Memorial Day…Love and respect for those who gave their lives for our freedom…More family visits…

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Nothing signifies Minnesota more than the commonly found Canadian Goose.

We extend our hearts and prayers to those who lost loved ones to war and strife throughout the world. Many celebrate with worship and reverence as a special part of today’s observations. May this day and others bring peace and healing for those who remember lost loved ones.

Yesterday, Sunday of this Memorial Day weekend, we drove to Sandstone, Minnesota to see daughter Tammy and family at their campground in Askov, aka Asking.

They’re pretty to look at but poop two pounds per day in the grass, a real nuisance for homeowners, particularly those living on a lake, as we did in our old lives.

The drive in the new Ford Explorer was pleasant while I worked on the settings on our phones for which we’d purchased SIM cards at a local T. Mobile store. Unfortunately, it was pricey for the two months of unlimited calls, text and 4 gigs of data at $180 for both phones, more than we’ve paid in any country.

We knew we couldn’t spend the nine weeks in the US without phones, especially with one car and the need to pick one another up during planned activities that may include only one of us.

This sky view took our breath away.

During the long drive, we sent our numbers by text to family members and now we’re easily able to stay in touch for planning and confirming our get-togethers over the remaining 39 days until we leave for Nevada for part two of the family visits.

What a pretty sky.  Rainstorms like this are typical for Minnesota and the Midwest.

Tammy, Tracy and our grandson Vincent have an RV parked in a permanent spot in a lovely fully equipped campground near Hinckley, Minnesota, home of several casinos and popular vacation spots. Many locals travel from all over the state to gamble and enjoy the countryside.

A deep bank of clouds and rain greeted us on the return drive before dark.

Warmly welcomed by the family and their two giant Newfoundland dogs, we settled in for an enjoyable day of lively chatter and catching up. Unfortunately, it was a rainy and cool day, and we spent most of the day inside the camper. 

It was raining in mysterious sheets during the drive back to our hotel around 8:00 pm.

Later in the day, when the sun peeked out we gathered around a roaring campfire for more conversation and laughter. It was an easy day spent sharing a piece of their lives as they too, like all of our children and grandchildren, have found a “happy place” where they unwind and relax while still working and raising their families.

At specific points, there was a massive downpour.

We’re deeply touched by the love and emotions shared by our family and look forward to every single moment we can spend together. Once again, we’re humbled and in awe of the world around us, cherishing every interaction, each beautiful scene and the prospect of what is yet to come.

May your day be memorable in many ways.

Photo from one year ago today, May 29, 2016:

This cat, who didn’t seem to mind, was getting a lot of personalized attention from these three monkeys at the Monkey Temple in Bali, if you see what I mean. For more photos, please click here.

Fabulous first day in Minnesota…More continues today in the country…Photos of Victoria, British Columbia…

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Historical government building in Victoria.

Today’s photos are some of the many remaining photos we’d yet to share from the memorable day we spent in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on May 25th. 

With time constraints today, as we head out to drive to the town of Asking, Minnesota, to see Tom’s daughter Tammy and family who are camping for the holiday weekend, we’ll have to breeze through a quick post.

Market Square, a shopper’s haven.

Many of our days and nights are planned for the six weeks we’ll be in Minnesota, with several events scheduled for mornings when we usually prepare and upload the day’s posts.

On those days, we’ll quickly post photos and, at times, a shorter story so we can get on our way as opposed to posting later in the day or the evening. We apologize for any missed typos and errors during this period. 

New buildings have sprouted up throughout the city.

We use a comprehensive spell checker, but as texting enthusiasts are aware, errors can easily be missed or turned into other words representing different types of errors. 

The old and the new mingle well in Victoria.

Even with both Tom and I proofreading for errors, it’s still easy to misspell a few words or bypass grammar corrections we may have noted in a less hurried state.

Entrance to Chinatown.

We’d purchased and had shipped SIM cards to which we could add data, text, and phone features.  Unfortunately, the cards didn’t work on our phones after many attempts. Once we’re done here, we’ll be heading to nearby Ridgedale Mall, where we’ll purchase SIM cards for both of our phones. 

Chinatown is a popular tourist attraction in Victoria.

The SIM cards were only $1 each, a famous top brand with many positive reviews on Amazon to which users add money for data and phone. Once activated, we could have added a monthly payment plan for each phone, requiring no contract. Alas, they didn’t work, and we don’t have time or interest in messing with them further.

Cafe/restaurant in a historical building in Victoria.

As a result, this morning, we’re off to the Best Buy phone store in nearby Ridgedale Mall, where hopefully, they’ll get service working for both of our cell phones. Once this task is accomplished, we’ll be on our way to family in Asking, a two-hour drive from our location. 

The five-star Empress Hotel, where high tea is served at 3:00 pm at $75 per person.

