The Wandering Williams

Happy Dec 12th

2007-12-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just putting up some new pictures. I am home sick from work so I figured why not put some more pictures up.

We were in Pennsylvania for the summer and I haven't posted any of those yet til now.

We enjoyed the summer home of the DuPonts, hanging out with our buds and seeing siblings finally get married! Way to go Michaela!

Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills of SD

2007-12-11T13:58:00.001-07:00

These are a few more pics of our trip back to the west. Enjoy

The American Bison is a big deal for those of us who have not seen them before. Very cool seeing a large herd, I am not sure that I could imagine seeing a herd that took 2 days to move past a single point.

The wild ass is a cohabitant of the Black Hills

Rushmore is really a neat site, and knowing that if the sculpture had not died prematurely he might have finished it.

Albuquerque

2007-12-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

We are staying warm here in Albuquerque, even with snow and freezing rain. We hope that all of your Christmas wishes come true.

Here are some pics for you to enjoy

The Wandering Williams

On to the Badlands

2007-10-29T12:05:00.000-06:00

We spent the night in Minnesota and we had some apple pie courtesy of Laura Ingalls and Nana. Then continued to SD. We wanted to see the Badlands National Park. We had a nice campground just south of the park and was able to see alot of cool sites. We met a great family from Chicago that was on vacation to see alot of the sites that we were going to see as well. The Levin's , Sam, Tara, and Morgan and of course Oliver the dog became fast friends as we enjoyed some time with them. Thanks guys for your friendship! Watch out for rattlers!

Laura Ingalls Wilder

2007-10-29T11:27:00.000-06:00

We got to see one of the homes that LIW grew up in. This is in Burr Oak, Iowa. Neat little tour of this stagecoach hotel that "pa and ma" worked at for about a year and half. Very small for a hotel. There was a granny smith apple tree that we were able to get 22lbs of great tasting apples.

Ole Man River

2007-10-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed the mosquitos along the Mississippi for a night and then headed to Iowa to see Effigy Mound National Park. High on a bluff over the River were several mounds built by ancient people. Fun hike.

Madison, WI State Capitol Building

2007-10-29T11:04:00.001-06:00

The Wisconsin State Capitol building is considered one of the 3 most ornate in the country. Texas, Pennsylvania are the other 2 and since we had seen the other 2 we figured that we should see the third. All of the capitol buildings that we have visited have all had amazing features and nifty architecture.

Pictures for you

2007-10-29T10:55:00.001-06:00

We took a road trip during our journey to Albuquerque. This place is called Indiana Dunes National Park. Very fun and beautiful place.

The Black Hills

2007-10-07T22:52:00.000-06:00

Hey all

Barely any signal for the broadband card, so just a little note.

We are doing well. We have seen the Indiana Dunes and then the Wisconsin state house in Madison, then one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's homes in Iowa, the Mighty Mississippi river,
Effigy Indian mounds in Iowa, then thru Minnesota and into S.D., across the Missouri River to the Badlands. We then spent the day in the Black Hills seeing Mt Rushmore, and Crazy Horse Monument.
Fun Day
The Williams

Pictures

2007-09-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

The Great Smokey Mountains, WOW!
Great friends. WOW!

More Pictures, Yippee

2007-09-16T21:10:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a great friend in Knoxville, TN , Allen who invited us to come and ride at his family's ranch. We had alot of fun, although Allen was bucked and hit hard on his back and side at the end of the time we had, the kids were not very enthusiastic to ride more.

Cumberland Gap and snow in April

2007-09-16T07:51:00.000-06:00

The Cumberland Gap is the access that the colonial people had to Kentucky. Very interesting that it of course was an animal trace over the mountains, but what is amazing is that buffaloes were some of the animals that used it. Daniel Boone was instrumental in helping open the wilderness road.
Weather in the Knoxville area can be tricky, snow in early April was fun.

Posting some pictures for you all.

