“It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...”

-Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830)

It was near midnight on April 19th. The National Weather Service had just issued a tornado warning for our area. While we contemplated just how serious the threat might be to us, the power went out. We thought it might be wise to make a run for it.


With only the beam of a small flashlight and an occasional lightening bolt, we made our way to a nearby building where we thought we might be safe. We hesitated as we drew near the building. Knowing the doors had been open for awhile, we wondered what danger might lurk inside. Would we be able to spot a raccoon in the deep, black, darkness before it spotted us?

We slowly shined our meager light into each stall, all the while listening for movement within and thundering winds without. I soon found myself standing in a puddle. The dampness on my feet, combined with a familiar, distasteful, smell, helped form the decision to tell Trevor we were about to make a dash for the other end of the building. This meant having to go back outside, but there are some things that to me, are worth the risk.

Our steps slowed for the second time that night as we approached the other side of the building. These doors had been open as well, making it necessary to do another thorough sweep of stalls. As we stepped through the door, we stopped suddenly to determine the source of a faint screeching sound. Hearing nothing, we slowly continued to inspect the room. There it was again! Thankfully, it was just the sound of my jacket scraping against the cinder block wall! Relieved it wasn't an animal, we gained the courage to continue the raccoon hunt at a faster pace. I for one, was especially relieved when the task was finished. I thank the Lord our emergency shelter is a restroom building!

I have always had a great fear of tornadoes. As I sent up prayer for protection, the Lord was sent down a lot of peace. At one point the winds sounded like the tornado could be very near us, but as I crouched between two cinder block walls, I didn't feel fear. I felt peace. Peace is nice.

There were no further incidents that night. Since Trevor works in our Living Room, the T.V.'s never on during the day. So it wasn't until the 5 pm News, that we learned there had been extensive damage done by the tornado. As we drove around town the next evening, we could see that the nearest damage to us occurred at the Dairy Queen about a mile away. They lost their sign. Trevor thinks they should now call their Blizzards, Twisters.

Today marks the one year anniversary of our great adventures. We're often asked if we're tired of this yet. We find it hard to believe anyone would get tired of this!





Saying Goodbye -Alpharetta, GA


Badlands National Park -Wall, SD

Medicine Bow Mountain -Cheyenne, WY





Mount Evans in Colorado


West Lafayette, IN



Jim Thorpe, PA








Rockingham, VT


Scarborough, ME

George Washington's Back Yard -Mount Vernon, VA








Skyline Drive, Shenandoa National Park, VA


Mrytle Beach, SC

Destin, FL
Corpus Christi, TX

Van Horn, TX

Usery Mountain Regional Park -Mesa, AZ



Joshua Tree National Park in California













"Bummer" Greenwood, NE

The Little People in MN











Before The Wedding
Our Newest Neighbor

It never occurred to me there'd be another time we'd have to run to that building in the middle of night. Imagine my surprise when close to a week later, at about the same time, we heard the tornado sirens going off. There wasn't even a storm in the area!

Our dear neighbor (who has no fear of tornadoes), saw us making a mad dash to the restroom building. He was kind enough to walk over with a key that turns on the lights. It was great to have light and the pleasure of his company.

When it was all clear, we went back to the RV to get some sleep. As soon as we laid down, some tremendous winds kicked up. They were so strong, we could almost feel a big oak tree falling on us. I have to say, we had an awesome time of worship at 3 am. Singing songs of praise, praying for protection for us and all our loved ones in the South. That was when the peace fell on both of us and we were able to finish the night in a peaceful slumber, even though the winds continued to roar outside.

We were shocked and saddened to hear the morning news filled with details of the devastation that took place through the night. We thank the Lord that our loved ones remained safe. We ask that everyone reading this will join us in prayer for comfort for those who lost loved ones.


We miss you all dearly, think of you often, and pray for you as well. Looking forward to when we can see each of you again. The weather's been crazy this year. Be careful out there! We love you!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Putting Our Sandals Away

We had perfect weather in Surprise, Arizona. Every day was sunny and warm as we hiked, biked, sat by the pool, and hung out with family, and old and new friends.

