tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561312288177125252024-03-05T04:02:36.951-08:00Blame it on the PasteI may be twisted because of the paste I ate in the first grade.djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-86487599149914393832019-11-16T12:29:00.001-08:002019-11-16T12:29:59.027-08:00Seward, Alaska Part #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Day 36 thru 38</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">June 1-3, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These couple of days was spent
traveling to and visiting sights in Seward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">On the way there, we go through a small community called Moose Pass. We have made friends with a couple who own a wrecker service there.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">The man’s wife, Kathy, works at the Princess Lodge not far from Moose Pass.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">There is a knife sharpening wheel run by water located along the roadside.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">We always stop so Richard can sharpen his knives.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">Today, Jim sharpened his.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0S_IH0_6XhtmsheKJSdZTtiNPouEEFbk1fMKhp3pbGqz66Lb5N-tv7Q8-Bg5uBzoNhzZjWy67dZ8zrqMkruel9aKkH7jZgpX8iO6Dk7sM20QJ8aVVzUosiOMqgtbeU3Evr2bZdt25wo/s1600/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0S_IH0_6XhtmsheKJSdZTtiNPouEEFbk1fMKhp3pbGqz66Lb5N-tv7Q8-Bg5uBzoNhzZjWy67dZ8zrqMkruel9aKkH7jZgpX8iO6Dk7sM20QJ8aVVzUosiOMqgtbeU3Evr2bZdt25wo/s320/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+194.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Tracker Jim sharpening knife in Moose Pass<br />Film at 11</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Onward to the beautiful town of Seward. Richard and I always make a trip there, and we hope it is around the 4</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
of July. Of course, we were a few weeks early for that. Jim, Becky, Richard and I thought about getting t-shirts with the words "We know we are two weeks early for everything." The town has a grand celebration there with a race up Marathon
Mountain.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This has been a tradition in Seward
since 1915.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We've had the privilege of
watching the race from a street in downtown Seward several times.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Men, women and children run up the mountain,
but at different times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is 3.1 miles, straight up
Marathon Mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The leading racers go
up the mountain at about 2 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
they come down at about 12 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they
cross the finish line, they are usually in need of medical attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are bloody and muddy. When asked if I’d
like to sign up for the race, I gave the lady a quick “Nay. Nay.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every racer wears a number silk screened
onto a piece of heavy cloth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one
dude had his shirt off and his number safety pinned to his nipples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Yes, I said nipples.</span>I couldn’t say “Nay. Nay.” fast enough. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I could think of through the whole race
was this chap could fall and get his number caught on a rock. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qBTyWoAPLedXLm9eJM8q3pHPKz20evAgnefy7zS5DP5L-ZWtoLDCmmQNTky3VrzYdjY9UeTASVAP59nWvI42GcvtDxHKGY1A7cvd0xunUNybTEcdw_ZTCpX06NfTDpG01tIudid6Q2g/s1600/MT.+MARATHON_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="114" data-original-width="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qBTyWoAPLedXLm9eJM8q3pHPKz20evAgnefy7zS5DP5L-ZWtoLDCmmQNTky3VrzYdjY9UeTASVAP59nWvI42GcvtDxHKGY1A7cvd0xunUNybTEcdw_ZTCpX06NfTDpG01tIudid6Q2g/s1600/MT.+MARATHON_crop.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">A picture of Mt. Marathon from<br /> the streets of Seward, Alaska.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">We
spent a couple of days in Seward which is named for the former U.S. Secretary
of State William H. Seward, who took care of the details for the United States’
purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867. Seward was serving as
Secretary of State as part of President Andrew Johnson’s administration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
visited the Alaskan Sealife Center which was really fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Becky and I had the honor of being weighed on
a scale used to weigh large fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
refused to call it a whale scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
beautiful aquarium is located (as is the town of Seward) on Resurrection Bay,</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">a fjord of the Gulf of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx8OFufkrCwm6yw6ODZj3hR17kU7kp2aTKioeJW90kZllf3abLGAYMIHSHHeDl1NTv6579u5-si2GQv7DVXnidpphffOuam2XF6NHlaEU2UIKPZ2muaVBNbGH6we0pHQHqAVzlj0xh_I/s1600/20190603_103131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx8OFufkrCwm6yw6ODZj3hR17kU7kp2aTKioeJW90kZllf3abLGAYMIHSHHeDl1NTv6579u5-si2GQv7DVXnidpphffOuam2XF6NHlaEU2UIKPZ2muaVBNbGH6we0pHQHqAVzlj0xh_I/s320/20190603_103131.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Our Catch For the Day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXHB5TiFUS45RqTSQWay5bvARKn3daT2xrw6fJ3ZoDqSw2TvcZ0N3i54AAzqdkQPAUTihvQWFGB-_q4j2nzKrLHi9hDAawgll8MP-R8C8R9Be5Oh3OSJM8UodaXuzIUai5Xzz2V9-088/s1600/20190603_113050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXHB5TiFUS45RqTSQWay5bvARKn3daT2xrw6fJ3ZoDqSw2TvcZ0N3i54AAzqdkQPAUTihvQWFGB-_q4j2nzKrLHi9hDAawgll8MP-R8C8R9Be5Oh3OSJM8UodaXuzIUai5Xzz2V9-088/s200/20190603_113050.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful fish posing for a picture</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKozxpQcnL0_gqwlrXPnNTE_pVxKiKTBDgPcEZOq2OYy7ltZoho1133ZamJ2fZSbgUwdSPZ4T1tPPv8_Ygw0lHOwwyYv3wGfV0fNGmKClFn1CXII1F3OVK8iRV234s5M6xp7WkxPnbRk/s1600/20190603_103023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKozxpQcnL0_gqwlrXPnNTE_pVxKiKTBDgPcEZOq2OYy7ltZoho1133ZamJ2fZSbgUwdSPZ4T1tPPv8_Ygw0lHOwwyYv3wGfV0fNGmKClFn1CXII1F3OVK8iRV234s5M6xp7WkxPnbRk/s320/20190603_103023.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Becky and Jim<br />They caught more fake fish than<br />Richard and I did.</span></td></tr>
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I have a large collection of pictures taken either by me, Richard, Becky, or Jim. Some I'm not sure exactly where they were taken, but I feel they are worth posting. At the end of each of the upcoming blog posts, I'll add a couple of them. <br />
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Pictures don't do Alaska justice, but hopefully you will enjoy them.<br />
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Until later,<br />
<br />
Dolores<br />
<br />
Please let me know you have seen this blog, either here or on Facebook.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVsHMW8wyHY-zQhGVhn11zWSETom1ux78vuplPUJKp78cn0y3DnuEUE4k4oQWc4MU56s3wfcLRhKcMQyaxZsuenXTLMvjifhOpDUhUP0LU27KgbVXBajPR2OmYBM4lOuuxi00m9ozI3w/s1600/20190614_103959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVsHMW8wyHY-zQhGVhn11zWSETom1ux78vuplPUJKp78cn0y3DnuEUE4k4oQWc4MU56s3wfcLRhKcMQyaxZsuenXTLMvjifhOpDUhUP0LU27KgbVXBajPR2OmYBM4lOuuxi00m9ozI3w/s400/20190614_103959.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">One morning, I came out of the camper to find my<br />traveling buddies (aka Lewis and Clark and<br />Sacagawea) had joined the Pioneer Hat Brigade, and I had left my hat at home. Ain't they cute?<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4HjBckyMQdUgrvjjmqwIGCoXDyOmwDQK1zEQjysh7IPidLkbrdsJwjPQfQgcK9f1TRETP4nnlU9i5vDpXiD9OaUOXVNRyUj5UEhMAU5itZHOZ8mPP5GkEtbMApl9YdtRZfQxzZPlkDM/s1600/Jim+and+Becky+and+Mnts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4HjBckyMQdUgrvjjmqwIGCoXDyOmwDQK1zEQjysh7IPidLkbrdsJwjPQfQgcK9f1TRETP4nnlU9i5vDpXiD9OaUOXVNRyUj5UEhMAU5itZHOZ8mPP5GkEtbMApl9YdtRZfQxzZPlkDM/s400/Jim+and+Becky+and+Mnts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">My favorite Jim and Becky picture</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAMDSM0WjMjGLiHIpbxCIQMS6bIeBlzF7h05y668_RaLgBZznkP0LPvdmzKwrP-Stw_IhSSc4R85rJv60g6HRHHnSG_500ijz3r5PzJ6Q1YRuk3bC1vZir2tK5QqTXyi6xG1oD3V0QBc/s1600/20190614_104443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAMDSM0WjMjGLiHIpbxCIQMS6bIeBlzF7h05y668_RaLgBZznkP0LPvdmzKwrP-Stw_IhSSc4R85rJv60g6HRHHnSG_500ijz3r5PzJ6Q1YRuk3bC1vZir2tK5QqTXyi6xG1oD3V0QBc/s320/20190614_104443.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Taken in a park dedicated to Native Alaskans<br />OORAH!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUeDKrzLbsiuqvmTcblnB4jI5yekRonPtntRejl5N1P-nhtaxx59Mmg4_LRUzMtQBALAuubmaJMdGFvxOK3hTk7Ucc8jwzvFITprEC8a-tsPAivo1_IM1mm5HfREDXi6UFNt_C9_TXbQ/s1600/20190601_084906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUeDKrzLbsiuqvmTcblnB4jI5yekRonPtntRejl5N1P-nhtaxx59Mmg4_LRUzMtQBALAuubmaJMdGFvxOK3hTk7Ucc8jwzvFITprEC8a-tsPAivo1_IM1mm5HfREDXi6UFNt_C9_TXbQ/s320/20190601_084906.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Mountain above the clouds</span></td></tr>
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djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-26593981886788518052019-11-05T17:35:00.000-08:002019-11-05T17:35:39.847-08:00Hemi<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Hemi and Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Have you ever heard of </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">polydactyl</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> cats, commonly called Hemingway cats? Nicknames for these kitties
also include mitten kittens. What makes
these kitties so unique? They have extra toes!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Polydactyl</span></span><span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> cats were thought to be more superior climbers and mousers than ordinary cats
thanks to their extra toes. Some sailors even thought the kitties were good
luck! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">One
ship captain actually gave a </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">polydactyl</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> kitty to the famous American author,
Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway kept the all-white cat, named Snow White. Today,
the Hemingway House in Key West is the Hemingway Home and Museum. Almost 50
cats happily roam the property — all descendants of Snow White. Roughly half of
them have extra toes which are why these felines are now commonly referred to
as Hemingway cats. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Becky
and Jim have a </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">polydactyl</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> cat that travels with them. His name is . . . say it with me . . .
Hemi. Hemi is a private cat. Sticks to Jim like glue, but runs and hides
when Richard or I enter the Morris’ RV.
Of course, I know my loud mouth does nothing to keep Hemi’s nerves in
check. Anyway, I quickly came to the
conclusion that the sweet kitty cat doesn’t care for me at all. But, he is a beautiful cat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicARieIBYr_nyGkJMe3erSHSW1teepJYy5CvFlN2cRQGcluVKq9SbQAuCBq1KleyMvfFtgAvavdMkeqWfhBy_e4aTRhIbo5jjR-miD4YhbkQyudQogkdUFbsNxJLTqCS8V51dvG8jCnro/s1600/IMG_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicARieIBYr_nyGkJMe3erSHSW1teepJYy5CvFlN2cRQGcluVKq9SbQAuCBq1KleyMvfFtgAvavdMkeqWfhBy_e4aTRhIbo5jjR-miD4YhbkQyudQogkdUFbsNxJLTqCS8V51dvG8jCnro/s320/IMG_1403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Hemi Morris</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">At
some point along the trail of our extended trip, I went to visit with Becky in
her RV. When it was time to leave, I
made the first two steps down, looped my hand through the handle on the outside
of the motor home, then made a 9.6 pirouette off the steps, twisted around and
slammed face first into the side of the huge motor home. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhndStrwZ1ogSjFo-l44DShhqG-zOu7JnLVvVFCC3TInCWAhyphenhyphenxwvEavH5OUsk_QQIeMW0QphZrCf9KyqcU_s0KX6IgZYqq9d9_kwUKpZ4FoMVIh8QSoQhu5smW5QYNZ6RZiyu4sI8yR58/s1600/Me+and+Hemi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhndStrwZ1ogSjFo-l44DShhqG-zOu7JnLVvVFCC3TInCWAhyphenhyphenxwvEavH5OUsk_QQIeMW0QphZrCf9KyqcU_s0KX6IgZYqq9d9_kwUKpZ4FoMVIh8QSoQhu5smW5QYNZ6RZiyu4sI8yR58/s320/Me+and+Hemi.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Yes, that is me slamming into the<br />side of the RV. Please note Hemi in the steps.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The force of the slam separated me from the
handle and crashed me onto my back on the ground. </span><br />
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When
I dared to open my weary eyes, I was staring into three familiar faces. Richard’s, Becky’s and Jim’s. A man near the gas pumps inquired as to
whether or not we needed him to call 9-1-1. It was decided (3-1) I was going to live,
so we flagged off the 9-1-1 fellow.</span><br />
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;">Later when I looked through the surveillance tape to see if any footage of my sailing out the RV door could possibly be used to win money on America's Funniest Home Videos, I noticed a cat disappearing into the motor home via the steps.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">As
my three rescuers started to help me up, I looked passed Jim to the motor home
window right above his head and this is what I saw:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TXPaMUwhmmOw1QaUzSjzQzPp2XNj4OqMWnMeeLIiig0COaAg8535jLnKLHQNknj4XyRWnfwUdF9d4NteCLV1Wf8TklyHtwGOS8wLbNfdULlAD4eoPBxulzNjg_VCgtssKwqDdQg_TsA/s1600/Hemi+Smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TXPaMUwhmmOw1QaUzSjzQzPp2XNj4OqMWnMeeLIiig0COaAg8535jLnKLHQNknj4XyRWnfwUdF9d4NteCLV1Wf8TklyHtwGOS8wLbNfdULlAD4eoPBxulzNjg_VCgtssKwqDdQg_TsA/s320/Hemi+Smiling.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: center;"> Hemi and Ji</span><span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-align: center;">m</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">One
evening, the four of us where going to a friend’s house for dinner. Minutes before we had to leave, Hemi
disappeared. Jim and Becky had already searched every inch of the RV with no
luck. We all searched the edge of the
woods surrounding the acres where we were camping. We hated to force Jim to leave without knowing
where Hemi was, but we didn’t know what else to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">We
had a nice evening with good food and socializing. I did notice Jim seemed a little edgy. He
kept glancing at his phone. I wondered
if he thought Hemi might text him when he returned from his evening stroll in
the woods. I wondered if Hemi was having
a grand time chasing mice or a fluffy, “puddy tat” or
perhaps both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">When we returned home, Becky and Jim discovered their </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">polydactyl</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> cat sitting in the middle of the motor home floor counting his toes.
