Patience = Wisdom
Depression and Denial, Denial and Depression,
Depression and Denial, Denial and Depression,
My awe is continuously appreciative of my surroundings.
My times have been moments of spiritual tranquility.
Dreaming of nomadic travels roaming our planet, searching for tranquil moments surrounded by nature.
A bed with a real mattress
I signal nature's nocturnal animals when I sleep.
Life's journey is the hyphen defining life.
I wish everyone's dreams, desires, and expectations to become a reality in 2023 and beyond.
Words describe what is visually sighted, allowing your mind, body, and soul to absorb the picturesque poetic surroundings.
I wish all my readers worldwide a humble, healthy, safe time as the end of 2022 approaches
The beauty for the beginning or end of a day.
Anxiety is life's emotion to prepare for life's adventures
Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.
Image captured by the author: https://thecarterfarms.com I attended the 2022 Juneteenth event at the Carter Farms of Unionville in Orange County, VA, honoring the freedoms of the enslaved who later…
Many Indigenous people around the world live on their ancestral grounds where they have always been.
The early morning dog walking before 6:00 am in the cold was extreme and brutal.
Image captured by the author Discovering your passion is cathartic when you tell the world of your discovery.Your discovery becomes a relief as you tell the world, hoping family and…
I wake in awe of what I have accomplished.
Nature's trees have watched humans come and go.
I'm not in a hurry and I love certain weighted comforts
Meeting travel friends reveals the fate of my travels.
We have begun every day with a sideways kiss ( you know overnight bad breath and all ) and a hug.
The fourth question sent many would-be dates scurrying away.
Twenty-four to thirty-six hours later, I was anxiously anticipating my travels
I simply explain I'm staying inside my mobile home.
Oh, I do love traveling, moving from one destination to another, with curiosity as my guide.
I enjoy the full hookups provided with a campground but I'm in love with the solitude of boon-docking.
I have fallen in love with the ecological beauty of the Pacific Northwest
RV full-hookup campgrounds are hard to pass up. :-)
The word "skepticism" quickly emerged from my thoughts.
I have been fortunate to encounter men and women whose wisdom I have taken to heart.
Until a vaccine is discovered and everyone is inoculated, stay safe and healthy.
Patiences virtue has taught me time is fleeting so do not rush towards your end date that you do not know.
The beacon of light brightens towards the end of this pandemic.
We have begun our day with a sideways kiss ( you know bad breath and all ) and a hug.
Keep me outside in the world I love.
An opportunity to capture photos and enjoy the beauty of the ride
Balancing my loves of hiking, bicycling, and photography with sitting still to write
we all live upon a planet with a downward force of gravity
Surrounded by nature, emitting happiness and contentment.
Surrounded by nature, emitting happiness and contentment
Poetry is nature, infinite in age.
A sense of reverence is experienced as you pass the enormous Coast Redwood Trees
If you stop moving, you will die
Among the thousands of people hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, there are also animals, and photographer, Andrew Burns. He is not hiking the trail, but he is developing a…
We are sleeping inside a pup-tent for the very first time together.
Glacier National Park is a natural amusement park, with hiking, and backpacking trails providing a soul calming meditative experience costing less than the entrance to Disney World, or Six Flags.…
As I mature, I'm discovering the wisdom to calm my anxious excitement to cherish every moment of my travels. MJL
After the Continental Divide Trail Days in April, I set off for the City of Rocks Campground in New Mexico, which is by far one of my favorite campgrounds. Although…
Writing, reading, mountain biking, and fishing, be patient daddies got a new toy!
In the forest I close my eyes hearing insects buzzing and humming around me.
This past February I attended the Key West Photo Festival with other photographers from around the US who broaden my knowledge and inspired my soul for the creative art. For…
Do not feed the animals their diets do not include human tourist.
"A good man always knows his limitations."
These birds are the official and original waste management facilitators of the Florida Everglades
Once you exit your vehicle, your first experience will be the sultry humidity and soon the mosquito.
