Ye Scurvy Dogs

Jill's Journal: Yesterday we did something entirely different! The five of us headed into popular beach destination Ocean City, Maryland, which is just 10 minutes away, and went on a pirate adventure. The girls were quickly painted with pirate tattoos and christened with pirate monikers: Excellent Erika, Mermaid Madelyn, and Vicious Victoria. And then we headed out to sea (or at least the bay).

The girls (and 20 of their closest honorary pirate friends) got to battle and defeat the evil Pirate Pete on an opposing "ship" with water cannons. They found a message in a bottle. And finally, they followed a treasure map through the bay to find sunken pirate treasure. What a fun kid adventure for our little scallywags!

With the girls still exclaiming, "Aaarrgh!," we then headed over to Ocean City's boardwalk and spent a little time strolling, people-watching, and enjoying ice cream. A lovely afternoon.

And then it was back to the ponies...and the deer! This awesome picture is of Madelyn in her bunk, dozing off herself to the sight of two deer napping not far from her window. Wow.

Unclutterering. (from an outside source).

Jill sent this to me with a subject of simply: 'Saw this and liked it...' And I thought, we should share this, because it may mean something to people who are following along. Then today, Jill got a note from someone I don't know (but I've heard about) saying they were uncluttering because our changes inspired them, so I knew I had to post it...

From Unclutterer.com:

Choosing simple living

An unclutterer is someone who chooses to live without the distractions that get in the way of a remarkable life.

Contrary to what you might assume, the most important word in the definition of an unclutterer isn’t distractions (or what we also call clutter) or even the goal of a remarkable life. The pivotal word in the definition is chooses.

The pursuit of an uncluttered life begins with a choice — you choose to practice simple living. No one can force you to be an unclutterer, and you don’t stumble into a simple life by mistake. Even people who lose all of their possessions in a catastrophe are not unclutterers, as they might choose to fill up their homes and lives again when circumstances permit.

Choosing to live an uncluttered life starts with wanting to get rid of distractions. Once this desire is present, you begin to see your life from this new perspective. When your mindset has changed, your actions will follow. Getting rid of clutter is usually the first outward sign of your choice to be an unclutterer.

From these first steps, you continue to choose to live simply every moment you’re awake. There will come a time when you stop acknowledging this moment-to-moment choice, but you continue to make it (or not make it). Then, when you turn your focus to the things that matter most to you, your reward is the remarkable life you desire.

It all begins with a choice ...

We made a very big change to go from what we had (and nobody really was truly aware of HOW MUCH we really had), to where we are now. We now have a 10' x 10' storage unit, I'll say mostly full, not packed to the rafters by any means. It is really full of sentimental stuff that we should pass on and things that we know we'll want when (if?) we go back to a static, land-based, housing lifestyle. On top of that we have 6 boxes in the truck (all of which just needs to be 'handled'), and the stuff in the fifth-wheel, most of which we need (always just one more clean-out away from being perfect). :)

It'd be a big change for most, but if you knew me, and how much I've uncluttered, you'd be afraid actually. It was one of the biggest steps in the process I think. If anyone wants to know what it took for me to go from - hey, I might have a use for that at some point... to - That's so heavy, and bulky. If I ever need anything like that, I can just buy a new one (but I'll probably never need that.) - just ask me. Its a life-changing decision. :)

Memories

Jill's Journal: Look at this picture: six ponies interspersed through daily camp life (apologies to the random people also in the image). I mean, really, how cool is that? It’s like that every single day here. We even awaken in the middle of the night to whinnies and hoofbeats on the road.

In spite of the miserable heat and humidity (and mosquitoes!), I think we’re going to try and stick it out here until the end of the week. And really, it’s for one important reason: this is a once-in-a-lifetime place. The girls are making some awesome memories here that will stay with them their whole lives. The immediate discomfort is only temporary, right?

I saw a quote on one of the Simple Mom-affiliated websites yesterday that spoke to me: "The thought of travelling with young children can be daunting. But it can also be a great adventure with your children helping to open your eyes to new experiences…Children are experts at being joyful and living in the moment, so follow their lead."

We’re trying to do just that.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Jill's Journal: It’s a good thing this place is wonderful, because, my goodness, it is hot. And I don’t mind heat, so I guess I should correct myself and say the humidity is overwhelming. We’re hot and sticky 24 hours a day. I can’t express how miserable it is to be that sticky every minute. We’re all starting to get a little irritable, especially Victoria, who naturally runs hotter than any of us.

Rob made a comment the other day, something along the lines of, “Who would have thought paradise would make you sweat so much?”

I don’t know if we’re going to get used to it or if we’re going to throw in the towel and leave a little early.

