WLM Member Monday – Serena Runyon Farmer
Victoria Twead: Today we have the chance to get to know lovely WLM member Serena Runyon Farmer better! She’s hailing from the US, so won’t appear until later, but feel free to ask her anything you like and she’ll catch up when she arrives.
Alison Teeshirts: Morning matey. Have a great time answering many and varied questions!
Victoria Twead: Morning, Serena, and I’ll get my question in first before the rabble arrive… Have you always enjoyed memoirs or is this a recent thing? And have you considered writing your own?
Jacky: Hi Serena – I’d like to know which is your favourite cheese (apart from goat’s cheese!)
Rowena: Hi Serena Runyon Farmer, how do you fit your life into a 40 foot motor home or do you travel in it a lot and whenever you want?
Cherry Gregory: Hi Serena! Thanks for coming on Member Monday!
Micki: Hi Serena! How did you get into fishing & what type?
Woofie Wotsit: Tell us how you met up with your high school sweetheart again
Peggy: Good morning Serena, what are your favourite foods ?
Lin: Do you still live in Texas? If so are you still in Dallas? Hubby and I love Texas.
Sue: Your pin in the map says you are planning to hit the road early this year. Any particular destinations you have on the list?
Cherry Gregory: How may goats did you keep on your farm?
Mark Bean: Hi Serena, so when did you first discover your talent for photography, have you kept any early works?
Serena Runyon Farmer: Good Morning from Texas everyone!! Looks like I have some catching up to do!! I have my hot tea and ready to go. It’s going to be a fun day!! It is 17 F here but warm and toasty in the Motorhome. So let the answers begin!!
Victoria~~my love for memoirs began at a very young age. I loved reading about other peoples adventures from all over the world. I have thought about writing my own but wouldn’t know where to begin!!
Jacky ~ My favorite cheese~~ that’s a good one. I love them all, but I can narrow it down to two. Blue Cheese and Feta. We did make Feta from goats milk and it was far better than you can get in the stores here. I miss the good stuff!!
Susanne Edgar: Have you thought about writing about full-timing? I love to read about it, as we plan to do the same in two years.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Rowena, we sold our large home and 17 acres last June. Downsizing was a challenge. Gave most stuff to our 4 adult children. The Motorhome has 4 slide outs and lots of storage, so the important things came with us. We have taken a couple of 10-12 day trips so far. Very fun traveling and taking our home with us!! After my husbands retirement, after the first of the year, we will travel anywhere we wish to go. Can’t wait!!
Micki~ My daddy loved to fish and taught me when I was a toddler. Back then, it was freshwater lakes in Texas. He had two boats for us to fish from. Since then I have advanced to Bay fishing off the Gulf and Trout fishing. Love catching them, cooking them and eating them, of course!!!
Woofie~~ I was divorced with two teens and my own marketing consulting business, in Dallas. He just called me one afternoon. He had called my mom for my number. He was living in Mobile, AL. and also divorced. He started traveling to Dallas and 6 months later we were married. That was 21 years ago. ♥️
Peggy~ geeeez ~~ being the foodie that I am it’s hard to choose one. I love most any ethnic food. Where to start?? Mexican and Italian are at the top of the list!! It would be easier to tell you my least favorite which would be innards, brains, tongue and eyeballs!!
Lin~~ Yes. We are currently still in Texas until my hubs retirement. We live in a small town between Dallas and Houston. He works for an oil and gas company, so no city living for us.
Woofie Wotsit: That’s wonderful Serena
Serena Runyon Farmer: Sue~~ Our first destination will be Gulf Shores, AL. We have kids and grand kids there that we did not get to see at Christmas. From there we want to go to Big Bend National Park in Texas and then on to New Mexico. We will not have a home base so the the entire US will be ours to explore.
Sue Evenhouse King: Sounds lovely! My former boss and his wife toured the country for several years in a motor home after retirement. We saw great pics along the way. Looking forward to living vicariously thru you now!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Cherry~Our base herd was around 30, but had as many as 80. We had an 82 acre farm and 3 Komondor/Pyrenees Livestock Guardian dogs to watch over them.