Becky took the picture below and texted it to me which you can tell may not
have been a good thing since I am posting it on FB.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lzB529-r65dP6Zd4X52H6MhTVAz4PaCafWwgCd4_3oDQGyoVxrAgqemfff8zi9_dT425XDBgMjuDyH4S_AISyPKcwdOe9_I-MIbtmR4qNWNeKHw8-FrfUaHwviDO79CO0SSCLryyg0s/s1600/Jim+and+Hemi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lzB529-r65dP6Zd4X52H6MhTVAz4PaCafWwgCd4_3oDQGyoVxrAgqemfff8zi9_dT425XDBgMjuDyH4S_AISyPKcwdOe9_I-MIbtmR4qNWNeKHw8-FrfUaHwviDO79CO0SSCLryyg0s/s320/Jim+and+Hemi.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim and Hemi</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">As
you can tell, he certainly was a happy boy and so was Hemi.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Until later,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Dolores</span></div>
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<span style="color: #142033; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Please leave a comment and/or click LIKE. I love hearing from you, too.</span></div>
</div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-39764440590307351462019-11-01T15:17:00.000-07:002019-11-01T15:17:27.728-07:00Let's try this again<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
Twelve Months in the Land of the Frozen Tundra <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
you know why Richard and I are spending twelve months in Alaska, and what we did while
we were here, feel free to skip the following Intro.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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SKIP INTRO<o:p></o:p></div>
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</v:shape><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 267.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many years ago, after spending
several summers in Alaska, my dear husband and I decided to make spending one
full year in Alaska an item on our Bucket List.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We thought about it long and hard and decided to invite friends and
family to pick 7 to 10 days they’d like to fly into Fairbanks in the interior
of the 49<sup>th</sup> state of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought a small rv and drove it to
Fairbanks were we had rented a house from the end of June to the 12<sup>th</sup>
of October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way we would have
plenty of room for Richard and me plus the couple who would be with us for
their requested time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard and I had spent a lot of time
in the area of the Midnight Sun, and there was plenty of sunshine at
midnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We planned events and
attractions for our guests to see. You would think Richard and I would get
bored with seeing the same things over and over again during the three month we
hosted our guests. I have always wanted to own and run a bed and
breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was right to think I would
love it. Each couple who came was so different, and it all went so fast, it didn’t
give us time to get bored. Of course, my rule for hosting a B&B is different than most. They went as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dolores’s
Bed and Breakfast<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">YOU
MAKE BOTH.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
of my high school friends, James Morris, and his wife, Becky, met up with us at
our house. For the next two months we traveled together to Lincolnton, Georgia
for two concerts, then across the lower 48, then through Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a really good time traveling together,
eating together, playing cards, and just having fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed a lot, especially me and
Becky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thought everything was funny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyGhyphenhyphenp8m-xNtMuqh3Ktpp1kNOrTKnkWKRYTTs93jBXaqZ2_v1JqgKrbJJlfZ0lhOyqupf4Vh9F4RUdye2Oa6Sgvy4LzUP95nxiPsCRrcz4S5IPqMGnubF1p3pRaaorMh2dN8IJcxLj_E/s1600/Me+and+Becky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyGhyphenhyphenp8m-xNtMuqh3Ktpp1kNOrTKnkWKRYTTs93jBXaqZ2_v1JqgKrbJJlfZ0lhOyqupf4Vh9F4RUdye2Oa6Sgvy4LzUP95nxiPsCRrcz4S5IPqMGnubF1p3pRaaorMh2dN8IJcxLj_E/s320/Me+and+Becky.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Becky and Me</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had written a couple of pages of
blog early in our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t go into
why I hadn’t written more than the original copy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, those blog posts are immediately behind this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, let’s get started with the blog I promised everyone when we left
home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">End Intro<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began the next leg of our trip from the
Canadian/Alaskan border south to Anchorage where we spent a couple of days at
our friend Tony’s. After Tony’s, we headed’em up and moved’em out. Jim set his GPS on the dashboard and he and
Becky pulled their Conestoga wagon in behind our Radio Flyer putt-putt wagon
(more on this later) and we began our trip to Homer by way of the Kenai
Peninsula. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXjEsYmkMapZ2bNb3p00iFRpClHZ_n0GX5QRRC7ZeM4P7hoLTyRRCBorwkQZwpOIF1TFso3doXBqk6A3xZVF7FZseFSLtV5yvpleV-BMJyxV3LM-GSjOPTJq_Lf1IVnthuyMoTBehlDo/s1600/IMG_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXjEsYmkMapZ2bNb3p00iFRpClHZ_n0GX5QRRC7ZeM4P7hoLTyRRCBorwkQZwpOIF1TFso3doXBqk6A3xZVF7FZseFSLtV5yvpleV-BMJyxV3LM-GSjOPTJq_Lf1IVnthuyMoTBehlDo/s320/IMG_1522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jim's GPS aka Hemi</span></td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Day
35, May 31, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>South of Anchorage is a waterway called
Turnagain Arm. It goes northwest into the Gulf of Alaska. Turnagain Arm has the
second highest tides in North America after the Bay of Fundy. These tides can
reach 40 feet and come in so quickly that they produce a wave known as a bore
tide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the highway that runs next to
Turnagain Arm is Beluga Point. This pull-out is a great place to see whales and
watch the bore tide come in at about 6 feet high at a possible speed of 20
miles an hour. Skies were grey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
two weeks from the warm summer days. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcN4Xm115qw4rDTlaLWlFj7rxubhfDAIHsOlGthz63HJr5F_uQH8OgHA_0E95g99fz736VU49eODhHszSPL5dxVf86-maCEtTWnnQDLkV_tLqjyjrBLMP-l_d7Z7EvBXSi3q6eN5vPGg/s1600/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcN4Xm115qw4rDTlaLWlFj7rxubhfDAIHsOlGthz63HJr5F_uQH8OgHA_0E95g99fz736VU49eODhHszSPL5dxVf86-maCEtTWnnQDLkV_tLqjyjrBLMP-l_d7Z7EvBXSi3q6eN5vPGg/s320/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Turnagain Arms location of Bore Tide</span></td></tr>
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</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht-uFYunZCukGZtU_4XRArGRrSbqi801RWurk2c8ISfXHIqb_95wLAeDHUxkxAjEdDtzFoYKAZt68rkKfl20QYKYOqr3XRoCBK9uFNbp3S5hlDEoTMS6ZF24nOILIMkM2SBLGKJK9Fek/s1600/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht-uFYunZCukGZtU_4XRArGRrSbqi801RWurk2c8ISfXHIqb_95wLAeDHUxkxAjEdDtzFoYKAZt68rkKfl20QYKYOqr3XRoCBK9uFNbp3S5hlDEoTMS6ZF24nOILIMkM2SBLGKJK9Fek/s320/Anchorage+to+Whittier+to+Seward+AL+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Highway along Turnagain Arms</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
stopped at the animal refuge in Girdwood where injured animals from all over
Alaska have been brought to be treated and nursed back to health. Skies were
grey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were two weeks from the warm
summer days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our
next stop was in Whittier, Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
town and a nearby glacier were named after John Greenleaf Whittier in
1916.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During World War II, the U.S. Army
built a military base, complete with port and railroad near Whittier
Glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spur of the Alaska Railroad
was completed in 1943 and the port became the entrance for the U.S. soldiers
into Alaska. We ate supper there. Skies were grey.. We were two weeks from the summer days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are two major buildings in Whittier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a 14-story building which was completed in 1957 and contains
150 two-and-three bedroom apartments plus bachelor efficiency units.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dependent families and Civil Service
employees were moved into this high-rise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
other building in town was completed in 1953. It was called “city under one
roof.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was abandoned and I saw an
episode of Ghost Hunters that was filmed inside the abandoned building. I’ve
been around the building and, I have to admit, it gives me the creeps. This
building is called the Buckner Building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The one which became a condominium was named the Begich Building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time, the two buildings were the largest
buildings in Alaska.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfNiMuRJH9bFhVYWSDwIEewH-JGpc09eJm7uVMhlVVn6R_QOKJFDuty2HGCQaNc_6aHarRZJm_fDvgdJNMk4kKa4qbkR9k16xJxLJWdGqyHQf4nfPK7NAmtwnCbkk0buDAoZ_NDN088/s1600/train+on+way+to+Whittier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfNiMuRJH9bFhVYWSDwIEewH-JGpc09eJm7uVMhlVVn6R_QOKJFDuty2HGCQaNc_6aHarRZJm_fDvgdJNMk4kKa4qbkR9k16xJxLJWdGqyHQf4nfPK7NAmtwnCbkk0buDAoZ_NDN088/s1600/train+on+way+to+Whittier.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Begich Building</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I wanted very much for Becky to see the beautiful Fireweed flowers that line the highway, but, as we had already discovered, the skies were grey and we were two weeks from summer and the blue skies and the Fireweed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14MRsFtIrVYQdFtaGr_DubP3yaRNxpZliHnocaCK-p3lPA-9awF8aqgzSxeb2B75-Anuk6QoaIjkosW6bOX-d5mK_4Dgh5tJb9wpQPwUixxhb7kZhFZnm_9DR7cjMXKlc7nWmPlLaL0c/s1600/IMG_9898.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14MRsFtIrVYQdFtaGr_DubP3yaRNxpZliHnocaCK-p3lPA-9awF8aqgzSxeb2B75-Anuk6QoaIjkosW6bOX-d5mK_4Dgh5tJb9wpQPwUixxhb7kZhFZnm_9DR7cjMXKlc7nWmPlLaL0c/s320/IMG_9898.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Some of the pictures in this blog were taken <br />by Jim or Becky Morris</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; tab-stops: 267.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The first time Richard and I went
to Whittier (1997) the only way to get there was by boat or train. Fifteen
years ago, they started allowing cars to drive through the tunnel at alternative times
with the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it causes me to be
claustrophobic, but the best part is the fact that there are about 8 safe rooms
along the wall in the tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z5zr9GVXuGVM9-kdFFRhLO60z3F_WgP70aNzNM-lfu35AixUazxsWpzNywqF2rxhJC9s5Knvo8PtgUyRJlfNCsRmrt_u8hchnyMXzmg3NHoKJVXV2XHm219bu-LfNykxmc8qDXudV4U/s1600/IMG_9887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z5zr9GVXuGVM9-kdFFRhLO60z3F_WgP70aNzNM-lfu35AixUazxsWpzNywqF2rxhJC9s5Knvo8PtgUyRJlfNCsRmrt_u8hchnyMXzmg3NHoKJVXV2XHm219bu-LfNykxmc8qDXudV4U/s320/IMG_9887.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Inside Whittier Tunnel<br />Safe Room on left<br />(by James Morris)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGHuyTG0LQ_3cJ4N6jUgYDIflItR1SJYmuHhpvIspc41TPpvqeTbAyfCv00hJ09no7OEci2r5xYHpBMmQuIHMNG_HX0phSAXAGvb6oO4AJyST3k91I9v9Jk-a9phN8WPgh62VqrQUEIo/s1600/IMG_9893+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGHuyTG0LQ_3cJ4N6jUgYDIflItR1SJYmuHhpvIspc41TPpvqeTbAyfCv00hJ09no7OEci2r5xYHpBMmQuIHMNG_HX0phSAXAGvb6oO4AJyST3k91I9v9Jk-a9phN8WPgh62VqrQUEIo/s320/IMG_9893+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Exiting Whittier Tunnel<br />(Thank Heavens)<br />by Jim Morris</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">If there
is an accident inside the tunnel, you know, like a head-on crash with a train (just
kidding), you leave your car and go into one of the safe rooms where you can
get oxygen, and be safe from the fire raging around your car. Of course, if
this happened to me, I would hope they also had clean underwear stashed in the
safe room.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">You know, as Bill Cosby once
said, if you are in an accident, first you say it, then you do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Until later,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Dolores</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">P.S. My goal is to post every one to three days until we get caught up-to- date. After that I'll post what we have done that particular day. Please leave a comment so I know which of my friends and family are keeping up with me now that I'm back on track with my writing. If you don't want to join by blog, you can go back to Facebook where this was posted and leave a comment there. Look forward to hearing from you even if you just say "Hey There." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">P.S.S. Please share this with anyone you think might enjoy it. Also, let me know if there is anyplace or any event in Alaska you would like to know about, if we have visited I'd be glad to write about that place and post pictures.</span></div>
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djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-7822738301774060392019-05-29T18:33:00.000-07:002019-05-29T18:33:15.151-07:00<br />
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#3 2019 Trip to Alaska<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I said already, we took a fast trip across the lower 48
and hit the border on the scheduled day we were supposed to. Once through the border without International
incidents, we headed for the big mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I had a
good time there although we only went through ¼ of the whole mall. Since I have
posted pictures from the mall on other blogs, I will only post a couple here.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkOtNFgb3gQz-ixBPdZu0qcdux4Xyi_xQeuoi64tO6ACOV-ESYi_ck_62ik1n3Pyq7lCNxwbBIAoPf6EWdFjjx2G1ANZsWUUZAjKuB-PtUMS6NM9C90jTfmge7TVDFgUR4yMvJvKNEpc/s1600/20190525_090709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkOtNFgb3gQz-ixBPdZu0qcdux4Xyi_xQeuoi64tO6ACOV-ESYi_ck_62ik1n3Pyq7lCNxwbBIAoPf6EWdFjjx2G1ANZsWUUZAjKuB-PtUMS6NM9C90jTfmge7TVDFgUR4yMvJvKNEpc/s320/20190525_090709.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Dragon Fruit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIUz9zlPO_ZcdvWUZ1hjKbSglz4qAx21QOGSb-YZ9E_ZJheNakPBC3r2Mru4CCQCDfbEvAofbH3xfftxPxmAfmAPsQocNUiyBZa_3o8wQpV0DAgihoXuwiAITU8C0tEu8PtplD9P6Dsc/s1600/20190525_090731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIUz9zlPO_ZcdvWUZ1hjKbSglz4qAx21QOGSb-YZ9E_ZJheNakPBC3r2Mru4CCQCDfbEvAofbH3xfftxPxmAfmAPsQocNUiyBZa_3o8wQpV0DAgihoXuwiAITU8C0tEu8PtplD9P6Dsc/s320/20190525_090731.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Dragon Fruit</td></tr>
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This is a Dragon Fruit we found in a giant Chinese grocery
store. One of my many mottos is: If it doesn’t crawl off the table, I’ll eat
it. Becky looked up the information
about the weird, yet beautiful fruit.
