Summer Plans and La La Land

In my head (La La Land), our summer plans will involve stress free camping and bike touring, always sunny weather, cheap food, and friendly people.  This is why I need a sharp jab in the ribs. 

So, what exactly are the summer plans?  Kind of vague and fly by the seat of my pants.  I know, right?  Doesn't sound like me at all?  I'm the Type A person with spreadsheets, lists, itineraries for visitors completed three months in advance with meals and shopping lists.  Back in March, I could tell you what we were planning to do with my Mother and nephew when they visit in May and what lunch I was going to make on Monday, May 23rd.  Scary, but true.  Hope this doesn't scare off potential visitors.  Or maybe you would appreciate this kind of hospitality.  Blame my Mother...she taught me true Southern hospitality.

Back to the plans...we are taking our bikes and camping gear and heading to the San Juan Islands for a week or so.  Then, we have no plans.  None.  Zippo.  Zilch.

Course, we are throwing around some random ideas, but none have really stuck yet.  Here are some of the ideas:

1.  Car camp and bike our way across to Cincinnati to see my brother and his family.  They have kindly offered to put us up for awhile.  Emil can do house/farm projects.  Me?  Build a trap to catch a snapping turtle in their pond.

2.  Find another house-sitting gig over the summer.  So far, my inquiries haven't produced anything yet.  I am still hopeful.

3.  Car camp and bike our way across to South Carolina and visit my parents and brother and his family.  Although Tom isn't coming home from Afghanistan until November, we could catch him on his next R&R perhaps.  I'm not a fan of hot weather.  It was 102 degrees there on Tuesday. 

4.  GO BIG!  Car camp and bike our way across to Rhode Island to see Emil's friends, then head south to Ohio and South Carolina. 

5.  Drive back to Alaska and see our friends.  Spend the summer salmon fishing.  Hello Kenai Flip!  Bring back some of our spinning gear and my beloved microplane that I really miss and need to make proper lemon cookies.

6.  Find a place to hole up around Colorado.  We are attending a wedding in Estes Park, late August.  There's great fishing and mountain biking there, so why not spend the summer there???

Any other grand ideas?  For now, we are busy packing up our stuff.  Three piles:  leave it here, take on the San Juan trip, take in the van for general camping/biking/living. 

First and foremost, I need to finish the edits on my book, so I can print it and send to my beta readers.  But, it's a gorgeous sunny day.  There's mowing to be done, weed pulling, chick watching, and fishing to do.