One Man's Walkabout
On October 10, 2008 my wife LaVerne died after a 5 year battle with lung cancer. It was one of the greatest losses I've ever endured. With her I lost my best friend, my lover, and my partner in life. I also lost my desire to work, my ability to concentrate and the mental agility I needed to work with groups. So, I lost my business, too. During a visit with my daughter Barbara we went to see the movie "Up" for my birthday. It's the story of an elderly widower unhappy with his life who decides to pursue a lifelong dream and travel. The next day I rode my Vespa on the Blue Ridge Parkway and decided that I wanted to travel full time. When I discussed this with my therapist, he said "it's like a walkabout." It's when people go to the place where they belong. A place that's part of them and they're part of the place. It may be where they were born or it may not.
My equipment for this adventure consisted of a dragon red Vespa, a Chevy Silverado and a travel trailer I named Howhee, for home-on-wheels.
My first trip, in 2010, consisted of a 2 month swing through Florida preceded by a cruise with my children and grandchildren out of Port Canaveral. From there I went to Key West, then Sarasota to reconnect with a half sister, then Appalachicola to eat my fill of oysters. Thus began my 5 years on the road and my walkabout.
After a brief return to Raleigh, I went to South Carolina to see some siblings then to Asheville, my home town. I'd left here in 1969 to serve in the Air Force only returning for short visits. But while living in Boone I'd heard rumors of this place called Jubilee! so I went to check it out. That was September 5, 2010 and I've been returning ever since. In my blog I wrote "It was one of the best spiritual experiences I've ever had! It's right up there with my first time at Unity, my first sweat lodge and first sun dance. It was exciting, inspiring, hope filled and happy all at once. I've never seen anything like it!"
In March of 2011 while finishing a 3 month stay in Sarasota, I met Lynn at a Mardis Gras party. I already knew her sister and Lynn knew a little about me from reading my blog. Well, the sparks flew and the fire was lit! Three months later I picked her up in Michigan and we went on a 3 month trip out west.
Each day on the road started by listening to Willie Nelson singing "On the Road Again". Somewhere on the road in Montana. A beautiful field of canola.
I outran a motorboat on my scooter to get this shot before he got there. It was in Glacier National Park.
The last thing I expected to see in Yellowstone was a pelican. But there he was, fishing.
*Note: I'm unable to recover this picture of an elk. I'll continue to work on it! Dang!
No, I wasn't as close as this appears. I used all the zoom I had and just happened to click at the right moment. A gorgeous creature!
On October 2011 we headed for Blowing Rock to have lunch with a friend. Along the way, all of the side roads, driveways and access points were blocked by fire trucks, emergency vehicles and law enforcement of all types. Shortly after arriving at the restaurant we were informed that we couldn't leave because...the president was coming to Boone! Sure enough, in a little while Big Bus One came rolling by and we waved!
In 2012 we became volunteer "work campers" at Lake Powhatan. We were there April through October which allowed plenty of time to visit Jubilee!, family and friends more often.
The following year we were promoted to work at the Cradle of Forestry Historic site in Pisgah Forest near Sliding Rock. I captured this shot on opening day which became my first published photograph when it was put on a placard at the Cradle of Forestry overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway...with another person's name. Oh well.
We worked at the Cradle for 3 years and have many wonderful memories of our time there. Among the best was attending a falconry program where we actually flew the birds. The best part was watching this magnificent creature landed on my arm! What a day!
In 2014 we traveled to DC with daughter Barbara and grandsons, Houston and Patrick. After Houston voiced that he was bored one day, the next morning I handed him the map and said "get us to the White House...by 9:15" and he did. And he wasn't bored again. On this day it was Patrick's turn. He did it, too.
When I learned photography from my first father-in-law, he taught me to use the dark room.
You never knew what you had until the image came up on the paper in the pan. That was true here. I didn't see the whole picture until I downloaded it. Neither did Lynn! Boy was she surprised! I call it "Lynn Meets the Caveman."
Married in the Pink Beds in Pisgah Forest on September 5, 2014, by our favorite Leader of Ritual, Howard Hangar, plus my son Derick, Lynn's daughter Meghan and lots of friends and family who enjoyed the occasion and festivities.
Looking Glass falls in Pisgah Forest remains my favorite. During our years working at the Cradle of Forestry Historic site, we passed it many times and stopped often to enjoy the cool air and soft sounds.
The forest is full of these little orange newts. I saw them often during my many walks and would stop and absorb their simple beauty.
In September 2015 we bought this little house near West Asheville and retired from work camping and full time travel. My walkabout was officially over because...
I had found the place where I belong. A place that's part of me and I'm part of the place.
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