Hello Everyone, left Alabama early this morning and arrived in South Carolina for the night. Warm and breezy, pretty palm trees. Reminds me of Southern California. Tomorrow we are on our way to Chesapeake, Virginia.

A very BIG thank you to Sammie, JoAnn , Kyle and Rachel for letting us take over her very cozy room and bed. We had such a great time! Love the crystal hunting :). Time for some sleep. Take care and Peace Within. Lance Carlene and Roscoe The wonder Dog

Gearing Up

We're gearing up for the run North. It'll be nice to cool off some.

Sammie and I had to make a repair to the rear door.

Roscoe the Wonder Dog is getting restless too. While Sammie and I were fixing the latch he was on the porch yelling "Wait for me!" His new buddy Alby is going to miss having Roscoe around...

Checked the oil, added washer fluid, brake and radiator levels are good, tires too. BTW, just for the record, on the trip down from SD we averaged 18MPG. Carbon credits? We don't need no stinking carbon credits!

We made a draw knife for Sammie today, probably the last project we'll get to do.

All packed and ready to go at first light... Sammie and JoAnn have been great! JoAnn is a GREAT cook and Rachel lent us her room so we didn't have to deal with the alligators and the ticks. We had a great time and we're going to miss the Southern Hospitality we've enjoyed here.

First light that passes my eyelids I mean...

Traveling On

Hello Everyone, Muggy this morning in Opelika. Lance and Sammie have been working on projects all week. JoAnn and I have been having fun roaming around the Historic Part of Opelika. Beautiful Large Old Homes. Very well Kept and the landscaping and flowers are so pretty.

Thank you to JoAnn for finishing up my navy blue wool wrap with a pretty edge of small golden yellow vines. I love it ! My turn to make her one. It is a pretty simple edge to sew that requires patience, LOL. We were going to take a drive to the Gulf of Mexico but I was not feeling well so we will plan it for next time.

Looks like we are heading out to our next stop at Lance's son Thairyan in Chesapeake, Virginia, for a few days . Hope to do a trip to Washington D.C. as I have never actually been in D.C. so we will camp at a Military Campground since Lance is retired Military it is very inexpensive. We need to start heading towards Maine as the weather will be changing. I had completely forgotten that we will be in New England in the Fall my most favorite time of the year there. The trees beauty usually peaks about the second week of October. Lobster please... give me some Lobster. We are excited about seeing our families and getting ready for the winter there. Planning for our return trip after the holidays. We both miss Washington and the Cascades and being remote.

We have been observing as we travel from friends to friends that in most places there are abandon homes, foreclosure signs companies closed up. Yes, folks living in their vehicles, tents and it is for most not by choice. It makes the both of us sad that some of the most productive cities in the United States, are now closed up. People worried about winter coming. Lance and I are so very grateful for our families, friends and our home.
More to come later today. Have a great day. Much Love, The Gypsies

A Special Treat

Yesterday, Carlene and I went over to Ralph's house --Sammie's little brother, for lunch and some fun. The lunch was mostly Korean food prepared by Ralph's wife Ella and it was Fantastic!

The fun was provided by a very nervous Sammie and watching him create this painting from a blank canvas:

And of course, the look on Carlene's face when Sam presented the painting to her as a gift. Ralph, not to be outdone... gave Carlene her very own tamborine for shaking when she dances naked in the rain.

Carlene and I are also in the process of composing a ballad for Sammie --a comic rendition of his life and trials... It's called "Twisted, Flipped and Crashed."

Carlene has been showing JoAnn what she's discovered about herbs and potions for better health. It's amazing the simple things you might find under your sink that might make you feel better.

Science Update

Did you ever have one of those days... You know the one --the only good option is to just lie back in a nice soft spot and pick the lint out of your navel.

The HHO project failed, not for a lack of trying, but for a lack of production. The best we could do is .7 litres per minute --about one third of the demand. We both learned an awful lot about the process and we had some fun.

Next on the project list is the power strop.

Then I think we'll play some music.

Carlene is working on a couple of projects of her own. She's making a new wrap and making herbs and ointments.

