tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37003824648337973182024-03-14T06:23:20.713-07:00The Tails of Jeff and CharliJeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-69162814923992914502020-09-05T10:52:00.009-07:002021-04-03T10:04:50.204-07:00Chapter 31 - Florida<p>At the end of my last post I stated, "My next post will be a photo journal of our time here in Florida." Apparently I'm a clairvoyant because... that's what THIS is!</p><p>During our 4 months in the beautiful southwest gulf coast of Florida, we had the opportunity to see and do a ton of amazing things, including kayaking in scenic rivers (with alligators), snorkeling in azure blue waters over colorful coral reefs, and experiencing close encounters with dolphins, giant rays, manatees, sharks and yes, alligators. And even though you <i>should</i> see them, I'll spare you the 500 or so stunning sunrise and sunset pictures and just give you a sampling of some of our favorite moments. </p><p>The bottom line is... Florida is SO much more than Ft. Lauderdale and Disney World. Take a look.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Kayaking</b></span> <br /></p><p>The house we were at sat on a canal that led into the Peace River. When we first got there we borrowed the owner's kayaks, but within 2 weeks we had our own inflatables. This picture is a typical morning on the river. We tried to get out and see the sunrise at least 3 times per week, and it ALWAYS looked this beautiful.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUsLs6AXDHpqVSfsVqvP-ITshdS5-oy63WSs5eHNeeLTza1q8Eeg5haeAnBdjcuEhPxjayb_mMkqmit1HhkMjsi5fFcpbcRZXfRdGrzAe0BljoatEXRRWagQjXam-6GKcamFkGKoM9FA/s2048/Peace+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUsLs6AXDHpqVSfsVqvP-ITshdS5-oy63WSs5eHNeeLTza1q8Eeg5haeAnBdjcuEhPxjayb_mMkqmit1HhkMjsi5fFcpbcRZXfRdGrzAe0BljoatEXRRWagQjXam-6GKcamFkGKoM9FA/w625-h469/Peace+1.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 AM on the Peace River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoIIId2qGPNLDoI6HiQUjYJSnGhWBNZWNRmafwnxPq44GqvYTququSXNqh4HmW4srgIKx21kAia1beJZpOkpyh4j7qu_yX0VF1rwlx_QMd3t7hMY5uL6y4I3Gx7bFGbCTlofj6ELhYfA/s2048/Ted+Sperling+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoIIId2qGPNLDoI6HiQUjYJSnGhWBNZWNRmafwnxPq44GqvYTququSXNqh4HmW4srgIKx21kAia1beJZpOkpyh4j7qu_yX0VF1rwlx_QMd3t7hMY5uL6y4I3Gx7bFGbCTlofj6ELhYfA/w625-h469/Ted+Sperling+1.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amazing inflatables<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRA3yAnw9neVBBKnZPwh55yhmgq4PxurahjBQZ4ZD40aY0avg64FDKFfen_D8OhL26GpWOb2JmYfqjjKiZOGO5dHl39zdU_Kdk66qRdv_fVhIK30LyIAVgYApATrVk0JtHECpmvOY2hE/s2048/Orange+River.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="2048" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRA3yAnw9neVBBKnZPwh55yhmgq4PxurahjBQZ4ZD40aY0avg64FDKFfen_D8OhL26GpWOb2JmYfqjjKiZOGO5dHl39zdU_Kdk66qRdv_fVhIK30LyIAVgYApATrVk0JtHECpmvOY2hE/w640-h452/Orange+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange River in Fort Myers, FL - one of our favorite kayak spots<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzW25Zqd6NefCX4uICU_G1845-455klJm3h3AgxZ92LcEHQednwlHAz-nVhysbnd2HESjdQYJlXdEfJkCykkO_y7xBGh9kx6XUGHFHfAPEvI1Gui_pFLnJgz4pCxoQlBtcnrD3FHA9-8/s1080/Drone+on+Shell+Creek.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzW25Zqd6NefCX4uICU_G1845-455klJm3h3AgxZ92LcEHQednwlHAz-nVhysbnd2HESjdQYJlXdEfJkCykkO_y7xBGh9kx6XUGHFHfAPEvI1Gui_pFLnJgz4pCxoQlBtcnrD3FHA9-8/w640-h360/Drone+on+Shell+Creek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us on Shell Creek as seen from a friendly local's drone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1RNDyu43-8N8W5cFeF1EeKTWC6N0JHiQ7004DQpYFKgN0xYkenO_1HJz6c6TTzTT1zF1HlU7eDbMFLgLlrQEPrrzNAGvC9_ccFn72Z-4N7_Cz-bv79mYtABD4UQzcMQLmoI7TXrgDiM/s1500/Shell+creek+from+drone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1500" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1RNDyu43-8N8W5cFeF1EeKTWC6N0JHiQ7004DQpYFKgN0xYkenO_1HJz6c6TTzTT1zF1HlU7eDbMFLgLlrQEPrrzNAGvC9_ccFn72Z-4N7_Cz-bv79mYtABD4UQzcMQLmoI7TXrgDiM/w640-h360/Shell+creek+from+drone.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shell Creek - we kayaked 6 miles up this river from our house to the dam<br />Oh, and 6 miles back as well<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVfVMbm8XOkH85tavpiOx6NBf62x7b5XF6_8BtkUcXAWWkGHfLntP2uz0KcGwDkHbmPuc4NYw4D-kQ_dIWYbNawPtMYeqf0AsIjXJvz2EyA2JHVrPzOCexVbylfKQdN_jQRd0_aBUUYs/s2048/Myakka+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVfVMbm8XOkH85tavpiOx6NBf62x7b5XF6_8BtkUcXAWWkGHfLntP2uz0KcGwDkHbmPuc4NYw4D-kQ_dIWYbNawPtMYeqf0AsIjXJvz2EyA2JHVrPzOCexVbylfKQdN_jQRd0_aBUUYs/w640-h426/Myakka+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alligators are in all the rivers and creeks around there, but they're not interested in kayakers. We think.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Beaches</b></span></p><p>Nothing defines southwest Florida better than its white sand beaches. Although Charli and I are not interested in "sunbathing" we do very much enjoy them for walking, having dinner at sunset, swimming and snorkeling, and a favorite of ours - collecting shark teeth! Because of a certain way the ocean floor slants at Venice Beach, shark teeth have been collecting there for millions of years and if you're patient you can find a bunch.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW36cFNdPuZbFkKRDxzbI4L1bxYW-BeAMKUC8yyxtB49KwkAURUeuRdYvqH3AiWeMzjnMquT_zpPviawVKvz8I0wI0HpBVcHd1NxJ7yK1YTrYnE9vGershJeHAS2QK6mf7EF4Cr1vCUk/s2048/shark+teeth+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW36cFNdPuZbFkKRDxzbI4L1bxYW-BeAMKUC8yyxtB49KwkAURUeuRdYvqH3AiWeMzjnMquT_zpPviawVKvz8I0wI0HpBVcHd1NxJ7yK1YTrYnE9vGershJeHAS2QK6mf7EF4Cr1vCUk/w320-h240/shark+teeth+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1a5VAcDFK_gBRQgglpNOzi7sxm7dcT6fPKBsVEOol0P1PJ-Wp1Pir2cFgprBU46JQHKR6HDnDz6302BQQXw9nqZbJ4KR2kCWhU9BBPbhTiGcxcp0l8khGYBY6bUUpYY2Nm-6faEz9I8/s2048/shark+teeth+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1a5VAcDFK_gBRQgglpNOzi7sxm7dcT6fPKBsVEOol0P1PJ-Wp1Pir2cFgprBU46JQHKR6HDnDz6302BQQXw9nqZbJ4KR2kCWhU9BBPbhTiGcxcp0l8khGYBY6bUUpYY2Nm-6faEz9I8/w320-h240/shark+teeth+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW36cFNdPuZbFkKRDxzbI4L1bxYW-BeAMKUC8yyxtB49KwkAURUeuRdYvqH3AiWeMzjnMquT_zpPviawVKvz8I0wI0HpBVcHd1NxJ7yK1YTrYnE9vGershJeHAS2QK6mf7EF4Cr1vCUk/s2048/shark+teeth+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how you do it<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-Caf1xZLJpF4fbnYk0T051p4YYd5D2_mnUpsE_KffpJIJzncREGe_sgwVspKw-hdwdm1t8e0F80Nz0szYa-jrnMqKVeGyU_xn4_nraYfKsXbBR-H4xt8XEMfg0ZS2r01P4KtWMBM7o0/s2748/shark+teeth+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="2748" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-Caf1xZLJpF4fbnYk0T051p4YYd5D2_mnUpsE_KffpJIJzncREGe_sgwVspKw-hdwdm1t8e0F80Nz0szYa-jrnMqKVeGyU_xn4_nraYfKsXbBR-H4xt8XEMfg0ZS2r01P4KtWMBM7o0/w640-h266/shark+teeth+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what you get!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3d0BwOIRwu41B1En3-W7SpFiccDY2Jgo_yC_AbWmL161oWMVd1wYMyOlv270SWlZn93suJHCmvMEi5VSyCFepV-x_Ofdn2eNB5On_L_blXWIHJXth8rI60RU65DDGwLBgvylYOCtyDs/s2048/Ibis+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3d0BwOIRwu41B1En3-W7SpFiccDY2Jgo_yC_AbWmL161oWMVd1wYMyOlv270SWlZn93suJHCmvMEi5VSyCFepV-x_Ofdn2eNB5On_L_blXWIHJXth8rI60RU65DDGwLBgvylYOCtyDs/w640-h360/Ibis+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip-toeing Ibis trying to sneak past us<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Key West and the Dry Tortugas</b></span><br /></p><p>Charli and I love Key West. We took our kids there about 10 years ago and wanted to go back ever since. This year, however, we booked a trip to the Dry Tortugas and Key West was the launch site, so we were thrilled to get a chance to go back and do a little camping at the same time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpjWC8UfAwd7cYyXfYLMc1ZZDyRk-tbayX8cqJm4WG4cWqBf904978CyOhDxGkuUOxrhH7cAxqM2ND8cJ-IWhjQiKoQ6H7-KQrTfATmrMAdCYk2dC0APggcuZK3NNXUC-C3-YnmDBQJ0/s2048/key+west+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpjWC8UfAwd7cYyXfYLMc1ZZDyRk-tbayX8cqJm4WG4cWqBf904978CyOhDxGkuUOxrhH7cAxqM2ND8cJ-IWhjQiKoQ6H7-KQrTfATmrMAdCYk2dC0APggcuZK3NNXUC-C3-YnmDBQJ0/w640-h400/key+west+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Mallory Square at sunset - of course<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-3mdk0QvW9HA_IKFYdhmiY-d-o6xrtCy8FykQ9LfU6O1Qk4uAuYUwq2UQoIsy1GQEEvEVgx1H5mhB5bvnodc6y1y9DUjcY6UnNcDNY6YmEq71FmMY6J8JYQQF1zhRIjNNPhljLeULtU/s2048/key+west+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-3mdk0QvW9HA_IKFYdhmiY-d-o6xrtCy8FykQ9LfU6O1Qk4uAuYUwq2UQoIsy1GQEEvEVgx1H5mhB5bvnodc6y1y9DUjcY6UnNcDNY6YmEq71FmMY6J8JYQQF1zhRIjNNPhljLeULtU/w640-h426/key+west+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never seen clouds do this before - but it is very cool<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsevIrySC-UmdzcVaTH0k0Ue3pSAJw0pQiyWv8cq_y4KZEHsA-6Odo24QogYZMQ6hVD0Be7c4wyGiSKoLP4L2g0cQi5f0sgSAayz2ObdTgPB7-K03_ZzkVXIgsLRoX5PQbsQzZlRYWJc/s2048/key+west+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsevIrySC-UmdzcVaTH0k0Ue3pSAJw0pQiyWv8cq_y4KZEHsA-6Odo24QogYZMQ6hVD0Be7c4wyGiSKoLP4L2g0cQi5f0sgSAayz2ObdTgPB7-K03_ZzkVXIgsLRoX5PQbsQzZlRYWJc/w640-h480/key+west+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beach-side campsite<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAF-Hc-beZhqmSOAAK-fAu5zcnjLq-QllT8wdYzsRkNA-8ufemmGB1BOVn70V5F1C_3vyXQ-y81qKnRz1XxzIQuCrFqkzxmpLUA56VFEZ1vGy-RouYfKXYvSvOapZzMT1ZRXkqq4Dsog/s2048/Key+West+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAF-Hc-beZhqmSOAAK-fAu5zcnjLq-QllT8wdYzsRkNA-8ufemmGB1BOVn70V5F1C_3vyXQ-y81qKnRz1XxzIQuCrFqkzxmpLUA56VFEZ1vGy-RouYfKXYvSvOapZzMT1ZRXkqq4Dsog/w640-h480/Key+West+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The theater I performed in with Livingston Fury in the mid 80s<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqENzdaht4w1jNTHN9AVWppt4OxolDr7zNbSXsBObrLxvvOJ2nIqQkk064gViUH1LCabid43oVsm0Mhjr-P4WNbzaWJHpiO6N4xA3BxUImUBN0ryiOQIpWCcti_Ff7QpvOaKLwhsKfPwA/s2048/Dry+T+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="2048" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqENzdaht4w1jNTHN9AVWppt4OxolDr7zNbSXsBObrLxvvOJ2nIqQkk064gViUH1LCabid43oVsm0Mhjr-P4WNbzaWJHpiO6N4xA3BxUImUBN0ryiOQIpWCcti_Ff7QpvOaKLwhsKfPwA/w640-h322/Dry+T+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Fort Jefferson at the Dry Tortugas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMasEl3PiuYjm5loyRcdTFDdL0gIpRJeIujn95BQ2YSagbaAaaatXSTJ37lw8_MDSxSnfClg8qpLk9mEdH84yQc5FbiyVdThVtrfeq45v_7qyoS_XFqhl7sArhaYlSKbztUU0_aU8Wd-M/s950/Dry+T+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="950" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMasEl3PiuYjm5loyRcdTFDdL0gIpRJeIujn95BQ2YSagbaAaaatXSTJ37lw8_MDSxSnfClg8qpLk9mEdH84yQc5FbiyVdThVtrfeq45v_7qyoS_XFqhl7sArhaYlSKbztUU0_aU8Wd-M/w640-h382/Dry+T+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my picture but an accurate representation of what it's like to snorkel here<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-0W-pKxI3XlxGAOZIZg43dajFyPyeWO5OlovnU_r9lLQ-lJVsfJBDkz-2pRoR4kzhwoKnw5XJQXl7cmbTIPlo5VR4hHwxjWMl_KeUMmWXB7Plf8BK_0STJmscKwAL_Ksy-P1ZitI25Y/s2048/Dry+T+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-0W-pKxI3XlxGAOZIZg43dajFyPyeWO5OlovnU_r9lLQ-lJVsfJBDkz-2pRoR4kzhwoKnw5XJQXl7cmbTIPlo5VR4hHwxjWMl_KeUMmWXB7Plf8BK_0STJmscKwAL_Ksy-P1ZitI25Y/w640-h480/Dry+T+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Fort Jefferson<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PZ4gcAESlsjkcSDBscbxOu8-C7RkMF9_x90g1lwkzGZFWAaUj8bQz5Qml8o-RhKklo4bUVHnTsLKVzyY91ZjgQXOgH-g4WVYcmBFHvq-BjJ4ilV2gqmeJOPL9SwS0bpCKGW_fzAhJRA/s1200/Dry+T+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PZ4gcAESlsjkcSDBscbxOu8-C7RkMF9_x90g1lwkzGZFWAaUj8bQz5Qml8o-RhKklo4bUVHnTsLKVzyY91ZjgQXOgH-g4WVYcmBFHvq-BjJ4ilV2gqmeJOPL9SwS0bpCKGW_fzAhJRA/w640-h360/Dry+T+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry Tortugas as seen from a sea plane (internet photo - I don't have a sea plane)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG6-wm1IDlUVtClFsUIeEcT7-6XM8FpolVLkUb3kZppaqLg6tuH_ZMGuMMXTi5QXJHkLTHz3gsNvhr6WyVEXSTHiYxhvs-Ds3iKLrTS_y6enRLDldH7ACB6XjzDzoiQZdOnYxeTWCJD4/s2048/Gull+and+girl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG6-wm1IDlUVtClFsUIeEcT7-6XM8FpolVLkUb3kZppaqLg6tuH_ZMGuMMXTi5QXJHkLTHz3gsNvhr6WyVEXSTHiYxhvs-Ds3iKLrTS_y6enRLDldH7ACB6XjzDzoiQZdOnYxeTWCJD4/w640-h398/Gull+and+girl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gull and and girl<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Until next time... I hope you enjoyed our slide show!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN48cXAseIYM8ff5e3-geE-WcsJzw4KPBa9mGRJD27mtX6KMx1ARlUky1vhLRHtOm9EDns0e78RX_q5YSa-s9UNBMGIeUpwo5PU_rxhWVohKeSSotu8_mg1QbdEFehFgrL6QbKmorRnFk/s2048/Charli+and+Jeff.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN48cXAseIYM8ff5e3-geE-WcsJzw4KPBa9mGRJD27mtX6KMx1ARlUky1vhLRHtOm9EDns0e78RX_q5YSa-s9UNBMGIeUpwo5PU_rxhWVohKeSSotu8_mg1QbdEFehFgrL6QbKmorRnFk/w640-h480/Charli+and+Jeff.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bye-bye!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0Punta Gorda, FL, USA26.9297836 -82.0453664-28.451481124297139 -152.3578664 82.311048324297133 -11.732866400000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-92004811797906668902020-07-06T16:28:00.001-07:002020-09-02T18:59:56.342-07:00Special Edition - House Sitting vs Coronavirus - July 6, 2020<b>irony [ahy-ruh-nee] - </b><i>an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected</i>. <br />
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So, I ended my last post in March with this... "Besides, how long can a pandemic last? I mean come on."<br />
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Uh... ya. Allow me to update what we've been up to since then.<br />
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When I wrote that post I mentioned that 3 of our house sits had already cancelled, but it didn't take long until the remaining U.S. sits cancelled as well. And after Canada closed its borders indefinitely our hopes of staying in Victoria Island and Vancouver were over. But what really stung was that we also had to cancel our vacation plans to Banff, especially after getting so lucky with our 1-in-4500 chance of securing our campsite. But hey, losing out on a little R&R when 130,000 people have died kind of puts your problems in perspective. Sure we would have to make other plans, but there's always next year. God I hope there's next year.<br />
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So what happened after we lost our entire calendar of house sits for the next 5 months? Nothing short of a miracle actually.<br />
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Shortly after that last post, a couple from Punta Gorda, FL listed an ad for a 4-month house sit that started less than 3 weeks after our current house in CA. Yeah, it was during the blistering hot summer but we didn't care. It was a house to live in and it was for 4 months! So apply we did and accepted we got. Yay!<br />
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Then, when it came time to leave, we rented an Airbnb for a few weeks in Phoenix so we could spend time with our son and his wife before we headed over to FL. Because when you only get to see your kids a few times a year, opportunities like this are a dream come true!<br />
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From there we pointed our car eastward and headed to Florida. But in these times you don't just come barging across the border, you now have to stop and promise the folks at the reception center that you'll be good and stay inside for 2 weeks. THEN you can go out and get infected by the locals. Fair enough.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjExcTslg8w0DzxVp6cj6WXt-x__E1b1e6vtkTdFcSmUrNSncbxEpLhljeLAkDVDWrsz0TeFNUpgMDP5XTYyMEtbXivHaXbhTkNNcVfbuYo5ggMBEB4pukV8R0soYW8eCAV4hb_3nPSA/s1600/FL+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1600" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjExcTslg8w0DzxVp6cj6WXt-x__E1b1e6vtkTdFcSmUrNSncbxEpLhljeLAkDVDWrsz0TeFNUpgMDP5XTYyMEtbXivHaXbhTkNNcVfbuYo5ggMBEB4pukV8R0soYW8eCAV4hb_3nPSA/s640/FL+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you promise not to spread the virus?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU3Dl0N8PQc8etsXmw5U6HkNU_EyL7iJSYd2WXn2-V0TJFZ5SnJYSIKFzQvTqAUjC1szmDSiyLdPedV9wBlapIqYivtvlYup-TgogOdt7ZSFzgXaHFLguwjfQeTbMr7_BtYnw6GO5W4A/s1600/FL+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU3Dl0N8PQc8etsXmw5U6HkNU_EyL7iJSYd2WXn2-V0TJFZ5SnJYSIKFzQvTqAUjC1szmDSiyLdPedV9wBlapIqYivtvlYup-TgogOdt7ZSFzgXaHFLguwjfQeTbMr7_BtYnw6GO5W4A/s400/FL+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, we've got your information. Now go to your room!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On April 24th we arrived at our new "home" and settled in quickly. The bottom line is that we absolutely love it here. The Gulf coast is ripe with "old Florida" landscape, rivers and mangrove forests, all teaming with wildlife and beautiful flora. And because this house sits right on the Peace River, Charli and I bought inflatable kayaks right away. This has allowed us to immerse ourselves in the area and experience incredible encounters with animals of all types, from sweet, playful dolphins to scary looking alligators and sharks, who just want to be left alone.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlUeLeXu770PhOF5tksJ9X-DBFdfF9ETxHUMX-zvGxI__biqodnVAjQCrlXtZ70LRzxQFTGEbdg-unhI7QL_cIXAvD-GAMG-2QALXHksp0AYNb_k1Ox3YVeHyOpEM5Lytw2H41tEf4ZE/s1600/FL+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlUeLeXu770PhOF5tksJ9X-DBFdfF9ETxHUMX-zvGxI__biqodnVAjQCrlXtZ70LRzxQFTGEbdg-unhI7QL_cIXAvD-GAMG-2QALXHksp0AYNb_k1Ox3YVeHyOpEM5Lytw2H41tEf4ZE/s640/FL+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navigating the mangrove tunnels in Ted Sperling Park</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wHm70q1svYQNZmx0ZYU8gx27tB0zfrMgtJFmyHkNO8PRmsqo1KuM4mGuJfYuGs1kQaaHRhPQ11vVYjD0nvA2JdybuwRi_Bj9IMxst-p2VohYgSQMZXmKGQmR7KyKgUcA3xL3EGjdnxg/s1600/FL+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wHm70q1svYQNZmx0ZYU8gx27tB0zfrMgtJFmyHkNO8PRmsqo1KuM4mGuJfYuGs1kQaaHRhPQ11vVYjD0nvA2JdybuwRi_Bj9IMxst-p2VohYgSQMZXmKGQmR7KyKgUcA3xL3EGjdnxg/s640/FL+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flipper flipped me out!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BX0_RjdK_KDKV8Zr5UK4dIuFIiygfE_wGJEcUxs1RM3J-zV2G9QF80k2srZhPg_1yA0UoOMmAFtsSe5oNptaGYFb_IxbHSnJxU_9Q8JUcm3nDRJv_LH1ZVIS4V-tFV-T9QsEoTJIY4M/s1600/DSC00945.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BX0_RjdK_KDKV8Zr5UK4dIuFIiygfE_wGJEcUxs1RM3J-zV2G9QF80k2srZhPg_1yA0UoOMmAFtsSe5oNptaGYFb_IxbHSnJxU_9Q8JUcm3nDRJv_LH1ZVIS4V-tFV-T9QsEoTJIY4M/s640/DSC00945.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See ya later...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFeip9gonv0ruC43cROYCQLa5ULAAyVI-GFlqj4ULEJ0wLjd1cjFdHQcbpjdT-_L5oBz4LjEQ6GYaeWRgYZHQgq3bOPTai3OEu3GqquDUJXJdwgPSKmp3v9Lwot2E8pkopivg0zhCGPI/s1600/FL+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFeip9gonv0ruC43cROYCQLa5ULAAyVI-GFlqj4ULEJ0wLjd1cjFdHQcbpjdT-_L5oBz4LjEQ6GYaeWRgYZHQgq3bOPTai3OEu3GqquDUJXJdwgPSKmp3v9Lwot2E8pkopivg0zhCGPI/s640/FL+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Shouldered Hawk<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9HDPr5cmdLATdv-vkOJKcGvO284zOQu5QucGfWbzD5Uyi_b8JwaHEFU9nP876Iu878xBMrTPYUfu_1i0KDtWHNHPtfRJb5OQS9gTWUk81fFtRX3iFwo8lGqw0Fggo22hJWHIgJbWxak/s1600/FL+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9HDPr5cmdLATdv-vkOJKcGvO284zOQu5QucGfWbzD5Uyi_b8JwaHEFU9nP876Iu878xBMrTPYUfu_1i0KDtWHNHPtfRJb5OQS9gTWUk81fFtRX3iFwo8lGqw0Fggo22hJWHIgJbWxak/s640/FL+5.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ibis Elba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My next post will be a photo journal of our time here in Florida, which will not be easy, seeing as how I've already posted 350 pictures to our Google Photo album for this house sit alone. But that is a good problem to have. And don't worry, I'm not going to make you look at all of them.<br />
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Two hundred at the most. I promise. Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-80286645484706199142020-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:002020-07-11T07:47:57.469-07:00Special Edition - House Sitting vs Coronavirus - March 26, 2020House sitting can be a complicated proposal... a perpetual roll of the dice if you will. In order to secure a solid schedule in close proximity with minimal gaps between sits, several things have to happen. For example, consider the fact that every house sit has a specific start and end date and geographic location. This means if you have a house booked on June 1st for 30 days, the only house sit you can apply for next has to be after July 1. From there you have to consider how far away the next house is and how long it will last. <br />
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That's why, coming into 2020, Charli and I were pretty happy with our upcoming year. Not only had we secured a reservation to Banff National Park of Canada in September, but we had successfully managed to lock down the entire 8 months ahead of it with a string of house sits that gradually moved us up the west coast, ending in Vancouver just one week before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV2Jq5pUyTOO_3sESaWmNvTfOsxcoQbicvrCQADMuQSS7XeH1PA8d82slOXX49-SuWMRbdVvVcMuzDUdkaE49ezMvjy6uJyxzmq0jy2Jag-Ti4i9LHbYjFA_08HXWQ0kbjUf74HdBEHE/s1600/West+Coast.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="458" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV2Jq5pUyTOO_3sESaWmNvTfOsxcoQbicvrCQADMuQSS7XeH1PA8d82slOXX49-SuWMRbdVvVcMuzDUdkaE49ezMvjy6uJyxzmq0jy2Jag-Ti4i9LHbYjFA_08HXWQ0kbjUf74HdBEHE/s400/West+Coast.bmp" width="243" /></a>It was a beautiful thing. In the house sitting world this was a near perfect lineup...<br />
CA - Orange, Santa Cruz, Vallejo<br />
WA - Camano Island, Bellingham, Everett<br />
Canada - Victoria Island, Vancouver, Banff<br />
<br />
... one sit after another slowly leading us up to Canada over 9 months, with nary a gap in between, until the big payoff of a full week of vacation at a place we'd only dreamed about until now.<br />
<br />
Deemed by many as one of the most beautiful places on earth, we had been trying to squeeze a trip to Banff into our schedule for the last 2 years, but the wild cards of house sit bookings never allowed it to happen.<br />
<br />
But then last year we decided to do it differently. Instead of letting the available house sits steer our Prius around the country, we decided to commit to a date in September and then figure out how to fill our stays to <i>lead us</i> to Banff. And with a little bit of luck and a lot of careful planning we did just that! Everything was all set.<br />
<br />
Except...<br />
<br />
<br />
December 31, 2019: <i>The first symptoms of 2019-nCoV appeared in Wuhan, China. </i><br />
<br />
January 19, 2020: <i>The first case of COVID-19 showed up in Washington state.</i><br />
<br />
January 24, 2020: <i>Charli and I successfully secured our campsite reservation at Lake O'Hara in Banff National Park of Canada.</i><br />
<br />
You see, there are only 30 campsites available at Lake O'Hara and they are only available between June 19 through October 3rd. The only way to reserve one is to log onto their web site at 8 a.m. on January 24 and pray to the great grizzly bear above that you are lucky enough to get through and secure one. And if you don't get one within 5 minutes the entire season will be booked and you will not be camping at Lake O'Hara this year. HOWEVER... as low as the odds were, I was one of the lucky 4500 people who got through and our fate was sealed. We would be camping at Lake O'Hara in September! It was a glorious morning.<br />
<br />
