5/30/17 Thoughts On Our Travels

Most Unexpected 
-One year turned into 2 +
-Not missing the house
-2 years out and still enjoying the nomad life

Worst Experience 
Deb - almost having a head on collision with a tractor trailer truck while passing another truck going uphill when our truck lost power
John - Camped at Strawberry Festival Campground in Florida next to the dumpsters which were loaded all night long

Biggest Challenge 
Deb - Finding campground space during summer and winter in Florida
John - Finishing the first SSG report in between the MANY moves we made in the first year
Both - Waiting around RI for condo to be finished when we stopped traveling in June 2016

Best Places
Too many to count

Places To Revisit
Wow, lots!!!

Best Beach Camping
Point Magu California where RV's bottom step is in the sand 

Best Random Discovery 
Camping and exploring Graham Cave off Route 70 in Missouri

Best View From The RV
Sitting on top of the RV talking to the hot air balloon pilots as hundred of them floated over us during the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Most Laid Back
Site 24 at Old Pavilion RV Park, Keaton Beach Florida campground on coast (wiped out in a storm shortly after we left :(

Most Beautiful Drive 
Oregon coast through the redwoods

Scariest Drive 
Deb- Pacific Coast Highway, California (large sections closed down in 2017 due to bridge failure from floods and landslides)
John- None, he is a cool cat.

Biggest Effect On Our Life 
-Deb is looser, less of a planner, more go with the flow
-John able to focus on the purpose and meaning of his life


Best Food 
Muffuletta Sandwiches at Central Grocery in New Orleans

Coolest City 
Old Quebec City

Most Surprised by 
San Antonio, pleasantly
New Orleans, dissapointed

Best Advice 
Mississippi Bayou Park Ranger - we asked how big are the gators, he said "how big is your kayak?"


Dumbest Decision 
Trailblazing through the Tucson desert getting teeny tiny cactus hairs embedded in our  bare legs

Saddest
Our kitty Luna passing

Craziest thing we did 
9000 miles the first two months of the Folly; 7000 miles the first month on the trip Virginia to Washington State  to CT, then 2000 miles the second month CT to Nova Scotia and back to RI.  

Most Important
- Jack graduating OCS as a Naval Officer
- Zoe graduating WSU with her PhD
-Vising our Canadian cousins with Steve, Aunt Norma, Uncle Bill and Gayle in Nova Scotia
- Having the courage to undertake this Folly, for finding joy in the adventure and loving and respecting each other even more when it was over

5/12/2017 Doctor Zoe and Oregon

Graduation Day for John's PhD 1991 and Zoe's PhD 2017

ZOE DEFENDED HER DISSERTATION (Yeeha, Yahoo, God is Woman and She is Great!!!) on "Minimizing and Mitigating Wolf/Wildlife Conflicts" in late April then flew to DC for the Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit where conservation

Earth Day March

organizations discussed positive approaches to nature preservation. We joined her for the rain soaked but fulfilling Earth Day March.  It was more like a "stand" as 40,000ish people peacefully and happily inched down Constitution Avenue toward the Capital. 

 It was a fantastic experience to be back at Frostburg University where in 2009 she defended her Masters Thesis on "Habitat Variations of Bobcats and Fishers".  But this time she was presenting her PhD findings to large enthusiastic crowds at University of MD's Environmental Research Lab and at Frostburg University.  As usual, she gave a poised and engaging presentation which prompted many interesting questions from the audience.

Zoe, Gabe And His Girls

Two weeks later we are at Washington State University watching as Zoe 's PhD and Gabe's Master degrees are conferred.    When someone referred to her as Doctor Hanley, she looked around and replied, "no, that's my father, I'm Doctor Z". Working on this project has been a LONG slog both physically and emotionally for both of them but they should be very proud to be recognized in the wildlife community for their objectivity on this most controversial and politically explosive topic.  Congratulations Zoe and Gabe!

Hiking at Silver Falls Oregon

Couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit cousin Megan in Salem Oregon.  Their beautiful new home high on a hill on the outskirts of town is a peaceful gardened sanctuary.  Hawaii friends (and fellow RV'ers) Dean and Janine were in town for their sons college graduation and a grand time was had by all over dinner at Megan's house.  

4/19/17 Final Map of Travels

As we reflect on the this most momentous adventure in our lives, this map shows all states where we camped.    Utah, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alaska are left to explore on future folly's!!!!!

