Cole Ranch - Sterling City, Texas

WOW... what a place. I'll start off by saying that I took 80 photographs here. Everyplace you look there's more to see. So, at the bottom of this post is a "slide show" so you can see all the photographs taken. BUT... even more amazing is the ranch owner, Alvie Cole. I sat in a rocker on his porch with Mr. Cole and Freckles the dog for 90 minutes. We spoke of many things, including the things on the ranch, but the more interesting conversation was his telling of his life, including the depression, ranch life, current and past conditions of the U.S. and just generally, "life."

The various items were made, collected and place by Mr. Cole over many years. There are silhouette sculptures of the old west, mock up buildings like the old saloon, jail and outhouse and just an incredible array of items.

The ranch is located on US Route 87 just south of a little town called Sterling City, Texas. It is truly out in the middle of nowhere as we used to say. This particular site was not on my radar at all. I hadn't seen any internet sites on it or about it. Nobody had told me to watch for it. I was just driving north on 87 and saw it there. So I made a U-turn and stopped at the side of the road.

As I was taking photographs from the roadside, I saw someone on the porch waving me in. I walked up to the porch and met Alvie Cole. As a man who had lived his life and has nothing to prove and no one to impress, he was amazing. Dressed in a bathrobe, he was comfortable, without worry of appearance or impression. He and his dog Freckles, sat with me on the porch for quite a while. I can't even express how immediately comfortable and pleasant the conversation was.

I could write pages and pages on this visit, but for now, will let the photos speak for me. All in all, a wonderful, informative, great visit. I'll have to add more as time allows. Take a look at the slide show. Drop me comments or questions and I'll try to answer.

By the way, in speaking with others later in the day... this place is apparently AMAZING at Christmas time. If you happen to be in the area... send me pics!!!

Here's the slide show!

First Car Trouble!!! - Paducah, Kentucky

Well... when I started this trip, I assumed there would be at least one or two issues with the truck. After all, it is a 1992 Toyota 4Runner with 150,000 miles. You have to expect SOMETHING. It has been surprisingly trouble free and even this little setback is probably the fault of the "nut behind the steering wheel."

For the second time during the trip I left lights on (dome lights this time) and ran the battery down. When jumping it to start it yesterday morning... somehow the cables got crossed (+ hooked to -). This is NEVER good. However, it was momentary (when the sparks flew, it was evident there was a mistake!) and the car started and ran like a top when properly hooked up.

However, the windshield wipers did not work. And it was raining.... hard. We located the fuse after some difficulty and replaced it and everything was fine... for about 20 minutes. Then it blew again... and we replaced it again. This time it blew immediately. And it was raining... hard.

The good thing is that we have allowed extra time in our trip and a day lost is not a huge deal. So, I just decided to pull in here at Paducah and let the rain pass. I really don't want to get into finding an electrical short or replacing a wiper motor. Mostly, this is due to laziness, but money and time are also minor factors. I mean it's nearly summer back in Los Angeles and everyone knows, "It Never Rains in Southern California."

So, I've checked weather radar, watched the weather channel, paid attention to the local news and weather and... flipped a coin. The result: I'll try and get back on the road around noon today.

I'm only a few miles (about an hour and a half I think) from Paris, TN, the other "competitor" in the Paris, TX tallest Eiffel Tower from the early 90's. I will, hopefully, be reporting on their Eiffel Tower tonight or tomorrow morning. That will be the third "Paris" that I've visited on this trip. I might actually visit "Paris, Arkansas" tomorrow to make number 4. That, of course, depends on weather, wipers and whether or not the mood strikes me.

Joe

World's Largest Lincoln Statue - Charleston, Illinois

I remember this tribute to our 16th president when I was a kid. It was an eyesore then and a general pain to the promoters. Seemingly, times haven't changed much. The thing is in it's 3rd location since it's original placement. It has been shot full of holes, had his forefinger blown off (presumably by a shotgun) and generally been the subject of ridicule, defamation and disrespect since it's placement. The story goes that it was carved in one of the northern states, maybe Minnesota, and when it was done they realized it was too big to transport and the shoulders had to be "shaved down" so it could be moved to Illinois. I do not know how true that is, but he does look a little disproportionate.

