The Georgia Peach and her Maine Man

Telluride, CO!

2011-11-03T15:51:00.000-04:00

We've arrived in Telluride, CO for the winter! Took us five days exactly, with a stop in Glenwood Springs to see our friends Bobbi and Chase. No troubles on the road, especially since we weren't towing a car. It was quite difficult finding a place to park the bus once we got here ... did you know that you can't burn wood in Telluride town limits (research air quality circa Telluride mining days)? There is a permit available, but guess how much? $75,000 annually! Wow. So anyway, we found a place and are getting settled in ... Zach started his first day of work today, we got some snow a couple of days ago, and this town is pretty sweet! We'll miss all our friends in Vermont, but MAN am I excited to get to skiing out here!!!

Okay, GOT to share this. He was 20 ft from the bus in VT ...

my SECOND black bear this summer!

YES we are getting pulled over! Why am I laughing? Because the cop was more curious than anything else ... he chatted with us for like 10 minutes at this PA exit! Hahahaa!

Traffic in Chicago ... we kept hitting cities at rush hour ... oops ...

Drive 'til it's dark

Where's the bus?

Obligatory deck shot

Eisenhower Tunnel in CO! (REALLY long!)

I-70 through the Front Range

View from up top

10 min. to Vail Pass

RED DIRT? Thought I left GA behind ... (San Juan Mtns)

Valley two miles before Telluride

Frame worthy!

Our winter parking spot ... (I'm standing with my back against the bus)

It must be winter again!

Sunshine here, snow across the road (view from other side of the bus)

Well I know you all want to see pictures of the town, but people take pictures all the time of it and you can just search Telluride photos and see all you need to see! (NOT GOOGLE, try Goodsearch.com to support the charity of your choice!) It's a really cool place!

OH, and I must not forget to share that the bus has FINALLY been named! 2.5 years after we bought and converted it, our home on wheels is now called "Homer"! Get it? Home? Homer? Hahaa ... that and Homer wrote two of the most epic adventures of all time (The Odyssey and The Iliad) ... and also Homer is the patriarch of our favorite animated family. Hahahaaa ...

More to come as the winter progresses!

Kelly

PS - I cut my dreads off! It was time; I had them for almost FIVE YEARS ... it's so nice to not have them pulling on my neck all the time anymore. Here are a couple of goodbye photos ...

And now ...

Me with my mom and sister in Georgia

Summertime, When the Livin's Easy

2011-08-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

The Vermont summer season is short, but we still have a little bit left. It's been a busy summer ... full of riding, swimming, gardening, and beer drinkin'.

Zach rippin' down Burke Mtn.

He won the race and shattered the

record on his home downhill course this summer

Recent ride with some friends from Maine

Hiking around in the woods ...

... "Showy Lady's Slipper" ...

I FINALLY got to the top!

See the little strawberry in the bottom left?

4th of July at Lake Willoughby

The Garden! (the buckets are my homemade self-watering

containers ... they'll be painted next year)

Morning harvest

Time to go raid the Lyndon State College library! See y'all later!

Kelly

Bears, Bikes, and Veggies

2011-06-14T11:43:00.001-04:00

LOTS of rain so far this summer ... May was rainiest on record for the state of Vermont. There's been flooding all over and the trails are nice and muddy. Work is work, but we find time to have some fun.

Zach's riding buddies from Maine, the "Bubba Boys", camped out with us for a weekend

The garden is growing! Got LOTS planted this year ...

time to transplant most of this stuff into its permanent container

I was in this hammock next to the river when a big ol' BLACK BEAR came to visit. It stopped at the top of the stairs in the background. Black Dog was off the leash and didn't budge a bit ... smart dog ...

Happy June!

Kelly

Spring Update

2011-05-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

Spring is here in Northern Vermont ... daffodils and tulips are blooming, leaves are budding on the trees, the ticks are out in full force, and pollen is starting to coat everything. It's SO nice to be able to wear shorts and Chacos after a long winter in ski boots. I even went swimming in the river yesterday ... I think I'll wait until it gets a little warmer to do THAT again! My vegetables starts got a great start, then I shocked 'em good ... oops. Some of them came back, but the cukes, okra, and basil took the worst of it. Oh well. I'm no master gardener and I'm bound to make mistakes! Zach is in his third week of work with the Kingdom Trails Association as a trail crew leader; I start at the local country store (deli, pizzeria, market, antique/craft/gift store) on Monday. Work is only a short bike ride away for both of us (the buildings are literally 50 feet apart), and it's nice to not have a hellish transportation problem like last summer. Mountain biking season has officially begun with some of New England's best single track riding in our backyard. It's bound to be a good season! We already miss our awesome neighbors Josh and Jen, but hopefully they will come down and ride with us (hint, hint!). We're parked next to a river about a mile outside of town; the lot has LOTS of camping room, so visitors are welcome :)

Now for the pictures. This last winter was a lot of fun ... Jay Peak got a decent amount of snow and we were up there just a couple of weeks ago skiing the last of it. Being parked right in town was really nice, and we had great neighbors. While the mountain didn't have much of a challenge to offer Zach, it has a lot to offer me and I finally starting getting into the trees with some confidence. Oooohhhh next winter is going to be so good (have I told you we're planning on heading to Mt. Baker in WA?) ...

Here are some pics ...

First big storm in December ... much more to come

I know it's the same shot, but the snow looks SO COOL!

Who dat?

Zach, Josh, and Maple the dog out for a morning stroll

Hahahahaa ...

Neat snow circles on the skylight

Oh no! Please don't!

Zach was "photo of the day" for Jay Peak on multiple occasions!

There are A LOT more pictures of Zach skiing ...

our neighbor Josh took some great shots and film footage too ...

and also some from other sources ... I will try to get those on here too ...

Sliding down the terrain park while sitting on a snowdeck (skateboard for snow) ...

he is at MACH SPEED in this shot ... and then he went over a jump and ate it ... bwahahahaa

And then it was over ...

You know I love those Black Dog shots

Sno-no-mo!

Love my man

BBQ on the roof

And now for the present ...

Graciously allowed to park on abandoned private property ...

more road noise than we would like, but it's better than the Burke Mtn. parking lot!

Old sawmill

Back side of the lot (all I can see is a great Frisbee spot!) ...

the river is just down the hill back there

Not usually this brown or high (it's been raining a lot lately) ...

swift current, deep enough to swim, flows right into town (gotta get a boat!)

That's all for now, folks. I'll try to do better about posting more frequently. Thanks for loving who we are and what we're doing!

Kelly

End-of-Season

2011-04-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

Well! You wouldn't know it because we haven't posted anything since November, but it's been a good season here at Jay Peak and it comes to an end for us this weekend. May will see us moving to be near the mountain biking mecca known as the Kingdom Trails. And YES! We will be in the SAME state! Hahaa ... my grandmother always forgets where we are because we move so much, so this will make it a little easier for those of you still tracking our adventures. At least until fall, when we will head back out west for another ski season.

We have some stories, pictures, and videos to add ... I will try to do that once work ends.

Happy Spring!

Kelly, Zach, and Black Dog

Let It Snow!