Always beware, there will be alligators in those waters. :-)
My attempted winter destination for 2019 was the Quartzsite Arizona in Western Arizona. It is also the winter destination for several thousand RV'ers, Van dwellers, and everything in between. I…
Ok, ok, I know it has been quite a while since my last blog posting, and many have emailed me with concerns of "where the heck am I?" Well, let…
One aspect I thought of was my self-diagnosis of having a hyperactive personality with a dose of attention deficit disorder. :-)
It is always great meeting fellow travelers who seek nomadic adventures as we are a unique tribe of people whose experiences of the open road brings joys to our hearts.
I recommend you visit Key West during the Fantasy festival with a daily schedule of events, there is something for everyone.
It has been three months of writing, editing, re-writing, editing, and a repeat of all with an occasional blog post. I recently took time for some mountain biking in Florida,…
Doubt, courage, and confidence are a persistent emotional tug of war deep within you and between your ears.
These three words are the essential foundation for every human living on this planet. There are millions of different ways to achieve all three based on need desire and what…
Every day I'm honored to wake knowing I love you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpR07wwpS4 I recently viewed the movie trailer "Green Book" scheduled for November 21, 2018, release in the US, and it triggered my thoughts about my travels across the US during…
On many occasions, my family and friends have voiced their concerns about me backpacking or hiking into the forests and deserts. They fear for my safety of everything and anything…
Elegance is a word used to describe style and beauty. Outdoor photography captures natures ever-changing elegant views of a Florida sunset. This, landscape sunset cloud formation in Key West stretching…
On many occasions, my family and friends have voiced they're concerned about me backpacking or hiking into the forests and deserts. They fear for my safety of everything and…
For the past several months, I have struggled with a writing routine as I traveled but, summer has eased into autumn, and I draw inspiration from quotes, by Gustave Flaubert.…
Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I entered the local library for a book, and I saw the most incredibly beautiful king size quilt hanging on display behind glass. I stood for…
It was a day after the American Labor Day holiday and the unofficial end of summer. But more importantly for me, it is the demographic transition of the US National…
Recently while I was touring and photographing the West Rim Drive of Crater Lake in Oregon, I met a New Zealander in his late twenties, and a 66-year-old couple all…
The Pacific Crest Trail Celebrated 50 Years as A National Scenic Trail of 2,650 miles from the California Mexican border to the Washington State, Canadian Boarder. It normally takes…
I was taking a short day hike around the campground in Collier Memorial Park in Oregon when I met another camper/traveler and our conversation turned to current events. It was…
There are many unique museums and places I want to visit, learn and further understand American history. Many tourists and travelers see and reveal in video and blog postings the…
I will never forget the sunny Monday morning inside the coffee shop, knowing you had seen me dozens if not hundreds of times reading the new paper. But on this…
The town of Creighton New Hampshire was to celebrate the 1948 class reunion of the small towns only high school with 43 of the original 97 class members still alive. On…
My dad standing next to my first touring motorcycle a Kawasaki Voyager-12 Today men all over America are celebrating Father's Day spending time with their families, throwing a ball in…
A man and woman conceived a child. Some people debate when the circle of life begins, but for this poem, the ring of a lifetime starts when a mother is…
Again, as usual, I am seated watching the archaic traditions leaving no assumptions for what is to happen at this ceremony that has been held every year since 1877. I glance…
Oh yes, the Petrified Forest National Park has been on my must-visit list for years, and my recent scenic drive tour has only conjured up plans for a re-visit to…
We do not celebrate wisdom, because it comes with age. Many fear age while never gaining its wisdom. Youth spends money, wisdom would never consider. Youth is fertile ground for…
Usually, on the weekends mostly during the morning hours, a hiking trail fills with groups of people flaunting their newly purchased hiking and backpacking gear. These groups move along in…
My travel aura was projecting as I sat reading about my next destination inside my vehicle at an eastbound I-10 rest-stop in East Texas. Actually, it was my Florida tags…
I have witnessed unbelievable angry tantrums and lost tempers by toddlers, children, teenagers, and adults. But, during a lovely wedding, I watched a 5'4″, 160-pound, grey-haired woman, with bright red…