Roscoe is not having as much fun as he did in the mountains --mostly because the air here is so heavy, he (and the rest of us) has trouble breathing... I try to remind myself that we're in the deep, deep south, where it's HOT, Hot Hot.

More later!

Good Saturday Morning To Folks Out There. 98% Humidity out here and hot! We did not get the rain and lightening storm they had been promising. The heat lightening was actually quite beautiful last night when I went out to take Roscoe for his short walk before bed.
We are going over to Sammie's brother Ralph's today for a visit. That is if they do not get tied up in their projects. Joann and I went to this great natural food store yesterday, a small version of our co-ops. Price's pretty much comparable. Fun though and found a couple of things that I have been looking for. Found "Goldenseal" at $150.00 per pound, I know cracked me up as well. I only got $5.00 worth for ant, yes ant control. It supposedly repels ant's from our home, vehicle. We will see. Because of the humidity and dampness ant's have a party down here, catnip is supposed to work also, I may go out some morning and find 100 cats rolling all over the van but it would make a great picture. LOL. Sense of humor is a must.
There is a bird down here that makes the most beautiful sound and I could never see where they were. Finally yesterday they revealed themselves, "Cardinal's." Males are the bright red while the females are dull (go figure) but keeps them safe and blends in. Seeing them made me think of my little friend Allison who loves these bird's, will see if we can get a picture of one of them. Guess they come down here for the fall and winter, not sure where they come down from as I have never seen them in Washington. Well time to get my day going. Take care. "The Gypsies"

Hello To All, Another week just flying by. Lance and Sammie "The Mad Scientist's", have been working on project's. Lance and I went into town to get a couple of part's for their project and checked out the town of Opelika. The city is working to revamp and improve the store front's. Some are being completely gutted and redone. But a very pretty town. Like anywhere it has it variety of homes (many brick), church's and school's. The Railroad runs right through the town and one neat thing is they have outdoor speaker's that play music which Ad's a nice feel to the town. You antique lover's would be in heaven antique shop's are plentiful and with some beautiful item's. Like at home there are consignment shop's for Craft's and gift item's. The mall's here are gigantic! Every store you can imagine and some I never heard of all in one yes one location, including every type of food you could ever want! Well that is it for the moment. Hope all is well back on the "cool" West Coast. I do try and read The Bellingham Herald online. Things will be gearing up for The Winter Olympics across the border! Bye for Now.The Gypsies

Hydrogen Generator

Sam and I are building a Hydrogen generator for the Van. We've successfully created the core and here is a video to show you how it works. I can't thank Sam enough for helping me build this in his shed/workshop.

We're using 12V DC at 12 Amps and baking soda for electrolyte (1.5 tsp per gallon).

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble...

Here is a picture of the Generator (on the Right) and the Bubbler:

They may seem huge, but we've got to generate 2.16 litres per minute to keep up with the 5.4 litre V8 in the van. We'll put in an extra battery and the associated charging hardware.

I have no idea where I'm going to hide that monster...

Here is another picture of the Mad Scientist and his invention:

Hello Everyone,
Been adjusting to the very hot and humid weather here in Alabama. Not going outside much the air is very heavy. Plus when it rains here it "rains"! Lance and Sammie are enjoying their time together doing projects.Joann and I have been having fun sewing and cooking. Tomorrow we are going out to do some site-seeing. A lot of history down here and I am anxious to learn more. Gas is much cheaper here it is averaging $2.23 per gallon. Food, well depends on where you shop or what you are shopping for, thank goodness for WalMart. They are all "Superstores" down here.
If you have tried to call us and can not reach us, we do not always have phone service. So just e-mail us as we check it often. Lance will be taking some picture's of the area and of Sam and the family. Guess that is it for tonight. Everyone take good care. Hugs and Peace Within. Miss you! Carlene Lance and Roscoe The Wonder Dog.

Deep, Deep in the Heart of Dixie

Safely arrived in Opelika for some R&R, music projects, HHO projects, computer projects and such.

We've been hauling ass for several days and we're both basically toast.

