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Beautiful, desolate, brrr! Merry Christmas, Dave!
Now that is a beautiful, peaceful snow scene! Merry Christmas, @davebugg !!
Merry Christmas, Dave!
Thanks; and to you, too.Bellisima! Made even more perfect with the falling snow on the screen!! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
all i can remember is the movie 'braven' the love of man to his father
merry merry heart mr @davebugg and rest of your family!
I might when I have ticked off my list of other things to do for tomorrow! Happy Christmas, and enjoy the relative freedom of retirement...I stared into the pictures for a long time to see why there are two pictures.....
Can you find 8 differences between the two?
You’re pulling our leg, aren’t you??I stared into the pictures for a long time to see why there are two pictures.....
Can you find 8 differences between the two?
I stared into the pictures for a long time to see why there are two pictures.....
Can you find 8 differences between the two?
Yes, Dave, I echo the delight of all to seeing you back in place...mind your step! And a happy Christmas to you and yours.
Merry Christmas Dave. Best wishes for the coming year.
Kind of reminds me of Moses Lake, Washington.
Looks like the perfect place to recover and spend Christmas, lovely view out your window . Blessings to you and your family @davebugg Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas everyone!
I figured there was a little "fat fingering" going on.Ha, ha, made you look In reality, I somehow made a mistake and double posted the pic. I'll see if I can edit it
<A bit later> Drat, still can't get rid of the duplicate. I don't know just how I managed to do a duplicate posting of that pic. Sorry, guys
A very Mery Christmas to you and your familyMerry Christmas everyone!
Davebugg, I'm so glad you're back on the forum. I'm a fellow NW'er from Oregon and I'm starting my first Camino in April. I was so saddened by your unacceptable experience at the albergue and disappointed you felt you needed to leave, but understood. Hope your health is improving greatly and perhaps I'll be able to meet you on the Camino someday!
Davebugg, I'm so glad you're back on the forum. I'm a fellow NW'er from Oregon and I'm starting my first Camino in April. I was so saddened by your unacceptable experience at the albergue and disappointed you felt you needed to leave, but understood. Hope your health is improving greatly and perhaps I'll be able to meet you on the Camino someday!
Well, since you mentioned it... I'd love to hear about your favorite alburgues, restaurants, cafes, along the way...please share if you have the time, energy and desire. I realize you're still on the mend, so no pressure.
Meeting special people, laughing and personal growth are my priorities for this journey. I'm naturally skilled at spontaneity...but planning, not so much.
I only have a few questions at the moment. What guide book do you prefer? Can you recommend a good place for me to stay comfortably when I arrive to sleep off my jet lag? I know from previous trips to Spain that I'll need 3 full nights before I start walking. I considered making my way to Lourdes first via Marseille and taking rest there, then taking a train/bus to SPdP. It'll depend on ticket costs, I suppose....and time. Thoughts?
I've been reading this forum for about 6 months now, and found that there are so many lovely people with experience and insight regarding the Camino, but I felt aligned with your posts most often.
This will be my first long trip away from my sweet husband in 15 years. I think we both look forward to reconnecting with our individual selves...and missing each other. If you don't mind me asking, how does your wife handle you being gone on your caminos?
So, Army pilot? My dad was a medic in VN...1st Cav. I was a Marine stationed in Japan during Desert Storm. Thank you for your service!
Dave, Happy New Year! Question on your avatar. Did you fly Hueys? As a Navy pilot I trained in H-57s for basic helos, then Hueys (H-1s) for Advanced and later flew H-3s (Sea Kings) in the fleet. Planning my next Camino for the holy year in 2021.
I appreciate your thoughts and kind words, Marie.
I used the Brierley 'Maps Only' book, and the Wise Pilgrim app on my iPhone. The Wise Pilgrim app contains a huge host of information of towns along the way, as well as information on some lodging choices and other services.
In SJPdP I have lodged at several places, but I enjoyed the private room at Gite Makila quite a bit. Since you mentioned that you probably will lay over at least a couple of days to un-jetlag , be sure to check the policy for multi-night stays with any alburgues you might be thinking of staying at. Lodging is at a premium in that tourist and pilgrim town, so if you aren't already aware, it really is beneficial to make reservations well ahead of your planned arrival.
Planning is a great way to organize for your trip.... exploring available lodgings at end of stage days ... favorite eating places in towns along the way ... what items you need to add to your 'bedroom' and 'closet' and 'bathroom' and 'storage pantry' that you'll carry in your 'house' ... budget ... potential places that you really would like to visit along the way, etc.
It is the reliance on one's plans which can become problematic when flexibility and adaptation is required as things come up which can interfere with those plans. Beginning from his first overnight backpacking trip at age three, my son Caleb and I have had a saying for when things deviate from expectations and plans: "It's all part of the adventure".
On my last trip that began in in SJPdP in the middle of September, Caleb finally joined me in Leon in early October so that we could finish together in Santiago de Compostela. He knew about my negative and disheartening experiences during my walking from SJPdP before leaving Denver. When his bus finally arrived at 2:30 am in the cold and dark and wind, the first thing he did was grab me in a big hug and say, "It's all part of the adventure, Pops".
I think that is the point where my mental outlook halted its downward slide. "It's all part of the adventure". Things happen, plans and expectations are changed, and if Plan B isn't working out there are 25 other letters in the alphabet.
You are absolutely and brilliantly correct that there are many wise, experienced and wonderful people on this Forum; I have been the beneficiary of their knowledge, guidance, and compassion in so very many different ways.
I wasn't a pilot, I was a Flight Medic; I just followed wherever the pilots took me and my crew chief I
did have cause to spend a little time at Camp Radcliff, out of An Khe where part of the 1st Air Cav had been deployed. Who knows, I might have been in contact with your dad, especially if he was attached to that base's Aid Station.
How does my wife, Jill, handle my being away? With jubilant celebration, of course Actually, she isn't drawn to backpacking or long distance walking and so Camino pilgrimage is not appealing to her. She is also very busy as a pediatric Charge nurse at our local hospital, as well as coordinating our areas Operation Christmas Child program with the local churches which is a huge undertaking. So her time is pretty full.
I make arrangements ahead of time to have necessary chores, like landscape and yard care, taken care of so that my absence does not add to her burden.... although I do most all of the cooking and baking so she does have that to deal with . I also make sure that a few of our friends who have handy man skills know when I'm gone so if some problem with the house arises, Jill can call on them. I am the treasurer of our family, so most regular bills are set up for automatic payment. Those which aren't send me an email bill reminder so while in Spain, I can send out an echeck from our bank.
We keep in contact with FaceTime when available wifi can handle it, and daily phone calls otherwise. Texting and my sharing the days events and sending pictures to Jill helps her to share in the adventure. In fact, when arriving in Santiago, I was able to connect to her on FaceTime so that she could 'walk' with Caleb and me during the last kilometer as we reached the Cathedral square. Even though we have an 8 hour time difference, it was so special that she could see what we saw as we made our final steps to complete our journey.
I hope this gives you some helpful insight. I also hope that others may share some of their tips, too.