It is the “traditional” motto of the United States: E pluribus unum, classical Latin for “Out of many, one.” Its inclusion on the Great Seal was approved by Congress in 1782, making it the de facto motto of the U.S. from its earliest days. Eventually, Congress adapted “In God We Trust” as the official motto…
The weekend weather forecasts called for snow on Sunday, but that didn’t deter us from heading to Cedar Hill State Park. Considering the events that had unfolded at the nation’s Capitol on Wednesday, we needed an escape. We were not at all surprised that the president could whip his followers into a frenzy. After all,…
As the title of this post implies, we spent some time this weekend watching “Where Eagles Dare,” the 1968 World War II action film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure. Considered by many as one of the best war movies of all time, it was shot on location in Austria and Bavaria, and…
On Christmas Eve, Jon read a story in The New York Times about new research into the evolution of mistletoe, the popular evergreen plant that has long been associated with fertility and festivity. As it turns out, we discovered our campsite was positioned just beneath a mistletoe plant, which prompted a quick kiss for luck.…
We set out for our pre-Christmas weekend a little earlier than usual, due to the fact that our power tongue jack lost power during our last outing and we knew hitching up would require some extra time to deploy the hand crank. We’re constantly amazed at the high demand for RV repairs and service. When…
Typically we go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving. Okay, that’s over the Mississippi and through Woodriver, Illinois, to Alton, where Jon’s mom’s apartment is, but you get the idea. Not this year. Taking the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and of Dr. Anthony Fauci,…
Like many Americans, we found ourselves weary and worn as we continued awaiting the results of the presidential election. We were eager to escape the worries and woes of the world. So we set out for Loyd Park on what promised to be a beautiful fall weekend. We weren’t disappointed. A little before 10:30 a.m.…
We arrived for our weekender, anticipating a transition to early fall-like weather. But shortly after setting up Cloud 9 and firing up the grill, we were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. After nearly three decades on the court, and several bouts with cancer, she died…
This weekend marked five years since we first began camping at Loyd Park, a little piece of paradise about a half-hour from our “sticks and bricks” home in Oak Cliff. It would be challenging to count the many weekends we’ve spent at our favorite backyard campground, and the many times we’ve extended our stay from…
Once upon a hot week in July, Jon decided to vacation in Phoenix. As the plane was about to land, the pilot announced that the temperature was 117 degrees. The woman in the next seat turned to Jon and said, “It’s a dry heat.” Jon responded, “It may be, but it’s still hot!” Our weekend…