2007-09-16T07:24:00.000-06:00

This is in Alabama in the spring. Melissa and the kids went visit with our good friends Dave and Kathy. Bama is nice in the springtime.

Hello all from Reading, PA

2007-07-07T23:04:00.000-06:00

We arrived in the Reading area on Sunday July 1st after spending a week at Camp Timber Ridge in Indiana. Melissa got to be the nurse for blind camp and the kids enjoyed being at camp.
We enjoyed our time in Knoxville and all of the friends that we made. Pictures forthcoming.
TWW

Can't do it

2007-04-21T20:31:00.000-06:00

Our computer is acting stupid so we are not able to post pictures at this time. We are working on it.
We are having fun here in Knoxville and will add pictures soon.

Nate's New Bike

2007-03-18T10:53:00.000-06:00

Nate saved his birthday and Christmas money and was able to buy the bike that he wanted. Here we are in Moab, UT with Mike and Patty. Nate then got to go on a ride with Mikle who is a pro tour guide.

Oklahoma

2007-03-18T10:36:00.000-06:00

We took a detour off of I-40 and visited one of the least visited national parks. Washita "battlefield" was actually a raid by LtCol George Custer during the Plains Indian War. A sad commentary on the way the Indian "problem" was handled 150 yrs ago.

Digging In the Arkansas Mud

2007-03-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

This is from the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. We did not find any diamonds, yet, we still have some dirt that we have not sifted thru yet, so we are still hopeful. More pictures are to be coming.

The Little Rock Nine

2007-03-18T10:23:00.000-06:00

This was the site of the 1957 episode that helped usher in integrated schools, which to many if not all of us seems really strange, but there were organizations that formed to keep out racially different children from schools. This was the site where bayonets allowed children to recieve an equal education.

Stones River Battlefield

2007-03-18T10:19:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of the kids at the place called the Slaughter Pen. During the battle on Dec 31, 1862 over 8000 men were killed, wounded, or missing ina very small area.

Back on the road

2007-03-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

We have left Mesa, AZ and are on our way to Knoxville, TN.

Hiking in the Superstitions

2007-02-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Superstition Mts

2007-02-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

Another View of Mystery Castle

2007-02-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Princess of the Castle

2007-02-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

This lovely lady is Mary Lou Gulley, her father built the Mystery Castle for her when he came to Phoenix to be treated for TB. When he died his lawyer notified his widow and duaghter, Mary Lou, and they have lived here since the 1940's

How is this for a view!

2007-02-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Superstition Mts

2007-02-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is where the Lost Dutchman's Mine is lost.

Sites

2007-02-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

More Pictures

2007-02-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Camping view near Yosemite

2007-02-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Moab, UT

2007-02-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am bushed after all this traveling

2007-02-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Pecos, NM

2007-02-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Mesa Verde, CO

2007-02-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Moab, UT

2007-02-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque Sunset

2007-02-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Great Landscapes: Sedona, AZ

2007-02-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoying our visit with Gampy and Gingi

2007-02-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Bekah's 2nd B-day party

2007-02-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

Games and cake and ice cream

2007-02-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Bekah is 11!

2007-02-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had two celebrations for Bekah and her birthday. When we were in San Diego we had a party with Grandma and Grandpa Baldwin. As you can see Bekah is having fun.

San Diego Photos

2007-01-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Our trip to San Diego and the USS Midway Museum

2007-01-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

More fun

2007-01-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Gifts galore

2007-01-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Having fun with family

2007-01-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

What a haul

2007-01-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

My oh my do we love Christmas

2007-01-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

4 kids, 4 states

2006-12-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here we are at 4 Corners. Big indian market here for lots of cool stuff.

Horses at Mesa Verde

2006-12-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

These horses where just wandering around the visitor center. Untamed with their foal.

Mesa Verde, CO

2006-12-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of the major cliff dwelling sites at Mesa Verde. About a 1000 ft down.

Beautiful Flower

2006-12-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

We captured this lovely blossom in NM at a National Park of Cliff Dwellings.