Couple of things I found noteworthy were that they were grown in Asia
and Florida. Who knew? Another thing is
if its juice is mixed with a certain fruit juice (which one now escapes me, but
it doesn’t matter since I don’t intend to mix it with ANY juice.) you could suffer from anaphylactic shock. Possibly
leading to death. That might put a
slight damper on the trip for the rest of the group. Other than death, it is
supposed to be good for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf2YkCN4fzRLNGM8_w7IJgKVkrlu0YZP0I5wSzf1ARP8-z1SdrAewJhnMP0mvXegpuLFL-G1SQxZDOo4Qg64WDWk4K5P7Oqwsx9bBNHdgeyNLNL2TdpYb0abd3JxFKjKz8ZGHYUH9ntA/s1600/output.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf2YkCN4fzRLNGM8_w7IJgKVkrlu0YZP0I5wSzf1ARP8-z1SdrAewJhnMP0mvXegpuLFL-G1SQxZDOo4Qg64WDWk4K5P7Oqwsx9bBNHdgeyNLNL2TdpYb0abd3JxFKjKz8ZGHYUH9ntA/s320/output.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This picture is of Mary Read, aka Becky Morris
and Captain Morgan, aka Jim Morris. They had just out sailed Johnny Depp and we
were off to celebrate victory with a meal at Bubba Gump’s Seafood. Coconut
Shrimp, Popcorn Shrimp, Boiled Shrimp.
Well, you know. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Until later,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dolores<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-61671741695704266972019-05-23T08:27:00.000-07:002019-05-23T08:27:10.049-07:00<br />
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Post #2 2019 trip to Alaska<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I start posting on our
day-by-day journey, I’d like to tell you what brought this adventure about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Somewhere around the end of the 1990’s, Richard and I drove
to Alaska in our motorhome following his brother, Howard and his wife Mary
Jane. We LOVED the beautiful scenery and
pristine waters of the whole state.
Many times Richard and I agreed had our kids been younger (they were
teenagers by then) they would have grown up in Alaska. Since that time, we’ve
made several trips back to the beautiful state.
One of Alaska’s mottos is the <i>Land
That God Forgot.</i> I don’t think He
forgot it, He just knew He got it right the first time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On my Bucket List, I have several things left to accomplish:
Receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for a book titled <i>How to Kill Your Husband and Get Away with It. </i>Just to ease
everyone’s mind, Richard is well aware of the plotting of this book and even
helped me with the research. (More on
this later.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another item on my BL is to work on a campaign for my
grandson Drew when he runs for governor of the Great State of Florida. I vote by absentee ballot because I am
usually absentee during the elections.
So, Drew comes over to my house and he and I talk about whom we should
vote for. His reasoning is usually
pretty sound and occasionally profound.
But, I won’t discuss politics on my blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And, as usual, I digress.
The item we are working on now is living in Alaska for ONE YEAR. We have rented a house in Fairbanks and one
in Homer. We invited some friends, some
family to come up and stay with us for 7 to 10 days. Our calendar for the summer filled
quickly. However, nobody was interested
in coming to Alaska during the winter months.
Most were afraid they might turn into ice cubes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, a couple of years ago, I reconnected with an old
school friend around the time of our 50<sup>th</sup> reunion. During the next
few years we were able to get together and meet each other’s spouse. James Morris, who also goes by Jim and Jimmy,
and I went to Franklin Jr. High and graduated from King High School (both in
the Tampa area) in 1967. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jim and Becky left with us from our house and we all spent
the next two weeks in Lincolnton enjoying bluegrass and gospel music at Little
Roy and Lizzy Long bluegrass festival.
Then Mother’s Day weekend we attended the Jeff and Sheri Easter’s
Homecoming. Becky and I went to the
Easter’s house after the concerts and to help a dear friend of mine, Peggy
Fauscett. Not that Peggy needed any
help. She does most of the cooking before she leaves home and warms it before
time to eat. Since I normally only see Peggy once a year, I enjoy visiting with
her while we are waiting for the crowd to arrive and munch down all her
delicious vittles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMgdxp2o4dTI1HsYpPhk6R6OmcXkTwjufnOX22kO7HtGRCNxTm6SUR6FYpJa95yGkWMELFk5P7vtF95Mr20D-d7-9uGTilwMon_yeaL1ewUYCu76amDJqD5fgocbrf7PlUPIOeRnivTY/s1600/Peggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMgdxp2o4dTI1HsYpPhk6R6OmcXkTwjufnOX22kO7HtGRCNxTm6SUR6FYpJa95yGkWMELFk5P7vtF95Mr20D-d7-9uGTilwMon_yeaL1ewUYCu76amDJqD5fgocbrf7PlUPIOeRnivTY/s320/Peggy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peggy Fauscett</td></tr>
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As I’ve written about before, Richard is very involved with
the Homecoming which is held at the Lewis Family Homeplace. Jim was a lot of
help with Richard getting the camping area ready. Meanwhile, Becky and I worked hard at making
sure no deals were missed in the local antique and boutique shops in the
surrounding Georgia towns. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Richard and I dragged the Morris’s all over Lincoln County,
introducing them to some of Lincolnton’s finest citizens. We ate a couple of our evening meals with
Walker and Carol Norman and then Little Roy and Bonnie Lewis. At the local café, we ate breakfast with
Coroner turned Sheriff, Paul Revere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Mother’s Day afternoon, Jim, Becky and their cat Hemi and
Richard and I took off in our motorhomes for what I would call the fastest trip
I’ve ever taken across the United States. Here are just a few of the pictures
we took while in Lincolnton.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqb_I0gL4IMW2b77AjW-ZPIkjfjXNZ9B5O5VvWjmwDNSfAIoWaRNsP1v0mrGrR-6E4rxX31MrJJgK8G02NF2uVrccl_YQzXcBzI0XG1BrmhKiSnRPS4umQkWZQOpbr5pAzDUT0k5IYuK8/s1600/Nothin%2527+Fancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqb_I0gL4IMW2b77AjW-ZPIkjfjXNZ9B5O5VvWjmwDNSfAIoWaRNsP1v0mrGrR-6E4rxX31MrJJgK8G02NF2uVrccl_YQzXcBzI0XG1BrmhKiSnRPS4umQkWZQOpbr5pAzDUT0k5IYuK8/s320/Nothin%2527+Fancy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothin' Fancy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQgGg5uhBgQFxfm4E8Q5Vn1ZuqYu7jqnPUYZkcvwWkzwH2nk48W0BSEUmZZ3d5X88jnx7vPzOreCrE_iUa2CRGuDb2szKz22buDMcqM2Ax4-p82EDeLAu-UOwBG0tguwrBtNpoFJ7LtU/s1600/Bennett.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQgGg5uhBgQFxfm4E8Q5Vn1ZuqYu7jqnPUYZkcvwWkzwH2nk48W0BSEUmZZ3d5X88jnx7vPzOreCrE_iUa2CRGuDb2szKz22buDMcqM2Ax4-p82EDeLAu-UOwBG0tguwrBtNpoFJ7LtU/s320/Bennett.png" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bennett Little Roy and<br />Bonnie's grandson<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCq6oL6NJVGRX_I2lLzjrU7xPp-6tpJP0YvQerggtuabwJ024XRMY1iHy1_h0rt-zTCzT7Qipt9kwnGRdmQwzY-CK7N5bb0mTT2t3xAO_izQAPVWd_RVjXGtdbevQhCLcn6_u_Lf4ynk/s1600/Becky%252C+Jim%252C+Richard%252C+Me+on+Easter%2527s+Boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCq6oL6NJVGRX_I2lLzjrU7xPp-6tpJP0YvQerggtuabwJ024XRMY1iHy1_h0rt-zTCzT7Qipt9kwnGRdmQwzY-CK7N5bb0mTT2t3xAO_izQAPVWd_RVjXGtdbevQhCLcn6_u_Lf4ynk/s320/Becky%252C+Jim%252C+Richard%252C+Me+on+Easter%2527s+Boat.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becky, Jim, Richard, Me on Jeff Easter's Boat<br />Sunset cruise on Savannah Lakes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5FPGKJW3cJ3CU3zLP0VQuk6hEekLxZZBat5PW7PAnntWM-Qg3zpevT4mrP_JXxLuEcpJ6686ncGyBTGrXMfq9A1FnQzsPoHc1gFrs6pVoEeW3ZkvzKrtioV984CX9tQw35WSPOxykR4/s1600/Lizzy%2527s+brother+and+Lizzy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5FPGKJW3cJ3CU3zLP0VQuk6hEekLxZZBat5PW7PAnntWM-Qg3zpevT4mrP_JXxLuEcpJ6686ncGyBTGrXMfq9A1FnQzsPoHc1gFrs6pVoEeW3ZkvzKrtioV984CX9tQw35WSPOxykR4/s320/Lizzy%2527s+brother+and+Lizzy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizzy's Brother, Lizzy</td></tr>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnn_4K5ACQf7Ys6hWPuO28usimFVhysXxvG5BJrYbqWBq9v5rEac_jt6vN1pSkmYsdHCiy7DwTtvinRhx0g8_XCxXF5Nyj1reFruQk4IijbwKMPuSL5gLS0UvprXk59MMzBMuyl5WwIQ/s1600/Ricky+Scaggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnn_4K5ACQf7Ys6hWPuO28usimFVhysXxvG5BJrYbqWBq9v5rEac_jt6vN1pSkmYsdHCiy7DwTtvinRhx0g8_XCxXF5Nyj1reFruQk4IijbwKMPuSL5gLS0UvprXk59MMzBMuyl5WwIQ/s320/Ricky+Scaggs.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricky Scaggs<br />Sorry for the microphone in the way.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Until later,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Dolores<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-19803753902618676302019-05-14T09:04:00.000-07:002019-05-14T09:04:39.116-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Ah! Summer Vacation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Most of you know that for many years
Richard and I have traveled the United States on summer vacations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year is no different except the extent
of our happy journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to
stay in one of our favorite places for a whole year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>NORTH
TO ALASKA has taken on a whole new meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just a little introduction of main characters may be in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, the answer to the most asked questions
I’ve been faced with in the past few weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Traveling in their own motorhome with
Richard and me is an old friend I graduated from high school with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jim (James Morris). We attended Franklin Jr.
