They buried Gladys today.  She was 86 years old.  We went to the funeral, and since then I have had many memories zipping in and out of my mind.  So I'm recording a few of them.

First, she welcomed me to the Day Care, 37 years ago, even though she had been the big honcho for over 20 years.  Here comes this newly minted Child Development person, with all of the new research, etc.  Gladys was glad to learn what she could from me, and always made me feel like part of the team.

Eventually, we opened an infant care center, and Gladys became the Head Teacher there.

But other memories are even more important:  there are the many trips she and Walt took with us, including 5 to Bermuda.  One trip that sticks out is the hiking trip in the White Mountains in NH.  Neither Gladys nor Walt had ever hiked before, never mind up a mountain!  But that didn't stop them.  They were in their late 50's on this trip, but as enthusiastic as a couple youngsters.

When we came DOWN the mountain, Gladys found the footing very difficult, so Dave walked down the mountain backwards, holding Gladys' hands the whole way down!

When we moved my mother-in-law from her home of 80 years in RI to ours in Bemus, Gladys came with us to help with the emptying of a house that had been in Dave's family over a hundred years.  Can you imagine the decisions that had to be made?!  Glady s pitched in, cleaning and packing, and most of all, keeping Ma from falling apart.

During the years Ma lived with us, Gladys took her out every week, without fail,  They  went to the hair salon, the grocery store, and anywhere else Ma wanted to go.  Gladys stayed a loyal friend to Ma until Ma died.

The last few years, Gladys was in a nursing home.  I had lost touch with her, what with one thing or another, but found her in the home.  I visited with her once a month, bringing her Holy Communion.  She was in bad physical shape, but still sparkled with enjoyment as we talked about the "old days".

It is with fond memories, sadness for what I've lost, but gratitude that her pain is over, that I say goodbye to this dear friend.  The tributes to her were many at the funeral, and I felt she had a good send off.  She is now with her dearest Walt, who died several years ago.

Good bye, dear friend.

In my last blog, I was bemoaning the rain, rain, rain.  NOW, it is the dry heat with no rain in sight.  Are we ever satisfied?  I like summer, and low 80's are hot enough for me.  This almost-90 is just painful.

We know that this kind of heat is hard on dogs of Snuggles breed, so we are trying to be very careful.  The good news about that is that we are running the A/C much more because of her than we probably would otherwise.

I've been trying to learn how to keep a Naturalist's Notebook, based on a book of that name by Susan Tomlison.  I have kept a bird journal for the last few years, thanks to my friend, Nancy, who gave it to me, and in reading it over this summer, I discovered how pleasant it is to have those notes to remind me of things.

I keep a regular journal, also, but the bird journal is just about the wildlife around here.  I even listed all the flowers I found in the meadow that is no longer.  From over 20 varieties, a few weeks ago there were only 4 left.  Before I could get a photo of them, the campground owner had mowed down that one strip that was left of the meadow, dug it up, and planted GRASS SEED!  Ugh!

Now, in order to sketch wildflowers, or take photos of them for future paintings, I have to walk down the road, find a hard, scratchy place to sit on the ditch's bank, carrying all my paraphernalia.  So I don't do it, often!  Especially in this hot, hot, burning sun.  Even with a hat, it gets too uncomfortable too quickly.

So, instead of a lovely meadow, full of wildflowers, our view is raw land with new campsites developing, and plain old grass.  Sad. 

It reminds me of my garden in PA.  When we first moved there, I had a terrible time building up the clay soil for an organic garden.  But I persevered, using the manure from Annie-the-Cow, leaves, grass-clippings, my compost heap, and any other organic material I could get my hands on.

And it worked, after four years.  The garden was never the equal of the one in New Hampshire, thanks to the clay, but at least it yielded what we needed for the summer and some left over for canning and freezing.  And every spadeful of garden dirt yielded hundreds of earthworms.

Then we were moving to New York, and a man bought our house.  He asked if he could begin his garden before the papers were signed.  Being such an avid gardener myself, I could understand his need to get at it, so I said yes. 

Big mistake!  He came in one day, and SET MY GARDEN ON FIRE!!! I couldn't believe it!  After all my work to make a true organic garden, there he was, burning up all my organic material, AND MY EARTHWORMS!  It was the latter that broke my heart.  I swear I could hear them screaming.  I stood in the window and wept for my garden and my earthworms.

 I didn't get over that for years.  Now I mourn the turkeys, the deer, the foxes, the butterflies, even the Great Blue Heron that moved into the meadow during one very wet stretch of time.  And I mourn the wildflowers.  By the end of the summer, the only thing blooming there will be RVs.