Zuni Dancers

2006-12-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

These young people gave a great performance of a Zuni tribal dance. This was at an Peublo Indian Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

Above the clouds and Albuquerque

2006-12-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed the Sandia Mtns in Albuquerque. 5000 ft above the Rio Grande Valley

Bale Grist Mill, Napa, CA

2006-12-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is apparently the largerst wheel mill west of the Mississippi. Neat site and good flour.

Nate and Hannah at Point Reyes Lighthouse, 302 steps down and 302 steps up.

2006-12-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hannah at the Charles Schultz Museum. This picture was created uses small cartoon strips.

2006-12-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Roots of a giant Sequioa, WOW

2006-12-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Nate impersonating a Brown Bear in Yosemite

2006-12-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

2006-12-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

This shows Melissa's great artistic eye

So long California

2006-12-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

We are outa here. We are back in Phoenix now since California was a blah place for C.O. to work. We have enjoyed our time seeing awesome sites and visiting with our family and meeting some real nice folk. We are kinda glad to be headed back to the east. So We will post some stuff now that the connection is "wicked fast" and will let you see some things that we have seen.
The Wandering Williams

2006-12-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

So long exceptional views

2006-12-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Just how big can these monarches get?

2006-12-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

The description of the tree

2006-12-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

This is the tree described. The Gen Sherman

2006-12-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

So long Chocolate fiestas (with Lindsey)

2006-12-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

So long goofy friends

2006-12-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

So long Snoopy

2006-12-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

So long Family

2006-12-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

So long San Fransisco

Sorta updated

2006-12-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I hope to have a good connection soon to be able to update more soon. Fresno has been somewhat of a disappointment but the area around in great. C.O. has fallen in love with the Sierra Mountains and will take a any opportunity to go there. We have visited Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon which right next to it. There are awesome sites which we hope to share with you soon. We may be soon leaving the area and could be headed to San Diego or L.A..
We are not sure at this point and it has been frustrating the way these Californian hospitals are acting. We have had several incidences of incredible rudness from people here in CA and we have such a "bitter taste" of CA now. So if we leave the state entirely for a different contract we won't mind leaving the rudness, but will definately miss the natural beauty.

Pictures

2006-09-10T18:26:00.000-06:00

Fianlly I am able to put some new pictures. This one of Sam is great! The arch is from our visit with the Smith's in Moab, UT
More coming

Dateline: Bullhead City, AZ

2006-08-27T10:42:00.000-06:00

We arrived here about 8:30 pm yesterday. We made good time from Albuquerque.
The time change is nice, the kids wake up and their bodies think it is 8am and yet local time is 7am, so we will leave rather earlier today than yesterday. We were going to try and stop at Hoover Dam and get some Dam pictures but when we turned on the radio and heard that the high today was going to be 106 degrees, we said "gotta go gotta go gotta go."
Talk later, not sure how much recption for the wireless we will have in Yosemite.
CYA

Update

2006-08-18T09:04:00.000-06:00

We are here in Albuquerque and will be leaving on the 26th to go to Santa Rosa, CA, near San Francisco. The computer/internet connection at our current site is blah and I am trying to get more pictures up.
Last weekend we went to Moab, UT to visit Patty and Mike Smith, old old friends from way back. Great time guys, thanks. We will soon have some pictures from there up.
Talk later,
C.O.

Pictures for your enjoyment: It was going to be more pics but the %$#@&^^* connection would not take more.

2006-07-20T22:26:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed some games and fun with Great Grandma Gatten. And had alot of fun at Jimmy and Liz's wedding.

Update time

2006-07-13T22:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some new pics from the last month. Jimmy and Liz got married, and we got to see C.O.'s brother Rich and Patricia his wife as well as their family, Thanks for the fun guys. Also we got to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma Gatten as well as Great Grandma Gatten.

