There's a saying around here about the cicadas correlating with heat, lets just say they've been singing a lot lately. Please forgive me for my lack of adventures and outdoor enthusiasm. One week was spent taking care of things and family after the hurricane. The next week we had temperatures rocketing over 100 degrees daily. Today we went for a ride with a visit to the recreational beach in mind, only to discover a big sign flashing " ALL ACTIVITIES IN THE FOREST ARE CLOSED." Now, I don't really know how the government can close down a whole forest, but it is the year 2020 where our government is repeatedly gotten away with overpowering its citizens, so I just shrugged it off.
Anyways, the mornings seem a bit cooler nowadays. We were supposed to get a cold front this week, but it changed it's mind and headed elsewhere. I don't blame it. I suspect in the next month temperatures will be more tolerable for the woods with the girls. The outdoors is a different beast down south. Almost everything is poisonous; snakes are abundant and ornery. Last year I came across several water moccasins (the infamous cottonmouth), including babies. Who knows how many copperheads because I fully believe you can't see them suckers, even while being overly cautious. I hope to hit the cold water creeks too and the Kisatchie bayou, if I can tactfully acquire a kayak. I like to stick to the smaller bodies of water to avoid alligators. Plus, the woods are a little cooler than being out on a lake.
The girls are doing well in school, and we are again trying to establish a routine. Hurricane Laura caused a little setback, but we are out rolling with the punches as we get situated again. Our new curriculum is outstanding. I am so happy to make the change, and hopefully, we can continue with this company throughout elementary. I've made time to start reading again in my "free time," literally MAYBE 30 minutes a day. Books can be so therapeutic even when you don't realize it is mentally strengthening you.
Tyler is now back to working full time with very few days off between rig moves. We are eagerly hoarding every dime we can. I find myself looking at property in Idaho and Montana. Dreaming of our modest home with the robust kitchen we've planned out. Mornings spent out in the garden harvesting our food for the day. Sending our girls out for the day to only return for fuel. I keep reminding myself, "it's worth waiting for." The thought of all of it is so inspiring but painstakingly hard to withstand the patience required to obtain it. We have plans to be able to attain this huge goal completely debt-free. Looking back on the crazy notion to live full time in a camper seemed so bizarre, and far away, it took us less than a year to sell our house and conquer that goal.
That time of my life seemed so incredibly stressful, mainly from trying to sell a slanted house with drastically sloping floors, all while our neighbor insisted on telling every potential buyer to low ball us. Now it feels like that was ages ago. A past life. Even though this goal will take much longer to achieve, soon, I'll say the same thing once we are in our forever dream home, sipping coffee on our patio as we look out on our land and watch our horses roam. I will leave you with this quote by Oscar Wilde that fills me with hope "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for."