Ah well, now I have to  get my kicks from the birds at the feeders, and my tiny cucumbers and green tomatoes in my Earth Boxes, and my flower gardens.  And the Bumbles and the few butterflies that visit my flowers, and the herbs I clip for cooking.  Life goes on and is generally good.  Thanks be to God.

I haven't gotten the direct word to build one, but if the rivers running down the campground lanes are an indication, we are about to float away.  Every where one walks, squish, squish, squish.

I used to enjoy the sound of the rain pattering on this motorhome roof, but I am thoroughly tired of THIS symphony!

My Earth Boxes are ready to be planted; new organic potting soil, with good Coast of Maine lobster compost stirred into the mix.  I went to Midway Gardens today, sloshing through the puddles to get to the salesroom, and bought Celebrity and Juliet Tomatoes, Marketmore Cucumbers, two Basil and one Sage plant, and a lonely little zucchini.  Now, if the rain would only STOP, I would plant them!

This time of year, my hands are always a little grimey, no matter what I do.  I can't abide gloves; I need to have my hands in the soil.  I've tried putting soap under my nails before I go out, and if I remember, that helps.  Otherwise, I just look grimey.

My back-of-the-coach garden is ready to burst into bloom:  columbines (pink and a deep magenta), irises, chives, are all budded out.  The lilies have fat buds.  The hollyhocks and lupine are beginning to put out the flowering stalks. 

On the side of the deck, the Bleeding Heart has been in full bloom since we arrived back here, as have the blueberry bushes.  The False Indigo is pushing its way through the Bleeding Heart.

And, speaking of Indigo, I saw the Indigo Bunting again this morning, along with a Hummingbird, and the Nuthatch.  The Goldfinches, of course, are always at the feeders.  Then, I caught sight of a young deer gingerly crossing the meadow.

The latter kept stopping to listen, or sniff, and I think it's because we had a chorus of coyotes in the meadow during the night.  We've seen a coyote in the meadow.

I was a little worried to hear more than one howling last night; I usually walk Snugs in that meadow early in the morning.  I think I could scare off one coyote, but certainly not a pack.  And I know neither Snugs nor I could outrun a determined coyote. 

So this morning, we walked the campground lanes around the rigs here.  We haven't seen any coyote brave enough to be here where there are people, at least not yet.

Have you noticed that life is full of changes?  I mourned the cutting down of the meadow to make more campsites, but we could still walk there, at least.  Now, that is apparently no longer possible.  The meadow has always been a major reason I like this campground.

Thank goodness for Earth Boxes, at least!

Fifty-six years ago, on May 21, 1955, Dave and I were married in the tiny Fishtown Chapel on the grounds of Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Conn.  Fr. Jim Annand was the officiant.  Jim was also the priest responsible for my becoming an Episcopalian. 

He led a group of college students in Westerly, RI, as a seminarian.  Dave and I joined the weekly gab sessions, loosely arranged around Bible study.  I was attending Christ Church regularly with David, and these weekly meetings gave me an opportunity to learn more about the Episcopal Church.

Fr. Jim went on to be our curate at Christ Church once he was ordained.  Then, a short time later, after Jim and his wife, Connie, had returned to their native California to serve a church there, our Vestry called Jim to be our Rector.  To our surprise and joy, Jim accepted.

That May 21, so many years ago, was a lovely, warm Saturday, just like today.  We had gotten permission to be married in the chapel, and Jim had gotten permission to be the officiant.  What none of us planned on was the influx of tourists on that lovely day.  They crowded into the small chapel that held, comfortably, only about 60 people.  Consequently, many of our guests were left outside, trying to peer through the doors, at the ceremony.

It was a bit of a mess, and sadly, many hard feelings on the part of some of our guests.  Our own wedding pictures were destroyed by one of our wonderful Labrador Retrievers, but we live on in many films taken by strangers on that crazy day!

We weathered that, and some very rocky times.  We were both young; Dave turned 21 that August, and my 21st wasn't until the next February.  Then, on March 6, that next year, we became parents for the first time.  Thankfully, this first child was our daughter, whose innate nature is one of peacemaker and helper.  Her sunny personality helped us get through those early years as we learned to be a couple, AND parents.

We threatened to be swallowed up by our birth families.  Dave is an only child, and his mother was a widow; she was a strong personality who expected to be in charge.

I was the oldest of three; my brother was 13 and my sister 7 when we were married.  My dad, a widower, depended upon me for far too much, and for several of the early years, I was still actively involved in "bringing up" my younger siblings.  At least 2-3 times a week, dad and the kids showed up for supper.