Mark~ I have loved photography for as long as I can remember. My first really good camera was a Canon Rebel, before digital. So my early works are all print and yes, I still have them. I now have a Nikon D80. So I do have all of my photos from it in a file. I have won a few Photo Contests. It and cooking are my passion!!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Susanne~ I am planning on writing a blog about our life on the road, once we get started. I will also link it to Facebook.
Woofie Wotsit: Do have your photos up on the net anywhere? Would love to see em!:) But how could you lower yourself to a Nikon after a Canon?!!!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Oops!! Good Morning, Alison Teeshirts!!
Mark Bean: Ooh just noticed you are a fisher lady- i guess that would be bass in Texas? Have you ever been to Langtry TX? where one of my ancestors is quite famous ?
Serena Runyon Farmer: Mark~~ Yes!! Bass, Bream, and Perch were all my daddy would bring home. Didn’t eat catfish until I was in my 20’s because my daddy said they we bottom feeders.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Mark. I’m familiar with the town. Who was your ancestor an what was he famous for?
Mark Bean: Judge Roy Bean – very distant… Never eat bottom feeders- yuuk!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Woofie~ I don’t have many on flicker but would be happy to post a few. As far as my camera choice, it was based on reviews at the time. I am going to buy a new one when we hit the road. I also want some new lenses.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Oh of course I know who Judge Roy Bean was!!! How very cool!! There used to be restaurants with his name. Don’t know if there still are. As for the catfish, by the time I ate one they were farm raised and quite tasty. In fact, when we had our restaurant, we had “Fried Catfish Night” every Friday night. Our place would be packed!!!
Mark Bean: Have you ever tried catching Bass on fly, supposed to be really good sport.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Ummmmm. No. My daddy did though. He tied his own flies, also.
Woofie Wotsit: Judge Roy Bean!!! That is sooo cool Mark Bean! And yes please Serena, please post pics .
Micki: Have you cooked/eaten eyeballs?
Jacky: Thanks for answering my question about cheese – I live in France, so that means we are surrounded by hundreds of cheeses I love trying different ones, but Extra Mature Cheddar is still my absolute favourite! I also see you don’t ‘do’ brains etc – a famous (disgusting) dish in France is ‘Tete de Veau’, the ingredients are literally veal’s head.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Micki~~ No. And don’t plan on it. Have you?
Serena Runyon Farmer: Jacky~ I would be in cheese heaven!! The closest I can get to that type variety is a Gourmet store in Dallas called Central Market. I have tried many from there that I loved, but not living there I can’t get them regularly, so don’t recall the names.
Micki Stokoe: Once at an Arabian feast when I couldn’t get out of it. No problem with the taste but did not like the texture. I ask for trout in restaurants to be decapitated before they serve it to me!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Smart lady!!!
Elaine Beckham: Serena, while you are traveling with ‘no fixed address’ how will you get your mail?
Jill Stowell: A 40 foot unit is a massive length to drive on the road. My mobile home is only 36 foot but couldn’t imagine it as a driveable unit. Does yours have space for a small car in the back, I know some do. Or are the places you plan to go blessed with long straight roads?
Serena Runyon Farmer: Elaine~ there are mail forwarding services. The one we will use is in Texas. Once you reach a destination where you will be for more than a week, you call and tell them where to send it.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Jill~ We tow a 2013 Chevy Silverado CrewCab pick up truck. I hate small cars. Our Motorhome has a 400 HP Cummins engine an doesn’t know it even back there.
Serena Runyon Farmer: This picture was taken the day we took delivery. The slides were out. Once you pull them in, it goes down the road just like any other bus.
Terry Bryan: Now THAT is a camper! Wow. You could put mine in it.
Serena Runyon Farmer: This is the interior when we are stopped and the slides are out.
Terry Bryan: Are y’all going to the balloon festival in NM?
Serena Runyon Farmer: This is my kitchen. Also has a 4 door stainless steel fridge.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Haven’t looked to see when it is this year. I’ve gone to some in Texas.
Terry Bryan: Oct. 6 is the start, I think.
Elaine Beckham: Beautiful… do you find it hard to reverse in it? My bro in law and his wife had something similar for many years and loved it but when they reached 81 or so they sold it.
Linda Kovic-Skow: Hello Serena Runyon Farmer. What an interesting life you’ve led and it sure looks like there’s more to come! One day my husband and I want to travel the US in a Motorhome, so I’ll be interested in reading your blog. I was wondering, have you ever sold the services of a goat heard to clear overgrown land? This is a trend now in cities where lots are overgrown with blackberries, for instance. A fun sight to see!
