Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[Joby]

Thanks for the good thoughts and prayers Linda and Anita! We leave at the end of the week. I've been looking at some East African cloth called kanga. I'm hoping to find some in great FIRE colors and bring it home and have it made into a dress or something. Wouldn't that be cool? I'm also on the look out for some neat jewelry, hopefully in some nice bight colors too.

 

Kwaheri :)

[JaneStarr]

Thanks for the good thoughts and prayers Linda and Anita! We leave at the end of the week. I've been looking at some East African cloth called kanga. I'm hoping to find some in great FIRE colors and bring it home and have it made into a dress or something. Wouldn't that be cool? I'm also on the look out for some neat jewelry, hopefully in some nice bight colors too.

 

Kwaheri :)

 

I'm excited for you! Prayers for safe travels coming your way from CT. Enjoy!

LOVE the idea of getting a fabulous African fabric as a souvenir, wonder why they advised against packing bright colors?

Jane

[Anita Latte]

Hujambo Kim!

 

I think fabric sounds like a FANTASTIC idea. I just finished a project for DS. It's the most ridiculous thing, his middle school doesn't allow backpacks into the classrooms. The classrooms are too crowded and so they limit the size of a bag to a drawstring style back. And of course, the typical nylon sports-minded drawstring bag can't hold up to all that book weight...and my boy doesn't want a messenger bag at this point (looks too much like a purse)...so I made him a custom and thoroughly awesome drawstring bag...

 

And the point is that I've got my sewing bug back. And I'm very excited to get some projects done. So, of course, I think FABRIC is a wonderful thing to get. An added bonus is the ease of packing it...

 

Nakutakia siku njema!

[snuggles]

Way to go Kim! Fabric and jewelry ~ What great reminders of a fantastic trip!!! So much nicer that the cheap dust collector crap everyone wants you to buy. I started doing this several years ago. I buy scarves, or table runners, etc. because I can no longer see to sew, or I would have piles of material!

[Joby]

Hi girls,

 

We've returned from Tanzania and all I can say is Oh My Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!! The beauty is unbelievable and the animals were absolutely stunning.

 

My PICTODIARY is going to be quite repetitive as we only did carry on. My search for material in wonderful FIRE colors was VERY short and I didn't find the perfect colors but I did find some beautiful materials that I brought home. Most of the colors seemed to lean towards EARTH and even ICE. OF the two pieces of cloth I did buy one is much more EARTHy and the other is more ICEY. Hoping I might the able to tea stain the ICE one.

 

I'll post photos and see what you all think.

 

After I sort through our pictures, I'll post a link so that you can see them if you would like to.

 

I thought of all of you many times in Africa, especially when I saw all of the lovely colors the ladies wear over there. So, in a small way you all traveled with me :)

 

Thanks for the prayers for a safe trip!

[Member123]

Kim!

I've been checking several times a day for the last few days... hoping that you had a successful, fabulous, wonderful... and wonder filled... time in Africa.

 

I'm so looking forward to your pictures! No pressure! No hurry! It's good to have you home. You bet... I know I was traveling with you. Now, I'm going to be thrilled to travel with you through the pictures.

 

Yeah! :D

[aoknkentucky]

HOW DID I MISS THE JANUARY POSTS ON OUR THREAD?????

 

Kim! So glad you had a safe and happy travel. I knew you were going, but I missed jumping on the bandwagon of well-wishes before you left. You betcha! we're looking forward to what you show us--the beautiful sights as well as your carry-on wardrobe.

 

Ohhhh--and what Pam said. No pressure. No hurry. But I'll be glad to see what you have to show us.

 

Yea!!! The FIRE thread is back!

[aoknkentucky]

Oops.

Edited February 20, 2013 by aoknkentucky
Double post! Duh.

[snuggles]

Whoo hoo Kim!!! So glad you had a wonderful trip!!! And- can't wait for pics! Same as Pam said- no hurry. :D:D

[Anita Latte]

Yay Kim!!! I've been thinking about you on your trip...so I KNOW we were with you in spirit. Post pictures FAST so we can see where we went!! LOL!

 

just kidding...like everyone else...no hurry...no rush.

 

Oh please...who am I kidding? I can't wait to the pictures!!!! But I understand that it takes a while, so don't feel any pressure...

 

But don't take too long...

 

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

 

LOL!!!

[Member123]

So, as we wait patiently (actually as we wait the way Anita described!) for Kim's pictodiary and our wonderful African adventure, I began to wonder what everyone is up to for their travels in 2013?

 

I have had to severely cut down on our travel plans. That includes the July cruise that we had planned with family, Anita et al. As it turns out, we have had some major issues with the house and we need to turn our attention to some deferred maintenance situations as well as some improvements. Not anything really major which, in a way, is more frustrating. Instead of dealing with one major vendor, for example, I'm having to research and get in touch with several different people.