We won’t be staying overnight. Instead, we’ll be heading back in the dark after the day spent with family. It should be another great family day yesterday, which we spent with my son Greg and three grandchildren, Maisie, Miles, and Madighan, at their home in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Also, yesterday, we visited Tom’s sister Patty who’s currently in a nursing home after recent major surgery; Tom’s brother Jerry, an avid reader of our site and Tom’s son TJ and grandson Nik at their home, ending the day with my son Greg and family.

Restaurant in Victoria.

The hotel is working out well for us. It has everything we need including laundry facilities, where we completed two loads of wash this morning. The WiFi is excellent, the breakfast food is fine, and the staff is friendly. The location is proving to be ideal for our purposes.

Hotel in Victoria.

There’s no doubt, this six-week period will fly by in a flash, and before we know it, we’ll be off to Nevada on July 7th. We’ll cherish every moment we spend with family and friends, taking photos while continuing to write to each of YOU every day.

Be well and be safe!

Photo from one year today, May 28, 2016:

A mom and adorable baby at the Monkey Temple in Singaraja, Bali. For more photos, please click here.

We’re in Minnesota after a 12-hour travel day! …All is good!…Our hotel and rental car…

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As a former owner of this model, Tom is thrilled with this new Ford Explorer. We couldn’t believe all the technology in this rental car, more than any we’ve seen throughout the world. As it turned out, we rented this car for the full six weeks for only $50 more than a tiny economy car from this site:  www.rentalcars.com.

It was 8:30 pm by the time we checked into the hotel. We were renting the SUV for an extended period required two separate contracts; one for one month and another for the additional two weeks. So, of course, this took twice as long as usual.

The lounge area is in the entry to the hotel.

Between the airport in Seattle and again in Minneapolis, my FitBit easily hit 10,000 steps from walking through the lengthy terminals. The easy three-hour flight landed by 6:30 pm. 

Another lounge area in the hotel.

It took a while to make our way to the rental car area at the Minneapolis airport. Everything had changed since the last time we were there five years ago. It had changed so much; we hardly recognized any area. 

There’s a small shop in the hotel where guests can purchase beverages and snacks.

Once we arrived at the Country Inn & Suites hotel, we were pleasantly surprised. Our discounted corporate rate at $107 a night was a far cry from the average rates of over $200 a night for most hotels. 

TV and fake fireplace in the lounge where most days I’ll prepare the daily post.

With breakfast, free WiFi, and taxes included, it was the best possible price we could expect for a six-week stay. But, of course, the convenient location was also a factor in choosing this facility.

Complimentary breakfast is available from 7:00 am to 10:00 am daily.  This morning we had eggs and sausage.

By the time we brought in our bags, it was fast approaching 9:00 pm, and we decided to walk next door to Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill for dinner. Unfortunately, with the two-hour time difference, we weren’t as hungry as we could have been. 

We continue to avoid fruit, bread, and baked goods.

Also, Grizzly’s is the location for the upcoming Meet & Greet on June 9th for our Minnesota readers, for which we continue to receive RSVPs (please send us a message if you’d like to attend), and we wanted to check it out firsthand. So, after a good dinner and service, we were content with the decision to have our event at that location.

There are two workstations in the business center.

At the moment, we are visiting Tom’s sister Patty at a local nursing home where she’s recuperating from recent surgery. Soon, we’ll leave and head to Tom’s brother Jerome’s home in Coon Rapids. 

Jerome is Tom’s older brother with whom we’ve stayed in close touch over these past years. He’s blind with a talking computer and has enjoyed “listening” to our posts over these past years. Each day, Tom removes all the photos from the day’s post and sends them to Jerry by email. We’re so looking forward to seeing him as well.

Prices for hotels in Minneapolis are very high, comparable to many other larger US cities. Therefore, we opted for a corporate rate on this fairly modest hotel conveniently located for visiting family and friends.  Its clean, friendly, and fulfills our needs during the six weeks in Minnesota.

Today at 5:00 pm, we’re heading to dinner at my son Greg’s home (wife Camille), where we’ll see three of our darling grandchildren. The excitement of seeing those we love with more yet to see is indescribable. 

Over these next weeks, we’ll spend most of our free time with family and friends, filling our hearts with love and more wonderful memories. But, as we mentioned in an earlier post, we won’t turn each day’s post into a family album. Instead, we’ll continue to seek lovely scenery, wildlife, and many of the highlights in the Minneapolis area.

Complimentary coffee and tea are available throughout the day and night.

Tomorrow, we’ll return with more photos from the Butchart Garden in Victoria. Have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend.

Photo  from one year ago today, May 27, 2016:

Here we were wearing saris standing at the foot of the steps at the Pulaki Temple in Singaraja in Bali.  For more photos, please click here.

Last day of Alaskan cruise…Final expenses for cruise and extras…Minnesota, here we come in the morning…

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Snow on mountain peaks. Ships at the Port.

