...On the Road again...

 

Have you ever thought of places you would like to visit?  Did you put it off, again and again? We have done that over the years.  

BUT we are actually going on an adventure.

We are hitting the road on a bus from Rapid City, SD, July 15th.  

Mt. Rushmore 

Deadwood, SD     

Cody, WY

Yellowstone

Sheridan WY

Jackson, WY

 

Isn't that amazing? God's Hands created such amazing places and things!

We'll be on a bus trip, flying to South Dakota, boarding the bus, heading to the wilderness.  

So, I won't be writing anything for that time.  I'll wander into the vault for pieces of brilliant writing, and post them.  But I will be in bison country, where we will not do anything stupid like other tourists have done.

 

 

 

Trip of a life time

 

Yellowstone caldera

Jerry had packed a suitcase weeks ago, checked off days on his Hot Babes calendar, and read everything possible about Yellowstone National Park.  This had been his lifelong dream, so much so that he had saved intensely for fifteen years. I can scarcely believe it...Yellowstone! Yellowstone, at last!                                          

Jerry sprinted to catch his Bus, tripped over a case left on the sidewalk by a curvy blonde and fell hard on his knee.  Even though his scrape bled like a son of a gun, Jerry stopped to put his packed suitcase into the belly of the beast.  The case popped open, spraying his clothing onto dripping oil by the bus.  Hot Babes was forever disfigured.

Finally, the elderly bus rattled out onto freeway from Burton, Florida, heading straight to Yellowstone.  In 30 minutes or so,the poor bus wheezed to a stop, and all could see the radiator boiling ,sending steam straight up.
 
Jerry felt his colon cramp and his stomach become a knotty mass of anxiety.

When the bus rattled back to station, Jerry was nearly crying.  While there had never been any sort of competition between calendar to calendar, Jerry had kept years of Hot Babes calendars, crossing off days after days.  This was the month...the month...

How far can it go?

While this is a blurry map, it does show the extent when the caldera blows.  Bad news for all.

Ironically, the next day it was announced that the immense caldera beneath Yellowstone Park blew, exploded, blasting apart all states from Canada to Texas, Nevada to Illinois, over to Oregon and down the western coast, and all parts in between. Clouds of ash covered the skies around the world.

Jerry's head hung down despondently.  Gone, it was gone.  As he tacked his new Hot Babes calendar, Jerry pondered where he would go instead.  Iceland?  Iceland would be nice...He crossed off another day, heading toward Iceland in a decade or so.

Oh, Jerry, poor uninformed Jerry.

Stupid tourists with falling boulders from Yo

this

This is a Wed. Words story, underlined words from 2022. We love watching shows like this.  Dante's Peak is a movie that portrays a volcano disaster with finesse. Basically we like natural disaster movies.  Why? I have no idea.

Stumbling Stones frozen

 
Throughout the decades of our life together, we had always said Let's go to Rome someday. Our answers were When the kids are older.

Then as time went by and our progeny left home, we said again, Let's go to Rome someday. Our answers were We have to save up for retirement. AND we can't get off from work.

Then after these excuses we eliminated, Let's go to Rome now. Does May sound good to you? Retirement with wise investments and inheritance from our mothers allowed us to do that.

We took the leap, found ourselves on a bus tour with 40 other retirees, having an awesome time. 

Leading to Sistine Chapel

On two days we were on our own explorations.  Everywhere we turned along old winding streets, we were amazed to see local churches. Small churches were tucked in at corners and looked unimpressive.


But each one was filled will their own grandeur, well-used by parishioners. The kneeling rails showed decades of prayers. We were utterly humbled.

 

A small church tucked in a tiny street. I slipped
down a step, but only my
pride hurt.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, this post is not about all the crazy amazing historical splendid sites that could merit days and days of exploration all by themselves.    

This post is about the little things.

 

 

 

 

This is from the Jewish Ghetto.

Now, instead of looking up at the gilded and amazing ceiling paintings, I found myself gazing down.  Looking down at the cobblestones, I discovered shiny gold bronze plaques embedded within a sea of gray. Looking closer, bending over, I gasped as I read the engraved names and dates.

The left one reads (with difficulty, given its wear and probably misspelled): 

Qui Abitava

Dora Fiatelli

Nata 1887

Arrestata 15.3.1943

Auschwitz

Morta 1.7.1944

Can you read them? Enlarge and see these "stumbling stones" as they are called.

These can be found throughout Europe.

Life is about the big and the little bits throughout history.  It is easy to see the big grandeur and  amazing epic bits.

But for me, turning a stone over and finding the magnificent there, this is the way I am.  Looking down, as well as up, grants a picture of time and people. Sadly this all that remains of those people.

Our someday has become someday we will return and learn more.

 ****

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Troubles led her to bow out, but the meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. With Elephant's Child  and other blogger volunteers, Mother Owl's we will find the challenges. Underlined words are of the words available. Let yourself go.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind. My difficulty is using words that were just released. Grant me some forgiveness, greatness cannot be hurried.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words. Head on over to play with words

 

 

Garema Place blest.

From Elephant's Child

Billy Jim and Esther Sue had saved all their lives for this trip, and by golly, they would see as much of this street art place in Australia as they could.

The bus tour gave them 45 minutes to roam about this park in the middle of Canberra called “Garema” Place.

“Hell, Esther, if I’da wanted to look at weird metal sheep sitting on a bench, I’da made one at home,” Billy Jim stood with his big belly balanced by hands on hips.  “Mighty dumb, if ya ask me.”

‘Glad I didn't ask.’  Esther Sue mentally responded.  She came to a lonely plaque on the sidewalk.  As she read it silently, a tear slid down her cheek.  ‘Well, at least you rejoiced when it came, Linette Bone.’

Billy Jim hollered, “Time to git back on the bus.  Git on over here, woman!”

Esther sighed, looking one last time at the plaque.  ‘Hope you were loved, ….’  Then she joined Billy on the bus.


This was a photo prompt from May 2012.  Its story, told in few words, touched me deeply.

Here are some other art displays at Garema Place in Canberra, Australia:

Source: mattewharding.com

Source: Hannah....you must visit this site.