High, in Tampa, Florida and King High School in Temple Terrace, Florida.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VtyK6P8Bog39VmUcgAGnFFxpD1smThc2eXvYhzBxr_v6qvNQB4fUGij1IORE3Ky8TX-y5yzBiJ2lRM9ZnMF86pd1mwgxwwMLGcxaJX2m7sKh2w7EcMS1SB9IZ0vOQYU81GqktlTYTNc/s1600/20190427_102210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VtyK6P8Bog39VmUcgAGnFFxpD1smThc2eXvYhzBxr_v6qvNQB4fUGij1IORE3Ky8TX-y5yzBiJ2lRM9ZnMF86pd1mwgxwwMLGcxaJX2m7sKh2w7EcMS1SB9IZ0vOQYU81GqktlTYTNc/s320/20190427_102210.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Jim, Becky, Me, Richard</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Notice the cute sign they put on</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">the back of their bus.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My maiden name is Morton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Morris and Morton were always together in
the same homeroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had other classes
together through the years, but for sure we started our day off in the same
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember Jim as one of the most
thoughtful, kindest, and funniest people I hung around with.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jim and his wife, Becky, have been
married for 30+ years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Becky and I
instantly hit it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and I start laughing
as soon as we are together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started
when she volunteered to carve the Thanksgiving turkey in our tiny
motorhome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d neglected to securely lock
the lift-up counter space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It fell and
in a perfect BERTIE MOMENT, after a little slipping and sliding in failed
attempts to catch it, the turkey splattered into the floor. We used the 10
second rule and rinsed it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might scrub all my
turkeys before carving them from now on. Becky reminds me of my cousin, Sandy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the three of us could definitely
strain something should we ever get together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Richard (my dear, loving husband of 44
years) is still the same, with no signs of changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He jokes in some of the ways Jim does, but
when it is given back in the same manner, Richard doesn’t understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s just say that sometimes he leaves his
sense of humor in his back pocket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, he had made it plain he did not wish to drive through Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Jim tells him over the CB (?) radio that
we are getting on I-75, North to Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard was sputtering so much I thought he might choke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly, Jim came back with the true
directions of I-24 to Nashville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then there is me, Dolores J.
Wilson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a wife, mother, grandmother
of 9, and a published author of Women’s fiction, both happy and sad. I’m a crafter,
and a cook who is excited about fixing all kinds of food for people who enjoy
eating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, my husband is not
one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the questions I’ve been asked is why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because spending a year in Alaska to
experience all the seasons and the Northern Lights has been on our Bucket List
for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard is 75 and I’ll be 70
in a few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Elvis sang, It’s Now
or Never.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have more details in a
later blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Next: Are you crazy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re going to freeze to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, my answer is that I thought my degree
of craziness had been established years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I had no intention of freezing to death because I don’t plan on
leaving the house if the temperature is below 50 degrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> I’m going to try to post a
blog page at least 3 times a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
leave your comments so I know who has read the daily post to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blame it on the Paste</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Until
later,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Post #1 2019djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-6183387637695700162018-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:002018-05-20T20:23:59.435-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">After almost
three weeks, we have left the beautiful town of Lincolnton. When we are in the same place for an extended
amount of time, it is sometimes hard to find things to write about. So now that we’ve move on, I’ll tell you a
few highlights of our stay in N.E. Georgia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">First of
all, our forever friends, Jack and Jeannie Dickson, arrived from Joplin,
Missouri in time for Jeff and Sheri Easter’s Homecoming Festival. My sister, Nancy,
flew into Augusta, Georgia, from Morgantown, West Virginia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Richard is
in charge of taking care of the parking area for campers at the Lewis Family
Homeplace. He received a call from a
lady in Canada who was making arrangements for herself, her sister and her
mother to come to the concert but they would be staying in a motel. They were excited about meeting Jeff and
Sheri and seeing them perform in person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Richard was
very impressed that the three where making such a big trip to see the concert.
He decided it would be a nice gesture to have me fix a luncheon for the
ladies. I said sure and set about making
plans for what I would need to serve a luncheon under a tent outside the bus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Richard said
no, that maybe Carol Norman would allow us to use their screened-in patio.
Carol graciously agreed. Then Richard
decided it might be nice if Carol’s husband, Walker T. Norman, Chairman of
County Commissioners of Lincoln County, Georgia, would come by and talk to the
ladies about Lincoln County.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
mso-themecolor:background2;mso-themeshade:128'><span
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<i><span style='color:#948A54;
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Richard also
decided it might be nice to ask Sheri Easter to stop by to visit with the
ladies who had traveled so far, but, sadly, Sheri had a prior appointment. Everything else went really well and just as
Richard had planned it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Menu</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Chicken Salad on Butter Lettuce</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Grapes Bacon Crips</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Strawberry Trifle</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Lemonade Sweet Tea</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 228.25pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3jyUIS-o4MU80n0RlZMeBxdOqwUXA-E5zu_DCWj4ikD45OImhDFjn52pghkxQ0G86klviGj1IPSEKOxArQiaIS8m3Zy0DoDt2lzIAnnbeoujrDCXwjtNVlJI5wJGbsemKaKXlKWt1AE/s1600/Canadian+Ladies+and+us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3jyUIS-o4MU80n0RlZMeBxdOqwUXA-E5zu_DCWj4ikD45OImhDFjn52pghkxQ0G86klviGj1IPSEKOxArQiaIS8m3Zy0DoDt2lzIAnnbeoujrDCXwjtNVlJI5wJGbsemKaKXlKWt1AE/s320/Canadian+Ladies+and+us.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula, Jeannie, Me, Laurette, Sandra<br />
and Carol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfxXc-bxKZfS1y5AeqI3gkj13SUe4hUjXxQ1qStUkNICAsbdw5MSCmGmfsrQUQ67F72KS-dw2S1LKSVe9n0EOJrATNwiS2r9RzPjW7Mjd7y2eJ1K3Q5F6EeaYfZ0eFjmLVqpg0SIKrEc/s1600/20180511_133815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfxXc-bxKZfS1y5AeqI3gkj13SUe4hUjXxQ1qStUkNICAsbdw5MSCmGmfsrQUQ67F72KS-dw2S1LKSVe9n0EOJrATNwiS2r9RzPjW7Mjd7y2eJ1K3Q5F6EeaYfZ0eFjmLVqpg0SIKrEc/s320/20180511_133815.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurette, Paula, Sandra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> After lunch, Walker took the
ladies for a tour of Lincoln County. When I first met Walker, he took me and
Betty Brooks on that tour. We had no idea we would be gone so long and neither
did Shelby Hewett or Wanda Givens who were waiting on a park bench in front of
the library for Betty and me to return from Walker’s office at the
courthouse. During our ride, he made tactical
maneuvers never attempted at Atlanta Speedway. It was an unforgettable trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 228.25pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> I wasn’t around when the Hansen
Ladies got back, but I was told they enjoyed the tour. They also got the opportunity to meet Jeff
and Sheri and they learned the Hansen’s were singers. During the concert, Jeff invited sisters Sandra,
and Paula, and Mom </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Lauretta</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> onto the
stage. Their beautiful voices entertained the crowd. And Richard and I enjoyed meeting and
entertaining them for a short while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 228.25pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 228.25pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Until later,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 228.25pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-66052837407819872322018-05-07T11:41:00.001-07:002018-05-07T11:41:59.503-07:00<span style="color: red;">This is my most requested entry in my travel blog. People write to me to get a copy so they can get someone else to read it It was originally posted June 1. 2013. Wasn't too funny then, but I can't read it now without laughing. Hope you enjoy it. Be sure to post comments.</span><br />
<br />
Day 7--Day 13 May 3, -- 7, 2018<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Since we
crossed the border from New York into Canada today, I thoug it might be a good
time to remind those who have heard my border stories before and to tell those
who have never heard them what it is like to cross the US and Canadian borders,
at least for Richard and me. We have crossed the borders at many
different places, and every time, learn something new. I can’t
remember when most of them happened, but that really isn’t important. It’s
what happened that counts.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> One
time we were going into Canada on our way to Alaska, and we were going to enter
on the western side of the US. Well, it was early in our traveling
time and we hadn’t been well educated on what you could and couldn’t take with
you into Canada. We soon discovered pistols are a no-no. We
could take a shotgun, but we had to register it for $50.00. This was
a trip where we had parked in the airport parking lot in Vancover, British
Columbia. We drove a van, which we had towed, with the intention of
giving it to a family member up there who could really use the van. We
would then do our trip through Alaska on a train and then a bus and then we
would sail on the Princess Cruise Line back to Vancover where we would get back
to our bus.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We
went through so much to get the gun registered. But, also, we had to
figure out what to do with a pistol Richard had. “Oh, oh,” he said,
“I have a brilliant idea.” Those 5 words always drive me into a
fetal position. Mr. Wilson put the pistol under his jacket and went
into a local bank and rented a safe deposit box and put the pistol there. He
can do things like that because he is . . . well, Mr. Wilson. I on
the other hand would have tripped, fell face first, the gun would have slid
across the floor. Several security guards (none of which would look
like Patrick Swayze) would bounce on me.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> But
Richard got away with it. It was several harrowing hours later when
we crossed the border, parked the bus, and then loaded our tired bodies into
the van and took off for Alaska. As I said we were tired, so Richard
decided to stop at a rest area and take a power nap. He opened the
van doors, folded down the seat that turned into a bed and soon was asleep. I
took my book and coffee to a nearby picnic table. It was a beautiful
day with beautiful flowers. Suddenly, two cars loaded with many
people pulled up on both sides of the van. I watched in amazement as
about seven small Oriental people emerged from each car and began to talk very
LOUDLY in their native tongue—whichever Asian country has the highest pitch to
their sounds. It was loud. I just sat there and watched
the confusion that ensued.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Let
me add this-Richard spent 10 years in the USMC and served in Vietnam. He
doesn’t have PTSD, but I saw that day that he would react quickly if he was
under attack. He was rather shaken; I was all but laying on the
ground rolling around in hysterical laughter. He decided the nine
and a half minutes he had slept was all he needed. So, we were back
on the road. About an hour later, we were talking about all we’d
been through that morning with the pistol and getting the gun permit. Suddenly,
he slammed on the brake, and he said the funniest thing I think I’ve ever heard
him say. “I forgot to get the shotgun out of the bus.”</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> When
we got back to the states, Richard went back to the bank and got his pistol. He
couldn’t understand why I chose to sit in a nearby café while he went to
retrieve the pistol. I told him one of us needed to be able to bail
the other one out and that I was too pretty to go to jail.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Second Crossing of the Border</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We
were going into New Brunswick from Maine. John and Wanda Givens were
with us in their own motor home. We had learned about leaving
pistols behind and about getting permits for the shotgun. All under
control. They asked if we had any weapons. Yes, we have a
shotgun. We were told to pull over and John and Wanda were also told
to pull over. They had a huge (2 ½’ high) stuffed dog. Please
remember that. The STUFFED is important. They checked all
our papers and then brought out the dog. Real, not stuffed. They
asked Richard where the gun was and he told them in a cabinet over the bed. They
brought on the hounds, I mean one hound. He ran straight to our
bedroom, jumped on the bed and sniffed the cabinet. The handler
brought him back out and told the other customs agent that it was right where
we told him it was. He then moved over to Wanda and John’s coach. He
took one look inside, turned around and told the other guy that they had a dog
in there and he wasn’t going to take his in. Richard searched
northeast Canada and the US for a stuffed dog like that, but never found one.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Third Crossing of the Border</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We
were going into Canada from Maine, I think. Anyway, Jack and Jeannie
Dickson were with us in their motor home. We had found a really nice
winery and had bought a couple of cases. When we got to the border,
we found out we couldn’t take the wine in and out. My sometimers has
kicked in and I can’t remember the exact details, but it involved more pistols
that had to be shipped and wine that was left somewhere, for a minimal amount,
