Say it Aint So....

Wednesday afternoon ended with a parting of ways.  Although we went our separate ways, we still love each other.  We saw John jump in a mini-van and cruise to the local Holiday Inn.


It was though I lost my co-pilot.  His flight back to Indy was scheduled for Thursday afternoon and he had had enough of the crew.  Seriously, his mission was over, that is until he sees the whites of our eyes in Salt Lake City....hmmm...what is in store for us between now and then and even after his return.


Although this might seem a little cold blooded, he has already been replaced.  The new co-pilot delivered us to Missoula.....

You can't live on your laurels....sorry John!

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

Walcott, IA at 8pm, Clear Lake, IA 11:30pm, Reliance, SD 5:00am and Rapid City, SD at 8am, not bad for less than 24 hours.

The goal was to spend as much time as possible near the desired destinations and a little less along the pathway there.  Don't get me wrong, we are all about the journey, but this journey will log more than 6,000 miles and we wanted to accelerate the miles we have covered multiple times already as quickly as possible.  So our friend, John Hilfiker, agreed to go along for the journey.

John took the graveyard shift and most, including John, thought the rig was going to tip over through one particular construction zone.  However, life goes on and we are still moving down the road.  Within 24 hours of our departure, we will drop John off to catch a flight out of Billings, MT home.  John enjoys driving the RV and hanging out with us (who wouldn't?).

And we thought if we could knock off 1/3 of our mileage in 2 days, it would allow us much more time to enjoy new destinations.

In the quiet of the morning, John and I spotted an incredible sunrise over the Badlands today.  It was in our rear view mirror!  The skies were clear and our view was as well except for some pesky, oily bugs who gave their lives so our windshield would have more protein.

But as we migrate across Wyoming, the clear skies have given way to more of an overcast view.  But when we glance at the radar, the skies are all clear!!  Why would they look this way?

Those crazy forest fires!

Invisible

Loading in an RV and pointing at a far away destination can make you seem invisible to many.  Who knows where we will be at midnight or say 3pm tomorrow.  But our pace will let us seem like a phantom.

The question that just went through the RV was, "if you could be invisible for 24 hours, what would you do?"  

Tell us your thoughts and we will do likewise!

Think Tank Excellence

How does one land a job at a think tank? That was question of the hour last night in our house. Tonight the answer was discovered. It just happens. Our think tank spent hours deliberating over the name of our 2012 blog title. And although you may not appreciate our blog name, it has deep spiritual meaning. For you to take the name lightly would be a bit presumptious on your part. 5,184 Cubic Feet of Occasion Joy expresses the reality of our next 30 days.

 To put this in perspective our sunroom measures nearly 6,750 cubic feet and seldom does our entire family congregate at one time in it. Not so in the RV, there is nowhere to run or nowhere to hide. Our family has traveled many thousand miles within confined quarters and have lived to continue the saga.

 While the wheels on the bus go round and round, there are arguably 4 highly valued focuses of energy. The front window is the best view one could ever imagine. The co-pilot's seat is an unbelievable blessing to the driver and the 2nd best position to enjoy the windshield. The kitchen table is where many amazing conversations and entertaining activities take place. And finally, the beds provide great respite for those needing rest and privacy.

 When we roll out of town, our family will spend nearly 24 uninterrupted hours in 5,184 cubic feet of occassional joy knowing the interuptions of our joy will only be temporary and unpredictable. There is no destination for this journey, but there will be amazing sights and experiences. If I told you we expect to see bears, deer, moose, whales, buffalos, antelopes, glaciers, islands, mountains, desert lands, an ocean, a salt lake, a geyser, and a few cows along with some corn.

 If you can guess our flight plan we have a special gift for you. Also, if you have witty comments about our journey, you too might win a special gift as well. But our expectations up your comments will remain high. Before you send your comments, be sure to process them with your think tank.