Please note: We’re finalizing the headcount for the “Meet & Greet” for our readers in Minneapolis on June 9th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at:

Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill at this location in Plymouth, Minnesota:

220 Carlson Pkwy N, Plymouth, MN 55447
Please RSVP if you plan to attend and haven’t already done so.  Hope to see you then!
The scenery in Alaska hasn’t disappointed.

Here we are, the final full day aboard a ship since April 22nd when we left Sydney, with the exception of the two nights we spent in Vancouver at the hotel. 

We’ve cruised a total of 33 nights since leaving Sydney and look forward to getting settled in Minneapolis after our flight from Seattle with an early evening arrival. It will feel good to unpack, get organized and prepare for a whirlwind next six weeks.

The tender boats were delivering passengers to the shore. So we have packing to tackle this morning. I folded all my clothing from the closet, drawers, and cabinets, placing them in piles ready to be neatly stacked into my one large suitcase. Tom will pack later.

We’re out to sea at the moment heading to Victoria, British Columbia, our final port of call on this nine-night Alaskan cruise, arriving around noon. We’re booked with a private tour at 12:00 pm to visit Butchart Gardens in Victoria on Vancouver Island, a world-renowned garden.

Busy port in Skagway.

Tom booked us for this tour some time ago through an offering posted in CruiseCritic. We seldom attend ship sponsored tours due to the crowds and long lines. However, this smaller private group tour will suit our needs.

Besides, I’ve wanted to visit this world famous garden for years, and Tom surprised me with this booking a while back. That’s not to say that he loves visiting botanical gardens but he’s always been more than willing to see the many we’ve toured throughout our travels. In addition, his keen eye makes him the first to point out an ideal photo op.

Church near the shore in Skagway.

Usually, we post stories and photos while we’re still on location whether living in a specific country or on a cruise. In this case, with Butchart Gardens, we’ll be adding the many photos we’ll have taken today over the course of the next several weeks while we’re in Minnesota.

What stories will we tell while in Minnesota when most of our time will be spent with family and friends? We’re not inclined to post lots of family related information here in our posts. 

Boats and ocean front property in Juneau.

Let’s face it, most people quickly tire of hearing about other’s grandchildren and family members other than a few shots and quips here and there. Unfortunately, such will be the case for us. 

We’ll post of few photos of family members and friends with their permission but will not focus on turning our site into a family album. Most readers have their own family albums and don’t care to spend weeks looking at ours. 

Cruise ships in the port of Ketchikan.

Instead, we plan to share photos of places we’ll visit, magical and interesting moments we experience and the beauty of Minnesota. Of course, with so much to do and people to see in Minneapolis, its unlikely we’ll be traveling far from town. But, if we do, we’ll certainly incorporate those photos into the daily posts.

We have no doubt, we’ll have plenty of photos to share and stories to tell during these upcoming six weeks including dining in restaurants, visiting parks and lakes and sharing morsels about the hotel where we’ll be staying which is located in a lovely area.

A tiny portion of Tongass National Park/Forest which is the largest national forest in the United States with 17 million acres.

We’ve decided to share the final expenses for the cruise today rather than tomorrow which will be a very busy travel day in getting off the cruise, taking a taxi to the airport, flying to Minnesota, picking up the rental car and driving to our hotel.  

Here are the total expenses for the nine-night Alaskan cruise on Celebrity Solstice:

Expense US Dollar
Cruise Fare  $                  4,416.38
Airfare  $                               –  
Taxi   $                          8.41
Cabin Credit  $                   (500.00)
Wi-Fi
 included 
Gratuities  $                     243.00
Tours  $                        77.00
Additional Gratuities  $                        80.00
Cruise Bill for Purchaes  $                     496.00
Total  $                  4,820.79
Avg Daily Cost – 9 days  $                     535.64
Hand carved the statue of the popular and commonly seen bald eagle in Alaska. For more details on Alaska bald eagles, please click here.

This morning, I attempted to get a copy of our bill in order to itemize how we spent the $500 cabin credit. Unfortunately, the line at guest services would have required an hour wait or more. 

Instead, here’s an overview from memory of roughly how we spent the non-refundable cabin credit; gifts for family, hats, gloves and a scarf for cold days in Alaska, a few cosmetic and toiletry items and one zip sweatshirt. No beverages were charged to our account. 

Ketchikan Duck Tours, a popular open air bus for tourists.

We received all the bottled water we wanted from the Captain’s Club free happy hour from 5:00 to 7:00 pm each evening. Tom only consumed alcoholic beverages during the two-hour event each evening while I drank complimentary hot tea and water. Neither of us ever drank a soda.

Stunning views in Sitka.

The tour expense listed at $77 is for today’s Butchart Gardens tour. The additional gratuities are for our cabin steward and the restaurant hostess. We didn’t include a tip for the dining room assistant for my meals when my meals were often not prepared correctly or served on time. There was no airfare associated with this cruise since we arrived by cruise ship.

