A Drive to Remember

     Maybe it is because I was born, raised, and continue to live in Indiana (not known for its rugged varying terrain or coastlines), or maybe it is just an internal "in awe"' factor I have for the magnificent mountains, oceans, and vast skies other states boast.  Whatever it is, I am always thrilled for an opportunity to visit these other places.  This was the case last week as we landed in Eugene, Oregon, jumped in a rental car and headed west to experience all the scenic wonders the Pacific Coastline Highway has to offer all the way to San Francisco, our final destination before returning home.

Salt Lake City

Three Sisters

Cougar Dam and Reservoir

                         I always choose a window seat so if the weather allows, I can see our great nation from a birds eye view.  Geography may not have been my fifth grade strength, but I love picking out land marks from the air.  Salt Lake City and the great Salt Lake spanning the background was the first shot of the day. Then as we got closer to Eugene, the Oregon Cascade's Three Sisters peaks were right below, with Mt. Washington, Jack, and Jefferson seen peaking through the clouds to the north.  Magnificent mountains.  My heart soars.

Our first stop was the Bandon Dune Golf Resort located on the coast.  What a spectacular location.  While not making a tee time mystified the staff, our plans included enjoying their property and hiking their wonderful trails out to the dunes and the ocean.  This was the first sunset of many along the coast that I felt mandated to photograph (with my iPhone, not my Nikon this trip) due to the sheer beauty they provided.

Soaking in the vast beauty of the dunes against eh clear blue skies

A peak through the trees to the coast

     After enjoying the dynamic sand dunes, our scenic drive continued through forested coastlines with magnificent redwood trees towering hundreds of feet above us.  The photos can not begin the capture the breadth of these great trees.
     As we continued our drive, we stayed in Eureka, California (the only "sore" spot of the trip according to Kevie), then continued south zooming in and out of the State Parks and National Forests along the Shoreline Highway of northern California.  We did have to make several obligatory stops at "Roadside America" type places such as Paul Bunyan's "Trees of Mystery," and the famous "Chandler Drive Through Tree."  While probably over-rated compared to the sheer beauty of the scenic drive, they did offer a place to stretch our legs and to interact with some of our fellow tourists...always good for a few laughs (for both them and us!)

Not a bad place to make a few work calls.

Lady Bird Johnson Redwood Grove

 Just south of Fort Bragg, we made our next stop over in Mendocino, California.  We were fortunate to find The Brewery Gulch Inn

which provided us not only lovely accommodations close to town and spectacular views, but scrumptious eats as well.  The quaint town of Mendocino has a rugged coastline with sea stacks and rock shelves making a perfect backdrop to the artsy shops, charming architecture, and gorgeous flowers found around every corner.

We made our way to the Mendocino Hedlands State Park to watch the sunset.  With the waves crashing against the massive rocks far below where we were standing, Kevin got a bit nervous, while I was energized by the magnitude of the ocean's forces at work against the coast.  It truly is awe inspiring!

The Point Cabrillo Light Station was on a point just north of town, and we enjoyed the hike out to it.  Again, the magnificence of what I was experiencing can not begin to be conveyed through my iPhone camera lens. But I sure tried to capture it for all of our viewing pleasure.

Point Cabrillo Light Station

 The next day we left the coast for additional Redwood Forests and winding mountaintop roads leading to the dry and vast Sonoma wine country.  We continued south, had lunch in the bright and happening bay front town of Sausalito, drove across the always grand Golden Gate Bridge, and on into San Francisco, where once again, I happily photographed the sunset.

I couldn't resist one more shot from my window seat during take-off as we passed over the bay bridge and the peninsula just after sun rise.  A fitting end to our picturesque adventure!

Critters and Blooms

Being surrounded by critters never gets old for me and brightens every day.  Whether it is my own pets, or my friends at the zoo where I volunteer, they always bring a smile to my face.  Here are a few photos that make me smile.  Enjoy!  

Yep - my only son with blooms.
This was my mother's day gift!

A Visit to Honduras and HPH (Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™ Spanish for Our Little Brothers and Sisters)

Looking down the valley at Tegucialgapa, the capital city of Honduras

The end of the runway!

Precision landing by talented pilot

            A short three hour flight (from Atlanta) ending with a harrowing decent and a ninety degree turn took us into Tegucigalpa Airport where I easily spotted the tallest gringa in the crowd, Claire, my dear friend's daughter whom we came to visit, greeting us with her beautiful smile.  