2010-11-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

Zach and I have made it to Jay Peak, Vermont and the past week has been spent getting settled in and working up at the resort. I'm in rentals; Zach is in the repair shop and the demo shop. It works out well because we work the same hours so we don't have another transportation nightmare like this past summer! The little town we're parked in is really nice: you can walk or bike where ever you need to go (small grocery store, yarn shop, ski shop, ATM, library, bar!) and the locals are friendly and helpful. The bus is in a small field behind the houses on Main Street, so Black Dog has some room to stretch her legs, play a round or two of Chuck-It, and socialize with the neighbors and their dogs when they walk around back here. Also cool, a Jay Peak employee shuttle right from our "yard" might be in the works, but that's just a rumor right now :)

We're "renting" from a family that owns all this land we're on and a house. They've been good to us and are actually leaving for the winter for Florida after Christmas. They are the only ones that can really see a lot of the bus (some others can see a little, but they've been really great about it and we don't think we'll have any trouble with them), so we're crossing our fingers that everyone is okay with us being here. We really don't want a repeat of last year ...

I DIG this town ... community garden, local farms, strong outdoor community, maple syrup! ... and of course so much more that we have yet to discover. Vermont is definitely one of my favorite places so far.

The mountain has limited terrain open, but that hasn't stopped Zach from finding some okay lines. I'm waiting for some intermediate trails to open so I don't go out and wreck myself on the first day!

I have no excuse for not having any pictures to share this time. Maybe I'll work on that this afternoon ...

Do your best snow dance for us!

Kelly

Vermont Bound!

2010-11-03T13:59:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately ... I can't find the adapter that we use to put pictures from the camera on the computer!

It's official; we're heading to Vermont this month! Our destination is Jay Peak Resort and we've got jobs and multiple places to park. (Wow!) I can't believe winter is so close: it snowed here on Halloween and last night the low was in the teens! I had some carrots growing in a pot outside and the water in the soil is frozen solid. Poor things ... they didn't grow too well anyhow.

More to come soon!

Kelly

In Loving Memory

2010-09-22T17:30:00.001-04:00

Tom "Popi" Perdue

10/17/1932 - 09/23/2010

Tomorrow marks one month since my grandfather passed away. It will also be the first full day of fall, which is my favorite time of year and the beginning of the end for summer harvests. In my mind, his memory will forever be entwined with gardening. Popi was a gardener, fisherman, politician, writer, lover of hummingbirds, carpenter and handy-man, among so many other things. He also had a hell of a stubborn streak, and I know for a fact that I inherited it. Popi courageously fought his illness for several years and stayed strong for all of us as well as for himself. I miss him very much and hope that one day I can grow tomato plants as big as he could!

Popi would be tickled pink to see his picture on this blog. He was an avid follower, checking the weather where ever we were to make sure we were staying warm. I didn't make as many updates this summer as I meant to ... I will be posting a large update soon and will add it to this posting in his honor.

Happy Fall Equinox!

Kelly

BATHROOM!

2010-06-22T16:44:00.000-04:00

YAY! We finally have a crapper and a shower!!! It's so bright and nice that I almost don't want to poop in there ... almost. Our toilet is nothing but a 5-gallon bucket whose contents are emptied into a compost bin when full. We layer deposits with local wood chips and it helps any smell from developing. No black water tank for us! (Gross!) The shower is a fiberglass sit-down RV shower base that we snagged from an old RV for $20. It's not hooked up yet, but it will be SO nice when it is. Zach has made this new addition look beautiful with tongue and groove paneling and wood panels from a neighbor down the street. Neighbor Dave is quite the man ... he has a herd of cattle, vegetable gardens, a sawmill that cuts up the harvested lumber from his "backyard", and a 1959 MCI bus conversion! He stopped by our bus one afternoon and climbed up onto our new roof; he got a kick out of us being here and has offered us any help that we might need!

We're enjoying being in our small coastal town. There's the waterfront with restaurants, art galleries, unique shops, the local co-op, and a "green general store". I've seen loons and harbor seals in the harbor and Black Dog has found the biggest puddle, ever. I'm working on a local farm and Zach is in job limbo. The container garden is great and growing!

Here are some recent pictures. Happy Summer Solstice!

New bathroom!

Zach testing out the shower seat

A bit of bathroom humor

"Eight Ball" Zucchini (Popi's got me beat!)

Snap peas

Lobster in the pot!

View from nice campground near Acadia National Park

Yes, that is a tent on the deck! The loons sang us to sleep that night ...

Coastal Maine

2010-05-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

We've made it! We're in Maine visiting with Zach's family and it's good to be back. We don't eat seafood anywhere other than RIGHT ON the coast and since we're here, we've been taking advantage of it! We've decided to stay in Maine for the summer and are in the process of finding work and a place to park. OH! And we've made a HUGE addition to the bus ... something we've been wanting to do for a while ... was inspired by rafting buses ... A DECK ON THE ROOF! It's done and looks AWESOME! I've only got an in-the-works picture at the moment, but you will definitely get the idea. YAY! Time for cocktails on the terrace ...

DECK ON THE ROOF!!!!!!!

Our house / in the middle of the [interstate] ... SCARY!

This mama duck had 17 ducklings following her around in Virginia!

Halfway and On the Move!

2010-05-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

HELLOOOOOOO! We are in Northern Virginia and headed north! We just spent two weeks spending time with and doing yardwork for my family in Montgomery, AL and Griffin, GA and then a week and a half at the Nantahala River in NC with my dad! We've been paddling, hiking, and mountain biking our brains out! (And of course it was good to see family and friends!). We vended at the annual "Strawberry Jam" in Bryson City, NC but didn't sell too much. That's okay 'cause Liz and AJ came by and spent most of the afternoon with us!!! Zach got a GREAT haircut and we ate more strawberries than our bellies could probably hold.

We were hoping to hike in the Shenandoahs tomorrow but we're going to get rained out. So we'll hit the road early and mosey onward toward Maine! We're not taking too many pictures but are still posting a couple of the ones we have.

We're having fun, playing hard, and eating good. The road is treating us well and folks are either super excited about what we're doing or too scared to look. HAHA! Strangers can be so strange!

More to come soon!

Kelly

Outside of NOLS Rocky Mountain Branch in Lander, WY

Free campsite along the river in southeastern WY

BLACK DOG HAS A TWIN!!!

Zach behind the barn in Montgomery, AL

Reflections and Renewal

2010-04-08T18:35:00.001-04:00

“It is a great time of renewal and new beginnings, when life rises refreshed from its sleep through winter’s dark.”

This past weekend was the annual celebration of life returning! Winter reflection is over and a new season has dawned. While still cold and snowy, the signs are showing even in the tall mountains of southwestern Montana. There are tiny plants emerging from the still somewhat frozen soil. Songbirds can be heard in the trees by the river. Days are getting longer and warmer!

What a strange winter we just had. After arriving in late October when temperatures are generally still tolerable, they suddenly plummeted to forty below. The town enjoyed a great opening day on Thanksgiving and had high hopes for the season. However, February began with unseasonably warm temperatures that continued for a month or more. The snow base deteriorated and the town of Big Sky became a mud pit much sooner than expected. Since then, the days have been alternating between warm and cold; slush and ice are constant companions now and will be around until June. They say there are two seasons here: winter and not-winter.

We got to see some good shows this season … the Hooligans (Grateful Dead cover band from Bozeman), the Lee Boys (which we’re hoping to see again in May in GA), and Sweatshop Union. My dad came to visit in late February and we went hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling in West Yellowstone, and skiing (we’re still awaiting pictures!). We got in some good time on the hill, drank good beer (the only kind we drink!), made some friends, and had friends come visit. We thought “this town ain’t got no heart” when we were booted mid-winter and thought we might have to quit our jobs and drive on, but a kind heart came to our rescue and we got to stay. It was a good season and we will miss this town when we leave.

Now it’s time to look forward! There are so many adventures that await us! Spring and summer bring mountain biking, hiking, paddling, swimming, hammocks, disc golf, cookouts, farmers markets, summer festivals, and harvests from our currently sprouting vegetable plants. I’m ready to put on my Chacos and go wade in a creek with Zach and the Black Dog!