Pictures and other fun stuff to follow...

We hope everyone following us on this trip is well and happy!

Good Morning, Another hot September morning in South Dakota. We are taking a Siesta today all day. Tired and just need to be not in motion. Wish I had the energy that I did when I was 30,LOL. Have a great day to our friends and families.

Funny Bone

This post is for a very close friend of ours, Don Winch. Don is one of the original Tin Can Sailors --having served aboard the USS Gwin (DD-433) during WWII.

Now, Don has one of the biggest funny bones we've ever seen, and when he heard Carlene and I were headed for Sioux Falls, SD... Don said "...You have to go see the naked man in the middle of Sioux Falls..." Carlene and I both scoffed, knowing how conservative the natives are in SD, but sure enough, We found him in a small park in the middle of town:

Michelangelo's statue of "David" is a classic work of art. I, however, am not!

Carlene, of course, comes much closer to being a work of art, Pop Tart art, but art none-the-less:

Don isn't feeling so swell these days and Carlene and I would do anything imaginable to make even a small smile appear on his face. We both have an enormous respect for men like Don, men who put their lives on the line for the rest of us, and never gave it a second thought.

We had the condoms, Don, we just couldn't reach the damn thing...

Get well soon and smile when you think of us.

Good Morning,

Labor Day 2009. We are out of the wilds for now, heading for adventures unknown!
Had a great day yesterday, Lance flying his kite so pretty up in the clouds.




We packed up and looked at each other and agreed we don't want to leave today so we pulled out the chairs and we played Black Jack and I am learning to play Texas Hold'em there is a monster in the making. LOL. Here we are sitting in our chairs in the clouds playing card games, Roscoe was tied up didn't listen when called so he had his own battle going on with the flies.


Early to bed and up early, was hoping for Elk visits last night but Nada. Every one have a nice day. Pictures to be posted soon. Love and Peace, "The Gypsies"

Gramps,

We are on our way To Sioux Falls, S.D. In the morning to see this statue you talk about. Not to worry picture's will be coming your way. Keep up the fight Gramps and know we love you.
Lance Carlene and Roscoe The Wonder Dog

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

The weather forecast for today was for Sunshine, Blue Skies, and mild temperatures.

Nope, that looks like a thunderstorm to me... idiots.

The view to the Northwest looks a little better, but only marginally:

But, that's O.K. we're enjoying the time anyway. Roscoe went for a swim and then enjoyed some Sun and a scratch:

He does, however, remain alert for noises and such...

Carlene even had time to swipe my camera and take a picture of me!

Last night we had a very nice surprise waiting for us when we got home, an Elk Herd dropped by to enjoy some of the local plant life. There were three large males and six or seven females:


It was very near dark, and that's why the image has motion. They split along the road (some went North and Some South) Still, after several days of not seeing a damn thing, it was nice.

Hello To All,
We have been enjoying the sights and sounds of beautiful South Dakota.

I must tell you all the official results of The Cow Pattie Tossing Contest! It was close, but Lance Won! Roscoe wanted picture's of Lance holding a cow pattie let alone tossing one, but "NO" a loud "NO" at that came from the winner. Even tough we are camped almost 6400' in The Black Hills there are cows, we have no clue who they belong to but they wonder through do their thing. So me being the nature girl wanted some fun before our wilderness shower's. Hey ya got to come up with entertainment! We laughed so hard or rather I did. We also had a discussion on wheather it is pattie or paddie. LOL. I have so corrupted Lance :).

We got home from a day out on The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Wounded Knee. Yes It is horrifying the way the Lakota Sioux were massacred. Of course The White Man tells of different story,which after seeing and reading it makes us realize that not a one of us is safe from that kind of treatment. I read Lance's Blog and cried as he writes of the fight of these people to this day. Good Night.

Break My Heart at Wounded Knee

Few things in the World will break your heart like the story of the destruction of the Lakota Sioux Nation. It is a story that rings with parallels today. You want to know why you, or anyone else for that matter, shouldn't trust your government? Read this story.

