How Old Are The Hills?

You have heard it, “He’s as old as the hills.” Or “She’s older than dirt.” (I think I have a pair of shoes that fit in that category.) So how old are the hills, and how old is dirt?

A couple of days ago while skimming the web news headlines, my hubby busted out laughing. “Here’s a headline that doesn’t make much sense.”

Oldest Rocks on Earth Found.

“Shouldn't they all be the same age?” he said.

If you believe in creation—God spoke, it happened, & it was good—yes. At least I would think so. But of course this bunch of questionable babble was written from the perspective that the earth was “…formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a disk of gas and dust circling the sun.”

I interrupt this thought with a question. If you believe all that hog-wash, where did the dust and gas come from? Better yet, where did the sun come from? Okay—back to the news.

According to the article, the earth has been recycling itself over the last few billion years. You know—plates shift, volcanoes erupt, melt down in the middle—that type of thing. And now some geologists have decided they found some old stubborn rocks that have refused the recycling process. They claim these rocks are 4.28 billion years old.

I don’t mean to be throwing old rocks at these geologists; I’m sure their mommas are proud of them. But I have my doubts. First, the article says that in 2001 geologists found this expanse of bedrock. So now 7+ years later they have finally decided how old these rocks are? I think maybe they should not take such long coffee breaks so they wouldn’t be so far behind at work!

I wonder what kind of a GPA these guys had. The article first says that the rocks are 4.28 billion years old, and then later it states that they are from 3.8 to 4.28 billion years old. There is a deference there of .48 billion years. That’s—well—that’s a lot of years. (My son-in-law can figure it out.) So I’m thinking these guys are neither fast workers nor are they very accurate. (What are they adding to their coffee?)

They may be stretching their story just a bit. The article says that the oldest know rocks (before this discovery) were 4.03 billion years old. These are all big numbers, and I’m fairly simple-minded, but isn’t 3.8 billion younger than 4.03 billion? So are these rocks REALLY the oldest rocks on earth? Maybe. Only if their real age leans to the higher end of our not-too-precise geologists’ estimations. It all sounds a little crazy if you ask me.

As a writer, I’m glad it was not my job to report that story. I would have peppered the page with words like assumes, thinks, guesses, & supposes. I have a hard time writing fiction.

Back to my original question: how old are the hills & how old is dirt?

They might be younger than you think!

Time For A New Picture

Have you ever tried to take your own picture? It's a HOOT!

The picture I've had here on my blog is getting old. Or is it me that is getting old? I guess the picture is outdated BECAUSE I'm getting old.

I hate having my picture made. I always feel so stupid. Well, try taking your own picture and see how stupid you feel!

This is my "Oh Brother!" pose.







Then I wondered what I would look like cartooned. So I put on the granny glasses. (I need them to read because I'm on the backside of the hill.)


Here is my cartoon look. It might be better than the real thing! Except it looks like I've been eating Oreo cookies and have crumbs on my lips.

That's just natural luster I promise. I don't have any Oreos in the pantry. But if I did...










This is my "I've got my eye on you" pose. Put me in a coloring book and I might look like this. They say the eyes are the window to the soul. So what do ya think? Those crow's feet around my windows really show up in this picture!








Here is my "I'm a writer" look. Think anybody will believe me?

I can't believe that I've admitted to the whole world wide web that I've spent the morning trying to take a decent picture of myself.

Oh well, I can rest knowing that only people who already know how nuts I am stop by here anyway.

What I want to know is this. How many of you have ever tried to take your own picture? It's easier said than done. But if you're sitting around with nothing to do, try it. It is an activity that is good for at least a dozen laughs!

The pose I finally decided on is in my sidebar. Wow Brittney, you already noticed! Good for you!

Does Anyone Ever Read My Sidebar?

Okay, so this is my second post for the day. That makes up for one of the many days I've missed in the past because I didn't have anything worthy to talk about, or I just flat didn't have the time.

