hikes, dinners and adventures.
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| The Roderick family |
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| View from Mount Spokane State Park |
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| Vista House atop Mount Spokane |
The Vista House sits at an elevation of about 5,900 feet, and there are spectacular 360-degree views of the Cabinet Mountains and the Selkirk Crest in North Idaho. With 100 miles of trails Mountain top campers can stay busy for many days exploring the scenic mountain top.
I have taken on the role of tour guide and surprised even myself of the beauty that exists in my back yard. Down Town Spokane has been "under constrction and we have been exploring many nooks and crannies of the down town park.
It has been a rare gift to share the extended time with my daughter and family.
Included in our family time together my daughter Melissa and I had a camping and kayak adventure to pristine Priest Lake, which is actually two lakes, connected by a slow-moving river, the Thorofare. Round trip from our campsite at Lion Head campground we kayaked 5 miles.
How precious is that one to one time that is so difficult to manage with children and family. It will be a special memory of shared time and experiences.
During part of their visit, my friend Theresa who I met on travels in Arizona has been visiting also. It has been a busy time, laughing, eating, day trips and hiking. It has been an amazing visit combining many parts of my life past and present.
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| Bachelor buttons, favorites from my childhood when I picked wildflowers. |
So much of my wandering days have felt separated from my family time. This summer has definitely blended the lines of my life. Itchy feet are calling.
