I enjoy seeing old-fashioned windmills like this one.  They remind me of the one on my grandparent’s farm.  The water we pumped from that well was cold and the best tasting of any I have ever had.  Windmills like this one are scattered about the landscape.  They let us know there are (or were) cattle nearby who depend upon the water pumped by such mills.  They remind us of a less technical age.

It is the official Thanksgiving Day today.  I am thankful everyday for so many things and relationships.  Sometimes my gratitude is over things like hugs and kisses from my grandchildren.  Sometimes gratitude is the response to things like a good report from a doctor’s visit.  The day this picture was taken I was thankful for Smoke and his owner.  My husband and I had been hiking in Big Bend National Park in Texas.  I got over heated and could not walk more than a few steps at a time trying to return to our car.  I had my husband go on, while I inched my way.  I was still a long distance from the car when I saw a horse trailer pull into the parking area.  I called my husband and asked him to enlist the riders to rescue me.  (Most areas of the park did not have cell service, but at this location my phone worked, thankfully.)  These good people came to my rescue and Smoke gave me a lift back to the car.  I was very grateful.  Thank you, Lord!

Met some sweet people at Limon Memorial Library for the book signing.  I have found the folks in this community to be friendly, welcoming and kind.  Thank you to Luci for hosting me at the library, the Limon Leader for the press releases and Linda for putting up posters around town.  A special thank you to those who came to visit with me and buy RJ’s Journey.  

If you ever have the opportunity to travel through Colorado on I-70 stop in at the Limon Memorial Library and the wonderful Limon Heritage Museum.

Mountains, distant horizons, blue skies and green vegetation inspire me.  They inspire me to praise God for the beauty of creation.  I am back in Limon, Colorado for a book signing.  These pictures were taken this summer on an earlier trip to Colorado.

Had a fun time with the girls at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO.  They spent some time in the play room.  I did research for a book.

Book signing coming up.  Looking forward to it.

Probably my favorite vantage point is from the back of a horse.  Somewhere in a box is a picture of my grandpa holding me on Powder.  Powder was my grandma’s horse.  So from before I could walk to now I have enjoyed the view from horseback.  Wherever my family went when I was a kid, if there was a horse, I asked to ride it.  Finally, when I was in my 30’s and married I lived where I could have horses of my own.  Thirteen horses came and went as I bought horses to be trained and sold to families.  The two I kept made the move with us from Minnesota to Texas.  Coco and Stormy have passed now, but my love for them remains.  I still ask to ride when I go someplace that has horses.  This picture is from the last time I rode with a friend in Texas in May 2017.

Landmarks along the Oregon Trail include Chimney Rock, Courthouse Rock and Jail Rock in western Nebraska.  The North Platte River runs near these landmarks, which is the route of the Oregon Trail.  My husband and I visited the area in July 2017.  I was born and raised in Nebraska, but had never seen this part of the state before.  I was enthralled with the beauty and history of the area.  I could visualize people like RJ and her family as they passed these landmarks almost 200 years ago.

Texas is beautiful! 

My husband has had a construction job that has taken us to Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado in the past three and a half years.  When he was working in Del Rio, Texas we saw many beautiful sites in the desert landscape.

We are on an adventure!

I used to say, “We are on an adventure,” almost every time I got in the car with my daughter.  Now she is grown with four babies of her own and we are still going on adventures.  My motto as a young person was “Faith leads to adventure.”  As I have journeyed along in life there have been many adventures with the underlying constant of faith in God.

My adventures have been with family and friends.  They have taken me far and near.  They have been adventures of travel, adventures of relationships and adventures in serving others.  I thank God for the people and places and critters that have been part of the adventures of my life.

Six years ago I started a new adventure.  The adventure of writing.  I have written 10 Devotional-Journals (which will be offered on the website in the near future).  Most recently I had my first historical novel for pre-teens published.  RJ’s Journey is being enjoyed by all ages.  I invite you to order a copy and read it for yourself if you enjoy stories about the Oregon Trail and pioneers.                                                                        Ardie