Spending Time in Nature to Reduce Stress

Spending time in nature.

Lets face it. It is pretty stressful right now. I could go into all the different types of stress that is surrounding all of us at this time, but you know what they are. And they are different for everyone. So we need to find a way to naturally de-stress. It is now proven scientifically that spending time in nature, even only 20 minutes, can help lower our stress levels and cortisol

The lucky ones are those who can spend time with nature everyday. I am blessed to be one of them. Full time RV’ing can do that for you.

I am practicing being happy where I am.

When I started traveling full time last year, I thought I would be on the road and moving often, discovering new things. And I was. Every week was a new adventure. The very idea of this new way of life filled my heart and allowed me to let go of a more traditional way of living.

But now I have been stationary in our little trailer since last November.

6 months.

UGH.

And at least one more month to go.

I had only planned to be here through February. Stay here in the winter, ride out the winter cold in the balmy weather of central Florida, work with clients during this time and then back on the road.

Then back on the road. That was the plan.

Into Texas to see the Bluebonnets bloom, then on to New Mexico for a month to discover the “Land of Enchantment“. Or possibly a trip up the Natchez Trace. But a few lingering health problems pushed the deadline into March and then…Corona virus.

The night that all the state and national campgrounds closed early in March, I extended our stay for two months in a private campground.

This is a very pleasant park; safe, enjoyable, convenient to everything I need and close enough to drive to (previously) work with clients in the Tampa Bay area. But not very new and exciting.

Perhaps a sense of calm in this time of stress and uncertainty is exactly what is called for.

In the campground, there are a few quiet areas to just sit and contemplate.

This is one of my favorites. A lovely bench overlooks a wooded area filled with Cypress trees. Hundreds of white Ibis nest in this area every night. Flapping in all at once to get settled for the night is quite a sight to behold.

Bordered on another side by grazing cows in the lush fields dotted with ancient live oaks dripping in Spanish Moss.

Resurrection fern covers almost every oak in the park, green and luscious this time of year.

As we all deal with the stress and consequences of life with the Corona virus I am grateful for this peaceful area to quarantine in. I am, like all of us, trying to adapt to my circumstances.

This quote by Viktor Frankl impressed me today:

(download this book, Man’s Search for Happiness, for free here)

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

I have been, like many, bumping up against my former plans and what I am allowed to do at this time. I am choosing at this time to visit any local area that I am able to and write about it to give you a sense of adventure right near home, if the Tampa Bay area is where you live.(or where you are quarantined at this time!). Only a short drive from the theme parks in Orlando, but a world away in experience.

Lots of nature, kayaking on the springs of the Crystal River, exploring the historic homes in Floral City, (by car or foot, not going in) and the nature trail that runs through there-Withlacoochee State Trail , open for biking and walking.

I want to begin where I am.

So today I went for my daily walk around the park and photographed the lovely Florida Iris.

For years I had lamented the lack of traditional spring blooms in Florida. But Florida has its own beauty, if you know where to look. Jasmine, with its heavenly smell, gardenia blooms on bushes the size of trees and Florida Iris, just to name a few.

I have always loved the Florida Iris blossoms, partly because they remind me of the traditional iris blooms in the Midwest. Partly because they have a beauty all their own.

I created the image below to honor the beauty of this particular flower. If you would care to browse my other artwork please click here or on the image below.

Find time today to find peace in nature.

Thanks for reading. I hope I expand your view of the world and give you a few tips for creating your own gorgeous images.

If you would like to see more of my travels and hints for creating better travel pictures, please subscribe to this blog below.

Questions? Please let me know and I will answer!

March 8, 2020March 8, 2020

5 reasons NOT to buy an Airstream

So my top 5 reasons NOT to buy an Airstream are:

Expensive
Heavy
Low Clearance
No slideouts
HIGHER outside maintenance costs and time consuming

OK, so before you hate me, I DO love the look of an Airstream.

All that vintage vibe going on. Yes. I do LOVE the look of an Airstream. And they’re cool. Like, I mean, really. Buy one of those babies, and you have definitely joined the cool kids club. Or the cool camper’s club? Anyway. Just not for me, because of the reasons below.

