First my right eye, then my left. Despite what I wanted, I had to open my eyes; I'd paid too much for this flight to keep them closed. Our pilot, Craig, had asked if we were ready and I'd given him a hearty thumbs up, but when we left the soft visual cushion of junipers and ponderosa pines, my stomach wasn't ready to have the floor pulled out from under me as we hovered over the Grand Canyon. Wow. An experience like none other.I'd visited the Grand Canyon before on a long day trip from Las Continue Reading
My Momma Was a Liar, But I Loved Her Anyway
Have you ever had two totally random experiences or thoughts converge in your head and the resulting crash was something you just had to write about? Ok, maybe not, but I’ve had a lot of idle thinking time of late.Experience one: Through Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, we listened to a lot of country western music. This confirmed the conclusion that I drew this summer as I found myself listening to a local radio station at the cottage that cranked out one hit after another by Continue Reading
Releasing My Inner Cowgirl
Matt Dillion, Miss Kitty, Festus and Doc; the Lone Ranger and Tonto; Victoria Barkley, and her children Heath, Nick, Jerrod and Audra; Ben Cartright and his sons Adam, Hoss and Little Joe, but my favorite, James West and Artemus Gordon. Can you name those TV shows from the 1960s and early 70s? They were absolutely some of my favorite programs, and like so many Americans, I fell in love with the romance and lore portrayed in the westerns. However, unlike most Americans, I never grew out of the Continue Reading
America The Beautiful – The Ozarks
A little update from our Yankee Doodle Tour. That’s what I’ve named this because you don’t go to Branson if you’re not on a tour. Seriously, I told Kathy I was buying lanyards and making nametags so we’d fit right in, and get the discounts. We’re already the right age, and have the sensible walking shoes. From Branson, Missouri to Mountain View, Arkansas, we experienced the tremendous range in culture found in the Ozarks. And along the way, I've learned more about the geography of the Continue Reading