Now fast forward to February 26 as Charli and I send our home owners off on their 6 week adventure while we take over their house and care of their sweet dog Jax. The "Coronavirus" was now in full swing as dozens of countries around the world were reporting infections and cruise ships were in quarantine. It definitely was starting to get serious "over there" but because there were only a few reported cases in North America we still didn't see any major reason for concern. Surely it would wind down soon.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTYP5mTYLGloMsS4Vc6NusJ-zcq6OHDsF7lc5YTi8R3wCie7rIFBwnfcum_8L7on_uZ9OL-RwI0da5Z0rOWnJbSfFkE0m13qDbl9-ACE6AYqmvor1DrrABUSX_6U1hANUUA-o97m3H9w/s1600/West+Coast+cancelled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTYP5mTYLGloMsS4Vc6NusJ-zcq6OHDsF7lc5YTi8R3wCie7rIFBwnfcum_8L7on_uZ9OL-RwI0da5Z0rOWnJbSfFkE0m13qDbl9-ACE6AYqmvor1DrrABUSX_6U1hANUUA-o97m3H9w/s320/West+Coast+cancelled.bmp" width="195" /></a>This, of course, leads us to today - March 26. As I write this all international travel has been put on hold, 22 states are under a mandatory "shelter in place" quarantine and the National Guard has been deployed to help assist. Needless to say, our future house sits are no longer secure. In fact, 1/3 of them have already cancelled.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, when it comes to being flexible, Charli and I are in the best position possible. We have everything we need in our car, and driving 1000 miles in any direction is just another day for us. In the meantime we still have a sit booked in mid April... at least for now. But even if that falls through, we will still be fine. We have lots of friends and family who have offered us shelter, and Airbnb is always an option in a pinch. Besides, how long can a pandemic last? I mean come on.<br />
<br />
Because they don't last forever, right? Especially until like September... right?<br />
<br />
RIGHT?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVwCjLaSV2OEYdwHzatsr9ItaCpcZSgj0lnEtoOBcsBCQvS5Bawp74AUH9sIB0D5jT6vtcZkrR8ATV5dTBklItf13fZ9IlW5o6z9nYqcuOH0Oel3UdjBpdVe-MPnLy7vzgsz42pzwmBc/s1600/Banff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVwCjLaSV2OEYdwHzatsr9ItaCpcZSgj0lnEtoOBcsBCQvS5Bawp74AUH9sIB0D5jT6vtcZkrR8ATV5dTBklItf13fZ9IlW5o6z9nYqcuOH0Oel3UdjBpdVe-MPnLy7vzgsz42pzwmBc/s640/Banff.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please don't leave me!</td></tr>
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<br />Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-46240146280240726122019-12-31T13:38:00.000-08:002020-01-17T15:17:28.510-08:00Chapter 30 - Pets of 2018 and 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year-end we publish a "Pets of..." summary of all the animals we cared for over the year. It's a nice way for us to see all our little furry friends in one place and reflect on our visits. This last 18 months has been extra special for us because not only did we care for several dogs and cats, but we added chickens, bunnies, turkeys and steers to our resume! So with that in mind, say hello to our pets (and livestock) from 2018 and 2019.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv0KSDceHzGwKco3wN3WY3pGf4mQj8-YdA-3JjVE2RK1fmg3nQalH-dGkUuvc8VuvVNwTQqX1Z04bKw7ANEdLjEb5g2UA5QJ7RNVANQE1h53m6K4VD1B8Mu3zKsVQWrCKMMyJAomD_w8/s1600/Evergreen+-+Maisy+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1559" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv0KSDceHzGwKco3wN3WY3pGf4mQj8-YdA-3JjVE2RK1fmg3nQalH-dGkUuvc8VuvVNwTQqX1Z04bKw7ANEdLjEb5g2UA5QJ7RNVANQE1h53m6K4VD1B8Mu3zKsVQWrCKMMyJAomD_w8/s640/Evergreen+-+Maisy+cropped.jpg" width="622" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Maisy</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMsaRMC8mfPYQJOSI4ksPSkNTjbWW2iyv8gdeoT5aVBEODsN_kYNYekWX1txVJB7KT3AiWadaOMRnHvNYXhwUui38uqssrbiJR002-KAiEx_MH7h7IGXWGRv3iPuu5DT4bd7VrjhbATk/s1600/Scottsdale+-+Piper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMsaRMC8mfPYQJOSI4ksPSkNTjbWW2iyv8gdeoT5aVBEODsN_kYNYekWX1txVJB7KT3AiWadaOMRnHvNYXhwUui38uqssrbiJR002-KAiEx_MH7h7IGXWGRv3iPuu5DT4bd7VrjhbATk/s400/Scottsdale+-+Piper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Piper</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUMzwhus_7wxavFa-cPeOP9-LHB8lEmF7Xcn-uEcRLkgbjw9iB_5y8Dxzpv9rDAf49fhjINoJJQCp5nlexvySQqsU77VnXDh2mYFkpr7drrEFdx7OJZ27obi0aqaImWcmPE9d0PeD0ac/s1600/Culver+City+-+Poncho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="682" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUMzwhus_7wxavFa-cPeOP9-LHB8lEmF7Xcn-uEcRLkgbjw9iB_5y8Dxzpv9rDAf49fhjINoJJQCp5nlexvySQqsU77VnXDh2mYFkpr7drrEFdx7OJZ27obi0aqaImWcmPE9d0PeD0ac/s320/Culver+City+-+Poncho.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Pancho</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPW3Hs9Yd98BBLJUov-ubpoddpO7xPle17-MrR5LSjLtxhDynrYcHb639NE4zRlVy9gY3NT5SO2wJE1U3ABuxDcfeBPXy-sUBEm8XFPaoPTyVEmjUj49gSczWH0CF81lWouZc6b7TJ8Mk/s1600/Culver+City+-+Kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPW3Hs9Yd98BBLJUov-ubpoddpO7xPle17-MrR5LSjLtxhDynrYcHb639NE4zRlVy9gY3NT5SO2wJE1U3ABuxDcfeBPXy-sUBEm8XFPaoPTyVEmjUj49gSczWH0CF81lWouZc6b7TJ8Mk/s320/Culver+City+-+Kitty.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gigi</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNxQJOj0DVFnluH976XYDLsZwEtMUcvOuHKIM1UMbm0vKJ3T093itVhxn_PSYvhO8zmefyAigj6Tc9tW-8VY2tcwAXT6rZX2y6WI97XPvQQef8pPxgzRizhpPI7U_pOGutpRhHPJ5STE/s1600/Lincoln+-+Rufus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNxQJOj0DVFnluH976XYDLsZwEtMUcvOuHKIM1UMbm0vKJ3T093itVhxn_PSYvhO8zmefyAigj6Tc9tW-8VY2tcwAXT6rZX2y6WI97XPvQQef8pPxgzRizhpPI7U_pOGutpRhHPJ5STE/s320/Lincoln+-+Rufus.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Rufus</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcEH9Gap0fCtrIC4ta9bVAxYQjhyDZXzjmdDwee8Q1v-ITnGkdqEgroCc7gsQ9lHkxgLPc1U0cNx1Ft9MNP0ZUN3g1v5n4kxfE9x5x4ixewxaK5FCI-e1Vt6nD73WC1kcfpriGh0ycO0/s1600/Irvine+-+Sullivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcEH9Gap0fCtrIC4ta9bVAxYQjhyDZXzjmdDwee8Q1v-ITnGkdqEgroCc7gsQ9lHkxgLPc1U0cNx1Ft9MNP0ZUN3g1v5n4kxfE9x5x4ixewxaK5FCI-e1Vt6nD73WC1kcfpriGh0ycO0/s640/Irvine+-+Sullivan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sullivan</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8Xlf0G8b3UbfMynqtwnFPOP5427689WAE2Kod9c40pOVp69yTpWG0mxGVMvDKYUpszrWkaYQ6LPbiCKtQP5QBxZ71ND5GDvkUNreevUjiaRhyl4xWRg3sWtvXN56AvwdCUUvimpUiAE/s1600/Irvine+-+Rambo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8Xlf0G8b3UbfMynqtwnFPOP5427689WAE2Kod9c40pOVp69yTpWG0mxGVMvDKYUpszrWkaYQ6LPbiCKtQP5QBxZ71ND5GDvkUNreevUjiaRhyl4xWRg3sWtvXN56AvwdCUUvimpUiAE/s320/Irvine+-+Rambo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Rambo</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGo0e1TbEggS7OTvOwNhrZokaqzWGE0D4UkL5rffHODaUJYP9SAJ5EWIMlvnsxDnVILobzxBHIziWHIanmMIsbboVM7aB4bWAHkeVdK_zrGYdqJAyz0-DW0TeGKaAMQfVPmY3dw2dRJ8/s1600/Encinitas+-+Riley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGo0e1TbEggS7OTvOwNhrZokaqzWGE0D4UkL5rffHODaUJYP9SAJ5EWIMlvnsxDnVILobzxBHIziWHIanmMIsbboVM7aB4bWAHkeVdK_zrGYdqJAyz0-DW0TeGKaAMQfVPmY3dw2dRJ8/s400/Encinitas+-+Riley.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Riley</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwtHHp439Jfxow07UWUZSeRU4z-5-pgU8bVPu9Vswm7JssYF86-l7hydKj69Ncmphj0S7e3bMPNdwWv1az_OC88b4V1s4UormdKS0yczOHr5l65GuHtxYUOoEzg4inscCEtGzEb2nPts/s1600/Encinitas+-+Honey+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1322" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwtHHp439Jfxow07UWUZSeRU4z-5-pgU8bVPu9Vswm7JssYF86-l7hydKj69Ncmphj0S7e3bMPNdwWv1az_OC88b4V1s4UormdKS0yczOHr5l65GuHtxYUOoEzg4inscCEtGzEb2nPts/s400/Encinitas+-+Honey+cropped.jpg" width="330" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Honey</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOgfyELUltAawZtPXa9iptGon4fSo4cP25OVgTCiSBOi9IkyImUbAh7XtAekdnOna4fKdFvDdFRY2ZUthDTtS4JPGtXA27A5wnSxQ75kRqLYQZX8wE3hhJqnOGF6S6oLCtwHbvabPBh4/s1600/Oakland+-+Penny+and+Paco+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOgfyELUltAawZtPXa9iptGon4fSo4cP25OVgTCiSBOi9IkyImUbAh7XtAekdnOna4fKdFvDdFRY2ZUthDTtS4JPGtXA27A5wnSxQ75kRqLYQZX8wE3hhJqnOGF6S6oLCtwHbvabPBh4/s640/Oakland+-+Penny+and+Paco+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Penny and Paco</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3PoPQ1e-44F9zohe3gCKH1RussNJDPyqT9f70w_cX_4lMAhVl5mYEjqIc58cnUnfsdvzmgzFZvNNQ06MA5IxQ402tQaGeCp7EphhZJCelhX7QxS7NiqGdjFRPVLlnmA32t3LcFdiM_A/s1600/Oakland+-+Chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3PoPQ1e-44F9zohe3gCKH1RussNJDPyqT9f70w_cX_4lMAhVl5mYEjqIc58cnUnfsdvzmgzFZvNNQ06MA5IxQ402tQaGeCp7EphhZJCelhX7QxS7NiqGdjFRPVLlnmA32t3LcFdiM_A/s400/Oakland+-+Chickens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Oakland Chickens</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydfBlontwBK-vOkDvSrhMJOtkVoj6TSy-m1xw8eLY3AG_cl-ADMiL_f8Y_8ebjGHEe3EHoZwyi1hBa7uJm0In0KDRyfL_LQh8uHHZra4J40GS_PrK0vp1m1cOHaeQ3lFpY25BPoGrsnQ/s1600/Oakland+-+Bunnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydfBlontwBK-vOkDvSrhMJOtkVoj6TSy-m1xw8eLY3AG_cl-ADMiL_f8Y_8ebjGHEe3EHoZwyi1hBa7uJm0In0KDRyfL_LQh8uHHZra4J40GS_PrK0vp1m1cOHaeQ3lFpY25BPoGrsnQ/s400/Oakland+-+Bunnies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Oakland Bunnies</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="416" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lDGt6RAWSYz3la4dotWtMdAF-DPLzls_HumRUlfUG284MUIEzz4of_t4c0TQL6CIQOPDRgG4vZ58bDrsaeA1xvUCUyDrK6M6YMQzQZqPNRlcx4D4ByKyA-_vIy7EeLgxxvXumpVjeeo/s640/Ojai+-+Barney+and+Zoe+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Barney and Zoe</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlArDUDlwswTbgxm0KmEh4XX057OXoTUIR-RyN-PPGgHyeCq9JoEdZk8LbMfIRIN2Ky8JMOmJZmbfNxNvt2cSfVJBSn7JYb0HAy00grXE2UECTIM3wYx4-GvPEOOh8gNw7fAxuYWB92Wc/s1600/Ojai+-+Dresden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlArDUDlwswTbgxm0KmEh4XX057OXoTUIR-RyN-PPGgHyeCq9JoEdZk8LbMfIRIN2Ky8JMOmJZmbfNxNvt2cSfVJBSn7JYb0HAy00grXE2UECTIM3wYx4-GvPEOOh8gNw7fAxuYWB92Wc/s400/Ojai+-+Dresden.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dresden</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0rZr-fXjhsFmhRjqFIoFgJuU4wl37Fcs_QMScXfnU1Rz_Whase2jf8NpieVlcqOST8IxI1JPHvO1Uib0a5dSEhpLn9fCKAdA_0Ol_-WgLJOmOGyTUUoe__eg7IGphyphenhyphenk8GStKxPFmoL8/s1600/Evergreen+-+Jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0rZr-fXjhsFmhRjqFIoFgJuU4wl37Fcs_QMScXfnU1Rz_Whase2jf8NpieVlcqOST8IxI1JPHvO1Uib0a5dSEhpLn9fCKAdA_0Ol_-WgLJOmOGyTUUoe__eg7IGphyphenhyphenk8GStKxPFmoL8/s640/Evergreen+-+Jack.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Jack</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn0-xfnAuhHxbbV1n5cInJ8sIZ1TA7AIMV9lRwTYUPgCBFSJFjG4zWY9c9FnU73DGQZtYxULmNWPPlG_9QT1jbRijAEOLRQqZuE3-7xFmahWuXbDD0EvS_HSA_k8KpmYYZuKoWrjhwOU/s1600/Upton+-+Petey+and+Bucky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn0-xfnAuhHxbbV1n5cInJ8sIZ1TA7AIMV9lRwTYUPgCBFSJFjG4zWY9c9FnU73DGQZtYxULmNWPPlG_9QT1jbRijAEOLRQqZuE3-7xFmahWuXbDD0EvS_HSA_k8KpmYYZuKoWrjhwOU/s400/Upton+-+Petey+and+Bucky.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Petey and Bucky</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHliTTcu1WCFjSbXmkVQkKkmSmAXqBqXdoTbc3y69nFsuBTEWp7Tx-7fQSjcFq2lkri5t42-97JCUmY146ymDbMbzpxvTJ3W2yLpWimxlwBqOGjZiIKNd__nsA928GO9KFhSjJTSj-vRA/s1600/Pembrook+Pines+-+Gallileo+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1371" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHliTTcu1WCFjSbXmkVQkKkmSmAXqBqXdoTbc3y69nFsuBTEWp7Tx-7fQSjcFq2lkri5t42-97JCUmY146ymDbMbzpxvTJ3W2yLpWimxlwBqOGjZiIKNd__nsA928GO9KFhSjJTSj-vRA/s400/Pembrook+Pines+-+Gallileo+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Galileo</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFBb5-uhPY_25z4uZrZhuCqzwpSvo_uTY0MHV_RDLU1iaDejisEEBsSszMzRwoLOSwUo5f4ZvGAK5CQ7Iiul8h7G44O5dB_zA4WrsolxGuzxX2-s6PGGsYfc2ijAVG0UBcnFKBINCpa4/s1600/Pembrook+Pines+-+Tequilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFBb5-uhPY_25z4uZrZhuCqzwpSvo_uTY0MHV_RDLU1iaDejisEEBsSszMzRwoLOSwUo5f4ZvGAK5CQ7Iiul8h7G44O5dB_zA4WrsolxGuzxX2-s6PGGsYfc2ijAVG0UBcnFKBINCpa4/s400/Pembrook+Pines+-+Tequilla.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tequila</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhestgkrmdWWFHGJ7U4Gil1bp9o7vUvJsyIXZjYSNjfI3_A2np2vGgl7MaVE-yr6dMdOYQ8b-UZ8F0LisOWK-8Rr5p6NgjvESf3my2Ddlnaz3L737OePhTWCoJt_2ZXE00C6Ulk1q4mb-M/s400/Wash+DC+-+Dupree+cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dupree</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29j9TDIKodFKvK8BW28KAytMuE-NgKisON2aJi3eJVfAZZXQAkoQgyfEeGq8lsQ1tYYzjU9Hm8P3Fos_wcWbVW7f5W6tj3jjuIalL0mNZ6KswWGo40Ow98nB7eCXpw7yynFpsQf8w92w/s1600/IOP+-+Rosie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29j9TDIKodFKvK8BW28KAytMuE-NgKisON2aJi3eJVfAZZXQAkoQgyfEeGq8lsQ1tYYzjU9Hm8P3Fos_wcWbVW7f5W6tj3jjuIalL0mNZ6KswWGo40Ow98nB7eCXpw7yynFpsQf8w92w/s640/IOP+-+Rosie+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rosie</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gLPRHMMUFG_md0LcJxnFa_OQJVZR4Ho89Q5Jmnjs7e-O4R0MKnKBMrRG6eQLCOhragS1m-HMaucK0qWojjNXJxSB36opnERUuzME-Qm1neAdX6DWWX1-uYYduoyjEEkt42IFBWDMRIM/s1600/Charleston+-+Forest+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1239" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gLPRHMMUFG_md0LcJxnFa_OQJVZR4Ho89Q5Jmnjs7e-O4R0MKnKBMrRG6eQLCOhragS1m-HMaucK0qWojjNXJxSB36opnERUuzME-Qm1neAdX6DWWX1-uYYduoyjEEkt42IFBWDMRIM/s400/Charleston+-+Forest+cropped.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Forest</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiS25FQuWzNa7rPs-nAj2F8laa_ckd8HzhsP3xSUZe89qdtr8DCwGO0p55WBBkSmazqSu6Fb1c9BZ_2cgsKSAew4UVpmnkmh0B2Kq1B10PoycKYTPO1kceckZZ4pKBM8hk2D3XdpdR76c/s1600/Hilton+Head+-+Scout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="1600" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiS25FQuWzNa7rPs-nAj2F8laa_ckd8HzhsP3xSUZe89qdtr8DCwGO0p55WBBkSmazqSu6Fb1c9BZ_2cgsKSAew4UVpmnkmh0B2Kq1B10PoycKYTPO1kceckZZ4pKBM8hk2D3XdpdR76c/s400/Hilton+Head+-+Scout.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Scout</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljFGTxHdX6-DNO-cXOrOLcEjzrew99BZKGiy2SEw1yLFiQXxwoN-RgBUVKbBwpe2X75vt8eAG95C6ebb-p70GtZIbBKP7h_xtBf6JdorH6HZirE3_P8U14Rz3QAeq91j7EW5xeADsEac/s1600/Hilton+Head+-+Daisy+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljFGTxHdX6-DNO-cXOrOLcEjzrew99BZKGiy2SEw1yLFiQXxwoN-RgBUVKbBwpe2X75vt8eAG95C6ebb-p70GtZIbBKP7h_xtBf6JdorH6HZirE3_P8U14Rz3QAeq91j7EW5xeADsEac/s400/Hilton+Head+-+Daisy+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Daisy</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1npElz_xATwT5vD-1huhsO_DjDhPm6GJgyrR3wAHlBUpEY3033piO-aXcwzttSMawZsRp1crjWhWzMkL4Nde6RTQoVbPHwCHFYcCz3Nmr0fRuinsYJxdXrPZz8aXu3x2dkUw1UkX1w4/s1600/Columbia+-+Eddie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1npElz_xATwT5vD-1huhsO_DjDhPm6GJgyrR3wAHlBUpEY3033piO-aXcwzttSMawZsRp1crjWhWzMkL4Nde6RTQoVbPHwCHFYcCz3Nmr0fRuinsYJxdXrPZz8aXu3x2dkUw1UkX1w4/s400/Columbia+-+Eddie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Eddie</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDByF0jT4rQ34G5yx9LhzpRlj4m1yLATCSnpRsjzeEgsmnwWbIPyBrMhfL2-B5BNwFNdv1DOuqfxI9cevpqdxuCUqfcXQDwC80z1jn1P4bB4NvsvLnFCFc1-4ZgWNBk0r95AAwji7YyM/s1600/Columbia+-+Penny+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1230" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDByF0jT4rQ34G5yx9LhzpRlj4m1yLATCSnpRsjzeEgsmnwWbIPyBrMhfL2-B5BNwFNdv1DOuqfxI9cevpqdxuCUqfcXQDwC80z1jn1P4bB4NvsvLnFCFc1-4ZgWNBk0r95AAwji7YyM/s400/Columbia+-+Penny+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Penny</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ1-To9snUAOkkt91hp-Z8n5Apdj5LSzuP0vFOqoZEFTOY9qMEZhPCm2LK9YjFY5FaqDKHnVSiDG7MmSBswfgDtP0n_vxNNBWQfUG_iw7R3JHZk40xSCr7TTcyxwoaShKA1OlM7yFImQ/s1600/Columbia+-+Chickens+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ1-To9snUAOkkt91hp-Z8n5Apdj5LSzuP0vFOqoZEFTOY9qMEZhPCm2LK9YjFY5FaqDKHnVSiDG7MmSBswfgDtP0n_vxNNBWQfUG_iw7R3JHZk40xSCr7TTcyxwoaShKA1OlM7yFImQ/s640/Columbia+-+Chickens+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Columbia Chickens</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPksdDdiuYiVZawM0ZZMP6n-y7pmWNm7QQGRjPoebt7d-g-uGbOUa7v_OIxz-O36tD10c7hS21ex7eWdfRd7A2vYfF_VjUSzGvd1bBY0tyAFoUAJI11IkCfvHYZmVnPgeCFD37AkWDWo/s1600/Columbia+-+Turkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPksdDdiuYiVZawM0ZZMP6n-y7pmWNm7QQGRjPoebt7d-g-uGbOUa7v_OIxz-O36tD10c7hS21ex7eWdfRd7A2vYfF_VjUSzGvd1bBY0tyAFoUAJI11IkCfvHYZmVnPgeCFD37AkWDWo/s320/Columbia+-+Turkeys.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Columbia Turkeys</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uRqMZk4cfpNBN5uZ4wEbq80mTz5R8Fdhp11AnC5v9JgYqIgid7IYhcm3Zt-N_b5U6xuBrF7lxAx9IweQ8FR4NkVRM9nipQd5dYVyzyHvbJ-RtcEhoTrcqxsLX-lsIcY-4ZKbv0KymU8/s1600/Columbia+-+Cows+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uRqMZk4cfpNBN5uZ4wEbq80mTz5R8Fdhp11AnC5v9JgYqIgid7IYhcm3Zt-N_b5U6xuBrF7lxAx9IweQ8FR4NkVRM9nipQd5dYVyzyHvbJ-RtcEhoTrcqxsLX-lsIcY-4ZKbv0KymU8/s640/Columbia+-+Cows+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Columbia Steers</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-71035760367325921042019-08-20T20:17:00.000-07:002020-01-14T06:26:56.024-08:00Chapter 27 - Summer in New England 2019Charli and I love the New England area and have spent quite a bit of time there over the last 5 years. And even though we've visited a lot of sights in the past, we focused on seeing new places this summer. So at the risk of being *that* relative who forces everyone to sit down and watch their vacation slide show, we would like to feature a few of our favorite moments from our amazing summer in Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Boston</b></span><br />
<br />
There's nothing quite like celebrating the birthday of our country's independence in the birthplace of the American Revolution! Here are some highlights from July 4, 2019.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz7lYpPmBXV1sOWwwQ5_aFm7ULAobaSc5EjERu06WtN8JV5rKf76uh40j2WDQR5lWJBylAhB4SVu_VBcsOi0OZgpg7TtgPUS50ogYN8mM6-y-_8e1Jzc74HsYgKeiktcjSeduDsJn1cI/s1600/Boston1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz7lYpPmBXV1sOWwwQ5_aFm7ULAobaSc5EjERu06WtN8JV5rKf76uh40j2WDQR5lWJBylAhB4SVu_VBcsOi0OZgpg7TtgPUS50ogYN8mM6-y-_8e1Jzc74HsYgKeiktcjSeduDsJn1cI/s640/Boston1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go in Boston Harbor</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnqRdjHat0LqwEI4b6xXPiX2Zcyr-X0iMx7LFutZqQx7lMnKoj8GI2Z_lHy2sxkua-MUtyiXo0-hWsgjf6vjxxmBQtgMDU_PSOEEjmRABi8SH1ArbN3WoBRQ3zuHfJZuqAY5shR-gX50/s1600/Boston2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnqRdjHat0LqwEI4b6xXPiX2Zcyr-X0iMx7LFutZqQx7lMnKoj8GI2Z_lHy2sxkua-MUtyiXo0-hWsgjf6vjxxmBQtgMDU_PSOEEjmRABi8SH1ArbN3WoBRQ3zuHfJZuqAY5shR-gX50/s640/Boston2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middlesex County Marching Band</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYg-Or2rfLTUp0f62HNdElNwp70Zf3t8EPd7xMA6EGXsrKJtYSVocbCq4VsxDxj4qrL42X-WyHMR2a6J0ON0YtrKu6JlQNk2BBkSrBudHRzCXcsAgXDSlBFG_b_ByGXcxCxjP8rYCJyc/s1600/Boston3_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYg-Or2rfLTUp0f62HNdElNwp70Zf3t8EPd7xMA6EGXsrKJtYSVocbCq4VsxDxj4qrL42X-WyHMR2a6J0ON0YtrKu6JlQNk2BBkSrBudHRzCXcsAgXDSlBFG_b_ByGXcxCxjP8rYCJyc/s640/Boston3_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Boston you ARE the parade!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRTgXYc0NL-sQwrkMWslGGq93WdzN_UqBkzGEOF1N3NgZK_Fsli2RCUpvFRWvIxm8tLyro1V3mfXCwHbIkskU6Msds6N4bGtNxiP-4DrYhgzdPcp5WiqYFYkYPnPTvv6o7Ps7s-TLJYc/s1600/Boston2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRTgXYc0NL-sQwrkMWslGGq93WdzN_UqBkzGEOF1N3NgZK_Fsli2RCUpvFRWvIxm8tLyro1V3mfXCwHbIkskU6Msds6N4bGtNxiP-4DrYhgzdPcp5WiqYFYkYPnPTvv6o7Ps7s-TLJYc/s640/Boston2_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concert at Hatch Memorial Shell - featuring the Boston Pops, Arlo Guthrie and Queen Latifah!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxpCserSwitFKvWXTQWh2uk8mqtrS0Y818SvXy8R7rL_NYJ0rV6rdJIngX6VDRQakGyO0yqb-gmAkmb34wfkQcbCz273DJXk-iDANm6rO4Ng65KMBlgfh-m_lP-7zn7E26NLWmkXohJQ/s1600/Boston16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxpCserSwitFKvWXTQWh2uk8mqtrS0Y818SvXy8R7rL_NYJ0rV6rdJIngX6VDRQakGyO0yqb-gmAkmb34wfkQcbCz273DJXk-iDANm6rO4Ng65KMBlgfh-m_lP-7zn7E26NLWmkXohJQ/s640/Boston16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the Charles River - settled in for fireworks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1l3goGTYtgl9ONPgYeMmfJEACGTnAuEQbrsqkJcBsrC4MNujUW-yC6pnRK9uSxKHnmZEojWCPgWYRnJ42VZSZ2dQWE1VpLuITgFeYOy3Gys-3Y1K3MzaKfTiAa_RQvmP3oiBGtDoTgI/s1600/Boston4_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1600" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1l3goGTYtgl9ONPgYeMmfJEACGTnAuEQbrsqkJcBsrC4MNujUW-yC6pnRK9uSxKHnmZEojWCPgWYRnJ42VZSZ2dQWE1VpLuITgFeYOy3Gys-3Y1K3MzaKfTiAa_RQvmP3oiBGtDoTgI/s640/Boston4_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks over the Charles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Emerald Necklace </b><br />
<br />
If you're looking for a really cool way to get to know Boston, consider walking the Emerald Necklace. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the same person who designed Central Park) this "trail" takes you on a 32 mile journey through the city via 7 different parks. And... you can download this walking map that gives you 46 historical points to stop at along the way. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Emerald-Necklace-Map.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="1152" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4lRCDtK9tDrMT4OuP1MxTwjedpbpqlEpUfPb_tG8xDe_oDkfoChQbTM9nhO__3XFJqAwvL8UTfk0oMdbv0ciDkZhL70fePXFtTDMunMjZEK6OH5aZo-w7KTm-GnxMarMo5WeY8A79Ls/s640/Boston16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Emerald-Necklace-Map.pdf" target="_blank">Click the picture to download the map</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We split the walk over 2 weekends and did 16 miles each half, but it was worth every step. Here are a few things you will find along the walk.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d__zxBlxH634oS1_DxP68nZgLm1Qbd3KD-2fOF8L_bJUjKgo_rr1F6b75DXtm2F8hL9a0jaJnx2Gj87u-VjVrvJEaIcgzN3gNh9TOFe1s-JGs7ALSvy68SoZ0ZTCQncR80lORkYgTnU/s1600/Emerald1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d__zxBlxH634oS1_DxP68nZgLm1Qbd3KD-2fOF8L_bJUjKgo_rr1F6b75DXtm2F8hL9a0jaJnx2Gj87u-VjVrvJEaIcgzN3gNh9TOFe1s-JGs7ALSvy68SoZ0ZTCQncR80lORkYgTnU/s400/Emerald1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 99 Steps / Ellicott Arch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rNdstK5ml5pKh7cCKcAUNCYv-enLm1A-aaA5sgyQAlAiRjcg7FNAs2bmFwSHDl_MfoCV_63IumkeX2l2h7K2yBs50Su8KzHG2fs8bEHvA22N2-54ouajjvgiDYRDVHeI_ftmj05GVnY/s1600/Emerald2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rNdstK5ml5pKh7cCKcAUNCYv-enLm1A-aaA5sgyQAlAiRjcg7FNAs2bmFwSHDl_MfoCV_63IumkeX2l2h7K2yBs50Su8KzHG2fs8bEHvA22N2-54ouajjvgiDYRDVHeI_ftmj05GVnY/s400/Emerald2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarboro Pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxkwJPnE9laMEfxJ2gdTTvCoXuOsED2QXUwAuypFCYre8A5zLgaBNkobxZsa9hMw3mvHpKWkqunEcM1_EpUu8F0YexMMpAB8fi3EEZkNnrXjMNVJkrFBQA4kst0vMQD9cd844jQT-6yQ/s1600/Emerald3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxkwJPnE9laMEfxJ2gdTTvCoXuOsED2QXUwAuypFCYre8A5zLgaBNkobxZsa9hMw3mvHpKWkqunEcM1_EpUu8F0YexMMpAB8fi3EEZkNnrXjMNVJkrFBQA4kst0vMQD9cd844jQT-6yQ/s400/Emerald3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBldGcNefyyPoXUSIZq7azo2l45fT_LXlGMwwvZIC8Pi4BnHPgXGy89LxzIzLJT_sfJP8sJOufj4TMyJo6rTPm2_AF9ohyphenhyphenl_QLY6eek7o_dp7kpx1ihDpWylFuxf_KeEZSXSsU4dFGGU/s1600/Emerald4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBldGcNefyyPoXUSIZq7azo2l45fT_LXlGMwwvZIC8Pi4BnHPgXGy89LxzIzLJT_sfJP8sJOufj4TMyJo6rTPm2_AF9ohyphenhyphenl_QLY6eek7o_dp7kpx1ihDpWylFuxf_KeEZSXSsU4dFGGU/s400/Emerald4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington himself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yNlEpQh2hw-9dzr31awDNa6ka1DDR9alw1YnRhu0ZH1s-khTf6sv08iqV4bRW0FL4C5WLC55l8dLbMyyQx6r-BOvaT9OTBkjzhgdQHF7SWNKZpKP03xEbYiaGP-D-nuq2xGVNZx6Tq8/s1600/Emerald5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yNlEpQh2hw-9dzr31awDNa6ka1DDR9alw1YnRhu0ZH1s-khTf6sv08iqV4bRW0FL4C5WLC55l8dLbMyyQx6r-BOvaT9OTBkjzhgdQHF7SWNKZpKP03xEbYiaGP-D-nuq2xGVNZx6Tq8/s640/Emerald5.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneak peak of Boston from the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNhEbTcE1KWHtrc84FJfJTkjzoQ0QHwrxmetmvq42ZST1-hHmgy7XrL0AhLwnjWBPtY0f3x3oSg_Day7GPFzxiOL0SSJNbRkXGmrfAimffKUYvOmROu5YUCX0yE8-Jt7-pBpSaqPqhRo/s1600/Emerald6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNhEbTcE1KWHtrc84FJfJTkjzoQ0QHwrxmetmvq42ZST1-hHmgy7XrL0AhLwnjWBPtY0f3x3oSg_Day7GPFzxiOL0SSJNbRkXGmrfAimffKUYvOmROu5YUCX0yE8-Jt7-pBpSaqPqhRo/s400/Emerald6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home of the Sox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Of course nothing ends a long day of hiking like a cold brewski at Cheers!