We finally made the decision to move to New Hampshire, and although leaving our respective parents behind wasn't the reason, it turned out to be a big factor in our finally becoming our own family.  So I consider the true beginning of this solid marriage really began 10 years after that May day.

Now, having just helped marry off my oldest grandchild, I look back at a life so full of blessings (not the least of which are those three kids of our own) that my daily prayer is "Our God is an Awesome God" and my heart is full of thankfulness.

At our grandson's wedding, this April, the whole family was together, including my sister and one of her children.  My brother died last year, and Dad in 1988.  Dave's mother died in 1994.  So Dave and I are the oldest in our respective families. 

We had a wonderful time celebrating the joining of this young couple.  The parents of the couple, and both sets of grandparents were sitting at the same table during the reception; we figured we represented a combined 190+ years of happy marriages.  This is a great gift to give to any young couple.

So, life is good, so VERY good.  Thanks be to that Awesome God.

We got home in time for a couple nice days.  Now we are thinking we need to build an ark.  Oh for a rainbow!

It was wonderful to be back at St. Luke's Church.  As much as we enjoyed every one of the Episcopal Churches, and the one Lutheran, that we attended this past year, there is no place like home!

Otherwise, it has been a hard home-coming.  We had to abort our full year in order to take care of the mess the upstairs tenants left when they skipped in January.  Not the least of which was a refrigerator full of food that all spoiled when the electric was turned off for non-payment.

That's nearly all behind us now; it's been a worry and concern since January.  We have some stuff left to do (think 3 dogs abandoned in a shut bedroom for 10 days; that was in January), then we call in professional cleaners to get the rest.

Meanwhile our favorite tenants are back; this time on the first floor.  That makes me very happy.  In spite of all the problems with an old house, this place has been a happy home for many years.  Now I think it will be a  happy one again.

I have used my small gardens here at the campground as therapy; that and walking my precious pup in what used to be the meadow.  That's the other big change that is hard to accept:  the meadow is now full of electric, water, and sewer poles, as the owners prepare to add 60 plus new campsites.  We knew it was coming, but seeing it is another thing entirely.

However, my blueberry bushes are blooming again, the flowers have all made it, and even my three little Christmas trees are growing.  One is not in good shape, but it has myriad new growth buds on it, so there is hope for that one, also.

And the chives and French tarragon lived through last summer's neglect and the bad winter.  Another happy thought is that minutes after I cleaned, filled, and hung up the thistle feeder, it was covered with Goldfinches! 

I have a meeting coming up this next week with the Rector at St. Luke's to see what my role will be while we are here for the next 6 months.  I look forward to doing God's work again, although this time I plan to take a little more time to be with my family.

Life goes on; life is good.  Thanks be to God.

Day 330  Poconos

The leisurely trek "home" has begun.  We had an amazing time with our WHOLE family (even the SF boy got home) at our Grandson's wedding.  We stayed in our coach in the parking lot of the Hilton Garden hotel in Frederick, as they did NOT take dogs.  We had to pay to stay there, without any amenities, but it was worth it.  Snuggles got lots of company, and we didn't have to kennel her.

One morning, I walked Snugs early, then our daughter came by in her running clothes and took Snugs for a run.  This was a new experience for the pup, as neither of us can run anymore.

The wedding was beautiful; the Roman Catholic priest and I worked well together.  He is used to sharing with Episcopalians, so it went well.  The little flower girl, who kept us all in stitches at the rehearsal, suddenly got shy with all the people in the congregation and went to sit with her Mommy, instead of walking down the aisle.  It was pretty funny.

We especially enjoyed Sarah's family.  We stole every minute we could to all be together; breakfast, dancing back at the hotel, sitting around in the afternoon the next day, talking.  Wonderful time.

We visited with our Thurmont family  a couple times, and drove into DC to get the Arena Stage tour with our theater son.  What an amazing complex it is now, with three theaters under the same roof.  We also had lunch with him at an outdoor restaurant that allows dogs. 

Then on to my sister's in New Jersey.  Our granddaughter drove over from the Philly area to join us and to go to a party with her cousins.  We stayed a few days, went to church at St. Uriel's, a VERY "high church" Episcopal church.  I found a Williams Sonoma store there, bought the pan I've wanted for some time. 

One of the BEST things about that visit (just one of the best, I said) was that Ron took me to WEGMAN'S!!  I'm sure I've mentioned before that I've missed Wegman's on this trip.

Also, we visited our friend who spent the last 6 or 7 summers at the same campground we live in.  We became great friends.  She is the one who encouraged me to take painting and drawing lessons.  I have blessed her many times, as I've enjoyed the painting I've done on the trip.

