A Very Rainy Day

October 2, 2026

Some days you just want to stay in bed. The last day of September, Day 6 of our current trip, was one of those days.

Terry brewed his pot of coffee and tried to sit outside in the fresh air to drink it. But the rain started. And didn’t want to stop.

That morning while Terry read, I studied the weather forecast. There was a warmup on the horizon! After a brief discussion about where we wanted to head next, I booked our stops for the next few days. And the rain continued.

For lunch we decided to take advantage of our campground being close enough to a town and ordered Domino’s Pizza delivery. I was so excited! Until it was time for me to walk to the office and meet the delivery driver. . . it was still raining.

That afternoon I did some writing while Terry watched baseball and napped. And it continued to rain.

We only had 3 more episodes of our Netflix series to watch so we decided to knock them out before bedtime. And then the wind began to blow and the van started rocking. And the rain came down so loud we had to turn the volume all the way up to hear our show!

We found out the next morning just up the road Lincoln broke a record that day for daily rainfall, recording just over 6” in a 24-hour period. We were so thankful we were not traveling and that we didn’t experience any leaks.

Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Matthew 7:24-25, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Thank you, Jesus, for being my solid foundation. Amen!

 

Taking Care of Business

October 2, 2026

Back in the day, laundry was done on Mondays. For us this week, it was done on Day 5 of our journey. Because we were at a campground with machines. And because the following day we were going to be hit by remnants of Hurricane Polo.

We also reported our lack of electricity which they couldn’t fix so we moved to site next door. Thank goodness we got that taken care of before the weather turned!

With the MLB playoffs starting that afternoon, we quickly filled out our brackets separately and then compared notes. Our first year together I actually won when the Diamondbacks surprised everyone. Terry was impressed because at that time, I didn’t follow baseball at all.

This year we both have Milwaukee winning the World Series. . . Go Brewers!!!

We enjoyed a late lunch of mac and cheese with chicken. Terry cooked and I cleaned up afterwards, our usual routine. Terry then tuned in to baseball while I finished reading my first book of this trip. We watched a few episodes of a Netflix series we’re almost done with and tucked in for the night.

The photo above is AI generated by Terry as we took no photos at all that day. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Slow Start

September 30, 2026

One of the best parts of retirement is being able to sleep in on Mondays. And on Day 4 of our current trip, we definitely took advantage of that!

The winery we were staying at was closed. There were no other businesses around as it was out in the country. So, we took our time getting back on the road.

Terry made his pot of coffee and read while I wrote and relaxed.

We finally decided we would head into Lincoln for a late lunch at Don & Millies. I enjoyed a grilled chicken club with onion rings while Terry wolfed down a footlong chili cheese dog with fries.

As we drove through downtown, we caught sight of the capital building which didn’t look like any other state capital we’d ever seen. So I googled it, of course.

The unique Nebraska State Capitol building is 400 ft tall and is topped with a 19 ft bronze statue of “The Sower” which sits upon a 12.5 ft pedestal that is decorated with shocks of wheat and corn. The statue is of a barefoot man with rolled up pantlegs and shirt sleeves, scattering grain with his hand in honor of Nebraska’s agricultural heritage and the hopeful spirit of its people. How beautiful is that!

Not far west of the city we arrived at our home for the next few days, the KOA near Seward. The remnants of Hurricane Polo were headed our way, and we decided to stay put while the heavy rain came through.

We took a walk and enjoyed a stunning sunset. And then realized our electric hookup had stopped working. And the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. But it was after office hours, so we let it go until the next day.

We were thankful we had a safe place to get off the road and rest.

Psalm 136:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

What are you thankful for today? Have you told Him about it?

 

Sunday on the Road

September 30, 2026

After enjoying a breakfast of oatmeal and hot tea, we set out on Day 3 for the local church. Our Savior Lutheran Church in Platte City, Missouri, welcomed us with open arms.

We then headed for Nebraska for the first time together although we had each been to Cornhusker State separately in the past.

Terry shared several stories with me on the way of his previous experiences including the one about a tree growing out the top of a silo in extreme northwestern Missouri. And I saw it for myself, just south of the Rock Port exit on I-29, although I was too slow to capture a photo of it.