 

So, here goes my litany of problems: rats in the walls... ewwwww. :eek: I spent months trying to figure out what the heck was going on with all these noises I kept hearing at night. So freaked out. I had a pest control company come out and "evaluate" the space for rodent activity and for (even) carpenter ants. They couldn't find any "sign" of rodents or ants or termites (big scare... actually the carpenter ants idea was a bigger scare) and so... on and on with the noises at night. Finally, I just couldn't stand it and I had the pest control company set traps. Yep. Rats. So, the noise went away for a month... then returned. So, I researched and located a "wildlife control expert,," who came and baited, killed, and then sealed up any access points on the roof. All was blissful until 2 nights ago... and you guessed that I heard noises again!

 

But, in the meantime, we've had the worst kind of torrential rain. Not the slow soaking rain but the hard pounding sheeting type of rain. So, my ceiling fan in the office decided to potty on my desk! That is exactly what it looked like. Honestly. I had to get out a ladder and hang towels all over the fan to try to stop the water and put a huge bucket on my desk. Subsequent to the fan relieving itself, the recessed light decided to take a leak. So, I'm waiting today for a roofer to come to "evaluate" the problem.

 

We know that I get a new dishwasher on Monday, right? That was not as exciting a purchase as you would imagine! Anyway, it will be good to have help in the kitchen as I've been washing dishes by hand for a few months now.

 

Let's see. We noticed that we had rotted wood around the door thresholds on three doors. That got fixed by a lovely handyman. Then, we noticed that we had rain seepage at those thresholds during the aforementioned torrential rain. Noticed because the carpet became soaked in the bedroom! So, even though Arizona ONLY gets 7" of rain, I've been doing research on rain gutters because it is a problem. Once we noticed, then we really noticed... kwim? Puddles and lakes and ponds around the foundation, oh my.

 

Hmmm. The courtyard needs to be reworked and evaluated. I planted a tree that should never have been planted in a courtyard! It's just too big and it's so darn thorny that it's a terrible ordeal every time that I prune. So, since the stucco on the walls is crumbling, I might as well just do the work that needs to be done and make my life easier for the future.

 

Domestic issues trumps travel. So, why not?!? I'm thinking of repainting the living room!

 

Anyway, back to travel. The only thing that we've kept on the books is a possible cruise from San Diego (by way of Ensenada) to Hawaii. Maybe that can happen in late September. But, the way things are going... it's not a definite. It seems that the minute that I get something settled, then something else happens; i.e., got the rats taken care of (maybe) and then the roof becomes a problem! Got the dishwasher (for sure), but maybe the hot water heater needs to have some consideration! This house is 12 years old! That's not THAT old, is it? My DH says everything around here is showing its age! Hey! Wait a minute... did you just dis me?!? :rolleyes:

 

Waka waka.... it's time for Africa!

[aoknkentucky]

So, as we wait patiently (actually as we wait the way Anita described!) for Kim's pictodiary and our wonderful African adventure, I began to wonder what everyone is up to for their travels in 2013?

Okay, Pam. I like this topic of conversation while we wait.

 

Our plans for 2013 involve another year of seasonal camping in a forest area bordered by two lakes run by the U.S. Forestry Service. We tent camped sporadically when we were younger, but began camping with a travel trailer in 2008. It's a 30 minute drive from where we live and we spend 3-4 nights a week there from March-November depending upon the weather and our other activities for the week. Spring and fall are the bestest of times to be there. I love it there.

 

To see if you are fortunate enough to obtain a spot, a lottery drawing is held each January. All names are put in the bin and numbers pulled out until all 45 seasonal spots are taken. One year, there were 90 families trying for the seasonal spots. This year, there were approximately 60. So far, we have gotten a spot each year, but if you don't get a seasonal spot, you must move all your belongings every 21 days to a different location. We like lots of stuff! It would be a major different camping experience if we didn't get a seasonal campsite.

 

Now, for my major trip for 2013. We are going to ALASKA!!!

 

The couple that we began camping with, went last year to Yellowstone with, and see nearly every weekend are going in July on Carnival Miracle. Miracle was the first cruise DH took and it was during its first month of service. It will be nice to see how she has aged. Well, I hope.

 

Our itinerary leaves Seattle going to Sawyer Glacier, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan before returning to Seattle. The four of us have never been to Alaska and I'm hoping this is our first trip there. KWIM?

 

I've been working on my wardrobe and hoping to do carry-on only. So, I'm anxiously awaiting your pictures, Kim. Africa and Alaska are vastly different, I know, but you said you had to plan for a cold period, so I bet I learn a thing or two. ;)

 

That's the only travel we have planned at the moment. --Patiently waiting--Well, I'm trying to be patient--Anyway, waiting--Debbie

[Joby]

You guys are so funny! The thing is---I know exactly how you feel. It's so hard to wait for someone's pictures, isn't it? I have over 1100 photos and I don't know where to go to "fix" and crop them and upload them to share. I don't want to pay for a site. And, DS says that my photos are too big, the files are too big and need to be downsized to load faster. He said it would take a month to upload at the size they are.

 

Any suggestions???? I'm dying to share them :D they aren't that good but, I think considering my camera skills and how excited I was ALL the time, they turned out pretty well for the circumstances.

