Tropical Drinks

So Many Choices… So Little time…

How about a Brain Freeze…

Kindness.

Sometimes in a moment of clarity…

Day to day life has a way of consuming most of your thoughts and actions.

When you get older, you think about things more… and if your heart, mind, and soul is in the right place… you start to think about your day to day life…. and interactions with others. Day to day life, as in a a job, or work… starts to hold less and less significance… and you gain the perspective to interact with others in the most positive way possible. Make someone smile, make them laugh, or make them appreciate how good life is… especially all the little small things. So here’s to having a positive influence on others… young or old. Perhaps the best legacy in life is to have others think good of you… how you lived, how you acted, and how you positively influenced or impacted their lives. Kindness to family, friends, coworkers, and those you don’t even know that well. 

Yep, when you are closer to the end, then the beginning, your outlook and perspective on life changes… and all the day to day stuff seems less and less important… and what really counts come to the forefront. So whether you are old or young… perhaps this is something to consider… and how you effect, interact, and influence others.

Heartland Corn

Here in the heartland of America... riding along the roads from the campground to Hannibal... fields and more fields, acre upon countless acres, along miles and endless miles... corn fields and more corn fields. As far as the eye can see, on the entire drive... corn fields. After spending last summer in drought stricken Texas, and watching the corn fields dry up, brown out, and finally turn black and rot away... it's a real delight to see tall healthy, green, corn fields... everywhere. The down side... it's probably feed corn rather then eating corn... but it's still a very pretty sight. We could still use more rain but some of the local crops are starting to come in... hope it's a good season for watermelon. Nothing like ice cold watermelon on a hot summers day. Currently at $6 for a small early season melon... I wait for the crops to come in and hope that a more reasonable price will avail it's self. Everything is green and lush. Did I mention all the beautiful wildflowers that seem to be popping up everywhere... yep, green and colorful. The country side reminds me a lot of Maryland... now... if I could only get steamed crabs or good crab cakes.

Hannibal, Mo.

First…. here’s a view from Lovers Leap… a high bluff overlooking the town. Historic Hannibal is on the left bank of the Mississippi… Illinois to the right. And 225 feet over the edge to the ground below. Lovers Leap is the rock outcropping at the bottom right of the photo.

This week our adventures took us to Historic Hannibal Missouri. Hannibal is the famed boyhood home of Samuel Clemens, otherwise know as Mark Twain. Located along the Mississippi River, Hannibal is a sleepy little town with lots of mid 1800 buildings… which included Mark Twains House, The Thatcher’s House, the Clemens Law Office, and many other buildings from the era.

The architecture is something worth seeing, and while many things have been updated over the years, you still get a good sense of what things looked like 150 odd years ago. Some well maintained, and some showing signs of 150 years of aging. While many of the buildings have historical significance, they now have a new life as tourists attractions such as antique shops, restaurants, gift shops, museums, pubs, ice cream parlors, and the like. We had lunch in the famed Mark Twain Dinner… pretty much in name sake only… but the service was friendly and the food was good. As we walked the main street area, we sampled vanilla caramel popcorn ( best I’ve ever had) in the candy store, and stopped for an ice cream at Becky’s Ice Cream Parlor. The building was original (store front, walls and ceiling), the updates were old, and the name sake was the only attraction… ice cream is ice cream. A quick visit into the many shops made for not only a great diversion, but in many cases a look into things of the past.

Antique shops had lots of old stuff from years gone by and brought back some memories of things my grand mother owned. I’m sure she would be amazed at the prices that those everyday items would fetch today. Historic Hannibal kinda reminds me of Mt. Airy, Nc…. also referred to as Mayberry of Andy Griffin fame… mostly everything in the town cashes in on the Mark Twain name. Lots of touristy stuff and touristy prices… but ya know… we all have to make a living. There are several gardens and mini parks about the town. Most notable is the statue of Tom & Huck at the beginning of Main Street… and nice garden and fountain round out the park at the base of the hill. A short walk of perhaps a hundred stairs takes you up to the hillside garden and the old bridge access road, which is now another little park. The old bridge is gone, but the access road has been transformed into a park with Becky’s Butterfly Garden and part of the old bridge as an overlook to the river, complete with the original dedication plaque and the new park plaque. Continuing up the stairs for the remaining 400 or so steps gets you to the top of the bluff and the Hannibal Lighthouse overlooking the river. We are saving this for another day trip, perhaps an early morning adventure when the sun is not so hot, and the legs are not too weary yet. Walking down to the river, past the levees to the riverfront, there’s another little park and a statue dedicated to Mark Twain, depicting him at the wheel of a riverboat, it’s among the flower gardens… and provides a great view of the river. Nearby is the Mark Twain Riverboat that takes tourists for a cruise on the Mighty Mississippi.