We'll be here in the Poconos for a while, then we turn west to the place we bought the motorhome to have some minor repairs done. 

I don't know when I can write again; I still haven't unlocked the mystery of writing blogs on the iPad, and we will be without internet again when we leave here.

Stay tuned!

Day 305:  Can you believe it?  Time rushes by; only  60 days left of this amazing journey.

Sorry to have been hiding for the last month, but we have not had internet.  I can write e-mails on my iPad, but not blogs, and now even the FB app isn't working.  Not to worry:  we will be seeing our daughter at THE WEDDING (not the Royals, but OUR royals, Nate and Sarah) this Friday.  She will help me fix whatever is wrong, if we have the time with all the festivities.

We are now in Front Royal, VA, at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountains.  At the bottom of the campground is the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.  "Oh Shenandoah" keeps running round in my head!

We spent the lovely two weeks plus in Port Isabel, TX, then headed towards Florida and our long-time Rhode Island friends.  We had a wonderful two weeks with them, Pat and I spending every minute we could gabbing; no surprise to those who know us!

On the way, we stopped in Biloxi, MS, to attend the Church of the Redeemer.  This is the little church that was demolished by Katrina.  They have moved inland about five miles and built a brand new lovely church. 

In Okeechobee, FL, we attended The Church of Our Savior, where the priest kindly invited me to con-celebrate.  I distributed Holy Communion for the first time since Yucca Valley (before that, it was Vancouver, WA; I am anxious to get back to the altar on a regular basis).

One especially lovely early morning in Okeechobee, Snuggles and I saw two majestic Great Blue Herons flying across the sunrise sky.  I love these early morning walks with this funny pup.  This morning we had to ford several small rivers resulting from the heavy rains we were having.  I had a hard time getting her to even go out.  I had to pull her down the steps into the downpour!

Yesterday we drove much of the Skyline Drive, enjoying the lovely views.  These mountains have their own personality.  They are old and worn down, but still hold their heads up high.  I love mountains.

But then, I love the ocean, too, and was glad to see it in Florida.  "In His hands are the caverns of the earth and the heights of the hills are His also.  The sea is His because He made it, and His hands have molded the dry lands."  What a beautiful country we have!  Thanks be to God.

We miss you all, and will be glad to be home.  However, we will continue to enjoy our travels these last two months.

Day 273  Beautiful, sunny day in Port Isabel, TX.  We are on our way this afternoon to take Snuggles for a run on the beach on South Padre Island.

Yesterday we visited the new Birding Center on South Padre, after Snugs' run.  We walked the 1 mile of boardwalk that is built out into the wetlands on Laguna Madre.  In addition to many other birds, fish, butterflies, etc., we saw a humungous Great Blue Heron AND a small alligator sunning itself on a little hump of an island in the wetlands.

After the usual beautiful Ash Wednesday service last night, we joined a group of parishioners for dinner at a restaurant on the water. 

Perfect day.

Snuggles is waiting, not too patiently, to go for her run.

Day 269  Snuggles and I walked down to the boat launch early this morning.  We startled two cormarants who had been floating majestically on the water.  I do love this place!

Snugs slipped out yesterday morning and ran around Dave, teasing him by coming almost within his reach, then dashing off again.  I wondered if she was descended from our old dog, Skipper, who ALWAYS did this to me, although he would come for anyone else.  Snugs eventually came close enough for Dave to catch her; she was never more than 8-10 feet from him, and didn't attempt to leave the campsite.

Wonderful music this morning at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea.  The local Missouri Synod Lutheran church choir joined the St; Andrews choir for the prelude "The Day of Elijah".  It was a GREAT sound, although a little funny that right after the end, the Lutherans left for their own church!

Then, the offertory was a duet of clarinet and violin, playing a lovely arrangement of "The Lord of Sea and Sky".  I got a little weepy at both these musical offerings.  I'm missing celebrating more than I realize, I guess.  I love this traveling, this trip, but I wonder when I can be a priest again.

The other funny little thing today:  St. Andrew's has an interim, but he wasn't here today, so the had a Supply for the Interim.  Well, it was funny to me.

Fr. Rick, the supply, has a 12-month old yellow (actually, creamy) Lab named Christina who was with him.  She and Snuggles met and played a bit on their leashes.  Christina goes to "doggy day care" once a week for socialization.  I think that makes a big difference.  The other dogs around here aren't "socialized", so their masters don't let them play.  Unfortunately, the "doggie day care" is in Corpus Christie, so we can't get Snuggles there to play.

Fr. Rick's sermon message, based on the Transfiguration gospel, was that we may have mountaintop experiences, but we need to work in the valley/the world, like Jesus did.  I thought it was a good thing to think about.  Maybe that's what I'm doing; trying to find my way in the valley.