We have decided after much discussion and planning that we are going to embark on our upcoming journey with no plans or time frames. We will stop where we want and when we want, and if we need to work then we will stop somewhere and do so. Many things are possible when your home is on wheels!

Heading out Wednesday, April 14th! ALL FORWARD!

Kelly

Bus in a spring snowstorm ... bike rack under cover

Neighboring cabin on the river

Love that split-rail fencing

How can you say no?!

Zucchini getting started

Zucchini going nuts!

Lots o' lettuce

MT>GA>ME

2010-04-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

It's that time again ... ROAD TRIP!!! We are anxiously awaiting the end of the season (April 11th) and the end of Zach's plowing contract (April 15th) so that we can hit the road! We've got quite the adventure planned! We will total almost 4,000 miles when we reach Maine ... that's a LOT of miles! We can't wait to see our families and friends and show off our home on wheels :) Our route is no where near concrete, so we'll hopefully be stopping in interesting towns, natural hot springs, state parks, music festivals, meeting up with friends, or anything else that tickles our fancy along the way. I'll try to keep the blog updated so you know when to expect us! We have no time frame (except making the Rockland Blues Festival in Maine in July!). We've been working towards this all winter and now it's time to enjoy the fruits of our labor! We still need a temporary parking spot in Griffin and will be open to any yard work, babysitting, auto care, sewing repairs, etc. that you might need taken care of. I will also have some seedlings for sale when we arrive (compact, container-friendly varieties of cherry tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, lettuce, snap peas, organic basil, sunflowers, and lobelia). And don't forget my handmade goods! Every penny counts. After all, it's roughly $.32 a mile!

Thanks as always for being supportive towards our endeavors. We are truly living our dreams and there's something to be said for that!

Coming to a town near you ...

Kelly, Zach, and the Black Dog

The Battle Ends!

2010-02-14T19:06:00.000-05:00

Good news folks! We finally found a place to park for the rest of the winter! We are outside of the shared Big Sky/Gallatin Gateway zoning which was what got us booted the first time around. We're also outside of the cellphone service range, so please keep that in mind when calling us! We have access to electricity, toilets and showers, and internet ... also there is a restaurant and bar within walking distance. The shuttle stop is farther away than we thought, but we can make it work. Just when we gave up on Big Sky, someone came through for us!

We've got a bunch of pictures to share, too. Enjoy!

Our Charlie Brown tree

Zach just can't help himself!

Neither can Black Dog!

A Shop-Vac helps keep the bus MUCH cleaner

Zach made the bus into a snow fort before we had to move

Zach with long hair!!!

After a haircut

Zach went snowshoeing and found this old hunting camp

There was an old bottle opener hanging there ... 1960s era?

Nice view

Keeping guard

Sewing room under construction!

New carpet in the back ... sewing room in it's first stages

Free-skier parking lot at Big Sky Resort

Jade had lots of buddies up there

View from the bus

Burgers in the lot

Skier community

The "Powder Bandits" live in Bozeman but spend the weekend traveling to different ski areas

Our friends Elisa and Jake bought the rig in front of the bus and drove it out from Seattle!

Laundry fiasco!

Friends!

Eamonn making a Valentine

Icicles!!!

View of Lone Peak from Moonlight Basin

Chain-up time!

She's ready for some snowy hills

Another nice view

Our new home (until the end of the season!)

That's all for now, folks!

Kelly and Zach

PS - Our road-trip to GA in mid- to late-April (and then to ME in July!) is still on ... if you have a place we can park or some work for us, let us know! Thanks!

The Battle Continues ...

2010-02-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest in the Battle of Big Sky! After two weeks in the free-skier parking lot, we were feeling pretty good about it all. Being within walking distance of the lifts sure is nice and we've had our friends Elisa and Jake from Seattle hanging out with us for the past several days. Bluebird days and yummy potlucks had our spirits high! However, yesterday was not a good day and we have been asked to move again.

We weren't sure how long we could stay in this spot ... now we know. Zach is trying to meet with important folks at the resort right now to see if we could work something out. Our only other option is going over to Moonlight, but that's not a permanent solution either. We're out of options here after this. Zach's job requires cellphone service, I need access to the shuttle, our big rig can't hide like some of the smaller ones, and we can't forget about that local ordinace! It seems like Big Sky has turned on us and we're starting to think about our next move.

It's easy to get frustrated about all of this, but I've come to realize that it's not neccessary. We knew from the start that this lifestyle wouldn't be accepted by everyone out there and that we would run into situations like this. The upsides are that our house moves and if one place doesn't work out then maybe the next one will!

Staying positive, overcoming adversity ...

Kelly

New Location ... So Far, So Good!

2010-02-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

As you know by now, we've been asked to relocate. At first it was a pretty big blow, but after a week it's become a blessing in disguise. We are now parked almost slope-side on the mountain and can walk to the lifts! We don't have as much privacy, but that's a fair trade for a free parking spot. From what we hear, we won't be bothered unless we're being a nuisance ... that includes moving every few days so that the plow guys can keep the parking lot looking nice. We're a big rig and hope that we can pull this one off for the next two and a half months!

We look forward to the rest of an already great season and are learning from our respective NOLS courses daily by "overcoming adversity" ... remember that one? All forward!

Kelly

The Battle of Big Sky

2010-01-29T22:48:00.001-05:00

It's been a little while since we've posted ... my snowman has melted into oblivion by now! The winter is treating us well: we're staying plenty warm and got to ski some powder earlier this week. I'm working all over the place (one full-time job always burns me out, so I've got three part-time ones to keep me busy!) and Zach has been plowing a little bit here and there. Black Dog had a couple of seizures recently but all tests came back normal and so we're in a monitoring stage ... so far, so good!

I think the biggest thing to share is that WE GOT BOOTED FROM OUR WINTER PARKING SPOT! Mid-winter! It was hard enough to find a place to park here in the first place because of a town ordinance that restricts people from living in their cars or RV's or whatever in the town limits of Big Sky ... we had it made in the canyon because we were technically in another town. Our temporary plan now is to park on the mountain in the free skier parking lot until something happens or we find something else ... technically the Mountain Village is another county, so hopefully we won't have many problems.

Support alternative lifestyles!!!!!!!

Kelly

PS - We're already saving for our trip east in the spring ... to GA in mid- to late-April, then Maine in July. If you have a place we can park or some work for us, please let us know. Thanks!

Snow Man!

2009-12-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

OPENING WEEKEND!

2009-11-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

Just had to let y'all know that we're not going stir-crazy anymore .......

THE MOUNTAIN IS OPEN! COME SKI WITH US!

Kelly

Pray for SNOW!

2009-11-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

It's the off season here and it seems like the mountain will never open. Zach is on call now, so really all we're waiting on is the snow! SNOW DARNIT!

The bus is still not winter ready ... we have to insulate it some more, but we know that once the ceiling is better insulated it will hold the heat longer. We still need to put up some skirting and insulate the water tanks and pipes, too. Between the wood stove, the furnace, and the insualtion, we should stay warm this winter! The folks in town are all looking out for us, too. We appreciate this little community and are looking forward to another ski season here.

Zach, Black Dog, and I have been playing disc golf in the snow this last week (which can be a little difficult!) and are watching lots of movies to pass time at night. I just signed up for a craft market the second week in December, so I'm going to be making lots of Montana-themed holiday gifts for folks to buy! I'm also learning how to drive the green Subaru (finally, I'm told), so that's pretty exciting. Zach is waiting for another good storm so he can go ski in the backcountry ... all we're doing right now is waiting! But the mountain opens on Thanksgoving and we both will have our passes on opening day, so when Nov. 26th rolls around, no more waiting! Only skiiing! Skiiiiiiiing!

