Easter Sunday today. 🐣 🐰

We stayed at the Seven Cedars casino parking lot yesterday, had a short drive up  from Little Creek Casino. This is a route we like as off the main highway, beautiful views, and much less traffic.  

Ferry crossing from Port Angeles to Victoria is usually very easy,  loading and off loading is quick, boarder check in also quick in Victoria,  then a short drive home to Port Alberni.  We are all ready for this today.  

I woke at 4:30am, birds are happily chirping outside as I write,  I'm guessing it's the light's here that gets em up early. Still, nice to hear, along with the frogs last night as we were coming back from the  casino. We didn't win, surprise 😂🤣, maybe next time?

Today we get to our destination for the next 4 months, Arrowvale campground in Port Alberni Were looking forward to this place, as we get to see the spring turn to summer here. Animals galore, cattle, goats 🐐 , chickens🐔🐔🐔🐣🐣 , the rooster 🐓,  and we'll as birds chirping in the morning,  and frogs croaking 🐸 🐸🐸 in the ponds. A home coming we always look forward to, Ann & Bob, and many regular faces we see here be nice to see again.  

Easter dinner with Penny, Dax, & Jet will be nice too, last July since we have been with them. Friends we will see also this weekend, so many we miss while we are south will reconnect for the next few months.  

Well drop Lyn off on our way through Port, say hi to her hubby Andrew, and make our way to Arrowvale, park our trailer, and settle in a bit before dinner tonight.  

Funny how antispation gives to how you think it'll go, vs how it really does go. We all have an idea how the moment's will turn out, yet something different happens. That's what I really like about this life, u never really know! You can plan, yet there's always something different in the future that your planning hasn't taken into account, as you can't forsee everything.  

Today's trip home will start out seeing the Parliament Building's as we leave the ferry terminal.  The trip up the island I know well, what will have changed? 

Duncan farms, Naniamo city and view of the ocean, Nanoose and close to the water views here. I remember our first trip in our first 5th wheel trailer, Charlotte, as Memere named her. Stopped into the Petrocan station there, in the pouring rain, a young woman took the initiative to help me back up so I could get around the pumps, my first time at how to fuel up without getting in a jam. It was pouring so much I couldn't see what was behind me, she stood in the rain, helped me, made sure I did hit anyone,  stopped others from coming behind me. 

I stopped in later, on another trip, gave her $10, for helping when many would walk the other way. I never forgot this lesson,  or people that help us along the way. 

I can already feel the moisture of the coast, smell the smells of home, even the not so pleasant smells, hear all the sounds of Port Alberni, the look as we drive by Cameron lake, I'll look again at Whiskey Creek thinking are they ever going to rebuild the gas station with the best ice-cream cones on the island? 

The trees in Cathedral Grove, we pass by looking, and not really paying attention,  always love this spot. ❤️  

Polly's up now,  coffee ☕️ is good, Lyns up now too, tge fussing starts, soon we will travel 😀,  soon we'll be in line for the ferry and our final trip north will begin. 

Easter Sunday travels, what a great day to travel home. 

Love ❤️ our life.

I read Steve jobs speech this morning because.

I read this after I read what my grandson had messaged me yesterday.  In Snapchat after I read the message I scrolled down and saw the written article about Steve jobs, and his 3 words to live by. This was interesting enough to check out, below is the article I read. 

There's much to read, and a little more if ya go online and watch Stanford's YouTube video of his speech. 

I think I'm living following my heart ❤️

Learning as I go, and enjoying what's left of my life. We, Polly and I know what we want as we move forward in our life. 

Unlike Steve, we had jobs we worked at that supported our lives, and sometimes job's we didn't like, but we continued as we needed the $$$. Life's not always glamorous, or perfect, just keep plodding along, looking for what moves you I say. 

Traveling moves us, it is that what's next,  what's around the corner, even if we've been there before, it's still nice to drop in and see it again.  

Yesterday we went to Oatman,  a small mining town from the past that had route 66 go through it. Polly and I had been a couple times before, but this time we took Lyn, she had never been before, so was fun to watch as she and Polly shopped, and Polly showed her around.