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtAVk3zsAa7GjIZDUugEHoY-Rztol3DTi61rtLVBccQcZjuMuNxtBwDeSgQwZzw9dP7WJpGdrZVQgjrTpGnDDq5UBlUpsLGzgH3vF2iemWpa7Ri4hMKQS3YvMSBJh7T6hFT7_w54ESC8/s1600/Cheers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtAVk3zsAa7GjIZDUugEHoY-Rztol3DTi61rtLVBccQcZjuMuNxtBwDeSgQwZzw9dP7WJpGdrZVQgjrTpGnDDq5UBlUpsLGzgH3vF2iemWpa7Ri4hMKQS3YvMSBJh7T6hFT7_w54ESC8/s400/Cheers1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oddly enough, nobody knew our name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfMstcwOauMz57NGgB-gjuR2kqUr_Vuu2piWk6CUPY5sAcxs_QSx95JC52ZjqwWwVYpjc-hb_QLnrv1t3b2BFMVhVZ42kAnBpk3FY1pjpdhWiD4Ildypb6r0xd1I_BxUpcBQaCWj-n0o/s1600/Cheers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfMstcwOauMz57NGgB-gjuR2kqUr_Vuu2piWk6CUPY5sAcxs_QSx95JC52ZjqwWwVYpjc-hb_QLnrv1t3b2BFMVhVZ42kAnBpk3FY1pjpdhWiD4Ildypb6r0xd1I_BxUpcBQaCWj-n0o/s640/Cheers2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting in none other than Norm's spot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In addition to exploring Boston proper, we also took a few amazing day trips to various seaside towns, including Rockport, Gloucester, and Halibut Point State Park<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNifn_PM0fG8YreRaLoyIyxlvqEdqFbDDz2Fmc88Re8DcRuJWSGSNXPFMQMRV3jRnE5Q9iBAj4z55lOtWLwxbbcfCv-gxFY4ClFqgfSN589G26JodT7nnag7Ur-EKPDhtNBhd5dsYR8sU/s1600/Rockport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNifn_PM0fG8YreRaLoyIyxlvqEdqFbDDz2Fmc88Re8DcRuJWSGSNXPFMQMRV3jRnE5Q9iBAj4z55lOtWLwxbbcfCv-gxFY4ClFqgfSN589G26JodT7nnag7Ur-EKPDhtNBhd5dsYR8sU/s640/Rockport.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockpoint Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGZfnqdW-Uex-1e_5JuGWQdqBsA_3nkaNTuOZj_IqpYH9jDdURtmksF4izbW6i370ho1UD_iJ-IzqD8lD4h4SgkB2s_LNaVXHhH-96opSY-KLdfwSUMQETW8qyghRAdYI5hXji_RQdg8/s1600/Rockport2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGZfnqdW-Uex-1e_5JuGWQdqBsA_3nkaNTuOZj_IqpYH9jDdURtmksF4izbW6i370ho1UD_iJ-IzqD8lD4h4SgkB2s_LNaVXHhH-96opSY-KLdfwSUMQETW8qyghRAdYI5hXji_RQdg8/s640/Rockport2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockpoint Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATGS5J0VflHmxh4IIuy_feKM1S6e5gqhpc4KPPhWlllw9VegFSn0UyRIanMgPay51MoUM1kr2i2soTway-GKnpOtUcy6xZRjPXIhsOxiXLGipaO14i9Rl2MmZr1e3F-P_AcLq6a20tz4/s1600/Glouchester1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATGS5J0VflHmxh4IIuy_feKM1S6e5gqhpc4KPPhWlllw9VegFSn0UyRIanMgPay51MoUM1kr2i2soTway-GKnpOtUcy6xZRjPXIhsOxiXLGipaO14i9Rl2MmZr1e3F-P_AcLq6a20tz4/s640/Glouchester1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloucester Lighthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAHn6A4t8lM6o4X2WgPh7kdGR9F30PEB9clo07rwS5wgl11aoYKX7BoTEmr05VSYynSHFMOY3Rk_8h27Q7ilK0xiwF8F5LlPcOO_d4yg751y5A5-m-3kD0c3ZjrFXu6lFrCLWm1kR88A/s1600/Halibut1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAHn6A4t8lM6o4X2WgPh7kdGR9F30PEB9clo07rwS5wgl11aoYKX7BoTEmr05VSYynSHFMOY3Rk_8h27Q7ilK0xiwF8F5LlPcOO_d4yg751y5A5-m-3kD0c3ZjrFXu6lFrCLWm1kR88A/s640/Halibut1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halibut Point State Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPkiERREmLLTrrF9S4MyCB1Cto8R6rEDJIzx4APLf-5XeV2VFA0ECvPoam1wL77VkBTxW-NdSYDpGDSX4Egpn-FskIfniA7mMXGqkN5VgLxzbvi9E25JWWLyAgu-trYOTNN3Fd6yfEJY/s1600/Halibut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPkiERREmLLTrrF9S4MyCB1Cto8R6rEDJIzx4APLf-5XeV2VFA0ECvPoam1wL77VkBTxW-NdSYDpGDSX4Egpn-FskIfniA7mMXGqkN5VgLxzbvi9E25JWWLyAgu-trYOTNN3Fd6yfEJY/s640/Halibut2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halibut Point State Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3JuVQB-ZT1eb6_p9OB0ky3ffbfUedvjgE7QDnfOtBx5TC5zxeNEFceYPCKRTUMClGGiPcUYF7UUyKQJc_vR_yzj5Ie_MpGWAv8WQ0QTxMQ2RwJHqFxPuQQhH33ttv_ws0KGEAcaRk2M/s1600/Halibut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3JuVQB-ZT1eb6_p9OB0ky3ffbfUedvjgE7QDnfOtBx5TC5zxeNEFceYPCKRTUMClGGiPcUYF7UUyKQJc_vR_yzj5Ie_MpGWAv8WQ0QTxMQ2RwJHqFxPuQQhH33ttv_ws0KGEAcaRk2M/s640/Halibut3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halibut Point State Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Providence, RI</b></span><br />
<br />
This was a very special summer for me and Charli in that it was our 30th anniversary in August. I don't actually remember taking the vow to promise to "sell everything I own and live out of a Prius," but I'm glad it worked out that way.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5o-AQkfojSOnPKBLEdy85SOZ63Jv8w4U-VF2vw4epkWMr-K6EW5DAsoGfdNz-Jbs2R8HnQ-_1fPBvhyphenhyphentq4y8kBvnLh49l7aB3n46G1j2yGiffpo6gMt0P8gr1aiLs-I2N0Mpm7syQxg/s1600/Providence4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5o-AQkfojSOnPKBLEdy85SOZ63Jv8w4U-VF2vw4epkWMr-K6EW5DAsoGfdNz-Jbs2R8HnQ-_1fPBvhyphenhyphentq4y8kBvnLh49l7aB3n46G1j2yGiffpo6gMt0P8gr1aiLs-I2N0Mpm7syQxg/s320/Providence4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oldly-weds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anyway, after doing some research on where we should spend our special night, we landed on Providence, RI, and here's why:<br />
<br />
Providence is a beautiful city and has a spectacular event every summer called WaterFire. This is where they light nearly 100 wood-filled "lanterns" mounted in the city's canals. It's unlike anything we've seen before and stimulates all your senses in an exquisite artistic display. Here's a panorama shot taken from their website of the main gathering area. The caldrons are also lit all the way down the canals for about a mile. It's quite spectacular.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21VgY1qRGQ-myjKdOBPSSl19ZkyNYI9xxM4ZJpSo3TmYJxZIvcP5Xnc4JZg0lJma3HJ_sEg4MrYvEo8fznRqh5UVwbgCiQtg9JKKj7aVFKTUi_C1DogYRWK2Card_e7r3GfoehYKlAjk/s1600/Providence6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="650" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21VgY1qRGQ-myjKdOBPSSl19ZkyNYI9xxM4ZJpSo3TmYJxZIvcP5Xnc4JZg0lJma3HJ_sEg4MrYvEo8fznRqh5UVwbgCiQtg9JKKj7aVFKTUi_C1DogYRWK2Card_e7r3GfoehYKlAjk/s640/Providence6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvFqcc14m9ZvSxG2gmRZ2tc4MYJDhmuLg6jiX7tFE7hsDTSbM3EId-hCSBe58tvu9aAROpZVXlzEPwy0XcChtuVa3EM_iycYjWDxi5HnT2ukhgsjoEebjrKYslMnkJtKzoMNcSUG4wVo/s1600/Providence5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvFqcc14m9ZvSxG2gmRZ2tc4MYJDhmuLg6jiX7tFE7hsDTSbM3EId-hCSBe58tvu9aAROpZVXlzEPwy0XcChtuVa3EM_iycYjWDxi5HnT2ukhgsjoEebjrKYslMnkJtKzoMNcSUG4wVo/s640/Providence5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowds gathering for the big event, lanterns waiting for nightfall!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17c8b4d8A9xl3h6AymKZMuWFg_W_bn8M2D74reYDRJ5ioaXJbhGGPNOLHIABSEhZnT5qRaVLoM9M37GG1ywfT_GQ3AFRj-RVKrUsMuzm9tGpCc-BLkFFshnowbz4yvVKV_droIHSrWYs/s1600/Providence7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17c8b4d8A9xl3h6AymKZMuWFg_W_bn8M2D74reYDRJ5ioaXJbhGGPNOLHIABSEhZnT5qRaVLoM9M37GG1ywfT_GQ3AFRj-RVKrUsMuzm9tGpCc-BLkFFshnowbz4yvVKV_droIHSrWYs/s640/Providence7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staking our claim on the canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3pCMrhEHwZVPCQZMhouhVQjpUAhFw3F2dj8AGh2OioKmAeigW01LP0Ffp93FbXOFWxbzRQOQFR_htala0a6EnNItouKk7eKVrR-9bPfUiYe5xEhGmUXNf7abb3GTnKTpseveAcR1o3o/s1600/Providence8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3pCMrhEHwZVPCQZMhouhVQjpUAhFw3F2dj8AGh2OioKmAeigW01LP0Ffp93FbXOFWxbzRQOQFR_htala0a6EnNItouKk7eKVrR-9bPfUiYe5xEhGmUXNf7abb3GTnKTpseveAcR1o3o/s320/Providence8.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eeek! So excited!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Providence also has this interesting art display they refer to as "Textured Gear."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ_F4Yhz4y39sFxx_WHWelhRXrmodqnRsfW4dS1p13PjRbcPQE3nAyLSZ3DEBcQkNDFajOD_icIq38cOMd8JHUDQS0y1-0HtmgWPeCRzm2A-Oko6J6phgbW0r8UgbV0ONA48jfhnlbhs/s1600/Providence3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ_F4Yhz4y39sFxx_WHWelhRXrmodqnRsfW4dS1p13PjRbcPQE3nAyLSZ3DEBcQkNDFajOD_icIq38cOMd8JHUDQS0y1-0HtmgWPeCRzm2A-Oko6J6phgbW0r8UgbV0ONA48jfhnlbhs/s400/Providence3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's very cool, but they're not fooling anyone. I'm pretty sure this is really another stargate portal in disguise. After all, is it just a coincidence that <i>this</i> is sitting alongside the water in Vancouver? I think not!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dKui2j1dgSnf4wF2rhfj3rAoxv76XjWXU6xgtaRNTXL6gj_enEAUJbE0GL3c5_FGGMn8WFmdt-BniFkzEyE6QhBCqGa4Gc1MOrWWwGdlR9L93Kl3vhj53elJy9KmdWAxbuRbyM5jdc0/s1600/Vancouver+Stargate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dKui2j1dgSnf4wF2rhfj3rAoxv76XjWXU6xgtaRNTXL6gj_enEAUJbE0GL3c5_FGGMn8WFmdt-BniFkzEyE6QhBCqGa4Gc1MOrWWwGdlR9L93Kl3vhj53elJy9KmdWAxbuRbyM5jdc0/s400/Vancouver+Stargate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard</b></span><br />
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And finally, Cape Cod. I know, the kids are starting to get restless, but hang in there for a few more slides.<br />
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You simply can't go to the Boston area without taking time to stop at the Cape. We've been there several times now and it's always a beautiful and fun place to be. Well, except for the deadly GREAT WHITE sharks that is. There are signs everywhere that literally say, "People have been seriously injured or killed by white sharks along this coastline." It's a good thing sharks can't read.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsTv8eNo8Bw4bXuzy_7uoJFE21Kh5II1uT1T3SzJRCmz64Ks0aVUcBbm6QehstFO4C0F8cf0FDhs3UQJxjOGw_5ncvlecItVFyNJpeQLNyyofOY6Dg1lt4L_bL3_JYICdplnorpglpX4/s1600/Cape+Cod3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsTv8eNo8Bw4bXuzy_7uoJFE21Kh5II1uT1T3SzJRCmz64Ks0aVUcBbm6QehstFO4C0F8cf0FDhs3UQJxjOGw_5ncvlecItVFyNJpeQLNyyofOY6Dg1lt4L_bL3_JYICdplnorpglpX4/s400/Cape+Cod3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But other than that it is really quite charming. Take these lighthouses for example...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFueoj8RDhpJV6j7YlACB-WukZuh9sKXHnaYYwBNtz2Pjo7G2PYszmqc2tXUT5GpBtjeK6hbEfDOymE9biu6IEeghzox6oP4f-ZcqS1EOxmhrFFgmJ_sfI-OBMS6fSl-qCKaFK6Kp9Co/s1600/Cape+Cod+Provincetown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFueoj8RDhpJV6j7YlACB-WukZuh9sKXHnaYYwBNtz2Pjo7G2PYszmqc2tXUT5GpBtjeK6hbEfDOymE9biu6IEeghzox6oP4f-ZcqS1EOxmhrFFgmJ_sfI-OBMS6fSl-qCKaFK6Kp9Co/s400/Cape+Cod+Provincetown.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Provincetown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-66kc1DRASMJgV2VbKtIUAPrF0qscv51dGU0acg2gkYxt4YFcUdhpqWB5fhF1IBPadqmqWjF9Y7Azj8ypEcVmarjZyEBzJ20X8Wu2iP2SQDhHbijLX_KiF0Iz-IS83eivEZtFgWniLRg/s1600/Chatham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-66kc1DRASMJgV2VbKtIUAPrF0qscv51dGU0acg2gkYxt4YFcUdhpqWB5fhF1IBPadqmqWjF9Y7Azj8ypEcVmarjZyEBzJ20X8Wu2iP2SQDhHbijLX_KiF0Iz-IS83eivEZtFgWniLRg/s400/Chatham.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chatham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And with just a short ferry ride you can zip over to Martha's Vineyard and see their adorable gingerbread houses.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTgCkf14bx_6y9yxUlYRdVdkn9SgDHTYHPYEiXczPyheUHCXAU4S-fI17vP6xHC7W3Y-81LnByxewq0OvIUDaNyvgelOITPpX8MalsRl0OwZG0TfR3wMkmasXe15Tyl3YsNXfElX-B2o/s1600/Cape+Cod1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTgCkf14bx_6y9yxUlYRdVdkn9SgDHTYHPYEiXczPyheUHCXAU4S-fI17vP6xHC7W3Y-81LnByxewq0OvIUDaNyvgelOITPpX8MalsRl0OwZG0TfR3wMkmasXe15Tyl3YsNXfElX-B2o/s640/Cape+Cod1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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OR... you can enjoy the sunset from one of the many restaurants located along the water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpSF7gR6pZfohi4HA5NYc0n4Q3YMQD2JZwiQvdzZEasRAMNRcLNHBuzWwFXzaRwviWKUk4Kc1WHzrnAqspnu8gyzxYUXLiBgiwPY9uQ5qRiUO3_DBJmCvavZzW8nlUkdJSfhaz4QrQSY/s1600/Cape+Cod2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpSF7gR6pZfohi4HA5NYc0n4Q3YMQD2JZwiQvdzZEasRAMNRcLNHBuzWwFXzaRwviWKUk4Kc1WHzrnAqspnu8gyzxYUXLiBgiwPY9uQ5qRiUO3_DBJmCvavZzW8nlUkdJSfhaz4QrQSY/s640/Cape+Cod2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As seen from our table... not too shabby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And there you have it... how we spent our summer. We have to stop now because the bulb in the projector just burned out, but I hope you enjoyed the show. Please come back next time when we look at how we spent our fall. Plus, we'll have cookies!
Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-82897495926426248642019-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:002020-01-13T16:53:31.642-08:00Chapter 26 - June, 2019In our May post we had just finished spending time with Brandon and Allyson in Arizona. Now it was time to sneak in a visit with Rosie in Honolulu before heading to Colorado for our next house sit. She had just gotten a new job there and we simply HAD to go see what she was doing and where she was living. Because we really needed a reason to go to Hawaii? Anyway, here are some of the highlights.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*** Honolulu, HI ***</b> </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRvb0YFTiEc7vCQp7KCZhnQ95jMJqOklpWp3KGV2GhqJx_H_Vd5aVPvwf-ekC9EzlkPZmo7EQ2Dw7MSoBtleFppgJ-6N_9kmQy4r_SyuYOvgbN9t2R3UEbeyrTT2lNR2Cnt3xABUUx6U/s1600/HI+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRvb0YFTiEc7vCQp7KCZhnQ95jMJqOklpWp3KGV2GhqJx_H_Vd5aVPvwf-ekC9EzlkPZmo7EQ2Dw7MSoBtleFppgJ-6N_9kmQy4r_SyuYOvgbN9t2R3UEbeyrTT2lNR2Cnt3xABUUx6U/s640/HI+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosie at her "city" office</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QPsG8zxMUfaky3lPMa1jPUZlg4qg7HnXt7X3VjRpP1BfzN4j-20IMIch9hyphenhyphenEojEkEcZxXMfx4Zq91x9-oKxSV9fbsnmhLWgEcoz3psLeEs-O7SNzrTKFJxag63kWF1U6ONUi1zjKG-Q/s1600/HI+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QPsG8zxMUfaky3lPMa1jPUZlg4qg7HnXt7X3VjRpP1BfzN4j-20IMIch9hyphenhyphenEojEkEcZxXMfx4Zq91x9-oKxSV9fbsnmhLWgEcoz3psLeEs-O7SNzrTKFJxag63kWF1U6ONUi1zjKG-Q/s640/HI+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waikiki Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz2IiETHQvK-9V_8vBmJPJSIMrn7gw0ao-zXy08wrZduS8_RBYmCMZV1TOol60shV2juoSpmOhg-1MkQVVNVgBw13h9u71IXSw4dv0YmChyphenhyphenlt9DApudl8TYkskBYAqr_H6EAoZbKqVVM/s1600/HI+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz2IiETHQvK-9V_8vBmJPJSIMrn7gw0ao-zXy08wrZduS8_RBYmCMZV1TOol60shV2juoSpmOhg-1MkQVVNVgBw13h9u71IXSw4dv0YmChyphenhyphenlt9DApudl8TYkskBYAqr_H6EAoZbKqVVM/s640/HI+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional dancers near Waikiki Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscfOMYWGKreUh-hIVRoGQ3HyMQHlVE13xulVovGviUmN9qdZhPe5qzoOTbpa2mJWuhg-s4N05RAOkQY7l2CPHIN8ARmVQjaNlePIezEdrt0MPQX8ogOpeZP2k-ZyzjsiQhlj-bl86hi0/s1600/HI+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscfOMYWGKreUh-hIVRoGQ3HyMQHlVE13xulVovGviUmN9qdZhPe5qzoOTbpa2mJWuhg-s4N05RAOkQY7l2CPHIN8ARmVQjaNlePIezEdrt0MPQX8ogOpeZP2k-ZyzjsiQhlj-bl86hi0/s640/HI+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waikiki Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXSaO0Cy_fV42L8ZKy22RwQ1dEUP-o2Hn35HRWLj59SHQS9HqguHtgkMQ8KE-aVt76rNM9VwW_mZvC5x4gqu6GpMXVbTlhjY9EG9_1_yK3ZP1YAtf-quEYfDM13xvl3QsT4YYqorEoxo/s1600/HI+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXSaO0Cy_fV42L8ZKy22RwQ1dEUP-o2Hn35HRWLj59SHQS9HqguHtgkMQ8KE-aVt76rNM9VwW_mZvC5x4gqu6GpMXVbTlhjY9EG9_1_yK3ZP1YAtf-quEYfDM13xvl3QsT4YYqorEoxo/s640/HI+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYr5TCQH-eVtruRREEZrMtiMXQgFwOYm5v2FMVgaaoTo6_1MRwtmOk4ESJJpqCkUqqyb9hSzFW3JxnU8Zcd5Lr5KuBydsykk2m6a61gJ4M0zlQDHQSSGxXHr7nNzJFsFNYzj0uKlmoVU/s1600/HI+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYr5TCQH-eVtruRREEZrMtiMXQgFwOYm5v2FMVgaaoTo6_1MRwtmOk4ESJJpqCkUqqyb9hSzFW3JxnU8Zcd5Lr5KuBydsykk2m6a61gJ4M0zlQDHQSSGxXHr7nNzJFsFNYzj0uKlmoVU/s640/HI+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanauma Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNztJiiR9d6KVdRapxDRq5m3Wy0rmCkR_ocAqFUiOY4QdGzNdbaBK1da6XA3UZjEGPTLa8T0KAos1ZIE1GfoKgLalo8WdfedNoMKNsbBxhzntAZI0er9BPytfebYxnTYoHeJM4FtBJ3M/s1600/HI+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNztJiiR9d6KVdRapxDRq5m3Wy0rmCkR_ocAqFUiOY4QdGzNdbaBK1da6XA3UZjEGPTLa8T0KAos1ZIE1GfoKgLalo8WdfedNoMKNsbBxhzntAZI0er9BPytfebYxnTYoHeJM4FtBJ3M/s640/HI+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Rosie's "country office" locations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseTx8mjZPekoHjZ-xtnl-8UUlWUFe1JOgRoFpDoPBYknWULp2fQlrLgLbWQQZ0KCnGiZtD5t8jeefPnCrClJt3Lpcr6M9ezxoV3se73eNDfKu9qaTE-7AKWz2EOYClmvq33hh-rpF5R4/s1600/HI+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseTx8mjZPekoHjZ-xtnl-8UUlWUFe1JOgRoFpDoPBYknWULp2fQlrLgLbWQQZ0KCnGiZtD5t8jeefPnCrClJt3Lpcr6M9ezxoV3se73eNDfKu9qaTE-7AKWz2EOYClmvq33hh-rpF5R4/s640/HI+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Honolulu view from Rosie's lanai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*** Evergreen, CO ***</b></div>
<br />
After Hawaii we headed for a house sit of some very close friends in Evergreen, CO, a charming little town about 30 miles SW of Denver. Evergreen is the perfect place to hang out in the summer because at 7500 feet it stays a nice, comfortable temperature. It's also very close to Mt. Evans which is always a nice drive to the 14,130 foot summit. Along the way you can see...<br />
<br />
... a perpetually frozen lake<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCGvIUS_1oY7OqwLf9n5klJORcOgVSzWaHoWk49kEKJ3zqniVNaXd1Z5JzSDqG1xBCc6-eMLMYguN5TP5Afd5fRH12rGdu8E1zO_REV4rR8FiumC1pkjPmyNC59WH8V_c4nC125ddunQ/s1600/Evergreen+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCGvIUS_1oY7OqwLf9n5klJORcOgVSzWaHoWk49kEKJ3zqniVNaXd1Z5JzSDqG1xBCc6-eMLMYguN5TP5Afd5fRH12rGdu8E1zO_REV4rR8FiumC1pkjPmyNC59WH8V_c4nC125ddunQ/s640/Evergreen+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Summit Lake Park with Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOdRethszbkaxocF2VDukNgGeY1S_VRGGBe1RkJM9sXyO23J4zPlNcLIRmcxa26A-aCqpJv77T1FxbxQRC_dFvfZZBsQ_gPp2HhMDnC-V0D0Zvj7PehBwPBzC4PpmVdHjGF6P_WC6YS8/s1600/Evergreen+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOdRethszbkaxocF2VDukNgGeY1S_VRGGBe1RkJM9sXyO23J4zPlNcLIRmcxa26A-aCqpJv77T1FxbxQRC_dFvfZZBsQ_gPp2HhMDnC-V0D0Zvj7PehBwPBzC4PpmVdHjGF6P_WC6YS8/s640/Evergreen+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhHBSHqxR7as7Sug4zSD-1sl-vWgO-PjPpmzxo6GYzNATqo-EABoTjoThwq_MNQH3tuyAC3ooHh4prn1A-Cs-hGmY0pZyfebsCYXcwenvXsIpMlnPdvk5f-rSmbojoakGF8DjpgmMGP0/s1600/Evergreen+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhHBSHqxR7as7Sug4zSD-1sl-vWgO-PjPpmzxo6GYzNATqo-EABoTjoThwq_MNQH3tuyAC3ooHh4prn1A-Cs-hGmY0pZyfebsCYXcwenvXsIpMlnPdvk5f-rSmbojoakGF8DjpgmMGP0/s640/Evergreen+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charli, with Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
... mountain goats<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4AB2mubXi_rH4rhQDF5iakOuch3fDrzJVsKe-7VWVBGG4rnijKjVdGQhahezG0zzZSuueNuk855y02QZvKlzkQGEyDp2IuHBAef9bUtGuQ-CQYVr7T0nI1EEe07TMpKXXlq8Zuri_80/s1600/Evergreen+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4AB2mubXi_rH4rhQDF5iakOuch3fDrzJVsKe-7VWVBGG4rnijKjVdGQhahezG0zzZSuueNuk855y02QZvKlzkQGEyDp2IuHBAef9bUtGuQ-CQYVr7T0nI1EEe07TMpKXXlq8Zuri_80/s640/Evergreen+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTc0NGuoR4F8fois0FpYkEiuZKHnYkY-at9klwrsMLhDIC7zAwqCDiCIitIXJAYkTVeM7cA0hFxgT9lXXtu2IUBEa2XRdUM53TbqC-0v62N_ssXtCqMn_h758AXfSNZz6C3zkv2S-4EA/s1600/Evergreen+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1600" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTc0NGuoR4F8fois0FpYkEiuZKHnYkY-at9klwrsMLhDIC7zAwqCDiCIitIXJAYkTVeM7cA0hFxgT9lXXtu2IUBEa2XRdUM53TbqC-0v62N_ssXtCqMn_h758AXfSNZz6C3zkv2S-4EA/s640/Evergreen+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How's the weather up here? "Not baaaaaad."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
... and sightseeing marmots.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucrIJ075rf4rVpa94tMMqiN1e7YezU9uCQPHHwzNukkhzL8ejvEFW3egozonTYTG4k1CVq__HT40amWzr8rd_FeTa2mTQvGLRlbaPZpMh1b1hE-4ZsT8vMsmpAfxwJJs8INNUPpg8IWE/s1600/Evergreen+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucrIJ075rf4rVpa94tMMqiN1e7YezU9uCQPHHwzNukkhzL8ejvEFW3egozonTYTG4k1CVq__HT40amWzr8rd_FeTa2mTQvGLRlbaPZpMh1b1hE-4ZsT8vMsmpAfxwJJs8INNUPpg8IWE/s640/Evergreen+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eventually, after navigating a frightening two-lane road with no guard rails for 10 miles you will reach the parking lot at the top.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5VU-UuQqNW9rA94GNbx_Tdbr-oMQLRNpYYzjGdZhaT_tMWG09u34Epf-B21aXnyEaxCV2toDale0urNvau-5xM4aXcSYfz1GdAD9yBguGwzgRqlvqmwc467T256KuOZ8ypEXL88ej8g/s1600/Evergreen+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5VU-UuQqNW9rA94GNbx_Tdbr-oMQLRNpYYzjGdZhaT_tMWG09u34Epf-B21aXnyEaxCV2toDale0urNvau-5xM4aXcSYfz1GdAD9yBguGwzgRqlvqmwc467T256KuOZ8ypEXL88ej8g/s640/Evergreen+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But this is not quite the summit. For that you still have to walk up another 150 feet or so.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKDsADhB3R1W6DWNrvDuWVUo1glZV87Leg4YJG_0Ip1jRckzBkdjR77x6his2Le61uDPibmiNLxNKvqYyaGJHGDZ0MdHttWM58d-ZZjcFxiGdKwJgPA4EeR8prV_SwWOg7deEUlVHXm8/s1600/Evergreen+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKDsADhB3R1W6DWNrvDuWVUo1glZV87Leg4YJG_0Ip1jRckzBkdjR77x6his2Le61uDPibmiNLxNKvqYyaGJHGDZ0MdHttWM58d-ZZjcFxiGdKwJgPA4EeR8prV_SwWOg7deEUlVHXm8/s640/Evergreen+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgnPMWXEbAxBk7eEoK53JHlNnEUa0cuFbbRae2INvQVjQ7HVyC3Y9buzph1ykgW-e6BxElWePfgMsIkCzVsNZ9ieeASHx08nA0XThryIBGt4rrF2WHlpM3UiTK2fE3_7eYbjqm6G2FvE/s1600/Evergreen+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgnPMWXEbAxBk7eEoK53JHlNnEUa0cuFbbRae2INvQVjQ7HVyC3Y9buzph1ykgW-e6BxElWePfgMsIkCzVsNZ9ieeASHx08nA0XThryIBGt4rrF2WHlpM3UiTK2fE3_7eYbjqm6G2FvE/s640/Evergreen+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, back down in the breathable air, Evergreen will give you fields of buffalo and elk on an everyday basis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk8BKyypVz9doqSbFUrRtxy5XC7IbFoLVULEmCbSFQVOVxu8K6Lt1fSk5HSxfZs1aUBzyvJBcUVy1MWx1m2LjfRvlae_6pMPc2pypxpY6M407OdMxpWy93mcBlAqZMecATMHlD5F7cHE/s1600/Evergreen+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk8BKyypVz9doqSbFUrRtxy5XC7IbFoLVULEmCbSFQVOVxu8K6Lt1fSk5HSxfZs1aUBzyvJBcUVy1MWx1m2LjfRvlae_6pMPc2pypxpY6M407OdMxpWy93mcBlAqZMecATMHlD5F7cHE/s640/Evergreen+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyP6s3_KsDN10sTFzbKLDekr5nB2eLgfAGMwewGytY9ewTPYeunRZvCccDU2tTSr5jk4JkhqAdlGf8I9EAMTrMxVBedtx7zvdY6FkZth-15zeGEhvwaIo79uIDRIpAnIqojSJrcyUa00/s1600/Evergreen+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyP6s3_KsDN10sTFzbKLDekr5nB2eLgfAGMwewGytY9ewTPYeunRZvCccDU2tTSr5jk4JkhqAdlGf8I9EAMTrMxVBedtx7zvdY6FkZth-15zeGEhvwaIo79uIDRIpAnIqojSJrcyUa00/s640/Evergreen+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So you can see why this is one of our favorite house sits. This area is gorgeous and delivers abundant wildlife every day of the week.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*** Niagara Falls ***</b> </div>
<br />
After we finished our sit in Evergreen it was time to head to the Boston area where we were booked for the rest of the summer. But the day before we got there we decided to take a little detour and grab a quick peek at the creek. We didn't have time to go across the border but no matter, the US side is just as stunning, and not nearly as commercial.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UgLEQ-0gqjemeS_7tllMFFom3nUtVI0vZ5LtBHTykGlQj5We_5FgAkVMiGyEfXiAMzH-wcwqA1eJtPCGqgJpbqeZVEdKyD4WAJEmX-nhag5diIPBruxwErj5Q8ZJORQSIyn4XlXYXg4/s1600/Niagara+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UgLEQ-0gqjemeS_7tllMFFom3nUtVI0vZ5LtBHTykGlQj5We_5FgAkVMiGyEfXiAMzH-wcwqA1eJtPCGqgJpbqeZVEdKyD4WAJEmX-nhag5diIPBruxwErj5Q8ZJORQSIyn4XlXYXg4/s640/Niagara+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canada across the river<b><br /></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPfIyvVaEjpYfxeBJGy3l-s5XOT7OoJ9f1Z0WDQfYZzezRPcrPATJMeEc_g8Qwx41FrbfLTP-PENsVBwEmt6qofmqI3zN0m4j6mRhWUKCAZRooiW6LwujXQ643vO_S5qNs-3zDRu_NmA/s1600/Niagara+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPfIyvVaEjpYfxeBJGy3l-s5XOT7OoJ9f1Z0WDQfYZzezRPcrPATJMeEc_g8Qwx41FrbfLTP-PENsVBwEmt6qofmqI3zN0m4j6mRhWUKCAZRooiW6LwujXQ643vO_S5qNs-3zDRu_NmA/s640/Niagara+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRApCjbJ_2DurGzwdK2m_WFfLqxPNhw4GwuG1IWWI9zELnzxttuRSZLU92HJmhmq8R98lHivoXldOX8mNsf3qWBlKuQ75oSffHbtXNa6XSyqu_g6JOQceDbDfkVk6bSTOXVoNs_on0wn8/s1600/Niagara+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRApCjbJ_2DurGzwdK2m_WFfLqxPNhw4GwuG1IWWI9zELnzxttuRSZLU92HJmhmq8R98lHivoXldOX8mNsf3qWBlKuQ75oSffHbtXNa6XSyqu_g6JOQceDbDfkVk6bSTOXVoNs_on0wn8/s640/Niagara+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Maid of the Mist ready to depart</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxax_27MAioJgIkyfCa3cW5HD-7O_F4iAn-s5_LFOQghlD34tDTdipRETwmRqjMH5_O2II7oE3I5VD0nRDWifBWbE6Q8bHCjQ0ulfYtY514dCfu52hXExCQ-XNuf8rFlBB3-UcsgyuGps/s1600/Niagara+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxax_27MAioJgIkyfCa3cW5HD-7O_F4iAn-s5_LFOQghlD34tDTdipRETwmRqjMH5_O2II7oE3I5VD0nRDWifBWbE6Q8bHCjQ0ulfYtY514dCfu52hXExCQ-XNuf8rFlBB3-UcsgyuGps/s640/Niagara+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up close and personal!</td></tr>
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And there you have our June in a nutshell. This is what 30 days looks like for us on the map... a total distance from Honolulu to Boston of 5,595 miles with 3,037 of them in the car.<br />
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But this is how we roll. We still haven't locked down where we'll spend the winter yet but with Boston queued up for 6 weeks this summer followed by some quality time in Florida I'm sure we'll figure it out. Until next time! Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-21152137165640474012019-06-01T19:06:00.000-07:002020-07-07T16:53:43.584-07:00Chapter 25 - May 2019With all the traveling and house sitting Charli and I have been doing it's definitely becoming more of a challenge to keep up with these posts. For one thing, every place we go we take about 200 pictures... so trying to decide which handful to show here makes my brain hurt. But hey, that's a <i>good</i> problem to have.<br />
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After finishing our last house sit in southern CA we had a small gap until we had to be in CO, which only means one thing... VISIT THE KIDS! Fortunately our son Brandon and his wife Allyson were able to take a few days off and do a little sight seeing with us up in northern AZ.<br />
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<b>*** Volcano National Monument ***</b></div>
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First up, Sunset Crater at Volcano National Monument in Flagstaff. This place is way cool. Who knew you could hike through lava fields in AZ? We sure didn't.<br />
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Inside the Monument you will also find several of these ancient historic pueblos, still hanging in there after 800 years! It's estimated this Wukoki Pueblo was inhabited in 1182. I read that in Wukopedia.<br />
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Next up we headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We had been to the South Rim a couple of times already and were told the North side was just as amazing in its own way, so we pointed the cars northward and set sail. But holy cow... who knew just driving there was going to be incredible?!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navajo Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ye Olde Colorado River</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*** Grand Canyon National Park ***</b></div>
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AZ has very diverse weather. For example we were there in May where in Phoenix it was like living on the sun, but up north we woke up to this. 29 degrees makes for a bit of a chilly night!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJcX7me71m23FT1yJS9EA5Uyzk0NFtsfxgAqS1fOG4-R781IK8krTDzfjy06TO35hBu3xeE5blwsdeFrtXktiXDPxkkwRM4lXD6ao0Zd2Mcg94GFDP1NwIuyHKwDLa3cZPrbU0jMk0tI/s1600/North+Rim+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJcX7me71m23FT1yJS9EA5Uyzk0NFtsfxgAqS1fOG4-R781IK8krTDzfjy06TO35hBu3xeE5blwsdeFrtXktiXDPxkkwRM4lXD6ao0Zd2Mcg94GFDP1NwIuyHKwDLa3cZPrbU0jMk0tI/s640/North+Rim+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us with Nala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw4KVAYltTi8X8Hx1csGkLySPu8uwKEuGVYktPXmXh0YnL89aP3IAslI1ZsI-RJux9WIp0QWyg3Ff__U0Xdso1pwC8UX3taWsWijSeWWL0M1e1cV5E4uSydmug6O6ltn8BOkI5wWaeks/s1600/North+Rim+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw4KVAYltTi8X8Hx1csGkLySPu8uwKEuGVYktPXmXh0YnL89aP3IAslI1ZsI-RJux9WIp0QWyg3Ff__U0Xdso1pwC8UX3taWsWijSeWWL0M1e1cV5E4uSydmug6O6ltn8BOkI5wWaeks/s640/North+Rim+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon and Allyson with Sabra</td></tr>
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The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was stunning. Smartphone pictures can't do it justice but trust me when I say it is incredible. I highly recommend taking the time to take the extra drive to the north side.<br />
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<b>*** Zion National Park ***</b></div>
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As I mentioned at the beginning, we had a few days between our California and Colorado house sits so we decided to take a few detours along the way. After our little adventures with Brandon and Allyson in AZ, we pointed the Prius northbound again and headed on up to Zion National Park... one of our favorite places in the US by the way. First of all, let me say that when your campsite alone is this beautiful you KNOW the park is going to be good.<br />
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And so it was...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8Ye7VHJt9dQbhshf6AGzHWE5JjZAg4q9jyOsWuvXn24WAf0d4tpHg__NPtbKVc1PpwLoTKEGBq8mwvrpiphpzCSveEl6l3Me1WVQFMBSOxzyLUg05lRqF0cguj73LgOrmJzKUn0M5js/s1600/Zion+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8Ye7VHJt9dQbhshf6AGzHWE5JjZAg4q9jyOsWuvXn24WAf0d4tpHg__NPtbKVc1PpwLoTKEGBq8mwvrpiphpzCSveEl6l3Me1WVQFMBSOxzyLUg05lRqF0cguj73LgOrmJzKUn0M5js/s640/Zion+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who needs a trail when you can just walk up a river?</td></tr>
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We didn't have time to do the really crazy stuff like we did the last time we were there, such as Angel's Landing or The Narrows, but that just forced us to explore some of the other beautiful areas of this gigantic park.. which, as you can see, were stunning.<br />
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So living a house sitting lifestyle isn't always about house sitting. For us it provides the opportunity to explore the country while still living comfortably as we do it. And for those times where we have to get from point A to point B, this is how we get it done!Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-33163213439438376812019-06-01T04:06:00.000-07:002020-01-13T16:49:56.421-08:00Chapter 24 - Springtime in California 2019 - Part 2Continued from <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/2019/05/chapter-23-springtime-in-california.html" target="_blank">Chapter 23 - Springtime in California 2019 - Part 1</a><br />