Tomorrow, we’ll prepare and upload a post while waiting to get off the ship, while waiting for our 1:15 pm flight at Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle. Most likely, it will be available at the usual time.

 Read here for an interesting story about the building of this tunnel in downtown Ketchikan.

We’ll be thinking of all of you and the photos you may enjoy while we tour the fabulous Butchart Gardens which appears to be taking place on a sunny day on beautiful Vancouver Island!

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, May 25, 2016:

In Bali on the prior day’s pst post, we shared a photo of two buffalos wandering by during dinner and here were four buffalos on a hike from the river seen that evening. For more details, please click here.

We’re in the US!…Kona, Hawaii….Photos to follow…

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The veranda in our cabin is great for photos but also relaxing and drying hand-washed clothing.

We’ve been in and out of the US a few times over these past years.  Once in September 2014, when a cruise ended in Boston, we stayed for three days to visit my uncle and cousin.

In 2014/2015 we spent a total of eight months in Hawaii on four islands. On three other occasions, we sailed in and out of Florida.

The coral reef at our last port of call over a week ago.

We haven’t been back to Minnesota since October 2012 or Nevada since December 2012. This morning at 6:00 am our ship anchored out to sea in Kona, Hawaii (the Big Island of Hawaii).

At this point, we’re planning to go ashore in Kona, Hawaii after we upload today’s post. In 2014/2015, we spent six weeks on this island. After having seen so much while there, we aren’t decided yet if we’ll disembark the ship to take photos and walk around.

Passengers checking out the sea for photo ops.

This morning was spent in one of the most painstaking immigration processes we’ve encountered (since our scary illegal immigrant situation in Australia in March) in all these years of travel.

All Americans were instructed to meet in Studio B, where the ice skating rink is located, and wait for our numbers to be called. By the time we arrived at 6:32 am all the seating was occupied leaving us to stand for almost two hours.

Boat in the bay.

Finally, we were able to sit for about 10 minutes while the crowds who’d arrived before us filtered out to meet with immigration. While we were waiting we met a lovely couple who’d been traveling the world, homeless like us for the past 13 months. We were thrilled to meet Sue and Scott.

Immediately, we set up a dinner date for the next sea day when we’ll have an opportunity to share our mutual experiences. We’ll surely “pick their brains’ on some occasions we’ve yet to have and vise versa. We’re looking forward to that evening!

Afternoon island view from the ship.

Finally, our group moved along for the 10 seconds it took for an immigration officer to verify our faces against the photos on our passports. Non-US citizens had a lengthier process which included filling out a complicated two-page document.

By 9 am we made our way to the Windjammer Buffet for a small bite to eat. The main dining room is closed for lunch on “port” days.  Lately, I’ve found I feel better if I eat lunch and then dinner about eight hours later, entirely avoiding breakfast or snacks.

After seven full days at sea, it’s odd to see land, although we’ve thoroughly enjoyed each sea day.

Today, we had no choice but to dine in the Windjammer when it would be a long haul until dinner. Many nights we have dinner with our four friends from Australia who traveled together; Ulla, Ray, Julie and Terry. 

We all have drinks (I drink one cup of peppermint tea) while gabbing incessantly prior to heading to the dining room around 7:00 pm, (served by 8:00 pm) in ample time to make the 9:00 pm show at the Palace Theatre. The past few nights we’ve attended a few shows which proved to be highly entertaining.

Now, close to 11:30 am, we’re seated comfortably in the Diamond Lounge, laptops in hand while busily preparing today’s post.  Every so often, a few passengers stop by to chat slowing down the posting process. But, we don’t mind at all. It’s a joyful part of cruising that definitely adds to the experience.

Have a blissful day!

Photo from one year ago today, May 7, 2016:

This was moving in the river next to our villa in Bali. It must have been some peculiar fish. For more photos, please click here.

Sailing toward Hawaii…Four days until we reach Kona, ..The Big Island…

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A fancy outhouse on a tropical island.

Today, at 12:45 pm, is the Crossing the Equator Ceremony, which we’ll attend poolside, taking photos we’ll post tomorrow. In these past four and a half years, we’ve crossed the Equator on four occasions; twice on a ship and twice while on in the air.

Crossing the Equator on a cruise ship is particularly festive when a ceremony is usually filled with hilarious activities centered around King Neptune. Tomorrow, we’ll return with our photos from the event.

The pristine beach and sea views.

In May 2015, while on our way from Hawaii to Sydney, we thoroughly enjoyed the activities surrounding “King Neptune” and hope this ship will provide an equally entertaining Equator crossing event.

Otherwise, today will be a relatively quiet day for us.  With four more sea days, until we reach Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, where we spent Christmas with 12 of our family members in 2014, we’ll be reminded of how long it’s been since we’ve seen everyone.

A school of fish swimming by the tender.