I want your opinions and input about my blog. #1--Does anybody ever read my sidebar? Last night my precious husband commented on my post, so I knew he read it. I asked if he signed up to be one of my "followers." The blank stare & the weak grin told me that either he didn't have a clue what I was talking about, or that he thought I had lost my last marble thinking that HE should "follow" ME. (Our marriage is the old-fashioned type. You know--he holds the remote, he drives, he brings home the bacon, and I...well...I take care of all the "domestic" issues, and I blog.) Come to find out, he never looks at my sidebar so he didn't see the new thingies I added. One to subscribe to posts and/or comments, and the other to follow my blog.

Right now I have one follower and that is because I ASKED her to sign up. She is a sweet kid and likes to patronize her aging aunt, so she obliged. She also has a very nice blog and a huge heart for God, so you should stop by and visit her there some time.

I discovered that to "follow" me, you have to have a Google account. If you blog on blogger, you already have one. But if you are like most of my friends who have not moved into the age of "every body's blogging," you will need to get a Google account. It is no big deal and it costs you nothing. All it does is create a user name and password (like we all need more of those) and a profile that will let you into any of Google's stuff, and identifies you (if you so choose) when you comment on my or any one's blogger blog. Confused yet?

If you want to admit that you get up every morning and rush to your computer to see if I've got a new post, (okay, even precious hubby doesn't do that) or even if you just check in from time to time and don't mind letting me and the whole world know, then sign up. Please!
I'm proud to tell you that I do practice humility, and I'm NOT trying to create a "following" for myself. Honest! It's just that every good writer knows her readers. I know my kids, my husband, at least one niece, and two precious friends read my posts regularly. But beyond that, I don't know who I'm writing to. When a writer knows her readers, she can better write-to-fit.

#2--Now about the "Subscribe" button. That's kind of self-explanatory. If you want to know when I make new posts or update my blog, then subscribe. It's just like subscribing to your favorite magazine. (I know this has to be your favorite blog, right?) You can have me sent right to your home page. Yeah, the one that you do run to first thing every day.

#3--All the other stuff. My bookshelf. Do you care what I'm reading? Did you know that if you mouse over the books you can read my reviews and ratings? Is that helpful to you at all? What about the trivia quiz? Do you ever take it? Are you sick of seeing it?
Is there anything else on the sidebar you like, dislike, wish to see, or wish you didn't have to look at?

The writer in me wants to go way beyond being amused by my own fancies. I want to reach out to my readers and give you something worthy of your time. There is nothing wrong with online journals. I love reading them, so if you have one, keep writing and I'll keep on reading it. But I want to create something more--a tool God can use for His purposes.

If you are one of my REALLY un-savy-to-the-ways-of-the-web friends, simply click on the "comments link" at the bottom of this post and pour your heart out. You can pick how you want to be identified, and if you want to remain anonymous, that's fine.

Your input will help me minister to you, be a source of joy to you, and give you something to think about, smile about, or praise God about. This is my goal. Thanks for your help.

Chin Up!

Just in case you're having a bad day, I thought I'd share this photo I took a few days ago along with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I was sitting in my little home on wheels contemplating the meaning and purpose of my life. It started to grow dark and dreary, inside and out. Gloom, like heavy rain clouds, became my blanket. Storms seemed sure to come. Yet, when I stepped out of my traveling abode, and myself, it was plain to see that beyond the clouds of darkness and despair, the sun was bright and promising. Soon the rain came. The rain, and tears, brought a refreshing fragrance and hope, a cleansing of earth and mind. And when the rain ended, the sun shone brightly again.

May God bless your day, and remember to look above the clouds!

When The Phone Rings

Pay attention to this! You're saying, "Today or tomorrow we will go into some city, stay there a year, conduct business, and make money." You don't know what will happen tomorrow. What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears. Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans.

If you've been following this blog for even a couple of months, or if you know us, you know that when the phone rings these words from James 4: 13-15 come to life. I have probably put this scripture in a post before, and I probably will again. We literally do not know, from one day to the next, what our plans for the future, for the week ahead, sometimes even for the day, will be.

I know some people that would have a very hard time living this way. You may be saying, "I couldn't do it." Believe me, Lavonda can't either, but Christ in me can.

In the last 40 some years God has trained, taught, molded, shaped, filed, whittled, sanded, squeezed, squished, broken, and re-formed me into the still-imperfect but gettin'-there person that I am today. And through it all, I've come to pray, "God, put me where you want me TODAY. And wherever that is, I will trust you, knowing that you will keep me in Your hand. By an act of my will, I choose to be content in that place and in this hour."

