Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Happy Independence Day!

by //

A wonderful turnout at the Piedmont parade.
A wonderful turnout at the Piedmont parade.

Happy Independence Day!  I’m enjoying the day in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and went to the parade this morning.  What a great way to celebrate America’s independence.It is also Piedmont’s 125th Anniversary, so the parade was excellent, and the turnout was fantastic.

A Pontiac GTO even made an appearance!
A Pontiac GTO even made an appearance!
Uncle Sam is driving, while a dog is wearing sunglasses in the sidecar.
Uncle Sam is driving, while a dog is wearing sunglasses in the sidecar.

The parade really had something for everyone, and I snapped a few photos.  The parade started out with a locomotive reconfigured to run on the road.  I missed taking a photo of that parade entry, because I was so entranced with watching it (and watching a tractor pull it after the steering mechanism stopped working).  But here are a few of the other interesting floats and entries.

Old West Shooting
Old West Shooting
A Pontiac Le Mans
A Pontiac Le Mans
No parade is complete without the firetrucks!
No parade is complete without the firetrucks!

Happy 4th of July!  Hope you are spending the day with some family, friends, fun, and fireworks!

Bonaire (Part Three)

by //

Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.

I’m new to scuba diving…really new. I started my certification process here in Nebraska, and finished getting certified while in Bonaire. I was a bit nervous to do my open water dives, but I had an extremely experienced instructor (thanks Ron!) so they went very smoothly.

Mike and Me scuba diving in Bonaire. Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Mike and Me scuba diving in Bonaire. This was my first dive after being certified.
Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.

Bonaire has shore diving off of most of the island, and the shore diving is pretty fantastic.  We took two boats per day from Captain Don’s Habitat (where we were staying), but also had unlimited shore diving right from the resort as well.  Several of the people diving (including Mike) went around the island doing shore dives from different locations as well.  The island is very safe, so taking off and buzzing around the island in a little pickup truck is no big deal.  Dive sites are marked with yellow stones alongside the road, so that you know where they are.

1000 Steps BonaireBecause I’m not a terribly experienced diver, I don’t have much to compare Bonaire scuba diving to.  From what the more experienced divers said (and the fact that Heartland Scuba took a group there in the first place), Bonaire’s diving is top notch.  We stayed at Captain Don’s Habitat; and the resort has a dive shop on site.  The crew there were really welcoming and helpful, and I was very happy with all that I was able to see while diving.

Captain Don's HabitatThe wildlife was incredible, as we were able to see sea turtles, frog fish, seahorses, octopuses, and all sorts of beautiful and colorful fish. And the scenery and coral was gorgeous as well. Since I can’t adequately describe the beauty underwater, I thought I would simply share some of the beautiful scenery through photos.Fish Bonaire

Coral Bonaire

Parrotfish Photo Courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Photo Courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.

Coral Bonaire

 

Lionfish Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.

Fish BonairePufferfish Bonaire

Sea Anemone Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.
Photo courtesy of Paige Purdy, Heartland Scuba Center.

 

Sea Turtle BonaireI think my next step will be to take an underwater photography class, so that I can shoot even better photos on our next scuba trip!

If you want some general information about the island of Bonaire, check out Part One of my series.  And if you’re looking for some information about the sites available on the island itself, check out Part Two.

What I Read (NHRA Kansas Nationals)

by //

When I travel, I always find time to get a bit of reading time in. Car trips, flights, and relaxing by a pool or on a beach afford ample time to read fantastic books. Here is What I Read while traveling to Kansas for the NHRA Kansas Nationals.

Books Finished:

The Giver by Lois Lowry


This book is the original in the dystopian fiction genre. The story is told from the perspective of Jonas, a twelve year old boy who discovers there is much more to the world than what his community is aware of. It is heartbreaking and poignant, and I loved it.  I can’t believe that I had never read it before.  I wholeheartedly recommend this book, even if you aren’t normally a reader in this genre.

Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson


The story is set in New Zealand in the 1800s, and follows a teenage girl who lives with her brothers and father on a farm. Her mother is deceased, so she manages the household. Her life, although busy and difficult, is happy, at least until her father remarries.

This book is the first in a series, and ends very unexpectedly. It irritated me that there was absolutely no closure to the story, but I’m not sure that I liked the book enough to want to read further. Most of the first book was depressing, and the pacing was slow. I guess whether I read any further probably depends on if the following books are free on Kindle.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.