 

Pam, I DO NOT want to feel your pain! OOHHH, the agony of all that fixing, researching, painting, etc.....homes are a lot of work and upkeep, aren't they? Luckily, DH is a magician at fixing and doing. He has saved us bazillions over our 35 years of marriage.

 

Debbie, Alaska is on our list too. Just don't know when. A friend of mine at work is going to Alaska this May. They are driving a new RV up for a company over 3 weeks. It's quite a bit cheaper and she is going to give me the lowdown when they return.

 

Anita, when I get some photos of the African material I bought home, will you give me some ideas on patterns and things that might look nice made out of it? I have absolutely no idea about sewing patterns, etc. As I mentioned, I don't think any of the material is a super FIRE color. Maybe you all can give me ideas and help me do something creative with it. I wish I would have had more time to shop but, time was so precious on the trip and I just couldn't make myself take much time to shop. Those animals and landscapes were calling our names!!!!!!!!!

 

Linda, you're going to Alaska, aren't you? Have you been before?

 

Glad to hear from everyone!

[snuggles]

So, as we wait patiently (actually as we wait the way Anita described!) for Kim's pictodiary and our wonderful African adventure, I began to wonder what everyone is up to for their travels in 2013?

And the saga continues....

Our travel plans are pretty much zilch! We will be taking a small trip to New Hampshire to visit an army friend of DH's in April for a few days, then come back and spend several days in the eastern end of the state around the Pocono and Water Gap area. Not a very exciting trip, but it's a get away at least.

 

Like Pam we have major "roof" issues. I have a peeing ceiling in my one of my bedrooms. ( my craft, red-hat, junk room):eek:... I also have towels hanging where the suspened ceiling tiles go! Quite chic!!! :p Pam and I are starting a new decorating trend!

We knew we were going to have to replace the roof, but kept hoping it would last one more year (for several years,now) so the time has come.. now searching for a trustworthy roofer..which isn't easy in this area, as we want to replace it with a tin roof.

 

Thank heaven no rat problem anymore... I hate those things!!! Pam, get yourself a few of those pest transmitter thingys that plug into an outlet. They emit a harmless frequency that sends pests running the other direction. I have them and they are also good for spiders and creepy crawlies. THEY DO WORK!

 

I have a basement that floods, so DH is busy putting in sump pumps, and decided that while he was digging up the cement, we might as well replace the sewer line and add a much needed 2nd bathroom in the basement..keep in mind this is an OLD house- 70+ years. We don't have a finished basement, but it does have a cement floor, albeit a very wavy one..just like walking on a ship on high seas at times! :D I will never be able to have a finished room down there as the ceiling is just high enough to walk through without hitting your head on any overhead heating ducts, and water pipes...so it's laundry, storage, pantry, and freezer area.,,mostly junk, but organized junk in plastic bins on shelving. At least DH will be able to use the 2nd shower and facilities and not track up the house when he comes in from outside...

 

I need to paint some rooms. Our son, who was "temporarily" (for 7 years) living with us finally moved out this month, so I now will have my extra bedroom back. But, it needs painted, and the carpet scrubbed..so I'm trying to work that in, without much success right now as I'm just getting over a bout with shingles..

 

Our kitchen also needs work done,walls need paint and cabinets need to be refinished as they are starting to look a little worn after 30+ years. It's hard to believe that I've been living in this house 41 years!!!

AS a result, I need to get the attic completely emptied!!!! It's full!!!It's not as bad as it sounds, but I love to have different decorations for all the holidays and have collected quite a few. BUT, I now need to downsize as I don't decorate like I used to. I have sooo much Christmas and Halloween stuff, it's unreal.Maybe we should have moved every few years and I wouldn't have collected so much all these years... anyway, I've gotta get both the attic and basement cleaned out..I've been slowly going through boxes and donating to Goodwill or whoever wants stuff.. My friends have a saying.."If you need or want something, don't go buy it until you check with Linda. She usually has it!" Don't know if that's good or bad!

 

It's never ending, putting time and $$ into the house and property. Sometimes I just want to chuck it all and go hide on a tropical island somewhere. Oh yeah, guess we do do that every once in a while, just not long enough! I really would love to move into a newer one floor home with lots of closet space and a room of my own, though!

 

Debbie, I soooo want to go to Alaska and thought that cruise was gonna happen next year, but so far the group hasn't gotten together so we decided to do a Bahama cruise in Feb.. Alaska will happen, just don't know when right now.

 

OK, Kim, I'm trying to be patient also. Waiting that is.. Take your time, but make it quick. :) Th-tha-tha-thats all folks! (for now)

Edited February 22, 2013 by snuggles

[snuggles]

You guys are so funny! The thing is---I know exactly how you feel. It's so hard to wait for someone's pictures, isn't it? I have over 1100 photos and I don't know where to go to "fix" and crop them and upload them to share. I don't want to pay for a site. And, DS says that my photos are too big, the files are too big and need to be downsized to load faster. He said it would take a month to upload at the size they are.