Either a daytime sightseeing cruise, or the evening dinner cruise… both of which we are saving for another day. As for the riverboat… it’s kinda funny. I always seem to compare “real” things and “real” places we our Disney experiences. Somehow I feel that the riverboat might not live up to the Disney version that is always in pristine condition… Disney has a way of doing that. Disney’s “Main Street”, Riverboat, and everything else Disney does, always seems to take a book from history, things and places… captures the flavor of them to the finest detail… and makes them pristine and perfect. Kinda makes the real thing seem a bit less impressive… but, not withstand this, we always expect to have a great time… after all, this is real history, live and up close, give or take 150 years or so. After our walk around town we went back to the truck for a little drive around which took us through town and up to “Lovers Leap”.

Located on the southern edge of the town on a high limestone outcropping, Lovers Leap gets you a spectacular view of Hannibal, the river, and the flat lands of Illinois across the river. It would seem that you could look on forever. What seemed like 300 feet above the river valley below is actually only 225 feet as per “Google”. So it’s 225 feet high, or if you prefer, 225 feet over the edge to the bottom. 300 / 225 feet “high” or “to the bottom”… makes little difference if you plan to jump. And leaping off the edge is where the original story, and the outcropping derives it’s namesake from… a young Indian couple in love, from different tribes, forbidden to see each other, take the leap over the edge together as the boy faces emanate death from the girls father, the other tribes chief.

The overlook offers the best view in all of Hannibal. A little further down the road took us past Mark Twain Cave… another day trip planned for no doubt a hot afternoon when it’s near 100° outside and a cool 55° in the cave. Our drive took us south a little ways… and when activating the GPS… we were promptly told to turn around… “NOW” … in order to get back home. Another wonderful day with my sweetie Shelly. Since we are in the area for several months, we have all the time we need to explore Hannibal and the surrounding area on day trips. One of our trips will be to Marceline, Missouri… the boyhood town of Walt Disney. Okay… ya didn’t think we go 1200 miles from Disney without some underlying connection to something Disney…now did you? To quote Walt… “To tell the truth, more things of importance happened to me in Marceline than ever happened since or likely to in the future”. Personal note: I’m sure Walt actually said this, but it was probably early on in his life when he first left Marceline… because there certain was many things of importance since then. Just in case you didn’t realize it… the town of Marceline was the inspiration for Walt’s creation of “Main Street U.S.A” in the Magic Kingdom. But more on that story later.            

Double Rainbow

There’s all kinds of sayings that might would apply… but I’ll simply say that you can find beauty anywhere,  if you just look for it. Sometimes it’s right in your face. Yesterday after a storm had passed, the setting sun shinned through under the cloud cover and gave everyone a spectacular sight… a double rainbow. Even more impressive, because I’ve never seen it before, was the double rainbow with lightening from the passing storm behind it. 

Now it could be that getting old has effected my memory, and it’s something that I actually have seen before… but never the less, I got to enjoy it as if it was for the first time, and that was plenty good enough for me. The storm had passed, the breeze was cooling, and the view of the sky was oddly strange yet beautiful. Everywhere you looked was completely different, the lighting, the colors, the clouds… yep very unique. One guest commented as he passed that he was glad we were not in Kansas… yellow sky with these clouds only means one thing… tornados. I guess I could have lived without that bit of information… but when we are in Kansas, it just might become handy to know. Nature may change the outcome of our day with some rain, and maybe a little anxiety over the severity of the storm… but then gives us a show… ya just have to look for and appreciate the beauty in everything. These photos really can’t do justice to the scale and beauty of it all… so you’ll just have to take my word for it… it was really spectacular.

Despite the fact that many people walked by, oblivious to the show until I pointed it out to them. Guess we all have our own perspective on things that bring a sense of wonderment to mind. Guess it’s all in what you come to appreciate. My thanks to mother nature for the show. BTW… that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow… it’s the joy you feel in your heart and the awesomeness of natures beauty. So keep looking up and around… simple beauty is everywhere. It’s all in what you make if it. Enjoy.

Some of these were not my actual photos… I was working and didn’t have my camera with me… had to borrow some for the story.    