As we count down to 23 days until we reach Minnesota, the time apart becomes more apparent than ever. For example, we hadn’t seen son Richard in Henderson, Nevada since January 3, 2013 (when he couldn’t join us in Hawaii in 2014), a full four and a half years ago. Nor have we seen some of Tom’s siblings at his retirement party in October 2012 and others during Christmas in Las Vegas since 2012.

My eldest sister (four years) also lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, about a 30-minute drive from Richard’s home. I haven’t seen her since December 2012. My dear sister has been lying in bed with the same spinal condition as mine for the past 12 years. 

Care for a ride on a small boat?

Seeing my dear sweet sister is a sorrowful reminder that had I not changed my diet five and a half years ago, lying in bed, unable to walk, and in constant pain could have easily been my fate. My heart breaks for her. 

But, a life without the pleasure of many foods isn’t for everyone. For me, it was a no-brainer…be in a wheelchair or give up the foods I loved. So, I choose to give up the food.

The sun was reflecting on the sea at the end of the day.

The result of that decision has enabled us to travel the world, an impossible thought six years ago, a reality today.  There’s no doubt I’m eternally grateful, as is Tom. And although I continue to struggle with this lingering and annoying gastrointestinal thing, I remain hopeful for the future.

The next leg of our journey awaits us; our family, our friends, and the memories of the hot summers and wintertime tundra of Minnesota, which in itself I do not miss at all. But, we adapt, we change, and our priorities change along with us.

We sail on…

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 3, 2016:

“Pinch me,” I gasped, “Is this real?”  We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw two buffalo walking on the beach with their owner.  He’d brought them for a swim in the river next to our house. The black spot in the ocean is a small buoy. Our first photo in our upcoming series of photos of “Sightings on the Beach in Bali” one year ago. For more photos, please click here.

Updates on a few general items… Cruising right along… Figured out a workaround for “year ago photos”…

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The coral reef in the Isle of Pines was exquisite.

Of course, not surprisingly, being unable to post the “year ago photo” was nagging at me.  I tried numerous workarounds only to discover one I hadn’t considered earlier finally working this morning.

Tom on the beach in Isle of Pines, New Caledonia.

Me, at the beach in the Isle of Pines.

Later today, we’ll go back and add them to the posts we’d missed over the past several days since boarding the ship.  Today is Day 5 on this 24-night cruise and its flying by more quickly than we anticipated. 

View toward our tender boats waiting at the pier to return us to the ship.


Having such an exceptional time seems to contribute to time passing in a blur, although I’ve yet to have a taste of wine which has been disappointing to resist in the Diamond Club’s Star Lounge on deck 5 when drinks flow “free” and freely from 5 pm to 8:30 pm every evening. Tom, a non-drinker when not cruising is taking up the slack.

Resisting the delicious latte is also challenging but I’m staying firm on avoiding anything that could be construed as acidic for my still delicate digestive tract.  I faltered yesterday when I ate sauteed green peppers as a side to my scrambled eggs paying the price for the remainder of the day and night.   No more peppers for me, especially the less ripened green variety.  I learn as I go.

White sand beaches.

Again, at the moment we’re comfortably situated in the other Diamond Lounge on deck 14 which is packed with other experienced cruisers such as us who’ve cruised often enough to be granted this priority status.

Many Australians were wearing these handmade head wreaths in commemoration of Anzac Day.

The complimentary foods changed throughout the day with delightful looking sandwiches, snacks and desserts accompany a wide array of beverages, coffees, teas, lemonade and juices, none of which are suitable for me.  Instead, I sip on the boring plain water.  Oh well.  I stick to the plan regardless of temptations.

Writing in the sand.

The lively chatter helps distract me from potentially dangerous consumables, especially when now I’m sitting here with exquisite views of Mystery Island in Vanuatu (soon we’ll get off the ship to explore), friendly people all around us and not a care in the world.

The tropical island musicians and dancers greeted us in Noumea, New Caledonia.

A few items we’d like to share:
1.  The return of the “year ago photo” after finding a suitable workaround.  Over the next few days, I’ll be updating the previous posts with this feature.
2.  So far, we’ve had an excellent response to our invitation to the “Readers Meet & Greet” we’ll be holding in Minneapolis on June 9th close to Highways 394 and 494.  If you’d like to attend please RSVP by email, comments or Facebook. 

Noumea, New Caledonia performers entertained us at the port.

3. We’re considering a similar event in Henderson, Nevada in July (well after the 4th).  If you are interested, please email us and we’ll notify you as to a date, time and location, hoping you’ll be able to attend.
4.  Thanks to all our of new readers who stopped by to read yesterday’s tribute to our friend Glenn who passed away a few days ago.  And of course, our love and continuing prayers for Staci, Glenn’s wife who supported and greatly appreciated the posting of the story.

