Pooling our talents as Alan is the compleat Mr. Fix-it, we decided to manage apartments.  The only drawback was that we had to find a home for our German Shepherd (we found a great one with a young man who trained seeing eye dogs!).  We missed him, and shortly after we moved to apartment, I reminded Alan of an idea I had had years before when he rescued a drowning duck from a city lake.  The idea was to diaper a duck!  Of course, he said, "You can't get a duck!"  Those were famous last words, as, of course, I got a duck...no rules against ducks.  That was Matilda and I worked for a long time perfecting a diaper harness for her.  A few years later, we got Maggie Goose and after appearing at the Arizona Renaissance Festival for a lark one year, our lives changed.  One by one other festivals offered us contracts  Now we are doing 5 a year, performing on weekends and making and selling diaper harnesses, and publishing our book, "Duck! There's a Goose in the House!" during the week. I'm not sure this is what retirement really means????

It is a rather strange and interesting life. Even though we are in a different state every 2 months, we park our RV at the renaissance sites where there are always friends...some we see once a year, others we join at several different fairs. Thanks to modern technology and the help of friends, we have no trouble doing business and keeping in touch with family, friends and other duck/goose lovers all over he world.  Access to the internet is accomplished through Verizon Wireless.  We love it and it has been a life saver.  A good friend of ours in Georgia, Maggie Scott, collects our mail and e-mails us the particulars so we can take care of everything immediately. We met Belinda Hanks helps me make the diapers even though we are frequently at different Ren Fairs. Thanks to the groups on the web and diaper customers, we have friends we can stop and see all across the country.  It is a great comfort to know that no matter where we are, there is a duck lover nearby!  During our travels we have visited The French Quarter (and sure hope to go back one day!), Aspen, CO, Mall of the Americas, Universal Studios and seen the incredible expanse, variety and beauty of America.

Of course,we have also found ourselves sitting out a windstorm for a day in a spot so remote we had no radio, phone, or TV.  We've learned never to drive across Texas or Kansas without a good audio book, to go slowly and fearfully through El Paso where winds relocated us to another lane and through Palm Springs where we lost our awning!  Interesting things also occur at the renaissance sites:  Sometimes you can use your microwave AND the printer...sometimes you can't; sometimes water is handy...sometimes you have to carry it.  I've almost been run over by Knights on white horses, had to wait for the panther to cross the road before going to work, stopped to visit with a huge African elephant with 3' ft. tusks who happened to be lunching on a tree beside the road, and deep in the forest at night heard the haunting sounds of "Amazing Grace" played on bag pipes and accompanied by parrots!

There are a few drawbacks to this lifestyle.  We miss friends and family, Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas in a regular home, just wall space for hanging pictures (I paint, also).  We have children and grandchildren who weren't too happy about having us run away to join the circus, but sometimes life leads you in an unexpected direction, and you can't say no with all the signs saying "this is the right way".    We see the "kids" bring smiles to so many faces and know that on many occassions they have really had a very positive impact on people's lives.  We'll never get rich...we live a niche above starving artist, but it is worth it!