The phone rang yesterday.
We won't be spending the next few month here in Baton Rouge like we thought we might. We won't be going to Houston (near Kaleena) to work, like we hoped. It looks like we will be headed to Mobile, Alabama.

The "powers that be" have decided that Rick should be back in the office for a while. It was a year ago to the day that the "powers that be" cut Rick from the office and put him back on the road and up on roofs. Go figure.

This time Rick will be working in a different department, housed in a different building in a different part of town with different responsibilities. We plan to stay in a different RV park as well. Oh, our spicy life. (Variety you know) It is supposed to be an assignment that will be "beneficial" to the overall career. His last stay in the office, which lasted 9 months, was good for the big picture, so we are hoping this time will be too.

Rick is working hard to finish up the claims he has here so we can make a mad dash through Texas to see all the kids and get my car. Just like any other place and any other assignment, we have no idea how long we will be in Mobile, but we expect (here I go making plans again) to be there a while. So, it will be nice to have an extra car so I can find and take advantage of a Bible study group, the public library, or maybe even a gym. (I'll have to think about that last one.)

We don't have a specific date to report to Mobile, just ASAP! (So what else is new?) So, ASAP we will be heading to Mobile from Baton Rouge by way of Houston and Amarillo, Texas. The scenic route for sure! But what could be more beautiful to see than the faces of our children and those most adorable granddaughters?

At least that is the plan tonight. But you never know when the phone is going to ring. "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans."

We've Got Our Tickets!

I can't wait! I don't know if any of you ever make it all the way to the bottom of my blog posts, but if you do, you've been watching the countdown. Fireproof hits the big screen this Friday! I hope you all go see it.

Because:
1. Christians need to send a message to the big wigs in the motion picture industry that says, "We want wholesome, moral, God honoring entertainment!" The better this picture does on opening weekend, the louder our voice will be.
2. The message of the movie is one we all need to hear.
3. We can have something to talk about here. (That is, if you will hit that little comment button at the bottom of the post and leave your thoughts for me and everyone else to read.)

Just in case you have not done any research (follow the link and click on the about link) or read the Fireproof Blog, this movie was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. They've done a movie called Flywheel and they also made Facing the Giants. I've seen both of their earlier movies and have enjoyed watching their skills as a movie making ministry increase. From script writing, acting, directing, make-up, you name it, these people (non-Hollywood-professionals) have done a great job. It is obvious that God has put together a group of people for His purposes.

We went to church in Baton Rouge this morning. It has been months since we were able to go to church anywhere. It was so good to get to participate in corporate worship again! Anyway, the church we attended had tickets for a private screening next Sunday afternoon. So next Sunday at 4:00, don't call me. I plan to be at the movies!!!! I hope you make time next weekend to go see Fireproof too. Check out the Fireproof web page to find the theaters where the movie is scheduled to open. Then, let me know what you thought about the film.

A Foggy Day and Wet Clothes

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the fizz in the Fresca was just about the high point of my week!

Yesterday I did the laundry and there was not anything exciting there except that one of the washing machines has a glitch. It is a good glitch, because (shhh, it's our little secret) it will start with only one quarter rather than the whole dollar that the sign recommends you to feed into the thing. I was glad of that because when it came to drying, I didn't do so well.

The little laundry room (6 washers and 6 dryers) was a busy place yesterday, and folks were pushing and shoving and threatening to throw clothes out for their turn at the dryers. I managed to get dryers for my three loads, but they were not all next to each other.

Now you have to realize that the day I turned 43 a deficiency of certain hormones started a mental fog rolling in, and it has never lifted. Some days it is denser than others, but I'm always having to go with my headlights on dim now. (It's a good thing because I don't think they could be bright anymore if I wanted them to.)

Anyway, all dryers look alike to me, and after I got my loads started, I couldn't remember which dryers contained my clothes. So, I did the little open the door and peek thing. I forced my brain to remember--first, second, and fourth dryers, starting from the right end.

All was well and I went to the camper to wait out the 45 minutes until the machines were finished melting and wrinkling my nicer clothes. Thank goodness they leave the towels and jeans good and damp! At least everything is not ruined!

