Mood Swings as Hope Springs Eternal

Lake West Point, LaGrange, Georgia. Camping at Holiday Campground brings spring to an end slowly and shifts my motoring mood into high gear. But right now I am relaxing on the shore, camera in hand, as others fish nearby. All I want to catch are shifts of light and rays of hope. Darkness comes later now. Am I ready for all the summer hours of long light? During the winter I long for the color and the warmth and the lingering light. The dip in the lake. The sound of splashing. Am I into it enough? That question might be why I got the inflatable kayak. Being on the road wasn't enough. But that's what the mind does. Always thinking about those greener pastures on the other side. But what about the blue waters that border my heart?

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The Lure of the Lake

 After camping near oceans, lakes, streams for the past 5 years, I decided to get a very affordable inflatable kayak and to get out on the water and see what the experience brought. It brought me back pain . I did not know how to sit and row in this rubber ducky. Yesterday after about 8 outings on 4 lakes, I learned the best way to sit in my kayak without injury. The lure of the lake brings lessons.

Turtle Trials

It's part of the road and The Turtle does it well. She has the luck of the Irish and the pot of gold  in her sweet little heart! Four thousand miles for this trip to Maine and Nova Scotia. More repairs that usual. I think the Turtle really likes the attention. W e never had time to pretty-up. Please Lord just keep her going! Prayers and my bank account. We had enough. Always.

Friends of The Turtle

                                           Carol and her face paintings..Roanoke, VA

                          Pat and her party for The Turtle, Goode Virginia(Esther, Marilee,Joyce)

Amy, Purcellville, VA

                                           Barbara and me and her painting , Lowell, Mass

                                           Barbara and Chip, Lowell, Mass

                                             Jenny and me, Providence ,Rhode Island

                                              Phillip, lobster man, Portland, Maine

Not Pictured: Margaret in Abingdon, VA, Blake, Zack, Tom, and Quinn in Purcellville, VA, Rozie,Pearl,and Tom, Providence, Rhode Island, Rob and Kathleen, Roanoke, VA, Oscar, Roanoke, VA

All the way along 81 in Virginia and up into Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and back via Lowell, Mass, Providence, Rhode Island, and Virginia were these amazing people!  Quite a few of them are artists like myself. We all have The Turtle in common now. 

For My Namesake

The meaning of Glory lies here in Peggy's Cove. Idyllic, Lyrical. The visual highlight of my two thousand mile journey. The Turtle grew a lighthouse as a hood ornament to commemorate this most epic Nova Scotia venture. It had my name written all over it! I went for the name alone. Doesn't take a lot to get me out on the road.

Monumental Acts of Place

This is my 5th year of traveling in The Turtle. I must be erecting monuments along the way. At least with my camera if nothing else. It is 2015, Mid July into mid August. From my home in the mountains of North Carolina all the way to Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. Blue and white  tinged with pink from the Bay of Fundy. A religious experience, An act of place.

Maritime State of Mind

The Coast of Maine, New Brunswick, Bay of Fundy, and Nova Scotia are all about the boating life. Sailing on the Atlantic or Get-N-R-Dun. Leisure or livelihood. In my case, inspiration. Just sitting on a cliff and watching the sea adventures or seeing a boat slumped safe after a rough ride. I can relate to that. I am often following alongside the sea in The Turtle. When there is rain and fog, I feel like I am out there boating as well. Sailing, scanning the horizon, pulling in some delicious memories. The Turtle is Getting Her Done for sure.