Ms, Charlotte Wetzler, was seated on the main stage, looking out upon well over 500-hundred guests who are her former students and the recipients of her 42- years of teaching…
Capturing sunrise photos while stopped at the "Sols Cliff scenic overlook with views of Bar Harbor Maine from inside Acadia National Park. The crisps winds of an early September cold…
On a cold rainy spring day, I toured several critical locations in the city of Mongomery Alabama which is ground zero of the Civil Rights Era in America. In 1877…
Our family, our children, forty years we made. The mind-numbing daily routine we made. Our separate sleeping bedrooms we agreed. Because of commitments, our love has become veiled from one…
The daily WordPress word prompt inspires thoughtful, creative writing ideas based on the WordPress user's past experiences with the word which can hold various meanings and definitions. The word churn, cause me…
From the time, I saw her from across the dance floor, I was tranced into seeing them closer. Standing in front of her, I was awakened by her voice…
Attending a funeral, a retirement gathering, a college or high school graduation, of a family member or friend allows for personal self-reflection. Your thoughts peel away layers of life's reality igniting and stirring…
Since Feb I have enjoyed and settled into the Florida warmth, and because of cold temperatures, I used my backpacking pants' less than a week. As March winds to an…
The weekly photo challenge asks the question where would you rather be. The following photos reveal where I would rather be as photography allows for the repeated return to moments…
Every day since forever, I have seen you, and we are identical twins. I look into your eyes, and I see the mirror image of me. I have seen pictures…
Casandra entered the room, and I could not make eye contact, She walks past my table, and I look down at my paper, I sensed a connection, but I'm too…
I can remember as far back as a kindergartener, hearing my mother, father, siblings, friends, and teachers, telling me, or writing in the margins of a report card, "Slow Down."…
As the days of March wind down and I continue editing, re-editing and repeating the process of my short stories. The recent cold weather in Southwest Florida provoked a wrinkle…
During my lifetime of travel along the back roads, my reason to stop is best described as "distracted." by what my eyes witness and I want to learn and discover…
Suddenly there is no sound of the trail, but I feel and hear my heart pounding after my climb to summit the small peak of 2500 feet. My breathing slows…
Our parents, families, and friends say we are too young to know love. We both wish and desire a love we neither know of or have ever experienced, yet,…
My plan for the day was to set up somewhere along the beach to write and read all day on a picnic bench under a shelter looking out onto the…
I want to start the first day of March 2018 with a cheerful hello to all of the followers of this site. For the next 30-days or so I'm developing…
At the beach, or in the park, the morning blend of sites and sounds coupled with the warm sunrise temperatures to sooth the skin adds to the beauty of the day ahead,. Sparrows,…
As a caterer with twenty-two years in the business, I love the quote "Eating is a necessity, cooking is an art." I once prepared dinner for 50-people, who attended an…
For over forty years I have traveled around the US for which my family and friends were astonished by the journey and marveled at the destinations completed on a motorcycle.…
Well, it has come around again the commercially celebrated Valentines Day of love. It is the erotic, exotic, enticing, inspirational day for the expression and confession of love for one…
Within the imaginations of everyone who's creative ideas and thoughts are inspired or influenced by anything seen on television, read in a book or magazine, can become a reality. MJL I…
When I began traveling in the late 80's upon a 1987 Kawasaki touring motorcycle around the US, I never created or was bewildered with a title for what I was…
The twins and Johnathan are in the rear seat of the car with their father at the wheel, as they travel along their driveway from their home to the main…
At 4:45 pm, their father, Jefferson Wheeler, was a third-generation farmer, who stood six-foot, seven-inches tall, with muscular arms, and a matching barrel chest. He was a hardworking, strict disciplinarian,…
It was 4:30 pm on a western Nebraska farm, in the summer of 1969 with the humid July winds blowing as usual while the Wheeler twins Jason and Jacob who…
I was scared almost out of my seat when Sister Abigale screamed at the top of her lungs forcing all of the fifth-grade students to stared forward, but it was…
I was born and raised in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York, and the first time I saw photos of a beach, I dreamed of living on an island. As…