The current placement is behind the Coles County Speedway at a campground/resort that was completely empty at the time I visited. It has a "garden of chainsaw Lincoln statues" which will be in a slide show below, but this photo gives you an idea of the size and placement of everything. The shelters are approximately 7 feet tall to the bottom of the roof.

The statue itself is over 60 feet tall, but the appearance from the entrance is a little deceptive as you must descend several steps to get to the garden.

Overall, the current placement is far more attractive than any of the previous ones. The grounds are well-kept and everything appears to be in good working order.

The chainsaw sculptures are pretty rough hewn and apparently represent different stages of Lincoln's life. There were several so I've just put them all in a slide show here.

Paris, Illinois

I've been to Paris, Texas which boasts two sites reported here: Eiffel Tower with Cowboy Hat and Statue of Jesus With Cowboy Boots. I have decided to visit Paris, TN which also has an Eiffel Tower replica. Then it dawned on me... why not try to visit ALL the cities named Paris in the US. I think there are 15. I do not intend to visit them all with this one trip, but I will visit them as I get close to them.

Hence, my visit to Paris, Illinois. I grew up about 30 miles west of here. I didn't recall any sort of reference to Paris, France in memorials, statues or otherwise when I was growing up. I couldn't find any this trip either... so here's a pic of the water tower... for what it's worth. (the black line is a power line or something...)

The One & Only Hippie Memorial - Arcola, Illinois

Some of these "odd" or "unusual" sites are right in your own backyard. This memorial is located only 9 miles from my "hometown." Although I didn't personally know Bob Moomaw, several of my friends did. According to everyone I've spoken with he was a good man.

I will try and post a better photo once I figure out how to use "photo-stitching" software... and then get some!

The best explanation of the memorial is probably in the speech delivered by Sharron Moomaw at the dedication. I've included a photo of the sign at the memorial, but will also spell it out below.

The text reads:
"Even after 30 years of marriage to Bob Moomaw, I was surprised at his ideas -- and this event is another surprise.

Bob said there have been sculptures built on more ridiculous concepts than my life -- this is not ridiculous -- this is my life: A HELL OF A MESS

Why a memorial to hippies? He said the changed our society for the good. Because of them, he didn't have to conform anymore.

The sculpture represents his life -- mounted atop a wall. Made of iron rods, junk parts and crafted metal.

The short portion on the left is the first 26 years of his life: which included the depression, World War II, the RED scare and the hypocrisies of the 1950's. He said it was like living in a coal mine with a 3ft ceiling; the tallest man he ever met was 3ft. tall. Society forced people to stoop.

The memorial rises to 6ft. representing the 1960's to the 1980's when the hippies hit and raised the ceiling off everything! Everyone got to stand up against oppression and repression. Bob said it was like growing up! They broke free from small town morality and during the "Kennedy Camelot" and the "Hippie Movement". The metal shapes are brightly colored showing love and peace symbol and -- individuality!

In 1980 Reagan necked society down to small-mind-ed-ness again.

The crossbars are the "webs of his life". As his life passed through time, other peoples' junk stuck to him and made him what he was -- the product of leftovers from a previous existence. He said he never got to determine a thing in his life; it was determined for him. Bob said he left the pieces raw -- so they would rust -- the way life is -- junk collecting rust is all that life is.

Was Bob Moomaw a hippie? NO. He did have a beard and a pony tail while attending the university. He was THERE at the same TIME & PLACE as the hippies were, but he was raising his children then to use the freedom of THEIR minds to search for knowledge in education as he did. As he said, "to his shame, he was no hippie!"

Hippies, he said, gave us room to BREATHE; and that is what aspect of their lives he was honoring.