Dave's napping;  when he wakes up, we'll go over to South Padre Island and see if we can find a place for Snuggles to run on the beach where she won't just run off.  I'll take a piece of ham to entice her back if I have to!  I'm looking forward to kicking off my shoes and getting my feet wet.  I wonder if that shore was affected by the oil spill?  I hope not.

Day 268  Hard to believe we've been on the road that long.  The 6-week hiatus in Desert Hot Springs was a welcome break, but we're glad to be traveling again.

We pulled into the RV park in Port Isabel, after an 80-mile tough drive in the wind and the rain, about 1:05.  We had been discussing how Dave could get at his rain jacket so that he could unhook and then direct me into the site without drowning.  As soon as we pulled in, the rain STOPPED!

Now, at 3:45, it is still very windy, but the sun is out.  BTW, it didn't start raining until we were on the road.

We spent the last two nights in Mission, TX.  We used yesterday as a "down" day; Dave finished up the taxes and I read a great book "Keeping Faith", by Jodi Picoult.  We took Snuggles for a few walks during the day, but she especially enjoyed just lying around on her dashboard in the sun.  After 4 days of travel, she was ready to be able to run around in the coach.

We're off to check on service times for tomorrow.  We'll be here a few days before we leave for Florida.  We will be staying with our Rhode Island friends in their "winter home" for a few days there.

We hope to get Snuggles out on the beach on South Padre Island, if the weather cooperates.  I also hope to get to the new Birding Center on South Padre.

Next week is Ash Wednesday already!  And it's only 6 + weeks before we see our family at our grandson's wedding!

Almost 9 months on the road.  Sorry to leave Desert Hot Springs and the Caliente Springs REsort and Dog Park, but glad to be moving again.

We're somewhere around Tucson, AZ, tonight, and will be off to New Mexico tomorrow. 

We decided that Snuggles is a big girl now, and shouldn't be cooped up in a crate that is really too small for her.  We secured her to the seatbelt on the couch, leaving a big of wiggling room.  Well, she wiggled to my little moose statue and broke it; wiggled to a box of magazines and chewed it, spilling the magazines; wiggled to her bag of toys and got them strewn all over that part of the coach; wiggled to my quilting and my  sewing box, so I had to move them; and was generally wiggling for most of the nearly 300 miles we drove today.

When she wasn't wiggling, she was whining, or sitting on the floor, "talking".  Once in a GREAT WHILE, she curled up in a ball on the couch and slept.  That gives us hope that she might get used to this new routine.  We were staionary for 6 weeks, so she has forgotten about living in a moving  house.

The internet at the resort got worse and worse, which is why there have been no blogs.  I tried several times with no lu ck; I would get knocked off before I could send one. 

I want to send out a "thank you" to the wonderful people at St. Joseph of Arimathea, in Yucca Valley, CA, and to the supply priest two Sundays ago, Fr. Pete Wright, who invited me to con-celebrate with him.  I had not been at the altar since September, when I served with Fr. Ed Lovelady in Vancouver, WA.

Also, a thank you to Fr. Fred Meyer, St. Anthony of the Desert, Desert Hot Springs, CA, who invited me to preach a few Sundays ago.  That was another pleasure; I miss preparing and giving a sermon, believe it or not!

A special shout-out to the "lunch bunch" at Y ucca Valley, and to Jane Crase, studying to be St. Jospeph's priest.  Our prayers are with you, Jane.

Love to all our friends and God's blessings, too.

Day 252

Still enjoying the benefits of this hot springs resort.  Our departure date is now the 28th. 

Not much new.  I preached at St. Anthony of the Desert last Sunday, and this coming Sunday will be helping at St. Joseph of Arimithea.  The latter is in Yucca Valley, and a big storm is predicted, beginning tonight, that may drop lots of snow in the mountain pass between here and Yucca Valley.  Our trip there will depend on the road conditions.

Yesterday several roads in the area were closed because of "brown-outs", caused by very high winds.  Snuggles was very nervous last night with the winds, so I slept on the couch with her.  She came into the bedroom to let us know she couldn't sleep!  Funny little dog.

I am now officially 76; thank you everyone for your birthday wishes.  We went to Olive Garden for dinner to celebrate.  My present to myself is starting to quilt again.  I bought a beautiful panel of two swans in Kaua'i, and I'm making a window quilt to keep out the cold that comes in the driver's window.  We have one for the door, and it has worked well in cold and wind.