Then it was on to Yuma, Arizona for a few days. The weather there continued to be sunny, warm and wonderful! Christy's been wanting us to meet her brother since we began our adventures ten months ago. We met Dick about 10 minutes after we pulled into our site at Shangri-la RV Resort in Yuma. We just happened to call him as he was on his way home from playing in the sand with his ATV. It's always nice to meet a fellow full-timer and we hope to meet with him again sometime.


The following evening we enjoyed a great visit and a wonderful dinner with our friends, Rod and LaVee at their home not far from the RV resort. It was great to see them and their dog, Jed again. As we left their house that evening, the mountains near their home looked so beautiful as the setting sun was shining on them. I didn't have my camera with me, so Trev took a picture in the direction of their home at sunset the night before we left Yuma. We regret that we didn't have more time to spend there .We would have loved to have seen the sights with them, but we needed to be moving on to California.

The drive out west is so impressive! I usually like to read or write (or nap) while traveling, but I haven't been able to take my eyes off God's awesome landscaping since we first saw the mountains in Texas. California was no disappointment either! Not only are the mountains awesome, but get a load of the sand dunes at the Imperial Dunes Recreational Area! I'm thinking, our toad (tow vehicle) needs a tad- pull (a.k.a. dune buggy)!


Our stay in California was filled with more sunny days, warm temperatures, and lots of visiting with family and friends. There wasn't much time, but we tried to squeeze in as much sight-seeing as we could between visits. One thing I had my heart set on, was renting a dune buggy and having some fun on those tempting little sand dunes in the area. I thought I found a great place online, but it turned out they didn't rent their dune buggies out; they only gave tours in them. So we took a one hour tour of the area instead. I think if you want to use an actual dune buggy yourself, you need to bring your own. But it was fine. We learned a lot and the winds were so strong, I got a great dermabrasion that day, so that was nice and cheap!


The next day we toured Joshua Tree National Park. What an awesome place. We would love to camp in that park for about a year! It's so big, with so much to see and do. The scenery is awesome! I wish my camera could do more than just take in little bits at a time. Go there if you ever have the opportunity. I don't think they'll let you camp there for a year, but try to stay as long as you can.


The day before we left California we toured a very unusual place called Cabot's Pueblo Museum. The whole story behind the man who built the place and the place itself is so fascinating, it's too difficult to describe in a little blog. You really need to go there. One very useful thing we learned on the tour, was about the security system the man used when he was out of town. He kept rattlesnakes in something like a little trough that was built into a room in his house. When he left home, he let the rattlesnakes out. I know you wouldn't catch me breaking and entering there! I wonder how that'd work for an RV...


We left California, spent the night in Las Vegas, and had breakfast with my aunt and uncle the next day. It was so chilly that morning, we had to break out warmer clothes.


I could not believe how beautiful the drive from Las Vegas to Green River, Utah was! We spent the night in Utah, but didn't get to linger there. If you ever get out that way, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to hang out there for awhile. Trust me! We arrived at Cherry Creek State Park in Denver last Sunday. It's the same park we told you about back in July. It's a little different there during the winter season. We had some very nice visits with family there as well. Again, no time to linger, but I really want to see more of Colorado some day. It's such a beautiful state, but it was pretty cold by the time we left there today!


We haven't been able to spend any time in these gorgeous places, because we're on a mission to get to Minnesota. Our daughter's getting married in 2 weeks, so we had to give ourselves plenty of time to get there, due to the incredible amounts of cold temperatures and snow they've been getting.
I'm glad to be traveling through Nebraska right now, because it's giving me time to catch you up to date with all we've been doing. But with every mile it seems to get colder and colder.

It was time to put the sandals away for a awhile. As I did so, I felt as though I was heading into winter while most of you are welcoming spring. I came so close to getting through an entire winter without seeing snowflakes. I can't believe my daughter's making us come to Minnesota right now! Obviously we love her very much. We're looking forward to seeing her and the rest of our family and joining together in celebration as she marries the love of her life. But we're freezing! And looking forward to when we can get the sandals out again!