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<b>Oakland</b> was a very pleasant surprise for us... mostly because we knew very little about it. Whenever anyone talks about the "Bay Area," it's almost always only about San Francisco, so it was extremely fun to get to know Oakland as well.<br />
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But before I dive into that, I'd like to introduce you to the two sweet pups we had the pleasure of taking care of - Penny and Paco.<br />
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Penny is a 10 y/o tripod who wanted nothing more than to be able to go on hikes like her 3 y/o brother Paco. But we gave her a few minutes of trail time every day so she could experience the world of smells that make dogs so very happy. She just couldn't go very far or very long and with every walk back to the car she would look at you with big, sad eyes and say, "I know, I'm coming."<br />
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Paco, on the other hand, was a little fireball and couldn't get enough of the trails, which by the way was one of the biggest surprises about Oakland... the hiking there is amazing!<br />
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First of all, Oakland is more than just an exciting city on the bay. The back side of it rises to about 1500 feet and runs along the entire length of the city. This area is unofficially known as the "Oakland Hills" and contains miles of various parks and trail systems, all of which allow dogs to run off leash. Yay!<br />
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Not only can you see stunning views of San Francisco and its landmark bridges, but you can also submerge yourself into epic wilderness with just a quick drive up to Skyline Parkway. One side note: the town I grew up in, Duluth, MN is set up the same way AND also has a road that overlooks the entire length of the city below called Skyline Parkway, so I felt right at home there.<br />
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Here's one example of a park we hiked in with Paco called Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. It was remarkable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IyszRIFGl7mLBpIbFEpbjIiuUw842zm5mXUvUDz8Fv_SQxTWwiHJ3yVA5czJ_ts7UNPwq-oYzK4FqFTCsjdoOciryHuiKaWBGOzQ_1lNpomXXHvPLAuGNQ3xPon3Fqma23z4_5Ha_rY/s1600/volcano+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IyszRIFGl7mLBpIbFEpbjIiuUw842zm5mXUvUDz8Fv_SQxTWwiHJ3yVA5czJ_ts7UNPwq-oYzK4FqFTCsjdoOciryHuiKaWBGOzQ_1lNpomXXHvPLAuGNQ3xPon3Fqma23z4_5Ha_rY/s640/volcano+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That gap in the water on the horizon is the Golden Gate Bridge in the picture above. Here is the same shot enlarged below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q2Pmn2NMW4WJ9h72st8oOobOnjmyAygygB2cgIPLO_p26END9VrX4ZPBTsKHL5JpUTOdvbyJsF3wIaqSKRYZ6bShQ16UVbhvSjps3h-QnGXZGjGbRHJqrm6Qgqt0hEYHB3LXMSlDoLQ/s1600/volcano+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1440" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q2Pmn2NMW4WJ9h72st8oOobOnjmyAygygB2cgIPLO_p26END9VrX4ZPBTsKHL5JpUTOdvbyJsF3wIaqSKRYZ6bShQ16UVbhvSjps3h-QnGXZGjGbRHJqrm6Qgqt0hEYHB3LXMSlDoLQ/s640/volcano+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, back down by the water, you can enjoy an evening at one of the many restaurants and bars that overlook the harbor...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGXHLSC8GFv_tLaNOTxjypth7BXhi_AIiOs8G_lH9K2ngern5aYXpE4Zfb1pvsd-Lq4bhkCzlmchzP0fVkAkjsgKhrXS0AECI_dyUwRfNcesKVVnCTHK1Zpe_MES1FSu9sQwFenzsyZA/s1600/Oakland+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGXHLSC8GFv_tLaNOTxjypth7BXhi_AIiOs8G_lH9K2ngern5aYXpE4Zfb1pvsd-Lq4bhkCzlmchzP0fVkAkjsgKhrXS0AECI_dyUwRfNcesKVVnCTHK1Zpe_MES1FSu9sQwFenzsyZA/s400/Oakland+2.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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...and catch San Francisco in the sunset at the same time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyClkMpI_DjeqoMmK1bRHlwkVt3YSaKQ6zqNgj322o_zSRMhhT3OUo9gdbglkC40FGbZzUobz6QroyO8hfLMCwg-wDXFGiqS199yEu0d_A9DaEmzpgpfsD5FGrkXwKxVLMHBfLgGKOA8/s1600/Oakland+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyClkMpI_DjeqoMmK1bRHlwkVt3YSaKQ6zqNgj322o_zSRMhhT3OUo9gdbglkC40FGbZzUobz6QroyO8hfLMCwg-wDXFGiqS199yEu0d_A9DaEmzpgpfsD5FGrkXwKxVLMHBfLgGKOA8/s640/Oakland+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And finally, Lake Merritt. This gem sits right smack in the middle of the city and has a nice 3 mile walkway right along the water, which Charli and I ran on a regular basis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUyAQSFEAH560a1ad_wBKRvUUt-mLMBFP65etKMpHPMCm3axqgIeChyphenhyphenDUWTND_wwYTuvFIP8u56mwKc0mC3YF7qMNDDKNPYBvLHI16NOz9-qGo-ajIh89WBFSF5b0KhQLCnUszZyNyNQ/s1600/Lake+Merritt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="682" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUyAQSFEAH560a1ad_wBKRvUUt-mLMBFP65etKMpHPMCm3axqgIeChyphenhyphenDUWTND_wwYTuvFIP8u56mwKc0mC3YF7qMNDDKNPYBvLHI16NOz9-qGo-ajIh89WBFSF5b0KhQLCnUszZyNyNQ/s640/Lake+Merritt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Cred - Public Policy Institute of CA</td></tr>
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All-in-all we found Oakland to be one of our new favorite places to visit. In general, everyone's first instinct is to head straight for San Francisco and never venture east across the bridge. Well, with the exception of the mandatory drive over the Golden Gate. But after that, I highly encourage you to stick around for awhile and check out the serene quiet and incredible beauty of the hills. You'll be glad you did!<br />
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<b>The PCH</b><br />
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One of the benefits of house sitting in different cities is that we have to travel to get to them. And after we left Oakland we had the extreme pleasure of driving down one of our favorite highways in the country, the Pacific Coast Highway, or "The 1" as the locals refer to it. Driving the PCH is an experience like no other. Riding along the California cliffs with whitewater surf filling the coves below is simply one of the most beautiful sites you can see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1-VujylutbMgdpnqTJ6JbkPANMfFLUMCiCbbIycNDHtVGpL_4fsm34aRHXrNQ_yunaoxfEtYS_71x9-XtzgpRGGtPv4CU2Ej9oszXhrS2zqORKIm-pjS8xw7owrO_rAcXjzeGv0diiA/s1600/PCH+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1-VujylutbMgdpnqTJ6JbkPANMfFLUMCiCbbIycNDHtVGpL_4fsm34aRHXrNQ_yunaoxfEtYS_71x9-XtzgpRGGtPv4CU2Ej9oszXhrS2zqORKIm-pjS8xw7owrO_rAcXjzeGv0diiA/s640/PCH+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look carefully because this one has a waterfall!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ_aRxvHh1nb3PP7QMrPa7JQKG1_Xnb5_SAnmrKDCshM4SJSWUa3jM4GJZcDqW4w6FfFi1WrMzgPX5xRpaLcCPiHFPM6A74gqDb3Zd0Ict9DSDgiEwJ6roq79VinWQWj7zPMAq-1QH4A/s1600/PCH+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ_aRxvHh1nb3PP7QMrPa7JQKG1_Xnb5_SAnmrKDCshM4SJSWUa3jM4GJZcDqW4w6FfFi1WrMzgPX5xRpaLcCPiHFPM6A74gqDb3Zd0Ict9DSDgiEwJ6roq79VinWQWj7zPMAq-1QH4A/s640/PCH+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park</b><br />
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No drive along the 1 would be complete without a stopover to the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Here at this magical beach you will find a sunset portal and purple sand.<br />
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This is Keyhole Arch where you can see a solar beam blasting through the hole, depending on what time of year you are there of course. This is also not my picture as we were not there at sunset, but my picture looks exactly like this without the cool sun-going-through-the-keyhole effect.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOu1wWAJlbpL2FS_7FGr-Z7dmwz_3F9ARnZ18fWoIYHaEzh-8WA154jO5xmVGdR6KbIlUmD9IziOfJzaQ-AmoSeUAPJe7yG9HM3eGEDpti0rnKGgfNTdRAA80N4A-wJyWZWDinzfyhlFg/s1600/Pfeiffer+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="800" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOu1wWAJlbpL2FS_7FGr-Z7dmwz_3F9ARnZ18fWoIYHaEzh-8WA154jO5xmVGdR6KbIlUmD9IziOfJzaQ-AmoSeUAPJe7yG9HM3eGEDpti0rnKGgfNTdRAA80N4A-wJyWZWDinzfyhlFg/s640/Pfeiffer+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somebody else's picture from the intertoobs</td></tr>
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This, on the other hand, IS my picture and shows the amazing purple sand that makes up the beach. This is due to a large concentration of garnet minerals in the surrounding area. With every surf that washes up the purple sand mixes in with the white sand and creates sand art. It's really quite spectacular.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrrqzhMjeXWmZNE6jY3HO7tNZI_WREw6qy4_LUEMQxRvUFlnxfzjVTkiBsq9oit0AWxP1Prblp1gLC9BPEoFirYr41AWvBdzPb-LPjD6QMRtyvoiSNnbUIfNuvFMeSocF9J_vvxyFiOc/s1600/Pfeiffer+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrrqzhMjeXWmZNE6jY3HO7tNZI_WREw6qy4_LUEMQxRvUFlnxfzjVTkiBsq9oit0AWxP1Prblp1gLC9BPEoFirYr41AWvBdzPb-LPjD6QMRtyvoiSNnbUIfNuvFMeSocF9J_vvxyFiOc/s640/Pfeiffer+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Morro Bay</b><br />
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Not only is the Pacific coast shoreline ridiculously beautiful, but the entire length of the drive between the Bay Area and Los Angeles is dotted with charming, and sometimes swanky, seaside towns. We spent the night in a cozy little city called Morro Bay, which is famous for three things:<br />
1. its giant rock called... well, Morro Rock. Not very creative but it is accurate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9O7kIUVyyVb9V7NrJyK1sbP3h5Q9WUWB15Lk3Hjn65mn-34lnxSF_6liEQGXg7t9QZPurJ8WMSpmt7pICJL4AGaar01CaOGJQ0GF9Zi8teqzKHhkik6GfFwnHD3XvIYgNBwO1AnzHeY/s1600/Morro+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9O7kIUVyyVb9V7NrJyK1sbP3h5Q9WUWB15Lk3Hjn65mn-34lnxSF_6liEQGXg7t9QZPurJ8WMSpmt7pICJL4AGaar01CaOGJQ0GF9Zi8teqzKHhkik6GfFwnHD3XvIYgNBwO1AnzHeY/s640/Morro+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7Ah-1W0HaldDPwaMQkh90P4qQaaEmTxfOS-1aSJ6r68e6O9bfoEJV505b86O2AMp5ZR2DrTLbAOYwOZUAYje8REXHfq3oNFLPslD-hglzIFk64nKvRbkmdEjQ7y0VHSgtLlQ2PXaNUE/s1600/Morro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1440" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7Ah-1W0HaldDPwaMQkh90P4qQaaEmTxfOS-1aSJ6r68e6O9bfoEJV505b86O2AMp5ZR2DrTLbAOYwOZUAYje8REXHfq3oNFLPslD-hglzIFk64nKvRbkmdEjQ7y0VHSgtLlQ2PXaNUE/s640/Morro+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. its sea otters. These little guys had almost vanished from the area but in the last several years have made a comeback. Now there are 60 or so otters in the bay and are a very popular tourist attraction. But even though the kayak rental places make it very clear you need to stay at least 50 feet away, we saw several people get much closer than that. I took this picture from a dock and zoomed in to enlarge it. They paddle around on their backs and hold their babies on their chests. It's too cute for words.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfse4Pl_rqyB3zlAdEgqsjUp231B8LqX83yZsXNCtcE9oDUWrpxEeb_DdMCOtzGaRFaEn7sHSDRExOijMZ_Jax8-ErWZqnAcF8aXNiIDx6wK6AdTthPdd-nbTg1iqVpD4BjlvY2dSlNo/s1600/Morro+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1001" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfse4Pl_rqyB3zlAdEgqsjUp231B8LqX83yZsXNCtcE9oDUWrpxEeb_DdMCOtzGaRFaEn7sHSDRExOijMZ_Jax8-ErWZqnAcF8aXNiIDx6wK6AdTthPdd-nbTg1iqVpD4BjlvY2dSlNo/s640/Morro+4.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
3. its sea lions. These guys are everywhere here and fascinating to watch. We stood on the dock one morning and watched one tear a manta ray to pieces for breakfast. A sober reminder that although they are adorable, they are NOT necessarily passive. In Morro Bay dozens of them gather on this barge thingy and make a huge ruckus when they all start barking. It's very entertaining to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zvsyEYpQfzbtkFxVb4AdsIPSNxVWqJDu-lBh7dWmbWJKZYh752jh-aIA0yKVMEw8dxD7tUe2RJ3OXYdhou9AUT5M61xAKWMZlMQQmJ2b7jfO6sklyLeY1wWftcgXLapT_z1do5KE8mQ/s1600/Morro+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1440" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zvsyEYpQfzbtkFxVb4AdsIPSNxVWqJDu-lBh7dWmbWJKZYh752jh-aIA0yKVMEw8dxD7tUe2RJ3OXYdhou9AUT5M61xAKWMZlMQQmJ2b7jfO6sklyLeY1wWftcgXLapT_z1do5KE8mQ/s640/Morro+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Morro Bay is just one of many towns you can visit on the PCH. Carmel-by-the-Sea is probably the most famous. We've stopped there for lunch in the past and found it to be very charming. My recommendation for driving the PCH is to give yourself a couple of days and take it slow. Stop at everything you can and just soak up the beauty. It's truly a national treasure that shouldn't be missed.<br />
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<b>Ojai, CA</b> was our PCH destination and next CA house sit this spring. This quaint city sits about 30 miles inland from Santa Barbara and 25 miles from Ventura. The house we sat for was literally surrounded by the horrific Thomas Fire in 2018. However, by some miracle the neighborhood they live in was spared and no one lost their homes. That being said, we did hike through the hills around the city and found it fascinating to see how nature repairs itself. Among the burnt black trees were new green saplings and lush grasses taking full advantage of the open sky and rich soils they sprouted from. The contrast was sad and beautiful at the same time.<br />
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For this house sit we had the pleasure of taking care of two adorable Puli dogs, Barney and Zoe as well as one super sweet greyhound, Dresden. Pulis normally look like this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzdGUUhVBpQujcXsCkJLt-1nhCWj_-GdqSU4yspSTvCF9P7IDXmT1xKuPisgDcVpTdnxMbdT9536z2lWP6si7UzBZuk1asQXYDyGUkzlaqtVPxGoKx3zmykvp2pm6dWEjZHJzDT5UwnM/s1600/Ojai+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzdGUUhVBpQujcXsCkJLt-1nhCWj_-GdqSU4yspSTvCF9P7IDXmT1xKuPisgDcVpTdnxMbdT9536z2lWP6si7UzBZuk1asQXYDyGUkzlaqtVPxGoKx3zmykvp2pm6dWEjZHJzDT5UwnM/s200/Ojai+3.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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...but the owners gave ours a shave because they had gotten into foxtails and had so many embedded into their hair that it was impossible to get them out. Here's what they looked like after the haircut.<br />
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For some reason I never took any good pictures of Dresden so I borrowed one from friends of ours who did this same house sit earlier in the year. Thanks <a href="https://www.roamingabout.com/" target="_blank">Mark and Liesbet</a>!<br />
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Ojai has become one of those "destination" towns that area Californians like to head up to for shopping and dining. Nestled in the short downtown strip are dozens of boutiques, restaurants, wine bars and antique shops. But just outside of town you can find unlimited hiking access to the surrounding hills and canyons, bursting with wildflowers and flowing with crystal clear waters. At least in springtime that is.<br />
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One bonus for us was that our very good friends from MN stopped by for a few days while visiting CA. Jim and Pat have visited us before in Connecticut and Denver and we always have a blast checking out the local sites with them.<br />
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On this visit we did things like tour the historic Santa Barbara Mission...<br />
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... go whale watching around the Channel Islands...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpn2yZ5Bl_V9w3Y9s7kvofPoGQqIXHK-SclNs4XVI3ihuwaZh2YKT7OzAuAhEmwXDHQ3XEtw6zWMiVkXM_WYxu8VRf4JEjyCT9YqVm3PCTOSuKX0XK-7BSaxlXkITCdTLr8N-96jFfgVU/s1600/Pat+and+Jim+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpn2yZ5Bl_V9w3Y9s7kvofPoGQqIXHK-SclNs4XVI3ihuwaZh2YKT7OzAuAhEmwXDHQ3XEtw6zWMiVkXM_WYxu8VRf4JEjyCT9YqVm3PCTOSuKX0XK-7BSaxlXkITCdTLr8N-96jFfgVU/s400/Pat+and+Jim+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It literally was a 3-hour tour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcYDY4hYbApTAFHBQQba9LcRMvOkszZ5kZS5V56h3Lakz_dgY3PCVppNEBZGv9keX2tzWxrjZqn7A_2A4B834iW3XqHRj3bpcI7ZxqBoL-kfvinegE9hrn3Fq1azUAX_7J_QOAlVVJkE/s1600/Pat+and+Jim+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcYDY4hYbApTAFHBQQba9LcRMvOkszZ5kZS5V56h3Lakz_dgY3PCVppNEBZGv9keX2tzWxrjZqn7A_2A4B834iW3XqHRj3bpcI7ZxqBoL-kfvinegE9hrn3Fq1azUAX_7J_QOAlVVJkE/s400/Pat+and+Jim+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skipper the whale spotter</td></tr>
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... and have amazing Pixie margaritas at a delicious Mexican restaurant. Pixie tangerines are famous in the Ojai Valley and are grown locally, and they're as sweet as they look!<br />
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So that was our spring. Not a bad way to spend it if you ask me. After Ojai we headed back down to Irvine for a repeat sit through mid May. Then on July 1st we pointed our trustworthy little Prius toward the east coast and headed to Boston, which is where I'm writing this from now. By the way, our sweet little girl just celebrated her 225,000th mile and the dealer said she's in perfect health and could get another 200k beyond that. Now <i>that's</i> getting your money's worth!<br />
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So stay tuned for the next installment of what we were up to in May and June. Happy summer everyone!Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-34394533371828768022019-04-01T10:16:00.000-07:002020-01-13T16:48:54.293-08:00Chapter 23 - Springtime in California 2019 - Part 1To say we love California is an understatement. We <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">LOVE</span></b> California! There, better.<br />
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Seriously, with the exception of the ridiculous traffic, we pretty much love everything about it. Ok, not the LA smog or the gas prices either. But other than that... we love the ocean, are huge fans of sunshine, the hiking is amazing and the scenery is to die for. Oh, and bonus... our son Austin lives there! So because we had an open calendar for 2019 we loaded up the spring with sweet California house sits. And what a spring it's been. Allow me to recap.<br />
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First up, <b>Irvine, CA</b> where we took care of these 2 sweethearts, Sullivan and Rambo.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oNVwDe-atyEHD9Ys-bL9SeLrcSOQ7R4cH1KNmvoPzz3mp1Tk43KoiSqqWz4qqAgUz9S63F1A7Jt2WDQWZGHfvzFIcfEU5VPsVwM_Iv8PikLDIMgQVomndiZbacfgkJMMKxBWFwy1idg/s1600/sullivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oNVwDe-atyEHD9Ys-bL9SeLrcSOQ7R4cH1KNmvoPzz3mp1Tk43KoiSqqWz4qqAgUz9S63F1A7Jt2WDQWZGHfvzFIcfEU5VPsVwM_Iv8PikLDIMgQVomndiZbacfgkJMMKxBWFwy1idg/s320/sullivan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sullivan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAcmeT9ZKZRLruGMQr_lTlKVjDPg2nUnebwX6hBj7B5gGSzBzTE-DjaUZxEJ_8cyVi2QNbVDqBrBXFNQw537jSQ2jAaUsWK0NQJe7TPIkb30l4SZtamkpIqyWDVhdcxE6nSjiqOsTfhs/s1600/rambo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAcmeT9ZKZRLruGMQr_lTlKVjDPg2nUnebwX6hBj7B5gGSzBzTE-DjaUZxEJ_8cyVi2QNbVDqBrBXFNQw537jSQ2jAaUsWK0NQJe7TPIkb30l4SZtamkpIqyWDVhdcxE6nSjiqOsTfhs/s320/rambo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rambo</td></tr>
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Sullivan is a super fun dog who would literally play fetch with you all day if you'd let him. He loves to go for car rides and hikes and goes happy-bonkers when you take him to the beach. Rambo is a giant snuggle monster and a giant cat as well. Both were a joy to take care of.<br />
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<b>Irvine</b> is nicely located just below Anaheim and only a few miles inland from 3 awesome beaches - Huntington, Newport and Laguna. We spent nearly every evening on one of these 3 beaches sitting in our camping chairs and watching the sunset while we ate dinner. That's like our favorite thing to do.<br />
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Here's a typical evening at Newport Beach<br />
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Huntington Beach is extra special because they've designated a full mile of it as an off-leash dog beach, which meant Sullivan was free to run around like a madman and play with the other hundreds of dogs you encounter along the way. It was pure delight for everyone.<br />
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Things we did in Irvine:<br />
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<b>Hiked up to Black Star Canyon Falls</b>. Here we had to work our way up a normally dry riverbed for a couple of miles, but CA had a rainy spring so the river was flowing free. Overall we probably had to cross about 10 times each way. I kept taking pictures of Charli on the slippery rocks in hopes I would get a hysterical shot of her falling in, but sadly she let me down. <br />
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Eventually we clamored our way to the top and were greeted by this lovely site, which I understand is a rare event there. Meaning water... flowing and falling... in southern California.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Star Canyon Falls</td></tr>
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<b>Witnessed the super bloom</b>. Speaking of rare events, another product of the rainy spring was the once-every-ten-years super bloom, and we happened to arrive right at its peak. This is when an area of nearby Lake Elsinore erupts into a sea of orange poppies surrounded by yellow, purple and white wildflowers. This event is so prolific in fact, it is visible from space. Did you hear that? SPACE! You shouldn't be able to see poppies in space, but lucky for us we didn't have to. We could seriously publish an entire coffee table book with the pictures we took but here's a few to show just how spectacular these flowers were.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houston, we have poppies. Over.</td></tr>
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Next up was <b>Encintas, CA,</b> where we sat for these two adorable monsters. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ6mPvI5o0XVm2ymzvmEpuUBSGO9_XlVAYEH4WnEYvQnJ_EmncYXLwWc8lLIoSxv1sAmISmYJr5ha6FCcxmvwcYfZzzc9IFJ9LTAN8K_W3SxRipCU5OWBzzaPMMA31isvy6hRXJaEAVA/s1600/EC6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ6mPvI5o0XVm2ymzvmEpuUBSGO9_XlVAYEH4WnEYvQnJ_EmncYXLwWc8lLIoSxv1sAmISmYJr5ha6FCcxmvwcYfZzzc9IFJ9LTAN8K_W3SxRipCU5OWBzzaPMMA31isvy6hRXJaEAVA/s320/EC6.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR87GSGGpo7YrenRv2PyPVnxQEt0JoLYexo_qyab5L9jsMCRUOX0aUpQiHFieBT0lqOEz9Z9fZv7fSyX-ZQFrIGXPEwnS9OYNEQsctVgj6nSNnW8CVfLALc2dK4Zly9wUP0dHszHow1g8/s1600/riley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR87GSGGpo7YrenRv2PyPVnxQEt0JoLYexo_qyab5L9jsMCRUOX0aUpQiHFieBT0lqOEz9Z9fZv7fSyX-ZQFrIGXPEwnS9OYNEQsctVgj6nSNnW8CVfLALc2dK4Zly9wUP0dHszHow1g8/s320/riley.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riley (what, I didn't do it)</td></tr>
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They look so innocent don't they? I say that because when they play, they chase each other through the
house like cartoon characters, smashing into the walls when they can't
stop on the slippery hardwood floors. And when they wrestle they look
like two wolves ready to tear each other apart, with the growling and
the teeth. A few times we joked we could lose a leg if we got too
close. But in the end it was just two siblings doing what brothers and
sisters do... playing without hurting, because they truly do love each other. Seriously though, these big, lovable goofballs were super sweet.<br />
<br />
<b>Encinitas</b> is a beach town with miles of waterfront to play in. AND, it's the home of Peace Pies, the uber-delicious restaurant Austin works at. So for us it was a yum-yum win-win!<br />
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Here are some of the things we did in Encinitas:<br />
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<b>Hiked through the Elfin Forest of Olivenhain</b>.<br />
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Twas a beautiful place but alas, Legolas was nowhere to be found.<br />
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<b>Hiked up Mt. Woodson to Potato Chip Rock</b><br />
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This is a natural rock outcrop in the shape of a dangerously delicious potato chip. It doesn't look too risky in these pictures but the tip of it hangs out over a drop-off taller than the trees. So if you fell off you'd pretty much be toast. A lot of people take the overused approach of simply walking out to the edge. Charli and I, on the other hand, chose the more traditional approach of crawling on our hands and knees, you know, like the first explorers probably did. <br />
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Then, instead of standing up, I chose the role of "protector" to keep my wife safe, because I'm a <strike>chicken</strike> good husband that way.<br />
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<b>Met our grand chickens</b><br />
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Yes, you heard that right. We might not have any grand<i>children</i> at this time but we have plenty of grand pets, including Austin's adorable family of 1 dog and 3 chickens. Here's Alvi, seen here standing on his hind legs because he wanted me to pick him up so he could go for a ride in the car.<br />
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And here are 2 of his 3 chickens, Darkness and Ghost. I told Austin to name them Amelia Egghart and Attila the Hen but he said that would be silly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYJAogyIbwCcwROBEf842HGYNrEwT8hI5IyN1Mif8Yf2i0ZnNcZyU8MTtdP2h3VxxoXu6vYXaLA26nSiQrQPrNUIVWdJXi5WutsQP9JVH-MTC8eEAQgb-YuSsD1MOWLlIo-JyzUdAPzU/s1600/EC8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="1600" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYJAogyIbwCcwROBEf842HGYNrEwT8hI5IyN1Mif8Yf2i0ZnNcZyU8MTtdP2h3VxxoXu6vYXaLA26nSiQrQPrNUIVWdJXi5WutsQP9JVH-MTC8eEAQgb-YuSsD1MOWLlIo-JyzUdAPzU/s640/EC8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the cluck you lookin at?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Spent a day at Mission Beach in San Diego</b><br />
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Mission Beach is the ocean's side of the gigantic Mission Bay area of San Diego, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country. This is a great place to relax on the sand, walk the paved path along beach-side shops and homes, eat at any of the dozens of restaurants or even ride an old wooden roller coaster. It's a beautiful and bustling area with no shortage of things to do.<br />
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When we first arrived we were greeted with a flyover by the Pelican Squadron.<br />
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A view of the boardwalk<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63lyp87lxSQOzliKoOYsyC91s5NXAa85L9EzoYtMKxA2ZvwoPqWjej4Mz9aPlfzUwoS-RfcsuoII000ju5YQ6-bdoESXvRpBjpQZM7CWvSuKHGtBROhK52cHyLF47p3n5BCOJ2cUg178/s1600/EC13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="784" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63lyp87lxSQOzliKoOYsyC91s5NXAa85L9EzoYtMKxA2ZvwoPqWjej4Mz9aPlfzUwoS-RfcsuoII000ju5YQ6-bdoESXvRpBjpQZM7CWvSuKHGtBROhK52cHyLF47p3n5BCOJ2cUg178/s640/EC13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't really have boards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A view of the beach, amusement park and Mission Bay from above. No I didn't bring a drone and yes it is an internet image.<br />
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And finally, a view of the the Mission Bay side of the beach<br />
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As you can see, Charli and I have been enjoying our California springtime very much. And these are only the first 2 of the 4 towns we've lived in. So stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of... "<b>Springtime in California 2019 - Part 2</b>."Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-69906429900784091582018-12-24T09:45:00.000-08:002019-05-03T17:55:02.142-07:00Chapter 22 - On The Road Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jF1N81_imAunkNe74f5klfJ6XRm6LLz7UgoZSy_mXZqPrLCOs6LvIitc1hNrEwpZ0e15oODl7rdpVHYbIHTNEfHkza6d105fKRR9ntoY3YxuJ3xx6uhJlu5OSVU1RdR1v3Zrq9RICyA/s1600/pause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jF1N81_imAunkNe74f5klfJ6XRm6LLz7UgoZSy_mXZqPrLCOs6LvIitc1hNrEwpZ0e15oODl7rdpVHYbIHTNEfHkza6d105fKRR9ntoY3YxuJ3xx6uhJlu5OSVU1RdR1v3Zrq9RICyA/s1600/pause.jpg" /></a></div>
At the end of <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/2017/06/chapter-20-springsummer-2017.html" target="_blank">Chapter 20</a> I noted that we would be taking a break from house sitting in order to take care of my mom, <i>"... what we will do is push the 'pause button' on future house sits indefinitely until it no longer makes sense for mom to live here, at which time we will reevaluate our options and forge ahead again. This, as the section heading reads, is one of the curveballs of house sitting."</i><br />
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Curveballs indeed. The last year and a half has been both challenging and rewarding. Challenging in that providing live-in home care for an elderly parent is no easy task. Rewarding in that we were able to give my mom an extended period of time in which she could stay in the home of her dreams. But eventually it was just not possible for two non-clinical people to provide the geriatric care needed for an 88 year old woman in a house not designed for a person with limited mobility. Fortunately last June we were able to find her an excellent apartment in an assisted living facility where she is getting the care she requires and thriving as a result.<br />
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Since then, our family has been busy going through all the extremely bonding steps of fixing up her house (the one we all grew up in) and preparing it for sale (<i>note to self... approach TLC with premise for new reality show - Extreme Bonding). </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4HcGQicMx5tEL1YFaE7TbjTm1TfMo6CKtPiZcjnV9vSWiiHTBbVtPpIpJxuJd9vbxuVwmWHP_1CX9UlOa4iVbBCKiCHsWFxYwyfk0HcwU5fMpqBl936wFN8AoU_zIice-eHLImybWB8/s1600/SD+license+plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="619" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4HcGQicMx5tEL1YFaE7TbjTm1TfMo6CKtPiZcjnV9vSWiiHTBbVtPpIpJxuJd9vbxuVwmWHP_1CX9UlOa4iVbBCKiCHsWFxYwyfk0HcwU5fMpqBl936wFN8AoU_zIice-eHLImybWB8/s200/SD+license+plate.jpg" width="200" /></a>SO... as of December 14, Charli and I are officially houseless, because if you recall, we sold our last house back in 2014. But we are not addressless, because <i>thank you South Dakota!</i> I know, South huh? Yes, we now have a mailing address in Sioux Falls, and for a few good reasons:<br />