Thank you all for your kind comments and for your interest in what we're doing. We appreciate all of you!

(And BrYan, you're totally right ... we're nuts!)

Kelly and Zach

Back in Big Sky

2009-11-04T19:08:00.000-05:00

We slacked and we know it. When we got to Glacier in mid-October, the weather was cold, windy, and rainy. Needless to say, any pictures we might have taken would have turned out like crap anyway. We spent almost a week just outside of the park visiting with Zach's awesome sister Anna and then headed back to Big Sky. We totaled 26 days on the road, $771 in fuel, and visited four states, two national parks, and lots of state parks. We covered a lot of ground, traversed many different bioregions, and had a wonderful time! We hope that you enjoyed our pictures and will continue to update through the upcoming winter.

Since we've been back in town, we've had a little weather shock ... it snowed four out of seven days in the first week! We experienced some frigid night temperatures (19-20F might be the coldest so far with the worst-try negative 30!-on its way!) and realized that we were seriously unprepared. So on that note, we bought some insulating fabic that is NOT messing around (Warm Window is what it's called) and made curtains for all the uninsulated windows, got some firewood from some of our friends, and busted out the fleece pants. A 40,000 BTU Atwood RV propane furnace was quickly ordered, insulated piping and floor registers quickly bought, and Zach installed the whole shebang in two days. And guess what? IT WAS 50-SOMETHING DREGREES TODAY! We were in T-SHIRTS! Haha. It turned out for the best, though, because we could then open the windows and let the furnace get it's new&funky smells out. So it's "Mud Season" here in our little mountain world ... and we are anxiously awaiting it all to freeze over and SNOW so we can go SKIING!

Here are a few random shots since we've been in town ...

Four inches of snow in the canyon! More on the mountain!

Taking care of business

BD has to wear booties outside when there's powder or mud

Moose!

CENTRAL HEAT! The only way we're going to make it through a MT winter in the bus!

Ducting under the bus ... super insulated piping, ya know?

Sunny afternoon ...

... which means no more clean cars ...

... and DEFINITELY no more clean boots.

Can we go skiiiiiiiiiiiing yet?!?!?!?!

Kelly and Zach

Olympic National Park ...

2009-10-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

More pictures to share ... if we don't keep up with posting them as we go, then we'll drown under all of them! We drove up the west side of Olympic NP and hit up the coast and the Hoh Rainforest, then around to the north side of the park and hiked up to some natural hot springs and Hurricane Hill. We then putted around Seattle to meet up with our friends Elisa and Jake (so glad you guys came out!!!) and now we're just east of the Cascades. We'll probably be in Spokane tomorrow or Friday ...

Coastal rainforest campground

Mmmm ... old growth and moss

Washington produce stand! All this and a fillet of wild-caught pink salmon for $25!

Hiking in the Hoh Rainforest

Hoh River

More Hoh

There was a nice waterfall up the creek but the picture didn't turn out

We have never seen more wild mushrooms in our lives!

Primate in a Pro-tec: A Raft Guide in its Truest Form

Salmon Falls on the Sol Duc River

The colors of the rock reminds me of the Chattooga

See any salmon? (Me either)

Happy to be here!

I love this man!

Sittin' on a stump

Lake Crescent from Hwy 101

On top of Hurricane Hill looking east ...

... looking north at Canada and the Strait ...

... looking south at Mount Olympus, who was shy that morning...

(Me too! Me too!)

Inverter issues

Lazy lookout

Free campsite!

We stayed three nights here: the price was right and the view stunning!

It's been getting colder every night ... we got a little snow two days ago!

Olympic was incredibly beautiful and all the leaves were changing when we left. I love the fall! The only negative thing we can say about it was that Black Dog couldn't go hiking with us (no dogs allowed on trails in National Parks), but we understand and made sure to take her on walks around the campgrounds when we came home.

The next set of pictures will come after we've explored Glacier National Park, so be on the lookout in another week or so! We'll eat a fresh, crisp, sweet Washington apple for you while we're here!

Kelly and Zach

Fun 101

2009-10-04T12:05:00.001-04:00

Today concludes the end of week one on our glorious month-long road trip! We are writing from Olympia, WA before we head west to the Olympic Peninsula! So far, so good ... we're having a blast and seeing lots of amazing places. We've taken a few pictures to share .. enjoy!

First tunnel with the bus!

Jade loves the ocean!

Doh!

BD says hello!

View from a top the bus at our second campsite in Tillicum State Park, OR

Rabbit in upper right corner ...

Picked around our campsite and served in pancakes!

Waiting for the tsunami ...

...

Jade smelled like "a lobster", as Zach said, so he gave her a bath ...

and she was NOT happy about it ...

Mountains meet the sea at Cape Lookout State Park

Sheer cliffs hiking out to Cape Lookout

Zach observing from a safe distance!

I think this is a Sitka Spruce ...

Love that coastal rainforest!

Triple rocks! Triple rocks! 100 paces to the old restaurant and the treasure!

(Cannon Beach, OR)

OH NO! THE FRATELLI'S ARE COMING!

There's no such thing as a straight face when Zach is in the picture

The Peter Iredale got stuck on this sand bar at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1909 ...

we got to see it in Fort Stevens State Park

And what trip to Northwest Oregon would be complete without a stop in Astoria to see Mikey and Brand's house? We didn't take a picture of the house 'cause we thought that might be rude ... so we took a picture of this sign to prove we were there!

We also met up with Zach's cousin Nate and his fiance Val yesterday for dinner and beer. It was great to meet them on my part and we enjoyed hanging out with them. It's not every day you see family so far from home! Come visit us in MT, guys!

We've met lots of good folks along the way, stopped in neat towns, and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly thus far. We're excited about Olympic National Park and will be sure to post pictures when we work our way back to internet service!

Kelly and Zach

Added 10/07/09 -- I forgot to mention that we went to the Rogue Brewery (most expensive brewery we've ever been too!) and the Tillamook Cheese Factory (good cheese, amazing ice cream!). Sorry Brian, we didn't go to Dooger's ... fuel is expensive :(

All Forward!

2009-09-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Saturday and we leave on Monday! This may be the last time we update before we hit the road. We have a semi-set route (anything can change!) and it goes a little something like this:

From Lake of the Woods, head to the Oregon Coast. Drive up the coast to Cannon Beach and Astoria (Goonies!), then around to Portland. From Portland, cruise up to Olympic National Park and Seattle, then off to Spokane, Glacier National Park, and back down to Big Sky! (Plus lots of potential side trips!)

If you're going to be anywhere close to any of those places during the coming month, we'd love to stop by and say hello :)

WE ARE SO EXCITED AND JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!!!!!

I thought I'd post some more pictures of life at the lake before we say farewell ...

Bus outside of Klamath Falls

Our awesomely shaded parking spot

Hollow logs

Zach installing our new power inverter (we can run on batteries now! another step closer to solar!)

Hearty tomato plants!

Zach cooking with our tomato bounty

Jade loves sticks (and I love taking funny pictures of her!)

Cool building built by the CCC in the 30's

Chasing and digging

That's not a dog, it's an ostrich!

Wednesday Night Ride comes to Lake of the Woods! (We really enjoyed having you guys!)

Morning after

Couldn't do this without him :)

There's some fungus among us

We'll be sure to post while we're on the road ...