Bob would greatly enjoy this celebration of his life sculpture -- thank you all for joining in our dedication of his work: MOOMAW -- AMERICA'S -- ONE AND ONLY HIPPIE MEMORIAL"

I have several photos which I'm going to put in a slide show below... you can see that some pieces have even fallen off... but they remain... kinda like life... "stuff" happens... falls off... but life goes on!

Two Story Outhouse - Gays, Illinois

YES... they are "offset" so the first floor isn't dodging "bombs" from above, or getting an unwanted view through a "skylight"!!!

Located at the corner of Front & Pine Streets in a small little town in east central Illinois is this gem from history. Built in 1872 adjacent to a two story hotel, this piece of history survived while the hotel did not. So, now it stands alone, but preserved for all to see.

According to some I have spoken with, the actual origin of two story outhouses is in the snowy northeast. Snow would accumulate to such a height that is was easier to just walk on top of the snow to the second story than to burrow through it to get to the bottom floor. Either way sounds awfully cold to me.

The town of Gays, Illinois has preserved this outhouse with a little corner park. Alas, the door to the outhouse was locked when I visited and no one was around, so I cannot report as to whether or not this is a "fully functional" outhouse. I'm not really sure I want to know. On a personal note, I was raised in this same area. My grandfather was a farmer and he did not have indoor plumbing on his farm at all. (Means I have personal experience in using an outhouse when out on Grandpa's farm). There are two dedications here, one to the man who worked to preserve the outhouse and another to a young man who lost his life in the service of our country. I include photos as a tribute to both.

And so it stands, alone, but not forgotten. Apparently there are people out there who are fascinated with such relics of the past!!! The books below are from amazon.com.

Outhouses

Nature Calls: The History, Lore, and Charm of Outhouses

Goat Tower - Findlay, Illinois

Sometimes, you hit the jackpot!!!

I did on Friday (March 19, 2010). I met David Johnson (above), owner of the "Goat Tower." He tells me that other names for the tower, such as "The Tower of Baaaaa" (which is how I found it) were given to the structure by others. Apparently, he doesn't really have a name for it. It is just there to serve a purpose, a place for the goats.

Turns out that goats are natural born climbers and they love this stuff. Even though, during my stay, we couldn't entice them all the way onto the steps. If I were given to plagiarism, I could post a pic here of the goats on the steps, as this site is actually quite popular. There are only 3 or 4 such towers in existence, it seems. This one, at 31 feet and 7 feet in diameter is the largest.

The tower was constructed by the late Jack Cloe along with all of the brickwork on the property. Jack was lured out of retirement to do the work along with his sons. The bricks used on the property are all unique, each one slightly different shape and size. Jack told the owner, at the time of constructions it was like "laying footballs." The results, however, are beautiful.

All the buildings on the property have this unique brickwork. The home is situated far out in the country, near Lake Shelbyville. Thank goodness for GPS!!! The reference to the "jackpot" in the first line of this post was meeting the owner, David Johnson (and briefly, his wife). I was standing outside the property taking photos...



... when approached by Mrs. Anderson, in her vehicle. Ready to issue an apology for my intrusion, Mrs. Anderson surprised me by inviting me onto the property for a closer look! She told me she would phone her husband to let him know I was going to take some photos. She also said that I should expect him to come speak to me. He did... and he was a wonderful, incredibly interesting host!!! The friendliness, attitude and willingness to share are the jackpot I found during that visit!

His goat tower was only one of several topics Mr. Anderson and I tackled that afternoon. During my research, I had located 3 such towers, this one, one in South Africa (which inspired this one by Mr. Anderson after seeing it in a wine magazine, "Decanter") and one in Norway, modeled after Mr. Anderson's. According to Mr. Anderson, there is at least a fourth, or more accurately a first, in Portugal, which was the inspiration for the South African location.

There is also a weather station on the property, accessible via the Weather Underground, so if you want to see what kind of weather the goats are experiencing you can check it out here.