1. SD caters to vagabonds like us who don't have a permanent home and travel in RVs... or Priuses packed to the ceiling. They actually have a mailbox company that will issue you a regular street address, which is important because many institutions won't allow you to use a PO box.<br />
2. SD will take you as a resident for the mere act of staying ONE night in a South Dakota hotel or campground. And, their DMV and vehicle registration offices welcome you. In fact, we were able to obtain a SD drivers license and get new license plates in just a couple of hours, not to mention registering to vote at the same time. Charli and I are now two of the newest "great faces" you can find there.<br />
3. SD has no income tax. It's not a huge reason to emigrate to the plains, but hey, we'll take it!<br />
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All of this leads to now, December 24, as we sit at our first house in 18 months in downtown Los Angeles. These next few weeks will be a bit of a scramble but for now we have plans in place for the rest of the holidays until early January, when we head up to Lincoln, NE for a month. This will be our "base camp" where we can settle back into our routine and get our future gigs locked down. It will also be a good location for me to head back up to MN for a few days at the end of the month to take care of some personal business, see some friends and play some music! All good things.<br />
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So here we are, back on the road again. We are super excited to see what lies ahead on our house sitting adventure. It has been exactly 4 years since we pulled out of St. Cloud in our little road warrior, who by the way has just surpassed 200,000 miles! People keep asking us, "how long will you do this?" and our response has always been, "until it's not fun anymore." Well guess what... it's still fun! So I guess that means we forge ahead and go where the road leads us. And at the risk of sounding redundant, I will once again leave you with our motto de la vie -<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Not all those who wander are lost </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">- Tolkien</span></i>Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-12007103773164986802017-12-31T17:28:00.000-08:002020-01-17T12:21:51.606-08:00Chapter 21 - Pets of 20172017 didn't provide a lot of pet care for us, as we spent a large portion of it visiting national parks (as noted in our <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/search/label/National%20Parks" target="_blank">National Parks series</a>) followed by an extended stay with my mom so we could take care of her in her home. But that doesn't mean we had no pets, just fewer. Here were our sweet furry friends from 2017.<br />
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<br />Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-61401834809313489152017-09-18T19:11:00.000-07:002019-05-03T17:34:58.305-07:00The Great National Park Tour - Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National ParksTo recap... In 2017 Charli and I needed to drive from Vancouver, Canada to Duluth, MN. However instead of driving the 1800 miles straight across the country the way a crow would, if crows could drive, we decided to take a little 1900 mile detour and stop at a few national parks along the way, because that's how we roll. And roll. And roll.<br />
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The first two legs of this amazing trek can be found <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/2017/12/chapter-20-fall-2017.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/2017/12/the-great-national-park-tour-zion.html" target="_blank">here</a>. After Zion we continued on to Bryce Canyon National Park.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bryce Canyon National Park</span></b><br />
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Bryce Canyon feels like you've stepped into a fairy tale. Everywhere you look enormous spires are bursting out of the ground to form natural castles. It is truly in-spiring.<br />
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Like most breathtaking landscapes, pictures don't do it justice. This is one of those places you have to experience in person. Bryce Canyon has many trail loops you can take that will lead you down to the valley below. You can hike 2, 5, 10 or 20 miles if you have the time and desire. This park is truly magical in every sense of the word and is worth every minute you can spend there.<br />
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Here's a few more shots, and if you're interested I can easily send like 1000 more. Just let me know.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Capitol Reef National Park</span></b><br />
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Just around the corner from Bryce Canyon is Capitol Reef National Park, which is named for a line of rock domes (the reef) that someone back in the national park naming days decided looked like a capitol building dome. This is the main dome you will see when you first enter the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Dome</td></tr>
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And here's another one I grabbed from the Capitol Reef web site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaFszJq1TA-tJJ2D0XYTSQHpgkH61d_ERrw48zdRARLMT7LUVW9mspN3rbS4iopwqDfJAB34BTaBXtmQECPjSQjbqRlps1kHs-QTYKKIcCnlzCfI8lpf-Ont49-sswKXWCR25RarEnqo/s1600/CR7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaFszJq1TA-tJJ2D0XYTSQHpgkH61d_ERrw48zdRARLMT7LUVW9mspN3rbS4iopwqDfJAB34BTaBXtmQECPjSQjbqRlps1kHs-QTYKKIcCnlzCfI8lpf-Ont49-sswKXWCR25RarEnqo/s400/CR7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"There is nothing like a dome. Nothing, in this world."</td></tr>
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But this place ain't just about domes. Capitol Reef is like a geological smorgasbord of landscapes.<br />
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At one point Charli and I hiked to the top of Chimney Rock to see the view. This place had a great Lion King vibe so I thought I would try to recreate that famous scene with Simba, but sadly he was all, "why does everybody always want to hold me up over dangerous cliffs?!!!" and wouldn't have anything to do with it.<br />
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A bonus feature of Capitol Reef are the old orchards that were planted by Mormon pioneers, which are now maintained by the National Park Service. Visitors can pick apples, peaches or pears for $2/lb. There is a scale in the field with a lock box to drop your money in, using the honor system of course.<br />
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One side note regarding our accommodations on this journey. Charli and I love to camp, and one of the things we discovered in the past was a little thing called "disbursed camping," which is how we camped for most of our trip. This is where you are allowed to camp for free outside of a national park boundary in areas owned by the Bureau of Land Management, otherwise known as BLM camping. This is a great way to find a really remote area adjacent to a popular park as opposed to trying to squeeze into the usually crowded camp sites within the park. For example, here was our home while we stayed at Capitol Reef.<br />
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In summary, we only scratched the surface of this stunning place. The park itself is over 100 sq/miles and has dozens of trails that would take days to hike. The main road through Capitol Reef offers only a glimpse of what the larger park has to offer, and we definitely intend to return again to spend a lot more time exploring it!Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-52115018595499129602017-09-14T19:37:00.000-07:002019-05-03T17:34:23.692-07:00The Great National Park Tour - Zion National Park<b>September 2017</b><br />
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When we decided to go to Zion National Park, everyone said the same things... "OMG, Zion is amazing!" "Zion is our favorite national park!" "You're gonna love Zion!"<br />
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So we rolled out of Crater Lake and set our GPS for Zion. We didn't know much about it so we did some research along the way. First we learned that Zion has a free shuttle bus service that takes you to eight stops along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. This eliminates the need for cars and makes getting around the park super easy. These shuttles will drop you at a museum, lodge, scenic rock formation or a trail head. The next thing we learned is that there are a couple of "must see" attractions at Zion... Angels Landing, The Narrows and the Emerald Pools. Ok, these things sounded pretty cool and we were intrigued. And when we arrived at this camp site 14 hours later we knew we were in for a treat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp site nestled in The Valley of Amazeballs</td></tr>
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<b>Angels Landing</b><br />
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The first thing we wanted to know was, what is Angels Landing? It sounded so peaceful and nice... like a puffy little place where cute little cherubs stop for a break whilst they strum on their golden harps. And then we saw these.<br />
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<b>WHAT THE HOLY HELL?!!!
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This was no angelic respite. This was one misplaced footstep away from certain death! You KNOW when the opening sentence on their main poster says, <i><b>Since 2004, seven people have died falling from the cliffs on this route</b></i> that this is not for the faint of heart, anyone with a fear of height, or anyone who is slightly clumsy. In other words... me.<br />
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So now we had a decision to make. Do we face our fears head on and accept the challenge, or run away like frightened little kittens. And then we thought, "well, what is the worst thing that can happen?" And then we said, "death." And then we started crying. But eventually we decided that if we just took our time and didn't do anything dumb, like try to navigate it in a slippery rainstorm for example, we would be fine. And we promised ourselves that if it got too scary or dangerous we would simply turn around and <strike>leave our dignity on the trail behind us</strike> maybe try it again some other time.<br />
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And so we forged ahead. And holy crap what an adventure it was. Pictures don't do this hike justice, but they're better than nothing, so here is just a tiny sample of the majestic beauty of this heavenly place.<br />
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As you climb the main trail, this is what surrounds you.<br />
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Eventually you will get to a natural "bridge" that is only a few feet wide and drops off hundreds of feet below on either side if you slip. As I crossed it I wanted to just close my eyes and hope for the best but quickly decided it was in my best interest to pay attention and take it slow.<br />
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Here's Charli starting her traverse across the bridge. I went first and turned around to take this pic. It's important to note that if not for the guide chain this would have been a non-starter for both of us.<br />
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After crossing the bridge, you are faced with the climb to the top of Angels Landing. Here is what it looks like as you approach. Pish-posh, that doesn't look so bad.<br />
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AND... here's what it looks like while you're ascending. Note that the lower side of this slope drops about 1200 feet. Also note that at this precise moment both of our hearts were pounding like jackhammers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NBlbsxsBlWidcXcEzS89QyPHJfgpEcjtSjsAEYtNIa5-PZW0PxX_qGiZlmFbu4c4Z_fJn0aDLwbacY3bWhAOvC8t3-BuG9UQ2Uxsjo3LYS9Fi06dzQYmEI1jnp20D7MjPdfSaKKB1yA/s1600/angel+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NBlbsxsBlWidcXcEzS89QyPHJfgpEcjtSjsAEYtNIa5-PZW0PxX_qGiZlmFbu4c4Z_fJn0aDLwbacY3bWhAOvC8t3-BuG9UQ2Uxsjo3LYS9Fi06dzQYmEI1jnp20D7MjPdfSaKKB1yA/s640/angel+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No chain, No gain</td></tr>
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But eventually we made it to the top. Alive. And it was good.<br />
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SO... after spending about 15 minutes at the summit, we started to notice that those clouds behind us were getting darker, and moving <i>towards</i> us! This meant one thing. GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!<br />
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And because the only way down was the way we came up, we literally had to make the same heart-stopping journey in reverse. But then the unthinkable happened. First the lightning in the distance.<br />
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"Honey I love you. We're going to die. Do the kids know where our insurance papers are?"<br />
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And no sooner did we put our first step onto the slanty ledge from hell when sure enough... rain!<br />
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And not just a sprinkle, but "the heavens opened up" kind of downpour. SO much rain in fact came down that the canyon walls erupted into waterfalls. And no, I'm not exaggerating.<br />
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Fortunately we didn't slip to an untimely death and become another statistic on the Angels Landing welcome poster. Sure it was scary, but it was also the single most exhilarating thing either of us have ever done in our lives. And because of that, I would do it again in a chest-pounding heartbeat.<br />
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On a nice dry day.<br />
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<b>The Narrows</b><br />
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The Narrows is one of those things that on the surface doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. "<i>So here's the deal see... you put on 'water shoes' and walk up a muddy river against a strong current with a bottom full of large rocks for about 5 miles. Oh and you have to find a big stick somewhere to keep your balance otherwise you'll fall on your face. Either that or buy one in our gift shop for 10 bucks. Then, after about 3 hours you'll get to a place that's really pretty so you can tell everyone you did it later on." </i><br />
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However... sensible or not, we were NOT going to be denied.<br />
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And there was a touch of irony to the fact that the very day after a huge rainfall we would decide to take a hike up a river that had multiple warnings to NOT hike up the river after a rainfall because of potential flash flooding. Ok, irony might not be the right word. What's the word I'm looking for... oh yeah, stupidity.<br />
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But the day was beautiful and the river looked fine. And besides, gobs of other people were making the pilgrimage so we made a similar decision to the one from Angels Landing. If it got too hard or dangerous we would simply turn around. Or, if a flash flood hits we would get a free <i>fast</i> ride back down. Bonus!<br />
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So hike up the river we did. And it was tough, and it was wet and it was beautiful! But most of all, it was really, really fun. We hooked up with some other people and chatted our way upstream, had a nice lunch at "Wall Street" (the unofficial destination of the hike) and soaked up the sun. And our shoes.<br />
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Here's a few pics of this adventure.<br />
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Getting started</div>
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The river</div>
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Heading into "Wall Street"</div>
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Lunch!</div>
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A slight obstacle</div>
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My trusty staff... ready for the next guy</div>
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<b>Summary</b><br />
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The next day we hiked the Emerald Pools loop and it too was amazing, but I don't seem to have any pictures for some reason. I guess I ran out of film. But here's one I stole from the internet so you can see what a magical place this is as well.<br />
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The fact is, pretty much everything about Zion is magical and ridiculously beautiful, and now I am officially <i>that</i> guy. You know, the one who will tell you "OMG, Zion is amazing!" "Zion is our favorite national park!" "You're gonna love Zion!"<br />
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Because it's true.Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-50131169795821884812017-09-01T19:34:00.000-07:002019-05-03T17:33:24.571-07:00The Great National Park Tour - Part 1<b>September 2017</b><br />
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As I mentioned in the <a href="http://www.jeffandcharli.com/2017/06/chapter-20-springsummer-2017.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, while in the midst of our 3-year house sitting adventure, one of life's unexpected curveballs was thrown our way. Yes, the time had come for us to take a break from house sitting and help take care of my mom. BUT, before we moved into my boyhood bedroom still decorated with teen posters, we had to finish up our last house sit in North Vancouver, BC and drive back to MN. The way we saw it we could either blast our way across the states and get home in four days, or take our time and hit up some national parks along the route. And since we had family that could help take care of mom, we chose option 2.<br />
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Our rough plan was simple... drive from Vancouver to Duluth and visit as many national parks as possible along the way. The only rule we had was that there was to be no rules. Well one... we wanted to keep the trip under four weeks, but other than that we would simply go where the wind blew us and spend as much time at each place as we wanted. There would be no "schedule," no reserved hotels and no worries. Just hit the road and enjoy the ride.<br />
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<i>Wait... you said no hotel reservations. Where did you sleep?</i> Good question, fictitious reader! Because we carry a full set of camping gear, our goal was to stay at as many campgrounds as possible... which, by the way, we did about 95% of the trip.<br />
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And so we began our 23-day journey across the United States, experiencing some of the most beautiful landscape on the planet. We had an amazing time and were fortunate to be able to capture a few pictures of it along the way. Ok, maybe more like thousands. But since I can't put thousands of pictures on this blog I decided instead to pick a few dozen of my favorites and post them over 5 or 6 posts. Enjoy!<br />
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<i>(click on any picture to enlarge)</i></div>
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<b>Day 1 - Vancouver, BC.</b> We've been here several times before and hiked many of the trails in the area, but we've never seen it by water... until now.<br />
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<b>Day 2 - Tofino, BC</b>. Whenever we ask someone from Vancouver where we should visit, we ALWAYS hear that should NOT miss Tofino. And they are right. It's a truly beautiful place.</div>
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<b>Day 3 - Victoria, BC</b>. What's a trip through British Columbia without stopping at the capital?<br />
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<b>Day 4 - Port Angeles, WA</b>. Just because we were traveling doesn't mean we didn't have to work. Here's an example of one of the glamorous ways we get it done. At our campsite picnic shelter along the way.<br />
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<b>Day 5 - Portland, OR</b>. One of the benefits of house sitting is that you make friends along the way. We met two of our very best friends in Portland while house sitting for them and taking care of their beautiful great dane Duke a few years ago.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Sadly, Duke passed away last year, but we were honored to share the special moment with Nancy and Marty on the day they sprinkled his ashes on their property.</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rest in peace you big lovable boy</td></tr>
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<b>Day 6 - Crater Lake, OR</b>. The first of the national parks we stopped at. Most of the area around this park was on fire, but we were very lucky that the wind gave us a break one of the days we were there. In the evening when the wind shifted back toward the park you couldn't even see the lake because of the smoke.<br />
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Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-62602636674111636842017-06-17T11:55:00.003-07:002019-05-01T07:01:27.019-07:00Chapter 20 - Spring/Summer 20172017 has been an interesting year for us so far. Not that living in other people's houses isn't interesting in itself, but this one has had some additional twists and turns. Here's a summary of what we've been up to for the last 6 months.<br />
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<b>Santa Fe</b><br />
It started off in one of our favorite places in the U.S... Santa Fe! I can't say enough good things about this beautiful area. <br />
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Santa Fe is surrounded by amazing landscapes and hiking trails in all directions, has great restaurants and grocery stores and is a major art center in the US. As well, the climate is mild in the winter (compared to MN at least) and, like other southwest states... THERE ARE NO BUGS! This last point alone should qualify it as a prime travel destination. <br />
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One of our favorite benefits of house sitting is becoming friends with the home owners, which we have in Santa Fe. <i>Really</i> good friends. We love them like family and love their dogs the same way. So coming back again in 2017 to take care of sweet Bapu and Bean was a no-brainer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bapu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8VkPpeIQ2OfYN08yl8SfLgr9XvQZKU3BJPvO5qQyte5PMPptR0iixCBNj_mQ80aab1Qko6Ci3basKEeZ1WSczrbVdeliWASN4Y7sJKP6jnD8AFv6fsuBXl5mCp1hNQXQkPGx0qP8Ubg/s1600/Beaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8VkPpeIQ2OfYN08yl8SfLgr9XvQZKU3BJPvO5qQyte5PMPptR0iixCBNj_mQ80aab1Qko6Ci3basKEeZ1WSczrbVdeliWASN4Y7sJKP6jnD8AFv6fsuBXl5mCp1hNQXQkPGx0qP8Ubg/s320/Beaner.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We pretty much had this return visit booked on the way out the door last year. But this year, we were joined by this sweet little angel - Chispa!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzGhQJQIJ3pqWPEBVAttZMIuUtjwhRZtQ985cnvNY1Y0Tl5u0mCZgyWrLeEL0DHC5yNqrKKX8cR53oSzvdvrCHSsnV_2oMUU_yKBiZu14veB6fESj8iPUQbEp4u_RAQKivWJfApV2bCg/s1600/Chispa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzGhQJQIJ3pqWPEBVAttZMIuUtjwhRZtQ985cnvNY1Y0Tl5u0mCZgyWrLeEL0DHC5yNqrKKX8cR53oSzvdvrCHSsnV_2oMUU_yKBiZu14veB6fESj8iPUQbEp4u_RAQKivWJfApV2bCg/s640/Chispa.jpg" width="622" /></a></div>
<br />
Poor little Chispa had led a hard life as a kenneled puppy for most of her first 6 years. Until our friends found her, she had never even been off leash outside or able to run free. Now she is living with a loving family and is free to run to her heart's content in the beautiful trails of New Mexico. She is one lucky dog.<br />
<br />
Here she is at the huge Frank Ortiz dog park in Santa Fe with her brother Bapu and sister Bean. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0ncHhtIYTYMLMsMoD8yMsLzrDZeZ9n6avt5gQgeEtogxPJiDG_2nZ3y5D7j1HAw1zGHHzrkh8cs-jzySvi4qL945LefIM5VsBX9EZYMmSzqEwqbHTVg-mC5WsVBpZwMQJgzOh8qKB_Q/s1600/Santa+Fe+dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0ncHhtIYTYMLMsMoD8yMsLzrDZeZ9n6avt5gQgeEtogxPJiDG_2nZ3y5D7j1HAw1zGHHzrkh8cs-jzySvi4qL945LefIM5VsBX9EZYMmSzqEwqbHTVg-mC5WsVBpZwMQJgzOh8qKB_Q/s640/Santa+Fe+dogs.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chispa, Bapu and Bean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One side note about the Frank Ortiz dog park. This amazing city park is 135 acres of off-leash doggie heaven. Not only are there dozens (sometimes over 100 I'm sure) canine friends to play with at any given time, but there are miles of trails that go up and down and all around. You can easily spend 2 hours there just walking around and meeting other people and their dogs. It was a daily ritual for us to either walk there (about a mile from the house) or drive there, so the dogs could run a little longer inside the park itself.<br />
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Here's a small sample of what it's like at this pup-o-riffic place...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2yJwJKAoJBH8zKjHu01UqLfnusS9uUfHIyRB47jE8CaJujWUQsaMTx7z_4TrMJa2vqnlR-zcpDJsr_HmhbsAsO5UjM_AAAugXdWwXQtnF8WLpWbIeXRxdO-Nhi8uHy1ujlF1rJMT2W8/s1600/dog+park+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2yJwJKAoJBH8zKjHu01UqLfnusS9uUfHIyRB47jE8CaJujWUQsaMTx7z_4TrMJa2vqnlR-zcpDJsr_HmhbsAsO5UjM_AAAugXdWwXQtnF8WLpWbIeXRxdO-Nhi8uHy1ujlF1rJMT2W8/s640/dog+park+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As fun socially for us as it is for them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEsKvShR4rusBm6LTIUvevf-s7O0bSP_kaHm_fUAmxv5LV-rZa-f0uUSihagPm1GH21OyBl5iy-FFerFlaPPeMmZpDW4q8YogidOzokrf1gLAWCh7f7FqtmJVaJpJKVT9b1gp3HM3-aM/s1600/dog+park+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEsKvShR4rusBm6LTIUvevf-s7O0bSP_kaHm_fUAmxv5LV-rZa-f0uUSihagPm1GH21OyBl5iy-FFerFlaPPeMmZpDW4q8YogidOzokrf1gLAWCh7f7FqtmJVaJpJKVT9b1gp3HM3-aM/s640/dog+park+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppies, puppies everywhere!</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Arizona</b> <br />
March was a very special month for us. First, AZ in March is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Every blooming thing possible is bursting with flowers, and the temperatures are absolutely perfect. Here's a little of what you can see in this area this time of year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b0msTEvjfmfspt-nYJt_IQsfuBn-BSlG0YotN0763T6GdRsyDXsg9unXEgxwlRe7ODP6vJZb_KSCU0lRXwnS_xnvpW_259aEqw83UMNLsNvQW_QG7s7vAHmEkL136i-Z12lNNIq-jwg/s1600/az+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b0msTEvjfmfspt-nYJt_IQsfuBn-BSlG0YotN0763T6GdRsyDXsg9unXEgxwlRe7ODP6vJZb_KSCU0lRXwnS_xnvpW_259aEqw83UMNLsNvQW_QG7s7vAHmEkL136i-Z12lNNIq-jwg/s320/az+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEG4V4cLUTe7NbnGdH7WAs-UdOHdgK0nPDD8NZqcMCabqPxzDDWEirJfy_ypcjx6_Y3gLI3LjvvWg6kE_1zbXGIPfGhYP1TfXWWmAOjshDvconCL-hcFl56uUkUYpeG_henDZ9OcL2gdA/s1600/az+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEG4V4cLUTe7NbnGdH7WAs-UdOHdgK0nPDD8NZqcMCabqPxzDDWEirJfy_ypcjx6_Y3gLI3LjvvWg6kE_1zbXGIPfGhYP1TfXWWmAOjshDvconCL-hcFl56uUkUYpeG_henDZ9OcL2gdA/s320/az+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqBpnaWQ4u8X-cLpF_-UmzE9DwxX_1o_HHaSrw87M8KVmxkwUC8eWbJYCKoCP-oADldlTMFnuPlVaaAxOGU_dciS6afY1uHIQHHn4XoSFbm84D-DPNkXwFKPvXDwOVgeBVdydM3yHroM/s1600/az+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqBpnaWQ4u8X-cLpF_-UmzE9DwxX_1o_HHaSrw87M8KVmxkwUC8eWbJYCKoCP-oADldlTMFnuPlVaaAxOGU_dciS6afY1uHIQHHn4XoSFbm84D-DPNkXwFKPvXDwOVgeBVdydM3yHroM/s320/az+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But MORE importantly... our son Brandon and his fiance Allyson got married! And the timing of their wedding was impeccable. Not only was the weather perfect, but the outdoor ceremony they held at a local ranch was incredibly beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_7YCraQQuL7TM0VOuIkMJN7gzHAqyCDkZ3lZPSGOzDui6BNIia2lTO9zPiad_SL2gAvrC29HL8Mm-rOSSqzNYfIbURJWX2HArBg_YvpKwlQonIquswl1GixJlaYmrTl1IfCtVP9W8NI/s1600/wedding+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_7YCraQQuL7TM0VOuIkMJN7gzHAqyCDkZ3lZPSGOzDui6BNIia2lTO9zPiad_SL2gAvrC29HL8Mm-rOSSqzNYfIbURJWX2HArBg_YvpKwlQonIquswl1GixJlaYmrTl1IfCtVP9W8NI/s320/wedding+1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new bride and groom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOenBjBkQd0Lv513-MU2-1767dieuIJg7gML7N5Eu54sQ1PgL8fZxnzHpGV7G3Sr8aDPKRKfkAlReqCz_8so7UpLEmrTTwwg2raCGCvC1zYmv9pMctWi4gVKd_LxjKQodHbLRGCjnLSig/s1600/wedding+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOenBjBkQd0Lv513-MU2-1767dieuIJg7gML7N5Eu54sQ1PgL8fZxnzHpGV7G3Sr8aDPKRKfkAlReqCz_8so7UpLEmrTTwwg2raCGCvC1zYmv9pMctWi4gVKd_LxjKQodHbLRGCjnLSig/s320/wedding+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rose Garden ceremony</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB59iUdixtRySuIcjnbJMtu_3Y8kX-8yKMdQhFb_aMQTXMo1bkyfpkjVcr9LuOjMMOmV-mnAoGmgW1Q8vFChp0A5KNj8S84_KYbVpFD9QhZDKvKWJ6cMy7GIlGdRFFeK01CBV0UZmGn1U/s1600/wedding+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB59iUdixtRySuIcjnbJMtu_3Y8kX-8yKMdQhFb_aMQTXMo1bkyfpkjVcr9LuOjMMOmV-mnAoGmgW1Q8vFChp0A5KNj8S84_KYbVpFD9QhZDKvKWJ6cMy7GIlGdRFFeK01CBV0UZmGn1U/s320/wedding+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CaL7XdQSPjBrEDKrrPxjvm3ptZkrl384TMHQJ-z3L6hoXEFg7LnIYmfzdt3_p0xlgUy2vVBtjAjliIflG2fCfFmju4YduVRyskmMUmgtS6RHO6TC5sI5HRH60ptyMCC6mHFnyzeKF0o/s1600/wedding+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CaL7XdQSPjBrEDKrrPxjvm3ptZkrl384TMHQJ-z3L6hoXEFg7LnIYmfzdt3_p0xlgUy2vVBtjAjliIflG2fCfFmju4YduVRyskmMUmgtS6RHO6TC5sI5HRH60ptyMCC6mHFnyzeKF0o/s320/wedding+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole family together again!</td></tr>
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From a house sitting perspective it couldn't have worked out better. During the month before the wedding we were very fortunate to be able to return to a beautiful house in Scottsdale, about 45 minutes away. This allowed us to help the happy couple prepare for their big day as needed, without being in their faces every minute. Which is helpful if you don't want your kids to hate you on their wedding day. It was a beautiful wedding and family and friends from all over the country joined us for a weekend of joyous celebration. Sigh... our "baby" is married. Milestones indeed.<br />
<br />
<b>Curveballs</b><br />
One of the risks of house sitting is unexpected circumstances that may require you to have to be somewhere else that wasn't planned. This poses a special challenge because the home owners and their pets are relying on you to be there. All the time. Every day.