I was not going to let anybody throw my clothes out, so I returned to the laundry a little early. I also wanted to hang Rick's work clothes while they were still hot. One man and a woman were eyeing my dryers like a couple of buzzards ready to jump on the last morsel of roadkill. "We thought you would never get back!" The guy was standing there with a Bounce sheet in his hand.

I smarted off and told him I took a nap while I was back at the camper. Then I pulled open the dryer door to start hanging Rick's pants. Well. What'd ya know? I must have forgotten to start the dryer back after I peeked in on them--almost forty--um--humph. Sheezzzz! It was that mental fog again!

You know the timer just keeps on ticking down time even if the machine is not tumbling. So there I was with an expired dryer full of wet clothes and Mr. and Ms. Gotta-Dry-Mine-Now racing to see which one of them could shove their stuff in that little cold opening first!

Sometimes it is hard to grin, but you just have to. So I did. I decided to be cool about this--I nonchalantly pushed the start button and the tub began to turn. Good thing I came back a few minutes early! There was just a couple of minutes remaining on the timer, so I left it going while I tended to the other two loads.

As soon as I emptied dryer number one, I had to duck to get out of the way of the Bounce sheet and an armload of wet socks. I don't know who got dryer number two, I couldn't bear to watch.

When I was finished folding and hanging the first two loads I turned back to dryer number three which was being closely guarded by the woman, who, by the way, was still in need of a dryer. It was no longer running.

At the speed of light I thought through my options. (I may be driving in the fog, but I do it as fast as I can.) With that hard-to-muster grin on my face, I pulled four more quarters out of my pocket, put them in the coin slots and gave the plunger a shove, then pushed the button. She looks just as far over the hill as I am. Surely she will understand mental fog, I thought.

I explained to her that the load was not dry because--well... She didn't understand as well as I had hope.

"You didn't start it?" She was frowning, and suddenly I wanted a Fresca--and a nap. I headed back to the camper to hide out for another 45 minutes.

I thought I'd never get all the laundry done yesterday. It seems like it took me all day. I think it had something to do with the fog.

A Fizzy Day

So what happened to YOU today?

The most stimulating thing going on around here today was the fizz in my Fresca!

Some days are like that. The whole day, now history, just taking up space on a calendar page. But let's look on the bright side. At least my Fresca had fizz! That made it a good day. Tomorrow will be even better. Maybe. But I'm not sure--I drank the last of my Frescas today. Tomorrow I'll have to look for new excitment. I'll let you what happens.

Floatin' In A Storm Surge

The world is a crazy place

Have you read the news or watched the TV lately? It's enough to make me want to move to Mars. Democrats and Republicans, the Left and the Right, wars, storms and destruction, the price of crude, and now the news about AIG and more devastation on Wall Street. I wonder if there will be anything left of our 401K when we get our next quarterly statement. I doubt it. I used to work for AIG, so I know how bad things are when a company like that needs a bailout. When a giant stumbles and falls, I promise you, the earth will shake.

I try not to think about it because doing so gives fear a big spot to stick its foot to climb all over me. It is not easy to be a concerned citizen without being a fearful one. I catch myself asking what are we going to do? Really, what can we do? I can't change the price of oil. I can't tell the banks how to run their business. I don't understand most of what is going on down on Wall Street, and if I did, what difference would it make? I can't change the hearts of men nor the policies of nations, so therefore I can't bring about peace on earth. What can I do?

The other night Rick and I were watching The Weather Channel (are you surprised) as Ike approached the coast of our beloved Texas. The guy holding the microphone and repeating himself every 15 minutes started talking to the not-to-bright but gutsy Texans along the coast who chose not to evacuate. He told them that after 9:00 p.m. no emergency calls for help would be answered. He was blunt when he said something like this. "After 9:00 if you decide you need help, you had just better find something that floats, tie yourself to it, and ride out the storm."

That's exactly what I can do! I can't evacuate to Mars, and there is only one thing that I know for sure will float. Psalm 102:25-28 says it like this. "Of old Thou didst found the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they will be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end."

God alone will float when life's storms threaten to wash us all away. So, I think I'll tie myself to Him and do my best to ride out the storm. I'm not sure what time it is, but I don't intend to wait until after 9:00. Excuse me while I go find some rope.