Reply to Comments

2006-06-15T23:08:00.000-06:00

Hey All
Heather, Just outside of Strawberry, Fossil Creek Road, Trail to Fossil Springs.
Good luck, and take plenty of H2O, Park beyond where you think you should park.
Look at the Picture of Sam at the Petrified Forest.

Good to hear from you Anita, hope you are having a good summer.Take care

Gwen, The kids are sitting in a mining shovel that was used in AZ for strip mining. They told us the shovel that replaced it was twice as big. WOW!

Love talking to youse all,
G'Night

Albuquerque, NM

2006-06-15T21:04:00.000-06:00

Hello All,
We are in DUSTY Albuquerque. What a windy city. We arrived here on the 21st of May after stopping in a couple of sites on the way here, like the Petrified Forest and Sunset Crater parks, and C.O. started work the next day. He is working at the University of NM hospital. Big downtown teaching hospital with a nice crew to work with. We are looking forward to seeing and learning about the native American nations around this area and also the history of this rough and tumble state.

Why Did You Do It?

2006-05-19T00:25:00.000-06:00

Well....The decision to go full time of course was based on long research and study of what was entailed, making sure that we could get the amount of $ for our house, and all those serious considerations. Then we said, why not? C.O. is an R.N. and works 13 week contracts that allow us to stay around an area and see the sites. The kids get a lot of "osmotic" education. We have always tried to make all of our activities educational, even going to the pool, zoo, state houses, hikes down to the boonies to swim in a great swimming hole. National and some state parks are great resources for learning thru their junior ranger programs.
Our children are very precocious and make friends, young and old very easily. They adjust very quickly to new areas and look forward (after some gripping like all kids) to seeing and learning new adventures. We both agree that the mainstream is not a place that we want to have our kids. We have always homeschooled and this was a way to expose them to regional and cultural differences and allow them to stretch their comfort zone. It has been very interesting for us to be around here in Phoenix, with all of the immigration issues right at our door and letting them experience it close.
It is fun too. We are both around 40 and feel that doing this now with the kids will provide a foundation for our family relationship that will be broad and deep. Sounds "cheesy' perhaps, yet we are seeing a lot of growth from our travels that would not have been available back in our wonderful 200 plus years old home with the 1/2 acre. We certainly miss the "comfort" of that at times yet it is comforting to be living in the same house everyday, we just can move this one as we like.
Well I have blabbed a lot and hope this will give some help, feel free to write and enjoy the web page.
The Wandering Williams

Idiot and Beauty

2006-05-14T01:44:00.000-06:00

So "The Idiot" decides that we should take a nice hike to one of the best swimming holes in the back country (which face it the vast majority of AZ is) of AZ as decided by Backpacker Magazine. Well the drive was rough and then the hike was about 2 miles longer than noted. Pretty country though. Then there was trouble with the enthusiasm of going down the mountain to the swimming hole, as evidenced by the additional 30# on C.O.'s back. We then were able to enjoy ( after a loooonnngggg walk down) this swimming hole which is fed by a spring that literally roils water out of the earth, good to drink (so far) too! Then the long sojourn back up the mountain, which Senor Idioto had been dreading the whole time that we were "enjoying" the swimming hole. Well wonders never cease, the dog walked all the way up with lots of encouragement and even Sam had to be carried only a couple of times. WOW! We got to the truck just a really dark pitch black was settling on Central AZ and drove as quick as we could and stopped at a great Mexican Restaurant in Payson. Now it is 1am and we are going to bed.
The Wandering Williams

Happy Birthday to Sam 4 years old.

2006-04-25T22:53:00.000-06:00

We spent the occasion of Sam's 4th birthday in Sedona with grandma. We will be having his party on the 6th, he doesn't mind. What a really nice area, we can see why people pay alot of money to live in Sedona. We also did some geocaching and found a nice cache in Sedona.

Some fun with Grandma

2006-04-24T22:01:00.000-06:00

Grandma has come to visit with us and she is getting to see some of the local sites. Here we are seeing the Hohokum ruins of Pueblo Grande. Really amazing spot.