We later added the Hawaii sticker to our map in honor of our visits in July 2016 and January 2017 even though the camper didn't quite make it there ;)   

Hawaii or Bust

4/7/17 April Fools - We Move Into The Condo

APRIL FOOLS - We Moved Into The Condo.
No really, we did.  Seriously, we are sleeping in our own bed in our own bedroom while the sun rises through the bedroom windows as we look out the deck slider to the ocean.  Honestly, we are IN!!!!!!!

John's Den

Of course it was after more weeks, then days, then hours of delays until we were literally at the last day to close before loosing our mortgage rate lock.  On April 7th at noon, we still didn't know for sure if we were closing at 4:00.  But the bank inspector took pity on us and through the construction haze with many things still left to do, he allowed the closing.   Two days later we have new furniture delivered in the morning and in the afternoon we move in everything from the storage unit.  We are finally home again, after beginning our Freedom Folly in Fairfax, Virginia on June 30, 2014.

Guest Bedroom

Master Bedroom

The beauty of the space, the lovely scenery out our windows, the joyful peace we feel inside more than fulfills our years of  expectations.  Life is Good!

And we love the history of this place.  Sitting atop the unique geology of the Champlin Woods Glacier Park, Dr. Champlin bought the land in 1916 and errected the Oaks Inn on the site where our condo building is now located.  In the late 1920's the property

was converted to a horse club stables, with polo grounds across the street.  During WWII the fear of German uboats coming up the bay to attack the Naval Base in Newport resulted in many coastal batteries being established including one at the Oaks Inn site.  As part of the Harbor Defense of Long Island Sound, the US Army converted the Inn to a military headquarters from 1942-1944 surrounding it with four 155 mm  guns on panama mounts.  The Inn and military buildings were demolished in late 1990's but the battery mounts existed until bulldozed in 2008 for development of our condo  units.  

Oaks Inn Harbor Defense Map

3/31/17 Jack's Ship Battle "E" and Family Service

Jack's ship won best ship in the squadron earning the prestigious Surface Force Battle "E" after winning all five Command Excellence Awards!!!!  The iDrive Warships website says "the award is coveted among U.S. Navy vessels as it recognizes the ships and crews that best exemplify readiness and their capability to perform assigned wartime tasking. It also acknowledges a command’s demonstrated ability to perform efficiently in an operational environment and sustain overall superior performance in each department.  The awards are a direct reflection of the

Chung Hoon in Dry Dock

Sailors’ hard work and dedication to the ship and their role in the Surface Force."  As Auxiliary Officer, Jack continues to pour blood, sweat and tears into the ships dry dock overhaul and into his sailors development and performance while managing to carve out a few hours for paddle boarding.  

Thailand Snake Charmer 2000

Capt Jack 1st Grade Play

Millions of people in countries all over the world continue to peacefully protest.  The silver lining of our current chaotic and disheartening state of affairs is motivating people like ourselves to become politically active and take responsibility for the state of our nation and our world.  Who'da thought way back then that our kids would choose careers supporting these noble goals :)  Saying we are proud of them doesn't begin to express our gratitude for the women and man they have become.

"Fix Not Fight" at No Labels March

John and I have pitched in to promote greater respect, balance and cooperation in our government. Deb joined, a local Huddle and the RI Progressive Alliance and John joined the No Labels organization.  These groups and thousands of others are gathering millions of us to work constructively toward positive change. 

Speaking of construction:

Loading Construction Materials Through Our Deck 

     

1/31/17 Hawaiian Mana Still Lives Here

Surfer Honoring Mana

I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful

Sun rise before me, moon set behind me
Makai (ocean) to the left of me,  mauka (mountains) to the right of me
Blue skies above me, soft sand below me
Sweet breeze all around me, mana (spirit) within me

I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful, I am so grateful

On one of our almost daily walks across the street to Kailua beach, we all walk down the beach to Kalapawai Market for coffee and a scone.  As the sun rises before us and the moon sets behind us in what is the most enchanting place on earth for us, John starts singing the gratitude song we learned at our Center For Spiritual Living then we add a few Hawaiian twists and have something that can almost capture the visceral emotions pouring from our souls. We connect with the lone surfer also honoring spirit as the sun rises.

Our Lani at 149B N. Kalaheo

Renting the same little house at 149B N. Kalaheo that we had on our July trip feels homey.  Jack is off work for much of the week while Zoe is in town and we spend it mostly at the beaches.  We have wonderful dinners with our old neighbors Jody and Mike and good friends Dean and Jaynine, and in Honolulu with Bev and Gary, John's mate from nuclear power school in 1972.  We share fresh baked malasadas from Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop with Deb's beach walking buddy Bobbi and her husband at their lovely Hawaiian home. The month goes by too quickly as John does a good job balancing work with pleasure, Deb scours the thrift stores for furnishings for Jack's place and Hawaiiana for her YaYa's and decides to buy her and John beach bikes to get around town.