With a bank robbery in the street, and a beer at the very interesting bar to end our afternoon, and one last shirt Lyn was looking for as we left, was a very good way to spend time yesterday afternoon.  😀 

Yes I think we are living our best life as we travel and see all that the days ahead have available.  Booked our first cruise 🛳 on a ship next year yesterday morning,  was an invite from friends next march,  such a good opportunity.  

We are in Laughlin now, I played poker in the morning, donated a few$$$ to the players, and endedthe morning itimensly happy.  Polly and Lyn left after dinner and watching the Bachelor final, off to gamble, I stayed home. I asked Polly as she's up just now, "How was your evening?" " Oh we had a gas! I got back all I lost earlier, down only $20 now. Feels better,  was a fun time. 😁 

So we are fulfilling our lives, not as others think we should, but exactly as we please, doing what moves us, following our heart's ❤️❤️❤️

Love our life ❤️ 

Steve Jobs.

In his 56 years on the planet, Steve Jobs was both a teacher and a student of getting the most out of life. We got a great glimpse of his philosophy on the subject during his commencement speech to Stanford's 2005 graduating class.

The speech is inspiring and chock full of applications for facing failures and setbacks. Jobs spoke of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, death, and dying. Knowing that our time on earth is limited, he told the students to think carefully about how to spend it.

Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

The bottom line can be boiled down to three important words: Follow. Your. Heart. 

Your mortality is your most important tool.

Jobs forces us to consider the inevtability of our own passing with respect to living life to the fullest. Thinking about your death and the time you have left isn't meant to be confining. On the contrary, it's meant to empower you to use that time in the most meaningful way possible.

As Jobs explained to the Stanford grads: 

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Yep, no reason at all. Still, so many of us get caught up in living up to the expectations of other people while forsaking our own dreams and goals. When Jobs was just 17, he read a quote that would have an impact on him for the rest of his life: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right."

For the rest of his life, he would begin each day by standing in front of the mirror and asking himself a question: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"

This is a question we should all be asking ourselves to direct us toward our purpose and keep us on track. It's that undertaking you can't help but do every day. Even if you weren't getting paid, you would probably do it anyway. When you discover what your purpose is in life, what your true heart's desire is for you, it makes you come alive.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Jobs closed his commencement speech with some fitting words taken from the back cover of the final edition of the Whole Earth Catalog. The words, printed under the picturesque scene of a country road, were the publication's farewell message as they signed off.

Those same words were Jobs' wish for the graduating students, just as he'd always wished it for himself:

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

That's simple yet profound advice every single one of us can follow, as did Jobs.

Sunday morning early, all ready to go!

I'm up early, I like to have quiet time before we leave, kinda move towards the final hooking up the trailer with some relaxed, slow, easy way. No rush. I'm talking with Penny,  messenger and reading some news articles,  then Penny mentions the sunshine song I'd 🎵 sing to her when she was young, and she wasn't happy about something,  about spring. 

"Here comes the sun." Great song. 

Polly gets up now,  wow I say, that's way too early for you! She agrees, but she's up. Then a half hour later,  Lyn gets up. Wow, whole house is up, just as I'm thinking how nice it is to relax and enjoy a slow start. Now Lyns fussing, saying we might as well leave early, we're all up now... lol 😂  I laugh to myself, what the heck... lol

Polly's now getting things ready,  Lyn's calmed down a bit, reading on her phone,  oh no, here she goes again, I'm lol, the girls are both in the giter done mode now.  I let em know, still 2 hours before our leave time of 9am. 

I snicker some more, I love watching these two go through the who's doing what. I just sit here and stay outta the way. My jobs outside are done now, got all ready yesterday. Tent down packed up, all stuff put away too, chairs all packed up. I'm talking swim today before we leave, then a shower and I'm ready.  I'll wrap up, empty tanks again,  and give it one last flush out,  then after all empty,  

I'll put the hoses all away, then swim, and shower at the resort bathroom. 

Getting ready to go is always tense, even if you try to be calm. "Their awake, Their up!" Lyn says looking at Flavio and Patty's motorhome beside us. Their are coming to Laughlin with us for a night. Been a really fun relaxed time with them these last couple days. Nice to reconnect with them. 