There are also sculptures of storks on the chimney of the home. But, these aren't just any old storks, these are the same storks used by Auggie Busch, of Anheiser-Busch fame. Because the sculptures were originally commissioned by Mr. Busch, special permission was required by the maker before Mr. Anderson could acquire his storks. Papers and releases had to be signed, including promises that Mr. Anderson would not go into the beer business, and eventually he was granted permission to own the storks.

As we were about to leave this wonderful home and end our visit, Mr. Anderson asked if we had seen the "musical stones"? I hadn't, of course, so as a sort of finale, I got to see and HEAR these stones. I wish I were set up for audio so you could hear these "rocks." According to Mr. Anderson, they came from a sculptor in France. I'm not sure what goes into the different tones (weight, mass, shape, etc.) but each of them has a unique pitch and tone. They can be played much like a xylophone.

After reviewing this post, the size of these stones is not apparent. They are black granite and the approximate size is about 6 feet X 4 feet. The stones produce a clear, pure tone. The tone is the same throughout the stone, whether you strike it on the polished or unfinished surfaces. I had never even heard (pardon the pun) of such a thing and did find reference on the internet to some similar stones years ago called the "Musical Stones of Skiddaw". We'll leave the reading up to you if you want to do it.

All in all, this was one of the most enjoyable visits to date. We learned a lot about the Goat Tower and bonus material was provided. But, most importantly, the wonderful friendliness of our host was incredible.

Thank you, sir, for your kindness.

Joe

You Can't Go Home!!!

Well, it's Thursday morning and I have probably more than overstayed my welcome here at my sister's home in Newburgh, IN. Her and her husband's hospitality have been outstanding. The wedding was great (their daughter, my niece).

Today, or more accurately this evening, I will disprove the title above. I am going back to the area where I was raised, Hindsboro, IL. Largely through Facebook, I have reconnected with many of my old classmates and schoolmates. One thing you have to consider is that I didn't have that many. My graduating class consisted of 37 students!!! Additionally, it wasn't even in my hometown, we attended a "consolidated" school district.

It has been said, "You Can't Go Home Again". Well, we decided to have a little dinner tonight and I can tell you in advance... I will go home tonight. Friends will be as if I'd seen them yesterday and will see them again tomorrow, even though it's been 35 years since I've seen a lot of them. The welcome will be genuine and heartfelt. That's just the way it is where I grew up.

I can't wait. Other than the wedding, this will be the highlight of my 3 week road trip. OH... and not to worry. I'm back to the traveling side show again. Planned for the next couple days at least... "The Two Story Outhouse" and "The One and Only Hippie Memorial"

Thanks for staying tuned!!!

Joe

Busler's Truck Stop Santa Claus - Evansville, Indiana

There seems to be a LOT of Santa Claus sites that have been reported as "odd" or "unusual". In addition to this location, I have now visited the town of Santa Claus, IN which also qualifies as "odd" or "unusual".

But this Santa stands alone at an abandoned truck stop, just north of Evansville and just south of the Pink Elephant With a Martini. Also, just south of the intersection of I-64 and US Route 41.

As you can see from the photo, the site is abandoned. According to some locals that I spoke with, there is some dispute over the property regarding responsibility for clean up, extracting old gas tanks, etc. At various sites I have seen this "Santa" to be in danger of being removed or destroyed. At present he seems in relatively good shape. but there doesn't appear to be any upkeep happening. The birds seem to like him though.

When seeking out this particular site, several local residents reported that he had been removed. I'm not sure if that's an indication of what may occur in the future, but, as of 3/15/10, Santa still stood, albeit presiding over an empty lot.

Pink Elephant With a Martini - Evansville, Indiana

I'm beginning to wonder about nurseries. This is the second nursery that is associated with an odd or unusual site here. Roadside Woolly Mammoth, which I reported on earlier in this trip is also a bit of a menagerie located within a nursery.

Just north of Evansville, Indiana at the intersection of US Route 41 and I-64, is the Jim Hipp Nursery. You can see several sorts of animals on the property, including a fish jumping from a pond (visible from I-64).