Another Noumea performer.
5.  Cruising activities tend to be repetitive.  We’re continuing to visit as many ports of call as possible to keep our readers engaged as we make our way across the sea.  Please hang in there with us as we continue with the remaining 19 nights aboard this ship.

6.  If you’ve posted a comment at the end of any day’s post and haven’t seen a reply from us, please bear with us.  The slow Wi-Fi has prevented us from replying to comments.  I’m hoping to discover a workaround for that feature as well.

The pier where we waited to reboard the tenders to return to the ship.

As soon as we finish up here today, we’ll be heading to Mystery Island, Vanuatu and sharing photos in days to come.  Upon return, we’ll be stopping at the Future Cruises desk to see what the future may hold for us. 

May your day be filled with ease and comfort.

______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 27, 2016:

Last year at this time, we were on Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas.  This is the Flowrider on that ship.  Later we’ll post a photo of the same event on this ship.  For more details, please click here.

Frightening events in the US including our former home state…Is Bali safe? Not necessarily…

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What a nice environment for cattle, green pastures and plenty of shade situated on a beachfront property.
“Sightings on the Beach in Bali”
Family gatherings on the beach amidst the garbage that rolls with the tide with garbage left behind by locals and visitors. Bali has yet to adopt the idea of keeping its island and beaches less littered. However, much of the beach waste is the result of that left at sea by others.

Without English-language television channels in Bali, the only way we could keep up with the world’s news was through the Internet. With the slow WiFi in the region, it was difficult, but we managed to read the main news every day.

Reading about yesterday’s multiple attacks in the US was sickening and disheartening; one in New York; another in New Jersey and a third transpiring in a mall 70 miles from where we’d previously lived. It makes you wonder if it’s safe to shop in malls when so many terrorist attacks occur within their walls.
These cattle seem to be slightly larger in Bali than in many less developed countries.

This morning, while researching online for information about terroristic attacks in Bali to date in 2016, we were shocked to see their was new bomb blast a few nights ago, in two areas in Bali, one at a resort in Kuta, the town where we’ve stayed overnight in a hotel on two previous occasions with one more booking  upcoming on October 29th before flying to Sydney. The second attack occurred on Jimbaran Beach, south of Kuta.

Watch this story here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-364053/Several-dead-new-Bali-bomb-blasts.html

It certainly makes us think. But then again, how do we feel about visiting a mall in Minnesota next summer where we’ve planned to go to purchase new clothing to replace the old and fast wearing  clothing we have with us now.

The small town’s business sections are jammed with temples, mosques, restaurants and shops.

In addition, we had considered visiting a shopping center in Australia during our next 33-night cruise when our ship arrives.
port at various cities. We were hoping to buy some articles to get through the next few months. Should we give it a second thought?    Australia has been the victim of a number of terrorist attacks in recent years.

I will not go into the specifics of these attacks.    We have no doubt, if you look at local or global news, you’ve seen the stories repeated over and over again. We believe it is very important to be informed, but fear is only used to avoid the areas most at risk when possible.

We crossed a number of river bridges as shown here.

Having read the American attacks, we are worried about the safety of our family.    Will our adult children listen if we tell them not to go into public places?  No, not at all. Their lives often revolve around visiting crowded places with their families on regular occasions, ball games, parks, zoos, shopping centres, restaurants, theme parks, public buildings and so on.

We wonder whether one of us should temper the quality of our lives by becoming quasi-hermits, avoiding all high-risk places. It’s entirely unrealistic, even for us, where we have considerable control over what we do and what we do.

Although the beaches are often littered with debris, the scenes are still lovely. We never grow weary of the blue waters.

In the process of continuing with our world travels as we fully intend, we surely can’t avoid airports which pose a high risk, although, we’ve made a concerted effort to avoid certain public transportation when possible such as train stations, buses and heavily populated venues in risky areas.

Who identifies what constitutes a high-risk sector?  All the research in the world can’t cover the possible discovery of new locations where horrific incidents continually occur, unanticipated and often considered unlikely.

Private oceanfront property, an excellent lot.

As we have said many times, no place in the world is safe from risk, whether it is terrorist attacks, accidents or natural disasters. We try not to live in fear, as we are certain is the case for most of you who live in seemingly innocuous areas. Essentially, an innocuous area does not exist.

One could live on a remote island in one of the most remote areas of the world and still not be entirely safe. A crazy and unstable individual with any type of weapon could attack the unsuspecting, the unprepared and the defensive evil, ill equipped to defend themselves and those they love.

There are some scattered parks along the oceanfront promenade.

Nature can be the ultimate beast when more lives are lost each year due to horrific weather and natural disasters than terrorist attacks all over the world. Even the state of our personal health is at risk at any time.
moment. Only we have a modicum of control in ensuring our personal safety in that area through living as healthy a lifestyle as possible and proceeding in our daily activities with sensibility.

