Travels with Cats and Homeland Spring Wonders

This hole pictured? We came up and out of there. It's the tightest squeeze we've been through yet, but we did it together through shedding extra everything and team work. 

Big wrenches make big things happen and it helped us hit the road with our three cats for two months this winter. The other things that helped us are exactly the same things that helped us get out of the hole above: shedding extra everything and team work.

It's not an easy prospect for people like us to travel with cats, but it also isn't easy for people like us to leave them home and we just have this absolutely unyielding desire to commune with trees, mountains, rivers, open air, new places, new faces.

So, we bought a travel trailer that had the right floor plan for cats that don't like one another and told the little fur friends this was our only option so they best get on board. Peace reigned in some moments and not in others, but we all persisted.

The beauty of this world was everywhere we looked, in the people and in nature. 

Funny moments happened over and over and we laughed, a lot! Those Chacos we saved with screws (after glue didn't work) since they were still good, except the soles came off? Well, they punctured my feet in a few places over time. 

The screws were too long you see and I didn't notice right away because my feet callouses are so thick. 

I tore a giant hole in my beloved hiking pants, mid-hike, while bending over to admire Mexican Buckeye seed pods. 

They were so worth it, don't you think?

Did I mention the beauty we found? Our first Buck Moth flight was other worldly. Magical black, white and red marvels, everywhere.  

Texas Hercules Beetles crawled and I sat at their feet agog. We oohed and ahhed and never got enough. 

Orb Weavers WOWED.

New places put our little family into perspective with this world. It's never what we think it is; it's always so much more.

We took care of one another and the land. Always. 

Mostly friends, we soaked up nourishment and felt our hearts grow fuller. 

We met our new best friend, the Texas Persimmon. The importance to wildlife was evident everywhere we went where it grew because the fruits are tasty, small and easily eaten by mammals and birds. The roots stitch together soil and hold river banks in place. 

We spent most of our time in the Texas Sun this trip and soaked up those open spaces. 

Hiking does something profound in our bodies and hearts, which is why we seek it so often. It's like a prayer of love to the world to us. Please don't be afraid of that word or this song. Think big, broadly, openly. That's what we mean. By offering kindness to one another, to others, to our cat family, we nourished our spirits and we grew more of what we can offer the world, what we want to offer the world. 

The kitties survived, we thrived. I don't think we would be home yet if we hadn't needed to make money, but then we would have missed the wondrousness of spring arriving in Ohio. From winter to spring we go. Onward.

Mrs. Groundhog said, "Don't you fret kiddies. Sunshine and warmth are returning."

The Winter Fireflies told us the same.

The Sugar Maples agreed.

The gushing Kokosing said, "Of course it's so." 

Happy Spring dear ones. 

We wish you frog song and bird song and the most flavorful maple syrup you ever could eat. 

We also wish you nourishment and love.