There were lots of animals there, but almost all were quite normal... with one exception. I really don't know the history or reason for this, but the elephant is clearly visible from the road.

The elephant has lots of company though and it's probably worth exploring the nursery just to see the many varieties. I will say this... although the sign clearly touts the "topiary" nature of the business, I didn't see anything that was designed to look like any sort of creature at all. (Maybe I didn't look in the right places?)

Evansville, Indiana

Well... there's nothing weird or unusual today here. Because this is the wedding day of my niece, Beth. Congratulations Beth & Brian!!! There was lots of rain yesterday and my day was filled with getting my kids and then getting over here to Evansville.

I'll post again with plans for visits in this area, but it's likely that there won't be any new oddities until Monday!!! This weekend is all about family and that comes first.

This initial week of travel has been fun & enlightening. After being mentioned on another website my number of hits increased 20 fold... but now they seem to be dwindling. They are not as low as before the mention, but definitely decreasing. This tells me that there were a lot of "one time visitors". For those of you that have returned... THANK YOU... and now I would love your assistance.

If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know! More pics? Less pics? Slide Shows? More or fewer posts? Longer? Shorter? Hate the format? Love the format? I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Joe

Jesus With Cowboy Boots - Paris, Texas

When I first heard about this, I imagined some horrible garish, maybe even blasphemous statue depicting Jesus as a cowboy or something like that. Until I actually saw the statue, I had no clue what I was going to see. I did not see any photographs before my visit.

Well, I have to tell you I was wrong. First of all, this is an OLD grave marker. Willet Babcock (whose marker the statue rests on) died in 1888! And the depiction of Jesus is very respectful and traditional. He is holding the cross, similar to thousands of other statues. But, if you look closely, and you do have to look closely, instead of the traditional bare feet or sandals, he is wearing cowboy boots, well one cowboy boot to be precise (only one foot shows)

The grave marker is quite impressive, maybe 12-15 feet high. It is one of the largest in the cemetery. The marker does not give any clues to the life of Mr. Babcock, but somewhere in my research, I read that he was a furniture maker. I also read somewhere that he may have been involved in the railroad or fire department or maybe all of the above.

I decided not to be overtly funny or disrespectful here. I thought I would be when I first heard of this "attraction". But, it's not. It's really just a guy who died in "cowboy country" and the memorial shows it. I'd love to learn more about Willet Babcock or the sculptor who did the statue. Anyone?

Eiffel Tower Replica with Cowboy Hat - Paris, Texas

Well, I made it. I anticipated this to be one of the highlights of this journey. I mean, really, an Eiffel Tower with a red cowboy hat stuck on top??? Despite the day being gray and cloudy, it was really quite interesting to see this site. It is located on the south edge of town and there is really nothing around it. Nor is there any sort of fanfare or decoration at the site. According to the townspeople a new Veterans' Memorial is planned and they seemed far more excited about that than the Eiffel Tower. I show the sign for the new Memorial if you want to donate.

I'm trying something new with this post. Instead of a LONG LONG entry with lots of photos, I'm posting a slideshow here. PLEASE, let me know your comments! Like? Dislike? Works? Doesn't Work? I just think with a slide show, I can put more photos in less space. Keep reading though, there's more under the show.

The photos don't depict the BRIGHT red hat very well. I tried to help that out with editing, but there's only so much you can do with a photographer like me.

So, as nearly as I can tell, the Eiffel Tower Replica was erected here in Paris, Texas in 1993 (the same year as a replica in Paris, Tennessee) The original Texas tower was 5 feet taller at 65 feet than the Tennessee tower. Tennessee promptly replaced their tower with a 70 foot version and Texas responded with the cowboy hat to take the lead again. The hat is tilted, not because it's a kind gesture to "tip your hat" but because with the tilt, even a few more feet of height were gained.

Now, of course, both replicas are dwarfed by the replica at the Paris casino in Vegas which is over 500 feet, over 1/2 the size of the original.

I'm thinking that in order to do justice, I should visit the replica in Paris, TN. Not positive that will happen, but stay tuned!!!