Pollys making here morning smoothly,  with all her ginger, banana, beet powder and stuff, which she shares with Lyn. They are both busy as I sit and write, I'm staying outta the way. Polly goes to put Lyns pills away, Lyns right there, got to be just right. Now Polly sits and enjoys her drink and on goes the TV,  poker on now.  As we travel north no more streaming, canceled our internet, will be using the TV antenna instead. Internet will be just our data on our phones, Lyn has none, I just wonder about this, I wonder how that'll work?

Sun's up now,  I'm almost finished here writing, ready to start on the hose wrapup, still early,  only 7:05am. 

I'm looking forward to traveling,  windy out, and cooler today as we going north. Oh well, that's how it'll be, pants on as we go north, brr. 

We have an invite to dinner on our return with Penny and her kids, our grandchildren Jet & Dax. Be nice to have dinner with them our first day home, a week from today! Sure seems like fast winter now as we get ready to go.

Was a fun winter,  back to Port Alberni now,  looking forward to being in our home town again.  😀 

Love ❤️ this life of ours!

Very good tasting coffee this morning!

5 days left till we start our migration home. Tuesday today, we leave on Sunday. Got a few things done while here, mostly we played poker. Had a swim last night in the pool here, was cool to start, then after a lap or two, I warmed up, was perfect. I laid on my back, looking up at the tall palms, the moon was out, just over a half, going to be full on our way home. 

Just thought now, see the moon if the sky's clear, I hear some rains on its way up north now. Birds are out, frogs are out, all sounds I love about spring. I looked today at the calendar, first day of spring it says! Hmm, 19th, always was 20th or 21st as I remembered, dam everything is changing, even the day spring arrives.  🙄 

Today be the last day of poker for us, we have friends from Los Angeles coming Thursday, be nice to see Patty & Flavio, we saw Patty and her children Shara & Matt during Christmas, but Flavio was in Brazil with his mom, so we missed him. 

Packing up is in my mind now, where will everything go, we bought a tent, so need a spot for that now, I've bought a few more tools, I'll always find room for these. A couple more chairs, but thinking now,  that's it. Hmm not bad for a whole winter in one place for acquiring extra goods. 

The bench I made will stay with the neighbors, they said they would store it for us, I'm not sure we'll get it back, but that doesn't matter, I made it just because I wanted to. I can make another one when and where I want, each one better than the next. I just really like the building, and using pallets to create something usefull. 

Pollys up now,  Lyn still snoring very lightly,  coffee ☕️ is great. We sit here Polly on her tablet,  me pecking on my phone in the early light, quietly listening for Lyn to wake. First day of spring I tell Polly, 19th, she gives a funny look too. 

I went early today and got a gallon of water, just wanna keep the container full, and decided a walk after I made coffee was good, leave the light's off, let the girls sleep. Morning is my best time, I wake full of thought and energy, especially after a couple cups of coffee ☕️ 

On my way to the water station I see what looks like a bundle of arms, all sticking up, I get closer and yep, that's what it is, a plush toy squid someone has left out for someone to claim, it's something that happens here when people want to get rid of something, they leave it out, sometimes beside the big garbage containers, sometimes just infront of there trailer.  

I picked up the squid, took a good look, and yep, I had to bring this home. Not sure what I'll do with it, but it's just too cute to leave there. We packed Mr Green all over till we gave him to Colton, why not Mr or Mrs squid!  I chuckle 😃,  why not. 

More coffee ☕️ now, sun's up, maybe I'll go outside and sit in the sun for awhile.  

Retired, and able to do as I feel, is it what I imagined retiredwouldbe like.. Yep, just as I thought it might be, make the moves that move you I say. 

There, another cup of coffee ☕️,  and in the sunshine now,  traffic noise I hear, and the birds calling. Sun's warm, it's not long and I'll be hearing the sounds of Arrowvale in the morning, rooster crowing, cows mooing, goats crying for breakfast,  those sounds are of spring on the farm to me, but they do go on all the time. 

 panoramic photo of our  neighborhood 

This is my view right now,  I took this photo to remind myself of what our neighborhood was like. Many have left already,  and more everyday, but it's funny how you get attached to a neighborhood,  and the sights and sounds. A couple doves I hear right now,  I see them one after the other, yep it's spring alright.

Love ❤️ our life ❤️