SUMMER FUN (2)

Over 10.000 bicycle riders are again riding across Iowa this week. The 37th year for this annual trek. It is called RAGBRAI which is an acronym based on the origin of this ride: Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. “The Register” is the Des Moines’ newspaper. You could find out much more by going to the website (http://ragbrai.com/)

This is the second time that our children, Monique and Rick, are riding the whole route. The first time was a year after Rick’s back surgery for spina bifida and also to commemorate their uncle Eddy Kamstra. Eddie was an avid biker in the Netherlands; although he had lost his right leg to cancer, he rode many miles for pure enjoyment and challenge. Many times he would ride to raise cancer awareness and to raise funds for cancer research. He planned to ride in 2007 with Rick and Monique as part of their team, but cancer got him first, Eddy died in January 2007.



Last year his wife, my sister, was here for an extended visit from the Netherlands and she got to see and greet RAGBRAI riders in Ames, Iowa.






This year I was enticed to ride a few miles, into Indianola, on July 21. If I want to do more, I would definitely have to get in much better shape. Yet, it was great to see all ages of people and all kinds of bicycles pass by us as we were waiting to join the team for the last stretch. As at the previous time, Duane and Evie Elgersma provided support for the team. We all shared a delicious diner at the end of the ride on Tuesday.

SUMMER TIME

I could share a lot more about our Alaska vacation, but it is just like home movies or slide shows :o


So here are a few pictures of our summertime activities - it does not leave much time for blogging.



Enjoy the outdoors when you can. I guess we need a storm so I can blog, but rather not; lightning and computers don't get along too well either. So just enjoy the outside with us!

(the pics are click-able for larger views)

Vacation (5)

I thought it might be fun to share the beauty of Glacier Bay, AK.
Corrie shot the video on the way in, showing the Johns Hopkins area.
The bay was cool, as you can see by the ice floating in the water.
We really enjoyed the beauty of creation and went on to spend many hours in this gorgeous Natural Park.

Vacation (4)

Alaska vacation.

As I said before: most people are enthralled by an Alaska-trip, but for most of us it takes planning and saving. Most people we talk to are either planning to go, wishing to go, or have been there. With the help and encouragement of our daughter and our son-in-law we embarked on a sea cruise from Vancouver, BC, to Seward, AK; followed by a land cruise to Fairbanks, from where we flew home again. We spend the night in Minneapolis, where we were visited by Tony & Dawn, our children from Hollandale, MN.

In my previous post I gave you a very brief description of some of what we saw and did and I shared a few pictures. There are more pictures on the blog-site of our children (http://realrick.blogspot.com) .
Rick and Monique also posted a few albums on face-book. So if you have access to either our or their page you can feast your eyes on many pictures of us and the beauty of Creation we were blessed to see and experience.

We were really blessed with many days of sunshine. The weather in Alaska is usually expected to be cloudy with rain showers, but we mostly missed that; not that we “missed” it. We had four ports of call and we cruised two fjords. During both “days at sea” the weather was more in keeping with Alaska’s norm, but the port visits were enjoyed with beautiful sunshine. We rode a paddle boat in Ketchikan and were treated to a saloon show while on board and the performers explained the days of the gold rush.


We also explored some more of the town and took some nice pictures.

In Juneau we did some sightseeing and got a repair kit for Corrie’s glasses. Her primary glasses broke, her back up glasses were missing one nose pad. I was successful in repairing the back-ups. In the afternoon we went on a bike trip, north of town, in the area of the Mendenhal glacier. After enjoying the beautiful spring scenery,

the snow still in the ditches, we also visited the visitor-center at the glacier. At the close this memorable ride we stopped of at the only authentic commercial brewery in Alaska, appropriate called “Alaska Brewery.” Every thing needed to brew beer here is imported, except the water. We got a really good taste some of their specialties. All in all a very good day.

So, onward to Glacier Bay. The silt filled water was smooth as a mirror, with lots of ice flows, mini bergs. Then we saw where all this ice came from: Marjory glacier did not disappoint us by calving many times while we were in her vicinity. A powerful display of “white thunder” and falling “chunks” of ice. Our brides brought us some special “Captain’s coffee” while we were enjoying the spectacle, during bright sunshine and cool air.





The next day we called on Skagway. This is a very small town, which still retains some of its frontier character. We bought hoodies, expecting cooler weather farther North; and they came in really handy, as expected. In the afternoon we went on a hike, away frm the bustle of the town and all the cruise boat passengers. We hiked along the shore, through the woods and over rocky outcrops.
Obviously we were treated to many gorgeous views and scenery. Spring had fully sprung here also. Again the weather was sunny and relatively warm; although, we did wear our hoodies on the hike.


Overnight the swell became very noticeable. We had ordered breakfast in our room, and although it took some time to arrive, we got it and ate it without spilling any.
During the morning the sea quieted down and by the time we were cruising “College Fjord” it was very still again.
There was a lot of cloud cover, and it misted, so we were privy to some regular Alaskan weather as well. The next day we disembarked without difficulties in Seward. Here we started the land portion of our trip. (To be continued)

Vacation (3)

So, we are home from Alaska!

Two weeks without any computer. We just took pictures. (As long as the storage room is adequate, you can just keep on clicking) Here are just a few to whet your appetite. We had a real vacation! No worries at all. Our kids had taken care of it all, we did some collective planning, but the execution was theirs! It is not easy for a "controller" to let go; but I did and the experience was richer for it! Click on the pix to enlarge them, if you wish.

Vacation (2)

Alaska vacation.

Most people are enthralled by an Alaska-trip. It takes planning and saving for most of us. Everyone we talk to is either planning to go, wishing to go, or has been there. With the help and encouragement of our daughter and our son-in-law we are planning to embark on a cruise from Vancouver, BC, to Seward, AK next week (we leave Des Moines on Saturday, May 16). This is followed by a land cruise to Fairbanks, form where we plan to fly home on May 30.
In keeping with my previous post, we plan to take it easy. There is a dichotomy between enjoying the “trip of a lifetime” and “seeing it all.” There is so much we have not seen, so much we have not experienced. Yet, I believe that to enjoy the things we do experience, that we need to focus on being where we are at the moment, not looking to go somewhere else. The grass may be greener on the other side, but as this proverb implies: this could be wishful thinking.
King Solomon shares in Ecclesiastics 5: “After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift!” (Quoted form “The Message”)
I will post some pictures after we come back ☺

VACATION

Vacation.
What is in a word?
Vacant
Vacancy
Vakantie (Dutch)

The word seems to imply an emptiness, void, or space.
So, why do we rush so form place to place to fill our “vacation” with busy, glitzy places?
Things to see, things to do, money to spend?
Do we really understand the need to be “vacating” from work so we can be recharged in order to function with joy in our daily drudgery? Many vacationers seem to need a “vacation” to recover from their vacation.

When we “retire” - which does not mean to change a tire, but could mean: to go to bed in order to go to sleep; do we “rest?” Or do we pursue other quests which wear us out?

I do enjoy the more leisurely pace of this season of my life.
Traveling on secondary roads, seeing small towns, enjoying the budding trees, dogwoods; going some-where ...
Yes, we do still have goals, and I still don’t have time for golf ☺
Sometimes we have to get “there.” Volunteering is an interdependent activity - but we are volunteers, not staff. There is a certain freedom here. Freedom from worry, of being in charge.
Planning helps.

So, enjoy, your vacation, lie on the beach, but don’t get burned
even if it means to fill it with trivial things,
but skip the drudgery!