and we retrieved it coming back into the States. Richard and I refer
to this as our Border Dance. We actually feel like the border patrol
is shooting at our feet like they used to do in the western movies.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Fourth Crossing of the Border</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> This
also involved Jack and Jeannie Dickson. Richard and I made it
through without a scratch. Jack and Jeannie? Not so much. Somehow,
in the conversation they had with the little man in the customs booth, the
subject of Wolf Chili came up. They had had some in their motor home
and the patrolman moved them over to the side and went through and through and
through their coach in hunt of Wolf Chili. They said they had to
inspect it. I think they were just wanting lunch to go along with
the oranges and bananas they had confiscated from the coach ahead of us.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Today’s Crossing of the Border</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> To
set this up, Richard and I did everything we could to make sure we didn’t have
anything we shouldn’t have. No oranges. Our pistols were
illegal to carry in New York, so we stopped in Pennsylvania at a licensed
federal firearms dealer and shipped the pistols to a licensed federal firearms
dealer in Fairbanks, Alaska. We still had a shotgun, which you are
allowed to carry through Canada if you have a permit. We had a
permit for it from several years back (refer to crossing #1), but it was
expired so we expected to have to stop at the border and renew it. No,
problem.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Problem=When
we stopped, a couple of agents came to the door and ordered us out of the bus. I
had just gotten out of the shower 30 minutes before. I was dressed,
but had no shoes on and my hair was still wet. I turned to put
on my shoes and they yelled get out of the bus. I’ve lived a good
life, and if it is my time to go, so be it. I put my shoes on and
THEN got off the bus. We were ordered to go across the parking lot
and stand against the wall. Richard told him where the gun was,
which was at the foot of our bed, unloaded. The agent didn’t like
the idea that Richard told him he was going hunting in Alaska. So,
this brought on a full-fledge search of our bus. I don’t mean
peeking under bed. I mean take apart EVERY inch of space inside our
coach, the bays, the engine compartment, our car, under spare tire, under the
hood.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> It
was then I got the opportunity to cross something else off my bucket list—I was
frisked by a uniformed officer. Although, I must say, SHE wasn’t
exactly what I had in mind when I put that on my list. I was ordered
to turn around, put my hands behind my back, she grabbed my thumbs. I
was ordered to take off my shoes, spread my legs, point my toes out (yeah, easy
for her to say). My arthritic knees objected violently. She
then proceeded to rub her hands all over my body in places Richard hasn’t even
touched in years, if ever. I was okay with all that, but I was
highly offended when she kept asking me if I had anything in there and she
would dig under my rolls of fat. Now, I have been guilty of sticking
napkins under some of those rolls, and lose them until I stand up from the
table and they all jump out of their hiding places, but nothing of importance.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> To
this point, we still didn’t know what they were looking for. We had
told them everything they asked. I did catch whispers of us carrying
more cash than we were allowed to. Several people asked us the same
questions over and over again. They kept asking what we were doing
there. I bit my tongue to keep from saying—you mean other than
having our property destroyed and our bodies violated.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> By
1:30, I was feeling lightheaded because my sugar level was dropping and I
hadn’t eaten since early this morning. We had been there
approximately 3 hours and a half. We still didn’t know exactly what
was going on. Richard was in the office and I was on a bench outside. A
female officer (different from Happy Hands) came out and asked if I was okay. Richard
had told them I am a diabetic and she came to check on me. I asked
her if I was allowed to ask any questions. She said sure. So
I asked what they were looking for. Well, Richard didn’t realize he
had to ship the magazine clips with the gun. Past experience had
told the patrols that if there were clips, the pistols were hidden somewhere on
the bus. I told her we shipped them to Alaska, but we didn’t realize
the clips had to go too. Turns out not shipping them with the gun
was against the law. She asked if I had proof we had shipped them. I
told her yes. She told me I could go to the bus to take my meds and
get some crackers. She didn’t mention drugs, but I needed some
badly.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> They
asked how much money we were carrying. He told them and it turns out
we were a few thousand over the limit to not be declared criminals with
ill-gotten gain. They opened our safe. After almost
5 hours, we were fined $500 for the citation for the clips. We were
also told we could have been fined $25,000 for having too much money,
but they were going to be nice to us and let us go.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We
have never had a problem going from Canada to the US. (We probably
will now that I mention it.) It appears the US isn’t as picky about
who comes in. I need to lie down and put an ice pack on my
throbbing head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> When we got home, we received a
letter of apology from the government; they returned our money, and the clips
they had confiscated. The best part is
we have been cleared from the data base as hostile and evidently marked as nice
people. We’ve made several trips back
into Canada since that time and we are sent right on through at the speed of
light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPMlBQbfROlTkGgMHHSAW20Y6NImWD-NN1nLrly6El3PhcpIQ07mtJqIMZN0tLA5UYm54MIS3THCrOfPEbRcHWajqdjmgPjyGefQ8LV8FLvH92-EsTo4uCPPwZ4Rm2SMicu2LQLQF1yI/s1600/mug+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPMlBQbfROlTkGgMHHSAW20Y6NImWD-NN1nLrly6El3PhcpIQ07mtJqIMZN0tLA5UYm54MIS3THCrOfPEbRcHWajqdjmgPjyGefQ8LV8FLvH92-EsTo4uCPPwZ4Rm2SMicu2LQLQF1yI/s1600/mug+shot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mug shot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Until later,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Dolores</span></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-57733361937158520042018-05-05T16:45:00.000-07:002018-05-05T16:48:29.151-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 5—8 May 2—5
2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I find it very hard to spend my time at
the state park where the concert is being held, then come back to the bus
exhausted and try to type out pearly words of learning and/or
entertaining. So, I’ve missed a few days
of blogging, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment. Tonight is the last one until next Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Since this is the last night, we won’t be
in the state park any more. But I’d like
to tell you some of the history of the man and his courageous wife who settled
in this area a long time ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN">As I’ve mentioned, the festival is held in Elijah Clarke State Park in
Lincoln County, Georgia. Besides being a beautiful 474-acre state
park located on the J. Strom Thurmond Lake, it is also a memorial to Elijah
Clarke. He was born in 1742 in Anson County, North Carolina.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTGdtvTgYdULFLxVBGd9xobjWb0PkLoRc5FT4UAabHHPM8QmzoOv1WnYgA8JaXO0pvDtzXXwAbEXpAzf7KY2TArYUJ9fPLAEAKRJNIpk52JuZPeLVqqUC2CCE_kyNPo_rDs-G5Ftcizs/s1600/Elijah+Clark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTGdtvTgYdULFLxVBGd9xobjWb0PkLoRc5FT4UAabHHPM8QmzoOv1WnYgA8JaXO0pvDtzXXwAbEXpAzf7KY2TArYUJ9fPLAEAKRJNIpk52JuZPeLVqqUC2CCE_kyNPo_rDs-G5Ftcizs/s1600/Elijah+Clark.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah Clark (1742-1799)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">In 1773,
this area belonged to the Creeks and Cherokee Indian nations. After
1773, a treaty was signed with Europe. Elijah Clarke and forty other
families settled in the area. He was a frontiersman, a Continental
Army Officer and Revolutionary War hero.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">After
the war, Clarke was elected to the Georgia legislature. In 1794, he
organized the Trans-Oconee Republic, several settlements in counties of Georgia
in the traditional Creek Territory. From there he attacked several
Creek villages, but was restrained by the Georgia government.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SIBzYR6Ke0h5GXV5Vkiyc3237K9ALFLhuq2H_qIDHaHbes3FS4tgKDlrwKJb6YOBszMpaN7E7_02wmszcEt-r7U7R_6ddh5yeVn9vaJZmaJQJbgBMV1cJJ9FzNiJMIRoKcDsopX59fg/s1600/Clark%2527s+Cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SIBzYR6Ke0h5GXV5Vkiyc3237K9ALFLhuq2H_qIDHaHbes3FS4tgKDlrwKJb6YOBszMpaN7E7_02wmszcEt-r7U7R_6ddh5yeVn9vaJZmaJQJbgBMV1cJJ9FzNiJMIRoKcDsopX59fg/s1600/Clark%2527s+Cabin.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarke's Home inside the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">Houses
built with dog-trot construction (a central open hallway divides the rooms of
the house) were common during this time. A newly renovated log cabin
displays furniture and tools dating back to 1780. The house had four
rooms. Two of the front rooms were paneled in maple, which was
unusual for the time. Windows were barred and also had shutters for
even more protection. Gun ports were in every room through the
outside walls. Because it was hostile territory, Clarke knew he had
to protect his family. He also used the central hallway to house
cows and horses by stretching rope across each end to keep them safe. The
cabin was known as Clarke’s Fort. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">In the
house, their beds had ropes under mattresses drawn tight in place of springs we
have today. The ropes were kept tight for comfortable sleep. That
is where the expression “sleep tight” came from. If someone
over-stayed their welcome, Hannah would loosen the ropes to make for
uncomfortable sleeping so the company would leave. The mattresses were made
from hay. Expression “hit the hay” came from this.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">The
kitchen is in a separate house. Hannah believed a real lady cooked
inside and not over a campfire. Breakfast would be corn meal mush,
apple cider. Lunch was usually a stew made from whatever meat the
men killed. Last meal of the day would be cold leftovers.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN"> Clarke’s
wife, Hannah, was a Virginia lady, who followed her husband into the frontier. She
made all their clothes. It was important to her that each of her
eight children have two complete sets of clothing—one to wear, one to wash. On
a loom, she produced linen for two shirts for Elijah, which she was very proud
of. When the Tories started over running the settlements, she hid
the linen shirts under the smoke house floor. When they got to their
home, the Tories asked the kids where all their treasures were hidden. They
led them to the shirts.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">Hannah
helped fight in several Indian attacks. Once, when Elijah was gone,
the Tories took over their home and burned it. Hannah escaped with
all eight kids.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXBY433W5NnZT0lu9YuIHQy8ukZhyphenhyphenJc4sF26CxqLnn1yl2VYdPH4pTPDXbobbA8cb5tGSMB9dJP7toWwjkYwRY2mrXYgAiHcUHTgBU-8R70tVTKsz18A5r55U6PfkdBRL_IWCCyk17vI/s1600/Clarks+headstones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXBY433W5NnZT0lu9YuIHQy8ukZhyphenhyphenJc4sF26CxqLnn1yl2VYdPH4pTPDXbobbA8cb5tGSMB9dJP7toWwjkYwRY2mrXYgAiHcUHTgBU-8R70tVTKsz18A5r55U6PfkdBRL_IWCCyk17vI/s1600/Clarks+headstones.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elija and Hannah Clarke's grave marker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Elijah
Clarke died on December 15, 1799. He and his actions served as
one of the sources for the fictional character of Benjamin Martin in </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The Patriot</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> (a
2000 Mel Gibson film).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN">The park
is also the site of the graves of Elijah and Hannah Clarke. I think Elijah and Hannah Clark were brave
settlers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Until
next time,</span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Dolores</span>djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-76886910046089963692018-05-01T19:04:00.001-07:002018-05-01T19:04:21.355-07:00Day 4--May 1, 2018<br />
<br />
During the many years we have been lucky enough to travel, we enjoy finding out-of-the-way places to visit. Usually, we get into a campground, eat, then go for a ride in whatever direction looks the most interesting.<br />
<br />
Everyone around the Lewis Family Home Place and Elijah Clark State Park is very busy preparing for two big events two weekends in a row. So, while we are in the true working stage of the events, I thought I'd tell you about a few places we have visited.<br />
<br />
Did you know that the Smithsonian Institued has a Tick Museum in Statesboro, Georgia? Most people don't, but stick with me, I'll show you the whole United States.<br />
<br />
The World's largest tick collection is only open for one hour every Wednesday or by appointment. You will see the largest and smallest they have in bottles. They have a machine that freeze dries the ticks and coats them with gold for better viewing under the high powered microscopes.<br />
<br />
The museum workers have put together +one of the largest curated tick collections in the World. There is over 125,000 accessioned lots, over one million specimens, their associated data, and an extensive library (reprints, monographs, and books). The collection contains specimens from all continents, most of the approximately 860 known species of ticks, and a quarter of the primary tick types. It belongs to the U.S. National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) and has been open since 1990.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYPabMYyFR80_z9c_fo1q5WIJoQV56mXbnwfcRz7AHbf7FHqMP6ef5pIb_9_Ks_HG8o_dnPrLf6d3wmqNMW-_B1BnkqbJSVufUPZL1vHmNom8TuywH-wQ_pMymW6FeQDzPJI1LTPyljw/s1600/Tick+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="504" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYPabMYyFR80_z9c_fo1q5WIJoQV56mXbnwfcRz7AHbf7FHqMP6ef5pIb_9_Ks_HG8o_dnPrLf6d3wmqNMW-_B1BnkqbJSVufUPZL1vHmNom8TuywH-wQ_pMymW6FeQDzPJI1LTPyljw/s200/Tick+museum.jpg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tick Tock Tick Tock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let me know if you've ever visited the tick museum. I'd love to hear your comments.<br />
<br />
Later,<br />
Dolores<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-12129727754276570232018-05-01T08:58:00.000-07:002018-05-01T08:58:15.397-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
Day 3 April 30,
2018<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know everyone has heard the
phrase “Be careful what you wish for.” Well, today, that truly came back to
bite me in the posterior. When we
arrived in Lincolnton, I felt at peace with the beautiful surroundings here at
the Lewis Family Home Place. I prayed for just a day with no problems and
turmoil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, when I got up, we had no
phone or internet service. We soon found
out it wasn’t just us, but the whole county. So without my lifelines, I lay
back down and went to sleep. I got up
every hour and checked—No phone or internet service. It was scary.