Maunawili Falls

John at 13th Hole Kaneohe Marine Base

We take a few challenging hikes up the old Pali Highway to Maunawili Falls and another with the Sierra Club along the Windward coast to the Makapu'u lighthouse.  We see lots of whales, witness several powerful blow holes and swim in tidal pools along the way.  Breakfast on the north shore watching 20 foot swells never disappoints.

Temple of the Gods

Deb thumbs a ride with a feisty group of women to the Women's March in Honolulu to join about 8,000 men, women and children in what ends up being part of the largest protest IN THE WORLD described by wikipedia as follows.  "The Women's March was a worldwide protest on January 21, 2017, to advocate legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women's rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, the natural environment, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and workers' rights. The rallies were aimed at Donald Trump, immediately following his inauguration as President of the United States, largely due to statements and positions attributed to him regarded by many as anti-women or otherwise offensive. It was the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history." 

As Deb's collection of beach glass, shells, driftwood and Hawaiiana grows, John gives up a loosing battle as a last minute trip to the Thrift Store brings a suitcase to haul it all back.  We plan to be back several more times as Jack will remain on the Chung Hoon for another tour as Navigator.  But first he has to spend three months at the Surface Warfare School in Newport RI beginning of 2018 taking Advanced Division Officer and Navigator courses.  The cosmos aligns as we find yet another reason for moving to Westerly, about 50 minutes from Newport!!!

Women's March Honolulu

1/1/2017 New Years Mt. Baker Washington

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017 is spent on the Canadian boarder about 2 hours northeast of Seattle in Baker Mountain Ski area where we celebrated New Years Eve and spent the week snow shoeing, cross country and downhill skiing and snowboarding.  Couldn't get the ski boot to fit comfortably around the injury on John's leg so he stuck to cross country skiing.  It was great to have Gabe join us for a few days where the snow conditions were excellent and the cabin was a skiers delight.

Nooksack River, Demming Washington

Gabe and Zoe took us down the road to the Nooksack River near Deming where we did wildlife tracking and witnessed one of the largest annual eagle migrations in the lower 48 states.  We saw about 80 of them on the drive from Seattle and dozens the day we stopped near the end of the salmon run, watching as they feast on the the migrating salmon who are dying after spawning.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/living/family/article22204641.html#storylink=cpyThen

12/2016 Fall Festivities

Hiking Blue Ridge Mountains 

The Folly continues as none of the condo's which appeared to be almost done, get closed by year end.  Ours has had little progress for the last few months as the focus has been on the first and second floors.  Good news is that we will be back from our upcoming Hawaii trip in time to oversee installation of cabinets, floors, tile, etc.  Staying positive about the snails pace is challenging at best.  We are reminded of the story the Cherokee grandfather told his grandson about the two wolves fighting inside him.  One was angry and mean.  The other was happy and mellow.  When the grandson asked, which one wins, he replied "the one you feed".  WE FEED PATIENCE!!!

Zoe at National Arboretum

Dartmouth Bonfire

We met up with Zoe in DC where she was attending a bridal shower and wedding for some high school friends.  Seeing the National Arboretum in Fall was breathtaking as was hiking with her, Marcia and Bill.

John is working hard on a new project documenting activities of the last 21 years of the SSG when word comes that the current CNO has disbanded future groups.  A wonderful 45th reunion/homecoming weekend in Hanover with old Dartmouth buddies was fun especially hanging out with Pat and Dave at their beautiful log home.

Zoe and pal Amy (from her days in Denver) have started an online venture called TheOnenessInitiative.com.  It is 'dedicated to connecting all sentient beings as one heart, one community, through personal empowerment and enlightened conversation.' Check out their monthly online programs, and inspiring empowerment action statements.  Adding to global healing is their ultimate goal which is badly needed as our nation reels in divisiveness after an ugly campaign and election of Trump.  In a conversation where I was overcome by shock and fear, the kids repeating my mantra "everything happens for a reason", help put it into perspective. Maybe he had to be elected at this time so his Presidency will be so disruptive as to raise the consciousness of our electorate so future candidates rising from the ashes will seek to cooperate instead of divide.  There is truth in the saying that sometimes you've got to hit bottom before you can change.  It's going to be scary and ugly but let's hope by the time my future grandchildren can vote, our self serving political parties get their act together and do what's right for the country instead of themselves.

