Blogs, random thoughts, travel

  • The Good Spoon

    by Dave McAda
    Is it odd to have a favorite spoon?  (Don’t answer that!)   When I was growing up, my mother’s everyday silverware drawer was filled with a mismatc...
    Posted in Life, Van Life

  • Our Christmas Letter

    by Dave McAda
    With the advent of social media, we figured the people we are friends with on Facebook and Instagram have already seen everything we’ve done to the point that they are tired of it.  It’s not likely we’ll send them a newsletter just to rehash it all.  
    Posted in Life, Retirement, Van Life

  • The Devil Visited Last Night

    by Dave McAda
    Maybe I was just dreaming.  I closed my eye.  Nope.  There it was again.  There was no avoiding the confrontation at this point.
    Posted in Life, Pets, Retirement, Van Life

  • The Sunrise That Almost Didn’t Happen

    by Dave McAda
    Now I must admit I am quite out of practice when it comes to setting my alarm.  I’ve only had to do it a handful of times in the two years since I retired.  
    Posted in Hiking, Life, Retirement, Van Life

  • Just Another Ride to the Dump

    by Dave McAda
    Today was just a normal, run of the mill trip.  The employees didn’t speak or make eye contact.  
    Posted in Covid-19, Greenville, Life, Pets, Van Life

  • Daaaaa Bearsssss

    by Dave McAda

    Many of our friends want to come to our house to see the bears.  But it doesn’t work that way.  The bears determine their schedule and availability.  I assume they have other homeowners to entertain besides us. 

    Posted in Hiking, Life, Pets, Van Life

  • Planning for Spontaneity

    by Dave McAda
    In order to be spontaneous, we have several lists on the kitchen counter in various stages of completion.  
    Posted in Hiking, Life, Retirement, Van Life

  • Annie's Antics

    by Dave McAda
    Recently we were just organizing the storage areas for an upcoming trip.  Annie came aboard the van, hopped in the shot-gun seat, and looked back at us as if to say “Let’s get a move on!”
    Posted in Life, Pets, Van Life

  • When Is It Too Rough To Rough It?

    by Dave McAda
    We don’t worry too much about forgetting something we might need on a trip.  Years ago people would say “there’s always a Wal-Mart nearby” but the more reassuring thought today seems to be that there is ALWAYS a Dollar General nearby.  On our last trip we tallied thirteen in two days.  
    Posted in Hiking, Retirement, Van Life

  • Buying a Mattress

    by Dave McAda
    We set a date to go to a mattress store to look at our options.  In preparation we laid on all the beds in our house and camper.  We came away with the realization that the most comfortable mattress we owned was the foam one we made for Wanda the campervan.  
    Posted in Life, Retirement, Van Life

  • Week of Waterfalls

    by Dave McAda
    [The ranger] assured us our Civic could handle the gravel road to the parking lot but not to think about traveling farther down that road.  Then she pointed out some simple to reach falls closer to the Blue Ridge Parkway and I pointed to a spot on the map and commented “that’s where we tried going a few years ago but got a hincky feeling about the directions”.  She suddenly had more respect for us and said “oh, you’ve been reading so-and-so’s book”.  
    Posted in Hiking, Van Life

  • Rattlesnakes and Calf-pullers

    by Dave McAda
    I had pulled two weeds and was stepping toward another when I realized my next step would be onto the head of a snake.  And not just any snake.  
    Posted in Life, Van Life