How do we blog and why ?

Thanks for joining us on our journey of North America
 in our Holiday Rambler, since August 2006

Where are we today ?

Rock Glen Resort, Arkona Ontario

        Saturday morning, the resort is quiet, overcast only 2 c (35f) at 9 am. But we are toasty warm with coffees and computing. Then I bundle up and go for a walk, hmm it will soon be nice warmer weather right? I don't much like wearing long pants, socks and multiple layers of clothes. But it could be worse, we could be working and spending all winter here. The picture below shows why we like to head south for the winter!

October 12, 2006, This is why we head south!

        Way back in the spring of 2006 we purchased our coach, quit our jobs, sold our house and contents.  Then began living our dream by following the sun and exploring North America. We were both tired of the cold, damp and snowy Canadian winters and did not enjoying work anymore, this seemed like a good idea. Some people thought we were crazy and would not last very long. Well it was a great idea, we are still going strong and absolutely love the lifestyle. How long will we do this? As long as we physically can I suppose. I was 56 and Suzie 49 when we hit the road, so we are hoping for quite a few more years.

        Before we hit the road I thought of writing a bit of a journal and I found out that a Blog seemed to suit the purpose. So I started this process with a few entries here and there, and some pictures. Mostly as a record of where we have been for ourselves, family and friends. As time went on more people began reading our blog and wanted more postings, I was not consistent, only posted when we did interesting stuff and were travelling.

        So the more blogging I did the more I wanted to do, and about three/four years ago I began to do daily postings. Now I have lotsa people reading and making comments, that makes it more fun. I began reading other peoples Blogs and making comments too. Now it seems like we have made acquaintances with people we have never met, some of these people from all over the world. Wow there is a huge community of Bloggers out there! And in our travels we have actually met a few fellow bloggers and followers. Now I have become addicted to this blog writing and reading. But I need to careful, it can consume too much of my day gotta watch myself.

         But to come up with something to write every day is a bit of a challenge some times, its like trying to decide what to have for dinner. So I have a common element that I work from "food". We all have to eat and I just happen to enjoy cooking and eating. That's one reason I had my own restaurant for 10 years. So some people focus their blogs on their pets, their work, their travels, even yard work around their homes. So if I can't think of what to write about on any day, a short posting of what we have for supper with a picture. I seem to get more comments of our simple food dishes that we eat than anything else. So a few years ago food has become part of every posting. The meals I cook are mostly Suzie's choice, being raised on a farm she likes her meat, potatoes, veggies even seafood. All meals are pretty much home cooked, don't use much prepared food. I have to portion the meals so I don't overeat, she knows when to stop (that's why she is so tiny). The meals may appeal to many, but probably not so much for some of the veggans that do read our blog.

         So that's a bit of how and why I write our Blog, its just something that I enjoy. I guess it takes the place of writing the monthly News Letter for our local Optimist Club that I did for 18 years.

         Now what did we do today? Not a heck of a lot, compute, research, and read for a while. I found a website to download free e-books and thought I would try that out, (people keep telling us we need a Kendal to read e books)  so I download a book to a PDF file. That's cool can read in on my computer. Then I played with that for a while, copy and pasted into Microsoft word for my Mac. Then had my Mac read the book to me thru the bluetooth function I have on my bluetooth enabled hearing aides, now that's was a cool tool. But alas, the reason we enjoy reading our paperback books is to put our feet up, get comfortable and get away from our computers and technology. So I guess a Kendal or such other device is not something that we are in a hurry to purchase, if ever. We have two book cases in our coach that I built and many used book suppliers all over the country that we visit and exchange for for a a couple of bucks a book.

the books we have read are backwards

books we have yet to read

        Oh yeah, did a few walkabouts the resort all bundled up, only got to 40f (4c) and not much sunshine. On one of these I walked over to the clubhouse, had a hot shower, a dip in the nice indoor pool, a soak in the hot tub then back home, to read for a while. Then...

the sky today

        Time to make supper.  Our Weber grill tonight does not seem to be an option so Suzie says how about some "beef in a jar" (something they always made on the farm). This is something we did a couple years ago, canned some beef so that we have some good "Canadian beef" preserved to eat whenever the spirit moves us. And today it moved us.  So bring out a jar and simmer on the stove for a bit, while boiling a few potatoes and carrots, thicken the sauce with some cornstarch and then we have a wonderful tasty supper, (I add some extra hot horseradish to mine!)

beef in a jar

        Just some boiled potatoes and carrots, beef with the natural gravy and there ya, go we can enjoy a nice tasty meal on a cool spring evening.

not fancy but  melt in your mouth good 

         Now that was just another cool spring day that we enjoyed in our "gypsy" lifestyle, as Suzie's Gramma (she is 97!) would say. She likes to tell us the story of the "Gypsies" (from Detroit in a horse an buggy) that would camp at the end on the lane way on the farm for the summer, way back in the 1930's.

        Another great day has disappeared and we enjoyed it immensely.

        Thanks for stopping in.

Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer

View Summer 2012 in a larger map