Love,
Trevor & Roni


-Sunrise at Sands RV Park and Golf Resort, Desert Hot Springs, CA

Sedona, Arizona

Spontaneous trips are the best! Trevor and I were hiking at White Tank Mountain in Buckeye, Az Saturday morning, when we got the idea to go to Sedona for the rest of the weekend.

By the time we finished our hike, took care of some business in town, booked a room, packed our clothes and made the 2 hour trip to Sedona, it was well past dark when we checked into the hotel. We were tired and under some delusion we'd be checking out of the hotel the next day, so we went to bed early, completely unaware of what surrounded our hotel. When Trevor opened the curtains in the morning, we couldn't believe what we were seeing! The whole town was surrounded by big, beautiful, red rock mountains. It was clear to us we were going to need another day!


As we drove north toward Oak Creek Canyon, the only word coming from my mouth was, “Wow!” The views everywhere were so breathtaking, it was hard to believe it was real.


The landscape changed quite a bit all through our Sunday drive, from the dry, cactus filled rocks of Sedona, to the snow capped mountains of Flagstaff. We arrived back at the hotel just in time to take a little hike on Margs Draw Trail before sunset. We thought about doing this hike earlier in the day, but there was so much to see and since it was located right behind our hotel in the city, we didn't think this trail could have that much to offer. We were so wrong!!!


It's all wilderness up there. The beauty of it is indescribable. Your eyes take in so much more than the camera's able to at one time, so photographs cannot come close to the beauty that your eyes behold.

Margs Draw is linked to a whole bunch of other trails. You could easily hike for days up there, but you could easily get lost as well, so be careful if you get up that way, bring lots of water and pay attention to where you're going. If you have a terrible sense of direction like me, do not hike this trail alone, unless of course, you want to spend the rest of your days in the wilderness. Then is a great place to start!



We've never been disappointed with a spur-of-the-moment trip. We did this one, not even realizing it was Valentine's Day. We could not have planned a more romantic trip!

We hope all of you are doing well. We love you and miss you lots.

Love, Trevor & Roni

We Found It!

We found the warm weather we've been seeking! But not as quickly as we'd hoped. We thought, “Surely it'll be warm down in Corpus Christi!” The only thing warm in Corpus Christi, was my heart when I saw my brother and sister-in-law for the first time in so many years!

It was such a blessing to see my big brother who stood by me through some rough times as I grew up. He was the one I drew strength from as we shared some of those times together and the one who stood by me as I struggled to face trials of my own as I grew older. He always seemed to call or come by at just the right time as if he knew I needed someone to cheer me up or just to keep me company. I'll never forget what you did for me brother! It was good to see you and I hope it won't be as long before I see you again. But if it is, at least I have a more current picture of you!


We left Corpus Christi early Saturday morning and although it took us two long days to reach our destination, we did enjoy views of mountains and prairies and got an interesting view of Mexico as we drove along the border.


We're currently in a town near Phoenix, Arizona, called Surprise. And Surprise! It's sunny and warm here! We've finally attained our goal of reaching warmth before winter's over.

This being a 55+ community, we are a little young to be staying here at Sunflower Resort, but thankfully, they agreed to let us in anyway.
We've become accustomed to wide open spaces, so it's a little claustrophobic near the motor home, but there's no lack of things to do here.


Just off the top of my head I can tell you there's a lap pool, social pool, a spa and a hot tub. There's a gym, bistro, library, billiard hall, wood shop and special events in the ballroom. There are rooms for silver jewelry making, pottery, sewing, leather tooling, stained glass art and woodcarving. There are courts for tennis, shuffle board, pickle ball, bocce ball, ladder golf, horseshoes, and a couple of driving cages where you can practice your swing (if you have one). On top of all of this, there are numerous activities going on all over the place.


If you want to come here, don't hesitate to give this place a call even if you're not 55+. Chances are they will let you in. The people are very friendly here (as most of them are from Minnesota), but they stop you all the time to ask you if you're here to visit your parents. A small price to pay for all these amenities!

As we take in the warmth and soak in the much coveted rays of sunshine, we'll be thinking of each one of you, because we miss you so much. We love you!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Where's The Heat?