'Til next time!

Kelly and Zach

2.5 Weeks Notice

2009-09-11T14:03:00.002-04:00

The summer season is over at Lake of the Woods and our time here is drawing to an end. We have 2.5 weeks of work left (last day being September 27th) and when we're done, we're going to hit the road for up to a month as we travel back to Big Sky, MT. We haven't decided which route we're going to take and may end up doing a bit of random work along the way to help us ramble on. During our last days off, we took a mini-trip into town with the bus and changed a tire (ouch!) and filled up the 90 gallon tank (ouch again!). We're just getting ready but was good to pretend to be on the road for a couple for days :)

Our mobile-garden is currently very confused because it was below freezing last Sunday night and now it's 80 degrees today. I've had a hell of a time trying to keep the zucchini pollenated ... but our cherry tomato plants are weighed down with green 'maters, so we expect a nice harvest from them in the next few weeks. I know it's really early to be planning for next year, but I'm so excited about all the food that we can grow in containers while we travel!!! I picked up an amazing book entitled "The Bountiful Container" and cannot stop reading and dreaming and planning! (HIGHLY recommended!).

Life in a bus is better than I could have ever imagined. Every day I am thankful that I am such a lucky person ... to be living my dreams with the best companions in the world is more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you all for being so supportive, encouraging, and just plain cool :)

As ever,

Bus, Us, and BD

New Paint Job!

2009-08-29T13:42:00.011-04:00

Well, we've got a BIG posting for you guys ... lots of pictures ... enjoy!

(Please note that we load the pictures smaller on purpose. We know it takes a lot of time to load them if you're not on a fast connection and we want everyone to have a chance to see them! If you would like to see the photos larger, simply click on the picture and VOILA! Thanks!)

First road trip with the tow-behind vehicle

Death of a slackline

Splat ...

Zach and mom, Brenda, inside a redwood tree

Taller than buildings!

Tree hugging

Brenda enjoys a view from the bench in Remembrance Cove

Group shot! (We exchanged with a foreign couple ... heehee)

Taking a peek at the Wall of Sound

Giant!

Now it's red ...

NEW RUG!!! (Please excuse our mess ... we had just got back from town with groceries!)

Gearing up ...

Zach moving our little vegetable garden

Does this look like a guitar to you?

Taping

NOW IT'S GREEN!!!

(Can you see us?!?)

Kelly's daily walk to work, part one

part two

part three

part four

part five, the conclusion (this is the view from my building!)

It took us TEN HOURS to tape, sand, clean, and paint the bus and a couple of hours the next day to finish up a couple of things. Since we painted it with a brush (airbrushing would have been SOOO expensive) we'll have to go back and fix a couple of spots. We used a Rustoleum-type industrial paint and so far so good! We're heading to town on Monday to get a tire replaced and fill up the gas tank ... we're already getting ready for our trip back to Montana! We plan to leave here after the first week of October. We really wanted to make a road trip out of it but may have to just take our time on the straight road back. Oh well! We definitely have a place to park the bus this winter and Zach has a job that he will be returning to when we get back. I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet. We've got some major winterizing to do before the snows hit, so that will keep us busy once we start getting those good paychecks again. Until then, we'll simply enjoy the beautiful lake right outside and get the most we can out of the upcoming fall season!

Kelly and Zach

Update

2009-08-19T18:42:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody! It's been a little while since we've posted anything, so I just wanted to say a few things really quick.

Zach's mom came into town for a week (by train from Maine!!!) ... we went to the California coast and saw the redwoods ... also took a boat out on the lake and a bald eagle flew right over our heads as we were swimming ... it was a wonderful visit and we're so glad she made it back safely! (We'll post pictures soon!).

I just got back from a tour 'round the Southeast ... went to NC and TN to see my extended river families (lots of good beer drinkin', lots of rafting (even a run at 2am!), a mountain bike ride at Tsali) ... spent time in GA and AL visiting with family and ate LOTS and LOTS of REALLY good food! ... airline forgot my luggage in Baltimore during my journey back to OR, but they were really nice and actually brought it to me at work the next day!

My Dad flew up to Maine this past Monday and is hiking up to Katahdin today ... he starts the Appalachian Trail heading south tomorrow! Send him good vibes everybody! I'll keep you updated on his progress ...

My mom gave us a new memory card for the camera (THANKS MOM!), and hopefully we'll be adding more pictures now that we can actually take them.

Whew, whirlwind update ... we'll write more soon.

Kelly

Scoop Magazine!

2009-07-18T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hi everybody! Some of you are checking this blog out because you saw an article in Griffin, Georgia's "Scoop Magazine" ... welcome and thanks for your interest! Zach and I have been living in the bus since May and we are super excited that we've already drummed up so much excitement about what we're doing. This has been an experience of a lifetime ... every day is a new chance to do something out-of-the-box and extraordinary! We welcome any questions or comments and hope that we might inspire you to step off the beaten path and realize your dreams, too. It CAN happen!

If you haven't seen the magazine, an online version is on its way and I will post a link when it's ready.

Happy Saturday!

Kelly Nicholson (aka Kelly Bozeman ... heehee :)

July in Oregon

2009-07-11T10:59:00.016-04:00

Hi everyone! Since we last posted, some things have changed. Unfortunately we had to leave Fort Klamath and are now down the road at the Lake of the Woods. We were very sad to have to make that move but it was a necessary evil. We already miss our new friends Jim, Babe, and Erin and wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season!

As for the NOW, we are both working full-time again: Zach in maintenance and myself in the marina grill. We're parked right on the lake at the old visitor's center just down the road from the resort amongst old growth ponderosa pines and historic buildings built during the Great Depression. A bike/hiking trail runs right behind us and we can pick it up to go explore Brown Mountain and Fish Lake!

On the other side of things, we're being featured in the latest issue of Scoop Magazine, which is a local publication from my hometown in Griffin, Georgia! The theme for the issue is planes, trains, and automobiles and we are slated to grace the cover! The atricle will be about converting the bus and living, working, and playing as we travel. It's currently being printed so we will be sure to post the cover for you all to see!!!

Here are some pictures we took for the article, as well as some others we've taken recently.

Cover photo!

It's our bus of toys!

She either lays down right there or on top of the engine cover itself!

Living in a BUS!

The plants on the engine cover are lettuce and tomatoes.
We're also growing zucchini and snap peas!

Still need countertops ...

Cheese!

Jade loves squirrels ...

Our parking spot in Fort Klamath

I realized that we never drew a floor plan, so I drew this one for the article (don't know if they're going to use it or not). You can click on it (and any other pictures in the blog) to see it larger!

As I write this, it's around 8:30am and the marina is quiet, the lake is still, and it's in the low 60's outside. The few clouds in the sky hint to a warm, sunny day in southern Oregon! We went out on the lake a couple of days ago to water ski (Zach put us all to shame!) and saw a bald eagle carrying a freshly caught trout. We're happy to be well and walking and hope to have more to post soon!

Kelly

home sweet home

2009-06-12T10:44:00.002-04:00

Hello, this pic took 20mins to load on the computer so that being said this is it for pics for now, will post more some time soon. Its starting to feel more and more like a cosy home every day. Next to come is our counter tops and kellys sewing room.

Remember Dial-Up?

2009-05-18T17:41:00.002-04:00

HELLO FROM OREGON! We made it in one piece! After following the Oregon Trail for many, many miles, we arrived at the campground on Thursday and started working on Saturday ("work" consisting of running the office, cleaning cabins after folks leave, yardwork, etc.). The owners Jim and Babe gave us a great parking spot right off the creek and away from other campers. Black Dog loves going swimming every day and Zach and I love being able to ride our bikes again. We've got views of Mount McLoughlin from our site and are surrounded by creeks, lakes, wilderness areas, national forests and parks, and state forests and parks. The weather has been nice and sunny!