Thursday Morning - Bowling Green, Kentucky

Well I am a little behind schedule. Look for the Eiffel Tower Replica and the Statue of Jesus with Cowboy Boots posts later this afternoon. Yesterday was a day dedicated to driving and stopping by an old friend's place (after the visits)

I was astounded to see the number of hits here yesterday, undoubtedly because of the fact that Bob at wagonteamster.com mentioned me on his website. THANK YOU, BOB!!!

Even one of the sites that I admire and is an inspiration to me, Tioga George, looked in and bookmarked this site.

I drove a lot of last night and have lunch plans. I'm going to take a little nap and a shower so that I can be fresh for lunch and posting this afternoon!!!

Joe

People

Here I am a few days into the trip, deciding to add things that should have been there from the beginning!!!! I'm adding a "page" above called "People". This is going to be a page of people that I see along the way who are necessarily associated with a "site" that I've visited. SO.... there's a new entry there!!! Take a look!!!

Barbadillo, the Armadillo - NOT

Well... I am not sure if posting this is a good thing or not, but here I go anyway. I find my "places" to visit in all kinds of places, word of mouth, google searches, other websites, even a downloaded file into my GPS unit entitled "Odd & Unusual Tourist Sites" or something similar to that.

Well, one site that is mentioned a couple different places is Barbadillo, a giant sculpture of an armadillo. Well, it turns out the armadillo is an elusive creature. On Monday, I tried to get to Barbadillo, only to encounter a closed road on my path. I was planning on meeting with Wagonteamster that day and gave up the search pretty quickly figuring I'd get back to it later in the day.

Well, things have a way of complicating themselves and I didn't get to it Monday. Tuesday, after a successful meeting with Bob and the Wagonteamster crew I was ready to go find Barbadillo. so with my trust GPS powered up, I set out to find him/her. As, I got to the road closure, I decided to try my luck and finding a way around it. My poor GPS kept saying "recalculating" as I wandered the area.

After some confusion and wandering, the GPS finally announced "Arriving at Barbadillo"!!!!

But I saw nothing... I wandered around... looking for this giant sculpture... to no avail. So, I guess Barbadillo will have to wait for another trip. I give up.

Wagonteamster - Bob (and the horses: Bob, Bill & Doc)

You'll notice there is no city associated with this blog entry. That's because Bob and the horses & wagon are traveling the US. So, by the time I post, they've moved!!! And, not because they're outlaws either.

After kind of a zero day Monday (I couldn't find the wagonteamster team) I started out Tuesday with a great hour spent with Bob and his team. You can find out more information at his website http://www.wagonteamster.com. It's a great site that I have been following for about a year and Bob is part of my reason for wanting to travel full-time in an RV. Although his "RV" only has "3 Horsepower."

The photo above shows an early morning at the wagonteamster camp. That's Doc in the photo. B.O.B. and Bill are behind the rig. I had the good fortune of a conversation with Bob as he prepared for the day.

He a great and personable guy making his way across the United States, meeting people and making friends. His journeys are much more personal than mine. I find odd and unusual "things" to write about and photograph. Bob is actually making real connections. And he's good at it. The section of his site that deals with this 3rd leg of his trip is here. Bob was kind enough to mention my visit on his site!

This is Bob giving the "brush off" to one of the horses. I'm sorry Bob, I am only able to distinguish Doc 'cause he's a different color!!! If you want to comment here and clear up the confusion as to whether this is Bob or Bill... AND... identify the photo below, THANKS. (I thought I'd remember... I hate senility)

Bob has also written a book about his journeys so far. He actually autographed one for me... LOOK OUT eBay if you get rich and famous Bob!!!! (Just Kidding) I haven't started it yet, but I'll go out on a limb, based on my meeting and recommend it. You can find out more on Bob's website.

All in all, it was great start to Tuesday morning!!! Thanks for the hospitality Bob!!!