It's a little colder than I expected it to be down here in the South! I'm not complaining, because I know some of you have had to shovel your car out of the snow at least once this week. I totally empathize with you. It's just that I've always been under the impression it was swimsuit weather all winter down here. My friend Dianna tried to warn me it was a little colder than that, but it was hard for that to compute after seeing the snowbirds arrive in Minnesota year after year with such awesome tans. I want to know how they do that. I can count on one hand the number of times it's been warm enough to wear a t-shirt in the two months we've been here.


Before leaving Destin, Florida, we had the great pleasure of seeing “the little people” who spent their winter break with their dad at Eglin Air Force Base. It was kind of sad they had to bring their winter jackets with them to visit us at our place on the beach, but we did manage to get them into sweaters and even swimsuits a few times before they had to head back to Minnesota.


On our way to Corpus Christi we spent a week in New Braunfels, TX, where Trevor was able to muse about his roots as we read the many historical markers telling the story of the German people who settled there. Our daughter Jennifer and our friend Bob have each spent time in the area so we were able to get a good heads up on what sights to see.


We saw the view from the Faust Street Bridge built in 1887. It's no longer in use for cars, but is lined with benches where you can relax and watch the Guadalupe River. We had dinner at the Gristmill Restaurant in nearby Gruene, built in a cotton gin from the 1870's, we took a look at Gruene Hall, built in 1878, it's the oldest continuous running dance hall in Texas, and we went to a beautiful nearby town called Canyon Lake. On the way into Canyon Lake, is where you really start to see the hills of Texas Hill Country. We liked the hills and Overlook Park where you get a great view of the town, the water, sailboats, fly fishers and birds.

There's a beautiful, relaxing view of the Guadalupe River from the deck of Bubba's Big Deck in New Braunfels. The Guadalupe floods pretty badly at times. You can see a high water mark in a tree off the deck at Bubba's. Bob told us the water was 6 inches higher than that during the June 9th flood there. The river looks like a great place to be in the summer if you like tubing on the river. The river's loaded with tube rental places. We've heard it gets pretty crazy around there.


We arrived in Corpus Christi on Sunday afternoon and words cannot express how happy I was to see my brother Bill and my sister-in-law Patti on Monday evening. It's been too long and I know when it's time, this departure's going to be a tough one. But I hear it's in the 60's and 70's in Arizona!!! Stay safe and stay warm!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Who Am I Kidding?

I love it here in Flagler Beach, Florida, but with our front row view to the ocean, I can't write here! I can't take my eyes off the large, white- capped waves rolling toward me, or the sandpipers, seagulls and pelicans.


I get restless waiting for low-tide to arrive so I can go see what's washed up on the beach today. Will it be man-of-wars, starfish, or jellyfish? What kind of crab will I see today?
What new texture will I just have to photograph? I'm just going to have to hang on to my notes and research for awhile and try to find that cornfield in Iowa again sometime. Maybe if we park there for a few months I can get somewhere again.

In the meantime, I'll keep my notebook handy while taking in the wondrous beauty that surrounds us now. It got a little cold here, so we went to the Florida Keys last weekend looking for warmer temperatures. It was terrible! Trevor didn't want to drive home through the high winds on the day we were suppose to leave the Keys, so we were stranded on our tropical island for another week!



We felt so bad as we thought of our dear loved ones in Minnesota being dumped on by two feet of snow, while we got two feet of sand! The Keys are a great place to visit. The water's so pretty there and the sights from the bridges connecting the Keys are awesome. So many tiny little islands sticking out of the vast, beautiful Gulf on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.
Key West was an interesting place. It's a great place if you like to shop (which you can't do if you live in an RV) and the old homes and buildings are always fun to look at. We had lunch at The Banana Cafe. It's a little French restaurant with the best French Onion Soup I've ever tasted. After lunch we took a glass bottom boat ride out to the coral reef. There's some very interesting coral out there and some pretty cool fish as well.


Arrived back in Flagler Beach on Sunday where the temps are up and down. We'll be heading out west to see my brother soon, hoping it's a little warmer there in Texas. A lot of you will be traveling this weekend. Have fun, be safe, and enjoy your time with family and friends. We miss you!


Love, Trevor and Roni