My Bucket List

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1. I want to learn to pan for Gold.

So in my quest to learn to pan for gold, I thought I would start with creating a lens all about it. It creates heightened interest, and helps me to educate myself about gold panning in Idaho.

I have also recently purchased all the equipment I think that we will need. (Gold pans, shovel, tweezers, squirt bottle, glass vial, and a strainer, we already had a bucket)

I watched the video's on the gold panning lens, and studied the youtube video's closely. I think I am ready.

Now we are in the trip planning stage. This may be the first on my list of accomplishments.

September 13th, 2008

We went gold panning, and it was great! I really enjoyed getting out into the back country of Idaho and panning for gold. I don't think the places we found to pan for gold in were very good, but in a couple weeks we are going to try farther north.

My next goal is to find gold by panning for it!

2. I want to go to Canada

My husband and I have always wanted to go into Canada and explore. After all we live in Idaho, which borders Canada.

This year we bought our passports, and we are planning a trip up there soon.

September 25th, 2008

We did it, we went to Canada last weekend. Canada is so incredibly beautiful, I really loved every single minute of it.



We went up through Northern Idaho and up along the Kootenay Rockies and Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay where we crossed with our car on the ferry, then down and back out through Washington.

You can read all about our trip and see the beautiful photo's of Canada at Our trip to British Columbia in Canada






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3. I want to see an Orca (Killer Whale) in the ocean

I have always loved Orca's, they are so beautiful. I was just mesmerized with them when we visited Sea World when I was a young girl.

When we went to Seattle, Washington last year, I discovered that the Orcas come into Puget sound. They even have an island that is called Orca's Island. I would love to see them in their natural habitat!






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4. I want to see the Statue of Liberty






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Did you know?

Liberty Enlightening the World

Located on a 12 acre island, the Statue
of Liberty Enlightening the World was a
gift of friendship from the people of
France to the people of the United States
and is a universal symbol of freedom and
democracy. The Statue of Liberty was
dedicated on October 28, 1886,
designated as a National Monument in
1924 and restored for her centennial
on July 4, 1986.

More about the Statue of Liberty here.

I even want to ride up to the top of the statue, and walk around looking out over the skyline of New York and Statin Island. I want to ride in a boat or ferry around the statue of Liberty and be able to look up at her in all her beauty!






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5. I want to see a Manatee in the wild






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Manatees', the gentle sea cows that live near Florida are just amazing creatures to me. I love to paint them and hope to see one in the wild, or even in a wildlife sanctuary someday.

I'm torn between wanting to scuba dive to see them, because I have seen some awful footage of Manatees' being cornered by swimmers. My desire is to observe them only, preferably from a distance.

Manatees are endangered, mostly from their injuries from the props of boats. They swim very close to the surface of the water and don't move very fast. They seem to have no fear of man.


(Watercolor (c) by Linda Hoxie)

6. I want to take some art classes

I love sketching and painting. I have sketched for years off and on. But just this last year I discovered painting, and have fallen in love with it.



I think that taking some art classes could really help me expand my horizons of my artwork.

The one thing standing in my way is the lack of night classes at our local community college on the subjects that I desire to take.


Moonlight Dancer © by Artist Linda Hoxie, acrylic and water color mixed media

So I wait, someday...

for now I practice and practice...


~Fall Morning (c) watercolor by Linda Hoxie

7. I want to go to Hawaii

I really don't desire to see the more populated tourist spots in Hawaii as much as I want to discover the entire sevens Islands of Hawaii.

On Kauai, "the garden isle", it looks so lush and green, sharp mountain spires, lush valleys and jagged cliffs, all draped in a canopy of emerald. I would love to see Waimia Canyon, sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, the canyon is 10 miles long and more than 3000 feet deep, it looks absolutely gorgeous!





I want to hike into and swim in the clear pool at the bottom of Mana Waipuna Falls.



I want to pick a wild orchid on Ka'ala, Oahu



Watch a sunset from Sunset from Mokuleia Beach.



I want to watch a fire show in Honolulu, Hawaii







Of course, if we go to Hawaii...no, when we go to Hawaii, I want to see the volcano at Mt. Kilauea








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8. I want to ride on a gondola through the canals of Venice

I would love to visit Venice, and ride with the love of my life through the canals of the unique and beautiful city in Italy.



I love to listen to the italian language spoken.



