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A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: nature (page 2 of 3)

Day Trips around Santa Fe, NM – Bandelier National Monument

September 9, 2017 / / 37 Comments

New Mexico state has so many natural and cultural treasures, that when the weekend approaches, Mark and I are filled with excitement and the promise of wonderful excursions. We pack our camper van up and only have to drive an hour or two to reach enough sites to fill days. Of course, we only have two of those a week, and, after a tiring work week, immediately getting on the road Friday night is not the way we like to approach our time off. Instead, we have a glass of wine and a snack, make an ever-pleasing vegetarian pizza, and put a few things in the camper before picking up the mail or in between watering the plants.

On Saturday, we have a not-to-early start and depart to our destination, in this case, Bandelier National Monument, NW of Santa Fe. Continue reading

WW – Spring is in the Air

March 15, 2017 / / 37 Comments

It has been a while since I created a Wordless Wednesday post. Spring is arriving at our current two-month house sit in Sebastopol, Northern California and I am loving it. The blue sky, the warmer temperatures, the sweet blossoms and the colorful flowers… I never realized I loved the visual appearance of spring this much. Must be because we lived in the tropics, void of seasons, for a decade and, really, are not too fond of winter. Which is why we “moved” to California this fall. Compared to last year, when I posted a similar blog  in June and left for Belgium to experience spring, we have no complaints about the change of seasons this year! 🙂

Stillwater Cove Regional Park
Magnolia tree in the front yard
Lola smelling the flowers
Pinnacle Gulch Trail
Wildflowers along the trail

Has spring sprung yet where you live?

WW – Ambiance

January 18, 2017 / / 18 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage “completely wordless”, but I’ll try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

With thousands of photos haphazardly archived over the years, I can’t easily pick what to post, so I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “ambiance“.

I relate ambiance with a feeling of contentment and joy. Many times a wonderful ambiance is created when hanging out with friends, something we finally get to do more often these days. The first thing that came to my mind when discovering this week’s photo theme was a campfire. The crackling sound, the woodsy smell, the intense warmth, the constantly changing shape of the flames all create an ambiance I can wallow in for hours.

Check out Terri’s post about this topic on Second Wind Leisure Perspectives. You might recognize some of the characters… 🙂

What does ambiance mean to you?

Wordless Wednesday – Magic

November 23, 2016 / / 17 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage “completely wordless”, but I’ll try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

I have archived thousands of photos over the years and can’t easily pick what to post, so I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “magic“.

During all the years we lived and sailed on our boat, Mark and I have experienced a lot of magical moments. Amazing sunsets, wildlife encounters and residing in blissful pieces of paradise are part of those. But, since I have been posting quite a few photographs of those topics in the past, I figured I’d share another magical part of nature: rainbows.

I have a hard time capturing a full, end-to-end rainbow in one photo, so here you have two sets of one of those magical paintings in the sky.

Full rainbow in the Caribbean Islands Continue reading

Wordless Wednesday – Tiny

November 16, 2016 / / 10 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays.  Also, I can’t manage “completely wordless”, but I’ll try my best at “almost wordless”. 🙂

I have archived thousands of photos over the years and can’t easily pick what to post, so I use the weekly prompt of the Daily Post to inspire my Wordless Wednesdays. This week’s Daily Post photography theme is “tiny“.

Bahamian sloop against a giant cruise ship in Nassau

Bahamian sloop against a giant cruise ship in Nassau

When you compare local boats to cruise ships, they look tiny. When you climb to the top of a hill or mountain, things down below are tiny. Continue reading

WW – Looking up, Then and Now

July 13, 2016 / / 12 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays. I hope you enjoy them. My theme “Look up” for this week comes from The Daily Post.

Doing yoga on a beach in the San Blas Islands, Panama, years ago

Doing yoga on a beach in the San Blas Islands, Panama, in 2012

Walking in "our" forest in the yard today, Heath, MA, USA

Walking in “our” forest in the yard today, Heath, MA, USA

Ceilings in St. Petersburg, Russia (September 2015)

Do you remember to look up when walking in nature, towns or museums? What is you favorite sight to look up at? Mine is … a boring blue sky or a sparkling black one! 🙂

Spring Break in Belgium

May 26, 2016 / / 15 Comments

To many it came as a surprise that, all of a sudden, I showed up in Belgium. It was only May, and I had “just” been there, eight months prior. At times, it even felt as if I never left. Usually, I visit my home country once a year, or every other year, based on my current location. Why was I going back so soon? Because I craved spring and it refused to arrive in Heath, MA! 🙂

I love the spring colors in the countryside
Spring in my parents’ yard 1
Spring in my parents’ yard 2

In the past, visiting Belgium had multiple purposes, ranging from special events (like weddings and birthdays) to medical reasons to having been away too long already, in combination with needing a break from the challenging boat life. And, I always preferred to go to Europe during the summer for the nicer weather and delightful atmosphere of high-spirited people, fun festivals and sunny café patios. Continue reading

N is for Nature

April 16, 2016 / / 25 Comments
Day 13 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Nature draws me to being a nomad. I LOVE being in nature, being part of nature and having nature provide for me. I respect the elements, am in awe of the natural world, appreciate the bounty of Mother Earth (the food, the sun, the rain, the sights) and indulge in her beauty.

Continue reading

A Crisp and Tick-free Walk Today!

February 27, 2016 / / 8 Comments

I have been known to write long blog posts. The Six Word Saturday initiative  conflicts that habit: in six words, you describe your life. The perfect posts for blog visitors who don’t like long stories, but do appreciate a quick update. This is my first try – hence the quick explanation – and I might make it a habit, if readers like it. As a bonus, I’ll throw in a few photos to brighten the words up a bit! 🙂

Pond in winter
Rock ledge
Frozen pond
Henry on the trail
Scott, Mark and Mickey

Kent Falls: Startling… in a Good Way!

January 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

After our little muddy adventure a few days earlier, Mark and I decided to leave all pets at home for a quick excursion. Henry and Mickey kept the birds – Koo Koo and Tu Tu – company, while we drove off to an attraction barely 15 minutes away: Kent Falls State Park.

It was the weekend. It was winter in New England. It was grey. It was bleak. But… it wasn’t raining, let alone snowing, and it was above freezing: the perfect time to see some waterfalls! Continue reading

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