 

Any suggestions???? I'm dying to share them :D they aren't that good but, I think considering my camera skills and how excited I was ALL the time, they turned out pretty well for the circumstances.

 

Linda, you're going to Alaska, aren't you? Have you been before?

 

Whoops, I was posting as you were and missed you!

 

I have a photo program that I use for mine, then I upload to photobucket (paid account) or snapfish (free) so I can't help...maybe Anita can help or Pam..

 

Anyway, yes, I'm going to Alaska, just don't know when. I had friends who rented a camper and toured Alaska for a month. They had a wonderful time. DH would like to do that, my camping days are over. Been there, done that, not a vaca for me! I want someone else to cook, clean and pick up after me! We are going to cruise the coast, do the train inland and fly back...hopefully those are the plans anyway.. just don't know when yet.

[aoknkentucky]

Kim, you know I'm no help in the photo department. EVERYBODY makes fun of my NON-photo skills. Pam or Anita are your best bet, I'm sure. We will wait. Of course!

 

What type of material is your souvenir? Cotton, linen, etc? Large print or solid? How large is it? X by X piece or yardage? Do you plan to wear it or decorate with it? Inquiring minds want to know. You’ll want to use every scrap of it somehow, right?

 

Let me know results of the friend driving the RV to Alaska, ok? I’ve often wondered about the logistics of driving there and back and if delivering a RV would be as much fun as I’ve imagined or not. We had planned to wait and go to Alaska next year, but the couple husband told wife that he might not be able to go next year. His bad back is allowing less and less mobility. DH and I may need to do less and less as the years go by and I don’t want to look back and wish I’d done anything. I’d much rather have the memories to look back at while I sit in that rocking chair.

 

 

Pam, I am sooo sorry for your troubles. We had a rat several years ago. A single rat. A very LARGE single rat. I will never forget that feeling. My dad trained horses, so I grew up with a barn full of show horses on our property, and, during the worst of the summer heat of my school vacation, my job was to water the horses a couple of times a day. There was usually always a bucket or two with a drowned rat in it. YUCK!!! But, like most situations that you experience when you are young, you accept most things on some level. It still didn't prepare me for the one single rat that came to visit one winter after I married. THAT is the feeling that I'll never forget. I am so very, very sorry you must deal with this issue.

 

 

Linda, I have a picture of our house that's stamp-dated on the back as Apr. 4, ‘98. Since it appears to come from our county property evaluation office, the picture shows no electricity running to the house, and we bought the house in 1986, we have always assumed that our house existed in 1898. It's nothing special really, just an old farmhouse that we've worked on since we bought it. Well, we’ve worked off and on. Mostly off these days. Upstairs is really just a finished attic area, but we have an extra bedroom there and my craft room. The third room was always called the junk room until a few years ago when I started calling it the storage room. It just sounds nicer. Ya' know? DH keeps saying that we’re going to come home some day and the ceiling will have fallen in because of the weight of all the “stuff” up there.

 

I have sooo much stuff. I used to love to decorate for all the seasons and holidays, but I do very little of that these days. Between working full-time, vacations and camping, we just aren’t there to enjoy it and it takes more time and effort than I want to spend for the pay-off involved, I guess. I agree that when you live 30+ years in one spot, stuff accumulates. I should let someone else enjoy the majority of what’s stored there, I guess, but that would involve time too. I keep saying that some day when I’m dead and gone, my daughter will rent a tractor-trailer-sized dumpster and just start throwing it all out. Oh well. Maybe someday I’ll have the time. The list of things I’m going to do when I retire just seems to keep growing. KWIM?

 

We redid our kitchen years ago and some of it is still ok, but it was during the last of the “wallpaper with border” era and it looks dated now. Tile floors were just beginning to make an appearance. Yep, you guessed it. We have linoleum. And, it’s beginning to look worn. Countertop is still good, but it will never work with any new floor I’d choose. The truth is that I just don’t want to spend my time or energy redoing another room. I’ve done it for almost 30 years and I’m tired of sheet-rock dust in every crevice of my home and body. I don’t want to strip wallpaper. But, since we know how to do it, why would we pay good money to have someone else do it and one of us would still need to take off work to be home--IF you could even find anyone willing to work on such a small job. Naaaah, I think I’ll just live with it a while longer. Let’s plan another cruise!

 

Linda, I understand not wanting to enjoy the roughing-it camping from our younger days, but camping for us isn’t really a roughing-it kind of experience. Our travel trailer has three slide-outs to expand our indoor square footage and we install satellite dish, a nice grill and outdoor refrigerator on the campsite. We park our 16’enclosed trailer on the campsite to use for storage of chairs and loungers, golf-cart, and miscellaneous toys for the season. Brother and SIL will be on campsite nearby and they have pontoon boat to use on the lake. With water and electricity hook-ups, we don’t rough it AT ALL. Beach swim area, hiking trails and a band most Saturday nights for entertainment gives us plenty to do with the grandkids. If we don’t want to cook and clean up, we jump in the car. Hushpuppies to die for! and the best fried catfish are just down the road, and a killer pizza joint run by transplanted New Yorkers with a guy from Italy doing the cooking (homemade balsamic vinaigrette that I could drink straight). Then there’s the place known for their 2” pork-chops and homemade bread made in a claypot. Did I tell ya’ll that I love it there? I LOVE IT THERE!!