Do they really sing to you while your on the gondola's?



While in Italy, I wouldn't want to leave without seeing the Coliseum in Rome













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9. I want to visit Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park and Zions



(March 16th, 2009)
We did it, we made it to Bryce Canyon on our trip that we went to Grand Canyon on too. Bryce Canyon is absolutely beautiful. Soon I will create a photo blog of that beauty and share the link with you here!

Honestly I could not choose between the Grand Canyon and Bryce as to which I liked better, because each has it's own unique beauty!



The colors of the rocks, the beautiful formations, what creates all these majestic forms?



I will someday make it there, as it is only a days drive from home.



Update: I'm so excited, we are planning a trip in mid March to visit Bryce Canyon, Zions Canyon's. Probably won't make Arches this trip as it is on the other side of Utah. Stay tuned for photo's and the stories about our trip!






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10. I want to learn some of the constellations and then find them in the night sky

Alphabetical listing of constellations


Andromeda
(Andromea means Chained Lady - Can you see her?)
Andromeda sweeps from upper right to lower left. The bright star at upper right is Alpheratz, Alpha Andromedae, which is also the northeastern star of the Great Square of Pegasus. Almach, Gamma Andromedae is toward lower left, while Mirach (Beta Andromedae) is just below center.
See the location of Adromedae here.

Antlia
Apus
Aquarius
Aquila
Ara
Aries
Auriga
Boötes
Caelum
Camelopardalis
Cancer
Canes Venatici
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Capricornus

Carina
Cassiopeia
Centaurus
Cepheus
Cetus
Chamaeleon
Circinus
Columba
Coma Berenices
Corona Austrina
Corona Borealis
Corvus
Crater
Crux
Cygnus
Delphinus
Dorado
Draco
Equuleus
Eridanus
Fornax
Gemini
Grus
Hercules
Horologium
Hydra
Hydrus
Indus
Lacerta
Leo
Leo Minor

Lepus
Libra
Lupus
Lynx
Lyra
Mensa
Microscopium
Monoceros
Musca
Norma
Octans
Ophiuchus
Orion
Pavo
Pegasus
Perseus
Phoenix
Pictor
Pisces

Piscis Austrinus
Puppis
Pyxis
Reticulum
Sagitta
Sagittarius
Scorpius
Sculptor
Scutum
Serpens
Sextans
Taurus
Telescopium
Triangulum
Triangulum Australe
Tucana
Ursa Major
Ursa Minor
Vela
Virgo
Volans
Vulpecula

Wow, I really had no clue there were so many different constellations. These are the links for my studies.

Alphabetical listing and links to information about each constellation

THE CONSTELLATIONS






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11. I want to see my son and daughter get married

I would love to see my handsome son standing in his tuxedo, looking down into the eyes of his pretty bride as they share their wedding vows.

To see my daughter, walking down the isle looking gorgeous in a beautiful wedding dress, her dark brown eyes sparkling with love for the man waiting for her.

Most of all I just want to see them both happy!

12. I want to take a cruise to Alaska

I would love to take a cruise to Alaska. Now this on this cruise I think a balcony suite would be in order, because I think in Alaska there is beauty to be seen along the whole trip.








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13. I want to see the Grand Canyon

Someday the Grand Canyon I will see. It looks so beautiful in photographs. There is a "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" that my husband and I love to just sit, or walk along for the longest time, both of us just silent in awe of the beauty of it all. I just imagine that is the feeling you get when you see the Grand Canyon.

Somehow experiencing the beauty in nature gives me the feeling of being closer to our creator.

My daughter just took a trip to the Grand Canyon, follow this link to see her photos of her trip.



(February-2009)Update: I'm so excited, we are planning a trip in mid March to visit The Grand Canyon. Stay tuned for photo's and the stories about our trip!

(March 16th, 2009)
We did it, we made it to the Grand Canyon, and it did not disappoint us one tiny little bit! It was absolutely incredible, immense in size, solid in strength, millions of years at a glance and the colors are absolutely beautiful!

Please come experience our incredible journey through the wonders of the Grand Canyon with me on the following photo blogs.

We began our adventure from the East entrance to the Grand Canyon.
Our first stop was The Watchtower.

The Peaks of the Grand Canyon

Come visit The Tusayan Ruins of the Grand Canyon with us.

The Colors of the Grand Canyon are absolutely incredible.

You won't want to miss The Tusayan Museum at the ruins in the Grand Canyon.






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14. Someday I want to have grandchildren

Someday I want to see my grandchildren born, hold them, get to know them and watch them grow. I just imagine that the feeling of love is strong for the babies of your own.






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15. I would love to see the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt






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The Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, just how in the world did they build them?

I would love to go and marvel at the possibilities in person.

16. I want to be a Big Squid!

Someday I want to be a Big Squid!



On January 13th, 2009, when I logged onto one of my lenses or (websites) I saw that they had issued me a Giant badge.

Now for those of you that aren't familiar with Squidoo, you should know they only give those badges to people that they choose from hundreds of applicants. It is indeed an honor to be chosen. You must have 50 excellent lenses (or websites) created. You must be trusted by those that are making the decisions.
They have certain criteria that they look for and even then they have to narrow their choices down to a certain amount of Giants. So it is indeed an honor for me.

How do you make your own lens or website here on Squidoo? It is so easy, and you can make them about almost anything.

Just follow this link and it will walk you through it step by step. It is my refer a friend link, and once you make your first $15.00, they will pay me a referral fee of $5.00. Cool, eh?

17. I would love to see the Northern Lights dance in the sky

The Aurora Borealis, the northern lights. I have for some time been fascinated by this phenomena of lights that dance in the skies of the north.

So much so I painted a series of Northern Light ACEOs and created a lens about the Northern Lights.

I have actually not seen them in person, but studied them to great extent.


These photographs and many other aurora images are available on Spaceweather.com

Do you know what creates the different colors in the aurora?

Different gases interacting with the upper atmosphere will produce different colors, caused by the different compounds of oxygen and nitrogen. The level of solar wind activity from the Sun can also influence the color of the aurorae.

Most aurorae are green and red emission from atomic oxygen. Molecular nitrogen and nitrogen ions produce some low level red and very high blue/violet aurorae.

The light blue colors are produced by ionic nitrogen and the neutral nitrogen gives off the red and purple color with the rippled edges.

It all just fascinates me!






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We stayed up most the night one night in Yellowstone when they were supposed to be visable in the night sky. The cloud cover kept us from actually seeing them though.






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18. I want to find a glass float on the Oregon Coast

I would so love to find a glass float on the beach in Lincoln city on the Oregon Coast.



The last two trips we have taken to Lincoln city I spent hours and hours walking the beaches and looking for a glass float.

My husband, the sweetheart, purchased one for me in a gift shop, because he knew how much I wanted one. I will find one someday on the beach too!

19. I want to stay in a bungalow over the water in Figi

I just think this would be so much fun, now imagine this. Calm clear light blue water over white sands, a walkway out across the water that leads to your own little hut that sits right above the water. You have swimming outside your doorstep, the best view in the world. There is a clear glass coffee table that you can sit at and watch the brighly colored fish swimming under your hut, or even your spouse?

I just think this vacation would be a blast!

I discovered these when I was looking at a photo contest one day, and someone had entered a picture of their husband snorkling beneath their hut!

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I want to ride the Hiawatha Trail on my bike. I have heard that it is absolutely one of the most breathtaking scenic stretches of railroad in the country. Some even call it the "crown jewel" of mountain bicycle trails

It lies in the panhandle of northern Idaho. (The part shaped like a handle!) It is twelve miles east of Wallace, Idaho, which is full of history in itself.

Imagine this: You start at the top, and ride the trail gently sloping downward along the old Hiawatha Railroad Trail, for 15 miles. You cross over the gorgeous Bitterroot Mountains between Idaho and Montana. How do you cross the state line? Underneath the ground through the longest of the 10 tunnels along the trail, that tunnel is 1.66 miles long, called the St. Paul Pass or Taft Tunnel. Yes, lights are required. (In fact I think I will have a back up light!) You also cross over 7 very high trestles, like the one pictured above.

The wildlife along the way can include Moose too, among many other critters!

This track has a colorful history which began in 1906 of construction, hardships and calamities, unprecedented electrification, and of carrying passengers and freight from the Northwest to the Midwest, generations of railroaders kept the Milwaukee Road running until it finally went bankrupt in 1977. The last train west of Butte, Montana passed through in 1980. After that the line was abandoned.

The Trail was open to the public in 1998.

Now doesn't that sound like fun?

If you are interested in going, check out the Route of the Hiawatha Website.