We then headed west to our Harvest Host site for the night, Deer Springs Winery, just east of Lincoln. We enjoyed a late lunch picnic platter and a bottle of Stargazer wine under a canopy of shade trees. Our hostess said it was their first day without rain in over two weeks! It seemed the bugs were very glad it had stopped raining.

We then retreated to the van to relax and enjoy the peaceful evening.

As dusk settled in around us, an owl serenaded us from the woods as we tucked in for the night.

 

 

Walking in Step

September 28, 2026

After enjoying breakfast with family on Day 2, we got back on the interstate and leisurely headed west on Interstate 70 toward our next resting place.

When we stopped for gas, another fellow traveler approached us and commented on our walking in step with each other as we crossed the parking lot hand in hand. I smiled and told him it was much more comfortable that way. He laughed and said he was going to tell his wife that!

As we got back in Bart and buckled up, I thought about my comment and how it relates to our walk with Jesus. I’ve definitely found that life’s difficulties seem much more bearable if I’m staying in His Word and talking with Him often.

We continued down the road and headed north on Interstate 29 out of Kansas City. Shout out to you Royal’s fans! We hope to catch a game there next season.

Arriving at our Harvest Host site, we were blessed to find a hot shower and a courtesy room with a couch and TV! We recharged our electrical system and relaxed for the rest of the evening. After a handy dandy tuna salad for dinner, we listened to the Cardinals lose another game.

We awoke to a new day and a glorious sunrise!

Dear God, help me to continue to seek you daily. Amen.

 

Let Go and Let God

September 28, 2026

The weather forecast was calling for 80+ degree temperatures again, so it was time for us to hit the road again! But this time we were determined to make a change both in our traveling pace and in our daily routine. The goal was to spend less time driving and more time with God, reading and studying His Word.

And I was determined to relax more and enjoy each day fully.

The first day of a new trip is always filled with the rush of packing those last-minute things and securing the cabin. Then we filled up with gas and purchased a bag of ice for the beverage cooler. While at the gas station, a guy at a pump across from us caught my attention and said he had just checked our Facebook page and wished us safe travels. I hope he is traveling safely as well.

We got back on the interstate and about an hour down the road we encountered the half of a house shown in the photo. It took up 2 lanes of traffic! And it was only half of the home!

Terry and I are so blessed that we both feel comfortable travelling in such a small space, containing only our “essentials.” We have just enough electrical power to run the tiny fridge and his coffee maker, charge our phones and tablets, and cook a little. We have a very comfortable bed to sleep in and enough room to relax.

We don’t have a particular destination in mind for this trip. And that’s okay. Because we know He will guide us where we’re supposed to go.

Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Thank you, God, for allowing us to travel. Help us to share your love with those we meet. Amen.

 

Lesson Learned

September 8, 2026

When Terry and I plan our trips, we usually have a few places we definitely intend on seeing. For example, this trip we knew we wanted to visit several of Lake Michigan’s lighthouses. And we did.

But it seems like when we allow ourselves to veer off our plotted course, we are usually delightfully surprised at what we encounter. Like the Field of Dreams.

And then occasionally, there are the duds. The places that really weren’t worth our time and attention. But we thought we needed to experience them just because.

The Iowa 80 Truckstop was a dud for us.

Perhaps it was because it was our last day of the trip, and we just had our sights on getting home that afternoon. Or maybe it was that we were tired or hungry.

But it just didn’t seem that big and exciting to us.

We walked around a bit. Bought a couple of snacks that disappointed us. Bought the sticker to document we experienced it.

And when we got back into the van, we both agreed that after all we had experienced on that trip, from the lighthouse views, the lake Michigan beaches, the hills and valleys of Wisconsin and Michigan, the farms with the cornfields to the baseball fields, the largest truck stop in the world just did not impress us.

And now we know.

We made one more important stop that day at Overland Sheepskin in Fairfield, Iowa, to pick up an upgrade for BART.

Can you guess what we bought there? I’ll share in my next post!