This is why I would NOT buy an Airstream.

1. They are expensive.

Not that they may be definitely worth it, just out of my particular price range. If you calculate the price per square foot, they are up there in price compared to many other travel trailers. Price of a new 23′ Keystone Premier 23RBPR , msrp – $33,574 compared to a 23′ Airstream 23FB Flying Cloud, msrp – $81,059 … see what I mean? Yes, I know you can buy used ones and you can almost always get a travel trailer for less than the MSRP, but I needed something to use for comparison. And what better to compare than the starting prices set by the manufacturers.

2. They are heavy.

Heavier than other comparable travel trailers in the same size. Take the same comparison of the Keystone Premier 23RBPR, 5265 lbs. and Airstream Flying Cloud (2018) , 6000lbs. listed in the previous paragraph and you can see that they are considerably heavier.

Update: Now with further research, the current newer models actually come in lighter weight. Airstream must have done something different to lighten the RV in the last two years. So I am not sure that that argument still holds weight. (pardon the pun)

Still, many people will buy used, to save on initial costs. With more weight, you cut down on gas mileage. And you most likely will need to buy a larger truck. Which means more initial up front cost. And also even worse gas mileage. If you travel a lot, like full time, gas mileage is a significant cost.

3. Low clearance.

Yep, again if you compare most Airstreams with conventional travel trailers, you will see that there is a significant difference in clearance. This is another reason not to buy an Airstream. This leaves the Airstream very prone to bottoming out both front and rear with its low ground clearance. In fact, in some Airstream forums, they actually talk about a lift kit you can get to retrofit the trailer so that it has higher clearance!

Now, if you are driving on straight paved roads and you camp in commercial RV parks, its not a big deal. Or even in many state and national RV campgrounds. But if you like to boondock or go into some of the more remote campgrounds, the roads leading into these areas are sometimes quite rough. I would be concerned about clearance after driving some of the roads that I have covered in the last three years. Just something to look at.

4. No Slide-outs.

I travel in a 19.5′ Keystone Premier 195BPR travel trailer. It has just one slide out. But that one slide-out is incredible. It keeps the inside of the trailer from feeling claustrophobic in a fairly small travel trailer. I can move around and feel comfortable.

Whenever I have been in an Airstream, either on an RV lot or at a show, I have definitely felt claustrophobic. This is just one more reason not to buy an Airstream. Airstreams are very nicely appointed inside and very pretty to look at as well as being well layed out for function. But not enough space for me. Just my opinion.

5. Last but not least, they are more time and cash consuming on outside maintenance.

With the research I have done, the time and cost to maintain that quite beautiful polished exterior is not something I want to get into. Yes they are very beautiful and retro feeling. I love that about them. But after counting the costs and time involved, I would rather be hiking than polishing. If you get my drift.

So that’s my two cents.

Many people love Airstream Travel Trailers and extol the RV life traveling in an Airstream. You can find many articles talking about the benefits of an Airstream like here on the Airstream blog, and found here, on Do It Yourself RV blog.

And you may feel differently. But for me – not going to happen.

Happy Travels!

Thanks for reading. I hope I expand your view of the world and give you a few tips for creating your own gorgeous images.

If you would like to see more of my travels and hints for creating better travel pictures, please subscribe to this blog below.

Questions? Please let me know and I will answer!

September 28, 2019February 21, 2020

Hidden Treasures in Idaho + Photoshop tips

Stoddard Campground was a hidden treasure in Idaho. It was supposed to be a one night stopover on my way to elsewhere. A lot of these little out of the way campsites are becoming surprisingly pleasant. I was apprehensive because the review said ATV campground – read – NOISY!

But surprisingly not. It was quiet and lovely. I ended up staying a few nights instead of the one night stop over I had planned. All the ATV campers were in one area and had strict rules for while they were in the campground. And the ATV trails were far enough off to not be heard. Walking around the park provided me with these beautiful restful scenes.

One of my readers gave me insight into this particular forest. David Robinson let me know about the Aspen forests. “Did you know all those trees share a common root system as one huge organism. If you want to thicken the stand of trees you cut a few down and it sends up twice as many as replacements.”