A Little Lift…

Sometimes we all need a “little lift”… a little emotional centering… to bring us back on an emotional upswing. Sometimes day to day life gets a bit routine and all the wonderful little things fall to the wayside while focusing on the tasks at hand. It’s always good to STOP… take a day off, and evening off, find sometime somewhere in your schedule to just refresh yourself. Get away from the computer, the tv, video games, and get outside. Outside where you can clear your mind… lay back on the lounge chair… and look to the heavens. Spread a blanket on the ground, or lay in the cool grass, your body against the earth and relax. Change your normal view and everyday perspective… look up to the clouds, the sky, or the moon and the stars. Feel the breeze, smell the air, have a piece of your favorite candy just melting in your mouth… clear your mind. If at nighttime, light a candle… breathe in the gentle scent and enjoy the warm glow of the light flickering in the breeze. Leave the mp3 player inside, listen to the sounds of nature… the winds in the trees, distance sounds of nature and the wildlife, the sounds of the birds settling in the for night… just listen for as many sounds as you can hear… take them all in. There’s nothing quiet like the coolness of the evening and watching the fireflies twinkling everywhere. One just landed on my hand! I don’t think there’s anytime more beautiful then the evening at dusk. Within the span of less then a hour, the day is fading away, the sky changes… all the different colors and hues changing before your eyes. As the day closes and slips away, clear your mind of work and responsibilities, and things you need to do… let it all slip away as if this very moment was going to last forever… having not a care in the world. Think of all those wonderful moments that were just like this at different times in your life, and how peaceful and content you felt with each and everyone of them. The fireflies twinkle all around as the sky darkens… and the stars begin to appear, creating a wonderful light show to complete the scene. Have something to drink, something out the the normal routine that you really enjoy, but haven’t had for a while… savor each sip… it’s delicious. Think of all the wonder times as a child, all the times growing up, times and memories of that special someone, the kids, the grandkids. Times with family and friends.  Moments that bring a smile to your face and put a song in your heart. Moments that can never be relived expect on your memories. Moments that lift your spirits. The moon is full tonight, see how beautiful the trees are when backlit by the moon… and within moments it rises over the tree line it comes into full view… how simple and beautiful… the heavens… the moon and the stars. I guess as you get older, you dream a little less… your outlook on life is somewhat less then what it was 40 years ago… but all those dreams of youth have been replaced with wonderful memories. Memories that make up your life. Memories that define the person you once were, the person you became, and the person you are now. So many memories of people, places, and things. Let then all drift around like a daydream as you gaze at the sky… peaceful and serine. The peace and quiet… getting in touch with yourself… centering yourself emotionally… putting today’s life back on the upswing… the peaceful easy feeling on being content with yourself and the world. Yes… this time spent alone will soon end… but you will feel refreshed and renewed… and you will have one more memory of a time and place that you can reflect on when you need a “little lift” to your spirits, and that mini escape from that normal routine day to day life… that puts you emotionally back on the upswing. It’s peaceful, quiet, my alone time. Cares and worries have drifted away. I am ready to face a new day.

 

Sometimes I write to “center” myself. I sometimes “post” what I write… thinking that just perhaps someone, perhaps someone that I don’t even know, might find a little direction and comfort in what I write. The world around us is filled with lots of influences. Many are unsettling and sometimes even tragic. Perhaps the most harmful of all is the relentless day to day routines that consume our every thoughts and actions, and make everything so mundane. Every once in a while… ya just need to break that routine… do something completely out of the normal routine… clear our mind and refresh yourself. This is what I do. Refreshes my perspective and outlook on a new day. A mundane daily routine will only build on itself and grow larger… putting you more and more out of touch with yourself… until you break that routine existence. The power is within you, to uplift you own spirit, refresh yourself, and get back to that emotional upswing that you need ever so often.

Hope everyone is having a great day… and a better evening. Check out those stars… set the scene… and renew and recharge yourself. How good it feels… life! … and all it’s memories of the past, and dreams of the future.             

Harry…

For Harry Potter fans…

( just a little photo playtime)

What does it lead to?

You spend all your adult working life being serious. Being serious leads to tension and aggravation. Tension and aggravation leads to wishing there was a better way. Wishing there was a better way leads you to making decisions to change your life. Decisions to change your life eventually leads to wanting the freedom to travel. More freedom to travel leads to Rving. Rving leads to more travel to new places and new things to experience. New places and new things leads to new friends. New friends along with the freedom to travel leads to more happiness. More happiness leads to a happier better you. A happier better you makes the world a better place. If you want the world to be a better place, make the decision to make changes, get an Rv, and drive off into the sunset. Be wise, be happy, and put on that Smiling Rv Face… you won’t believe your new life. And lastly… take the Rv to Disney… where you can be even happier everyday. Buy the annual past and stay a few months… enjoy the Magic.