No, an 80-year-old man who has knee problems should not climb a ladder to change a lightbulb.  Nor should an 65 year old retiree start riding a motorbike in Bali on the harrowing roads when they’ve never done so in the past.

Numerous mosques and temples are easily reachable from Denspasar.

We choose to live on the cautious side with health and safety our first consideration while still striving to fulfill our dreams by witnessing what we’d never imagined possible, by experiencing the nuances of daily life for others in our midst and for embracing the beauty, not the ugly, of the world around us.

Stay safe, living life to the fullest.

Photo from one year ago today, September 19, 2015:

Fiji’s coral reef is second to none in the world and a favorite location for scuba divers. For more details and photos, please click here.

Water pipe broke…Minor inconveniences in the realm of things…

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This morning, a few hours after we were up and about, the flexible cold water connection under the bathroom sink fell apart and water was spewing everywhere.

Immediately, we called Lee, who called Boo, the maintenance guy, and within 5 minutes he arrived by motorcycle, tools in hand to shut off the water after there was over 2″, 5 cm, of water on the bathroom floor which luckily had a drain in the floor. Tom had grabbed the travel scale off the bathroom floor before it was ruined.

Now, as I write here, a plumber has arrived and is in the process of repairing the broken water line while a few of the cleaners followed behind to clean up the mess when he’s done.

In the realm of things, this minor incident, responded to quickly, reminded us of the insignificance of our rapidly spewing water when people all over the world are suffering in recent flooding from storms. 

As quickly as the water flooded the bathroom floor, we could barely imagine the horror of the residents in many parts of the world where fast flowing water has caused such devastation and loss of lives.

It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of the horror experienced in many parts of the world including the horrific flooding and loss of life in Louisiana in the US with 1000s of residents living in shelters after their homes were destroyed by fast moving water as a result of relentless storms.

For today’s news on this storm and others, please click here.

Are natural disasters on the rise? Or, are we hearing about them more due to 24 hour news cycles from around the globe having become more readily broadcast over these past three decades?

Its hard to say. When attempting to research this topic, “Are natural disasters on the rise?” one will find thousands of varying “opinions” on the topic from a wide array of “news” related sources and agencies. 

This morning as I researched this topic (which I’ve done before) I was shocked by how statistics are skewed based on the intent of the source of information. What are we to believe?

I supposed its not unlike other “theories” in today’s world. Everyone has an opinion they’d like to express and would like to be revered for their views. In reality, if the focus stayed on providing relief and support to the victims of natural disasters and finding solutions to lessen the impact in future events, the sensationalism in the news could be lessened.

That won’t ever happen. As the news escalates to entice and titillate the public to read and watch more and more, we often get the perception that the world is on its way to total collapse as a result of natural disasters, let alone the effects of human intervention, wars and disharmony.

But, what do I know? Whom am I to speculate? I can only observe, pray for the future and hope along with the rest of us, that our planet is here to stay. 

With news of meteorites heading our way, black holes gobbling up our planet, and gloom and doom for the future, our little lives become insignificant and meaningless.

What can we do in the interim, if anything? Oh, I’d like to say if we all treated one another with love and kindness, an altruist view and subsequent behavior could change the world. 

But, we’re past the ability to do that on a worldwide scope. We can only do it within the small framework in which we live. And perhaps, those bite sized pieces can eventually unblur the lines and we can see beyond our often narrow views of what’s right and what’s wrong.

We can’t live in fear. Fear has the ability to incite anger and dangerous behavior. Exercising caution, sensible reactions and thoughtful personal introspection are some of the tools we’ve been provided as humans. If only we all could use these tools to make the world a safer and better place.

In the interim, us two grains of sands on the vast beach of Life, attempt to keep everything in perspective, a broken pipe, a small household flood, a recovery from an injury, in the realm of things, it’s but a minor inconvenience. 

We remain grateful for the gifts bestowed upon us as we continue on our path of experience and knowledge, as we pray for the well-being of those suffering in the world.


Photo from one year ago today, August 18, 2015:

One year ago we walked into this park for awhile eventually turning back when we realized the trails weren’t as suitable for walking as opposed to use by fast moving mountain bikers. Ironically, in our post one year ago today, we mentioned bombings in Thailand. Please see here for details.

Sharing an interesting email from a loyal reader in Minnesota, USA…

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A furniture store with a shrine in the parking lot.

In yesterday’s post we mentioned, we’d received an email from a long time reader in Minnesota.  Shortly after we left Minnesota, a local publication wrote a story about our upcoming travels: Please click here to read the article.

From the publication of that article in our home town of Chanhassen, Minnesota, we gleaned a number of new readers, many who’ve continued to follow us to this day often writing to say hello and sharing precious morsels of local news along with their own personal stories and tidbits of information. 

Whenever hearing from readers anywhere in the world, it means so much to us. When communicating with readers from our own former small town, it adds a layer of heartwarming memories we’ll always treasure as is the case when most of us are reminded of favorite places we’ve lived throughout our lives.

