llzranch

City Travel

Welcome, new visitors to my blog. I typically write about country life, and as the readers who follow my posts are aware, I live on a ranch in a rural area, remote from most urban settings. Last weekend I ventured into Minneapolis with a friend. We saw the musical, Guys and Dolls, at the GuthrieContinue reading “City Travel”

Gardening

Gardening and mental health therapy go hand-in-garden-glove.

I was lost in June.

My dear friend died at the end of May after a long bout with cancer. During her life, she organized trips around the world from Antarctica to Nova Scotia to Russia to China and many places between. This lady loved to research and plan trips. She held a master’s degree in History and as aContinue reading “I was lost in June.”

Puttering

Retirement puttering includes time to watch morning sunrises.

Nature is steering a rocky path this year

I started this post nearly a year ago. Volatile spring weather is a constant each year and has caused havoc from coast to coast in the past year. After an extremely cold February and early March, we are indeed marching toward the end of April. A sunny, windy, warm Easter weekend had turned into aContinue reading “Nature is steering a rocky path this year”

Shete Boka National Park

Located on the north end of the Caribbean island of Curacao, the Sheta Boka National Park is, according to their website, an “Area with more than 10 beautiful Boka’s (inlets) where three species of turtles nest. A boka is, in fact, an inlet. Shete Boka stands for ‘seven inlets’. Years ago, the environmental group AmiguContinue reading “Shete Boka National Park”

Visit to an island

Visit an out-of-the-way island for a winter vacation from snow.

How to be happy in January

I’ve been thinking about selecting a good topic to discuss this January, but the grey sky, wind chills, and snow are like a blizzard in my brain, obscuring creativity. Some days, when the sun shines on new snow, however, my mind clears and I appreciate that nature is beautiful. Many other days are gloomy whenContinue reading “How to be happy in January”

Retirement Anxiety

I’ve worked part-time selling irrigation parts, in a kitchen dish room, and winding used film. My full-time jobs include working for a grant-funded group home, a developmental disabilities office, and a state college. I’ve been employed in some capacity for nearly fifty years. Each job provided a regular paycheck. My anxiety is on high alertContinue reading “Retirement Anxiety”

Water

Managing Without Plumbed Water I’ve been writing this blog to help me think about how and when to retire. My decision is made. I’ll be parting from my employer at the end of November, but I’d change that date if I’d have known my rural well was about to fail. I would have worked forContinue reading “Water”