Confusion! Confusion!

All loaded up and ready to go to Florida! Unfortunately major problems with the RV! We have a battery that is boiling over and the electric system seems to be screwy! Now we have to unload! Oh well...must be a reason that we weren't meant to leave today! I finished all my outstanding work and just wanted to play for a while! At least there are tons of great movies on this weekend. I know where we'll be! Will keep you posted on our repairs and leave date!

Working Once Again

Just took on a new assignment for eight entries in a Health Encyclopedia so I've been a bit busy. I'm trying to finish them before we head off for two months in Ocala, FL. Janet the housesitter has settled in, so all is well! We also did a copper colored tin backsplash over the stove. Would have loved the glass mosaic tile but just too pricey for us old folks! Woody did an amazing job and didn't even resort to screaming at inanimate objects! Remember this is the guy that ripped a toilet out of the floor with his bare hands when a bolt broke! We learned how to replace subflooring on that job!

Libby starts her new job soon and is so excited! Molly is starting a catering business! Didn't realize she could cook! Chris and Jen are doing great and have Will for the summer. Life is Good!

I just haven't had much time for my photography! We went to RoseMont, a plantation home in Gallatin, on Sunday and I talked to several photographers who were complaining about the set up and take down of doing festivals and fairs. Just wish I had time to get ready to do one! The printing alone will cost a fortune! I'm so desperate to shoot that this orchid was from Lowe's!

We're finally getting some rain but my roses look like...well use your imagination! Hopefully we won't lose everything. Maybe gardening in a world of global warming may not be a good hobby! Tomorrow we work the Parade of Homes again...it's fun. Maybe I'll just do volunteer work! There is a lamp I'm going to buy tomorrow if it hasn't already sold! The Parade has inspired me a bit...I've fluffed and moved things around but just can't decide what to do next! My friend Donna should come help me!

Hugs to all and here's a new picture for you!

Anthology Times Two

Not only was a photo of mine selected by Photo Laureates for their 2007 Anthology, but I've been asked to submit a short story that describes the culture of the South for An Anthology of the South for High School Students. I wrote about beans! Beans and Egalitarianism! As soo as I hear whether the submission was accepted, I'll let you know! I think I'd rather write and do photos than consult. Still selling photos on Big Stock Photo but not enough to make a financial impact! I'm hopeful that things will shake out so that I can write, photograph and not consult! I did field a few job queries and passed them off to my friends. Hopefully I'll get a finder's fee!

A Fun Day with Libby

I had a blast today! Woody and I met Libby for lunch and a bit of shopping! You know you've done well when the daughter buys lunch and her own clothes and brings presents for her old parents! We were with Chris for Mother's Day so today we got Mother's Day and Father's Day presents! Starbucks card and a Frommer's RV Book! Then she bought her own clothes! She had never shopped Chicos! www.chicos.com Almost a thousand dollars later, she's a fan! Back to eBay again...thought I'd try two photographs...no luck and when I started looking at the discussion list...most photographers say nothing is selling on eBay. Darn! www.ebay.com Now I guess it's on to finding a gallery!

A Bit of Reorientation

As I head on down this retirement road, I find myself moving in many directions. I'm still enamoured with Haiga, the merge of my photgraphic images with my haiku. I may be writing less and adding more images! Now if I can just continue to earn a little money along the way! I used to say for film...now that I'm digital, it's for gas to get to where I take the cool pictures...and no, I don't drive the RV to St. Lucia! That's for Carnival Cruise Lines! www.carnival.com my favorite cruise line! We're looking at some options for our next adventure...after the fiasco on Holland America and the toilet never working, we're back to the red necks and fun rather than snooty and old! We may be old, but we're not dead yet!

Soft Cherry Blossoms in the Spring

My first submission to our list...your comments are appreciated!

Pat

Yessy.Com has more of my images! www.yessy.com/patedens

Yessy Online Art Gallery http://www.yessy.com/1887968488.html

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Haven't had two minutes to write! We've, of course, been traveling constantly since we left Williamsburg! We've hiked to the falls at the Natural Bridge outside of Roanoke, VA; spent hours exploring Roanoke Rapids and the surrounding community, river and canal! After driving all the way across VA to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we drove all the way back to the coast to stay in Ocean Isle, NC at Chrittopher's new beach house! For a boy who couldn't keep a job, he's finally at 35 got his act together it seems! Now if we can keep his little sister headed in the right direction...so far so good, but she's paying for the lifestyle she chose between 18-30 right now, especially with her son. Libby is like Chris...soon a new job with UPS, great house, good significant other who works constantly, and having a ball fishing, four wheeling and being a good all around kid! Just not sure where the redneck tomboy came from...well, I know where the tomboy came from, just not the bass fishing, four wheeling side of things!

We stayed at lots of KOA camps on Woody and Pat's excellent adventure www.koa.com and were quite pleased, especially with the KOA in Wytheville, VA. It was fabulous. We did however hit the KOA in Shallotte/Brunswick at the beginning of Bike Week in Myrtle Beach just down the road! Never saw so many Harley's in my life! Amazingly quiet though...think Wild Hogs! A bit pricey...in fact was the most expensive campground we stayed in the whole trip. We did get one night free because we were camping during a "special" promotion! It was really nice. The KOA in Myrtle Beach was nice, but we only stayed one night on the way north. It didn't appear to be too close to the beach either! The only campground that was a bit iffy was a Jellystone in Emporia, VA...just out in the boonies but close to Roanoke Rapids which was one of Woody's favorites. I now have to add up all my KOA nights and see if I qualify for the gold card to get 15% off!!! I have to admit the hotel points plans are better. KOA should consider letting you earn free nights! And no...I'm not getting paid to say nice things about KOA's but it's a thought!

One of the best parts of our trip was Bear Den Campground in Spruce Pine, NC! http://www.bear-den.com/ Fabulous setting up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Just don't ever take an RV up NC Hwy 226! It was horrid! We came back on 19E to Asheville and it was much better. We love Blowing Rock, NC and I'd love to live there! Great little artist colony. We stayed over two more days to go to the Blowing Rock Art Fair. Andy and Harley were the hit of the Fair in their pink stroller! We hiked miles at Linville Falls and loved every minute of it. I think I'm a mountain girl...boy when I got home to the heat...I know I'm a mountain girl now! Mountains in the summer, Florida in the winter and spring and fall in Hendersonville! Maybe that would work.

Did come home and start looking at doing a little work. Mostly writing, but we'll see what else shakes out. We aren't planning any trips until later this summer and then maybe to Gatlinburg. Haven't really spent any time there in almost 30 years! Life is good and retirement is better!

Loved Williamsburg!

Tomorrow we leave Williamsburg! We loved it here and now we must clean and get ready to leave. When you're living in the RV, it does need "coachwork"...like housework but smaller! We're heading to the Shenandoah Valley for a week before heading to see the grandkids. I've added lots of good pictures to my Gallery, Tranquility Found, at www.yessy.com/patedens including fun close ups of hot rods! I've now discovered how to go to Woody's car shows profitably! We've met lots of fun people, including some from my high school! We'll definitely stay in touch. Jim's interested in publishing and I'm still working on my book of Haiga...I may try to invite submissions from my colleagues at World Haiga Club. I'm not having much free time as we're always on the go! Hopefuly I'll have more time in the Valley!