Aspen tree groves are all linked to each other. I had no idea about this hidden network of root system that is tied to the healthy community of aspens.

Campground beauty in the trees and foliage.

Aspen Grove at Stoddard Creek Campground, Idaho

I approached both of these shots with a different eye. I liked the one above because it had the textures of the foliage on the ground, the dark evergreens to strengthen the image and the pattern of the aspens throughout. Because I cropped it with the rule of thirds it gave it more dynamic interest. Next, I brought it into Photoshop for a bit of post processing. I strengthened the color intensity of the ground foliage and brought the whites in the aspen bark back to where it should be.

Sometimes cameras don’t give you what you saw in the original scene, especially cell phones.

The second image to the left is much different to me. I positioned the leading line of the dead tree in the middle to bring the viewers eye into the scene.

Again, a short stop in Photoshop strengthened the greens and gave the white bark back its beautiful white contrast. If you don’t have Photoshop, and would like to get it, please follow this link.

You can have a subscription to it for under $10 per month for personal use and it is well worth the price if you are interested in making your photographs better.

If you use this link when you purchase, it helps support my blog and travels at no extra cost to you.

Great evergreens in Stoddard Creek Campground, Idaho

This third image I liked because of the size and strength of the evergreens. The circumference of the trunks was a stark contrast to the aspens. The bit of brightly colored fungi on the side of the trunk gives a bit more interest.

I positioned the tree so that the viewer could get grounded by seeing the bottom of the tree trunks and enough of the branches to get a sense of the scene.

By positioning the aspens in the back, it shows that they are secondary to the true focus of the image, instead of competing for center stage.

Next, a quick edit in Photoshop was done to strengthen the bark texture, the intensity of the greens and the yellows. Crisping up the whites again gave this image what it needed to turn from snapshot to an image that your eye wants to linger over.

Hidden treasures in Idaho – Opal Mining

While I was here, I tried my hand at mining. Ha ha ha!!

I always have loved opals. The colour variations, the way they catch the light and the beauty of the gem had always made it a favourite. So when I found the Spencer Opal mine not even 20 minutes from camp, I made it a priority to visit.

You don’t actually get to go into the mine, that it too dangerous for them apparently. But there is a great big pile of rocks that contain raw opal and you pay $20 to go in and mine for however long you want. Armed with a bucket, a water sprayer, gloves, and a shovel, in I went.

They give you a five-minute lesson on finding opals in the pile.

I think I needed more like an hour.

I was one of the first ones in, found a promising spot on the pile and sat down to dig. One of the workers came by with a sample of raw opal to help guide me in finding my hidden treasure.

Next, I dug down two feet. I was intent on finding a magnificent piece of opal! Digging, examining and spraying bits of rock with water to bring out the shine occasionally, afforded me nothing more than wet gloves. By using the water, you are apparently more able to recognize the opal in the rock. Still nothing.

Moved to another spot. Repeated procedure. Nothing.

Meanwhile around me was a younger couple, maybe mid 30’s and they were chest high in their rock digging. All the while letting each other know that they “found another one!”

Even young teenagers were finding opals.

But for me – NADA. Zip. Zero. Nothing.

When my backside wore out from sitting on rocks and my back gave in from bending over, I went with my measly 4 small rocks that I knew deep down were nothing and went to check out.

Yep, I was correct. Nothing.

I went to give back my sample opal piece and I think they took pity on me. They told me I could keep it.

Ugh. Pity Opal. Yes, here it is:

Hidden treasures – treats in Dell, Montana

Onward to a small town , Population 53, (yes, that is not a typo) to get a treat I had heard about from a fellow traveller.

He told me to be sure to stop in Dell, Montana at the little schoolhouse turned restaurant, for a cinnamon bun.

Well, after my opal mining fiasco, I figured I deserved a treat. So I stopped here and got one of the largest sticky buns I had ever layed eyes on. Almost 6” in diameter and at the outrageous price of… wait for it… $2.00! It really was a hidden treasure!

Apparently this little restaurant is quite a thing in the area. You should check it out if you are near there.

Calf-A Restaurant, Oregon Shortline Rd., Dell, Montana