For example, last October when my 89 year old father's health started to fail I went home to be with him, but Charli stayed behind to mind the household. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad thing, but it demonstrates one of the more serious commitments house sitters need to consider when signing up for this lifestyle. You can't just "take off" whenever things get tough. You have to compromise and work it out. That's what you do.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLIvTfwOS9v5OkwJcAJBrV9RNB_Yx2JlDIXCVAUH-d7hCtT-dLjyZ3lQMm5c7sXGa1sa-O2gfSgYtA1QihxscCKhYVHtkyZZbDuhgtfsebRbk9u-vG711-PXAshJxrlXDVmK0t-KJFqs/s1600/Lois+Lee+Profile+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="541" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLIvTfwOS9v5OkwJcAJBrV9RNB_Yx2JlDIXCVAUH-d7hCtT-dLjyZ3lQMm5c7sXGa1sa-O2gfSgYtA1QihxscCKhYVHtkyZZbDuhgtfsebRbk9u-vG711-PXAshJxrlXDVmK0t-KJFqs/s200/Lois+Lee+Profile+Picture.jpg" width="191" /></a>Not unexpectedly my father passed away this February, which left my 87 year old mom a widow, alone in her home in Duluth, MN. In the past this wouldn't have been an issue from a physical standpoint, but she has an arthritic hip which is getting progressively worse all the time. When we stayed at her house in May (actually the same house I was born in - and in my boyhood bedroom), we found that she was really struggling to get around, even with the aid of her walker. In fact, during the 4 weeks we were there she fell 5 different times (not seriously) and was unable to get back up without assistance. After witnessing that, it was obvious that she needed live-in help, and low and behold, we were just the people who could do that! And so it was settled, we would move in with mom right away and make sure she was safe, comfortable and attended to. Except we still had one minor detail to sort out... our existing house sitting commitments. <br />
<br />
Fortunately the remaining sits we had on our schedule were all return visits and the owners were fine with our plan. Charli would take them alone and I would stay with mom until they were complete, which is exactly what we're doing until September when she'll come back to mom's house.<br />
<br />
So... to wrap up this already too long novel, what we will do is push the "pause button" on future house sits indefinitely until it no longer makes sense for mom to live here, at which time we will reevaluate our options and forge ahead again. This, as the section heading reads, is one of the curveballs of house sitting.<br />
<br />
In the long run, we have been fortunate to have established a long list of glowing reviews which will allow us to pick right up where we left off someday and hit the road running again. But for now, we are just thankful that we have a lifestyle that allows us to return the care to a very special person... a person who cared for <i>us</i> her whole life. Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-41365684707593672672016-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:002020-01-17T12:22:27.028-08:00Chapter 19 - Pets of 2016Well folks, today is our 2nd anniversary as house sitters and we couldn't be happier with our decision to take a chance and hit the road back in 2014. There is no question we love the travel, the excitement and for sure all the new friends we have made, but our main mission is to care for their pets, and for that we are grateful. So in honor of all the beautiful animals we have had the privilege of serving, here is our tribute to "our" pets of 2016.<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Santa Fe, NM</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvks09u-FFof7mNYx6rs2GPHQ4l4MKoqJwBSCx62Am4qcnBersrAv_H2SyYOJ5FMVC8CNW4b-5vGJIy97hZDuX5hS_gPcVMNhekDexz2ncUOEj5LcH8RTC6tlW7Q8Z6Tr95mZr6aZXupg/s1600/Bapu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvks09u-FFof7mNYx6rs2GPHQ4l4MKoqJwBSCx62Am4qcnBersrAv_H2SyYOJ5FMVC8CNW4b-5vGJIy97hZDuX5hS_gPcVMNhekDexz2ncUOEj5LcH8RTC6tlW7Q8Z6Tr95mZr6aZXupg/s400/Bapu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bapu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtMTU_M6VsSbYIWyaWytGtX1dqkTkcgSRFwKFsbF4d0IUAVCt9h454qjeAk5riIdYgQ8WUsvOCD2rD_03mMUM1q7CXhwjutHtWcYhAPR2ihuRtfqRashJ3EExfRx2pEzRTwTEevYMThg/s1600/Beaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtMTU_M6VsSbYIWyaWytGtX1dqkTkcgSRFwKFsbF4d0IUAVCt9h454qjeAk5riIdYgQ8WUsvOCD2rD_03mMUM1q7CXhwjutHtWcYhAPR2ihuRtfqRashJ3EExfRx2pEzRTwTEevYMThg/s400/Beaner.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Marlboro, VT
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv02hrcC0qOi7ZbnzsqLft6XW_1zocJL0nDIcVAEivRtgplRhL9MSzCqrUFMY42DicrSpz04bxLOPkCelkJAQ9-iHyihbQ7slC8qt9w6H1IxfsG3e7EkngzSe0TeyEc4VQOpr8JmO-hs/s1600/Bella+VT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv02hrcC0qOi7ZbnzsqLft6XW_1zocJL0nDIcVAEivRtgplRhL9MSzCqrUFMY42DicrSpz04bxLOPkCelkJAQ9-iHyihbQ7slC8qt9w6H1IxfsG3e7EkngzSe0TeyEc4VQOpr8JmO-hs/s400/Bella+VT.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveAXbwbq-ElNe3YuLaECeIP1aUzts4FvLq3l67H-_sX1pfAtIKHVo_Jx9sNyLGDkNebOUl9X02tLL02XyHJSfo6sghG82by8t-RquUHvPBOoIuKtWYL51qznAdWquctv4yrG0q9141FE/s1600/Lexus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveAXbwbq-ElNe3YuLaECeIP1aUzts4FvLq3l67H-_sX1pfAtIKHVo_Jx9sNyLGDkNebOUl9X02tLL02XyHJSfo6sghG82by8t-RquUHvPBOoIuKtWYL51qznAdWquctv4yrG0q9141FE/s400/Lexus.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwCNFOzafWyUuJ2_iQ0n7hxYof1Mlb-SylwnMqnTON0ea-O6HoLOkdNgXp4VB5pgzzO6mCmXUSW1kGNmdH_jh9fcEloGW-hPvIzq5AhRThhW1_c4SnvcbXhyKUIujG2reCCXaHPxiMz4/s1600/Hannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwCNFOzafWyUuJ2_iQ0n7hxYof1Mlb-SylwnMqnTON0ea-O6HoLOkdNgXp4VB5pgzzO6mCmXUSW1kGNmdH_jh9fcEloGW-hPvIzq5AhRThhW1_c4SnvcbXhyKUIujG2reCCXaHPxiMz4/s400/Hannah.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Hull, MA</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbxDhCFDnyImfyIoxHwFXa5ju-Pqjmp2WQRa1FD_Vb9sp7F1cZjN59GPP3-6P9Jrk2cnOHpF2Uxd6WGhV5VGw66g-50PAF7hSspxxRT8FUGNxD6gFLvyv9WS2u_rGOjGyGJ-_AMNceu0/s1600/Anabelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbxDhCFDnyImfyIoxHwFXa5ju-Pqjmp2WQRa1FD_Vb9sp7F1cZjN59GPP3-6P9Jrk2cnOHpF2Uxd6WGhV5VGw66g-50PAF7hSspxxRT8FUGNxD6gFLvyv9WS2u_rGOjGyGJ-_AMNceu0/s400/Anabelle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anabelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcb1tXZJIIqaXx8d_TTW2Z85cJdzmYjHunGun_HznI9zTx_bESvb1nkbnZMhL9Bec2d3p_wilKwLiHPXFas5zpatdv4BmHecrhIRnUxcYNkp5Vb58C8vwjmpTor_Wk-dhElC96aVRp3Y/s1600/Isibelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcb1tXZJIIqaXx8d_TTW2Z85cJdzmYjHunGun_HznI9zTx_bESvb1nkbnZMhL9Bec2d3p_wilKwLiHPXFas5zpatdv4BmHecrhIRnUxcYNkp5Vb58C8vwjmpTor_Wk-dhElC96aVRp3Y/s400/Isibelle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Point of Rocks, MD
</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPe_FiURayViWOWtEkp4l_WDgrib0y7aUGL1938XbJMWPnXW4Tp9uZ-m2ysnaYEjPWXncbD3KjN7_QtXqWlObSrRjDdf497CuJY-N4mkXLurJ4Lx4SbeuUxTHFA0npOAXhsxMtW05fqbI/s1600/Nutmeg%252C+Rosie%252C+Maggie+Mae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPe_FiURayViWOWtEkp4l_WDgrib0y7aUGL1938XbJMWPnXW4Tp9uZ-m2ysnaYEjPWXncbD3KjN7_QtXqWlObSrRjDdf497CuJY-N4mkXLurJ4Lx4SbeuUxTHFA0npOAXhsxMtW05fqbI/s640/Nutmeg%252C+Rosie%252C+Maggie+Mae.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutmeg, Rosie and Maggie Mae</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Lake Oswego, OR</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYL8V9R0cXXtgvvn7_4irLI6DV_CFf4TkYM8mI3lSKzL5wV91sHYD4OPEP-nadBBh_T_9pKKm2FT1gzPNbBVLCvXOV_WkLyxa54kj-yvhbdJ0cemvNZzvkjNYAqtsIgYo05QUPUZt3oKI/s1600/Keegan+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYL8V9R0cXXtgvvn7_4irLI6DV_CFf4TkYM8mI3lSKzL5wV91sHYD4OPEP-nadBBh_T_9pKKm2FT1gzPNbBVLCvXOV_WkLyxa54kj-yvhbdJ0cemvNZzvkjNYAqtsIgYo05QUPUZt3oKI/s400/Keegan+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Keegan</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Vancouver, BC</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXtY1mXtL5rqov7632SBJA8H1CZtHRTtP5oGoGI5QdMMHqT8EfM2RUC2h3Hs3oNwg966GZ-dw5SWWTstp2yzjE5o8UCBPfO0mzd_YkSxxuKkOpVcm4m_-Hzh3oErUfvCYHApGnkrpVws/s1600/Ribbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXtY1mXtL5rqov7632SBJA8H1CZtHRTtP5oGoGI5QdMMHqT8EfM2RUC2h3Hs3oNwg966GZ-dw5SWWTstp2yzjE5o8UCBPfO0mzd_YkSxxuKkOpVcm4m_-Hzh3oErUfvCYHApGnkrpVws/s640/Ribbon.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ribbon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4YEz_bshlGQXo1n7Gky0pl3ZIociXUj1YyZzjxhL-RBfARGASdnVWO74DcnJws9B_bSSLijeNuhi9Ql4ZFBBnu3s7PEQ6gMk5BhWInXIMYdMBFntyTkW3DhK7r4N6FML9c6sK4XOYU4/s1600/Gracie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4YEz_bshlGQXo1n7Gky0pl3ZIociXUj1YyZzjxhL-RBfARGASdnVWO74DcnJws9B_bSSLijeNuhi9Ql4ZFBBnu3s7PEQ6gMk5BhWInXIMYdMBFntyTkW3DhK7r4N6FML9c6sK4XOYU4/s400/Gracie.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gracie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Scottsdale, AZ</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP3AjCuBKhedezK_rJq-2ftNHwrEndVPQ00eV6Ugz9_P50vjFgsuMHqs4s6xAEGjXsD_9V1mYoAHjlNg0gfkuUfB5yamh48R4i0ixalZmfgo-6tu7mlG9UINu2uFsm4IfZmD0VAdJ0to/s1600/Moka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP3AjCuBKhedezK_rJq-2ftNHwrEndVPQ00eV6Ugz9_P50vjFgsuMHqs4s6xAEGjXsD_9V1mYoAHjlNg0gfkuUfB5yamh48R4i0ixalZmfgo-6tu7mlG9UINu2uFsm4IfZmD0VAdJ0to/s400/Moka.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCrnYE34eh4Wnv4fvKXoZeXv0PNtzj3XHHBpgd1vX3SDAuPm6QbmHisVgF_4MoN5DS8Ccdw6PWhZHlGjhjSNCnjmPEzo4H_kGZB-LhAD2dvWIrZgeYWE-Cw6MHW1aY-EZZuV99m6nuQg/s1600/Bella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCrnYE34eh4Wnv4fvKXoZeXv0PNtzj3XHHBpgd1vX3SDAuPm6QbmHisVgF_4MoN5DS8Ccdw6PWhZHlGjhjSNCnjmPEzo4H_kGZB-LhAD2dvWIrZgeYWE-Cw6MHW1aY-EZZuV99m6nuQg/s400/Bella.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Panama City, FL</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KHOZL71ZXRs3y83FTZnLAcETNEM1Tma7HuKn2aK4DrQJIZxTbE6e7o0pvVndB0CWElWGSfb5eP457BlaWZnuKVkIMtCNRbI0ultM1qNB-UV6cq9cy_EeZLGdvUg9S2OxpWyI0uXgw08/s1600/lizzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KHOZL71ZXRs3y83FTZnLAcETNEM1Tma7HuKn2aK4DrQJIZxTbE6e7o0pvVndB0CWElWGSfb5eP457BlaWZnuKVkIMtCNRbI0ultM1qNB-UV6cq9cy_EeZLGdvUg9S2OxpWyI0uXgw08/s640/lizzie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizzie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Beverly Hills, CA</h2>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8KaGC347gxa5rdLAIahGCjUfKtXwe7EzN488yDDl_1wW_ZuXU-g-x1qzhsfeuaLaEfcFNGZnutHkT9g8nDnTmtlu2pbYUYSF3LJyPFRwJzJwbR4ryWrDPwGYunCissbFyVXrLED5Uqo/s1600/Rooster+and+Lamont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8KaGC347gxa5rdLAIahGCjUfKtXwe7EzN488yDDl_1wW_ZuXU-g-x1qzhsfeuaLaEfcFNGZnutHkT9g8nDnTmtlu2pbYUYSF3LJyPFRwJzJwbR4ryWrDPwGYunCissbFyVXrLED5Uqo/s400/Rooster+and+Lamont.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooster and Lamont</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-71222871786581660952016-12-05T20:49:00.000-08:002016-12-07T14:21:40.047-08:00Chapter 18 - Fall 2016<b>Panama City, FL</b><br />
<br />
If you’re looking for white sand beaches, ridiculously gorgeous sunsets and flawless weather, then Panama City is the place to go. Nearly every evening of the 5 or so weeks we were there, we ate our dinner watching the sunset at either a nearby beach on the Gulf of Mexico, or on a dock overlooking East Bay. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh2MGrWQsYB5sfQZu7bETNLy_uFNlSqwMfyv1Q_Fzj1uaDgZ5UgpK3oLkKH117BALT2xWd3sqc0hHch5b2wXEuBEglp5dejLqw9B2msQZxuvJNvHeAsKcMKqwgZAuR-6zK0tJn_BYEOI/s1600/tablefortwo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh2MGrWQsYB5sfQZu7bETNLy_uFNlSqwMfyv1Q_Fzj1uaDgZ5UgpK3oLkKH117BALT2xWd3sqc0hHch5b2wXEuBEglp5dejLqw9B2msQZxuvJNvHeAsKcMKqwgZAuR-6zK0tJn_BYEOI/s640/tablefortwo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table for 2 please</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKsJCRB8tRoxI0Hv1KThfdtde8f7MInZPNVSSes9Ngkx8TqjRHAY1hqP3m5ciR9fERo5ibia7jYnQMd-aCR5pFOP9gpSkF7-Q3tHAPwFCKCjQ2R5N16ajE06UNHdgK_yHISM2i8E0qrE/s1600/lizzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKsJCRB8tRoxI0Hv1KThfdtde8f7MInZPNVSSes9Ngkx8TqjRHAY1hqP3m5ciR9fERo5ibia7jYnQMd-aCR5pFOP9gpSkF7-Q3tHAPwFCKCjQ2R5N16ajE06UNHdgK_yHISM2i8E0qrE/s640/lizzie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizzie loves the sunsets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And, because Charli doesn’t believe in sleeping, many of our mornings started with sunrise coffees on the other side of East Bay. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZXv2c_1k83dWSYvX0gR-HCc11-r7vn5vn74xgpD_VVVULdi6hoD5XnhPYZ8fRPRZaaEHPxPkIodH_9-KQr8PnXO7NqMWAITzw3XQ3J0QuWthnVzdjMXd3-XMuhdo8RJTPQyCJCFUrOQ/s1600/sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZXv2c_1k83dWSYvX0gR-HCc11-r7vn5vn74xgpD_VVVULdi6hoD5XnhPYZ8fRPRZaaEHPxPkIodH_9-KQr8PnXO7NqMWAITzw3XQ3J0QuWthnVzdjMXd3-XMuhdo8RJTPQyCJCFUrOQ/s640/sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
By the way, if anybody is interested, I would be happy to send you a thousand or so sunrise/sunset pictures… you know, in case you’ve never seen one before.<br />
<br />
I’ve always loved the Florida gulf coast and Panama City did not disappoint. From snorkeling in the nearby St. Andrews State Park or Cape San Blas peninsula, to jet-skiing with the dolphins by Shell Island, we had an amazing time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIVRXuij5zZ5RVyl-ngVOCW8V9UV5h_ri1aufjBNp_ggFzfZiQRW7X6-77JGPndi6x_UbIIR3O4N4Ah-1KWhRcsFZy-KsHr4EBK3tBGK-XkrTswQD0JijeEVS-fj2ek8absXdLhTeE40/s1600/setski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIVRXuij5zZ5RVyl-ngVOCW8V9UV5h_ri1aufjBNp_ggFzfZiQRW7X6-77JGPndi6x_UbIIR3O4N4Ah-1KWhRcsFZy-KsHr4EBK3tBGK-XkrTswQD0JijeEVS-fj2ek8absXdLhTeE40/s640/setski.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Road Trip 2</b><br />
<br />
After an <i>extremely</i> pleasant 6 weeks of caring for three of the sweetest animals ever (1 adorable yellow lab and 2 beautiful cats), the owners came back from their vacation and we had to leave. We didn’t <i>want</i> to leave but for some reason they decided they preferred to live in their house alone. Whatever.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we had another house to get to in Scottsdale, AZ so another road trip was under way! A few highlights from this trip were:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: purple;">A dolphin-watching tour in Pensacola Florida</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zJduQ23WtjU57GANVTzG1hb47OiX_Az84WHQLh0bvEh4kk0s9QHlNUYkESzMSsT7FV0gFNHPyDzlx1RwkQt0w6vwkqJoOFwPqkpQTluUrs2cSIf9V4YD2qLTuuCnScqwDS7ie_3HXlE/s1600/dolphintour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zJduQ23WtjU57GANVTzG1hb47OiX_Az84WHQLh0bvEh4kk0s9QHlNUYkESzMSsT7FV0gFNHPyDzlx1RwkQt0w6vwkqJoOFwPqkpQTluUrs2cSIf9V4YD2qLTuuCnScqwDS7ie_3HXlE/s640/dolphintour1.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfeA7WfoB-OUn_pt67GT06piw3IY4y_hswnYOQWfkTYPHGMm_sv9y2bUjhlXFK-f91MTQmChXgjft75mmQuYQFvCI_p8V-cczqXfNpjNbXwH9YXy-nDFukEor0LbOMOlwSuxcqdTqdU8/s1600/dolphintour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfeA7WfoB-OUn_pt67GT06piw3IY4y_hswnYOQWfkTYPHGMm_sv9y2bUjhlXFK-f91MTQmChXgjft75mmQuYQFvCI_p8V-cczqXfNpjNbXwH9YXy-nDFukEor0LbOMOlwSuxcqdTqdU8/s640/dolphintour2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Camping with the alligators in Sam Houston Jones State Park near Lake Charles, LA.</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOJX1GXxleHpFTygMw1uVj_Y4UVTM96gcqQ5cW5kusKJXK0gj3ZGzFcX766wc5djcy4iD2LQeItfV1vh_pOtt152Oaqj10vZUYKBn48qpmHWNbqEVSIJU2G6krElcg5Fas-tJBsT-v2g/s1600/alligator1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOJX1GXxleHpFTygMw1uVj_Y4UVTM96gcqQ5cW5kusKJXK0gj3ZGzFcX766wc5djcy4iD2LQeItfV1vh_pOtt152Oaqj10vZUYKBn48qpmHWNbqEVSIJU2G6krElcg5Fas-tJBsT-v2g/s640/alligator1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, use caution while sleeping in a nylon tent next to alligators</td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>and frolicking in White Sands National Monument by El Paso, TX.</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was having so much fun, I didn't have the heart to tell her that you're supposed to do jumping jacks standing up.</td></tr>
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<b>Scottsdale, AZ</b><br />
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Which leads us to here… house sitting a few yards from the 13th tee of the gorgeous Troon North Golf Course with these two lovable characters. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zhyphenhyphen2yDIvjXKNthVu_68x7fjBNy9xJPR4ygqHL5N2dJpwbKeFs2MTZ5PX2vIDj32mING7cDoJyG_gUK6tw7maeQaCoItKvzoA14fLMY2fVUsMQXVFY3L7QxHOtoIWNJev68vX6em6x9E/s1600/bella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zhyphenhyphen2yDIvjXKNthVu_68x7fjBNy9xJPR4ygqHL5N2dJpwbKeFs2MTZ5PX2vIDj32mING7cDoJyG_gUK6tw7maeQaCoItKvzoA14fLMY2fVUsMQXVFY3L7QxHOtoIWNJev68vX6em6x9E/s640/bella.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEmaWercetYfsdkWkCdMxOX4YJ28HPbQT_8CI9lkNxJNZvxDFAcqJGIFQKHl87C-087S8lZlcdAFAbvHvS1yh6okATbAWeHZYwlZ2U0a2IOqJ9Z62G7pwuTKpK38AweTud_Y456UtQZo/s1600/moka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEmaWercetYfsdkWkCdMxOX4YJ28HPbQT_8CI9lkNxJNZvxDFAcqJGIFQKHl87C-087S8lZlcdAFAbvHvS1yh6okATbAWeHZYwlZ2U0a2IOqJ9Z62G7pwuTKpK38AweTud_Y456UtQZo/s640/moka.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moka</td></tr>
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Even though we could literally walk 50 steps and be on the nicest golf course in Arizona, we won’t… because:<br />
a. we don’t even know how to swing a golf stick<br />
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b. that should be good enough answer<br />
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Fortunately, there are many other awesome things to do around here, including our most favorite thing of all… hiking! And even though sweet little Moka can’t hike as far as we can, we don’t let that stop us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3n5duUe_nhMjSWpNrJyn3JAooVV_OUhkInjXuke2MCo1BN3sC1ZGy3vAvpigddfU3zzKlK6Wz_Dhyy_KEXx6vp5vaKeUmCbO59H7lVZLPxAtp4PeDdaRj0TlOu88SHcYD4cRNdK3UKs/s1600/hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3n5duUe_nhMjSWpNrJyn3JAooVV_OUhkInjXuke2MCo1BN3sC1ZGy3vAvpigddfU3zzKlK6Wz_Dhyy_KEXx6vp5vaKeUmCbO59H7lVZLPxAtp4PeDdaRj0TlOu88SHcYD4cRNdK3UKs/s640/hiking.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The best part of hiking with Moka is how many people giggle when they walk past us.<br />
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They must think she is awfully cute.Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-22496958634585142672016-11-18T19:00:00.000-08:002016-11-19T21:03:50.589-08:00Chapter 17 – Summer 2016 - Part 2<b>Vancouver, BC</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigThrlmzIK5y_2ptBsR8ky8RQ0MbrJmk5fBvR_MQ10AFTz7Xz0cbLThyphenhyphenfQ_YTGxC6zAH90Lh4ggCEVZQEzU2BsMbmjAjGraXHVF-Qp-rIzTFttc63xJLutgLsP0dIKwX1iimFpH98-iFgH/s1600/Bobndoug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigThrlmzIK5y_2ptBsR8ky8RQ0MbrJmk5fBvR_MQ10AFTz7Xz0cbLThyphenhyphenfQ_YTGxC6zAH90Lh4ggCEVZQEzU2BsMbmjAjGraXHVF-Qp-rIzTFttc63xJLutgLsP0dIKwX1iimFpH98-iFgH/s1600/Bobndoug.jpg" /></a>As mentioned in my last post, our next destination was the ever-beautiful hillside of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, North America, Earth (the official mailing address). But I must say, I was a bit disappointed when we got there and found NO mention of these guys. Nor did we hear any references to hosers, toques, or someone telling us to “take off eh.”<br />
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What we did find however, was a very friendly and socially diverse community of some of the nicest people we’ve ever met, an incredibly beautiful country/seaside and a seemingly endless supply of things to do and see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn2Sgo0lAQnOtUU9eMdJg1ncNgqeJ8WwCRpE-aRXc4JtzzbMs1U82MkES_vPLxbH9Sj_rzvnyleJVR2Dpkr3C2wA1MUGeZU5z52vsxcllggwGoToJueXjgfltDqi06lJFsWCHcDZvxNRB/s1600/leesinvancouver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn2Sgo0lAQnOtUU9eMdJg1ncNgqeJ8WwCRpE-aRXc4JtzzbMs1U82MkES_vPLxbH9Sj_rzvnyleJVR2Dpkr3C2wA1MUGeZU5z52vsxcllggwGoToJueXjgfltDqi06lJFsWCHcDZvxNRB/s640/leesinvancouver.jpg" width="505" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With Rosie at the Gastown Steam Clock</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrRfl_GLuu3sUiVWKknWbj6EHYgnG3vZri9PBd8FJh_pDr18x3JkySViU_WcpQ8DWRmICwseWbEVsVsroRg01xIpJiW0Fa_j07bIg_e03yvfiFR0N1VqLQtp3jP5QHFLOiJj4KVRi-34E/s1600/viewfromourdeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrRfl_GLuu3sUiVWKknWbj6EHYgnG3vZri9PBd8FJh_pDr18x3JkySViU_WcpQ8DWRmICwseWbEVsVsroRg01xIpJiW0Fa_j07bIg_e03yvfiFR0N1VqLQtp3jP5QHFLOiJj4KVRi-34E/s400/viewfromourdeck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view from our deck in North Vancouver</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ9pQ1IhmiwghWc2w3G5vUQvFs9wz28Je-LPyuW5k4QyI5JftPsNoex8Hl_2gT3gmlGgODkdoFvag28E0aGSRYrXuf6WA8xhe9ej-ombYI9M07mXVi75d5kej12xpuebEWmHUrXg5qTxD/s1600/viewfromthemountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ9pQ1IhmiwghWc2w3G5vUQvFs9wz28Je-LPyuW5k4QyI5JftPsNoex8Hl_2gT3gmlGgODkdoFvag28E0aGSRYrXuf6WA8xhe9ej-ombYI9M07mXVi75d5kej12xpuebEWmHUrXg5qTxD/s1600/viewfromthemountain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Horseshoe Bay as seen from atop Bowen Lookout in West Vancouver</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfVZHxNe1J9zM51h3p-kjXVBhWH8xSwT1gb7DqxXROcNOjV6wEO8aJDggoVZlXo75NN-ZGo8L4GZri16IqMsXJd6mEWLumFxumxLcaZU_5QQbeZDIPamWN6FDKuWST-_egUATIoDLIemP/s1600/stargate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfVZHxNe1J9zM51h3p-kjXVBhWH8xSwT1gb7DqxXROcNOjV6wEO8aJDggoVZlXo75NN-ZGo8L4GZri16IqMsXJd6mEWLumFxumxLcaZU_5QQbeZDIPamWN6FDKuWST-_egUATIoDLIemP/s640/stargate.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The remains of an ancient Stargate portal at English Bay Beach. <br />(the Canadians keep very quiet about this)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiEdp-ViNq9kOqPWGm5rya9w9u3g4EV32CbHfjkVWjRvRwk3QkWOjq9-HpYEM-6ZOk3SrvA36aBIFXmnkx1CyFAJ5BiNEXtJ5qEfnSDsEhwFnPgfB4FoPy8SjKPJgTYN8-YGZb6tXC1Zl/s1600/chillinwithbella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiEdp-ViNq9kOqPWGm5rya9w9u3g4EV32CbHfjkVWjRvRwk3QkWOjq9-HpYEM-6ZOk3SrvA36aBIFXmnkx1CyFAJ5BiNEXtJ5qEfnSDsEhwFnPgfB4FoPy8SjKPJgTYN8-YGZb6tXC1Zl/s640/chillinwithbella.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chillin' with Ribbon</span></td></tr>
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Not too shabby eh<span style="font-size: x-small;">? </span>I give Vancouver a hardy 5 stars! Or if you convert it... 6.7 Canadian stars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80kHwpNSiVXU-TNJucEoLVox1Gkx-OjyjyxR7ZXvSsjSEeOFV-X-gqB0-SnDOAUwjqd2ArF4mtpSg_vWr6aQOpnUwicUgJapB0oGMrZWhdvy-LZSsKiiir53AYRTKdKs06oEUbzZ2UVEI/s1600/100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80kHwpNSiVXU-TNJucEoLVox1Gkx-OjyjyxR7ZXvSsjSEeOFV-X-gqB0-SnDOAUwjqd2ArF4mtpSg_vWr6aQOpnUwicUgJapB0oGMrZWhdvy-LZSsKiiir53AYRTKdKs06oEUbzZ2UVEI/s1600/100.jpg" /></a></div>
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Oh, one other thing I really liked about Vancouver. It was the only time we’ve ever had our Prius up to 100.<br />
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<b>Evergreen, CO</b><br />
No sooner had we spent our last water-colored dollar then it was time to hit the dusty trail for the rugged mountains of Colorado, and Evergreen was where we landed. <br />
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Living in a place like Evergreen takes a little getting used to, especially if you’re accustomed to oxygen. And being as how the house we were at sat at 7800 feet, just heading upstairs to bed required two rest stops along the way. But eventually we became acclimated, which is a Midwestern term for “able to breath,” and really enjoyed our stay. <br />
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This area of Colorado has everything John Denver told us it does… unbelievably beautiful mountains, abundant wildlife, impossible fields of wild flowers and endless sunshine on our shoulders. Every day we were treated to herds of elk, often roaming through our yard – including this magnificent creature!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qPsenLiPoZmZ1gtwCkuV2tdWI5E0dw0t-RBYSEFadScl6rwh6eEbfPa-0NhFrjPZckd0WxIjxtW7gi5-34ubAmRa61vf4ZRqhh4kFeUpfWBI4zTyPpXwHV8BEyqwWrR-1n4ZwmuY5nOx/s1600/elk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qPsenLiPoZmZ1gtwCkuV2tdWI5E0dw0t-RBYSEFadScl6rwh6eEbfPa-0NhFrjPZckd0WxIjxtW7gi5-34ubAmRa61vf4ZRqhh4kFeUpfWBI4zTyPpXwHV8BEyqwWrR-1n4ZwmuY5nOx/s640/elk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">What'chu lookin at!</span></td></tr>
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Because this house sit had no pets, we were able to really get out and explore the vast expanses of the Colorado Front Range, which includes Golden, Boulder, Estes Park and of course Denver. Here are a few things we did and saw:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXzhdbmoMUuDxzONAc4thf3bqCeFsNguhUasK0-Pch3MjciLIXU0V-eZ8HmM1rsR8h1D2MJt5rZ53hyXt4xrCMNywln_HbZbWsvs3sOYtuZft7oCOrsw32fUDqSZiQ1XDqbo7EHxCNr78/s1600/wildflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXzhdbmoMUuDxzONAc4thf3bqCeFsNguhUasK0-Pch3MjciLIXU0V-eZ8HmM1rsR8h1D2MJt5rZ53hyXt4xrCMNywln_HbZbWsvs3sOYtuZft7oCOrsw32fUDqSZiQ1XDqbo7EHxCNr78/s640/wildflowers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Insanely beautiful wildflowers on the way up to Devil's Thumb</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKyIz99zs6zu2IE67AGLAbr-4qHpZ4leNWY5sUDYRUDQXs1KUk750NLeiikGimizMR9FD4HfNXz8zQ3TWdksrf6OZWO9hNO5J-TXyAatUFCBObtsq0oa7nXWJ1De0v_35svsh4dUjKNRT/s1600/mountainmeadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKyIz99zs6zu2IE67AGLAbr-4qHpZ4leNWY5sUDYRUDQXs1KUk750NLeiikGimizMR9FD4HfNXz8zQ3TWdksrf6OZWO9hNO5J-TXyAatUFCBObtsq0oa7nXWJ1De0v_35svsh4dUjKNRT/s400/mountainmeadow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A mountain meadow at the beginning of the Devil's Thumb hike</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmLU3nMEorJedP6OvGGxY3G2PDBXoVCOTlg3XXkyp23KQ-5kh-8kI4UBHwR0gSNcBc9EcAQTSLZTlNigsJCqkeQp8UTJv6NmGKUr4EfWYI4G8nZzDgVmiDKF0WHThm-zKQtmxIyVNbM9c/s1600/mountevans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmLU3nMEorJedP6OvGGxY3G2PDBXoVCOTlg3XXkyp23KQ-5kh-8kI4UBHwR0gSNcBc9EcAQTSLZTlNigsJCqkeQp8UTJv6NmGKUr4EfWYI4G8nZzDgVmiDKF0WHThm-zKQtmxIyVNbM9c/s400/mountevans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Us, literally chillin' (in August) at the top of Mount Evans</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrXlP81LO1smJzG_kKLV_RmwF7svG1uxD2IyJylrVdLfXXHP9LRuJSUNEffNx0Rg89ZeaY8rvEYPPZEA2tsSPKmwawL6D1xBgzMKetfDdb54VBkGxZMKGvUNEIqT-ZLCbCbJ0hlRvFgUt/s1600/deerinthelake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrXlP81LO1smJzG_kKLV_RmwF7svG1uxD2IyJylrVdLfXXHP9LRuJSUNEffNx0Rg89ZeaY8rvEYPPZEA2tsSPKmwawL6D1xBgzMKetfDdb54VBkGxZMKGvUNEIqT-ZLCbCbJ0hlRvFgUt/s640/deerinthelake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baby deer in Evergreen Lake...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LxRk9KWdQLZv5s3d1ZrnXGCj_H8jMBqdezXfpHqVDOPY5h9zk6So5vDmx4gTDIitGuPuaxfjaAKQTzZRS0OTVqwUCG1ITR1MN1Ql0knajrG86KV_GSB_9uUWWI3lL4__d3wUtMYezahb/s1600/babygoats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LxRk9KWdQLZv5s3d1ZrnXGCj_H8jMBqdezXfpHqVDOPY5h9zk6So5vDmx4gTDIitGuPuaxfjaAKQTzZRS0OTVqwUCG1ITR1MN1Ql0knajrG86KV_GSB_9uUWWI3lL4__d3wUtMYezahb/s640/babygoats.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">...and baby mountain goats at Waterton Canyon!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFjMu74w-0Y-NR47FCzE_bkcbiVIT7wYEJVC32zoqJsq6AiuSVFngSMS7hQddF9kY2Xo2DDd6v3wdGRxM9D6FX1r3KNWi7IxkMKr91FRCrXggIQM7T6k_vItOWUNhXMLK7FOOUu4STYbo/s1600/mountainlake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFjMu74w-0Y-NR47FCzE_bkcbiVIT7wYEJVC32zoqJsq6AiuSVFngSMS7hQddF9kY2Xo2DDd6v3wdGRxM9D6FX1r3KNWi7IxkMKr91FRCrXggIQM7T6k_vItOWUNhXMLK7FOOUu4STYbo/s640/mountainlake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A crisp mountain Lake on the way up to Mount Evans summit</span></td></tr>
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<b>Road Trip to Florida</b><br />