It was at that time I realized how my grandkids feel when I make them
put their phones away and communicate with those around them. I looked around, and there was no one to
communicate with. So back to bed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the early evening, when we
were reconnected to the outside world, I had given my inside eyelids a good
inspection. All is well there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jeff and Sheri Easter and Bonnie
and Little Roy Lewis came by the bus for a visit. They are a hoot. I love to hear their stories. Jeff brought Richard a cap. The back of it
says “If you don’t know me, you aren’t from around here.” Richard never meets a
stranger and even here in Lincolnton, if you need something or need something
fixed, he is the one to see unless it is to catch a snake. Lizzy is the one to call for that. She is the local snake wrangler. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Quick story: The other night when I was singing Richard's praises, my dear friend, Vickie King read the part of him taking the tractor out and cutting the grass. She said she was impressed with that, but what really impressed her was that Richard carried his tractor with him. Where does he store it, in one of the bins under the bus? I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Tears and choking pretty much took over. Finally, I was able to explain that it was Jeff's tractor parked under the pavilion. My fun for the day. LMBO</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be back on schedule
tonight. Hope you all have a good day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dolores <o:p></o:p></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-41747411001426870152018-04-29T22:17:00.001-07:002018-04-29T22:17:29.293-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Day 2—April 29, 2018<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been writing these travel
blogs for many years. Long before
Facebook was even thought of. I’ve also
used Richard as my go-to person to poke fun at.
Those of you who have known us our entire life together know I love him
and wouldn’t trade him for a million dollars, but wouldn’t give you a quarter
for another one just like him. Most of
the stuff I write about him is true, just embellished slightly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A new friend emailed me today to
ask if it hurts Richard’s feelings when I write about him. (Note:
I can picture a few of our old friends rolling on the floor, laughing
their butts off or for you FB people ROTFLTBO.) After 43 years of marriage, I
know what I can write about him. But
here is the thing—No one will ever know if it hurt his feelings because he has
never read even one of my blogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this cool, beautiful Sunday
is one day I won’t be picking at Richard.
Not with everything he has done today.
He started the day off by going to the Huddle House to get me breakfast. He came back and fixed his own breakfast
while I ate. He is very picky about his breakfast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He got out the tractor, cut some
grass, then leveled some ground around our bus site. I helped him get the bus parked in the
perfect spot. While I did housecleaning, my precious husband went back to the Wall
to get one more picture for me to use in this blog. He hurried back to get a
couple of campers parked in their reserved sites. He built a small wooden porch
outside the door of the bus to make it easier for me and others to go in and
out. Took me to the pizza place for
supper, and then we visited with several friends who knew we are here. Great friends, crisp air, and beautiful moonlight
made it a perfect evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then Richard began to lock up
the bus. The entrance door lock broke.
The electric window shades wouldn’t work on the right side of the
bus. (Note: Yes, David, you heard me
right. A shade quit working. Film at
11.) All that was okay because Richard
is Mr. Fit-It. He’ll take care of those
two things in the morning. Wonder how early the shops in Lincolnton open? I need to go. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then Richard, who had done so well all day long, spoke the six words that always send terror through my body. I’M GOING TO USE THE COMPUTER. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
*****************************************************************************</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
I’d like to end today with a few statistics
about The Wall That Heals. The three-quarters scale Wall replica is 375 feet in
length and stands 7.5 feet high at the tallest point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
58,318 Names on
the Wall 1,500+Service
Members Unaccounted For From the War <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
8 Women on the
Wall 600 Cities
Visited By the Wall That Heals<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
31 Sets of
Brothers on the Wall 3 Sets of
Fathers and Sons on the Wall<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
246 Most Casualty Deaths for one
day/January 31, 1968<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwA9OjQqktgvyWYnc-W0mXABflxoHI9sA15pNyx3IbBdDeN4Cs0Zrf_8MquG-4REC41QiK8K_vipJKohgGZDoBfVnIG2oN7GpYsUAFejqJZqXYflgGVOhPu-jrtmyXMP2u9GZsFM3C6s/s1600/P_20180429_131749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwA9OjQqktgvyWYnc-W0mXABflxoHI9sA15pNyx3IbBdDeN4Cs0Zrf_8MquG-4REC41QiK8K_vipJKohgGZDoBfVnIG2oN7GpYsUAFejqJZqXYflgGVOhPu-jrtmyXMP2u9GZsFM3C6s/s320/P_20180429_131749.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marvin Gude King High School Class of '67</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This Thursday night, Dailey and Vincent (one of my favorite bluegrass bands) will be performing at the Little Roy Lewis and Lizzy Long festival at Elijah Clark State Park. They sing one of my favorite and most touching song ever with Jimmy Fortune. Here is a link if you have time to listen: <a href="https://bit.ly/2r7eWB0">https://bit.ly/2r7eWB0</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<br />
Until later,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
Dolores<o:p></o:p></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-7226345184616405072018-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:002018-04-28T22:14:09.659-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Day
1—April 28, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Hi everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Saturday. The trip
from home to Lincolnton, Georgia was great.
The country roads were lined with wildflowers. The sky was almost solid blue. Only a few puffy clouds. Of course, with my
imagination, the few clouds floating above had shapes in them. One looked like
Snoopy asleep on his doghouse. Another was a bear claw—the animal type, not the
delicious, crusty, sweet pastry. But I
digress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Now that it is time to write about the
day, I couldn’t decide what to write about.
What I saw? Who I saw? What I was thinking? Where did I hide the body?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Speaking of Richard. He has been wound
tighter than the shoes I bought online from Japan. Those ladies have small feet. Okay, maybe my
feet aren’t as dainty as theirs. And the
shoes were sooo cute. They had little yellow ducks on them. I wanted to wear them when my sister (who is going
with us to Canada) wore hers with flamingos on them. Hey, we are West
Virginians, raised in Tampa, and King High graduates. Let it go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Okay, back to Richard. I’m hoping he comes down to the solid ground,
gets some rest, and has some fun for a change. If he doesn’t, and my kids
receive a large UPS box, please tell them to open it immediately, because they
will only let me put 1 bottle of Zephyrhills water and 2 packages of peanut
butter crackers in the box. If that happens, I will have to hire someone to
drive the bus for me. My only
requirements are they must be over 18, can drive a bus, and that HE speaks
English. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Okay, I want to at least touch on a
serious subject. Tomorrow I'll write more about it. When we arrived in Lincolnton after dark tonight, Bonnie and
Little Roy Lewis picked us up and took us to the </span>movable<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Replica. It is quite a site lit
with bright lights, backed by the darkness of night and a huge bright moon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> As I touched some of the names, chills
crawled over my entire body. Sadness came as I remembered each of the boys I
graduated with whose name is forever engraved on the wall. We took pictures of two of them. It takes quite a while to look them up and
then go find them. I’m going back
tomorrow to find a few more I know of.
If there is anyone you’d like me to look up, let me know before noon
tomorrow at the comment section at the bottom of this post or go back to
Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let me
hear from you whenever you can. Writing
these posts is fun for me, but knowing there are people reading them is even
funner. All my writer and teacher friends, I know that isn’t a real word, but
it’s my word. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZPBjQPjjN7Vn2cQDpEECH1833jFgNO_51voLr_nDEICcyZ0_vfsHRmd3wK1SFDc7wv5AMNlXued6eG8ygQTmsGBDYZFrVquUzgFrLL69PoflpgoqL-0D6-9tMIumvKVMn47TOOhd7WM/s1600/The+Wall+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZPBjQPjjN7Vn2cQDpEECH1833jFgNO_51voLr_nDEICcyZ0_vfsHRmd3wK1SFDc7wv5AMNlXued6eG8ygQTmsGBDYZFrVquUzgFrLL69PoflpgoqL-0D6-9tMIumvKVMn47TOOhd7WM/s320/The+Wall+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wall That Heals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsutrLwzVCCsJGadGQf2tBhcHIPSqPxheOvA7ocQHOkRJjDEvPTihhUgvJoXjNCxHhm4jcuvKhZYK_zyPQQpzxWFc6a3uT57bi596QQGJSE967R9H1OoKEt_4jMK7ZS2wdq1ey7NDAezM/s1600/The+Wall+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsutrLwzVCCsJGadGQf2tBhcHIPSqPxheOvA7ocQHOkRJjDEvPTihhUgvJoXjNCxHhm4jcuvKhZYK_zyPQQpzxWFc6a3uT57bi596QQGJSE967R9H1OoKEt_4jMK7ZS2wdq1ey7NDAezM/s320/The+Wall+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Denton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqdy8i6VfjDhic69_sZxaaT1QVpwqns8Df9hYdTXmzLIHCu0wrn2VrDBoz4p7DSn134n3dcCdS6h_72bLv-qgAifg2igxlmeDpijx5SoxWtiV3VsRBIqpqNGgpfgvXpM4x5QofSPTESk/s1600/The+Wall+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqdy8i6VfjDhic69_sZxaaT1QVpwqns8Df9hYdTXmzLIHCu0wrn2VrDBoz4p7DSn134n3dcCdS6h_72bLv-qgAifg2igxlmeDpijx5SoxWtiV3VsRBIqpqNGgpfgvXpM4x5QofSPTESk/s320/The+Wall+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen Mooney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Later,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dolores</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-88968127357967665322016-06-05T01:48:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:44:26.387-07:00June 1, 2016<br />
Dawson Creek, British Columbia<br />
Mile 0 Alaskan Highway<br />
June 2, 2016<br />
Ft. Nelson, British Columbia<br />
June 3, 2016<br />
Watson Lake, Yukon Territory<br />
<br />
June 4, 2016<br />
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory<br />
(I still haven't found Sgt. Preston)<br />
Hey there, it's me again.<br />
When Richard and I first came to Alaska in 1997, the roads were mostly gravel, with construction around every corner. Dust filled the air when an inconsiderate driver would speed by us, not even bothering to slow down, and add more grease and grime to the vehicles trying to avoid them. The last time (2013) the roads were wonderful. <br />
This time it is 1997 all over again. I hate to see the bus so dirty that you can't even see the color. Not so much for me, but Richard's OCD kicks in and darn if he isn't a little testy to live with. Don't forget we are in a moving vehicle (40'X8') with no where to run and no where to hide. And, yes, for those who don't know Richard (my husband of over 42 years) he does suffer from OCD, or as I call it SCS (Sheldon Cooper Syndrome). <br />
Two things people ask me about our bus is "Do you help wash it?" and "Do you drive it?" Well, no, I don't help wash it. As for driving the bus, no, I just hold onto the steering wheel and Richard drives from the passenger's seat. :-)<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Along Our Way</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we left Lincolnton, we made a
beeline for Independence, Missouri, to meet up with Jack and Jeannie Dickson,
my BFF, extraordinaire.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way, we stopped at a rest area
to have lunch and discovered we were right on the shore of Nickajack Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure you’ve seen it many times, Lizzy
Long, but here’s a picture, just in case.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYISuIjTQqUl1tboSY1JIpciCyCSx6lMMcl6jbIDNC9t73xS-7Rj3AUHwrPsFSAFONmyW61wE1xiIcmV7v-I4TWryCteAt543e-3c0DJ0SgRYOO1SvZkbKUllnrQGKGNvYFlauJ9Oq2s/s1600/20160509_181452_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYISuIjTQqUl1tboSY1JIpciCyCSx6lMMcl6jbIDNC9t73xS-7Rj3AUHwrPsFSAFONmyW61wE1xiIcmV7v-I4TWryCteAt543e-3c0DJ0SgRYOO1SvZkbKUllnrQGKGNvYFlauJ9Oq2s/s320/20160509_181452_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nickajack Lake, Tennessee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We and the Dickson’s arrived at the
campground just moments apart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
Last
summer, when Richard and I took three of the grandsons to Key West, I became
very interested in our 33<sup>rd</sup> President of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry S. Truman spent a lot of his time at
the Little White house in Key West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Other presidents had too, but it has been left just like it was when
Truman was in office.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Harry S. Truman’s real home is in
Independence, I couldn’t wait to tour it and see if I could pick out the
difference in the two places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Little
White House in the Keys was tropical, light greens, palms. Although, some of
the furnishings would appeal to a woman, the poker room was definitely
masculine. The Truman Home in Independence was done with mostly dark, polished
woods and Victorian décor, which I love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The house was built by Bess Wallace Truman's
maternal grandfather. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Porterfield
Gates, built the house over a period of years from 1867 to 1885.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Bess’s father committed suicide, she
and her mother and brothers moved in with her grandparents. </span>F<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rom the time of their marriage on June 28, 1919, until Harry’s death on
December 26, 1972, he and Bess lived in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fascinated with the house especially the
over-sized piano they had given to their only child Margaret. I think the tour
guide said for her eighth birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Margaret was disappointed because she wanted a pony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the kitchen was a small table
placed against the wall, where Harry and Bess sat across from each other to eat
breakfast and read one of the many newspapers he would read every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the wallpapered wall, not too far above
the table, a lamp, with an on/off chain hanging from it, was mounted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right below the lamp, the wallpaper was worn away
where Harry would turn the light on to better see his newspapers. I don’t know
why that stuck with me so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blame it
on the paste.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>We stayed in Independence
for about 3 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we found out
there was a heavy metal music fest coming to town over the weekend, expecting
30,000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used core math I had
learned from my grandkids to see how throwing four senior citizens into that
mix would affect cantaloupe crops in Guatemala. Using what I could remember of
the core math formula, I took a sheet of plain paper and drew all 30,000 boxes,
plus three cantaloupe and two stick men and two stick women who looked like
members of the ratchet people to explain my calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within minutes, we packed up and left town,
leaving skid marks on the pavement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
really sure what happened to the cantaloupes. I’ll leave that for the geniuses
who developed the Core system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LOL</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we fled Independence, we visited two
other places I’d like to tell you about, but I’m tired and a little punchy, so,
I’m going to post
this puppy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow night, I’ll tell
you about the other two places I really enjoyed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
BTW,
do you know what the “S” in Harry S. Truman’s name stood for?</div>
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Until
later,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
Dolores<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-77508737464758349712016-06-03T00:58:00.001-07:002016-06-21T22:00:24.062-07:00May 28, 2016<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
Nanton, Alberta, Canada</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
WELL, we made it across the Canadian border and didn’t have
to be searched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yay! Anyone not familiar
with the story of Richard and I crossing the Canadian border at Niagara Falls a
few years ago, please click on the following link: <a href="http://bit.ly/1U1xw5K">http://bit.ly/1U1xw5K</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I think I may finally be able to blog about our
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me, I have a lot to
write about, but have been having too much fun to blog at the end of the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we have made this trip four
previous times, and I wrote about each day of those trips, it is hard to find
new things to write about, but maybe I have made a little head way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This week has been a little sad for me, my sister and my
kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad passed away on the 22<sup>nd</sup>
of May, my niece Crissy, passed away on May 24, 2013 and we buried her on the
same date our mother had passed away May 28, a few years before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
On a happier note, today is Howard’s birthday (Richard’s
brother who is 12 years older than him).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Let me take care of a little business here, and I’ll be good
to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d like to ask that each of you
share my posts with the links to my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a project in mind, and I’d like to reach as many readers as possible
with my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, LIKE when possible
and, if you don’t mind, leave me comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d love to know who is following me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hopefully, I might be reminded of a snippet or story, which I can use in
my blog.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Having said that, JACK AND JEANNIE DICKSON, we just passed
the antique store in Nanton, Alberta where the owner said he loved Earl Scruggs
and I told him he had just spent the weekend at my house. Richard printed out a
picture of me and Earl in my dining room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Somehow the man found out I was a published author, so he had me sign
the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we left he had it
framed and hanging behind the cash register.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard stopped the bus and went to look in the window of the shop to
see if it was still hanging there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was closed and he couldn’t see inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh well, I bet it is still hanging in there somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ALONG OUR
WAY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;">
As I post every
day, I’ll be telling you where we are that day, but I’d also like to catch up
on some of the people, places and things we have done to this point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;">
Every year, Richard
and I go to Lincolnton, Georgia for two events we enjoy very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get there a few days before the Little Roy
Lewis and Lizzy Long Bluegrass Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard does what he can to help get ready for the festival, which
starts Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, we had so
much fun seeing old friends and making new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_dpE_EoLv1yQxOkivvJYK2LwNJa8Mcd1bbRpw-6L033WSg9G6-9tHCeeGE5HP9BE4jhljCzCCp_cCG8AwtbcqmBrX-PbiBCN8YgCottlhe7B8WA1O5ThGRBBVMDb5BKNne7xPOBsjyw/s1600/20160427_184919_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_dpE_EoLv1yQxOkivvJYK2LwNJa8Mcd1bbRpw-6L033WSg9G6-9tHCeeGE5HP9BE4jhljCzCCp_cCG8AwtbcqmBrX-PbiBCN8YgCottlhe7B8WA1O5ThGRBBVMDb5BKNne7xPOBsjyw/s320/20160427_184919_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Friends Bill and Shelley Huckaby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;">
The following week
(always Mother’s Day weekend) Jeff and Sheri Easter host a gospel sing at the
Lewis Family Home Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard has
helped them build the RV park which is now open for reservations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvwLUWpWxTi3-yW7g_naAtwfh67jQtUFUMGz1enhjPmpWGYH4RZa1XjLdtEWfYVi7pi5KjENJPmEmCCEPHU4o6OdEtm-VkFHI-kQWWA7vlW7ZR-H7hpY7FE6d9Hc0SJRh0rDh90uRHEM/s1600/20160507_195957_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvwLUWpWxTi3-yW7g_naAtwfh67jQtUFUMGz1enhjPmpWGYH4RZa1XjLdtEWfYVi7pi5KjENJPmEmCCEPHU4o6OdEtm-VkFHI-kQWWA7vlW7ZR-H7hpY7FE6d9Hc0SJRh0rDh90uRHEM/s320/20160507_195957_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizzy Long and you can see<br />
Little Roy to right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMb-sySKC_7dVvWbyfXBU8mtoW7qpfSaq0tLRKv8sHBt1OIMyenZFVWnADeXTUpEqkoON72_KSdnIWw8LjFLFopwVdUwGdcW5PhwRa3FnHyiha2aH-_PlU6M83ok3Kb3OXlGDLt2-CS84/s1600/20160507_200058_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMb-sySKC_7dVvWbyfXBU8mtoW7qpfSaq0tLRKv8sHBt1OIMyenZFVWnADeXTUpEqkoON72_KSdnIWw8LjFLFopwVdUwGdcW5PhwRa3FnHyiha2aH-_PlU6M83ok3Kb3OXlGDLt2-CS84/s320/20160507_200058_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man with the bib overhaul<br />
is one of Little Roy's Brothers,<br />
Talmadge Lewis from Augusta<br />
On the right in the plaid shirt, is Jeff's Uncle<br />
Russell Easter. He, along with Jeff's dad, James,<br />
and their other brother Edd formed the long-standing group<br />
The Easter Brothers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VDonq9b_DaJ6HRVBgUjdVBfi8YqpcXqJTaNP9buJf5lisF82owBI7frsO5H8K1c-wOdlgmew3knBSiwv_Gjx3lZYFoagfpfraJwwclKPqa53S2TAXAqS1Aq_TQ1Vz5PvGSL5JitbagY/s1600/20160506_203623_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VDonq9b_DaJ6HRVBgUjdVBfi8YqpcXqJTaNP9buJf5lisF82owBI7frsO5H8K1c-wOdlgmew3knBSiwv_Gjx3lZYFoagfpfraJwwclKPqa53S2TAXAqS1Aq_TQ1Vz5PvGSL5JitbagY/s320/20160506_203623_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Jeff Easter on the stage<br />
He and Sheri are such a cute couple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every year, Peggy
Faucett, from Hawkinsville, Georgia, cooks every night of the festival for the entertainers
and volunteers at the festival to eat at Jeff and Sheri’s home after the
concert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peggy is phenomenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lays out a different, several-item buffet
for all three nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly before the
show is over for the night, she and I sneak off and go back to Sheri’s house
and get all the food warmed and ready to serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
Other
than eating Peggy’s wonderful, culinary delights, I love meeting the
entertainers and other interesting people who come to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year I met the Nelons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A beautiful mother, her husband, and two
daughters with perfect voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskUu5M87c-e4N8I_vcAQYGd3izxG1pUBAN1pb6JzhQMhJ0i97flLqzvWU5-wqsbhRfnWzyKkUhKw8yJhyXoISe1_9wTyQoZv3NZ7wYZqOnFIqhge3LZjk5ixzexe5F148I92QeGFBi1Q/s1600/20160507_225452_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskUu5M87c-e4N8I_vcAQYGd3izxG1pUBAN1pb6JzhQMhJ0i97flLqzvWU5-wqsbhRfnWzyKkUhKw8yJhyXoISe1_9wTyQoZv3NZ7wYZqOnFIqhge3LZjk5ixzexe5F148I92QeGFBi1Q/s320/20160507_225452_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kellie Nelon, Peggy Faucett, Amber and Autumn<br />
at Jeff and Sheri's house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While
we are on the subject of Peggy, I’m so very proud of her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has lost about 127 pounds and, as she
says, she’s half the woman she used to be. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I have to control myself not to smack her. LOL</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
This
year I met a lady I won’t soon forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Anne Beiler was introduced to me as the lady who founded Aunt
Anne’s Soft Pretzels, I told her she was responsible for the size of my right
thigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said something along the
lines that most people blamed her for their whole body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her no, that my left thigh belonged to
Krispy Kreme.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUIijQ5QGsWa1ugf1zHNLk69ReBF2ZhxjSeJogCURLZcUs0yJpuIrk6HkQSPL9BA28M9n1GDnk7SBsGdgrf9L5koLDy4octVkiO2_B8M8C3SACyA_hJfNZO0CaK2iw3YnG-bmrwRMVew/s1600/20160507_231129_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUIijQ5QGsWa1ugf1zHNLk69ReBF2ZhxjSeJogCURLZcUs0yJpuIrk6HkQSPL9BA28M9n1GDnk7SBsGdgrf9L5koLDy4octVkiO2_B8M8C3SACyA_hJfNZO0CaK2iw3YnG-bmrwRMVew/s320/20160507_231129_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels<br />
Founder Anne Beiler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
Over
the next couple of days, I discovered she was an author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’d written the story of her life and how,
after an unthinkable tragedy, Anne went from an Amish wife and mother, making
soft pretzels in the local Amish market to building a business of near 1,000 franchises
of Aunt Anne’s Soft Pretzels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her book, TWIST OF FAITH, is available at Amazon.com. If you get a
chance, read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will never forget
it.</span> One quick added note, while working alongside Anne during her years of building
her pretzel business, her husband worked as a counselor providing free services
for troubled marriages and teenagers and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
later was the first grief counselor to arrive on the scene of the Amish School
shooting, which took place five miles from their home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has written a book about the event, which
is on top of my TBR pile. Jonah Beiler's book, THINK NO EVIL, is also available
at Amazon.com. <br />
Okay, let's hope I'm back in the Internet business. Don't forget to LIKE, SHARE and leave me a comment.<br />
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Until later,<br />
Dolores</div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-82015658580440482682016-05-10T22:35:00.000-07:002016-05-10T22:35:49.044-07:00
<br />
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Post # 1</div>
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Hello out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
finally landed in my writing chair and I’m more than ready to blog about our
latest trip to Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We originally
left home on the 20<sup>th</sup> of April, but the three weekends following our
departure consisted of one two-day gospel show at Rodeheaver’s Boys Ranch in
Palatka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard and I promote this
event with all proceeds going to the ranch.</div>
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Then we moved to Lincolnton, Georgia, the home of Little Roy
Lewis and Lizzy Long and the three-day bluegrass festival with some really big
names.</div>
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This past weekend, we were in the middle of all the action
at Jeff and Sheri Easter’s three-day gospel festival at the Lewis Family
Homeplace.</div>
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I know I usually date my posts
with the date and how many days we’ve been gone, but I am under some time
crunches with my writing career. So, there is a chance I won’t be able to blog
on a daily bases, but I will let you know where we are and what we’ve been up
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<br />
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Richard and I have been attending events at Rodeheavers Boys
Ranch for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, we started
attending bluegrass festivals twice a year, then Richard got very involved in
other happenings like antique car shows which raises money for the 45-50 boys
who live there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We became acquainted
with some of the board members who live on the ranch and are house parents to the
boys.</div>
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Homer Rodeheaver, the founder of the ranch, loved gospel
music and, at one time, he held Southern Gospel Shows at the Ranch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ranch has never accepted any government
funds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gospel shows were one way to
raise money.</div>
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This was the 2<sup>nd</sup> Annual Southern Gospel Fest Richard
has promoted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stay behind the scene as
much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been given to
understand I will be playing a bigger part in this event, because Richard has
requested my help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great!!!</div>
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This year’s stay at the ranch was very special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dear friend, Vickie King, who has been basically
housebound until recently went with Richard and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stayed three nights and watched quite a
bit of the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had gastric bypass
surgery and has lost over 120 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She then had knee surgery on both her knees and is getting around better
than she has in years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a lot of
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidently too much fun because I
didn’t take any pictures of her. LOL<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6Z7_tX4DrC6T_tfhLdoj9oqvNDKB8V7K87FxSV0SP_WjN35I2LU5cZ57bRbONhCOU1biUKT94YrzMcoSOdmsNj6NfGMK0NOhltEwfnDu1w2QRg_vZUpdWuvC36I-ivnbUYBuvos10Mk/s1600/RBR%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6Z7_tX4DrC6T_tfhLdoj9oqvNDKB8V7K87FxSV0SP_WjN35I2LU5cZ57bRbONhCOU1biUKT94YrzMcoSOdmsNj6NfGMK0NOhltEwfnDu1w2QRg_vZUpdWuvC36I-ivnbUYBuvos10Mk/s320/RBR%2521.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHUCK WAGON GANG<br />
STAN, SHAY, MELISSA, JEREMY</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLO7_pvVQkGytqGED1KHa0DzLeWNlyTRZgI0QyTr6tfW6s9vtAOEMo6EJ1pOS2Ojlf9sE3FiTmdyKxORy_73jodu5UOalK1tj_qH9MBr0VSSI09f-EbW8CWgAziZbOczyXRU7fgsnZXk/s1600/rbr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLO7_pvVQkGytqGED1KHa0DzLeWNlyTRZgI0QyTr6tfW6s9vtAOEMo6EJ1pOS2Ojlf9sE3FiTmdyKxORy_73jodu5UOalK1tj_qH9MBr0VSSI09f-EbW8CWgAziZbOczyXRU7fgsnZXk/s320/rbr3.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TRINITY RIVER BAND<br />
MIKE, SARAH, BRIANNA, LISA<br />
AND JOSH IS ON THE END AND<br />
EVIDENTLY EVERYONE IS <br />
LOOKING AT HIM. LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNB453zL9f9fhuh-nkRNQx6sZlh7TL1KGnRDW6Wq5_bUfaE3TvowFnhf9CbOz5V3XL_jiac0vZnh67a2noo-IGdijjGPzVweqVjSXvNjPHN8_nfsCnMMVqIkWFuFKPMa_nOA2vPjlN3HQ/s1600/20160422_155615_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNB453zL9f9fhuh-nkRNQx6sZlh7TL1KGnRDW6Wq5_bUfaE3TvowFnhf9CbOz5V3XL_jiac0vZnh67a2noo-IGdijjGPzVweqVjSXvNjPHN8_nfsCnMMVqIkWFuFKPMa_nOA2vPjlN3HQ/s320/20160422_155615_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WALKER T. NORMAN<br />
M. C. EXTRAORDINAIRE </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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<o:p>I'll tell you about the other two festivals tomorrow.</o:p></div>
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Until later,</div>
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Dolores<o:p></o:p></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-62447375214790784122015-08-13T20:09:00.001-07:002015-08-13T20:09:56.649-07:00Dystopian Genre<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Today, I was looking at a list of free, or almost free, books listed on Amazon.com. One of the books was categorized as--Genre: <i>Dystopian</i>. Since my writing has taken a backseat to travels, grandkids on summer vacation, and getting ready to do a massive auction of everything possible in our BARN, I know I've been out of the loop. But, I had to ask myself what was this genre called <i>Dystopian</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> An online dictionary said: </span><br />
<b style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 15pt; text-indent: 0in;">noun</span></b><br />
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<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 16.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">a society </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 16.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">characterized</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 16.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"> by human misery, </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><b>as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> With my usual scarcasm, I mumbled, "Yeah, sign me up. I want me a book like that."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> I wondered why anyone would deliberately set out to write or read something so sad? Then I decided that surely there must be a big, happily ever after ending to make wading through <i>human misery, squalor, oppression, disease and overcrowding </i>worth the trip. So, I went on the search for what is to be expected of a <i>Dystopian</i> novel. I was very disappointed. From what I could find, a happily ever after is not promised. Not only that, but these are set in a sci-fi setting, totally made up and all aspects are invented by the author.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> I've written a couple of books with with dark subject matters(domestic violence, rape, murder), but that is real-life. That is true actions inflicted by one human on another. This sh#t really happens. Why would it be necessary to make an imaginary place to cause tragedies, injuries and heartaches? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> Am I missing something? What do you know about the genre called <i>Dystopian</i>? I'd be very interested in hearing what others think. You can leave me a comment here, or a private message on FB. You can also visit my web site www.doloresjwilson.com and leave me a message there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Until next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Dolores</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">P.S. BTW, it is National Left Handed Day. I want to give a shout out to my grandson, Drew and my closest cousin, Sandy. Both left-handers and both super people. Love you!</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
<br />
<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-14029458554212694792015-08-04T19:03:00.000-07:002015-08-04T19:03:26.286-07:00The Back Nine<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I
didn’t write the following. An “OLD”
friend sent it to me. I couldn't confirm who wrote it, but the message
touched a deep part of me. I want to
pass it on to my family members (old and young) and friends (old and young)
because there is good advice in the words.
