A Dallas Safari

March 2015

This is a little late, but I blame that on the fact that I hadn't yet started posting my adventures. Indulge me as I catalog this adventure belatedly.

So Jason had promised me a trip to the zoo for Christmas, and I was more than happy to hold him to that promise. So this February I traveled down to Dallas. Jas and I spent the weekend laughing, teasing, and exploring. 

Jason was a monkey throughout the trip, but the weather was gorgeous and all the animals were performing for us. The tiger took to pacing; the alpha gorilla charged a smaller gorilla; the cheetah frolicked with his canine best friend; a chimpanzee begged . . . okay, that's an understatement. The chimp demanded to be fed by his adoring audience. Jason and I couldn't help but laugh at all the colorful antics.

That's not to say that we didn't bring shenanigans with us, because we certainly did! We sang Lion King's "In the Jungle" in the "secret tunnel" to the African safari. And I paraded around the zoo looking 'bookish' with Jason's faux glasses. 

Some of the greatest adventures are right in your own backyard, and Jason and I took advantage of one this winter. Where will your next adventure be?

Literature Travels - The Winter Sea

The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley

"I couldn't say how far away I was when I first saw the ruined castle on the cliffs, a line of jagged darkness set against a cloud-filled sky, but from the moment I first saw it I was captivated ... Then, beyond the tangle of a wood, the road curved back again, and there it was: a long dark ruin, sharp against the snowbound fields that stretched forbiddingly between the cliff's edge and the road."

When writer Carrie McClelland visits Scotland, she'd no idea that she was about to embark on an adventure from the past. Her own ancestor, Sophia, had walked the beaches and cliffs near Slains castle, and the land and stones had not lost its memory of her. As Carrie writes of the Franco-Scots invasion, what she discovers is the great love story in her own history and the love story that could be her own.

Kearsley has become one of my all-time favorite authors. In her books The Winter Sea and The Firebird, she presents historical fiction at its finest. There is nothing so impressive as the relationship that we develop with real people as Kearsley weaves their story and illuminates their motivations.

And what is more, this great book has inspired a hop-skip-and-jump up to Cruden Bay this summer to see first hand the dark ruins of Slains castle. You will certainly hear more from me about this book and the adventures it inspires for me.

Preparing to Voyage

March 2015

Permission to board, y'all! Sky and I are planning several great adventures, and, quite frankly, I want to be able to share them with you. It's true, we've already embarked on the greatest adventure; Sky and I married April 21, 2012, and we've traveled a good bit since then. (Did y'all know that Sky is a great first mate?) 

But now we are looking at the adventures of a gal done with school and a bloke who's almost done--and has a whole summer free before hitting the work force next year. We want to share our adventures with you, and our itinerary looks pretty exciting.

2015

- March: Lindsay to Arizona, Sky to Dallas

- April: Both to California for Rachel's Wedding

- May and June: Great Britain, here we come!

- June: San Antonio and New Braunfels 

- July: Perhaps back to good ol' CA

- August: Return to duty at A&M

- December: TBA for Sky's graduation

2016

- January: Houston and business

I hope that this Captain's Blog will keep you savvy with the goings on, and might just spark some excitement for adventure, too.