In 1874, George Armstrong Custer invaded Sioux territory with miners, geologists and 100 wagon loads of bad juju. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Badlands lie between I-90 and the Kansas border, and between Eastern Wyoming and Central South Dakota. A lot of it looks like this:

This shot is just west of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Visitors Center:

Wounded Knee is near the Southern border of the state in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

This monument sits atop the mass grave of 276 men, women and children massacred there.

Here is a National Archive photo (and by the way, calling it a "battle" is a prime example of the truth that the victor gets to write the history):

It wasn't the last straw, and several other fights took place after the massacre in several places in and around the Pine Ridge Reservation. But, it was pretty much the end of the Sioux Nation. In "Black Elk Speaks" Black Elk describes the Sioux Nation in terms of an endless hoop, in quarters --Black in the West, the home of the thunder beings; White in the North, source of the Cleansing Wind; Red in the East, the source of wisdom and the Morning Star; and Yellow in the South, the source of growth. When the Souix Nation was defeated, he says, the hoop was broken. The pieces of the broken hoop in the picture below are not an accident, or mischief, they are a statement:

And, I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't read the book.

I've got some catching up to do, so lets get started!

We left Matt & Rose's place on the 28th of August, bound for the Black Hills of South Dakota. The day started out misty...

But, by early afternoon had turned into a normal Summer day. We headed West and South to pick up 85 South, it was a nice ride through farm country. We hit the Badlands of North Dakota early in the afternoon, hazy, hot and humid:

We noticed a difference between the North and South Dakota Badlands --the North Dakota Badlands are much greener:

We stopped in Belle Fourche, SD, just North of Spearfish for the night.

We pressed into the Black Hills looking for a place to camp and finally landed at Deerfield Reservoir. Roscoe the Wonder Dog got to go for a swim:

That clump of flowers is pretty strange...

We were going to camp right there at the boat ramp, but decided to investigate a couple of other campgrounds in the area. We ended up at the "Dutchman" campground on the Southeast side of the lake. Nice place but expensive. It seems that the National Park Service has contracted out the management of the campgrounds to a private company --and the price went up, and they suck. Big surprise.

The good news is that we're not confined to the whim of the bureaucrats and moved to a dispersed campsite in the middle of nowhere:

It's a great place to hide and the best part is that it's free!

The Sun went down:

And the Moon came out to play:

On Tuesday, we did the tourist thing and visited Mount Rushmore:

Looks just like the postcard image right?

This is what the "bigger picture" looks like...

Still, it's a real feat of engineering... I just wish someone had remembered to take the friggin tripod off Teddy's head. O.K, it's really a way to get tools and other equipment up to the top, but they're done, so, take it down, the cable runs right in front of the monument. Idiots. Must have been liberals...

I did get a nice profile of George on the way out:

Since we were in the area, we decided to take in Custer State Park. On the way, we came across a lookout and found a great overview of the Black Hills looking North:

Custer State Park isn't anything like Carlene remembers from a previous visit. And I have to tell you, the lack of wildlife was spooky. We did eventually find some Antelope:

And some Bison:

But, for the most part, it was a waste of time and money, save yours if you ever head out this way.

I've spent the best part of the last couple of days reading and not much else. The book "Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Niehardt is worth the time and energy needed to read it. Tomorrow we're going to visit the cemetary at Wounded Knee... I hope the Lakota aren't still pissed...

It's very peaceful here and we're going to hate to pack up next week.

Hello All, We are still in The Black Hills of South Dakota.Very hot and sunny. We are enjoying ourselves. Very peaceful at our "Dispersed Camp site". FREE. We are out in the mountains at 6378' all alone with our entire camp set up. Would love to live there , but there are NO animals, we are not sure why and no one seems to have any answers. This is short as we are in a motel cafe using the free WiFi. Roscoe is in the air conditioned home (van). But want to get back to camp. Will write more later this week and wait till you see the incredible picture's Lance has taken!!!
Take care and Good Health to All. Gramp's hang in there, you are in our prayer's.
Love hugs and may Peace surround you all.
Carlene Lance and Roscoe (TWD).