I joined a quilting group here at the resort.  Most of the quilters do their work on the sewing machine, but there is one other holdout for hand quilting, and we sit together to work on our projects.  We also went on a safari to a quilting store last week.  It's nice to have a friend with similar interests.

Snuggles has made many friends.  One of her favorites is Duke, a huge boxer.  His mistress calls Snuggles Duke's "girlfriend".  He is at least 6 times Snugs' size, and just as bouncy.  He's a wonderful, gentle monster, but I've wondered if Snuggles could be hurt by mistake.  We met Duke at the dog park the other day (usually our meetings are in the desert, with both on leashes), and they played and played.  Snugs was not afraid to let Duke know when he was too rough.  She's a gutsy little dog!

When the two dogs rested, Duke would give Snuggles a lick on the nose.  She accepted it as her due.

Dave has fixed the built-in big TV, so now we can watch the news here in the main living area.  Up to now, we had to watch the bedroom TV, sitting on the bed, with Snuggles lying down between us.  Cozy, but not comfortable!

Hope to get a swim in today, before the temps drop again and the heavy winds return.   And that's about it from the desert!

Day 239  Not much different to tell, just wanted to check in with everyone.

However, I did think you might be interested to know that the temps have been below freezing for a couple nights.  We had very high winds and cool daytime temps for a few days, but it seemed odd yesterday when the path I use to get the newspaper every morning had ICE ON IT!!

The pool stays warm, and the hot tubs are still very warm, even in the lower temperatures.  So don't waste any time feeling sorry for us (chuckle, chuckle).  And today it returns to the 70's; 80's by the weekend.

Thanks to Kim and the electronic "Voice", we keep up with the goings-on at St. Luke's.  Through Facebook, I see what is going on at Grace, Randolph.  And I check up on St. Peter's website regularly.  So we have a little taste of Western New York out here in the desert.

Stay warm everyone; the national news announced that Punxatawney Phil predicts an early spring.  I guess he knows as much as anyone!

Day 235; 130 days to go!  As much as I miss friends and church at home, I will be sorry to have this adventure end.  It's been an amazing experience, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Meanwhile, we are still enjoying Desert Hot Springs, and the Caliente Hot Springs Resort.  Just now, the desert winds have been blowing for a couple days, and the temps are cooler (upper 60's), but still better than what the east is experiencing.  And the desert in the high winds is very interesting.  While back east, roads are closed because of snow or ice, here roads are closed because of blowing sand!  Looking off towards Mount San Jacinto, you can see the clouds of sand. 

It isn't so bad right here, although when Snuggles and I were walking in the desert yesterday morning, when the winds were at their worst, I could feed the sand stinging my face.

In spite of all that, it is beautiful here, and about to be more so, because the desert is beginning to bloom!  Even the creosote bushes have buds ready to burst open, and a few hardy blooms are already gracing those ubiquitous bushes.  Cacti that seemed to be dried up and dead are greening up, and a few blossoms appear here and there.

Around the resort, the lantana is in bloom, and the oleander is ready to.  The ducks in one of the ponds are feeling like spring; the males chasing the females around the pond.  There is a lovely egret that joins the ducks in that pond, also.

But my favorite of the wild life are the strange California Grouse, with their little topknots and their weird call that sounds sort of like a musical spit;  I know, I know, that doesn't sound very pretty, but I don't know how else to describe it.

And Snuggles?  She loves the desert, and the dog park.  She has a couple favorite dogs; one is a chihuahua mix that she runs and runs with in the park, and the other is a Scottie that she loves to wrestle with.  One day there were 8 little dogs in the park, and while Snuggles and Fergus wrestled, another little dog barked and barked at them.  We couldn't decide if she was refereeing, or telling them to behave.

Life is easy, here, what with swimming and dog parking and walking in the desert.  We've explored some of the area by car, attend St. Anthony of the Desert Episcopal Church, and generally just soak up the sun.  I have taken some watercolor classes, although the teacher isn't as good at instruction as those I have had at Chautauqua.  The classes give me an opportunity to paint without Snuggles "helping" me.

We think about you all, and you are in our prayers daily. See you in June!

Day 222:  It's been a long time since I have been able to write a blog, and a LOT of things have happened.  With one thing or another, such as no internet, I haven't been able to write.  Our daughter and her family gave us an IPad for Christmas so that we can be in touch even without internet, but we haven't been able to figure it all out.

We are back in Desert Hot Springs, at Caliente Springs Resort, where there is that wonderful dog park for Snuggles.  We'll be here for at least another week.  We came here on Sunday, from the park in San Dimis where we met the Rally Group for the Rose Parade.