 

Let us know details of the cruise and land tour when you take it. We may never go to Alaska but once, but like I said, I plan for this to be our FiRsT Alaska trip (of many), I hope. Gathering info is half the fun of planning a trip!

 

Wow! I am chatty today. Have a great weekend, Everybody. While we wait……..

[Anita Latte]

Hey Kim...

 

I understand your dilemma. I have not attempted to do what I know you want to do. Traditionally, you have to open each photo in a photo editing program and use that program's tools to resize the photo. When you want to resize multiple image files, like 1000, the thought of having to open each one and make that edit and then save the edit is rather horrifying. I think you want to somehow be able to select a group of photos and say make these photos to whatever smaller resolution and click, let it be done. Based on my research, I think the tool that might do the job is here:

 

http://download.cnet.com/FastStone-Photo-Resizer/3000-2192_4-10319476.html#rateit

 

It's a free download that seems to fit the bill. I don't have a way to test this at this time, because the computer that has my photo library is on the fritz. The data is backed up, so no worries, but I can't test the idea of changing the size of multiple images "at once" like the description says. However, the high rating and positive user feedback leads me to believe that the software can do what it claims to be able to do.

 

I would recommend making a back up of your photos before messing with them.

 

If you are wanting to make edits to your photos to prepare some for printing, then you don't necessarily want to resize the photos because that affects the resolution which affects the quality of the print. For photos that you want to print, you may just want to do some cropping and other edits. I don't know if this is the best software to prepare images to print.

 

That kind of operation would be more file specific anyway...

 

I didn't research that idea. There are several free photo editing programs that are more suited to making more changes like eliminating red eye and making color corrections in addition to simple edits like cropping. This is not that kind of a software program. I would have to do more research to find a user friendly software program that was free/cheap that would be capable of preparing images to be printed. Based on my research alone, I am recommending the software link above to simply resize multiple photos at the same time in order for you to upload them somewhere on the internet and then share them with us. :D

 

I have been using photobucket for sharing. I haven't experienced issues with Photobucket in the past (I use a free account) but they are making changes to the site and social media is being more integrated into the site. It's turning me off to Photobucket a little bit. I took a look at Snapfish, which I thought also had unlimited storage with a free account.

 

Snapfish has software that you can download called "PictureMover" which they say is a great way to upload photos 100s at a time.

 

So I think that I would go with Snapfish. I quickly made a Snapfish account. When you upload, you can upload to a specific album (you can create one when you upload) and then you can share a link to that album.

 

You have a page that says "Your Albums" in a header.

Check the box next to the album you want to share.

Then click the share button that appears in the shadow box under the "Your Albums" header. Don't click the share button under the album.

A new dialogue box opens with three tabs. The middle tab says "share with a link." Select that tab. Then you can click in the box that has the link and copy it and then paste it in a post over here. :D

 

If you want, I can look into photo editors that are more suited for preparing photos for printing...Let me know.

[laurspag]

I've been thinking a lot about pests since reading this thread over the past few days, lol.

 

We are fortunate in that we have never had rats, but we certainly get some other things. Twice, we've managed to have a snake in the house. We've gotten our share of mice too, but we have really made a strong effort to seal things up so they don't get into the house. The problem is, they still manage to get into the basement.

 

We had a tiny hole in the eaves where a bird decided to make a nest, and the chirping drove everyone crazy. I really thought a tree would be a much better place!

 

All in all, I can relate to issues that delay our plans. We were hoping for another trip later this year, but since we had a major water line issue that cost a lot more money than we hoped, we are going to save for our next cruise in 2014 instead.

Edited February 24, 2013 by laurspag

[Anita Latte]

I began to wonder what everyone is up to for their travels in 2013?

 

Unfortunately, we have no plans for 2013. :(

 

I was just in the process of running the cost of a trip down to Disney. We still have non-expired tickets from a previous trip and they are running a Spring Special that not only covers DS's Spring Break...but also covers the first part of DS's summer vacation. So I was comparing and contrasting different resort costs v. length of stay and seeing what kind of cost would be involved in a nice vacation for the family...especially since it's supposed to be an 8-hour drive to get there from our new GA location...

 

And then my Toby kitty was ill...and vet bills are not the cheapest thing...and with that surprise expense, all hope of a Disney vacay in 2013 went out the window.

 

I'm still enjoying researching the idea and thinking about a possible trip in 2014 for either Spring Break or the beginning of summer vacation.

 

Meanwhile...our recreation plans are going to have to be closer to home. I guess we will explore Georgia with several day trips and maybe a few camping trips.