“Rustic” camping in the southwest…

does conjure up rather outdoor-zie image.

While it's not all "playtime"... "work time" now is what playtime use to be... enjoyable! Making new friends as we travel also make the world a nicer place too. We're in Missouri right now... it's nice... landscapes remind me of Maryland. Lots of green trees, green rolling hills, lots of birds, and the Mississippi River is only about 15 miles away in Hannibal, of Mark Twain fame. But looking forward to the summer of 2013 and being close to the grand-girls in West Virginia... and hopefully traveling to Southern California to see the others grand kids in 2014.

Here’s our preferred method… a bit more spacious…

 

PocketWatch

Here’s a story that may seem a bit bizarre. It’s a story about an old pocket watch and the part of history that is imprinted on the watch itself, or so the story goes. The watch belonged to a soldier in the battle at Gettysburg. On the first day of battle, a sniper shot hit and immediately killed the soldier, well before the major battle ensued.   A fellow soldier and family friend returned his personal belongings to the family and related the story of how he died. Amazingly the watch still works to this day with one exception. The watch can be set, it runs, and keeps good time… up until 11:38am… then it stops. It runs tried and true… but always stops running at 11:38am. And as the story goes… this was the exact time that the soldier was shot and died. The first thing I thought was that the watch was somehow damaged, and when it reaches the 11:38 time, the damage forces it to stop. Reasonable assumption, and easy to explain… save one factor. This pocket watch works on the 12 hour cycle, not knowing or showing am from pm… it just ran a 12 hour cycle and the person would know am or pm, not the watch. Now here’s the catch, and the spooky part. You can set the watch at anytime of the day. It will run accurately all day long, into the evening, and into the night… right past what would be 11:38pm, and continue running until exactly 11:38am the next morning… and stop. Never stops at 11:38 pm, but always stops running at 11:38 am. It’s a strictly mechanical watch… it doesn’t know am from pm… it just runs a 12 hour cycle… but always stops at 11:38 am… when the soldier was killed. If true, this is a very strange story indeed. But then again, some things are stranger then the world we have come to call real.  Perhaps easy to dismiss the story… but ya never really know. Kinda makes ya wonder and think… really? For myself, I usually have a open mind to the possibility of things less explainable or acceptable. After all, as time progresses, what was once thought to be impossible in their world, in their day, is now common place in ours. Who would have thought 100 years ago that we could instantly speak to someone on the other side of the world via the little box we call a cell phone. Sheer madness to even think it. Ya just never know about things that were once thought to be impossible, in-explainable, and not accepted by society… the evidence, facts, and truth always seems to come to light at some point in the future… when we are ready to accept the reality of it. So ya just never know.   

Sarsaparilla Please.

Yep… I’ll try the Sarsaparilla Please. 

Everyday is a new adventure with new things to discover.

No matter how old you get

there’s always something new to find or try.

 

So now, if I’m asked… I can say…

Yes… Yes I have!

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Dream a little dream of …

Dreamsicle!

Oh…Yeah...   …   Oh… Yeah…

32 ounces of liquid dessert!

Found them in a Farm & Home Store in the little town of Monroe City, Missouri. They were just down from the tractor parts, horse items, and barn torture devices. (scary stuff)

But I’d get those picks later, for another entry.

MTL Students

This season here at Mark Twain Landing we have twelve exchange students from Ukraine joining the staff. Welcome to a little part of our life. Hope you all have a wonderful time and a great experience being part of the staff.

My post to new Facebook friends:

Hello to the Ukraine Students here at Mark Twain Lake Resort. I hope you enjoy the your time here working with us. Now that we are friends on Facebook, I hope you enjoy reading and experiencing things about our country. I also hope you share some insights about your country and your life at home. Facebook is a great way to get a “snapshot” look into real life… or at least what others are willing to share. Most of the staff here are referred to as workampers. Older folks that have “retired” from careers in other jobs and now enjoy traveling around the country in their Rv… going to new places, having new adventures, meeting new people, and having new experiences. Being from different parts of the world and a couple of generations apart,  I hope that the generation gap between all of you and us older folks is not too great, so we can share thoughts, ideas, and insights about life in general. Hope your experiences here are all good ones. You might enjoy reading about some of the times in our life , fulltime Rving, and some of the places we have been in our travels… I have a blog that shares information... a little part of our world. Here’s the link… www.RvKamping.blogspot.com . Have Fun, enjoy life, and be happy! Richard & Shelly.  

Hope you enjoy your new adventures here in the States.