We had a wonderful time at the parade; we watched them build the CalPoly float, had great seats at the parade, and then had an opportunity to see the floats up close and personal the next day.  In addition to all that, we went to the Palm Springs Follies, which deserve their own blog, if I have time later.  And we saw an equestrian show featuring many of the groups from the parade.  We also went to a band fest featuring several of the bands that marched in the parade.  We celebrated New Year's Eve on East Coast time, as we had to be ON THE BUS the next morning at 5 :00 a.m. for the parade!

BUT, the most amazing part of the last few weeks was Dave's Christmas present to the two of us.  When we got home from the Midnight service at Grace, Glendora, he told me we were going to Hawaii for 10 days!  I knew nothing about this.  My first thought was the pup; where would we leave her?

I told the Rector of Grace, Susan Scranton, about our trip and asked her if she knew of a reputable kennel.  Before I knew it, she had us in touch with a wonderful couple who board dogs in their home.  We talked on the phone and arrangements were made to go meet them.  Susan picked up her Sheltie, and led us to Bonnie and Rod's home.  There, wonder of wonders, were three more Shelties, all rescue dogs.  Snuggles was beside herself with joy.

Bonnie works for the Animal Rescue League.  They have a huge backyard that is safely fenced in, and the dogs have the run of the house and the yard.  I told Bonnie I would bring Snuggles' crate so that she could be confined at night.  "We'll put her in our bedroom," said Bonnie.  I was convinced that this was exactly the place for our pup.

And it was.  She had a great time.  Bonnie and Rod couldn't say enough happy things about her.  Bonnie sent us an e-mail with a picture of Snuggles sleeping on her husband's chest on the couch, to show us that Snugs was happy.

 In fact, so happy that she has been lonely these last few days!  She loved playing with the Shelties there.

The next surprise was at the LAX Airport.  We walked to our gate, and there were Fred and Shirley Nagle. They are travelers, so I said, "Hey, where are YOU going?"  "With you!" they said.  Dave had made all these arrangement last year, trading our Peak n' Peek timeshare for a big one on the island of Kauai.  So amazing.

We had a wonderful 10 days; three in HOnolulu, then 7 on Kauai.  We went to see the Pearl Harbor Memorial and took a tram around the city. We walked to the beach, and generally enjoyed Honolulu.

Kauai is the Garden Island, and it lives up to its name.  We had rain there, but except for cancelling our sunset dinner cruise, we didn't miss anything else.  Dave and Fred took a helicopter ride over the island.  We went to a dinner show, and a luau.  But mostly, we drove around the Island, visiting lots of little beaches, and rural places.  We shopped, of course (I now own 1 1/2 pounds of Kauai coffee and one pound of Kona).

It was a restful, happy week.  Now I have to settle down to LEARN how to use my IPad so that even when we don't have internet, I can send a blog.   My e-mail is set up already ("there is an App for that"), but the blog is another thing.

From here, after enjoying the desert for a few days (and the dog park and the hot springs), we'll finally head to Texas.

We are loving this gypsy life.  And the only snow is in the mountains, which we can see from our "patio" here in Caliente Springs.

One of the best parts of this trip has been visiting the small churches around the land.  Today was our second service at St. Anthony of the Desert.  It's an older congregation (after all, this is an older corner of Southern California!), but they still sing energetically, read the lessons with strength and conviction, and share the biddings in the Prayers of the People.

Everyone knows everyone in a small church, and the prayers are about people who are important to each other.  Last week we prayed for a wonderful therapy dog who was lost stolen or strayed.  This week we gave thanks that she was found (in some stranger's car!).

The most comforting aspect about all the churches is the familiarity of the beautiful Episcopal Eucharist services.  In some churches, the service is printed out in the bulletins, but in some places the prayer book is still used.

Some churches use the prayer book Great Thanksgivings, and a few use the Enriching Our Worship prayers.  But wherever we are, the rhythm is the same, the words familiar, and the sermons full of energy.

I miss my own church, but it has been a good experience.  I am hoping when we get settled in Port Isabel for the winter, I can help at the altar.  I realized today just how much I miss being the celebrant.

Today special prayers and blessings were said for the presents the congregation gathered for a local orphanage.  There was a huge pile of gifts under a small Christmas tree.  Considering this is a congregation of around 50 people, the stack of presents was impressive.

I don't know where we will have our Christmas Holy Communion, but I'm sure it will be joyful and moving.  I hope your Christmas will be, too.

Day 191:  can you believe it?  I've become so used to living in these 37 feet, I've almost forgotten what a house is like.  That is, until I think about wanting to bake my Finnish Christmas bread.  I have done it in this tiny kitchen, but it is a huge job here.  If I find a way in the next campground to share the extra loaves, however, I might just attempt it.  I can't imagine Christmas morning without the wonderful Niisua.