Serena Runyon Farmer: We’ve seen that also. We never did because where we were living there was no demand for it. I love the idea though. Goats are so funny. And the babies can entertain you for hours!! If you ever have questions about full timing over here, just ask.
Elaine. We try to reserve pull through spots. But if need be, we unhook the truck and hub backs it in with my assistance (outside).
That may be a possibility, Terry. Thanks for the heads up!!
Terry Bryan: I’ll meet you there!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Sounds good!! Where do you live?
Terry Bryan: Virginia…I’m a one slide out gal.
Lin Middleton: My husband drove a Chevrolet Silverado pick up truck when we lived in the UK. It was a 1992 step-side model in mint condition. We made our first trip to Texas in Nov and fell in love with the state totally xx
Serena Runyon Farmer: Lin Middleton~~ where all did you visit?
Lin Middleton: We flew to DFW and stayed in The Stockyards Hotel for 4 nights, then we went to Vernon for 1 night en route to Amarillo, then to Abilene, then to Bandera, then to San Antonio, then Port Aransas, then Brenham then back up to DFW for one more night in The Stockyards before the flight home. We did lots of sightseeing out of all of these places. We were there for 3 weeks.
Serena Runyon Farmer: What a wonderful trip and an eclectic view of Texas!! That’s awesome!! No wonder you fell in love with it!! There are very few places I haven’t been to here, but Amarillo is one of them.
Sue Evenhouse King: Lin, I think you have almost been in more places in TX and I have lived here since 1981!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Sue~~Where do you live?
Sue Evenhouse King: I live in Cypress TX, in northwest Harris County.
Serena Runyon Farmer: You’re pretty close to us. We are currently in Buffalo, TX. Right off I45.
Woofie~~I will post a few.
Sue Evenhouse King: That’s why I kept threatening to get in the car and come to your house during the WLM party when you were torturing us with all those goodies.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Sunset in a Wine Glass
Serena Runyon Farmer: I remember now, Sue!
Sue Evenhouse King: Love that wine glass photo.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Springtime Dogwoods in Texas
Serena Runyon Farmer: Sunset in Winter.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Fall in our woods.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Spider in a Rainbow Web
Mark Bean: Show us some pictures of the Cummins
Sue Evenhouse King: Serena, these pictures are fabulous. The folks in our forum thread Photo Lab would love them. This is a link for anyone who might want to check it out. http://mojo-farm.com/forum/index.php?board=28.0
Serena Runyon Farmer: Mark~~ I can’t get to it to take a picture. I will need to wait until Rusty gets home from work.
Thanks Sue. I will look at it.
Mark Bean: Perhaps you can get your butler to take a photo
Serena Runyon Farmer: HaHaHa!!! Don’t I wish!!!
Just remember, this IS our home. We’re not parked in front of a Mansion. LoL!!
Terry Bryan: Go to Palo Duro Canyon on the way to NM. Nice place to stay and take pictures….
Serena Runyon Farmer: Terry. We are going to Big Bend National Park and then to NM. Will see Palo Duro when head back to Dallas to see GKids.
Terry Bryan: Do y’all like to plan ahead, or just get in and go?
Serena Runyon Farmer: Since we are new to, this and hub won’t be retired until Feb., I wouldn’t know. Right now we have to plan. I’m sure once we get settled in to not having a home base, we will be more spontaneous. We have a history of it. ?
Terry Bryan: Good! I like spontaneous. I think you will have a ball.
Cherry Gregory: Your photographs are beautiful.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Thank you, Cherry!! I really love photography!
Cherry Gregory: How long have you been “into” photography?
Serena Runyon Farmer: With an SLR since 1992. I have no training. Self taught.
Lin Middleton: I went to Palo Duro Canyon when we stayed in Amarillo. Definitely worth the visit, and yes, great photo opportunities.
Serena Runyon Farmer: I have a friend who has a Motorhome the same as ours. When they went to PDC, the wind was so high, they couldn’t go outside for two days!! Kinda scary!!
Lin Middleton: Serena Runyon Farmer sorry I am not trying to steal your post but people mention somewhere we visited and makes us wish we were there again. Maybe come again in October hopefully.
