Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

nature

Can You Swim, Eat And Dry Your Hair?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                 (twitter@  WarriorTales)

One reason I went into the Army is I can’t swim for beans. Do a mean dog paddle or glide? Yes. Breast stroke? No.  So when I saw this clip from the “Nature” television show with sea otters not only eating and swimming, but a momma otter blowing her baby’s hair dry and swimming, so impressive.

I can barely dry my hair standing on dry land, let alone swimming. Might be an electrical issue with the whole power cord thing too. That’s why those warning labels are on hair dryers because you know some idiot tried it. Once.

Watch these otters in action courtesy of the robot “Spy Otter” who snuck up and got these papparazi shots of the sea otters.

Have a great, safe, weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

 

 

Time To Explore Our National Parks In 2017

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by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

This final Quirky Friday of 2016 calls for something good to start off the new year. I’m promoting visiting our National Parks. Since the National Park Service celebrated their 100th Anniversary in 2016, it’s time we get out there and enjoy the amazing lands owned by We The People. We also need to thank the wonderful National Park Service employees for their dedication and service.

I’ve visited the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Olympic, Pearl Harbor Memorial, Yosemite, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Arlington, Olympic, Fort Vancouver and The Capitol Mall for a quick list; only about 399 to go.

Thank you all for reading my blog this past year. Have a safe holiday weekend and a very Happy New Year! Let’s go hike in a National Park in 2017!

This link will help you find a National Park near you.

https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

Making A Thankful List?

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Spending time with family and chowing down on turkey, stuffing and pie is always a winner. Each year I think about what I’m thankful for and make a mental list. The more vintage I get in age, the simpler the items on my list have become.

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Nature views like this one by Suttle Lake Lodge.

 

  • A day off to relax.
  • Sleeping in.
  • Real whipped cream on the pies.
  • Mom’s famous lime Jell-O with pineapple and cream cheese.
  • Laughing with family.
  • Gravy.
  • Full tummy.
  • Stopping the rat race for a national holiday.
  • Kitty cuddles.
  • Nap time.
  • Claymation Christmas.
  • Leftovers.
  • Pumpkin pie.
  • Good health.
  • Cozy warm home protecting us from the rain.
  • Taking time to listen.
  • Grateful for the good fortune we have.
  • Remembering family members we have lost but reliving the fun memories.
  • Thankful for the military personnel around the globe protecting us while we relax.
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas.
  • Hoping for peace and goodwill toward all women and men.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Let the competitive napping begin!

Time To Wander In The Woods?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Since today is Election Day, I decided it was time for a mosey on one of my favorite trails along the Metolius River in Camp Sherman, Oregon. We can all do with a pause that refreshes given the past eighteen months.

Picked out five pictures I took the end of September to share the peace, quiet and beauty of a nice stroll through the woods along a fly fishing only river.

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We started out late in the day and the golden light began to make an appearance. Smell the fresh air.
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I love this simple path through the woods which runs alongside the river. It makes me calm down just by looking at it again.

 

 

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The sound of the water moving along and the slight breeze of wind through the trees. 
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Now we are headed back to the trailhead, but I can’t resist looking behind me and snapping another picture as the light continues to fade.
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So when life gets a little crazy I can dream about relaxing in the little gazebo in the campground on the other side of the river.   

This calming interlude brought to you by Mother Nature, the State of Oregon, the town of Camp Sherman and the U.S. Forest Service. Relax and enjoy the views!

 

 

A Walk In The Woods?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Last week I headed out on an adventure with my Mom. Decided to take her to see my favorite places in Eastern Oregon, the town of Sisters to be exact. Showed her all the hot spots from the place where I get my bark pieces at Suttle Lake, to the Crescent Moon Alpaca Farm, the always great Camp Sherman and the Richardson’s Rock Ranch.

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We both tried our hand at taking pictures of this cabin on the Metolius River by Camp Sherman. This one is for my Mom.

 

We had a good time and made memories. The weather was sunny and clear, while it rained back home. Somehow that made it even better. We both took pictures and had fun testing our photo skills. We had laughs, good food and slept a lot. Perfect vacation.

When I attended Elizabeth Gilbert’s author talk last Fall, someone in the audience asked her what was on her bucket list. She said she didn’t have places or things on her list, but people. That hit a very strong cord with me. She took her Mom on a walking trip in Ireland. We had fun in Eastern Oregon.

With the first great days of summer heading towards us, it can be easy to forget to slow down, enjoy friends and family and snooze. Must be time to break out the lawn swing.

Who is on your bucket list to visit with this summer?

 

Up For An Urban Adventure?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                     (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

While the East Coast hunkered down for snowstorm Jonas last Friday, those of us on the West Coast felt a little guilty. On my way back from grocery shopping that day I decided to take a detour and check out a park by the river. I drive by the road to the park each work day on my way to and from the day job, but I’d never taken the turn less travelled, so to speak.

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A river, a boat and tranquility. Ah. 

 

I wound through an industrial area and continued around a few curves and then right there, a park! Motoring into the little gem, I found a nice parking lot with bleachers and restrooms, lots of grass and a boat launch. There were quite a few people out unloading fishing gear, vacant boat trailers and some people just watching the river from their vehicles.

Being close to water calms me down. Not necessarily in it, unless it’s a hot tub, but I love a bubbling brook, stream or the crash of the ocean. One of the books on my nightstand right now is “Writing Wild” by Tina Welling. It’s all about getting in touch with nature to increase your creativity.

In these days of hurry, rush, too much traffic, noise and digital everything its the perfect time to reconnect with nature and take a calm break. Now the folks back East got a little too much nature this past weekend, but some hardy souls enjoyed it if they had power and snacks.

Saw people on tv playing in the snow in Central Park and Times Square in New York and sledding down the “Rocky” steps at the art museum in Philadelphia. Definitely a one-of-a-kind urban snow adventure.

Do you have natural places close by you pass and never visit?  Do you take them for granted? Maybe it’s time to stop and smell the trees!