San Diego Hike

Jack is finding time to enjoy paradise as he volunteers with other shipmates to teach local school children to kayak, paddle board, etc.  Here he is paddle boarding with one of his charges in Kailua Bay.  He had so much fun that he bought himself a paddle board!  While in San Diego for Antisubmarine Warfare School he joins up with fellow classmates for a hike.  He quickly realizes he has seriously underestimated the challenge of the hike when he shows up in sneakers and a cup of coffee, while they are in full hiking gear with lots of water.

And not to be outdone by his kids adventures, let's not forget John's pre-Thanksgiving golf outing.  Taking a break from writing early on a beautiful sunny morning, he has the whole course to himself.

On the second hole, like any good Irishman whose ball veers off course, down a newly brush cleared hill, he takes out to fetch it (as well as any others whom less adventurous golfers choose to ignore).  Tripping on a vine, he falls and impales his calf on the sharp point of a newly cut sapling.  Once again, cool headed Navy training kicks in as he uses his belt for a tourniquet, calls the clubhouse for help and drags himself up the hill where he is spotted by a passing grounds keeper in a golf cart.   The traumatized driver takes him to his truck where he calls Debra to take him to the hospital.  She arrives to this bloody scene knowing there is no way he is getting in her car.  Even cooler heads prevail as the golf course manager has already called an ambulance.  After surgery, the doctor writes on the discharge instructions "next time your ball goes into the rough, take a drop."  Needless to say, he is infamous at the Winnepaug Golf Course next to our new condo, where a sign is now posted on "the hill" stating DANGER - KEEP OUT.  We now call it Hanley Hill.

Nieces and Nephews Gather

Aunt Norma With Her Children

Debra continues to "refine" as she now calls it, her condo selections, hiking with the Westerly Land Trust, and spending time with family and new friends. Aunt Norma retires after working 16 years in her Church's nursery.  She is clearly beloved by the children and their grateful parents for her years of loving service.

Seattle Underground

Chihuly Glass

Packing for a 5 week trip which includes snow skiing in Washington state over New Years and boogy boarding in Hawaii for almost a month is a blissful challenge.  Especially because Deb knows she needs to leave room for shopping. OK it works if we wear our snow boots on the planes to Washington state and to Hawaii but still not much room for shopping.  Meeting up with Zoe and Jack in Seattle, we again tour the fabulous Chihuly Glass Gallery and take a most interesting tour of subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when the city rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889.    We learned the history of Seattle's founding and development from this must do tour!

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/living/family/article22204641.html#storylink=cpy

10/2016 'Rig For Dive' Bringing RV to Storage

Pulling Away From Ashaway Resort

With the campground closing and a tear in our eye, we pack up the RV for it's last trip as part of our Freedom Folly.  After washing and waxing the outside and deep cleaning inside, we  'rig for dive'.  We use this submariner term to describe our process of securing the RV for travel. With melancholy in our hearts we load the flower and vegetable pots into the truck, pack away the patio rug and furniture, then roll up the awning.   Check that all cabinets and drawers are snapped closed; lounge chairs, dining table/chairs secured.  As Deb pulls in the slides, John unhooks the water, sewer and cable lines.   The levelers are retracted, the RV hooked to the truck and we go through our safety checklist (taking a moment to remember the flow).  Mirrors, tow haul, lights, brakes, gas and most important ..... kiss.  Below the most magnificent blue sky sparkles red, orange, yellow and green foliage as we quietly depart Ashaway RV Resort.

Our temporary land lord is also storing the RV.  He describes the somewhat tight space where he wants us to park asking... "do you think he can get it in there"?  Without seeing the space Deb smiles confidently saying... "no problem, John can park it on a dime".  Then a flashback comes to mind of one of our first  RV trips when John is backing up and Deb is giving him 'very clear' directions from behind the RV to turn right, turn right...to which John replies, turn what right, the truck, the front of the RV, the back of the RV!!!!  Us not having our signals straight and learning turning radius's,  made parking a comical (to the observers not the participants :) challenge.  Seems like a very long time ago.

Salt Marsh

Fall Sunset Over the Pond

                                  We are blessed to have found a fabulous rental 2 miles from our condo situated on the breach way connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Winnisquam Pond.   We have views of the ocean to our south, look across the pond to beautiful western sunsets, while north and east is a most vibrant salt marsh filled with lots of bird varieties. Our landlord, Peter is a wonderful salt of the earth Westerly native, contractor, and resource for anything we could every want.  A former quarry-man he shares a wealth of information about geological hikes and history.  He tells us about good fishing spots and lures, and even which mushrooms to pick in the woods.