Passing Storm

The clouds are still thick, heavy, and on the move, but the wind is calming. We made it through just fine with only a few strong gusts of wind and (at this point) only a little bit of rain.

Our daughter in Houston made it through the storm as well. She's without water and power right now, but that is only an inconvenience compared to what many in the area are facing. She still has her windows and doors and flooding is not an issue in her neighborhood.

We've not been able to get in touch with Rick's brother and his family, but we are hoping all is well with them too.

I'm thankful for God's care and protection. My prayers and concern are offered for all the folks whose lives have been drastically altered by Ike. I also pray that God's presence be known and His grace and love manifested through His children as clean-up and recovery take place.

Too bad we are working here in Louisiana at the moment. It would be cool to get to work in an area where we actually have family. But not this time I guess.

Life goes on. I know it does because there are dirty dishes piled in the sink, patiently waiting for me. So I guess I had better stir up some of what my granddaughter calls "Mimi's bubbles" and get them washed. So until next time, keep looking for the Son, knowing the storms of life will soon blow on by.

Outer Band Action

The Gulf is full of Ike. We started feeling him last night. The winds are kicking up and rain blows against our windows occasionally. We are under tornado watches and warning. Water is standing in some places around the campground, and the little lake behind our camper has white caps. The swans are on the bank with their heads tucked tightly beneath their wings. We've packed away all our loose camping gear, firmed up the stabilizing jacks, and have the weather channel on.

Rick is trying to get as many inspections done today as he can because we expect the next few days to be rainy. I took a walk up to the dumpster to carry out the trash. I wanted to get out while I could. All my life I've called the Texas Panhandle home, so 30 and 40 mph winds don't bother me, but as the winds and rain increase, my desire to take a stroll diminishes.

Our big concern is for family living in Houston. We appreciate your prayers for their safety and well being.

We've had a few power surges this morning. Many people in the Baton Rouge area are still without power from the last hurricane. If we are able to keep power and don't blow or float away, I'll try to keep you posted through the weekend. But until you see a new post, know we are doing all we can to stay safe, cool, and dry. You do the same!

Be Careful Who You Choose as Friends

I made friends with the swans yesterday. Even Snowflake. I sat at the edge of the lake, chatting with one of my girls on the phone. The birds came closer and closer until finally they were out of the water and within reach. Snowflake hissed at me then reached out and bit me. I smacked him (not hard) and threatened to break his scrawny neck. After that, we were great friends. He and Midnight had that look that said, "Please feed me," and the poor little duck and the coot just stood back, hoping for a few crumbs of sustenance as well.

I've got a soft spot for hungry critters so I went to the camper for some bread. In a couple of seconds they gobbled up all the pieces I crumbled for them, so I told them to wait right there while I went for another piece. This time when I came out of the camper, both the swans were right there at the door like a couple of trick-or-treaters. I fed them and they ate greedily. My fun with them ended when Midnight relieved herself two feet from my door mat.

So I leave you with this bit of wisdom.

Be careful who you choose as friends. They might just come begging for bread and poop on your porch!

Somebody Prayed for Power!

And God said, "YES!"

I had prepared myself for the worst. When we left Arlington, the last word we had was that there was no power at the campground where we were able to get reservations, and power was not expected to be restored for at least 10 days. We do have a generator, but it burns costly gasoline, is noisy, and it can run only a few things at a time. So to live on generated power meant no morning coffee, no blow dryer, (which with my curly hair and Louisiana humidity, that was no big deal--you can't tell that I try to fix my hair anyway) no washing dirty clothes, no microwave cooking, .........

But praise the Lord, power is back on in the area and I've had my morning coffee! Last night when we checked in, the lady at the desk said that the reason they were able to get power restored so soon was because the owner of the campground "knew somebody."

Yeah, me too! ;) God is good isn't He?

So here we are in Livingston, LA just a little east of Baton Rouge. We're all settled in (except for some major cleaning I need to do, and I still have to talk Rick into putting the awning out for me) and Rick is hard at work.

Me? Like I said, I have some house cleaning to do. I already scrubbed the toilet this morning! And I've been out to take a few pictures so you can have a look around too.