We don't get wireless or high speed internet out here, but we do have access to a computer on dial-up. Posts with pictures will be a little farther and fewer between ... we plan on updating more so when we go to town. That and we need another memory card!

We just bought a cheap car and hope to have it road worthy soon. I'll let Zach tell you more about THAT one ... hahaha.

Until next time ...

Kelly

PS - WE LIVE IN A SCHOOL BUS!

Pics

2009-05-09T19:44:00.002-04:00

We will have pics soon our memory card is full and need to get another one. We will be hitting the road here in a 2 1/2 days!!! We have moved most of our things in the bus today, and had over 15 people around the neighborhood in the bus today! We think we have inspired many folks over the last few weeks of us parking here at our house.
The drive to OR is going to be a long one the GPS says that it is going to be 863 miles! that's over 180 gallons of diesel fuel, Can't wait to be on feggie oil! that will come next year we are hoping. well we will have pics soon.

"Sun shine day dream"

NEW BROOM!

2009-05-01T23:26:00.008-04:00

These are some pics of the work that we have been doing in the last week, filled in a wall with new boards, put in a shelf in the bed room and got a broom. Keep checking back will have more pics soon! MOVING IN IN 10 DAYS!!! TO CRATER LAKE IN OREGON!

Two weeks notice

2009-04-27T20:19:00.007-04:00

Closer and closer each day, we are within two weeks now of truckin' on down the road!

we have done lots we now have a work bench on the out side of the bus, and Hardwood flooring as well as running water!

2009-04-26T20:27:00.009-04:00

Out with the old, in with the new!
Ya man...
Our first night in the bus!!

Brick by brick

2009-04-16T11:42:00.008-04:00

Power power! Yes we have power now with lights and outlets. Last week I took my first stab at home electric and did not get sapped, few! The power system is rigged for power coming from a city grid, YUCK! but not for long its wired so that putting in our solar system will be not that much of a nightmare.

Here is our diner table light that I got at a local hardware store. The lady their just about jumped into the rafters when I told her what we are doing with it.
Our range is all plumbed for the propane that is under the bus, and we are already cooking on it! the fridge is running, but I caught it an threw it back in!

The book shelf, it will soon have led lights under it that should look nice and they draw very few watts.

Our bed with our water tank under it, witch we will be plumbing here some time soon. The tank will have a tank heater and so will the lines, the benefit of us having the water system inside the bus will be so that we can keep it from freezing, an it will be easy to access the lines and pump inside the bus.

More pics to come.

- Zach

D'OH!

2009-03-26T19:59:00.003-04:00

Zach pointed out to me that I forgot to add a picture of the fireplace. You can see it in the bottom corner of one of the pictures I posted, but the damn thing is so awesome that it deserves it's own picture.

WE HAVE TAGS! Zach and I drove into Bozeman today to register the bus and got its Montana license plates. Pretty exciting.

Zach has discovered a pile of scrap 2x4's that have that vintage barn look to them. We're using them in the bus and it's looking pretty cool. Also got a wood box built so we don't have to go outside every time we need to add to the fire. It looks really good and already has a handful of logs in it.

The way things are going, we'll only need a little more to get the bus in living condition. The plan is:

-Lay thin wood paneling on the ceiling. This would cover the millions of holes in the original sheet metal as well as screw holes from the shelves that were in it as an activity bus. And it would look freaking schweet.
-Run our wiring for electricity.
-Acquire propane hoses and a propane tank for the kitchen stove and fridge.
-Acquire water hoses, hot water heater, and put it all together.
-Build our bed.
-Insure it.

I think that was all ... that's some pretty basic stuff that (hopefully) won't take long. We've got two months until our lease is up here, which means that the days 'til we move into the bus are limited! Yeah! Aren't sure exactly where we'll be this summer, but we plan to continue our building and blogging!

Kelly and Zach

Progress

2009-03-20T00:05:00.024-04:00

Yes, we are still alive. We've been getting flack about not posting, so here's a biggin for ya. (And I'm getting flack right now about "biggin" ... just so you Mainers know, it means "a big one" ... hahahaha). The pictures are in the order they were taken, so they're a little all over the place :)

Zach's incredible kitchen table

Our friend from Maine, Mike, came to visit and we made him
help us put the stove pipe through the roof

Partial framing

Stove and table installed

Kitchen appliances and bench seats (which we stripped down to the frame
and cut to the size we wanted)

Mmmm ... Fat Tire

Lovely custom kitchen with our salvaged RV appliances

Artsy shot :)

Bane of Zach's existence: leaky antifreeze pipe

MUD

MORE MUD

Zach hard at work

That frame we were talking about ...

He only keeps me around 'cause I'm funny

Bus art (airplane courtesy of Mike)

Tracing the sink

Tah-dah!

Homemade composting toilet (aka shit-in-a-bucket)

Already putting the fridge to good use

Chair frame cut in half

We never got a finished picture of our modified frame, but we'll take one and include it in our next posting. It's flush with the table and flows with the couch (which we also forgot to take a picture of). We're making a lot of progress, but still have a lot of work to do! Framing the closet, sewing room, and bedroom will come next.

Until next time,

Kelly, Zach, and Black Dog

Wires

2009-02-22T12:02:00.001-05:00

This is what Zach did yesterday ...

Deconstruction and Reconstruction

2009-02-19T20:39:00.027-05:00

We've already put in many an hour on our newly beloved bus-o-la. We had to rip out the seats and overhead storage bins, take out the heaters (which involved WAY more anti-freeze than we wanted to deal with), sweep, and rip up the plywood and linoleum. So with a floor of sheet metal, we cleaned the crap out of it and removed any leftover nails, screws, rubber matting, and grime. Fun. But THEN! Today we got our 100 feet of insulation (which is a three layer system of two sheets of "bubble wrap" and a layer of reflective material; commonly used in floors in houses) and our grade C mahogany plywood. We laid down the insulation and Gorilla taped the seams (hey, it works as a weather barrier, too! and what would a house bus be without duct tape?!). Then we cut our plywood with our circular saw and fit them into place (with only a little convincing). It looks GREAT and tomorrows project is to cut out a piece of plywood to fit in the last spot in the front and screw everything down. We now have an insulated floor!

Zach and a Harlow's Bus Sales mechanic ripping out stuff

Dirty

Pile of trash

Our bus was parked in the empty spot on the left

Our first truck stop ... aw

Our parking spot

Doesn't get much better than this!

Bitch work (ripping out the floor)

I need a beer ...

Will it ever be over with?

Insulatin'

Sunroof

First hardware installation

Make-shift workbench

Out of duct tape! Better get more ... LOTS more!

Poor man's caulking

Which way did he go?

Theme of the day

Almost ... there ...

TAH-DAH!

Tomorrow's project

More to come ...

Kelly and Zach

Next: framing!

bus, Bus, BUS!!!

2009-02-04T21:11:00.004-05:00

Wow! We've got our bus! Went to a used bus yard in Whitehall, MT today just to *look*, and was offered such a good deal on what we wanted that we couldn't pass it up! She's a 1992 Bluebird with an Allison transmission and Cummins diesel ... and she's turbo-charged! With five external undercarriage storage compartments on each side and roughly an 80 passenger capacity, we've got PLENTY of room to add our fresh water tank, batteries to store solar power, and all the gear we can carry (which can be a LOT!). This will be her second conversion: she was originally a regular ol' school bus and was painted and converted into a transit bus for the Three Forks school system. We plan on re-painting the red stripe (we like green better), but other than that are really satisfied with the external physical appearance. She was the biggest and prettiest on the lot!

