Travel - by sea, by land or air

It has been a while since I have put together anything in my blog. However, I have been thinking about different ways that I would like to travel and see the world.

There are different modes of transportation. If I were to travel in the US, I think I would like to take up RVing. This reminds me so much of my father. He is so much into RVing that he now owns three of them.

There are so many different styles of RVs. There are the campers, the tent trailer, the travel trailers, the 5th Wheelers, the motorhomes, the diesel pushers...Need I say more.

Each of these styles of RVs have their pluses and minuses.


Let's start at the bottom and work our way up.


There is your basic, tent trailer. These are popular if you like to have little or not privacy. The only good thing about these tent trailers is that they have a stove and small refrigerator. They do sleep better than a tent that you would have to pitch each time you stay somewhere.

Next would be your Camper that would fit on the back of your truck. The camper from long ago has come a long way baby. As you can see the layout is quite nice. They even now carry bathrooms with a slide out no less. WOW. Back in the day when all you could do is barely stand in the small kitchen and climb up to a very small bed.


Now let's move up the the travel trailer. They come is different sizes. From very small (15 feet) to very long (32 feet). They nice travel trailers have different amenities. The smaller version being the "divorce model" as my father would call it, to the great luxury one with everything.






Some of the larger versions even have slide outs.







I think I like ours the best right now. We would really like to upgrade. Our is only a 19 ft travel trailer. As Daddy would say, "The divorce model" he he.




Now we are getting into the next phase of traveling. That would be with the motorhomes. They come in different classes. A Class C motorhome would be like a van with a bed in it.

Then there is your Class B motorhomes. These have a little more to them. Even a little bathroom.

Next would come your Class A motorhomes. They also come in different sizes. They can be from 18 ft to 45 ft. Each with their own amenities. It would be like living in a home on wheels. These can also include 5th Wheels. Some of the ones that Bob and I looked at when we were shopping for travel trailers were something else. You could definitely travel the US and live comfortably in one of these.

Now here is a 5th Wheeler that is every persons dream. It is a 36 ft dream of all dreams. With the slide outs you have a home that is just cozy for two and dogs. As you can see in the picture above, there are at least 4 slide outs with this model. Now hold on to your hat...the cost for this little baby...$96,905. A life savings if I ever did hear of one.



Here are a few pictures of the inside.

Front room. Notice the TV with the nice fireplace below it.

This is the kitchen dinning area Not very big, but just right for two.

Next is the bedroom. You can notice from the kitchen view that you will step up a couple of steps to get there. This is a queen size bed in a nice full size bedroom. There is a shower off to the left and the bathroom off to the right. Can you believe that there is even a full size closet in this one. YIKES. No wonder you pay a bundle for this.




As you can see travel by land can be very comfortable. If you were to travel by sea, it could also be nice. I was able to take a cruise to Cabo San Lucus with Celebrity Cruise Lines. What an adventure. The cruise was wonderful. www.celebrity.com

Then by air, well...there are some many different airlines. I was able one time to fly with Delta and went Business Class. This was really different for me as I was not able t fly that particular class as it was very expensive at the time.

So now you can see what mode of transportation I would like to do.

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures.

New Hobby!

Photography is a new hobby that I have just picked up. This last weekend we went on a drive through the Watsach Mountains on the Alpine Loop. It was the best time to drive through these majestic mountains. Bob and I were able to start out driving by Sundance Resort and up past Timpanogas Caves.




Picture 1: Overlooking Sundance Resort. Here you can see the bottom of the ski runs.










Picture 2: Looking down the road from Sundance Resort.
In the background is one of the ski runs for Sundance Resort.








Picture 3: The Aspen Grove
You can almost walk on the path between the trees.







Picture 4: Mt. Valley
I looked into this ravine and all the colors just jumped out at me.











Picture 5: Mt. Spring near Timpanogas Caves







This was a very enjoyable time just to get out and try out our new camera. I now know how to upload to snapfish and can order 22 prints. What I really would like to do is to get some copies and have them framed. Try and get different scenes from each of the seasons of the year. That would be just wonderful. The only problem with the Alpine Loop though, it would be closed during the winter due to the snow and road conditions.

Hope everyone enjoys.

My hobbies

There is so much that I like to do. One of which is to crochet. The other is to take pictures. We have a new digital camera that we bought and really like. As I was coming upstairs to make my bed last night, I just happened to look out of our bedroom window to see the harvest moon rising over the Wastch mountains. It was the most beautiful sight of all. I immediately grabbed my camera and started taking pictures. I wasn't sure how it was going to come out, but here are some of the photos I got last night.

