About Us


We are a married couple who retired and moved to Thailand in 2014. You are welcome to join us and our travel monkeys Sun Wukong and Malcolm Jr. on our adventures! We hope you enjoy the trip as much as we do.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Brief Moments of Spontaneity

We have all heard the saying, “Stop and smell the roses” Here are some other quotes I find inspiring.

“If life doesn't offer a game worth playing, then invent a new one”

“Color outside the lines, let yourself daydream and play with your imagination”


“A true friend is someone you can act like a complete idiot in front of and not be the slightest bit embarrassed”

I have had a lot of practice with this and it is now that I am on the leading edge of my 60th year I finally don't care how people react when they see me “Acting Goofy”. I am not acting, I am truly being myself and boy is it ever fun!

Humanity loves baby animals and baby humans and it is not only because they are cute. Remember....”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

Axoloti Salamander

Baby Aye Aye

It is the energy of the natural playfulness deeply set in being exactly who they are. The essence and core of who they really are and being able to experiencing it is what every person craves. From our birth we are told, “Don't cry” “Keep a stiff upper lip” and we are looked upon as nuts and crazy if we let out a loud belly laugh. Why do these emotions make people uncomfortable when it is what we need to survive and be healthy?


In my every day zest for life I often stop for just a moment to smile at something, laugh at myself, take a quick picture and just play. We were at store the other day and I saw shiny plastic windmill things I played with as a child. Excitement took over and I let my inner child come to play for just a moment......I waved it around and turned in circles as I smiled and giggled to myself.


Here are some of my moments of spontaneity!

Kitty at Tha Phae Gate Chiang Mai Thailand

Sun Wukong in Uchiko, Japan

Sun Wukong at the movies in Matsuyama, Japan

Reclining Buddha in Uchiko, Japan  The little girl was wondering what I was doing.


Shopkeeper in Kyoto, Japan

Sun and Friends in Akihabara, Japan

Godzilla in Ginza, Tokyo Japan

I love this woman's smile after her friend took her picture next to the Hachiko Statue at Shibuya Station Tokyo.
  In 1923 Hachiko followed his owner to the train station every morning and waited for him to come back from work every evening.  When the Professor died, Hachiko continued to wait at the train for his master..........7 days a week for 9 years!   You can find the story here: http://www.fullstory.co/kgoqv

Tokyo fashion at Shibuya Station

I took advantage of other people posing for their friends.  I thought it was cute that they all huddled around to see how the picture turned out.


New Years Celebration in Kyoto, Japan with many women in Kimono.  The pride on his face as he watched people take pictures of his lady was evident and she was very gracious and having fun.   Every bit of her ensemble was made from the highest quality and most likely well above several hundred thousand dollars.  

Beautiful colors of paper cranes for good luck

A very lucky snap of the camera.  One of my favorites!

Feeding the Deer in Nara, Japan

This deer in Nara, Japan was trying to get the attention of the man selling deer biscuits!
Anime Statue in Tokyo's Akihabara District

Kitty Love in Uchiko, Japan

Sun Wukong in Nara, Japan

Vince at the Torii Gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan  The first gates were placed in 711 and since there are well over 10,000. 

Sun Wukong meeting a relative at Monkey Mountain Khao Takiab, Hua Hin Thailand

Serious Chef at street cart in Chiang Mai Thailand

A very happy woman at the beach in Khao Takiab Hua Hin Thailand


I promise if you will let your inner child out to play you will be on the road to exploring the art of selfishly devouring the beauty of life!     

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Our Last Winter in Oregon

We have lived in Oregon for 13 years and have seen the winters become consistently worse each year.  I hear old timers talk about "The Winter of 1974" and they remember how much snow or ice there was.   However, in the last few years the Eugene area has closed the University of Oregon and there have been multiple car pile up's on the highways.   Unlike those of you that live in known winter snow areas, Oregon does not have the road equipment, people do not have proper cold weather gear, and vehicles don't have block heaters.   The best the road crews can do for the ice skating rinks is to put down de-icer or sand and hope for the best. So when we get days of snow and freezing rain it tends to shut down the entire area.

October 2009  Two feet of ice sliding off the roof

October 2009  Our 4 acres

Snow Monkeys November 2010

March 2011

 
December 2013


Lin, Des, Sun Wukong and Malcolm Jr. Dec 2013

University of Oregon Dec 2013




Malcolm Jr. to the rescue!

Ice Sword Fight Dec 2013



Malcolm Jr.and Sun Wukong December 2013

February 2014

Ice Storm February 2014



I can hear the ice crackling.  I will not be walking under any branches!




Yep, this is one of the reasons we are looking forward to our new home in Thailand!