She quickly introduced us to her van driver, Melvin, and various other friends she has acquired in the past six months by frequenting the airport weekly.  Walking through the parking lot to the van I  felt as though I had landed on another planet where the eighty plus degree Fahrenheit temperatures and warm sunshine backdropped the cacophony of sights and sounds I had never experienced previously.  The beds of pick up trucks were filled with luggage and people exiting into a seemingly chaotic flow of traffic.  
Making our way precariously though the crowded city streets where it seemed you could purchase anything and everything out of an over filled bed of a pick up, we made our first stop at the mega super market easily finding what we needed to tide us over for our visit.   Leaving the stacked cinder block multi colored flat roof homes of the city below us, we headed north up the P15 out of Tegucigalpa and into the mountainous area where the views were stunning, but the sights along the road were baffling to my senses.  The road side stands selling fruits and vegetables, a horse standing alone two feet from the road tied loosely with a single rope around its neck, children playing in the shoulder with miscellaneous debris from the road, and a man with a broad brimmed straw hat leading his ox carrying supplies strapped over its backs seem to be from a century past.  I may have been holding my breath as I witnessed vehicles driving three abreast on a two lane highway speed up a hill into a turn.  

Common Tuk tuk 

I was told not to worry because all the other drivers see this as normal and expect these shenanigans.  Just before we reached the turn off for the town of Telonga, the NPH Honduras Rancho Santa Fe appeared on the left.  We had safely arrived where Claire is volunteering for a year.

        The ranch itself is comprised of a couple thousand beautiful acres of land housing over three hundred children and countless adults supporting their care, a fully functioning farm to provide goods, a state of art medical clinic (with the head doc Dr. Merlin Antunes, a former resident), school, church, and even a pool/swimming reservoir and soccer fields.  Not really knowing what to expect, several things I saw on the initial tour made big impressions on me. The first was the newly constructed medical center designed for meeting the needs of the local community with the help of volunteer medical brigades from around the globe.  The second was the school which includes a library with a "wall of fame" (as coined by Claire) with photos of former residents who have graduated from college and graduate school and, most importantly, empty frames for current residents to be on the wall in the future.  The students understand that hard work and effort in school pays off for a meaningful, independent future.  This was my introduction to NPH Rancho Santa Fe Honduras.

Massive gardens

The view from the walkway by our accomodations

         As I walked through the ranch I could feel His love in the rhythm of the ranch where the children and adults politely greet every person they see with a smile and many times a hug to go along with it.  The ranch is run as one big family with everyone, even the toddlers, participating in some way to support the overall efficient functioning of the ranch.  For the most part it is a self sustaining operation, from gardens, pastures of sugar cane, milk cows, and various livestock.   It really is incredible to see all of this in action. 

These guys greeted us as we toured the farm

     Seeing Claire immersed in this culture, fluently speaking the language, and selflessly giving of herself day after day, loving every bit of it, was worth the trip.  It's one thing to spend a few days experiencing the simple life of rice, beans, veggies, less than warm showers, hot days, no A/C, no TV, lots of cockroaches and other critters making strange noises at all hours, but to actually sign up for it all in the name of making a difference, one child at a time, well, that is to me awe-inspiring. 

     Every evening after a long day at work, Claire and the other volunteers (who happen to be from all over the world), head to their respective hogars (houses divided by gender and age groups) for dinner, playtime or studying, and bedtime with their children.  This happens to be Claire's favorite part of the day.  Wow.  After just my first evening spent in the hogar with her twenty five chicas, I was completely exhausted.

Healthy happy kids abound at NPH

     As I think of my time in Honduras, I feel blessed by the experience.  Twenty five girls' faces, aged 9 to 11 year old, keep popping into my thoughts.  We shared so many hugs, smiles, and laughs in such a few short days. We played games, practiced our limited Spanish (giving joke material to the group), tie dyed t-shirts, shared meals (and food), sang goofy songs, cheered, and worshipped together at Mass. 

The Ranch Church entrance

I love these two chicas!

What became crystal clear to me as I sat in the beautiful sanctuary listening to a language I do not understand is that we humans share communication universally. A smile shares love, a fart shares humor (especially among children during the sermon), a tear shares sorrow.  

The simply lovely sanctuary

All of this is accomplished through the power of our Creator.  I did understand the message of the sermon.  Jesus Christ is forever important in our lives.  This is seen every minute of every day of every year on this ranch.  And that folks, is why I feel blessed by my short but impactful visit to NPH Honduras.
 " We promise to nurture and care for these new children. We promise to form them, educate them, guide them and love them as we follow our founder’s example, responding to the needs of abandoned and neglected children as best we can and providing them with love, security, hope and family. This is why we are here, and this is what inspires us to push forwards, even in the most challenging of times and places." -Stefan Feuerstein, National Director, NPH  Honduras

Hijas de Maria chicas - I miss them already!!

If you're interested in the complete NPH story, visit https://www.nph.org

Thank You Veterans for Your Service!

   

My Grandfather Ransford WWI

"On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."
 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Though both my father and father-in-law honorably served this country in WWII and The Korean Conflict, these pictures are of my grandfather who served in WWI, Europe.  After purchasing a small diary overseas, he pounded out a case for it out of scrap metal.  In this tiny book, he wrote the names of every soldier with which he served.  He also wrote of the mundane daily life he experienced as well as his hopes and thoughts.  I'm happy to have this part of our family history.

1905 Frank Ransford

My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all those Veterans whose sacrifices have made this country the great place that it is to live.  And thank you to those currently serving these great United States of America.

--Carolyn