 |
| We’ve often seen balloon guys hauling these big batches on their motorbikes. |
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
 |
| These boys fished for several hours in the heat of the sun. |
Often, we share an experience in more than one post. With wifi limitations preventing the posting of too many photos and our desire to maintain a reasonable length of any daily post, a particular story or event may require multiple days of posting. Today’s continuing photos from yesterday’s post clearly illustrate this fact.
 |
| Buffaloes were lining up for their turn at the races. |
Yesterday, was our 1400th post since the date of our first story in March 2012. At the onset, we posted a few photos and posted a few times a week, having no idea how many readers, we’d acquire other than friends and family over these years.
 |
| A young “jockey” in position for the upcoming race. |
Much to our surprise, as our readership grew. Readers came from all over the world and began sharing our posts with their friends, relatives, and neighbors. In the stats in Blogger which we can review at any time, we’ve watched the list of countries from entries into our site grow and change over the years.
 |
| Flower petals and burning incense are lined along the road providing prayers and good fortune for the race. |
This has been exciting for us. Our enthusiasm over this growth has never lost its magical charm in motivating us to continue with the telling of our ongoing story and our daily lives, albeit at times mundane existence.
 |
| The smell of the incense burning was pleasant among all the other smells. |
In March 2013, one year after we started our first post (on March 15, 2012), we began posting daily as opposed to a few times each week. This feature manifested from the discovery that often our experiences couldn’t be told on a Saturday to be continued two or three days later and maintain their flow and significance.
 |
| Many of the elaborate costumes are handmade. |
For many of our readers, it was comparable to reading chapters in a book. One doesn’t want to have to put it down and wait three days to read again. As an avid reader, I’ve become impatient waiting a day for the next part of a story, although each night I do so when sleepiness befalls me and I turn off my phone.
Any of our lives are a continuing story. Although our story may not seem interesting enough for any of us to share, we may surprise ourselves how we can find a way to extrapolate tidbits of our daily existence worthy of note by others.
 |
| Off they go down the narrow racecourse, lined with spectators on both sides. |
Our thoughts, our dreams, and our hopes all encompass a story to be told that is easily illustrated in Facebook whether its a new bloom in your garden, a smile on your grandchild’s face, or a lopsided cake you’ve baked in your kitchen, it all holds a certain appeal most of us find interesting enough to give it a “like.”
 |
| The buffaloes stayed relatively calm until the race began. |
When looking through the timeline of any FB participant in our list of “friends” we can easily formulate a story of their lives as they’ve progressed over the years with events big and small, powerful and insignificant. At times, our stories are profound and at other times, outrageously humorous.
 |
| This is the queue where race participants awaited their turn. |
We all have a story to tell. Years ago, Tom’s mother, Mary Lyman, narrated a book about her life and her family which was penned by an author who’d done this for many others with a desire to document their life story and family history in the written word to be bound into a book upon completion.
 |
| The buffalo’s horns were covered in these “socks” adding to the wide array of decorations. |
Once completed, every family member was given a copy, a gift from Mary. Although blind, her memory was keen and her head was filled with stories that held significance to each family member in one way or another. What a gift to bestow upon one’s family! Mary lived until 98, only four months from her 99th birthday.
 |
| Somehow we made our way through the crowds to find a decent viewing spot. |
The content in Mary’s book wasn’t for the mass audience but the treasures of the stories she told will remain in the hearts and minds of her family for generations to come.
 |
| The air was thick with cigarette smoke. It appears many Balinese men smoke although we’ve seen few women doing so. |
Perhaps, there’s a story inside of you to share. It’s relatively quick and painless to start a blog. If the concept is intimidating, perhaps a savvy grandchild or friend can set it up for you.
You need not worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar. The flow of your words will be what matters to those who love you and those who will be blessed to read your words in years to come.
 |
| Pretty little flowers blooming along the entrance road. |
And for us, these average everyday people who we are, we remain in awe of our readership that continues to grow each and every year. We thank all of you for “traveling along with us” as we tell our stories…however trivial or meaningful they may be, however repetitive or fresh they may appear, knowing we’re never alone with each of you at our side.
Tell your story! We’d love to read it!
Photo from one year ago today, May 31, 2015:
 |
| Vacation/holiday huts set into the side of the mountain on the island of Moorea, photo taken while on a dolphin tour. We saw many dolphins but the sea was too rough for any good photos. For more, please see here. |
