I was born in Texas several decades ago to 2 hippies (not really; they just grew up in the ’60s & ’70s, so that’s what I call them). I married into the Military fresh into adulthood and have lived up and down the East Coast. Thankfully, the Army sent us back to my home state, where my husband retired in 2019 after 25 years of service.
I have four incredible, super crazy kiddos who range in age from 21 to 29, 1 fur baby that produces enough fur daily to make another dog, and a handful of cluckers (aka chickens) that are more entertaining than any TV show.
I am the author of Dear Military Spouse, an advice column I retired several years ago after a 13-year run. I was also the National Military Marriage Examiner for Examiner.com for several years, a contributor to the Huffington Post, and a Journalist turned Editor for our local newspaper before returning to being a full-time outdoor/adventure blogger and freelance journalist.
I also spent several years volunteering as the board vice president, department secretary, photographer, auxiliary chairperson, and stand-in first responder (for when they needed backup) for our local volunteer fire department, where my husband was also the fire captain (he is now retired from fire service after 30 years).
I love seafood, country music, classic rock, huntin’, muddin’, camping, Dr. Peppers, the Dallas Cowboys, and, of course, hiking!
Hiking is something I have always loved to do, so when we bought our house here in Texas, the fact that there were over 15 miles of hiking trails about 5 minutes away was a huge selling point! Bonus points to us for deciding to also retire here as well!
I LOVE capturing priceless moments on camera and recording life as it is today through photographs.
I have had a camera in my hand since I was about 8 years old, and I am a member of several professional organizations. I have recently transitioned over to a fine art landscape & wildlife photographer. Creating beautiful gallery-worthy photos and having them displayed in people’s homes and offices melts my heart!
Why the name Nutty Hiker?
Nutty Hiker is the trail name given to me due to my antics and tall tales that I share after a hike on the trails. It all started with a military deployment and my crazy idea to hike 1000 miles. You can find some of those antics and stories here on my blog.
Let’s Chat!
I absolutely love making new friends! You will find that my blog topics include a wide range of subjects. The main subject I talk about, of course, is hiking and the outdoors. However, I also talk about photography and life in general.
Or maybe you love to travel! We do as well and travel as often as possible, whether it’s an hour down the road or a 5000+ mile road trip up and down the western United States!
Are you on social media? So am I! Feel free to find me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Fun Facts
Fun fact: I am a professional photographer and have been for over 10 years! You can check out my work in the Store.
Fun fact #2: Sometimes as I am hiking, I randomly bust out dancing =)
Fun fact #3: I have a fascination with tornadoes and have since I was a small child. My youngest son has inherited that fascination!
Fun fact #4: Although I am a professional photographer, former newspaper editor, and spent most of my adulthood as a writer, I actually hold two college degrees (criminal justice and paralegal studies), neither of which I have used!
Nutty Hiker in the News
As a journalist, I am more than happy to help other journalists, reporters, and writers with their stories related to hiking, camping, backpacking, the outdoors, travel, or military life. Feel free to contact me if you need someone to interview for a story! I am more than happy to help!
Hiking 1000 Miles for Deployed Troops
Back in 2014, I was interviewed by local news stations and newspapers about my goal to hike 1000 miles for my husband and his squadron that was deployed. It went national, and people from all over the U.S. joined in. You can read more about it here on my blog. You can also read the article the Killeen Daily Herald wrote about it as well.
Travel Gadgets
Want to learn what gadgets I use when we take road trips? Check out this article from Military Families Magazine where I was interviewed about just that exact thing!
Backpacking Food
Check out what my favorite backpacking food is when I was interviewed by Outdoors with No Limits.
Military Life
Check out the articles on USAA where I was interviewed about Non-Toy Gift Ideas for military kids and DITY Moves in the Military.