One of the aspects of house sitting that we enjoy a lot is the actual traveling between the cities. Whenever possible, we find national or state parks and set up our little red tent with the mesh ceiling (so we can see the stars), and rough it like the pioneers did hundreds of years ago. That is if you agree that “roughing it” includes a queen-sized air bed.<br />
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Here’s our trusty hotel-on-the-go that has provided shelter many times over the last two years.<br />
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Camping definitely has its benefits, such as being much cheaper than a hotel, and you are embedded right within the beautiful nature. But it also has its risks. For instance, in one campsite next to a bayou in Louisiana, Charli woke up to hear an alligator trying to attack a possum just across the yard! It was either that or my snoring, it’s hard to tell the difference. But that’s not nearly as creepy as the time we woke up to find this guy at the end our driveway!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO50EXqhjS_jVjiQJFob1oFoClMlJpuOFArhidMlf6ubVZloIg6U8sLUvOiBV_hAa12vmhyphenhyphenN_UPEgl02RSKqjza99EOuk-BeUljuKgoCAFQOM7x76slnaorx80YKP0MwpvRdE8IQHPX6mu/s1600/spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO50EXqhjS_jVjiQJFob1oFoClMlJpuOFArhidMlf6ubVZloIg6U8sLUvOiBV_hAa12vmhyphenhyphenN_UPEgl02RSKqjza99EOuk-BeUljuKgoCAFQOM7x76slnaorx80YKP0MwpvRdE8IQHPX6mu/s320/spider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And in case this picture isn’t clear… yes… this is a full-grown tarantula. And that same morning a ring-tailed cat (of the racoon family) chewed my sandals to shreds just outside our tent. See, I wasn’t kidding when I said we were roughing it like the pioneers.<br />
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Despite the deadly beasts at our campsites, the trip from Colorado to Florida was tons of fun. The Rocky Mountain colors were epic,<br />
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the mountain rivers were refreshing,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS06eC4Ff86rH_ARjSOMPXNCaYrpqSGf1yj8DKb7I76FqF0WgAeri4R-aJQS9jPvBff8_ZTNhklKE4ugUWVYm9a8IEgi2k0EuXrO9ssB-gGllnfhw9RzY3_TvudCFyqQfY9dwe3cHnWHBQ/s1600/riverlegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS06eC4Ff86rH_ARjSOMPXNCaYrpqSGf1yj8DKb7I76FqF0WgAeri4R-aJQS9jPvBff8_ZTNhklKE4ugUWVYm9a8IEgi2k0EuXrO9ssB-gGllnfhw9RzY3_TvudCFyqQfY9dwe3cHnWHBQ/s400/riverlegs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Inks Lake State Park near Austin, TX</span></td></tr>
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the food in Austin was unbelievable, and the street jazz in New Orleans was perfect!<br />
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And there you have it... some of our crazy antics from July through September. Of course nothing was quite as crazy as the night we tore up Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I understand they're <i>still</i> talking about it today. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinewbCcZ-Be8V9zKZzvV1-UVlEBnKfAOseqbyqRBfDMcZOYSAkJz95Il_Wi4FHAAciSKVtkjl7foX7j91x74PwTO_LfB9SV5diMyLFIZXyFN7RoaNn4hjfqWqCfShMvzFs2yV1jXa4dRt/s1600/bourbonstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinewbCcZ-Be8V9zKZzvV1-UVlEBnKfAOseqbyqRBfDMcZOYSAkJz95Il_Wi4FHAAciSKVtkjl7foX7j91x74PwTO_LfB9SV5diMyLFIZXyFN7RoaNn4hjfqWqCfShMvzFs2yV1jXa4dRt/s640/bourbonstreet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">TOTALLY unleashed</span></td></tr>
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So cheers to all the new friends we've met along the way, and our old friends back home. We are having the time of our lives zig-zagging across the country like a couple of high school graduates taking a gap year... except ours is more like a gap decade. We may not know where we're headed just yet but it doesn't seem to matter, we're just having fun doing it. And as the bumper sticker on our car says, "<i><b>Not all those who wander are lost... just us</b></i>."Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-35456263888082993892016-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:002016-11-19T19:52:55.326-08:00Chapter 16 - Summer 2016 Part 1Funny thing, this full-time cross-country traveling. Before we began house sitting, a 3-hour drive somewhere would require a nap once we arrived. <i>But Aunt Martha's house is 150 miles away! If we make this trip we're gonna need to get a hotel.</i> Now, after crossing the U.S. for the 4th time in 18 months, we look at a drive from Minneapolis to St. Louis and say, <i>Hey, that's only 9 hours. After we get there we should go out for dinner and a movie or something!</i><br />
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In my last post I noted that we would be staying in Point of Rocks, MD, which we did, and was as fabulous as one would expect. It was fabulous because it was nestled right smack in the middle of a very historic part of the country. For example, Harper's Ferry is only a few minutes away and has a fascinating, albeit very bloody, civil war history. And of course Washington, DC was only a short 45 minutes southeast of us, so we were able to hop down there a few times and knock off the big checklist items that everyone should see, including a beautiful afternoon in a duck boat on the Potomac!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBopcUOXA6L9CK6WlsYLEdbzCP36D_b1vODtTxFOenxyNqVk3N-9K9iNmwbfX4mRL0Zqx3Tfb6ikyE27KybUPJjeruoL_RyBOUNtOvkbdcP7UrvbuBbvTQjZcXUmrZhbubY36-OWh8uenR/s1600/Duck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBopcUOXA6L9CK6WlsYLEdbzCP36D_b1vODtTxFOenxyNqVk3N-9K9iNmwbfX4mRL0Zqx3Tfb6ikyE27KybUPJjeruoL_RyBOUNtOvkbdcP7UrvbuBbvTQjZcXUmrZhbubY36-OWh8uenR/s400/Duck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington Memorial from Potomac River</td></tr>
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And then, just like Lewis and Clark themselves, our expedition took us from Washington DC back here to Portland, with the exception that we didn't almost die of starvation or freeze to death in Montana... or need to wait 6 months before we could continue across the Rockies. But other than that it was exactly the same.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hb6IUQpIoY3LwRX7PRV3MeL8H4iVp9TovXSuO9f4PIZT89nyqyAGpzdqmz2QdZYlGBBFpHw8d7GmErkLIJHI_psqhfDCM8deHag6yyQ8J6TbfejBTvwHrzc6ut-AhwgFPvkGHsWsfEfl/s1600/Lewis+and+Clark.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hb6IUQpIoY3LwRX7PRV3MeL8H4iVp9TovXSuO9f4PIZT89nyqyAGpzdqmz2QdZYlGBBFpHw8d7GmErkLIJHI_psqhfDCM8deHag6yyQ8J6TbfejBTvwHrzc6ut-AhwgFPvkGHsWsfEfl/s640/Lewis+and+Clark.bmp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lewis and Clark didn't have to deal with all that road construction</td></tr>
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See?... just like them. Lewis and Clark had to battle the Missouri River upstream for 2500 miles, and we had to battle headwinds in our Prius. Same thing.<br />
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And then there's Portland... ahh, sweet, sweet Portland. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.<br />
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In our journey as wanderers we keep a pros and cons checklist of things we like or dislike about a city. We do this because believe it or not, we actually <i>do</i> plan on owning a home again someday... we just don't know where. Or when. Or what. Although we have ruled out a yurt as an option. That being said, there are a few cities that stand out as potential future home-base candidates, and Portland is definitely one of them. What's so special about Portland you ask? Well let me tell you!<br />
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<b>Top 10 Favorite Things About Portland: </b><br />
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1. A really cool downtown with all the "big city" kinds of things you'd ever want... great businesses, pubs, bookstores, parks, a world-class river walk and...<br />
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2. FOOD! OMG SO MUCH FOOD! Portland literally has a restaurant of one kind or another every six inches. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but it does have a LOT of restaurants.<br />
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3. And not only regular restaurants, but food trucks galore. Whether you're smack in the center of downtown or in any of the surrounding neighborhoods or suburbs, you will find pods of these amazing food trucks and trailers everywhere. And the best part is they have food for every palate. And they're adorable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVj-3lkkLxHbHwffGPU-f7cggYUgaTgNP4dZNOePNhtG0evy-RrztfurvQ4TLZqVEKKtrjFTpu1pnWpmZSd4gBRN9Mg5ONElaxD8U-hTMjlp3dElzql6u5tGZYy4e4quEtcxUZjWLJ4T8/s1600/Food+trucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVj-3lkkLxHbHwffGPU-f7cggYUgaTgNP4dZNOePNhtG0evy-RrztfurvQ4TLZqVEKKtrjFTpu1pnWpmZSd4gBRN9Mg5ONElaxD8U-hTMjlp3dElzql6u5tGZYy4e4quEtcxUZjWLJ4T8/s400/Food+trucks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. Lots of chic little neighborhoods. For example, the renovated <a href="http://albertamainst.org/" target="_blank">Alberta Main Street Arts District</a> in NE Portland is packed with every kind of charming little shop you could ever imagine - for nearly a mile!<br />
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5. The weather is perfect. Well, except for the rainy days and the gray, damp winters... but when it's not those things it's pretty darn perfect.<br />
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6. There are NO bugs! And to clarify, when a person from Minnesota says there are no bugs he means that you can actually be outside on a nice summer evening and not be stabbed to death by mosquitoes. This point alone ranks very high on our "pros" list for any city we evaluate.<br />
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7. The area is freaking gorgeous. Whether you're right inside the city at the rose garden or Forest Park, hiking through any one of the hundreds of nearby trails, or simply just looking at a snow-capped peak on the horizon, the area around Portland is among the most beautiful in the country.<br />
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8. The hiking is amazing. Just a short drive from the city center will put you on any number of stunning trails in the area. One state park has you walking past 11 waterfalls alone, two of which you walk <i>behind</i>! And for those of you who desire buns of steel, there are endless hill, waterfall and mountain climbs to be had in every direction.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaH075EEwt6gTDA-AxvzjO0ldWf48kgGn_sFuL9AvoMSAJF-cwvNAadCf5PSfT55sO86FlxbytDjxObKIwKC5cX0YnD8abNBIfY7etEUTWn_v0NOPAp2QSaKwMhqpypJUTIgV5sXtz5Rh/s1600/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaH075EEwt6gTDA-AxvzjO0ldWf48kgGn_sFuL9AvoMSAJF-cwvNAadCf5PSfT55sO86FlxbytDjxObKIwKC5cX0YnD8abNBIfY7etEUTWn_v0NOPAp2QSaKwMhqpypJUTIgV5sXtz5Rh/s400/bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High above a lava field near Mount St. Helens</td></tr>
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9. Mass transportation options galore. For someone like me who doesn't like to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic, being able to take one of the many rail systems or multiple bus lines is a huge benefit. Charli and I have taken the train from the 'burbs to downtown Portland several times and it just makes everything nice and easy.<br />
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10. It's weird! Yes, the stereotype is true. Portland is weird in all kinds of ways. The people are weird, the shops are weird, the art is weird and the attitude is weird. Even the life-long friends we've made here are weird, but then that's only because they chose <i>us</i> as friends.<br />
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So what's next for the traveling Jeff and Charli show? Why Canada of course! That's right... in just a few days we will haul anchor from Portland and spend the next couple of weeks in beautiful North Vancouver, British Columbia. That is if they let us in. I always worry that we will accidentally leave an old banana under the seat or something, and then they will detain and interrogate us and dunk our heads in buckets of maple syrup until we confess that we put it there on purpose.<br />
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But then again what could be worse than the torture we've already endured from Canada...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZFA9xGSqrWKWNf0beUeA6SMtoy2SO8jmBMH3CnpbbyhinHHX2I96sMX2aR1ljur4EQxifNQlDV9XuvdjQ0PfmcAdCobvg_cm_VH0KN9QTen5H4CTT_kvib0WvoOfxERZG6qVja1sih4Q/s1600/bieber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZFA9xGSqrWKWNf0beUeA6SMtoy2SO8jmBMH3CnpbbyhinHHX2I96sMX2aR1ljur4EQxifNQlDV9XuvdjQ0PfmcAdCobvg_cm_VH0KN9QTen5H4CTT_kvib0WvoOfxERZG6qVja1sih4Q/s200/bieber.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who, me?</td></tr>
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Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-71673857525679210842016-05-07T19:46:00.000-07:002016-11-19T19:48:28.302-08:00Chapter 15 - New EnglandAs I mentioned in my last post, after we left Santa Fe we headed straight up to Marlboro, VT. Well, we <i>did</i> stop in PA and have lunch with my dear old friend Kathy, her sister Ann AND (believe it or not) her elusive husband Dave! What a treat it is to be able to stop along the way and spend a few hours with old blog buddies. A real bonus benefit of living on the road!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JQDyYt8kPW7-NGeO2agwTHrUQOJJMESqZpReJiKFQf_duUx8e8b_5uzyOrkkAL_Tnnk0V3lYbh9xD8FtCkdkmTuG6gSZJDvmAhgMesKlsswX2kBxN08AiA1fk04wg0zJIjaaqN6Vs9-/s1600/Kathy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JQDyYt8kPW7-NGeO2agwTHrUQOJJMESqZpReJiKFQf_duUx8e8b_5uzyOrkkAL_Tnnk0V3lYbh9xD8FtCkdkmTuG6gSZJDvmAhgMesKlsswX2kBxN08AiA1fk04wg0zJIjaaqN6Vs9-/s320/Kathy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Marlboro was great. We lived in a large, beautiful home with 2 German shorthaired pointers and a drooly cat named Lexus. Hannah was very old (I think 13-ish) but Bella was still a youngster (around 3) and acted like it. I'm pretty sure that given the opportunity, Bella would have stayed outside and ran non-stop for 12 hours. I've never seen an animal with so much energy. One of her favorite things to do was to have us fling a tennis ball 100 feet or so across the yard using a... uh... tennis ball flinger. Yeah that's it. We later named the game "spitty ball" because by the time she had recovered it 20 or 30 times it was, you guessed it, pretty much soaking wet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUIox6PLgD33t5lR-7h1Z8PkOldDcP55KUYe4jqoiwaZvVz4PxVD9Cn-L0HFvEF_VlnlGpY5zoi3exR7jJGsjvTba-Ev_Kd5U58Z8yU1iNI2c8RxhJPomGBOJ8kMtAUUr_bR6ByNSwkK/s1600/Hannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUIox6PLgD33t5lR-7h1Z8PkOldDcP55KUYe4jqoiwaZvVz4PxVD9Cn-L0HFvEF_VlnlGpY5zoi3exR7jJGsjvTba-Ev_Kd5U58Z8yU1iNI2c8RxhJPomGBOJ8kMtAUUr_bR6ByNSwkK/s320/Hannah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVbzqONbBMGFrVOc7i3qTO9aLQxyWsjSFx30HOcJ54kvOfvRh6xGBIEB_g6LAJFsQAeC2euh89gF2cbDhjydQf70q6_HTDbIGd2hcAYLDb3cJC7_AV2Ajj8dfUDcrYYrveRMr-2RhBa8W/s1600/Lexus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVbzqONbBMGFrVOc7i3qTO9aLQxyWsjSFx30HOcJ54kvOfvRh6xGBIEB_g6LAJFsQAeC2euh89gF2cbDhjydQf70q6_HTDbIGd2hcAYLDb3cJC7_AV2Ajj8dfUDcrYYrveRMr-2RhBa8W/s320/Lexus.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexus, not sure about the hand I just played</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEhwpPx7oykoa_-1Zmg-V3Nq22EBFZUPil2W7KvIQrm1PBCxQ_rgD7uP_EMCo_USLnN4Y4EpkEjZUIRWFPH-KzPJnOYB3HDV3dfBAxBacStWCooudaY02m1FOBrkyehYcBzmMbJnZeuR6/s1600/Bella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEhwpPx7oykoa_-1Zmg-V3Nq22EBFZUPil2W7KvIQrm1PBCxQ_rgD7uP_EMCo_USLnN4Y4EpkEjZUIRWFPH-KzPJnOYB3HDV3dfBAxBacStWCooudaY02m1FOBrkyehYcBzmMbJnZeuR6/s320/Bella.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella with her spitty ball</td></tr>
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We really enjoyed our stay in Marlboro as it was in a very remote part of VT during a cold/drizzly/messy part of spring, so we took advantage of the opportunity to just relax and decompress for a couple of months. No big excursions or exciting adventures, but quiet time in front of the fireplace and remote walks through the woods. A very peaceful and relaxing house sit.<br />
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And then... BAM!... Boston, Massachusetts! Well Hull, to be precise, but Boston is just out our front window. Literally. This house sits right on the shore of Boston Harbor looking out over the big city skyline and we are in love with this little town. Everywhere you go there is water on either side of you with marinas every mile. Big ships and tug boats pass in front of our house on a daily basis and the sail boats are starting to emerge, like a new spring hatch on the water. Charli and I walk or run the shoreline roads every day and are soaking up the endless charm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDkRij1mcmP-yTqOeltRdTjtjy4qD4toTUEfathIHx5ruNu4wHg8hGv94fsFCFLE75zvQguSYyH-z4_oYF_-0bzne6JvaFK7o1s_B6GUAymH2AAFJ3PHEnmz9fimw9pIi_m5jTLHCoLa7/s1600/Boston+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDkRij1mcmP-yTqOeltRdTjtjy4qD4toTUEfathIHx5ruNu4wHg8hGv94fsFCFLE75zvQguSYyH-z4_oYF_-0bzne6JvaFK7o1s_B6GUAymH2AAFJ3PHEnmz9fimw9pIi_m5jTLHCoLa7/s400/Boston+sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of the many thousands of sunset pics we have of Boston... from our front porch!</td></tr>
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And then there's Baahston itself... just a 30 min ferry or 45 min train ride from town. Two things about Boston...<br />
1. the people there are super friendly<br />
2. everyone sounds like someone doing an impression of themselves<br />
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Because we only have 2 cats to care for here, we have the luxury of heading out on a Saturday morning and spending the majority of the day there. We've gone over several times now and each time have walked over 8 miles within the city. We can't get enough of the place, as I'm sure anyone who has ever lived there or visited can attest to. Boston is just amazing, and that's all I can say about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3OttWcor7e_pHPDRWUVs9gVRL6aM2uYQCgStU8VKP0XeUdkBp-x7xYufRJJtnUEAgdm90sTPDr5TmA0camxCpRC2fPsJ4RFihb3GJWHG8kfSAbxshexNutSPC2gq41eJGOLiCg83_7s9/s1600/Newbury+Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3OttWcor7e_pHPDRWUVs9gVRL6aM2uYQCgStU8VKP0XeUdkBp-x7xYufRJJtnUEAgdm90sTPDr5TmA0camxCpRC2fPsJ4RFihb3GJWHG8kfSAbxshexNutSPC2gq41eJGOLiCg83_7s9/s320/Newbury+Street.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Row houses on Newbury Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqCrCAicdE2WTsKv0OsBQiEcIf5XoEehg3fIwP2Ki_ocgZnza0RUynQg9NODtRH20AYArbCNtrhz3K0VNYrpSTdnjdnF3rbScyovJq85K6GrJWA3V11fG4wDpGhI3NaqQgx93Dq4vADQP/s1600/Drum+and+Fife+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqCrCAicdE2WTsKv0OsBQiEcIf5XoEehg3fIwP2Ki_ocgZnza0RUynQg9NODtRH20AYArbCNtrhz3K0VNYrpSTdnjdnF3rbScyovJq85K6GrJWA3V11fG4wDpGhI3NaqQgx93Dq4vADQP/s320/Drum+and+Fife+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Commander's Own Drum and Bugle Corp" at Bunker Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging with my BFF B. F.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaGmS1zpr0-sTQ4cd-5alrZgzyDOmcESr7-43iaHIyb7F77cZMiqqYVt-I7DypFwGgx-ryv0278F-B_BHj54E7Iwf1Dh3rt9fFoPdxntnEsCEZxvkQKfRAIB6WcvA-dtkfC7P-7qZ4k5R/s1600/Boston+at+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaGmS1zpr0-sTQ4cd-5alrZgzyDOmcESr7-43iaHIyb7F77cZMiqqYVt-I7DypFwGgx-ryv0278F-B_BHj54E7Iwf1Dh3rt9fFoPdxntnEsCEZxvkQKfRAIB6WcvA-dtkfC7P-7qZ4k5R/s640/Boston+at+Night.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the ferry home at night</td></tr>
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But alas, our visit has come to an end all too soon and now next week we must haul anchor and set sail for our next port (see what I did there?)... Point of Rocks, MD. We are, of course, very excited to experience this historic railroad town just outside of Washington, DC and will be packing up soon to do so. But we still have a good 10 days left here in Hull to take advantage of the area before we have to leave.<br />
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In fact, today we went up to Salem for yet another historic day of sight seeing with an amazing National Park tour of the tall sailing ship Friendship, the infamous House of the Seven Gables and a VERY thorough walking tour covering the history of the Salem witch trials.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjFtwbOrdJuhubYxhtgO5U44_coRKxF96pHKe6XurAshomQPbEm1RFaIkeUgrBTNVgRJR7HKZVbuKyujmW45AqzPfB9vFJzL7cyO7Gue4xzmy-jaCvh4NWRXQVjvRlEPKKq3tgdbqhIyp/s1600/Friendship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjFtwbOrdJuhubYxhtgO5U44_coRKxF96pHKe6XurAshomQPbEm1RFaIkeUgrBTNVgRJR7HKZVbuKyujmW45AqzPfB9vFJzL7cyO7Gue4xzmy-jaCvh4NWRXQVjvRlEPKKq3tgdbqhIyp/s320/Friendship.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Friendship</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, not actually steering the Friendship</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The House of an Unnecessary Number of Gables</td></tr>
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My biggest challenge with Salem however was to suppress all the Monty Python quotes from the witch scene in the Holy Grail. I'm sure Charli didn't mind though. After all, there's nothing she enjoys more than hearing me do bad impressions from the movie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-0KNNlJqZii6nv8N1mgFxGp7MbwROIAk1KypzgEXcJqUmV_vYYzUo02FZ8aJg1wlU6L08NrC1mkrmtVGxViW0-lULhEZa21K6YrZiDQZDSK1bM97tujtYuVhOcCNQYzcUobWTCIFRIOZ/s1600/Python+Witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-0KNNlJqZii6nv8N1mgFxGp7MbwROIAk1KypzgEXcJqUmV_vYYzUo02FZ8aJg1wlU6L08NrC1mkrmtVGxViW0-lULhEZa21K6YrZiDQZDSK1bM97tujtYuVhOcCNQYzcUobWTCIFRIOZ/s320/Python+Witch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">"How do you know she is a witch?" "SHE <i>LOOKS</i> LIKE ONE!"</span></td></tr>
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Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-37693677342841758222016-01-25T19:49:00.000-08:002016-11-19T19:51:31.862-08:00Chapter 14 - 2016!<span style="font-size: large;">Happy New Year everyone!</span><br />
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2015 has been amazing. I've pretty much run out of adjectives to describe the things we've experienced over the last year... so now I just say everything is amazing. The homes are amazing, the pets are amazing, the cities are amazing and the home owners themselves are... you guessed it... AMAZING!<br />
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When we started our first house sit in January 2015, we knew right away that it was going to be a fun ride, but we never imagined how <strike>amaz</strike> incredible the first year would actually be. House sitting has far exceeded our expectations in every way and we are super psyched to forge on into 2016 and beyond. ESPECIALLY now that we see what's in front of us. I mean come on... take a look at this!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2016</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Santa Fe, NM </span></b>This is where we are currently living. Before we even arrived the owner gave us a warning... "Just beware, once you come to Santa Fe you will fall in love with it and will end up living here later!" We laughed and felt good about the message behind her comment... that it sounded like a really nice place to live. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RLmRtrzXgWxgvMiLXYTahXdMmXePBq9DtclNGAun6CGv39h1v1D84CejNXj7C0mJUBMm_Dyx9ZGnNwacgD50sjp2q2qV_8iRPw3Q0pOfwRCNlI8jrjR28niIgCKXEtPhsP4yZpUSltO6/s1600/Canyon+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RLmRtrzXgWxgvMiLXYTahXdMmXePBq9DtclNGAun6CGv39h1v1D84CejNXj7C0mJUBMm_Dyx9ZGnNwacgD50sjp2q2qV_8iRPw3Q0pOfwRCNlI8jrjR28niIgCKXEtPhsP4yZpUSltO6/s200/Canyon+Road.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical gallery on Canyon Road</td></tr>
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Now, after living here for the last few weeks, we're starting to wonder if she isn't right. Santa Fe truly is under the Land of Enchantment's spell and is nearly impossible to resist. Just a few blocks away is the world famous Canyon Road district, home to over 200 art galleries of every style. These charming adobe shops are packed with oils, watercolors, sculptures, weaves, abstracts and on and on. You can spend days just wandering around and seeing beautiful artwork inside the galleries, out on the sidewalks, on the sides of buildings and on walls. Art is EVERYWHERE here and it is fantastic.</div>
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AND... in addition to the human art, nature's art is abundant. Whether you're simply walking the inner city trails of Santa Fe or exploring any one of the dozens of national or state parks within an hour, you will enjoy spectacular places such as this.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMajXsokrqriGqfHqZR85HoMsLPuQQZ6he2tPGiEXTJDtf1X_xTNWaAs76fKLNDXl41L5YunZsIQi7tpeGv0LA2JrcBySoonrZNMeJRlwssYfr26U5_QkdA636xeucCttCzXrcMGYy6_y/s1600/Tent+Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMajXsokrqriGqfHqZR85HoMsLPuQQZ6he2tPGiEXTJDtf1X_xTNWaAs76fKLNDXl41L5YunZsIQi7tpeGv0LA2JrcBySoonrZNMeJRlwssYfr26U5_QkdA636xeucCttCzXrcMGYy6_y/s320/Tent+Rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument</td></tr>
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Honestly, we love this place. The weather is mild, the people are nice and the nature is crazy beautiful. So who knows, maybe when the time is right our home owner's prophecy will come true, and then we will gladly hear her tell us "I told you so!"</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Marlboro, VT</span></b> After we leave Santa Fe we head straight east across the country to the city of Marlboro VT. Population 978!<br />
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We really enjoy the upper north east area and are looking forward to spending time in this quaint little New England town, caring for this quaint little New England home...</div>
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I just hope we'll be comfortable. You know how claustrophobic those tiny houses can be.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hull, MA</span></b> Following Marlboro, we head down to the Boston area, where we will have the pleasure of living right on Boston Harbor, in the beautiful peninsula village of Hull, Massachusetts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The arrow is pointing to our future house sit <br />
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Here you can see the Boston skyline, right from the upper deck. We are especially excited about this gig because we've always wanted to live on the water, and this house is literally on the shore.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston skyline from the deck</td></tr>
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Hopefully we won't have to live through one of those legendary nor'easters you hear about!<br />
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Ok, maybe <i>just one</i>. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Point of Rocks, MD</span></b> The last stop on the east coast leg of <b><i>Jeff and Charli's House Sitting Across America</i></b> tour is the Washington DC area. Here we will be just a block away from the Potomac River in the historic B&O Railroad town of Point of Rocks, Maryland. This will provide us an opportunity to take the train down into DC and do some long overdue sightseeing of our nation's capital.<br />
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It should be interesting to be in this area. I understand there's some kind of election going on this year. I guess I'll have to look into that a little deeper to see what that's all about.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Portland, OR</span></b> Of course what would a national tour be without a hop across the US.
