Monday, May 25, 2015 Memorial Day

FINALLY!

After days of overcast skies here in Northern Colorado, the sun came out to shine on this Monday, Memorial Day. Time to get out the bike, pump air into the tires, and sprint on down the bike path. I happen to be lucky since there is one so close to my house and my town has many other bike paths.

No, this isn't me but a nice photo of a girl and her bike we ran across in Augsburg,  Germany

The air is so fresh and clear, I was sure it would help to move out some cobwebs in my brain and awake the muscles in my winter-sedated body.

This is my first post on my new blog site. I have alot of thoughts to share that have been accumulating for a number of years so perhaps now is the time to bring them out.

The husband and gumshoe

My husband Ron (aka The Global Gumshoe) has been a travel writer for more than 15 years. When he first started he covered local travel-related stories. Then, he ventured throughout our beautiful state. Next thing I knew, he was busy packing for trips to Jordan, Spain, Peru and beyond.

Teapot in Petra, Jordan

Ron had suggested I write a book, using my travel journals as inspiration. Even though I've never written a book, it was an easy task to take on; using my journals for reference.

A page from one of my journals

The name of the book will be, The Travel Writer's Wife and at the time of this writing
I have a few more chapters to go.

The Travel Writer's Wife: Forthcoming Book

 

In the meantime, I had a friend help me to start a blog in relation to our various and sundry travel adventures.

My biggest hope is that someone will be uplifted, inspired or just have a good laugh to add to their day.

Along the Bike Path

As I was riding my bike down the path, I chose not to turn my Walkman on so I didn't have the normal music playing as I went merrily down the road.

Rather, I decided this would be a good opportunity to think about what I would write today.

Since it was such a beautiful morning, lots of other people had the same idea and were also out walking, jogging or riding. Typically, when I spot a cyclist or jogger holding on to to a leash, I like to check out the dog.

But, on this morning, I had to do a double take when a lady on her bike rode by me in the opposite direction holding a long leash. At the other end was a beautiful, fairy-tale, white pony with a long white mane. Why, oh why didn't I bring my camera? Now I know how Ron feels when he misses a shot.The best I could do was try to sketch what I saw.

Rodeo celebration on Memorial Day

Ron and I aren't planning any special celebration for Memorial Day. We won't be going to any parades or BBQs. We'll be having a quiet stay at home.

Thank You!

But I can proudly reflect on the fact that my father served on naval submarines during WWII as a crew chief and also fought in the Korean War on a battleship.

He never talked about that time, and as a child and a self-absorbed teenager, I didn't think to ask him about his war time experiences. That chance is gone now and he has passed on. Today, I honor his military service and want to thank any veterans reading this. Thank you for your service. I am grateful.

Introduction to the Travel Writer's Wife

Hello, everyone and welcome to my blog.

My name is Nancy Stern. I am an artist. and I am married to Ron Stern, who is a travel photojournalist.

I'm working on a book, The Travel Writer's Wife, and as it proceeds I'll be sharing my thoughts and ideas here on this blog.

Let me share a photo of myself. walking down the Swiss Alps.

This is my ideal of a travel writer - not just the travel writer's wife...the travel being the raison d'etre of the entire journey.

Mount Rigi

What you can't hear are the cowbells ringing from the hillside, and the occasional cow falling off the side of the mountain. (That's an attempt at humor - they don't really do that!)