Beyond Climbing

 This is what we do in climbing areas when we aren't climbing.

Lincoln Lake gave us time to be silly, hike the dam, and use saplings as slingshots.

Getting in and out of Cowell was an adventure! Love Dove has more power than one would expect. She is a syncro at heart :)   Syncro is a 4 wheel drive Vanagon. 

 Exploring scenic vistas and natural areas is my favorite thing to do on climbing rest days. However, laundry, car maintenance, grocery shopping, paying bills, and some work needs to happen on those days too.  Life on the road still involves many of the everyday things we do in a house. That's another post.

  Here are some great scenic shots from a day of hiking to waterfalls. The hike to Pam's grotto was along the base of a cliff line.  The cliff line James and Phil were climbing.  It was a strenuous hike up; finding dead animal bones made the trip less arduous for T.  The cool mist and and pounding waterfall added to our delight. The icing on the cake was the trail back to camp; we followed the creek. Along and in the creek were HUGE moss and lichen covered boulders, hollowed out logs, and hundreds of mini waterfalls created by rocks.  E decided to play mother nature and move some of the rocks, thus changing a few mini waterfalls, create a whirpool, and build a dam.

Haw Creek Falls

And just for good measure we throw a few craft projects into our beyond climbing moments. Grammie sent us all new crocheted hats for Christmas.  James' was a little big so I unraveled a few rows which gave me enough yarn to create the old man beard for Terje!

I cannot even fathom how much beauty our country holds. We have barely scraped the surface of natural lands and each day I am in awe of the quiet places tucked away in our busy lives.

A place to rest

Our family, well the boys anyway, have an obsession with hammocks. ENO is our hammock of choice. Sturdy, lightweight, packable, and they hang just about anywhere. When we can't pop Love Dove's top we hang 2 hammocks above the lower bed. Yahoo more sleeping space!

ENO doesn't sponsor us but they should :)

On the Road

              As I stood in the doorway a wave of sadness came over me. My house is not my dream house but my house is my home. A place we welcome friends and family. A place my kids have spent half their lives. A place that is filled with ups and downs, clean days and dirty days, boring days and chaotic days. It is our home. And now we are leaving our home.

   7pm was our actual departure time. We wanted to leave this morning but Love Dove needed another visit to the mechanic. A broken hose clamp in a tough to reach spot and the wiper switch are all fixed.  If you own a VW or have known us for a while, you know there is always something to be done. Now the bright headlights won't switch on and we lost the intermittent wiper setting.  I wouldn't be shocked if you think we are totally bonkers to load up most of our life and all our essentials into this 25 year old VW and start driving.  Follow along on our journey and I guarantee you will understand.

    My initial sadness lifted after a few tears and watching the boys dance (in their seatbelts) to Thriller and Billie Jean. This will be a good time. I am not naive enough to think it will all be peaches and cream but the sweet funny moments are going to out weigh the yucky ones.

   
Playlist: Cars soundtrack, Thriller album, Cheesy 80's

Departure Date is set

"Turn away from the world this year and begin to listen. Listen to the whispers of your heart. Look within."
                                                 -Sarah Ban Breathnach

After a month of looking within, wondering, dreaming, and well more dreaming we have a departure date, January 16th.  We are headed south to climb and visit family.  Florida beaches watch out because I am craving sand between my toes.  The crazy thing is that leaves 10 days to pack. 10 days. 10 days!

• homeschool/roadschool notification
• gather roadschool materials
• tie up loose ends at work
• write a how to manual for our house and critter sitter
• pack everything else! this is another post, for sure
• clean the house
• prep Love Dove
• Breathe and pack some more

We have a lot to do in the next 10 days, oh did I mention I have a sinus infection. Juicing, water, and herbs are my best friend right now.  Between those and the pull of the open road, I should heal pretty quick.

Off to tackle my list, 

 Anna

P.S. For all the squatters and thieves: our home will not be vacant. Don't waste your time:)