It’s about that time…

… to once again look back and reflect on Emma’s and my experiences this past year.  I find the best way for me to recall most of what happened is to look at all of my photos that I took.  So, as in years past, I hope you enjoy my walk down memory lane.

As 2013 began, I was volunteering at Okefenokee NWR in Georgia, but in less than a week of the new year I had to move off of the refuge to Okefenokee Pastimes Campground.  My brother Kurt (aka Nurse Ratchet) arrived from Arizona to help me recuperate from a total hip replacement surgery at Mayo Clinic in Waycross, GA.  I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been there to help me.

After a month, I returned to the refuge and went back to work.  I enjoyed all of the wildlife that is abundant in the great swamplands and long leaf pine forests of the refuge. ‘Oke’ is surely a special place and a wonder.

At the top of the list, of course, were all the enjoyable times spent with family, friends, and fellow volunteers and bloggers.  The grandgirls each came for a sleepover in the rig, I and friend Jack held a wild baby alligator in our hands, and my sister Pam helped me with taking ‘flat Joey’ on some adventures.  In this time, I was finally able to retire my cane and begin walking naturally again.  Yahoo!

In the middle of April, I left Okefenokee to make my way to Scott, LA, for annual maintenance work on the rig.  While at Thibodaux's RV, I also had some new MCD shades installed and got new ‘shoes’ for the motorhome.  A costly stop, but necessary.  Then I was on my way to journey to northern Minnesota.  Along the way I got stopped in Arkansas a couple of times due to the weather, but that allowed me to meet up with another blogger, Carolyn, and the sister of Janna.  I did some sight seeing along the way, and battled wind storms as I got into the Dakotas.  They were strong enough to unravel my awning as I drove along.  It was a challenging journey.

After several trials and tribulations, I eventually made it to Tamarac NWR in the middle of May.  The snow was barely gone when I arrived, and a week later my friend Jack arrived for a visit.  We spent a couple of days finding all the ‘big things’ we could in the surrounding area that are listed in Roadside America.  That was fun to have some company for these outings.  Thankfully, Jack is up to these kind of crazy outings.  We even went to another snazzy place to eat!  No Waffle Houses in this neck of the woods. 

May and June were spent doing bird surveys and battling ticks.  Each night I was lulled to sleep by the trumpeting of the swans.  I had to take the bird feeders in each night because of the bears, but it was worth it to spend time in another of our most wild and beautiful places.

That only gets us half way through the year, so I guess I’ll continue tomorrow on the eve of a new year…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy