WELCOME to Our Adventures Blog! We are so glad you have taken a few moments to share with us our passion for camping, boating, traveling and living life. We hope you enjoy your visit and will be back again soon (don't forget to Bookmark or Subscribe to this page so you can find it easily).

PLEASE NOTE: The oldest post is at the bottom, so if you're new here, that's where you want to start. Also, on the left side there is a "Blog Archive" so you can select the particular entry you wish to read.



Upcoming Bryant Boatowner (BBO) Events

  • Soon to be announced for Fall 2015 and 2016

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Fair Without A Ferris Wheel!

A fair without a ferris wheel is just NOT RIGHT!

With that said, we always try to make to best of whatever situation life hands us and that has been another year filled with truck repairs.  After our incident at the house, we were back to work and working hard when our Differential went out on the truck (an after effect of the driveway sliding fiasco).  We spent 8 days in Dickinson, ND awaiting parts and repairs.  Not a lot to do in Dickinson, so we enjoyed cooking out most evenings, lots of play time with Elmo and Titan,  2 seasons of Royal Pains and 3 seasons of Bones.  Kuddos to the folks at Westlie Truck Center for their timely and quality work and their courtesy.  Shuttle to and from wherever we needed to go (not that there were many choices), access to an electrical outlet for shore power, which meant we didn't have to run the truck or stay in one of their Small Town, High Priced Hotels ($100+ per night).  You might be wondering why shore power when we have an APU (auxiliary power unit / generator)?  Well, that too is not working and the unit needs to be replaced for the 2nd time in less than a year!  Certainly hoping that this decision to be "compliant" with the Clean Air Act and to save some $$$ is not going to be one of those "wish we hadn'ts".

As you may suspect, freight in the Great White North is scarce.  However, we were fortunate enough to get a load close by in Miles City, MT.  Light load, good money, downside was that we were raring to go on Tuesday when the repairs were completed on the truck, but the load was not ready to load until Friday.  Not a big deal.  Loaded Friday, safe-havened until Sunday = more time sitting.  Miles City is a little bigger town than Dickinson, the FAIR WAS IN TOWN and hotels were much less expensive.  Checked into the hotel, quick shower and off to the grocery store for food and necessities.  The hotel had a community BBQ grill so we took advantage and enjoyed some social time with other traveling folk.

Now is where the Ferris Wheel comes into play . . . it is one of the few rides I will ride at a Fair and the Eastern Montana Fair DID NOT have a Ferris Wheel!  Nor did they have a Tilt-A-Whirl or a Scrambler, heck, they barely a Midway.  I know these are "sissy" rides, but they are child-hood favorites and I am a BIG SISSY!   No Elephant Ears, no Frozen Bananas, no Sno-Cones, no foot-long dogs, none of your typical "fair food", but on the bright side (and there is always a bright side), parking was $2, there was no admission charge (thankfully, or I would have been terribly disappointed), beer and Mike's Hard Lemonade were only $3 and what food they did have was also very reasonably priced.  $12 for the tractor pull on Thursday evening and $12 for the NRA Rodeo on Friday evening.

People watching was fun for sure and I learned a few things . . . My jeans were not nearly tight enough, my shirt was not plaid print nor did I reveal enough cleavage and if you didn't wear a Cowboy hat and boots, you were most definitely in the very small minority.  I'm also thinking it must have been a frigid winter back a couple of years ago, because every child I saw appeared to be about the same age with very few exceptions, hmmmmm!

CLIFF WOLFE, 2012 MONTANA COWBOY HALL OF FAMER
It was an absolute pleasure sitting with Cliff and his girlfriend at the Rodeo on Friday evening.  Too bad more people don't spend time with the older generation, they are a plethora of knowledge and have some amazing stories to tell.  You guys are most inspirational.  May you both have many more happy and healthy years together and SMOOCHIE to your hearts content.


MEMOIRS


THURSDAY EVENING TRACTOR PULL
5 Full-pulls for the event, the first and 2 of which were women!





FRIDAY EVENING NRA RODEO
I can with all honesty say "THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO", but it will most likely not be our last.  Beautiful animals and some very talented Cowboys and Cowgirls.




Thursday, July 25, 2013

LIFE IS GOOD

We've had our ups and downs, but we trudge on and LIFE IS GOOD.  No matter how bad we think we have it, someone has worse problems than we do.  We are truly blessed with our family, friends and lifestyle.  I cannot imagine my life being any different.  We can always wonder "what if?", but that does not change who we are or what we are.  As I've said before, "if life hands you lemons, grab the Tequila and salt."

The weather this year has been crazy, to say the least.  A late Spring with tons of rain, but that only makes for full lakes.  In my opinion, the glass is always half full!

Our BBO Spring Cruise this year was at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, AL.  As always, we had a fabulous time in spite of the rough water (2-3 foot swells) and all the thunderstorms.  Great times, with great friends.  Silly me though, I didn't take my camera, so there is no photographic proof of the good times shared by all.  A special thanks to Justin White and Brian Gardner for being my "boat boys".  We really do need to do that again!  Despite the weather, I think we had about 15 boats and 35+ people.  While the humans were out having fun, the pups spent a wonderful week at the Dog World Resort in Maryville, TN.

After the Spring Cruise, it was back to the grind working hard until we came home for our 7th Annual Bryant Boat Owner's Homecoming.  Once again hosted at Sequoyah Resort on beautiful Tellico Lake. Our first Homecoming in 2007, we had 14 boats, at our 7th, we had 54 in the Saturday afternoon raft-up.  I love my Bryant friends!

And, the FUN BEGINS . . . 


Pre-Homecoming gathering at the sand bar on Tellico



Breath-taking view approaching Chilhowie Dam, a/k/a The Dragon's Tail


Thursday's raft-up with 40+ fellow Bryant Boat Owners


I do believe that Sable had the best ride of anyone


Our official photo . . . 54 BRYANT BOATS . . . all rafted up together
AWESOMENESS!!!


A special tribute to Dave & Brenda, who could not join us this year
(thank you Chris)


DebbaritaVille proudly flying the UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE colors


Joe & Jim Bryant, founders of Bryant Boats
Jim has now gone on to farming and Joe is eating his way
across the country at BBQ restaurants (hopefully he will open one
soon).  A huge "thank you" to Joe for providing us the WORLD'S BEST BBQ 
for our lunch on Friday and our Saturday evening banquet.  You guys ROCK!


Live entertainment after dinner!


Sunday fun at the Silos.  Definitely not a jump for the weak
of heart, or wimps such as myself.  Kuddos to you all!



Enjoying some good vittles cooked on my new grill :-)


Bologna Sliders and Brats, DELISH!


Dinner with old and new friends at the Tiki at Sequoyah


And we finished up Sunday's fun with a beautiful evening cruise on Tellico



A small group of us rafted up at the Dragon's Tail


To see more photos from this FANTABUOUS week, visit www.bryantboatowners.com



2012 is History

Let's just say that 2012 is in the books now and we will leave it at that . . .

Valentine's Day Dinner with my Hunny
Naples Italian Restaurant, Knoxville, TN



My sweet baby boys




California Flowers







We hit the 100-hour mark on the boat . . . WOO HOO




Sunset cruise on Tellico





BRYANT BOAT OWNERS HOMECOMING
Tellico Lake, TN

Girl's just wanna have fun!


Great times, with great friends




Solving ALL the World's problems in one afternoon relaxing on the lake



Lunch at the Bryant factory 



Girl's GONE WILD, for sure!



She sure is purity when she's all cleaned up