 

Linda and Debbie...if you can stand to go through your stuff...it is such a freeing thing to do. Even though you can't SEE that stuff...it does something to your brain to know that there is stuff. I've been in the process of "lightening the load" since 2003. Isn't that crazy? For 10 years, I have been going through my stuff and figuring out if it stays or goes. And the funny thing is that some things that made the cut over time have finally been released...and a few things that I thought I could live without and then regretted giving away, came back to me...and a couple things that I thought I had gotten rid of and regretted, well, it turns out that I didn't, I just stored them away so well, it took me quite a while to locate them again! LOL.

 

I'm actually going to go through this process...AGAIN. I don't think it's ever a done deal, actually. And the fact of the matter is that we WILL be moving again. I'm not sure how soon it will be...the commute here is so bad...DH can't take a highway to work, so he drives on mostly 2-lane roads (like all the other thousands of people around here). It's the stop lights that are the major offenders to the commute time...it can literally take 3-4 cycles to get through one stop light...and it's nothing but 15-20 miles of 2-lanes and stop lights. If we could move even 2 miles east...and remove some particular stop lights from DH's commute, then we could reduce DH's commute by 10-15 minutes...which doesn't sound like a big deal, but really is with DH's back issues. Depending on what comes on the market, we may move whenever we could, and definitely in just over 2 years when DS goes to high school and the attendance boundary goes even further east and closer to work.

 

So I'm preparing to move right now. So right now, I am staging the house...because this always makes the house feel so much better and I always wonder why I didn't do this earlier...and I am starting the process of a household inventory and also getting rid of things that we no longer need. The big question is whether or not any of the things we no longer need have ANY monetary value worth trying to reap...we have some major bills that we need to pay off.

 

So that's how I'm spending my 2013.

[Joby]

OK--here it is. Gentle reminder that I'm not a big time photographer--just a point and shoot kind of gal. Also we had carry-on luggage only and so I'm in the same 4 tops, well actually it looks like I'm in the aqua top A LOT :)

Here is a link to our photos that I culled down from 1700 (yes, that's right!) to 393. It will take 20 minutes or so to see all the photos in a slide show. There's a button on the upper right hand side to click on that says "slideshow" & you can adjust the speed and whether or not you want to see the captions after you get to the slideshow on the bottom right hand side of the slideshow screen.

 

 

It was the most amazing trip! We are so thankful that we did it now while we are healthy and able to do all of the things we did. We sooo hope to be able to go back sometime. I'm going to write up a "report" of our trip and when it's done, I'll send it along to you guys if you would like.

 

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=8287340028/a=14627401028_14627401028/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

[snuggles]

OK--here it is. Gentle reminder that I'm not a big time photographer--just a point and shoot kind of gal. Also we had carry-on luggage only and so I'm in the same 4 tops, well actually it looks like I'm in the aqua top A LOT :)

 

Here is a link to our photos that I culled down from 1700 (yes, that's right!) to 393.

 

 

It was the most amazing trip! We are so thankful that we did it now while we are healthy and able to do all of the things we did. We sooo hope to be able to go back sometime. I'm going to write up a "report" of our trip and when it's done, I'll send it along to you guys if you would like.

 

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=8287340028/a=14627401028_14627401028/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

OMG! :eek::cool:And you say you aren't a photographer! Well, you sure should be!!! What fantastic photos!

I think I even saw some pics of me ( the ones of the ahemm...arses!)

Seriously Kim, What an adventure! I'm soooo glad you shared it! The look on your and DH faces in all the photos says it all! I almost felt as though I was there with you ( well, I was - didn't ya see me hanging from the trees or running away?)

I need to take some pointers from you on how to shoot good pics. Loved the animal shots..what am I saying I LOVED ALL THE SHOTS!

THANK YOU...THANK YOU....THANK YOU!!!!!!

BTW Love the aqua top!;)

Did I say I loved your photos???:cool:

And YES, I'd love to read your "African Adventure"!

Go'in back and enjoy your Africa again!

Edited March 7, 2013 by snuggles

[aoknkentucky]

Wow. Oh. Wow. OH. WOW!!!

 

Thank you so much, Kim. I feel like I've been to Africa now also. What wonderful pictures. You're not a photographer? I thought you had some fantastic shots of a truly wonderful once-in-a-lifetime type trip. I enjoyed it sooo much.

 

I also saw several FIRE colors in your pictures of Africa. The Red Bishop, Water lily and flower, and the flapearred Chameleon are the ones I can think of now. Such fantastic bright colors everywhere.

 

So who is the birder in your family? You, your husband or both?

 

Thanks again for sharing your trip with us. It was well worth the wait. I had a wonderful time. --Debbie

[snuggles]

Kim,

 

I'm at work and have had your slideshow showing all day!!! What a pleasure it's been joing you in Africa while the snow comes down here!:p Haven't done a lick of work!

My head is swimming with questions...I thought you would be "roughing it" and sleeping on cots in tents in the middle of the "jungle" What was I thinking? LOL

 

I'm curious about the "chicken lunch" ~ It looks like someone took leftover bones and fried them..;)...to funny.

 

Anyway I'm gonna keep your slideshow up for a while and enjoy it.

 

 

Loved the "she's awake"..so cute!

So many colors and there were lots of fire colors!

