With a surgery looming in the next five or six weeks, we plan to stay put in our comfortable Maple Grove RV Park in Everett WA for the next two months. I will spend the time photographing the Northwest while Roni works her projects. We will be comfortable and content, planning our trip around America to start after the first of August. Seattle is not a bad place to be for June and July, lol, so no complaints 🙂 We talked of the idea for our venture around America to cover the ground we would have visited according to our initial plans, rapidly, and starting our exploration of America around Chicago or further east. We still want to see the Northeast in the Fall and Winter in Florida, so those are our highest priorities. More on our actual plans in the coming week as we examine our alternatives. We figure skipping anything West of the Mississippi can easily be covered after we complete the Eastern part of America. We still will visit every National Park and every one of the contiguous 48 states, just in a different order than we first thought :p

We appreciate the good feelings and love you have all sent our way regarding our present situation. This will pass and the precious venture will start anew 🙂

I have not been blogging since before our trip to Northern California. Wow! What a trip that was! I’m not near as eloquent in describing events as John is. Especially when it frustrates the crud out of me. Having to get towed from the Cabin Creek rest area between Eugene and Roseburg did not make me a happy girl. I can deal with set backs but when the Ford dealership in both Roseburg and Eugene advised they would not be able to even look at the truck until Monday, (we broke down on Friday) I was extremely disappointed. When we asked Ford for a loaner truck or at least a vehicle to go on about our trip they advised us they do not offer that service. Shame on you Ford! I know Subaru and Toyota do. So we were stuck in Eugene. The only saving grace was that everyone we ran into from the tow truck driver to the taxi cab driver to the hotel employees were awesome. We also had a Ramen burger at Red Robin. (Are Ramen buns better for you than normal buns? just asking….) Despite all the good I was at my wits end and wanted to strangle someone by the time we got to the hotel. This was putting a big inconvenience in our plans and all I could think of was getting to Redding Ca to see my two oldest daughters and especially Mallory since I had not seen her since 2012. Monday came and Ford had us back on the road again. In route to California John got the phone call advising him of his results. Prostate Cancer. All I had been through the last few days and all the pissed off feelings I had at trivial BS just washed out of me and I pulled myself back to that place that tells me to pick my battles and not let myself get so worked up over events that can be easily taken care of. This was my real battle. His health and making us comfortable while we go through this. So……… we will continue our preciousventure after we take care of business and we will do it with more zest and more gratitude and realize that we are more blessed to have this opportunity. I can be a real pain in the arse! I’ll try to change that but give me time!!!! 🙂

OH YEAH DID I FORGET TO TELL YOU MY LAPTOP THAT I HAD FOR ONLY  4 MONTHS  WAS SATURATED WITH WATER SOMEHOW ON THE WAY TO THE HOTEL IN EUGENE!!!!!!   GRRRRRRRRRR