After finishing up in Point of Rocks, we will charge up the
ol' Prius and zoom <i>back</i> across the country to one of our favorite spots
of 2015... Portland, OR! Here you will find us nestled right up against the Lewis and Clark Rose Garden and beautiful Willamette River with the entrance to the River View Natural Area trails just a few yards down the road. And the best part?... We get to see all the old friends we made the last time we were there! Yay us!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk0JEBt_O7DsiWzTBNVX-62-sHHyOYRdjvRN8rRXs_LP4fANmTZjbam862xaZ9THxz1COHU5P5PlJE6v_-MpSI_u-zp57JxwSShkpQbE6dHzvI9IcWpyh2TZCLfLvKrRYCG1L-lR-D_cU/s1600/Vancouver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk0JEBt_O7DsiWzTBNVX-62-sHHyOYRdjvRN8rRXs_LP4fANmTZjbam862xaZ9THxz1COHU5P5PlJE6v_-MpSI_u-zp57JxwSShkpQbE6dHzvI9IcWpyh2TZCLfLvKrRYCG1L-lR-D_cU/s320/Vancouver.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">Vancouver, BC, Canada</span></b> What's after Portland? Why Vancouver Canada of course! This is a particularly exciting one for us because we view it as our first trial run for house sitting internationally. Our goal in the next 2 years is to "hop over the pond" and see what damage we can do in Europe, and Vancouver will be the perfect place to test out the logistics of working from another country.<br />
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As well, we also know how beautiful it is, after taking a cruise ship to Alaska from there about 10 years ago. In fact, during the interview process with the home owners, they were kind enough to turn their Skype around and show us the view from their balcony, and low and behold there was the port of Vancouver. Gulp!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Evergreen, CO</span></b> Our final date to wrap up this summer will take us to the <i>amazing</i> (ok, it's been long enough, I can use it again) town of Evergreen, Colorado. To us, Colorado is a magnet we cannot resist. We first spent our honeymoon there, then visited several times with our kids on vacations, and recently had an incredible house sit in Ridgway, CO. And from what we've seen from the home owner, this one will be awesome as well. In fact, we had the pleasure of spending some time with her when she was down in Phoenix on business, and we are really excited to get to know her better and care for her beautiful home in one of our favorite places on earth... the majestic Rocky Mountains!<br />
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And there you have it... 2016 as we know it so far. We hope you are enjoying reading about our journey because our plan is to keep on trucking as long as people will have us.<br />
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So until next time!</div>
Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-32584071008513730552015-11-22T19:54:00.000-08:002020-01-17T12:22:50.898-08:00Chapter 13 - Pets of 20152015 has been an amazing year for us. From Connecticut to California we have had the pleasure of caring for these 13 beautiful animals. <i>This</i>, my friends, is the REAL reward of house sitting!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(click and magnify to see them up close and personal) </span></div>
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Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-37524538350962543912015-10-16T19:55:00.000-07:002016-11-19T20:04:55.508-08:00Chapter 12 - Lees trade their stuff for an adventure - A St. Cloud Times Article<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(reprinted with permission of the <a href="http://www.sctimes.com/story/life/2015/08/30/lees-trade-stuff-adventure/71416754/" target="_blank">St. Cloud Times)</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lees trade their stuff for an adventure</b></span><br />
<b><u>Dave DeLand</u>, ddeland@stcloudtimes.com</b> <i>10:02 a.m. CDT August 30, 2015</i><br />
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<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(Photo: Courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></td></tr>
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Their kids had flown the nest.<br />
<br />
The nest was way too big, and filled with too much stuff.<br />
<br />
So, Charli and Jeff Lee got rid of it.<br />
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All of it — the house, the furniture, the contents, almost every trapping of their 26-year marriage.<br />
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Then they left St. Cloud to go on an adventure.<br />
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“We feel like kids again,” Charli said. “Our kids laugh at us — they think we’re acting like kids.”<br />
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“Let’s shake it up a little bit,” said Jeff from their current residence — a beautiful home in scenic Port Townsend, Washington, which overlooks Puget Sound.<br />
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“He and his wife are very adventuresome to do this — sell everything and start moving around,” added Pete Nelson, Jeff’s band mate in two of his St. Cloud musical incarnations. “They’ve got a wandering spirit, apparently.”<br />
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After a quarter-century of marriage, work and raising their three kids, Charli and Jeff started a new phase in life — one that’s already taken them from coast to coast, and eventually might take them across Europe.<br />
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They’re now full-time house sitters. That’s literally been a trip — to really nice homes in really nice places, with more already on their docket.<br />
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“We decided instead of us selling and immediately re-buying, why don’t we put the money in the bank for a while, and play a little bit?” said Jeff, 54. “Let’s go do some house-sitting and see how that works out.”<br />
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“You spend 25 years focused on raising your kids,” said Charli, 51. “You just sit there and look at each other, keep going to the same restaurants, keep doing the exact same thing.<br />
<br />
“You can get bored with each other, or you can say, ‘Let’s take an adventure.’ ”<br />
<br />
The adventure required bravery, and flexibility, and togetherness.<br />
<br />
It also required imagination. That’s how this got started.<br />
<br />
<b>Planting a seed</b><br />
<br />
The Lees moved to St. Cloud in 1991, raised their kids (Brandon, 24; Austin, 23; Rosie, 19) and worked their jobs — hers in the fraud department at Capital One, his as a computer programmer.<br />
<br />
Jeff now works as a project manager for IBM, a job he can do almost anywhere.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(Photo: Courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></td></tr>
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“He just needs a computer, cellphone and the Internet,” Nelson said.<br />
<br />
That was part of the genesis of the house-sitting idea. It began three years ago, when Charli and Jeff were driving to the West Coast to deliver their sons’ possessions.<br />
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“We just had so much fun,” Charli said. “He worked in the passenger’s seat. I drove all day. We figured that we could do it — we could travel, and he could still do his job.”<br />
<br />
At about the same time, Charli read a blog written by a house sitter who had traveled all over Europe with her husband and seven kids.<br />
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“I thought it sounded good,” she said. “Jeff thought I was crazy.”<br />
<br />
“Which she is,” Jeff added.<br />
<br />
Just crazy enough, it turns out, to give house-sitting a test run.<br />
<br />
<b>Goodbye, stuff</b><br />
<br />
During the summer of 2013, a friend of Jeff’s needed a house sitter at his home on the island of Hawaii. Charli and Jeff did a two-week stint that lit the fuse.<br />
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“The Hawaii thing was a good start. It gave me an idea of what it’s really like to house-sit,” Jeff said. “It becomes your own home when you’re doing it.”<br />
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And so, with Rosie entering her senior year at St. Cloud Technical High School, the Lees began downsizing their world.<br />
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“He was a horrible hoarder,” said Charli, who took an estimated 12 carloads of stuff to Catholic Charities. “We gave most of it away. It was 100 percent liberating.”<br />
<br />
“It also was a little bit of shakes while we were doing it,” Jeff said. “As a guy, I had a whole shop that was full of amazing tools, right?<br />
<br />
“In the end, I justified it by saying, ‘This is just stuff.’ When I settle down again and I have a place, I can get more stuff.”<br />
<br />
The Lees hosted a couple rummage sales, and sold their house as it was staged — furniture and household items included. They stored personal mementos at Jeff’s parents’ home in Duluth.<br />
<br />
Letting go of the music was a little harder.<br />
<br />
“The immediate reaction from all my musician friends was ‘Oh no,’ ” said Jeff, who had played keyboards and harp with Nelson in The Receders and as Nelson/Lee since 2002. He also played in a variety of tribute shows with Justin Ploof & The Throwbacks, and with Collective Unconscious.<br />
<br />
“I found it kind of a surprise, because Jeff had such a rich musical life,” Nelson said. “There was a little bit of disbelief when it actually happened.”<br />
<br />
Their house sold late last fall. On Dec. 14, the Lees loaded up their car and hit the road.<br />
<br />
<b>Road trip</b><br />
<br />
First stop was a three-month stint in South Kent, Connecticut. Like all the ensuing stops, it was a cash-free transaction.<br />
<br />
“We don’t receive money, and the homeowners don’t receive money,” Charli said. “They’re getting somebody who’s doing it for the excitement of living in a nice place, and exploring their town. We’re getting a nice house that we don’t have to pay anything to live in.”<br />
<br />
Charli monitors five websites daily for postings to apply for.<br />
<br />
“She’s our screener and our schedule-keeper,” Jeff said. “To keep it so we don’t have gaps and we’re not crisscrossing the country every other time is a challenge.”<br />
<br />
After Connecticut, they house-sat in the Sacramento, California area for a month ... took a one-week vacation to Yosemite, Sequoia National Forest and the Grand Canyon ... and house-sat for a month in Ridgway, Colorado.<br />
<br />
They returned to Minnesota on July 1, to house-sit in Northfield and to enable Jeff to play at the Takin’ It To The Streets Festival on Aug. 1. Two days later, they left for Washington.<br />
<br />
“Everything has been absolutely fantastic in its way,” Charli said. “Every one has been so different.”<br />
<br />
Pets are a commonality. Almost every home includes at least one.<br />
<br />
“Dogs, cats, birds, rats, everything,” Jeff said. “Every house has a pet
with a personality. That’s what makes it so cool. You get to experience
the best of pets without actually owning one.”<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Charli Lee looks over the Grand Canyon during a vacation break between
house-sitting gigs.</b> <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(Photo: Courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></td></tr>
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They’ve also made a whole bunch of new buddies.<br />
<br />
“Every single homeowner has become a dear friend,” Charli said. “There’s so much trust that’s put into you.<br />
<br />
“By the time they come home, you feel like they’re long-lost friends.”<br />
<br />
<b>Advance planning</b><br />
<br />
After their six-week stay in Port Townsend, the Lees have a seven-week stint in Portland, Oregon, starting Sept. 30.<br />
<br />
Then it’s on to Phoenix for two weeks, followed by two weeks off in mid-December.<br />
<br />
“We’re gonna go back to Minnesota, celebrate a little Christmas early, and then we’ll go back to the same house in Phoenix,” Jeff said. “We’ll be there for two more weeks.”<br />
<br />
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is next. After that, there’s a gig in Vermont that will take them into April.<br />
<br />
“And then we don’t know,” Charli said. “It got a little out of control, because Jeff wrote a blog the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-lee/the-10-best-things-about-house-sitting_b_7566238.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post picked up</a>. We started getting emails and requests from that blog. We were booked out eight months.<br />
<br />
“We try to keep it closer to three months, because you have a little more control if something happens.”<br />
<br />
Actually, something did.<br />
<br />
<b>Healthy inspiration</b><br />
<br />
In late 2013, Jeff was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition while undergoing a routine colonoscopy.<br />
<br />
“If he didn’t have a colonoscopy,” Charli said, “it would have been cancer.”<br />
<br />
“The thing I’m struggling with is fortunately benign,” Jeff said, “but it’s persistent.”<br />
<br />
The diagnosis didn’t necessarily prompt the Lees’ decision to change direction, but it certainly didn’t dissuade them.<br />
<br />
“If you’re asking are we trying to travel because we’re healthy now, that’s part of it,” Jeff said. “But it wasn’t specifically around that.<br />
<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Charli, left, daughter Rosie and Jeff Lee spent two weeks in Hawaii
during their first house-sitting gig in the summer of 2013. </b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(Photo:
Courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></td></tr>
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“We hear stories every day about people that wait until they’re 65 or 70 to retire, and then a couple months later somebody is dying.”<br />
<br />
“My mom did die, at 62, from colon cancer,” Charli said. “They had just started talking about their big retirement plans, and where they wanted to travel. Then she passed away. So it is an influence.”<br />
<br />
It’s an inspiration, for them both, to take advantage of their relative youth and health.<br />
<br />
“I’d rather work a simple job (when older) if I need to, to make our retirement last longer,” Charli said, “than use up all my great health to save for retirement that I may or may not even make.”<br />
<br />
<b>No end in sight</b><br />
<br />
So, away they went.<br />
<br />
Charli says it’s a little like dating. “We’re exploring things, and have new things to talk about.”<br />
<br />
“Our goals are to get to some cool, exotic places,” Jeff said. “We’d love to be able to house-sit in Manhattan, in Central Park.”<br />
<br />
After that, the Lees would like to find a long-term house-sitting job somewhere in the U.S., enabling Charli to get a job and help finance a subsequent European house-sitting junket.<br />
<br />
“People say, ‘How long are you going to do it?’ Well, until it doesn’t make sense, or it’s not fun any more,” Jeff said. “It hasn’t been anything but amazing, so why stop, right?”<br />
<br />
“Right now, we have no desire to settle down,” Charli said. “It’s been the greatest thing ever.”<br />
<br />
Even better than all that ... stuff.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Contact Times columnist Dave DeLand at 255-8771 or by email at ddeland@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @davedeland and on Facebook at Dave DeLand SC Times.</i><br />
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Pets are a common denominator at Jeff Lee’s house-sitting gigs.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Jeff and Charli Lee explored Valley of Fire National Park in Nevada during a vacation break between house-sitting engagements.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Jeff and Charli Lee enjoy the scenery at a winery near Sacramento, California, during a house-sitting gig.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"><i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<b><span class="js-caption">Jeff and Charli Lee traveled to Arches National Park in Utah during a vacation break between house-sitting gigs<i>. </i></span></b><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"><i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Charli and Jeff Lee have put about 35,000 miles on their 2010 Toyota Prius since starting their house-sitting gigs.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"><i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Jeff and Charli Lee at the Grand Canyon.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>A bear raids the bird-feeder on the back deck of the house in Ridgway, Colorado, where Charli and Jeff Lee were house-sitting.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Jeff and Charli Lee joined friends Pat and Jim Gruenke in New York City during their house-sitting engagement in Connecticut.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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<span class="js-caption"><b>Jeff and Charli Lee at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.</b> </span><span class="credit gallery-viewport-credit"> <i>(Photo courtesy of Jeff and Charli Lee)</i></span></div>
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Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-14794375472294705602015-09-17T19:58:00.000-07:002016-11-19T20:05:01.857-08:00Chapter 11 - House Sitting Nuts and Bolts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always fascinated by how fascinated people are by what we're doing.<br />
<br />
It doesn't seem to matter who we talk to or where we are... when we tell someone that we got rid of all our possessions and travel full time as house sitters, people immediately stop what they're doing and start firing questions at us:<br />
- what did you do with all your stuff?<br />
- how does it work?<br />
- how do find these places?<br />
- do you travel in a RV?<br />
- what did you do with all your stuff?<br />
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We also get a lot of questions from people who want to do this for real themselves, and they have more specific questions related to the "nuts and bolts" of making it happen. So in response to them, here are the dirty details of how to be a full time house sitter.<br />
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<b>Web Sites</b><br />
The first question people normally ask is "How do you find the houses to sit for?" The fact is, there are dozens of web sites devoted to house sitting, but we've narrowed our searches down to these five:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1242033502"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.mindmyhouse.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mindmyhouse.com</a> $20/yr - and you can only see the available house sits if you're a member <br />
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<a href="http://www.luxuryhousesitting.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.luxuryhousesitting.<wbr></wbr>com</a> $25/yr - you can browse available houses before paying but you must register in order to apply for one. This is the same for the next 3 as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.housesittersamerica.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>housesittersamerica.com</a> $30/yr<br />
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<a href="https://www.housecarers.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.housecarers.com</a> $50/yr<br />
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<a href="http://www.trustedhousesitters.com/us/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>trustedhousesitters.com/us/</a> $114/yr<br />
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We've found that using these 5 web sites together provides us the best opportunity to sweep for available sits. Sure, $239 (total) sounds expensive but considering the fact you are living RENT FREE every year, it's really not that much money. Certainly cheaper than even one month's worth of rent/mortgage or even a hotel if you use one of these for vacations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tYutN_ZgJx3RqMul0HAI5LIzQLNJ30VXXBPwDNxv_z02DnKkloeFwT4BKnqZFMUsjHX5WmkJLdxyr75NKJnR8IwH0_mSCrnnvgsYCogDOWBEiqPu7Kht8OszuZebm9GBXaihl297N6fL/s1600/web+sites.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tYutN_ZgJx3RqMul0HAI5LIzQLNJ30VXXBPwDNxv_z02DnKkloeFwT4BKnqZFMUsjHX5WmkJLdxyr75NKJnR8IwH0_mSCrnnvgsYCogDOWBEiqPu7Kht8OszuZebm9GBXaihl297N6fL/s320/web+sites.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we are trying to fill our schedule, Charli checks each of these sites at least 4 times per day. It's amazing how many people respond to a desirable opportunity. We've had some owners tell us they get 50 applications within a few hours and become so overwhelmed by responses that they pull their ad or start ignoring the emails. That's why you have to be quick on the trigger, otherwise you can miss the perfect house sit for your plan.<br />
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Note: There are many other web sites as well for this, but these are the 5 we've settled on which have worked great for us. <br />
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<b>Your Profile</b><br />
The most important thing a house sitter needs is a good profile. This will be the first piece of information a home owner will look at to determine if you make the cut as a candidate. In our profile we provide a friendly picture, a reason why we house sit, background information about us personally and professionally, and the reasons why we would be good house sitters for the owners and their pets. Think of it as a personal resume. Giving up their home and pets to complete strangers is a huge leap of faith for a home owner, so your profile needs to convey the sincerity and trust that they are looking at the right people for the job.<br />
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<b>Getting Selected</b><br />
After you've registered with a web site and applied for a house sit, the steps for being chosen as a house sitter can be different for every situation. Typically the process involves an initial response from the owner in a message from the web site indicating they would like to learn more about you, which is then followed by a few emails. From there an owner may request a phone call to conduct an interview, and sometimes this is done via Facetime or Skype.<br />
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Once the owners are comfortable you aren't ax murderers, the details of the engagement will be discussed. This is when you find out the specifics about the pets, house, gardens etc and the expectations of the owners. This is also when the deal is normally closed and the sit can be locked in on your calendar.<br />
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<b>Checklist</b><br />
A few weeks before arriving at the house, we provide the owners with a list of items we like them to review so we can make sure we have all the information necessary to care for their pets and home. A few examples of what we want to know are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pets - food, meds, vet info, feeding/walking schedules, personality quirks</li>
<li>Property maintenance - lawn and garden care</li>
<li>Emergency - pet hospital, plumber, water main shutoff, breaker box</li>
<li>Schedules - garbage/recycling, lawn service, pest control</li>
<li>Technical - wifi password, router location, how to program the thermostat, how to turn on the 5 different remotes needed to watch a TV show</li>
<li>Local information - best restaurants, events, car repair</li>
</ul>
<b>Before, During and After</b><br />
Normally we find that arriving 2 days early makes for the best transition. On the first day we like to get there in the afternoon and spend the evening just relaxing and getting to know each other. The next day is spent going over all the details listed above and the owners preparing for their travels. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj1bO1Y4QK3V-6p71NWOaGUN95R7sPqRHM3rWQeTIKWeaX-sZGKZJK5CqztsrsCd3k-1YFOysUMYDCQcbEM-fsLAkT5rwmvN58TZESLrjYdJs9dpXR-Wl4YPGonMCbXuHsfZvmRs3GvpM/s1600/caya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj1bO1Y4QK3V-6p71NWOaGUN95R7sPqRHM3rWQeTIKWeaX-sZGKZJK5CqztsrsCd3k-1YFOysUMYDCQcbEM-fsLAkT5rwmvN58TZESLrjYdJs9dpXR-Wl4YPGonMCbXuHsfZvmRs3GvpM/s200/caya.jpg" width="200" /></a>After the owners have left we keep them updated with frequent emails on how things are going, including pictures of their pets. They appreciate knowing that everything is being taken care of and the interaction helps form a stronger bond between us.<br />
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We have found with every house sit that by the time we leave, we have gained new lifelong friends who we always look forward to seeing again.<br />
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When the owners return home we plan it so that we will leave the next morning. This gives us the day to update each other on how it went at home and what they did on their vacation. We want to make sure that we turn their house back over to them as quickly as possible so they can get their lives back to normal without having to worry about guests.<br />
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<b>Reviews</b><br />
After every house sit it's important to collect a review from the owner and add it to your profile. Accumulating good reviews is the best way to ensure you'll make it to the top of the list in the future.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
As we've said many times over the last 10 chapters... house sitting is an amazing way to travel, save money and experience the world in intimate detail. If you are respectful, take good care of their pets, communicate often, and leave their home clean and yard properly tended to, you will be successful house sitters and will enjoy years of exciting adventures. It's really that simple.<br />
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Oh, and don't be ax murderers. Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700382464833797318.post-7139476989230314852015-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:002016-11-19T20:50:41.771-08:00Chapter 10 - House Sitting, The PrequelSelling everything we owned and hitting the road wasn't a decision Charli and I made overnight... it came from a series of events we didn't even realize were leading us here.<br />
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A few years earlier we had talked about the milestone of becoming empty nesters and had come to conclusion that we would most likely sell our house and buy a much smaller place, you know, one that was cheaper to maintain, easier to keep clean and less taxy on our property.<br />
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Around the same time, Charli had stumbled on a blog about a family of seven who had been traveling their way across Europe by house sitting. "Hey honey" she beamed, "check this out! Isn't this fascinating?" assuming I would share her enthusiasm. "Uh... sure?" I replied cautiously, with only the worst possible kind of nightmare jumping into my head. You see as a project manager, all I could think of was how much of a hassle it must be for this poor couple... trying to figure out where you would live next and not knowing what the owners or their place would be like. It sounded stressful and like nothing I would ever be interested in. But nonetheless the concept had been discovered and Charli owned it now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTcorRTIZymvulkxBVEJqq40Jbls8VJuPmWSWBs5Ie1f0R7uAd4GY5lxXXNN9rOMTtQCwpMKNj3azYH4im1kr_mndxZFly18zyyIvJDEtc2E-CKea3xKz_1huh2oKF9zyhb82L03uthed/s1600/Rosie+Grad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTcorRTIZymvulkxBVEJqq40Jbls8VJuPmWSWBs5Ie1f0R7uAd4GY5lxXXNN9rOMTtQCwpMKNj3azYH4im1kr_mndxZFly18zyyIvJDEtc2E-CKea3xKz_1huh2oKF9zyhb82L03uthed/s200/Rosie+Grad.jpg" width="166" /></a>Fast forward another year and suddenly Rosie was starting her junior year of high school, and the conversation about selling and downsizing surfaced once again. One thing we had always agreed on for many years was that as soon as the kids had moved on we would definitely try a new location... one that didn't involve six months of below zero weather in the winter and six months of bird-sized mosquitoes in the spring and summer (note that the omission of fall is not an error). Now it was just a matter of deciding which state to aim at. <br />
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HOWEVER... little did I know, Charli had not forgotten about this whole "house sitting" thing whereas I, on the other hand, had ejected it from my brain about 30 seconds after she first mentioned it. And then out of nowhere I get this... "Hey hon, what do you think about house sitting?"<br />
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<i>OMG... what do I think about house sitting? </i>Apparently Charli had buried this little nut like a squirrel, and now had dug it up to serve me for dinner.<br />
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To be honest, I really didn't know much about it. With the exception of the <strike>lunatics</strike> couple who were dragging five kids around Europe I had never really heard of it before. But I've always been open minded so I put on my <i>yes honey, this sounds fascinating </i>face and smiled along as Charli fantasized about wandering from state to state and house to house, while we gallivanted across the county living in other people's houses for free. "Sounds great dear," I patronized. "Let's do it!" Of course I was convinced this was just a fad that she was going through that would eventually be replaced with the more normal decision to look for a nice little house with enough room in the back yard for a garden and a grill. <br />
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But then weird stuff started to happen. Stuff that began pulling us into a lifestyle that was beyond our control.<br />
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First, Rosie had taken a major interest in marine sciences and had found a summer program for upcoming high school seniors in Florida that she wanted to attend. Then, a few weeks later my old time blogging buddy Carla put out a request on Facebook for someone to house sit for them in Hawaii for a few weeks while they went back to Seattle to attend their daughter's college graduation. Within 5 seconds of that post I left a comment claiming "FIRST!" and suggested I wanted to be the one to do it. I was mostly kidding but kinda wasn't. Then when Carla replied, "Ok Jeff, you have first dibs on the house sit" I started to believe it might be possible. Of course I now had the perfect ammunition to throw at Charli... "Hey, remember that 'house sitting' thing you were so jazzed about last year? WELLLLL?"<br />
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Strangely enough she wasn't against it. So one thing led to another and the next thing I knew we were discussing actual dates. Unfortunately, I soon learned that Carla's house sit was the EXACT SAME TIME Rosie wanted to go to Florida! BOO. Oh well, it was a nice try but it wasn't going to happen this time.<br />
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OR WAS IT?<br />
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For some reason I wasn't satisfied with just giving up so I decided to see if there was any other options for Rosie. Nope, no other dates in Florida. Nope, no other schools in Florida. Nope, no chance of telling her "Sorry honey, but dad is very selfish and wants to go to Hawaii instead. But hey, maybe next time!" And then something hit me. Wait, what about Hawaii itself? And sure enough when I looked - there it was... the University of Hawaii, Hilo had a summer semester offering of<i> Introduction to Marine Science and Oceanography</i> that started two days before we would be done with Carla's house sit. It was perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLV8zIkpGUIrjGbHa16hkAoT_b0_8a9r9Qs4whSJYdYaEvRGTX3NXfmCt7mY2ksLskYDezQURMgYjsdrUjp5qCJ3v6a1pXPOHcmo-E-lBbOwEJp-delrHbr8S1ep6IBtbfGplpMXdClBE/s1600/SANY1148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLV8zIkpGUIrjGbHa16hkAoT_b0_8a9r9Qs4whSJYdYaEvRGTX3NXfmCt7mY2ksLskYDezQURMgYjsdrUjp5qCJ3v6a1pXPOHcmo-E-lBbOwEJp-delrHbr8S1ep6IBtbfGplpMXdClBE/s320/SANY1148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i5xbMgjJFrqBb32TF_NdkEiv2PF0T1ppecR_GYG2ALU88nJpVw3hDQJk4kkLwMQlQUjuTfPfV5QO7aj8gHd6viMTBkTJxnD1yJ7TEPTp2plIkPLgGEfHvKeneD8RlLg6ACc9Cc4-UFAO/s1600/HI+couple+profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>And perfect it was. We lived in a beautiful house, taking care of a very sweet cat, spending our free time hiking to waterfalls, snorkeling in aquamarine waters and living the Hawaiian vibe. It pretty much was a dream come true. One interesting side note is that because I am required to work 8-5 US central time hours, in Hawaii I worked from 3-noon, which of course meant that I got off work right smack in the middle of the day! And also, because Hawaii is so close to the equator the sun sets shortly after 6 pm, so by 8 pm we were exhausted and ready to hit the hammock. All in all an ideal situation for what we wanted to do.<br />
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To make a long story short (I know, too late), this post is how we got to where we are today. About the same time Rosie started her freshman year in Hawaii, Charli and I decided that we were going to give this whole house sitting thing a try for the long term. The following 3 months became a blur of garage sales, donations, trash pickups, open houses, open houses and more open houses, until finally... lift-off! Dec 13, 2014 - when we piled our meager remains into our hatchback and hit the road.<br />
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And THAT, my friends, is where <a href="http://www.viewfromthecloud.com/2015/01/chapter-i-how-we-sold-everything-we.html" target="_blank">this</a> post begins, and our <a href="http://www.viewfromthecloud.com/search/label/House%20Sitting" target="_blank">journey</a> continues. Jeff and Charli Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13868852480996815442noreply@blogger.com0