Sunday, May 29, 2016

The Pass Is Open.

Since I have been living in Laramie, I have driven the pass over the Snowys each Memorial Day Weekend. This year I was a bit disappointed in the trip. The snow was not nearly as deep as it has been in the past few years, and very dirty, so there were less photo opportunities.

I did stop at this pull over to admire the dedication some folks have to skiing.
This hillside was covered in ski tracks, from the top down. The photo does not do justice to how tall this is. I wouldn't want to climb it, that's for sure.

I also stopped at a couple of my favourite spots along the way. These are some of my favourite mountains, towering over Mirror Lake.





I have a particular fondness for the overlook at Libby Flats.
It provides these views:


It is always very windy here, and Georgia was not loving it today, as this was the path from the car:
She hates walking on snow, but loves eating it. It's a short walk, but I got hot so I took off my sweater and just had a tank top underneath for the walk back. My shoes and socks were soaked, so I took them off as soon as I got back to pavement. There was a family getting back in their car that stood and gawked at me. I overheard them saying that maybe they would come back on a day that was warmer. I did my best not to laugh at them. It was 44 degrees and sunny. Yes, the wind does make it chillier, but it's nothing like 44 degrees in Virginia. I think I have adapted very well to the weather here in Wyoming.










Saturday, May 28, 2016

Appledore.

Appledore is my family home in Virginia. It was built by my great great grandfather, Dr Massie Lobban McCue, and completed in 1896. I have lived there off and on through the years, and it has always been home to me, no matter where I lived. So many celebrations have been had in this home, Christmases with our cousins my whole childhood, birthdays, I was even married here. 

Appledore was left to Heather and myself, but many years ago we came to terms with the fact that even if we both lived there together, for the rest of our lives, we still would struggle our entire lives to keep it up and take care of it. Our beautiful home has suffered greatly by sitting empty these last three years.

Appledore is finally on the market. Selling what is HOME to me is makes me sad, but I will have so many more freedoms with my life once it is sold.





http://caar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=c086c15e-e0c7-4035-b988-0b3138bab2d3&Report=Yes

I'm Dreaming... Of a New Vehicle...

I have owned a number of vehicles in my life:1975 Ford Thunderbird.1989 Cutlas Sierra. Ford something sedan. 1994 RAV4. 2013 Nissan Rogue.

Each time I got a new vehicle it was because something happened to my previous one, whether an accident (never my fault) or major problem that would cost more than the car to repair.

I thought that I loved my Rogue, and c'mon, it's a ROGUE, I love Scotsmen, it was PERFECT for me! But it turns out that although I can sleep in the back, which was one of my requirements, it's not the right vehicle for me at this time in my life. So I am looking for a new vehicle, not out of necessity, but out of want, for the first time in my life.

I thought that Honda Element would be great for me, because they were designed to be camped in. Honda stopped making them in 2011, and there is a high demand for them still, keeping their sale price higher than it should be for a vehicle their age, and with the miles on them that I've seen while shopping.

I have narrowed down my ideal list to the following vehicles:

Nissan Xterra (which they stopped making in 2015)


Toyota FJ Cruiser (stopped making in 2014) – to be replaced by 4Runner Trail Edition


Jeep Wrangler Unlimited


Apparently I have an affinity for vehicles that are no longer being made.

I talked with a client the other day that has an FJ Cruiser, and he loves it. He is 5'10" and uses his to go hunting and camping, and he sleeps comfortably in the back. It was wonderful news to talk at such length with someone who owns one, as opposed to just someone who is selling one.


After all my research, I can't wait to start taking some of these out on test drives to see which one will be the perfect match for me.