I am a part of what some people call the greatest generation. When I consider how my parents who lived with nothing close to the conveniences I enjoyed as a…
Fortunately, during my lifetime I have recorded hundreds of hours of video with accompanied thousands of photos of my now adult children. My recorded library reveals decades of family and…
Be candid with me, I can take it. Honesty is the best policy when the truth is the foundation for any relationship. However, many lies are spoken in considerations of…
As the college semester comes to an end, the mood of the students on the entire campus becomes stressfully solemn. Every nook and cranny is occupied as students seek silent locations…
The desert is a great place to experience the beauty of nature when the approaching rains transform the landscape scenery. A weather system pushed through the Quartzsite AZ desert providing…
For twenty years' or more, the theater's dancers have taken a ten-minute break every hour during any rehearsal no matter how long they rehearsed. Three months into the theater season…
My thoughts often drift to the Arizona desert horizon at sunrise during our two week Christmas break. My face brightens with a smile, and yet my heart aches for endless…
When a child is born, they are an unwritten computer program learning from parents teachers and society. M. J. Leake
Mel and Susan Hubbard a married couple were sitting on a park bench after walking three miles along the beach which they do every other day when Susan tells Mel,…
If you are lucky, your life will treat you to various forms and types of reservations. I have had room and dinner reservations and I have toured nature reserves and…
The first daily word prompt "conversation" is appropriate to begin 2018 since a blog post initiates a conversation between bloggers around the world. Four years ago when I began blogging…
Finally, with the end of 2017, the entire world is looking forward to 2018 with incredible optimism. Many people around the world will begin new healthy and personal habits in…
My thirty plus years of travel destinations are filled with photos and encountering people who are the inspirations for some of my creative writings ideas. In the beginning, I traveled…
Kevin and Katelynn Crawford age 38 and 39 are a couple with seven children. They have twin four year- olds, a 6, 8, 10, 12, & a 13-year-old teenager.…
Wanderer, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more; wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking. Antonio Machado A wannabe traveler's miraculous discovery is the day…
I hiked a trail without a compass within the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in the Robledo Mountains of Doña Ana County, New Mexico. The area is located at an elevation…
Fifteen years have passed since international Dodgeball star Lucas Leonard Lopez was seen on the court. However, his eldest son Lewis Leonard Lopez has followed in his father's footsteps playing…
During anyone's life, there are jolly times filled with degrees of ups and downs, covered with varnishing layers of love. A life is filled with degrees of changes with reflective…
The word "age," is a noun, defining the length of existence from the beginning to any given time of life. Existence is the sparkle of life to be celebrated every…
The significance of procrastinating pressure to complete goals is sometimes a necessary emotion when you find snippets of excuses to forgo what should be done. With thirty days to write 50,000 words,…
Chrysanthemum Three months ago Jill and I decided to take a break with a tropical island weekend getaway. On our last evening, I dressed adorned in my best island attire…
Hiking in the great northwest of the US brings you into contact with many types of people. My first encounter with mushroom hunters began with the honk of a horn…
During our annual concert, my high school's jazz ensemble was playing before a packhouse of parents, students political dignitaries. We played several pieces that excited the whole audience who stood…
The annual sweetheart's dance has become a coveted gala event for the 190 residents at the "Living Years Village." And again for the third year in a row Edgar and…
I stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching my mother cooking and preparing the Thanksgiving dinner as I drooled with excitement wanting to sneak a lick of the bowls…
There was a time in the 60's, and 70's when the mystery of keeping your home secure during the Halloween season was something you passed on to new neighbors. I…
I have never really liked Halloween since the horrible calamity of 1975, for which my father tells the story with the smiling gleefulness of a teenager like it was yesterday.…
The end of green summer leaves leads to the transformation to various bright colors. During an October hike with crisp, breezes blowing red, yellow, purple, orange, magenta, and brown leaves…
With their annual Halloween party two days away, Erica stood in the mirror admiring her Cleopatra costume. She adjusted the black wig with a gold beaded headpiece while marveling at…