Good on you, Bill Moyers

The Life and Arts section of the Austin American – Statesman newspaper in the April 17th, 2007 edition quotes Bill Moyers, journalist, publisher, television personality, as saying, “I have no retirement skills.” Now 72, Moyers retired in 2004, then 2006 and returns again to television April 25, 2007.

Fantastic, a man living fully, creating, expressing himself, adding his thoughts to this wonderful mix called "life on planet earth."

Big Bend National Park

Imagine 800,000 acres filled with Chihuahan desert, the Chisos Mountain Range, and spectacular canyons carved by the Rio Grande complete with 120 miles of flood plains.

This remote park is the least visited yet the variety of geological formations, the ability to hike over 200 miles of trails of varying degrees of difficulty, the opportunity to observe birds and wildlife make this a spot we will return to again.

Enjoy the park with your car, 4wheel drive, bike, canoe or kayak. Stay in your rv, tent or the Chisos Mountains Lodge. It is advisable to book reservations ahead of time, if possible, both for the campsites or the Lodge. You can enjoy the restaurant at Chisos Mountain Lodge or prepare your own meals. Some groceries are available from several convenience stores within the park boundaries, so it is advisable to bring in what you want.

Called the “Last Frontier of Texas,” you can sense the ruggedness and determination of early ranchers and farmers while you explore several of the old homestead sites remaining within the park boundaries.

We left with a sense of awe and a thirst for more knowledge about this incredible area and the geology that it displays.

Growing at any phase of life!

In the RV park we met several couples who told us, “We retired too early.” Betty, a former accountant whose husband Martin was a salesman in fabrics stated, “We had a tough time. Martin became depressed and got ill. He really didn’t improve until he started to rebuild a house we bought that needed major renovations. Though he knew nothing about building, he learned what needed to be done, and with the help of several friends did a fantastic job.”

She continued, “I retired because I thought I should. I loved my job, and I missed it. Working part-time would have helped that very difficult transition.”

There is that retirement myth again; to retire successfully means we engage in only in non-challenging activities. The truth is we are only happy when we are growing by being challenged. We also require being involved in something we enjoy. We have greater energy, health and joy, all necessary ingredients to feeling alive and fulfilled.

For a delightful, joyous next phase of your life, find something that makes you feel excited to get up in the morning. If that is your present job, give thanks for it, stay in it, and enjoy it! If it isn’t what you are presently doing, move on to an activity that makes your heart sing.
You deserve it, in fact, you owe it to yourself! Think of it as your work in this phase of your life, to find that thing that wakes your purpose and passion.

Creston: Catching up with old friends

We spent an evening catching up with friends. Paul, 59, a retired computer programmer discussed his now 9 year retirement. “I’ve had fun, but I’m feeling restless. I need something more.”

Debbie, our good friend leaned in to say, “And he hasn’t been idle either, he has found grant money for after school programs for kids, and has been involved in helping the local community center organize various programs for all age levels. The whole community has benefited.”

“I also realize that I have inherited longevity genes,” Paul continued. “My parents are alive and well in their middle 80’s. I have an ample opportunity of 30 years of good health. I’m looking for something more.”

We asked, “Is there something that you have always wanted to do, but believed you weren’t smart enough, wealthy enough, young enough?”

“Ah, a good question, and one that I will ponder to see what shows up!” We agreed to meet again to consider the options that would wander into his consciousness now that he had agreed to allow these ideas to bubble up. For Hugh and I, it is great fun to watch people s-t-r-e-t-c-h and grow!

A beautiful Fall day

What better way to celebrate Fall than an oldfashioned ride in a horsedrawn chuckwagon through the beautiful countryside around Creston BC.

Glenn our friend, gives his horses a workout building their strength and endurance for a week long romp through the gorgeous mountain terrain in this part of the world.

Stewart BC, and Hyder Alaska

What a fascinating place! Glaciers, waterfalls, ocean, spawning salmon, grizzly and black bears, beavers, marmots, unique individuals keep us enjoying this area. We look out of our motor coach windows to enjoy the clouds caressing the mountains with the glaciers peeping around the edges, looking like blankets of white placed askew.

We have enjoyed a 30 mile drive on gravel roads that wind around the green mountain valleys that lead to Salmon Glacier. We looked down on this frozen river of ice where it splits into two inching along.

Then there is the bear viewing platform that accommodates hundreds of people who want to see the grizzlies and black bears. We have seen a sow with triplets, several boars, and black bears too. The gulls keep the air filled with a cacophony of sounds, warning each other of their territories.

Finally, the unique folks who make this area their home: people who know boom times in the mining, fishing and logging businesses industries, those who love the wildness of the area and the freedom it offers.

Grizzly mother and cubs at Hyder Alaska

 

An interview with Spokesman Review reporter Julianne Crane

We were recently interviewed by Julianne Crane, reporter for the Spokesman Review in Spokane, Washington. She writes a weekly column about RVing, and was a presenter at the RV School on Wheels in July at Moscow, Idaho. Here is part of what we told her:

6 Questions to consider when couples RV:

1. How much time to do you actually spend together? – Try a weekend or a week completely alone, together to check out how comfortable this is.


2. How do you set boundaries? Small spaces like RVs require each to have their time and space apart from each other. Negotiate how you will do this.


3. Have you learned any new skills in the last 5 years? Adaptability and the willingness to try new things are required for rving.

4. How comfortable are you meeting new people? You will be out of your familiar social environment, how can you connect with others? You may want to rv with friends so all your social needs aren’t being met by your partner.

Remember your sexual differences, women, usually it is difficult for men to provide sufficient as nurturing as your girlfriends. Men need an activity that provides action.

5. How many new activities or adventures have you planned to do with your partner? This is an avenue where both of you tackle something together providing an avenue for mutual support and nurturing. It can create the spirit of being cooperative rather than competitive, deepening your connection.

6. Do your values and interests mesh? If one of you likes activity and the other likes quiet time, you will need to work on finding what works for both of you.

Really, these questions identify the qualities of a good relationship which are intensified by RVing. We recently learned of a couple who bought a beautiful motor coach, set out on a holiday, returning a month later to divorce!

These adjustments differ substantially whether you are weekending or long term rving, whether children or grandchildren are involved, size of coach, room to bring different activities, etc.