Meet our newest family member

2006-04-12T23:35:00.000-06:00

This is our newest member. Her name is Kokopelli. She is a 2 yr old mutt, we got from the pound. Her former owner left at the pound. She is very gentle and seems to enjoy the kids and the attention. She does like her pillow and will sleep for a long time. Her name is an Indian character that is considered a trickster god by some and we thought it an appropriate name for a dog adopted here in AZ.

ATTENTION ! SHE's NOT 40 SHE's 30-10

2006-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! That Girl is 40!!?? Yup, Melissa took to 40 just like 39, and Sammy seems a little upset by this?! She took us on a nice hike on her b-day. That sure was nice.

Some Pictures By Nathaniel

2006-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

These are pictures taken by Nate and of him. He recovered fully from being closely introduced to a teddy bear cholla cactus.

" Why Do We Always Have To Get Our Picture Taken?"

2006-03-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just a few of the "fun" times the Williams Kids are having, being forced to eat prickly pear cactus fruit ice cream, go treasure hunting with geocaching, and playing in the snow. Man o man what a chore to do.

Pictures

2006-03-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

We have seen old indian "apartments" also know as Montezuma's Castle and the ruins of Tuzigoot. These were built and lived in by the Sinagua indians about 400 or so yrs ago.

OK time for some pictures.

2006-03-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of the Arizone State Capitol. The state uses 2 other buildings to do thier gov't work and this building is a museum.

Hey all!

2006-03-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

<
Her are some of the sites we are seeing in Arizona. Cowboys and outlaws, Sam running around and enjoying some of the rare green grass here, the cacti we see and are amazed at how big they are, and of course the beuatiful sunsets.

We are in Phoenix, AZ

2006-02-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Phoenix. A little chilly, but nice. We will be putting up pictures from here soon, here are a couple of pictures from our trip here.

Pictures of BIG BEND National Park

2006-02-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

West Texas and the Wandering Williams

2006-02-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all you'se people,
We have left San Antonio, on the 9th of Feb. we hitched up and headed toward SW Texas. We wanted to see Big Bend National park. One of the largest and least visited national parks. What an amazing place. We saw alot of things not really seen by any of us. The roadrunners, the mountains, the Rio Grande'. Several of the pictures that we took are here.
We are in Fort Davis, TX, the highest in altitude town in TX.
Talk to us via comment.
The Wandering Williams
Nate says: Trey give us a call
C.O. says: 10th floor guys you are a great gang, you deserve better.

The Rodeo!

2006-02-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

The kids have excited about this week, the San Antonio Rodeo starts and we are in the middle of it. We saw lots of horses today and we look forward to seeing more.
The Williams

The Fun Birthday Lunch

2006-01-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Bekah's Birthday

2006-01-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 22nd Bekah turned 10 yrs old

2006-01-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here is everyone, C.O. is behind the camera, and we are enjoying some of the fun that our RV park offers.
This is taken with Nate's new digital camera that he got for Christmas.

2006-01-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Kids have been having a great time. Sam sitting down after a long amble around the San Antonio Zoo.
Then all the kids and friends after the 3 older ones went spelunking in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky on the way to San Antonio.

2006-01-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

This some of San Antonio that we have been enjoying.

Where in the world are they?

2006-01-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

We are here! San Antonio continues to play host to us. We are enjoying the culture and food and weather and food and the sites and food. We are hoping to get to Austin this week and see the largest capitol building in the country.
Somtime as well we will take the kids horse back riding, but don't say anything to them until after the 13th of January. The weather has been nice but dry. We are not near any of the big wildfires that are going on, but there is a burn ban and the have been some small brush fires in the county surrounding San Antonio.
C.O. continues to be unable to post pictures, we will continue to try.
Happy New Year,
The Wandering Williams

Getting up to date.

2005-11-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

There are going to be several pictures that follow. I have finally sat down and decided to get updated.
Thanks for keeping in touch,
C.O.