Rainbow Over the Breach Way

Our condo unit is still months from completion, but the first floor units are almost done, the second floor units are painted with cabinets and tile done, while our third floor just finished with electrical, plumbing and heating awaiting sheet rock.  It feels so good to be living in our new community, getting familiar with streets, shopping, establishing new doctors, attending functions with our new condo association members, golfing with new friends.  The beach is only a 5 minute walk and biking around the beautiful old beach 'cottages' around the corner in Weekapaug is delightful.

Our Future Kitchen

9/2016 Geology and the Hurricane of 1938

Napatree Point Today

Before and After the Hurricane of '38

We are absolutely living the life!  Our new friends, Joanne and Jon (John's new golfing buddy), told us about the OLLIE Center at URI which has really cool classes for the "mature" generation. We have signed up for an 8 week class on the "Geology of Coastal Rhode Island" and a one day field trip to Napatree Point to discuss "The Hurricane of 1938".  First we read the fantastic book by R.A. Scott "Sudden Sea - The Great Hurricane of 1938" which gave first hand accounts from hurricane survivors.  Rhode Island's South County shoreline (Westerly to Newport) incurred the most damage and about 400 deaths.  Since our condo overlooks Misquamicut Beach (about 5 miles from Watch Hill and Napatree Point) which also got wiped off the map during the Hurricanes of '38, '44  and Carol in '54 and about half wiped out during Super Storm Sandy in 2012....our attention is peaked on this subject.

With Naturalist Janice, our group walked the remaining 2 mile sand strand of Napatree. Before the hurricane, the strand was about 4 miles long, but the section called Sandy Point was detached (see map) and relocated into the middle of Little Narragansett Bay by what the book describes "the surge was essentially a wind-induced tsunami that reached a height estimated by some to be 50 feet! That 50-foot wave rolled over Napatree Point and obliterated the 40 houses that once existed there on Fort Road."  39 died on the Point while others survived floating on roof tops and mattresses across the bay to Stonington, Connecticut.  A few chunks of cement stairs and some rocks from the old Fort is all that remains.  This sand peninsula continues to move toward the mainland leaving the old road buried in sand about 100 yards out in the ocean.

Sandy Point Detached from Napatree

The website beachsamp.org shows how past hurricanes have affected Rhode Island's shoreline. Maps of the storms mentioned above show the storm surge of all of them reaching very close to our condo's property line which is half a mile from the ocean and 40 feet above sea level.  Thank goodness we are on the third floor so the water may not get us but with nothing blocking our view of the ocean, nothing is blocking the wind either!!

Champlin Woods Glacial Signage

From our Geology class we learn that the RI shoreline is a moraine from the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. As the farthest point of glacial advance, the rock debris pushed in front of the glacier were dumped in a heap as the glacier melted and retreated. Explore RI describes the 134-acre Champlin Woods Glacier Park next to our condo as "a dramatic example of a recessional moraine, with kettle and kame topography, carved canyons, glacial erratic boulders and the moraine ridge. A number of the kettles are below the groundwater level, forming beautiful ponds. The morainal ridge over looks the glacial outwash plain (86-acre Lathrop Preserve owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island), Winnapaug Pond, the Misquamicut barrier beach, Block Island Sound, and the terminal moraine of Block Island and Long Island. A glacier geologist has reported that having all of these features in an undeveloped site is globally unique."

Folding Crust

A field trip takes us to the shores of Narragansett then over to Beaver Tail in Jamestown where results of continental drift and the smashing of land masses has produced unique folded rock formations below the Beaver Tail Lighthouse. So unusual that this exact formation is shown in every Geology book around the world.  We learn that Westerly was renowned for its high quality blue and pink granite used in buildings and monuments all over the world. The Washington Monument is an example.  The granite business started in Westerly in mid 1800's and by 1892 4,000 of Westerly's 7,000 residents were involved in the industry.  We learn that crystals from a massive vein of milky white quartz rolling in the surf for millions of years gives the namesake to smooth white stones found on nearby Moonstone beach.

Here we are having breakfast in front of Taylor Swifts Watch Hill house picking out great examples of pink and black feldspar formations among the massive barrier of RI pink granite. A walk among rocks will never be the same :)

Breakfast and Chatting At Taylor's House