This humidity has certainly helped with one thing…part of this RV adventure involves us looking for our next place to live, a place that will hopefully be a permanent home for us. Rob has been adamant in that he wanted someplace with little or no humidity. I didn’t think I minded humidity that much. But guess what? I do! Winters in Montana are looking really, really good!!

Assateague Island

Jill's Journal: Yesterday was our first full day on Assateague Island and three major things stand out to me as I look back.

1). The Atlantic Ocean! Three little girls could have chased waves all day long. The laughter, the happy squeals, the pure joy…as hard as it can be to travel with children (and trust me, it can be hard), that made it all worth it. They were in heaven. I thought we’d just dip our toes in (hence clothing instead of bathing suits), but the strong waves knocked all three over repeatedly (which they loved) and they were drenched from head to toe. And the sand…how does sand migrate to places on children “where the sun don’t shine”? Ugh.


One more note…how often does one get to play in the waves with ponies just 50 feet away, also cooling their toes?




2). Ospreys. We decided for the first time ever to make hot dogs. And s’mores. And do it over a campfire. Imagine our shock and surprise when a bold osprey (or sea-hawk) swooped down and stole three hot dogs off the plate! It all happened in the blink of an eye. Erika was a little traumatized, but I think the s’mores soon erased any worries. :)



3). Ponies, ponies, ponies everywhere, including a small herd that took a particular liking to our campsite. One stallion, four mares, one foal. We all watched in wonder for quite some time. The foal was incredibly playful…running, neighing, chewing on our car, and trying to steal the girls’ Cinderella scooter! They got a huge kick out of that.

We made the girls come inside and stand in the doorway of the fifth wheel…close enough that they could have touched the ponies if we’d let them, but safe enough that we could have whisked them out of harm’s way in an instant. Although we’ve seen many people do otherwise, ranger-enforceable law on this island is that these ponies are not to be touched. They are wild and do not share the same responses to people that domesticated horses do. When people touch them, they not only endanger themselves (we’ve heard many stories of people getting severely bitten), but they also remove any fear or respect these animals have for humans. And these ponies are scavengers – they go after people’s food and will attack, just like a bear or other wild animal.

These wild ponies are actually the descendants of horses and are technically small, pony-sized horses. It is believed about 300 years ago, a Spanish galleon with a load of horses shipwrecked just off the coast and the horses swam ashore. They mixed with local stock – nearby farmers on the mainland would “hide” their horses on the island to avoid taxation of livestock. They had to be hardy to survive here with the harsh summers and harsh winters and little food. Eventually over time, they began “shrinking” to make best use of the little food they did have and are now the size of large ponies.

The current horses here are left completely wild, with no veterinary care or other intervention, except a contraceptive dart to alternating mares. The state of Maryland tries to keep the numbers at around 150-175, since the island can’t fully support more than that. The ponies all have bloated bellies because they drink about twice the amount of water as normal horses due to their salty, marshy diet.

And they're just so darn cute!

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Jill's Journal: Our first morning on Assateague and we were greeted with this…

Wild Ponies!

**I wrote this soon after arriving on Saturday night -- it's still spectacular all these hours later!**

Jill's Journal: We made it! It was a long trek over multiple bridges, in three ocean-floor tunnels (but who’s counting?), and up the Eastern Shore of Virginia, but when we pulled into Assateague State Park on Assateague Island in Maryland, it was all worth it. Immediately greeting us was the stunningly beautiful sight of wild ponies grazing. And it just got better.

Time and time again, we spotted small herds of wild ponies, some so close we could have touched them. The tiny foals, surely no more than a month or two old, earned particular “oohs and aahs” from the girls (and if I must admit it, from me too!). We quickly noticed deer as well and unlike usual deer, these creatures have no fear of people. One small one with five points on his antlers walked so nonchalantly through our campsite that I swear he nodded hello as he passed.

And if that weren’t enough points in the amazing factor, we are literally camping on the beach. Only a small sand dune stands between us and the Atlantic Ocean. This place is spectacular. We’d heard it was – this is why we had to make these reservations a year ago and why we pushed so hard to get here. I’m so thankful we did. This is an experience the girls are going to remember for the rest of their lives.

Like with anything in life, there are a few drawbacks – first, it’s hotter than blazes (where’s that ocean breeze?) and there are no hook-ups. We’re “dry camping,” which means no power, no water, no air conditioning, no nothing. Rob planned for this, so we do have our own limited power (lights and fans and refrigerator) from battery and generator and we do have a full 95-gallon tank of fresh water to use. But this is roughing it. The old me thought staying in anything less than a five-star hotel was roughing it, so I’ve come a long way. But I’m definitely still not a camper in the traditional sense and have no desire to become one. At the moment I’m enamored by the whole thing…there’s wild ponies, after all…but seven nights of “roughing it” may wear on me!