I read on Facebook about Christmas cookies and have to come to grips with the fact that this year the holidays will be completely different.  Then I remember that the REAL celebration will be at the altar of an Episcopal Church somewhere and all is well.

For the last few years, the Christmas Day service has been mine to celebrate.  I will miss that.

Today is another cold (for Desert Hot Springs), overcast day.  I will still go swimming, however, as the pool is heated by hot springs.  Then I'll soak in one of the hotter pools.  It's a hard life, but someone has to do it.

This has been such a wonderful rest stop, and not just because of the pools.  Snuggles has had the time of her young life playing, off the leash, with the dogs in the dog park.  Her favorite (and ours) is Rosie.  The two of them run and run and run.  They are fun to watch.

Off to breakfast this Saturday morning, and to mail the few cards we are sending this year.  I will count on this blog to wish everyone else a blessed Christmas and a New Year full of spiritual growth and happiness.

The TV has been warning for days that a weather change was coming.  Well it did, during the night.  In the wee hours of the morning, a fierce wind came up.  Dave had to get up around 6 a.m. to take in the window awnings.

 He called me to look at the sky; it was ablaze!  It was more brilliant than most sunsets.  Of course, that doesn't auger well for a good day. 

We have had wonderful, lazy days in the sun, swimming in the hot springs pools, and just generally resting.  So, I guess, we can take a little colder weather for a while; especially with our WNY and WPA friends struggling with snow, snow, and more snow.

Snuggles was a bit spooked by the wind when we walked in the desert this morning.  Ordinarily she runs around happily, but this morning she kept stopping, sniffing,and looking around.

We are here for another few days.  It has been a great place for us and for Snuggles.  She has made many dog friends in the dog park.

The sunsets from the Hotel Lenhart in Bemus Point, NY are stunning every summer.  I've always thought they couldn't be outshone.

However, tonight, sitting on our "patio" and sipping a glass of wine, I watched one that outdid Bemus.  The added flip came from the San Jacinto Mountain across the desert from our campground/resort.  I took pictures, but I'm sure they won't nearly do it justice.

We'll be here in Caliente Springs Park for another week.  We are enjoying the pool and hot tubs which are fed by natural mineral hot springs, and Snuggles has made friends in the dog park.

I walk her in the desert around 7 a.m., just as the sun is peeking over the distant mountains.  The last few days we have met a big, gentle, Boxer named Duke.  She LOVES him, and he is willing to play with this bouncy little pup.  His mistress takes him off his leash and he "boxes" with Snugs.  She's not a bit afraid of him and boxes right back, running around him.

Her favorite friend, however, is a chihuahua who is mixed with some kind of a miniature grayhound.  She is tall for a chihuahua, but lean and FAST!  She and Snuggles run and run around the park.  This has been a good stop for our pup.

Tomorrow we go to St. Anthony's-in-the-Desert for church. 

This has been a great rest from our traveling.  When we get to San Dimas and meet the Rose Bowl Parade Caravan on the 28th, we will have several 12-hour days ahead of us.  We are soaking up the sun and the easy living in preparation for that.

The Caravan has already lined up a professional dog walker for us and the other two families who have dogs.  I hate to leave Snuggles, even with a dog walker, but she does very well alone in the bedroom and bathroom when we go off for a while.

180th day; yup, 6 months on the road.  And we picked a good one to be away from WNY, according to all the remarks about the snow in that area.

We, on the other hand, are in the desert, in Desert Hot Springs, where it is warm, and then hot, during the day.  This is a big resort for 55+ people, and most of the population is permanent.  They leave a few spots for itinerants like us. 

While I was reading Morning Prayer this morning, at 7:45, there were many people carrying tennis rackets or golf clubs coming up to the courts and driving range at the end of our cul de sac.  All the seniors seem to be in good shape here, probably because of tennis, golf, swimming (they have 6 hot springs, 2 of which are full-size swimming pools), and walking on the desert.

Snuggles had a great time at the fenced-in dog park yesterday.  There were two friendly dogs there that gave her a merry chase.  She wasn't the least bit scared of them even though they were much bigger than she.  And she kept up with them as they ran and ran around the dog park.

We had a wonderful time with the congregation at Yucca Valley, St. Joseph's.  Two of the women remembered that we had been there before!  We went out to lunch with their "lunch bunch" and enjoyed the camaraderie.  The latter is something we both miss, as we rarely get the opportunity to really connect with other people.

Stay warm, all you who are under snow.  And stay off the roads!  Here, I have to watch out for golf carts, of which there are many.