Butts (6.20.16)

At the risk of sounding a little crass, we were on a mission to bring home some butts! (Halibuts!)

Thanks, Doug for the help in doing just that.  :) 

Southeast Alaska (6.19.16-6.27.16)

We enthusiastically traded our 100 degree Memphis heat in mid-June for a less humid fishing-friendly climate.  Who would not be thrilled with the breathtaking flight over mountain glaciers with a spectacular water landing in Warm Springs Bay?  Or, the opportunity to fish, hike, or whale watch each day in the pristine Alaskan wilderness?  Or, to be fed king or dungeness crab along with our fresh catch of salmon or halibut from Bajr's kitchen?  Our welcome back to Baranof Wilderness Lodge (remotely located near Sitka, Alaska) was sweetened with warm hugs from old friends.

 

Walmart (5.26.16)

Enough said.  Two quotes from a dear friend sum up this experience. 

1.     “You reach a certain pinnacle in vacationing when you’ve slept at Wally World.”

2.      “It’s all about the ride…. Not just the destination.”

Red Noses (5.26.16)

Our navigational app suggested a route to Ohio through Northwest Tennessee.  It seemed only appropriate to check in on the grandparents and make our first pit stop at the farm.  Daddy Joe had more fun investigating this “mechanical wonder”, including hearing the many tunes played on The Horn.  Coincidentally, it happened to be Red Nose Day, and that just added to the fun.  (Red Nose Day raises money to help transform the lives of children living in poverty in the US and internationally. )

Maiden Journey (5.26.16)

Lloyd and I traveled to Dallas for our anniversary earlier this year to see our favorite band.  Due to an unforeseen illness the show was cancelled at last minute.  Disappointed, however, it was on that trip that we learned about their Nowhere Else Festival to be hosted on Memorial Day weekend in Martinsville Ohio.  So, where should we choose to go on our maiden journey in the bus? None other than No Where Else.  #nowhereelsefest

The Finks Bus (5.26.16)

It's a really long and entertaining story (we'll tell you in person someday), but, in short we've acquired a beautifully restored vintage Bluebird in which we plan to tour the country.  We'll tell you more about it and our stops along the way through this blog.  We're grateful to the many friends both new and old who have helped us get to this point (Steve Turner, Glennbruce Campbell, Jerry Carter, Marc and Barb Stratton, Randy and Carol Dupree, Chap and Darra Enfinger, and the Wanderlodge Owner's Group).  Keep checking in. We hope to have lots of stories to tell.

Christmas, already?

For those of you who are just dropping in to check to see if we are still breathing, you haven't missed much since my last post. Breathing, we are.  In fact, this year has been so full, it has kept me away from my laptop.  Our Christmas letter was an attempt to briefly outline our activities of 2014, much of which were a whirlwind.  We are blessed and thankful, and my New Year's resolution will be to update this blog on a more regular basis.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to you all!