Serena Runyon Farmer: You aren’t stealing my post. Friend me in FB. Any of you are welcome to. I post a lot of Foodie pics.
Cherry Gregory: Is that of food you have prepared yourself?
Sue Evenhouse King: Cherry Gregory, her food pics will make you salivate. She was cooking up a storm during the WLM party and tantalizing us with them.
Serena Runyon Farmer : Cherry. Yes. I post dinners often. If you friend me on FB. you can scroll through. You can also see lots on my FB photo albums.
Cherry Gregory: Will do! Thank you.
Alan Parks: I think you should do an alpaca road trip!
Serena Runyon Farmer: That would be fun, Alan!!!
Victoria Twead: Really stunning photos, Serena!
Serena Runyon Farmer: Thank you, Victoria!!!!
Anne Wine O’clock Durrant: Hello Serena – what an interesting life you lead, I am fascinated with your ‘home’ – my hubby and I have just retired and we are going to travel around Europe in ours starting in March – having seen yours ours feels like a little bit dropped off lol she is only 15 foot. I will post a photo to show you what I mean.
Victoria Twead: Looks really nice, Anne! Mind you, you could probably drive inside Serena’s…
Serena Runyon Farmer: Very cool!!!! I’ve never been to Europe, but I would think that the Highways and Byways are quite different. We would probably be very limited on where we could travel with ours. So, I’m sure yours is perfect!! Are going to be selling or giving up your “sticks and bricks” home?
Anne Wine O’clock Durrant: We are selling up and moving into a granny flat over my son’s garage – for when we are in England.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Will you be posting pics and stories about your travels? Would love to follow along!
Anne Wine O’clock Durrant: OK it’s a deal – I will and also will follow your adventures. How exciting I am looking forward to it so much.
Victoria Twead: Fantastic!
Sue Evenhouse King: Great chat today!
Victoria Twead: Serena, thank you so much for being today’s Member Monday, it’s been really awesome. As it’s half past midnight here in Spain, I’m off to bed, but thanks for answering our questions, and I expect there might be some latecomers so I’ll leave this post pinned until the morning. A big thank you from all of us.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Well Thank You for inviting me!!! It has really been fun and have made some new friends. I loved it️.
Sue~~ I looked at the Photo page you recommended. It’s a bit confusing. When you have time to explain pls msg me.
Terry Bryan: Thanks for being the member today. I know y’all will have a great time touring. We do live in a remarkable country full of wonderful people, almost all friendly. The news would have you not believe that. I love traveling, bird watching, photography, and going to festivals, no matter how small. If y’all come to the coast of Virginia we are near the largest city park east of the Mississippi River….complete with campground. I’d invite you here, but…you might be a hair big! I look forward to reading about your adventures.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Thanks Terry! We will stay in touch between here and FB. It’s been fun today!!!
Terry Bryan: I finally found a picture of our camper…27′ with one slide out.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Cool!! Class C?
Terry Bryan: Yes.
Serena Runyon Farmer: Very nice!!! Much easier to drive than ours. But you’re keeping your home. Right?
Terry Bryan: Yes. My roommate has to have shots in her eyes every month, so now we do shorter trips. We have to plan better…I’d rather just take off and just have a general idea of where we’re going…it’s okay as we’ve learned of some really good places in Virginia we’d not seen before. We do think we can do the balloon festival and get back in time. Then we may tackle Utah. We’ve not done that state justice.
Cherry Gregory: Many thanks for answering all our questions, Serena. You sure do live an adventurous life!
Micki: Enjoyed the chat & seeing your photos – thanks, Serena!
Anne: I too enjoyed meeting you today – sorry I never got round to asking you any questions – I just honed in on your beautiful camper-van. I do hope we have many more chats now we are friends.
Serena Runyon Farmer: We are now friends on FB so you can ask away!! It’s almost 2am here, but it’s windy which leads to “bumps in the night” which causes my pups to bark. I look forward to getting to know all of my new friends better!!
Anne: – sweet dreams sweetie – hope you have a peaceful night x
Woofie Wotsit: Thanks for posting your pics, Serena They are wonderful.
Susan Joyce: Serena, just read your interview and looked at your photos. Brilliant images. Great life you’ve created
