Best 13 pictures of 2015

In relatively chronological order, these are my favorite photos of the places and things we have experienced during our first year of retirement and full time RVing.

January - started with a real BANG in Sydney, Australia, visiting my son Drew, his wife Sarah, and her lovely family. We watched the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House lit in every color under the sky.

You can read more here

February and March - saw us kitting out our newly bought Truck - Benny, named after the dealership where we bought him.  He's a bit of a monster!  But his muscles never strain when he pulls our Rig, a 38 foot Sundance 5th Wheel RV, which we nicknamed The Jet.  You can see their portrait at the top of this blog.  The first three months were spent preparing - learning to drive and safely control the truck and the trailer, and buying the household goods necessary for everyday living. After all, we came to the USA with nothing that couldn't fit into two suitcases, and four boxes (mostly containing winter clothing and essential paperwork) which we had shipped over as we were getting ready to leave Scotland.  It seems strange that 6 months later we are half hour slick at packing up the trailer, hitching, towing a few hundred miles to our new destination, unhitching, and setting up the RV's utilities so we can live in our smallish but perfectly formed new home in a place of our choosing. Life has never been so unpredictable.  It's an addictive lifestyle.

We also took the time to enjoy some of Texas's history as we took little trips in the greater Austin area and the Texas Foothills.  Texas has to be the number one place to visit if you like music, or are a musician.  Old town dance-halls remain in use with weekly performances by bands and individuals who have made it big, or just like to perform. The tiny town of Luckenbach became famous as a music venue visited from far and wide because of a Willie Nelson Song, and it is one of those places you have to go just for the atmosphere.  We loved visiting Fredericksburg for the German link, and were pleasantly surprised by the discovery of the National Museum of the Pacific War .The highlight of each year in this area is of course the South By Southwest music festival in Austin.  You can read my experience of that here

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

April - and we are off!  We left the security of Richard's cousin's home and RVing advice and made our first long trek - heading to three States within the space of a month.  Arkansas in spring can be freezing one day and humidly hot the next, and the newly emerged mosquitoes were in hot pursuit of my sweet blood.  Oklahoma was similar, but as we drove west towards Colorado we managed to see the full gamut of weather these two states that sit in "Tornado Alley" have to contend with. But when the elements and the bugs were benign, the countryside was wonderful.

View from Mount Magazine National Park, Arkansas

May - gave us our first view of the Rockies.  Majestic and so vast that they consist of mountain ranges and plateaus that extend over nine of the 52 States of the Union. It was in Colorado that I encountered relics from the millennial past - for Colorado was once a lake where dinosaurs drank, and their remains are still visible.

Dinosaur Footsteps near Denver

We also experienced the "Great Divide" phenomenon: that virtual split of the continent which means rivers one one side flow to the Pacific Ocean, and rivers on the other side flow towards the Atlantic, and saw for myself as the river flow changed direction whilst we drove along the highway near Cripple Creek.  But though we were overawed by the historical relics, including our first sight of petroglyphs, the highlight was visiting the old mines, both below and above the ground, that produced gold and silver and the proceeds of which founded its capital city, and wrote Colorado into the history books.

With cousins at the Victor Gold Mine

June and July - saw us putting The Jet to rights after a few technical issues and visiting cousins.But mostly we worked hard to see Mark and Jill's garden, which had just begun to wake from its winter sleep, set up for planting. We encountered snakes and gofers and black widow spiders, ushering them gently (!!!) off the premises of our organic garden, and every morning, before beginning the day's labors, I shook out my boots, just in case... 

August and September - saw us stepping further into the history books as we explored more of south western Colorado and moved further south to New Mexico.  We encountered awe inspiring land formations on scenic drives and hikes, sated ourselves on local history and summer produce. After months of constant work and sightseeing, the increasing heat eventually forced us to learn how to have "down days" and relax. We also found time to meet up with more family members, but there were three highlights; the stunning Black Canyon of the Gunnison;

our discovery of the history of the ancient Peublo people who once lived dwellings on top of and within cliffs like Chimney Rock, Bandolier and Mesa Verde; 

Mesa Verde

and our return visit to Eagle Nest in New Mexico, the place where Richard first lived as a child until he was 12.  We discovered that he had been consigned to official local history - in this plaque that stood in front of the garage and motel that his family once ran; now only one building remains.

October - saw us visiting what we had planned to be the highlight of the year.  The focus of our first year's trip had always been to reach Albuquerque, for at least one day trip during the week long  Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  It was on our bucket list and everything we had hoped for.  I still smile every time I look at the photos, and I am proud to say my son is making one which includes me and Richard, into a picture to hang in his newly born daughter Madeleine's bedroom.   

November and December - we returned to cousins Mark and Jill in Coaldale in Colorado for Thanksgiving and to spend the winter house-sitting and helping ship orders to customers of Jill's Wool Felting business whilst they visit vendors and family in Australia.  It is cold, but stunningly beautiful.  

It has given us time to reflect on how life has changed for us over this year, what we have learned on our travels, and we look forward to 2016, when I hope to get my Green Card.  This will allow me to visit my grand-daughter for the first time.  

We also look forward to heading east to Virginia to Richard's son's wedding in April, and to further adventures with Benny and The Jet.