Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: fiery

Trip Talk: We Will Need Another RV… So Steve Went to the Largest RV Show on the West Coast! Steve and I are serious about going on the road full-time, but what that also means is that we need a better RV (Recreational Vehicle). We've learned so much since we got our RV and a critical point is that we have a "weekender", not a "full-timer" RV. Industry companies have several tiers for each of their models and they vary DRASTICALLY in quality. The businesses themselves are also vastly different in policy, quality, and customer support. From the frame to every last detail, a trailer can be a "low price-point" build that is utter and complete garbage (not that first-time shoppers would have the slightest clue!), all the way up to substantial and extremely high quality across the board. However, RV companies are notorious about hiding bad workmanship behind the shiny exterior. It may be hard to believe but spending more money does not mean you are guaranteed a better RV. Steve and I learned that even the most luxurious RV can be a total lemon because every single RV is hand-made by an industry starved for a workforce which is ultimately a hodge-podge of labor which ranges from literally "never-held-a-hammer" to wizened professional. In other words, each trailer must be scrupulously inspected from top to bottom and anyone who plans to get an RV seriously needs to do their homework before buying. Bottom line: these companies are all about making money and most don't care if they're putting out actual road hazards as long as they make bank. Buyer beware. This being said, we found out about a 10-day RV show here on the West Coast and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Steve to get some serious first-hand research done. The hope was to narrow down the choices and figure out which trailer(s) would be right for us as a full-time rig. We decided it made better sense for me to stay home with Steve giving me the important details, so this past Sunday he drove down to the show and on Monday he started his research. The California RV Show was totally overwhelming! Over 1,000 RVs of all sizes, shapes, price-points, 37 dealers selling them, and bunches of other companies selling all things RV-related. You'll want to click on the link above if you want a tiny idea of what that crazy place is like. Let's just say that Steve's eyeballs have been rolling around in his head from the enormity of it all! Steve went with a job at hand so he didn't look at anything that didn't fit in our criteria, and even still, it took him two whole days of looking, scrutinizing, hours of talking, and figuring out what made sense for us. However, after all those long and exhausting hours of focused energy, Steve has been successful in his research! There are a couple of different models from a pair of companies which meet our needs and now it's just going to be a matter of time. Much needs to happen before we get a different RV but finally we have a real understanding of what's out there, which companies are total crap, and which are more trustworthy than others. Even though we have plenty of RV dealers around here, it's been amazing to see, first-hand, the offerings from just about every last RV company out there. Yesterday Steve spent his last day at the show with his sister, who just recently bought a new (used) trailer to replace her old one. They had a great time looking around and checking out all of the fun trailers and options out there. And this evening Steve will be home! Hooray! :) Today's Pictures The begonia in my main image was part in one of the hanging baskets that we found in the main courtyard inside Butchart Gardens. So outrageously colorful, don't you think?! I think this is called "Glowing Embers" and certainly comes by the name perfectly! Until we came to this park, I had absolutely no idea that begonias came in so many varieties! They are truly remarkable flowers. :) Inset 1: here's another glorious banana leaf. Just can't get enough of these beauties! Inset 2: such a lucky shot of this bee in a purple haze! Inset 3: this is another one of the hummingbird pictures that turned out well! Inset 4: did anyone say, "breathtaking begonias"? Sheesh…what a bunch of divas. :D Inset 5: I'm such a sucker for pond lilies! I believe this is Nymphaea 'Andreana' Inset 6: another jaw-dropping begonia, this time in variegated red and white! Inset 7: this golden echinacea was just one of dozens that glowed brilliantly in the sunlight! Inset 8: I noticed movement when I was leaning in to take a picture and look what I found! This is a Northern Alligator Lizard! :D This species is also found in Oregon but I think the only kind on our property is the Southern Alligator Lizard. Inset 9: a single lavender blossom against the bokeh of a pair of cream-colored zinnias! Inset 10: a small army of lemon-colored marigolds looks out on a vista of beautiful flowers as far as they can see! Pam, have you ever been to an RV show or a really huge RV lot? They are so overwhelming! When I was a kid my grandparents would take us kids to the San Francisco Sports and Boat Show every year and I remember going into every single RV and boat, pretending that I was picking out the exact one I would have as my own. What about you? Did you do that as a kid? I have to say…it's pretty exciting when it's for real! :) It's our plan to eventually end up on your doorstep with our new on-the-road home so you can see it for yourself! :) *sending all my love* Explored on 10/10/19; highest placement #4.

5 more pictures in notes above! This morning at 6:30am, I woke up to a very strange sight. Orange-red light was shining into the bedroom and turning the walls orange! I quickly got my glasses and when I turned to look outside, I nearly fell out of bed from the sight that you are now staring at! I was completely dazzled by this absolutely incredible sunrise for about two seconds, and then I leaped out of bed, thundered downstairs, jammed in my emergency 1 gig card, and flew back upstairs again. Even a few seconds later, the colors had changed from an even more red sky to what you see here, which is tinged with orange and yellow. I could not believe my eyes...this is the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen here!! I took half a dozen more pictures, but within about two minutes, the colors had faded completely to a soft pink and then blue. The day had begun. And this time...I captured this magical sight!! I have another picture as an inset so you can see another version, but they are similar enough that I didn't make that one public. I wonder which you like better? I cannot say, they are different and both lovely. For me, it is a wonder to see a sunrise. I have been an incurable nightowl all my life, stubbornly loathing to be forced out of bed before 9am. But a couple of months ago, Steve and I decided we needed to change this. If we hoped to go on bike rides during the summer, getting up early was the only way we'd be able to do it. What surprised us both is that we not only didn't mind, we LIKED IT!! And so, this sunrise is like a reward for changing our waking hour. I am so happy to be awake at my favorite time of the day. It's incredibly special, isn't it? Horace Mann (May 4, 1796 – August 2, 1859) was an American education reformist. As a politician he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1827 to 1833. He served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1834 to 1837. In 1848, after serving as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education since its creation, he was elected to the US House of Representatives. Mann was a brother-in-law to author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Wikipedia: Horace Mann Explored on August 30, 2013. Highest placement, page 1 (#27).

I saw this amazing sunset from one of our upstairs windows a few weeks ago, so pretty!! Such a change from reality, it's currently snowing and there's a blanket of white over everything but the roads right now! Thanks to all of you who have visited and have left comments and favorites! I try to go to all of your pages within a day or two and is a highlight for me to see your beautiful photography! :) Explored on December 18, 2012. Highest position #243.

This is another picture I took a few weeks back of a bush with burgundy leaves which blazed red when viewed from beneath! Lisa, you're everywhere! :D