Can't tell you what my fav pic is as I love them all

 

THANKS AGAIN!

[Joby]

You are all so kind! I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos. My photos are nothing compared to some I see posted online. You should have seen some of the camera lenses we saw while on safari. the length of my arm!!!! I'm just a point and shoot--too much multi-tasking for me to deal with changing lenses and "stuff". The photos can't even begin to capture the true essence of Tanzania. It was just life altering. I think about it all day every day.

 

There were lots of FIRE colors but, I saw lots of ICE and EARTH colors too.

 

I'm the birder, DH has always just been nice and gone along with me but, this trip even HE got into the birding. Hard not to with all the lovelies out there! The Red Bishop was also one of my favorite birds. the Fischer's Lovebird is also another beauty. The birds of prey were so plentiful and unique. I could just go on and on.

 

 

You were all there with me in spirit and thought. I always thought about you when I saw great colors. Sometimes I would mention your names (my DH knows your names from my talking about you all:) ) and say "so and so" would look so good in that color, etc.

 

Thanks again for sitting through the photos. I just can't stop looking at them either and I relive every moment.

 

This is my partial trip report. I'm doing it in installments, too overwhelming if I don't :)

 

I have had a lifelong dream of seeing Africa—the animals, the people, the scenery…My husband was excited to go but not quite to the level I was. About 2 years ago my husband and I started talking about taking the trip when we retired in several years. After thinking about it, we decided we were young enough to do what we wanted to do now at 55, healthy, both able and alive so, why not do it now while we could! So the research and planning started.

I looked around online at the big agencies, found prices that took my breath away and knew we couldn’t afford them. Then I started looking at Trip Advisor as I use it frequently for trip research. I found the Africa forum and looked at it, eventually whittling it down to Kenya and Tanzania. Read those for a while and decided that Tanzania would be a good match for us. Next step, I started asking questions on the forum, then picked out quite a few TO’s to email, ask questions, etc. Started getting replies back, got a “feeling” for whom I felt more comfortable with and continued asking questions, emailing and calling those OP’s.

Finally, 18 months before the trip, we decided to go with Simon King of EASTCO (East African Safari and Touring Company). Simon was usually-- quick with a response, patient, understanding of what we hoped for and knowledgeable. EASTCO also seemed to be more of the type of company we felt would give us the “fit” we needed for our trip.

After that decision was made I asked many more questions both on Trip Advisor and to Simon. Eventually, we had our itinerary completed. Oh, but I still wasn’t done asking questions! For the next 18 months I continued to find questions that I needed answered. Simon was good natured in answering them and I needed a lot of hand holding for this trip!!! My beloved husband was excited but, I was over the moon!

Now, on to our itinerary:

February 1-16, 2013

We flew IND-DTW-AMS-NBO

Overnight at Silver Springs Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

Flew Precision Air NBO-MWZ (Mwanza, Tanzania)

Overnight at Speke Bay Lodge

Overnight at Mbalageti Tented Lodge

3 nights EASTCO camp near Olduvai River

Overnight Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

3 nights Boundary Hill Lodge

2 nights White Rose Guesthouse, Babati, Tanzania

2 nights Elephant Motel, Same, Tanzania (Mkomazi NP)

Dayroom use KIA Lodge near JRO

Flew home JRO-AMS-ATL-IND

We had never flown this far in our lives. We were a little nervous about the flights. Turned out they were all very close to on-time and as smooth as sitting in our living room. One thing checked off the worry list.

NBO was not the nightmare that I had feared in getting through. We landed 8:30 pm’ish (on Sunday) , did our “stuff” like getting a transit Visa, and were met by the lovely Bertha of EASTCO and Silas our transfer man and taken to the Silver Springs Hotel in Nairobi. It was a very nice hotel. We arrived about 9:30 pm’ish, Bertha got us checked in and went to our room with us. The room was clean, had AC, a good shower, quick Internet and a nice firm bed.

We had our wakeup call (a "hello” and a knock on the door) at 5 am (on Monday), ate breakfast in the nice restaurant and off to NBO at 6 am for our flight to Mwanza to REALLY start our safari. The Precision Air flight was a 50 seater and was a nice smooth flight too. We landed at Mwanza and went through customs, got our Tanzanian visa, (did not have to show our Yellow Fever paperwork) and waited for Melenyia to pick us up for our transfer to Speke Bay Lodge on Lake Victoria. He was a little late but, he took us to exchange some USD to TSH and then we were on our way to Speke Bay. It was an interesting drive along the way.

Speke Bay Lodge is a beautiful, relaxing and perfect way to start a safari. We unwound in the peace and quiet, had great food, slept well and did a great bird walk the next morning with George (our waiter/bird guide). The birds at Speke (over 200 species found there) were a lovely way to start our Tanzanian birding, especially seeing the African Fish Eagle! Jan is a great host/Manager at Speke Bay Lodge! We met our EASTCO guide, Ezekiel, at Speke the next morning (Monday) after birding and breakfast.