Harlow Bus Sales, the company we bought it from, is going to rip out the seats, over head bins, and television cubbies for us. This deal actually helped make the price of the bus a lot cheaper! No telling how long it will take us to convert her, but the first few things we need to do are rip up the floor and put in the floor that we want, lay out insulation, and map out our wiring system. Since it was converted into a transit bus, the whole she-bang is wired for overhead and floor lighting ... which equals a lot less work on the wiring part!

We'll keep y'all posted ... for now she's parked in Whitehall waiting for us to find a place to park her for the spring/summer. We hope to begin the conversion soon!

YAHOOOOOO!!!!

Kelly and Zach

Frozen Nose Hairs

2009-01-27T00:05:00.003-05:00

Myy ... nooossse ... haaaiirrrs ... aaarrre ... frrrroozzzzen.

It's at LEAST -18 degrees outside right now; around 50 in our room upstairs.

Good thing I have clean socks.

Kelly

Snow, Santa, and Such

2009-01-03T11:02:00.016-05:00

"From here we can see your Tetons"

Our friend Ryan on a backcountry skiing trip in Jackson with Zach

Neighborhood all snowy

Dogs loving it

Black Dog is morphing into White Dog!

14 stockings all in a row (mine and Zach's are the ones on the far right)

Part One of our 17 foot tall Christmas tree

Part Two of our 17 foot tall Christmas tree

Howie and his Christmas morning bone
(he ended up unraveling the rawhide and just eating the good stuff inside)

"Can I PLEASE oh PLEASE take mine outside and bury it? PLEASE?"

A little Christmas morning brew in our favorite pint glasses (Gritty's on the left, Biere de Noel from Bozeman in the middle, Grand Teton Brewing on the right)

Our blurry Christmas picture.

View from our room

Happy New Year!

2008 was quite an adventure. Lots of good memories and things to remember! 2009 will be yet another year of adventure. Zach and I hope to buy and start converting our school bus, and we also plan to get hitched in October! Yeah! We'll continue to keep this blog updated as it all spans out.

Things are slowing down around here after the holidays. Christmas is one of the busiest times here in Big Sky, and the amount of people in the Hungry Moose has multiplied beyond comprehension. I imagine that it will calm down in the next week or so ... January is supposed to be really slow, with things picking up in February and staying steady until the end of the season. We'll find out!

Zach has been plowing a LOT of snow lately. Three inches is the magic number; he has to plow any designated driveway with this much snow in it. Sometimes he's out for 16 hours at a time, sometimes he can bust it out in less. We thought he was going to have to plow Christmas Day, but Mother Nature worked a miracle and held off the snow until that night.

I'm trying to sew as much as I can ... but it's hard! Between working full-time, learning how to ski, and sewing, I'm booked. Speaking of skiing, I got to go up a lift for the first time! I had a BLAST and can't wait to do it again. I also got a pair of cross-country skis from Zach and look forward to using them on the MANY cross-country skiing trails in the area.

Black Dog is a happy dog. She and Howie got more treats for Christmas than we know what to do with! We're rationing the treats and running them in the snow so they don't pack on a lot of extra weight. We're dealing with lots of new snow-related issues ... such as snowballs between the toes and under the belly. They're so tough to get out that last time we had to put Jade in the bathroom to thaw!

Elisa, a friend of Zach's from Maine, stopped by on her way through town and stayed for New Years Eve. It was good to see her and we wish her the best of luck at her new job in Seattle!

We miss all of you and hope you'll come visit ...

Kelly & Zach

Maine to Montana

2008-11-12T00:59:00.006-05:00

Leaving the house in Maine, all packed up ...

Notice the rubber ducky stuck to the roof?

Four days and several miracles later, we're home!

Big backyard + big porch = happiness

Right side of fence: field, Left side of fence: side yard

Surrounded by mountains!

View from the upper deck

Another view from the upper deck

Cruisin' around the neighborhood

Tricks in the driveway

Doesn't Nigel look happy?

Doesn't JADE look happy?!

Remember that rubber ducky? He made it all 2600 miles just to get covered in snow.

Sorry this posting is a little late, but things have been a little crazy since we left Maine.

Our trip out was long. In four days we covered roughly 2600 miles and passed through 13 states (ME, VT, MA, NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, SD, WY, & MT!). We spent the night in western NY, southern WI, and eastern WY. Saw lots of lakes, windmills, and flat land. Didn't take too many pictures 'cause we didn't do a whole lot of stopping if it wasn't to pee. The car was super loaded down and we didn't get great gas mileage, but gas prices averaged $2.40 the whole way, so we can't complain too much!

On day four, we arrived at our destination in Bozeman, MT. As some of you know, we had found a place to live before we left Maine. We both did our fair share of research on the town and what it had to offer, and it seemed like it was going to be a really good fit. BUT, when we got there, our condo was in the middle of several miles of condos on the commercial side of town. YUCK! Within an hour, we decided to explore other options. Big Sky is only 45 minutes from Bozeman, complete with a ski resort, ski shops, rafting companies, bars, and several other small businesses. The next morning we got up early (it's not like we could have slept in anyway, what with the trucks and cars and people making SO MUCH NOISE) and headed to Big Sky. Within a couple of hours, we had a place to live and job prospects. Two weeks later, we're loving our house, roommates, and extended backyard. We went playing in three feet of snow on Saturday! Things fell into place for us here like it was meant to be or something!

We plan to stay for a while. We want to buy and convert a school bus into our home starting in the spring and don't know how long that will take. This area has a lot to offer both of us and we're both really excited that we came here. Now if only the snow in our yard would quit melting ...

Black Dog says hello and that she's having fun playing with her doggie friend Howie, who is the funniest Boston Terrier you've ever met. She's having a great time in the snow and is happy that we decided not to live in a condo all winter. She's been getting regular hair trimmings to keep the snow from balling up between her toes. It's quite the hilarious process to watch. Jade is staying fit and healthy and we look forward to throwing her into her first snow drift!

I'll mosey on for now ... got an apron I want to work on before I go to work at the Hungry Moose Market and Deli! Zach already left for his first day at his new plowing job. Now we just need to get Black Dog some work and we'll be all set! (Sled dog maybe?)

Kelly

State Bird of Maine

2008-10-21T17:42:00.004-04:00

The Breakwater in Rockport Harbor

Me and Zach

Dad and Bridgette

Me and Dad

We don't know these people ...

Bridgette feeling the wind in her hair

"I'm pretty sure the state bird of Maine is a rock." -My dad

Just had to share a couple of shots from this weekend. We had a great time enjoying each other's company and the changing leaves! We ate good food, got our feet wet when the water washed over the breakwater, and hiked up to some beautiful views. Thanks, Dad and Bridgette, for coming to hang out with us!

Kelly

Leaves, Tablecloths, and Cars ... OH MY!

2008-10-18T13:21:00.008-04:00

Fall surrounds the Bonny Street pond

52 custom tablecloths ... AHHHHH!

Black Dog's glamor shot

Zach and Nigel spanking it at the Union Rally Cross
(Zach got the fastest overall course time!)

Watching the course drive-through from a comfy seat

We're getting really excited about the move ...
It's happening really soon ...
But not before ...