But right now, there’s wild ponies!

Where we are now **

** Unfortunately I had to edit the heck out of this post for it to work correctly. I will try to work on that more as time goes on so that we can post immediately from the road. A good experiment, but I can't call it a success yet. -- R.

Well, if the posting works right, and the picture goes alongside - this has been the goal. Yes, the ponies really are throughout the campsites. Yes they are so in the campsite that the foal (laying down in the right of the photo) will walk through your tent and the stallion will steal food right off your table. We are still settling in and hopefully will post much more tonight, but I wanted to send along a little teaser today. :)


Sent from my iPhone

Facing Fears

Jill's Journal: I have three “irrational” fears in life and apparently I’m going to have to face two of them today. One is a strange disdain of long, high bridges. I like looking at them, but driving over them gives me the willies. I’m told the bridge we have to go over today is approximately 20 miles long. It will be a special kind of torture.

Another of my irrational fears is of tunnels. Actually, it’s more of a claustrophobia thing. Apparently one exits this particular bridge only to be thrust into more than a mile-long tunnel on the ocean floor. We’ll see if I’m still breathing at that point.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel has been designated one of seven engineering wonders of the modern world. All it needs is snakes (irrational fear #3) and my horror will be complete.

Remarkable Richmond

Jill's Journal: Richmond is amazing. There has got to be more history here per square inch than in most of the rest of the country combined. It kills me to have seen so little of it while we’ve been here! Driving downtown, I can’t help but swoon at all the old landmarks and buildings. It’s truly a history-lover’s playground.

No matter where I turn, I see another and then another and then another spot I want to explore. And all the beautiful, quaint, old churches (like the one in this picture!) make me wish we were going to be here on Sunday and I could go to services at about five of them in a row.

And yet, we must leave. The reservations we made a year ago on Assateague Island (which is going to be amazing all on its own) await. So, everyone from George Washington to Patrick Henry to Edgar Allan Poe to Stonewall Jackson must wait. We’re going to head up the East Coast in a few weeks and then we have to come back down through this area on our way south this fall or winter. I do believe we’ll stay awhile.

Leo and Christy

Jill's Journal: In 1993, I was brand-new in Phoenix. A few cubicles over from my spot at American Express was a vivacious Brazilian named Leo. It was soon clear that life was a party anytime Leo was in the house! Fun, fun, fun. Leo and his posse generously welcomed me into their crowd and I can’t even guess how many times we all laughed the night away at happy hour or a movie or simply at his house. Rob’s strongest memory of Leo involves the 1994 World Cup – Leo’s native Brazil won and you haven’t seen celebrating until you’ve seen a Brazilian celebrate a World Cup win. His family in Brazil was on speaker phone and it was pure, mad, chaotic joy. Again – life is a party when Leo is around!

Leo has since married his sweet wife, Christy, whom we met just once as we were leaving Phoenix. They are now settled just outside of Richmond and had us over tonight for a delicious meal (Christy is a wonderful cook!) and some wonderful Virginia hospitality. Their two boys played fabulously with our girls and the adults got to laugh and carry on like in the old days.

And tomorrow we get to see them again! They’re intrigued by how we manage in a fifth wheel and want a tour before we leave town.

Secretariat’s Birthplace

Jill's Journal: There’s so much history here in Richmond that I barely know where to start. So today I decided to start with what I know best: horse racing. The great Secretariat, the one name in racing the whole world knows, was born in Doswell, Virginia, in 1970. His unbelievable 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes in 1973 capped a rare Triple Crown victory and still sends goosebumps down the spine of even casual racing fans.

When I saw Doswell was only about 10 miles away from where we’re staying, I knew I had to find the spot. I just assumed it would be well-marked and tourists could visit because this IS Secretariat we’re talking about! Not so.

Meadow Stud is no more and the Virginia State Fair is now on the land. But I was on a mission. It didn’t seem anyone was around, but I must have poked around a little too much because a man soon came out to let me know I was trespassing. Oops. I told him what I was looking for and he sighed, saying they get several people each week asking the same thing and always send them away (clearly they underestimate the tourist draw they have!). I apologized profusely and must have looked pathetic, because he took pity on me.

He hopped in my car (I am definitely not in the habit of letting strange men in my car, especially with three young children – but this IS Secretariat we’re talking about)!! He said the site is closed except during the State Fair in September, but he brought me over to a small, unceremonious barn – more like a shed – and showed me where the great champion was foaled. He then brought me over to another part of the property to show me the yearling barn where “Big Red” spent the early part of his life. Sweet.

We parted with a handshake (I was so excited I would have preferred to hug him!) and he told me to tell all my “Kentucky friends what you’ve seen in Virginia. Just tell them not to do what you did.” Funny guy.