Welcome To Our Freedom Folly

Dear Zoe and Jack,

Freedom Folly describes our mindset when we embarked on this travel odyssey.  Freedom from the ties of work, house, and traffic; Folly because we didn't really know what we were in for.  But how did your parents get to this point in the first place?

Mount Holly Camp

Lake Winnesquam Camp

We each have 4 siblings, our fathers were in the Navy, and both families loved to camp.  Dad's family camped mainly around Jackson Hole in tents and a camper set in the bed of a old pickup truck. Mom's in backyard tents, with Scouts and at Grandpa Vern's rustic cabin on Loon Pond in New Hampshire.  Remember our rustic camp on Mount Holly near Okemo Ski Area in Vermont when you guys were 3 and 1?  You could see the ground through the cracks between the floor boards, we hauled water from an outside pump at the farm down

the road, and it was 80 degrees in the loft and freezing on the floor in the winter.   Two years later we upgraded a bit to a camp at Ephrims Cove on Lake Winnesquam in New Hampshire.  Zoe and Jack learned to drive there using Grampa's golf cart.   The camping dream always alive, it wasn't until your Dad neared retirement that another "just looking" RV show turned into going home with a Ford pickup and an order for a new 28 foot Excel fifth wheel RV.

Fairfax House Blizzard 2010

Meantime, after several years searching the shores of Rhode Island for condos, we settled on a new construction project in Westerly called Champlin Woods.  The ocean view, miles of Misquamicut Beach, fishing, clamming and kayaking across the street in Winnepaug Pond, hiking the nature preserves

Maclura Court Back Yard

 surrounding the condo, biking to the beach and being close to Mom's family all made it a perfect fit.  With both of us retired and anxious to move, we sell the Maclura Court house in Fairfax, VA move into the RV and head out for a one year exploration of the U.S. and parts of Canada while the condo is built. 

Two hard core ground rules for the trip were:  (1) if for any reason, either of us decided we were done with the travels, we were done, no questions asked; and (2) if our relationship suffered in any way, we were done.  Mutual respect, unconditional love and an "Aw Jeez" sense of humor made neither an issue!

Taking Delivery April 2012

Debra's RV Workstation

 Thank goodness one of you suggested writing a blog for those wanting to follow our travels.  But what the heck is a blog I asked??? FreedomFolly.blogspot.com started out as a travel journal but became more the story of our lives as experiences evoked introspection and memories from other times in our lives and about lives of our ancestors. 

I remember when someone would compliment my mother on how cute or smart her children were. To our chagrin she would reply, "well of course, look at the stock they come from".  Well Dr. Z wildlife ecologist, Jack Naval Surface Warfare Officer, and future generations; when you wonder what inspires your adventuresome nature, may our Freedom Folly remind you of the stock you come from.

Much Love,
Mom and Dad 

P.S. Dad is excused for any foibles in the blog since he hasn't read it!!!