Right now we're waiting for my dad and Bridgette to get into town ... they flew into Portland from Atlanta this morning and they're stopping at L.L.Bean before they arrive! Zach is making some kick-ass spicy chili and I'm the official taste tester. It's a beautiful day in New England; the leaves are peaking in their autumn colors, there's not a cloud in the sky, and I couldn't be happier to be alive.

Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Kelly

Two Weeks Notice

2008-10-11T13:42:00.005-04:00

Owl's Head, Maine

Okay folks, two weeks until phase two of our journey around the country. I'm sick of rolling out pizzas, Zach is sick of delivering them, and hell if I can ever eat a pizza again. Check please! But hey, Maine has been good to us and I still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to experience a New England autumn. Zach has rediscovered his love of mountain biking and taught me a few things along the way, I've started sewing again and have some really awesome ideas for this winter, and Black Dog has met new friends and learned how to ride beside a bike without a leash. How can anyone complain?

So here we go, off to explore the wondrous West together with dreams in our heads, passion in our hearts, and a little cash in our pockets. And Black Dog running in circles around us, of course. I've been to the Rockies, but I've always flown and was never there to stay for more than three months. I have to admit that I've been hoping for this opportunity since I got back from NOLS and I'm so happy to be taking advantage of it with the someone I've dreaming of for as long as I can remember. We hope to build the house bus while we're out there, so that we can Furthur grow and explore the little bit of American countryside that is rapidly disappearing.

Thanks to all of you for knowing in your hearts that we can do anything we put our minds to. Thanks to all of you for believing in us and offering your support even when we got some crazy, hair brained idea in our heads. Thanks, to all of you, for accepting us for who we were in the past, are in the present, and will be in the future.

With love and happiness and cheers and high fives and dreams and wishes and hugs and kisses and kindness and heartiness and kindheartedness and care and hope, we toast to this adventure. The next time I post here, the gears will be in motion with no notion of stopping.

Bozeman or bust.

Kelly

"... the bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began ... there was Cowboy Neal at the wheel of a bus to never-ever land ..." -Good 'Ol Grateful Dead

Slow Ride

2008-09-12T19:17:00.004-04:00

Just had to share this ...

The car on the left is a recent acquirement ... it's a 1986 Toyota Corolla named "Yoda" ('cause when you're driving down the road, may the force be with you!). Yoda is good to go and has been serving as Zach's pizza delivery car (and my errand car when he's not using it, since it's an automatic and I can't drive a manual yet!). Gotta love that racing stripe ... haha. And the car on the right, of course, is Nigel the Sexy Subaru. Now all we need in the picture is the Jeep :(

For the moment, things are going well. Zach and I are both working our tooshies off to save money for the move to Montana in November. Oh! I haven't told you guys yet! We're officially moving to Bozeman, MT! Official as of ... yesterday? Schweet!

So in our off time, Zach is riding, I'm sewing, and Black Dog is whining to go outside. What else is new?

Kelly

Sunrise and Thoughts

2008-08-11T10:48:00.004-04:00

(Hey bikers ... see anything wrong with this picture? Heehee!)

Sunrise over Rockport Harbor

Just a few new pictures to share. We couldn't go to sleep Saturday night, so we got out of bed super early and watched the sun rise over the Rockport Harbor (which was once home to Andre the seal!). It was beautiful and peaceful.

The reason we couldn't go to sleep was because Zach had a mountain bike race on Sunday (the first since he raced in high school!). I went along for support ... let me just say that he did really well and looked great out there! He finished first in his age group and fourth overall in the sport division!

So today finds us in the library looking up ski hills out west. Gotta jump on something soon if we want to go somewhere good! I think the plan is to head that way end of October/early November. It's adventures like these that really make me wish for a housebus/housetruck. Someday!

That's all for now!

Kelly & Zach

Zach's Ski Chairs

2008-08-05T17:54:00.003-04:00

Zach's been hard at work in his workshop ... making a SKI CHAIR! This thing is even better in person. It's made entirely out of old skis, and the foot rest to match! (And he'll make you one if you ask him nicely!)

The Maine rain (sorry, couldn't help myself!) finally let up a little today, but the weather is supposed to jump right back in to being overcast and rainy for the next week. It's a bummer if you need to cut your grass, but it's not stopping us! Zach is out mountain biking right now ... getting ready for a race this weekend. (And he's now riding for Team Bikesenjava!) I'm really proud of him and I can't wait to watch this Saturday!

By the way, our boy Zach had his 23rd birthday last week. We pulled out all the stops, even eating our cake and ice cream before dinner! Haha, but really. We did. We're bad like that.

Kelly

Adventures in Vacationland

2008-07-24T13:41:00.002-04:00

Let me first just say ... MAINE IS WICKED COOL! The weather is nice and cool, there's a lot to see and do, and local culture shines! I love the fact that everyone here supports local farmers and businesses over corporate vomit. New Englanders sure are proud of where they came from!

I don't have any pictures to share this time, but I DO have some great adventures I'd like to tell y'all about!

-In Camden Harbor last week, Zach rowed us around the bay in a "pea pod" (a really old lobster fishing boat). I saw my first loon! (I've been dying to see one since I was a kid!). Went out to a sailboat and jumped off into the deeep water ... then went to Curtis Island and saw a working lighthouse!
-Hiked up Spruce Mtn. and ate wild blueberries right off the bush while admiring some AMAZING views of the ocean, lakes, and other mountains.
-Went to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park ... tourists were everywhere, but what a cool trip anyway! Acadia is beautiful!
-Drank some of Zach's favorite beer at Gritty McDuff's and shopped at the L.L.Bean store in Freeport. Damn good beer and a new navigation system made Zach the happiest guy on the planet.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but oh well. Come visit!

'Til next time!

Kelly

Shots from the Road: NC, PA, & ME

2008-07-13T15:41:00.007-04:00

The first pictures in this post are from Max Patch, NC. It was really sunny when we first got up there, but a big storm started moving in and we got off the mountain just in time to meet my best friend Amy for lunch in Hot Springs and watch folks on the sidewalk get rained on.

Middle pictures are in PA and somewhere on the road. The campsite pictures are in western Maine near Sunday River Ski Resort, and the last pictures are of the New England Forest Rally. I'd never been to a rally before, and it was actually quite fun. Got sprayed with rocks and dirt, as you can see!

We're safe and sound in Maine ... got some pictures from our stop at the Ocoee coming ...

More to come!

Kelly & Zach

Georgia to Maine

2008-07-05T13:49:00.006-04:00

Welcome to our blog! Zach and I started this so that our family and close friends could see pictures of the amazing adventures we're having as we start out on a journey of epic proportions!
I guess a little introduction is in order for those of you who don't know our story or our plans.

Zach and I met this past spring at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Western North Carolina. I've worked with the company for several years and had gravitated late last year to working in the Outfitter's Store at the company's main campus on the Nantahala River. Zach came to work in the Store in early April, and we instantly knew we had found something special: each other.

In mid-June, we decided to leave North Carolina for personal reasons and head to Zach's hometown on the coast of Maine! We're going to make an adventure out of it, stopping at the Ocoee and French Broad Rivers before leaving the South and camping at various state/national parks and forests along the way.

So we leave Griffin tomorrow morning and will be at my home river, the Ocoee, tomorrow night. We're meeting my dad, sister Sara, Bridgette, and her daughter Kate at the put-in on Monday for a carnage run down some Tennessee class III-IV whitewater! Then it's off to the French Broad, where we'll see my best friend Amy and hike up to Max Patch. Then we're on the road, heading Northeast!

We live our lives on the road and in the woods, and invite you to share in our adventures. I'll be posting pictures and updates when I find internet access along the way.

All forward!

Kelly