Interesting Signs... Sights

Well, today I didn't really see any of the sites I had planned. I even added a huge statue of an armadillo... called Barbadillo... but the road was closed from the direction I was coming... so basically a shut out today.

But, I thought I might share a couple of things I did see. One was today (the photo) and the other was something I saw a couple days ago.

So, I'm driving today through the countryside of Texas... I was WAY off the beaten path and I saw this sign... I think in "Ballanger"??? (SP?), TX.

Now my thoughts are these.... if you "need" cremation... you're dead... and if you don't need it yet (pre-need) then wouldn't that be immolation? Walk in "pre-need" and walk out... well... get carried out in an urn.

Just my thoughts???

And the other thing I saw that was kinda cute in my opinion was a billboard. Unfortunately, I was driving like 80 and didn't pull out the camera so you'll just have to rely on my vivid descriptions... NOT

A couple on the billboard... I can't even remember what they were doing, but it was pretty basic... maybe looking at each other... and the billboard is advertising an adult novelty, toy & lotion store... their motto "It's Cheaper Than A Divorce."

I like that!!!

Waxing Philosophic

Since this was a short day as far as visits go, I thought I might share some of my thoughts, etc. on this whole deal!!!

First off, it may surprise you to know that I don't even have a radio/stereo in the 4Runner. I spend all time driving in virtual silence with only the road and engine noise to distract me. My daughters can't believe I do that. I do love music. I'm horrible and titles, artists, etc. but I do love it. I finally broke down about a year ago and bought an iPod... great little device... don't know where it is right now.

Instead, I spend my hours thinking, which could be a dangerous practice. But, while thinking, I come up with these crazy ideas like this place and what to write here. You may notice that there are new "pages" popping up here with nothing on them (except to say "coming soon"). These times in the truck are usually productive and I really never dwell on negative ideas. I usually end up with positive feelings which is great.

Which is why I've decided to share a little here.

As most of you know, I hope to eventually hope to travel fulltime in an RV beginning in about 2 years. I will not have the money to "retire" so I have to figure out a way to support myself on the road. I love to travel and I have always been a fan of things that are "not normal." So, I came up with this thing. Hopefully, you will find this site interesting enough to come back and see what I've done that's new... what I've changed that's old and everything in between. And if you find an ad or two that you can click, so much the better.

But, more importantly, this wild and crazy idea is going to give me time to think!!! As I said to someone today, I have solved most of the world's problems already in the 1,000+ miles traveled in the last two days. I guess that's why I feel like I can share that too, instead of just the silly stuff. (Although, I'm probably gonna end up with it on another site)

So today's "heavy" subject (and I will only use a few lines) is being alone vs. being lonely. I travel alone. I have been divorced for 12 years without remarrying. I have mostly lived alone for that time. But, I am not lonely. Alone, to me, is a physical state, meaning there's just no one physically present with you.

Being lonely is an emotional and mental state. I really believe than an individual can control that. It takes a lot of work, discipline, etc. But I still think loneliness is controllable and avoidable and not a necessary result of being alone.

So much for today's serious note... now let's get back to the fun stuff!!!

Tomorrow, hopefully, or maybe Tuesday, I'm going to meet a man who is traveling the United States in a horse drawn wagon. Talk about seeing the world at a slow pace!!!

Trouble in Paradise - Ora Lee & Me

Well, it was bound to happen... the two of us traveling together, in such close quarters, barely knowing each other. Ora Lee and I have having our first argument. Some of you may have noticed that she looked a little "wind-blown" in her photo at the "Center of the World", a fact that I mentioned in the blog. Apparently that is a big "no-no"!!! Not only does a gal always want to look her best for photos (and I didn't give her adequate time to prepare), I had to point it out in the blog which just drew more attention to it.

Arguing with Ora is difficult. I absolutely stated my position and PUT MY FOOT down (apparently that invokes terror in a SOCK PUPPET). Not only that... she never speaks... oh yeah... the sock puppet thing....

So we will see what happens between us. She's now missed TWO photo opportunities!!!

(Truth is folks, I forgot... twice)