Not bad for an amateur. We are about 30 miles away from where the moon was raising above the mountains. A harvest moon at that.

As I also said, I like to crochet. A friend of the family, Darla Masey, crochets everything. She

even makes her own patterns. Before I found placemat patterns on line, she had one that she had created herself. It is the best pattern I have ever tried.

Here are the instructions:

Darla's Placemats

Use a size "I" hook

Round 1: Ch 16. DC in 3rd ch from hook. 1 DC in same ch. 2 DC in next ch. 1 DC in next 10 ch. 2 DC in next ch, 4 DC in last ch. Working on the opposite side of ch st, 2 DC in next ch. 1 DC in next 10 ch. 2 DC in next chain, 2 DC in last ch. Join.

Round 2: Ch 3, 1 DC in joining st. 2 DC in next 2 st. 1 DC in next 11 st. 2 DC in next 3 st.1 DC in next st. 2 DC in next 3 sts. 1 DC next 11 sts. 2 DC in next 4 sts. Join

Round 3: Ch 3, 2 DC in next 3 sts. 1 DC in next 17 sts. 2 DC in next 3 sts. 1 DC in next st, 2 DC in next 3 sts. 1 DC in next 17 sts. 2 DC in next 3 sts. Join.

Round 4: Ch 4. Skip one space, 1 DC in next st. *Ch 1, skip one space, 1 DC in next st.* Repeat from * to * around. Join.

Round 5: Ch 3. 2 DC in Ch 1 sp, 1 DC in DC space around. Join.

Round 6: Ch 3, 2 DC in next 3 sts. DC in next 38 sts. 2 DC in next 3 sts, 1 DC in next st, 2 DC in next 3 sts. 1 DC in next 38 sts. 2 DC in next 3 sts. Join.

Round 7: Ch 4. Skip one space, 1 DC in next st. *Ch 1, skip one space, 1 DC in next st.* Repeat from * to * around. Join.

Round 8: Ch 3. 2 DC in Ch 1 sp, 1 DC in DC space around. Join.

Round 9: Ch 4. *skip 2 sts, SC in next st,Ch 3*. Repeat from * to * around. Join

Round 10: Ch 4. 1 SC in each Ch 3 space around. Join.

Round 11: Ch 5. 1 SC in each Ch 3 space around. Join.

Round 12: Ch 1. * SC in first Ch 4 space, 5 DC in next Ch 4 sp. Repeat from * to * around. Join.

Weave in ends.

Hope you enjoy!

Tribute to my dogs

I am an animal lover. I have had dogs and cats since I was little. I can remember the first dog we got as a child. He really belonged to my older brother. His name was "Joker". He was a chihuahua, white with a black spot on his head and eye. He was the runt of the litter. What a cutie he was. When he fell asleep on my brother's neck one time, he was in such a deep sleep, he peed on my bother's neck. What a way to wake up.

The next dog we had was a cattle dog. His name was "Stubby" as he had a stubby tail. When we gave him away to a friend of the family who lived on a cattle ranch, they called him "Davey".

As my younger brother and I grew up, we wanted to get another dog. This one was a small dog named "Tippy". He was a ball of fire. Always chasing after things, even porcipines.

One day, while I was waiting for my school bus to take me home from my after school activity, there was this really cute puppy that someone had left at the school. With me and my love for animals, I thought what was the harm in bringing her home. When I got home, I had her in my coat and showed my Dad. I asked if I could keep her. Dad said yes. I then went into the house and showed my Mom. The first thing she asked me was, "How big are her feet?" You guessed it. They were big. She turned out to be a Labrador. I did get to keep her. I named her "Sandy" as she was a sandy color. Sandy was a very affectionate dog. She would sit up and wrap her paws around your waist and give you a hug. Something that my father taught her to do. You would think that a big dog would be able to do that, but she did! Unfortunately, Tippy was hit by a truck and Sandy, we had to give away as I couldn't keep her in my apartment after I got married.

After getting married and staying in a house, Bob and I wanted to get a puppy. We got a chihuahua/terrier mix, the runt of the litter. We named her "Cocoa". So she wouldn't be lonely, we got another dog named "Puff". Again, the runt of the litter. When Bob was transferred to Kalispell, Montana to work, we had to give Cocoa up. She went to an elderly couple that my older brother knew. Puff had to be put to sleep as she was very sick and we couldn't do anything for her.