From what we’ve seen so far, Thai architecture isn’t as distinct in local shops and buildings, although prevalent in the temples.

Over these past years we’ve been contacted by book publishers and a variety of publications inquiring as to our interest in further promoting our story. At this point, we have no interest in becoming “celebrities,” working the book signing circuit, being on talk shows, etc. That would totally change the nature of our experiences.

Others traveling the world in a similar manner; having no worldly possessions, no home to return to, no storage facility with “stuff,” and no plans to settle anywhere in the near future is becoming more and more common in today’s world as more and more people retire.

At various times we’ve heard from other retired couples (one as recently as a week ago) who’d made a decision to leave everything behind to travel for a designated period of time, later to settle in a location they find appealing where they’ll buy, build or rent a home after they’ve fulfilled their dream of world travel. 

Mom and Pop type grocers are found on almost every block.

Often, for Americans, they may choose warm climates such as Arizona or Florida or prefer states with no income tax (Federal tax still applies) such as Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. 
 
We surely understand why others eventually lose interest in continuing to travel over the long haul.  It’s not easy, especially as people age, with more and more medical issues cropping up over time.   Plus, some may find the nuances of continually traveling cumbersome and difficult over an extended period.

Certainly, we’re not exempt from these realities and undoubtedly at some point, we’ll have to make big changes. We have no delusions about this fact and have emotionally and financially prepared ourselves for this eventuality. However, at this point, we’ve only enhanced our desire to continue on, health providing.

Thai massage is known throughout the world for its healing benefits.  Unfortunately, message hasn’t been beneficial to my current condition.

Anyway, after getting off track here, I return to the email we received from a loyal long time reader that joined us after reading the above mentioned newspaper article. Over these years, she’s written to us a few times much to our pleasure. 

With such communication, meaning so much to us, we easily remember hearing from her and her husband, as we do for most readers who’ve taken the time to contact us.

Preferring to be anonymous, we avoid mentioning her name as she requested. (Many readers who comment online prefer anonymity). Here’s what our loyal reader wrote a few days ago after which I requested and received her permission to post a portion of her email message:

Public building in the background.  We weren’t able to read the sign written in the Thai language.

“Today’s post (see this link) gave me a nudge to connect with you. Several weeks ago, my husband and I drove past Grizzly’s, the restaurant near where you will be staying when you visit Minnesota next year. It reminded me of your writings about abandoning the RV idea and securing a location to stay when you will be back in Minnesota. 

Ever since then I’ve been thinking about your upcoming stay. I know that you will be very busy with family and friends, but I’m wondering if you would have room in your schedule to set a time when area folks who have “followed you” might get a chance to meet you just to say hello.  Even though we’ve never met I feel like I know you having followed your great adventures since the beginning.

I smiled when you again referenced Garage Logic today.  I shared that my husband is also a huge fan of Joe and the gang and we have had many laughs while listening to the show and their topics of the day. One of the things we do each year on our visit to the State Fair is to get a comfortable spot at the Garage Logic broadcast booth and just hang out for a lengthy period of time listening and observing the goings on as they banter and put the show together. It is indeed great fun.”
We couldn’t stop smiling after reading her thoughtful email. We giggled with delight over the prospect of meeting some of our readers living in Minnesota who’d consider making the trip to get together with us as a group to share our mutual stories, experiences and dreams of world travel.
ATMs and Seven Eleven stores are commonly found along the highways.
What a marvelous idea! This had never entered our minds, but as the time approaches, we’ll certainly make several announcements here on our site with a date, time and location for the future get together.
We’d love to hear feedback from our readers as to any suggestions they may have as to a good central location in the Twin Cities.  Most likely, a Friday or Saturday evening at a local restaurant will be ideal for most, perhaps even the above mentioned Grizzly’s by our loyal reader whom we thank for her thoughtful suggestion.
Surely during the six week period we’ll spend in Minnesota, we’ll find an evening that works. We’ll be back in touch with a date for next June, 2017 since we’ll be leaving MN shortly after the US holiday, the “4th of July” to head to Nevada for the next visit with family.
After narrow two lane roads in Bali, these wider roads in Phuket are easier to maneuver, especially with less traffic than in Bali.
If any of our readers are living in and near Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada we’d be thrilled to get together with those of you interested during our three week stint in the state from July 7 to August 1, 2017.
Of course, this applies to any of our readers living anywhere in the world we may be visiting at any given time.  How wonderful it would be to meet some of you!

That’s our story for today, dear readers. As we’ve said, please don’t hesitate to contact us to say hello, share a story or express a dream you may have of stepping outside the box for a new experience, whatever that may be.

Have a dreamy day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 8, 2015:

We could easily envision a croc coming up and over this hill from the ocean to Deadman’s Gully in Cairns, Australia. For details of such an incident, please click here.