Monday, February 4—we left Speke around 1 pm and were off to the Western Corridor of the Serengeti through the Ndabaka gate. Lovely area, no people, no cars, our first African mammals, our first Lioness, and our first bites by Tse. About 5:30 pm we rolled into Mbalageti Tented Lodge. Simon had surprised us by switching us out of Serengeti Wildlife Lodge to here—THANKS Simon. Oh, my, what a beautiful place! Our tented chalet was right out of a magazine (to us at least). It had 2 lovely netted beds, a beautiful porch and a most magnificent bathroom with a claw foot tub! Divine. The food at the restaurant was wonderful and overlooking the Western Corridor at dinner and seeing Twiga (Giraffe) was just fantastic. I saw my first Topi and found it was one of my most “favoritist” animals of the trip. Not sure why I liked them so much but I did. My husband on the other hand was the Ostrich spotter and man. Each to his/her own J We slept well and had a great breakfast the next morning.

Tuesday, February 5—we met Ezekiel at 7:45 am and off we went driving toward the Central Serengeti. I tried, as I did every day of the trip, to keep my excitement to a manageable level. As always my beloved husband was the calm, cool, silent type that balances me out!

Our route took us from Mbalageti—Seronera—Ndutu—Olduvai River (EASTCO camp). Lots of birds today (yeah!). The changes in scenery from the Western Corridor to the Olduvai area were just beautiful. I think my highlight today was seeing a Dung Beetle at work. I love them!! Ezekiel thought that was funny! We had lots of laughs on this trip between my husband, Ezekiel and me. We were forming a very good travel partnership, all 3 of us! Ezekiel would prove to be a wonderful “match” for us. It just took him a bit to get used to my dry humor and my beloved’s quiet humor. Ezekiel uses the term “check tire” for going to the bathroom. Let me tell you, I “check tire” a lot, Ezekiel and my husband on the other hand have bladders the size of Africa! Got into the EASTCO camp around 5 ‘ish, settled into our tent with a real live firm bed!, showered, had dinner, met our camp neighbors (a Mom and daughter from Australia and an American couple) and off to bed by 9’ish.

Wednesday, February 6—off today to hunt for the Great Migration! Drove for about 2 hours and found it near the Mastiti area. The bumpy roads/paths we drove took us by great birds, small Massai bomas, uniformed kids going to school, a Massai schoolhouse, and lovely landscapes. Ezekiel had super driving skills and a sharp eye. When we found the Migration, it just gave us goose bumps. It was unexpected too as we wanted to see the Migration but, wouldn’t have thought the trip a failure if we didn’t. To be in the middle and surrounded 360 degrees by all of these animals was amazing, just unbelievable. We were amongst something that we had only read about and seen on TV.

Oh, did I mention that we saw CATS—Cheetah, a pair of Lions my husband spotted (he had a sharp eye, probably because he was looking, unlike me who was looking, taking photos, asking questions, catching my breath from excitement, etc.), a single Lioness and a pride of 11 Lions including a collared male! They were sleeping, stretching, yawning, sitting, staring…. The birds we saw today were lovely too, even a pair of Hooded Vultures mating. We got back to camp around 6:30 pm and we had more new neighbors (an Australian couple). We all met for a good dinner and talk of our day. Off to bed after going through photos and journaling. What a wonderful, exciting and tiring day.

Thursday, February 7—it turned out to be a very dusty and windy day today! We cruised the Ndutu area today looking for “action” as Ezekiel called it. Highlights of the day were: a Leopard surrounded by 14 vehicles, a small group of Lions-- with a male laying flat on his back with all 4 legs in the air and showing all his “manliness’ as Ezekiel and my husband called it--he was a “happy boy”, Cheetah, Lakes Ndutu and Masek, and lots of Vultures. This is our last night at the EASTCO camp. We had dinner with our tent neighbors and shared stories of our day again. What a fun group! Usual 9'ish bedtime, photo deleting and journaling.

It's been fun camping here! The setting is so serene and peaceful. the staff including Costa and Dixon have made our stay nice. They do a great job cooking over a fire, bringing hot water for the shower, and helping to make our stay enjoyable. The sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous! One thing I will not miss is the bucket shower. Bucket showers and thick curly hair just do not go well together. Just one of my high maintenance needs :) My husband on the other hand did just fine with the bucket shower. He doesn't have much hair, legs to shave, etc....

Friday, February 8 Ngorongoro Crater begins the next installment.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Joby

[Anita Latte]

LOVE the photos....LOVE the journal.

 

So excited that you are taking the time and making the effort to share with us. SO EXCITED. I know all the hard work involved in doing something like this and really want to be clear in expressing how wonderful it is to be on this side, reading and seeing...and knowing you as we do and getting to share this adventure with you. It is much more meaning full to know you when reading your experiences.

 

Very much enjoying all of this.

 

It's funny because many times, I don't want to reply to things people post too soon because I want everyone to see that the one we have all been waiting for has posted...but I wanted to post to express my gratitude and appreciation for what you are doing. I have to go back and look again at the photo while matching up your descriptions.

 

So happy. :)