We finally moved back to our home town and when my older brother's dog just had puppies we asked if we could have one of them. We took "Babe" home with us. We had Babe for almost 17 years. She died of old age.



We are now in Salt Lake City. Our kids would like to have a puppy. (Really it was me.) Our next puppy was Napoleon, Nappy for short. He was a cocapoo. He was just a bundle of life. He would run in the back yard with the kids and chase them all over. He loved burrowing next to you on the bed. He always knew when you weren't feeling good. He was right there when you needed it most.



Next came our Josephine, Josie for short. Brenda gave her to me for either Mother's Day or my birthday. It was not long after we lost Babe. Another bundle of joy. Bob called her his little fur baby. She was the light of our lives. We almost lost her to parvo when she was a puppy. We would have to force feed her. Bob thought that if he tried using his little finger to help her eat, she would make it. She did! She took to Bob's finger like a pacifier. Any time we would go out, Josie would have to "suck" on my finger like a pacifier. It was her way of feeling content and comforted.

When our daughter, Brenda, went to Germany, she was unable to take her dogs with her. So, we inherited her Jack Russell and Golden retriever, Eddie and Ranger. Four dogs in the house! It really wasn't that bad.

Again we went through a traumatic ordeal as we had to put Nappy down. He was paralyzed from the waist down. A year later, Josie died from anaflatic shock after having her shots. I think that was the hardest year for our family. One dog who had to be put down and the other one unexpectantly. We still miss them a lot.


We still have good reliable Ranger, Brenda has Eddie in Germany and we went to the Humane Society and picked out another dog to be a buddy for Ranger as he missed Eddie. Thinking that the dog I picked out would be a small one, I was very sadly mistaken. "Callie" turned out to be a Boarder Collie. They are a mid sized dog that is sooooo full of energy, they keep you coming and going day and night.


We have a very complete family now with Ranger and Callie. Something to keep us happy and busy in our "later" years. I wouldn't trade having dogs for pets for nothing. When they say they are man's best friend, they truely are.

Some of my collections

There are several things around my house that I like to collect. One of which is lighthouses. One of my favorite painters is "Thomas Kinkade". His paintings and artwork have such a beautiful feel to them. One of the collections I have of lighthouses is a Thomas Kinkade collection known as the "Seaside Collection".


Another collection I have is the "Promise Bear" Collection. The reason I like this collection is because I have had several friends that have had breast cancer. With this particular collection, I was able to donate a portion of my purchase to breast cancer research.




One of the other things I like to do is collect stuff animals. For my 50th birthday, my husband took me to "Build A Bear" and I was able to build my very own "Callie Girl". It was the best! She is so cute.








One of my favorite bears is the bear that my daughter sent me from Germany. I have that one in my front room in a very special place of honor. The wreath that it is in was given to me by my Pastor's wife for my 50th birthday.

New Orleans - Past

I wanted to post some pictures of New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit this city. I had the fortune to go there about a year ago. It was right after Mardi Gras. It was great!



Here you can see downtown New Orleans from the mighty Mississippi. Now all under water.




This is Jackson Square right in the heart of the French Quarter.




Here you see a view of the Mississippi from my room at the "W" Hotel that is right next to the Super Dome downtown.




After seeing everything that is going on in New Orleans, let's all keep the people in our prayers as they try to get back to some sort of normalcy. Those were much happier times.

Finished Project

I have finally finished my lap blanket. It really didn't take me long to finish it. It was fun. I would like to try something bigger now with the larger loom. There are so many projects that you can do with the butterfly loom. I will experiment and show some samples.

Butterfly Looming

Butterfly looming is something that I just learned how to do. I was searching on Annie's Attic for a crochet pattern and came across these looms. They come in different sizes and shapes. This one is a medium loom. I am making a lap blanket with some extra yarn that I have. It has been fun putting it together. Once I have it finished, I will post another picture.

Barbara's Hobbies

Blogging is something new to me. My son started it and then my husband. It was something that looked like fun.

Here are some of my hobbies: I like to crochet. I also like to collect different things. As you can see from my blog, I like lighthouses. I have several around the house. I also collect bears, Precious Moments, thimbles, small bells, and tea cups.

I also like to travel. This blog will be a culmination of what I like to do. Kind of a picture diary.

Hope you like it.