The campground is full of insurance adjusters. We are camped next to some we call friends. Amarillo is home for them too. It is always a pleasure when we get to work a storm with people we know. Our rig is way down at the end of this row.We know we are in the coastal south when we catch millions of love bug on the front of the trailer as we go down the road. Rick spent 3 days washing and waxing our "house" while we were home. Oh well...Love bugs are SO annoying! If you've never encountered them, let me know and I'll get you a close up picture. (of live ones in action) But if you really want, I can snap a close-up picture of the dead ones caught on the camper. lol. It's up to you.You know we've settled in when the chairs and little table and BBQ are set up. We've been on the move some much lately, and when we were in New Hampshire it rained every day, so we've not had the chairs out in a while. (Rick never takes time to sit and relax, but one chair looks so lonely.) But...we are watching Ike and hoping that we won't have to bug out.Do you remember my single-pot flower garden? The whole time we were in New England (practically all summer) it never got enough sun. So it pouted and refused to bloom. In just the few days we were home, with the nice bright Texas sun and hot temperatures, it came out of it's funk and started putting on new leaves and blooms. It is glad to be in the South again!

This is the view from my chair on the patio. We were lucky to get a lakeside spot. The campground has a few pets. This is Snowflake. He is quite taken with himself. The last time we stayed here (passing through almost a year ago) he chased us, but today he was happy to pose for me when he saw my camera. He turned his head to the left, then to the right, then back to the left...Talk about a bird with an attitude! I expect he will chase me again before our time here is over.Snowflake has a friend. Midnight is a little more humble and hospitable.Then there are these two little guys. I don't know if they have names, but they trail along behind the swans peacefully. Wanna-bes I guess.

Okay, I've killed enough time. It's time to drag out the broom and mop and dust rag. Or maybe I should have lunch first. Ya think? Yeah, me too.

The Best Came Last

The best part of our vacation came last--at home with our children.And grandchildren.Of all the places we go, home is always the best. And nothing can ever compare to the love of family. God has blessed us so!

As I write this post we are in Arlington. Rick had his meeting on Tuesday, was assigned claims on Wednesday, is contacting his insureds today, and Friday we will head to Baton Rouge, LA. If you think about it, you could say a prayer for us. I'm expecting to have to "rough it" for a while because the area where we are headed has no electricity due to the storm. We do have a generator, but it will only run a few things, and gas for it is costly. I may not get to blog much. Oh No!!!

As always, it was hard to leave the kids, but we've got to make a living. I leave the pencil marks on my table and the hand prints on my mirror for weeks, just to remind me of those sweet little ones who call us by our REAL names--Mimi and Pawpaw.

Grandeur

After we left Plymouth, we drove out to Cape Cod and went up into a lighthouse. The view was wonderful. I'll spare you the pictures here, but someday they may show up as a puzzle.
We started for home but decided to make one more "vacation" stop. There are no words to adequately describe the beauty...The campground where we stayed was on the shore of Lake Ontario. You know me--I just had to put my feet into the water. Just so I could say that I did. So far I've dipped my little piggies in the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Ontario. I lack 4 of the Great Lakes being able to say that I've waded in all the bodies of water that surround our great country. Across the lake we could see the buildings of downtown Toronto. We sat in the grass, holding hands, and watching the sunset. Though it was a little late, it made up for the bowl of blueberries I got for my anniversary.
Wow! I love it when God shows off!
The next day we spent the entire day at Niagara Falls. If you've never been there, put it on your bucket list. We had such a good day. I can't come up with the words I need to tell you about it. I've never seen anything like the falls. They are so beautiful and so grand. Powerful. Majestic. Loud. Mesmerizing. Here are only a few of the 100+ pictures I took. I had a hard time deciding which I should share with you. I hope you enjoy these, but keep in mind that no picture can do justice to the beauty that we experienced.

Above is some of the more gentle rapids leading up to the falls. Below I'm getting drenched by the Bridal Vail Falls.

Across the gorge is Canada. We didn't have our birth certificates, so we couldn't cross the border. If you go, make sure you have your passport or birth certificate and picture ID.

In all my wildest dreams I never dreamed that I would have the chance to be here. It is one of the "perks," I guess you could say, of the gypsy lifestyle.