Heed them. Make your life the
best it can be. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until later,</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_5VVZRGZSLTN-tlVE3cB7YnZBFaawOLauzdpvcGaAO8mlOPDah3BHTHFkHyL2wEF-VVreey9XQ8teiJJ8Y1UkjwyRj4MvaguvDhrOtGwPI1vGkXXseezGsejuDG2_AUc_FB7NZE2Bps/s1600/Can%2527t+make+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_5VVZRGZSLTN-tlVE3cB7YnZBFaawOLauzdpvcGaAO8mlOPDah3BHTHFkHyL2wEF-VVreey9XQ8teiJJ8Y1UkjwyRj4MvaguvDhrOtGwPI1vGkXXseezGsejuDG2_AUc_FB7NZE2Bps/s1600/Can%2527t+make+friends.jpg" /></a><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmSa5lOKk56bPJqP7x74pdn-opOuR-bipfhAW8_WB-qNEC_ysuT6K5MRsxq3Il70ON2waCDu5CMuLtMLDddcNZlnjc59iDzhV7eP5YdWHYn6_EIAH4v3cVaBq7gG8lv7D4LXDoQqX79s/s1600/Friends..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmSa5lOKk56bPJqP7x74pdn-opOuR-bipfhAW8_WB-qNEC_ysuT6K5MRsxq3Il70ON2waCDu5CMuLtMLDddcNZlnjc59iDzhV7eP5YdWHYn6_EIAH4v3cVaBq7gG8lv7D4LXDoQqX79s/s1600/Friends..jpg" /></a><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">THE BACK
NINE</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I FIRST STARTED READING
THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED
AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS
VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="background: rgb(255, 153, 204);">READ SLOWLY!</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">AND THEN
IT IS WINTER</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you
unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just
married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like
eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all.
I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> But, here it is... <b>the back nine of my life </b>and
it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go
and where did my youth go? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking
that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the
first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or
imagine fully what it would be like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they
move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse
shape than me...but, I see the great change....Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to
show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought
we'd become. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Each day now, I find that just getting a shower
is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's
mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I
sit! </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared
for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do
things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though
I’m on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that
when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new adventure will begin! <b>Yes,
I have regrets.</b>There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have
done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a
lifetime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that<u> it
will be here faster than you think.</u> So, whatever you would like to
accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!!
Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you’re on the back nine or not! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your
life....so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones
to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things
that you have done for them in all the years past!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> "Life" is a gift to you.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> The way you live your life is your gift
to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. <b><i>LIVE IT WELL!
ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY </i></b>Remember <b><i><u>"It
is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver</u></i></b>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> LIVE HAPPY IN 2015! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren
are perfect! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~Going out is good.. Coming home is better! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You forget names.... But it's OK because some
people forgot they even knew you!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You realize you're never going to be really
good at anything like golf. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~The things you used to care to do, you aren't
as interested in anymore, but you really don't care that you aren't as
interested. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV
'ON' than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You miss the days when everything worked with
just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You tend to use more 4 letter words ...
"what?"..."when?"... ??? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You
notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~What used to be freckles are now liver spots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet....
2 of which you will never wear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best
of all,<b><i> OLD FRIENDS</i></b>!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">It's Not What You Gather,
But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER
BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Stay well, "OLD FRIENDS!"</span> <span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438722825205_6776">Do Not Regret Growing Older. It is a
Privilege Denied to Many.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-56061679996596237772015-07-15T22:06:00.000-07:002015-07-15T22:06:25.857-07:00July 15, 2015 As I told you yesterday, it was National Nude Day. July 12th, was National Pecan Pie day. It reminded me I've been trying to develop a Pecan Pie without using corn syrup. I decided it would be a good time to work on that. <br />
I replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, and a tablespoon of molasses. To tone down some of the sweetness, I made a layer of cream cheese, sugar and egg. I got the idea from a recipe I used to make many years ago. It was called Mystery Pecan Pie and I loved it, but I quit making it when I was diagnosed with diabetes. What makes it a mystery is the way the ingredients are layered.<br />
I put the cream cheese layer in first, then chopped pecans, and then the syrup mixture. When the pie was finished baking the syrup layer was on the bottom, the cream cheese second, and the pecans on the top. It turned out beautifully, but it wasn't the traditional Pecan Pie. I would have to call it My Surprise Maple Pecan Pie. <br />
The complete recipe needs work, but hopefully I will be able to tweak it and add it to my collection of recipes for my Sweet Meadow Baptist Church Cookbook. Producing a cookbook with recipes donated by the Sweet Meadow, Georgia citizens to raise money for the First Baptist Church, is a dream I plan to make come true. I'm sure Bertie's next door neighbor, Barbie, would donate My Surprise Maple Pecan Pie recipe. She tends to be surprising and mixed up. LOL<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhm3qJCFDT-hoQWQRxOYAmee-daA6QM3B6qCU5xvp0BVU5Jc3FOcfkdbuL-kGzVeh5J3I0YhXYScOFXBrJUR7pE33k7qnOe__PoiT1jT9HcmBpygw2KByi4XF0n-yTDy0TGi-HdfpfW8/s1600/Pie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhm3qJCFDT-hoQWQRxOYAmee-daA6QM3B6qCU5xvp0BVU5Jc3FOcfkdbuL-kGzVeh5J3I0YhXYScOFXBrJUR7pE33k7qnOe__PoiT1jT9HcmBpygw2KByi4XF0n-yTDy0TGi-HdfpfW8/s640/Pie1.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layers of the pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_L3FseLpmxC37Yu6ukfjSpm0w0IknjKdOQnu7TbRP_mLXg8C3ws2Su5BFY33QHMtLIw1KQGwgWu3T1ettAXzhKhQ-RDOQxR7p8zBLkarAqvJsXGQwy_Fk5jcch9pU-V_oQOKRczcu1Q/s1600/Pie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_L3FseLpmxC37Yu6ukfjSpm0w0IknjKdOQnu7TbRP_mLXg8C3ws2Su5BFY33QHMtLIw1KQGwgWu3T1ettAXzhKhQ-RDOQxR7p8zBLkarAqvJsXGQwy_Fk5jcch9pU-V_oQOKRczcu1Q/s400/Pie2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Surprise Maple Pecan Pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Until later,<br />
Doloresdjwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-57247541409736947052015-07-14T18:45:00.000-07:002015-07-14T18:45:38.733-07:00JULY 14, 2015<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I
like keeping up with what national day is being observed. Well, today is National Nude Day. With the heat index at 105 degrees and a
grandson who wants to ride his bike, scooter, and drive the golf cart, I can
understand why people would think it’s a good day to take your clothes
off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Of
course, they certainly didn’t have me in mind when they started this day. As the song goes, I just don’t look good
naked anymore. I think I am probably the
only person on the face of the earth who puts on a robe to walk from the shower
to my closet, which is a long stroll of about six feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Not
sure what we were thinking when we bought our camper because it has mirrors
EVERYWHERE. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Richard
loves telling the story of the first trip we made in the bus. We picked it up from the dealer, and, early
the next day, I had to be in Raleigh, North Carolina for a booksigning. When we were almost there, we decided to stop
in a rest area and sleep, and then go the rest of the way to the campground the
next day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Sometime
during the night, I had a nightmare, and I woke Richard with a start. He flipped on the light, jumped into his favorite
Ninja position, ready to do battle with whatever had me screaming. “What’s wrong?” he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I
pointed to the huge mirror OVER THE BED and told him, “I thought I was being attacked by a naked sky diver.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I wish I had a dollar for every time I've
listened to him tell that story. I’d be
living on that island in the Bahamas I found on the Internet a few years
ago. I’d probably even be able to afford
a hammock and a part-time cabana boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Enjoy
the rest of your day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1IbL2TNuW6D-KgPzvPq5Gvh-_eDOaxtOAsq8AQ6-K8cWGRdmSGqYJcsx4u5Hx2_ccNtHQzgL3nl-0XKLS_zDCkIbQekpO03L9D7s-zdPo2s73jNaD2bIG0r_eCvyL-68b4k7AzBSzrI/s1600/naked+in+a+barrel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1IbL2TNuW6D-KgPzvPq5Gvh-_eDOaxtOAsq8AQ6-K8cWGRdmSGqYJcsx4u5Hx2_ccNtHQzgL3nl-0XKLS_zDCkIbQekpO03L9D7s-zdPo2s73jNaD2bIG0r_eCvyL-68b4k7AzBSzrI/s1600/naked+in+a+barrel.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until
later,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-63973484619636434382015-07-10T20:28:00.000-07:002015-07-10T20:28:59.181-07:00Our Home for 5 people for 4 weeks Just a quick Friday night note. Here are a few pictures of the inside of our bus so you can see how 5 of us managed for the 4 weeks we were gone. Several of my readers asked how we slept and basically survived in cramped quarters. First of all, it's 45-ft. long.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCa3RhtvWQSFWQpEdS7tqwOr-9nrzuOrKczhuKykd7cSbJgR1CeTe8BdUoG2yzNY6aWleYkxKTkNitCKbT1hD-hAyJzDG77idwxd5IPm9vTBSOBIwvWluocXVWSyxfN9pF729RLVFF8U/s1600/20150704_115330_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCa3RhtvWQSFWQpEdS7tqwOr-9nrzuOrKczhuKykd7cSbJgR1CeTe8BdUoG2yzNY6aWleYkxKTkNitCKbT1hD-hAyJzDG77idwxd5IPm9vTBSOBIwvWluocXVWSyxfN9pF729RLVFF8U/s320/20150704_115330_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is standing in the kitchen looking through the bathroom back to the bedroom. On the left you can see part of the refrigerator, then the potty-room door. The thing attached to the wall with the red cup on top of it is my fold down desk. During the day, it stayed folded down, but after the boys and Richard went to bed, I closed the bedroom door and the door that separates the kitchen from the bathroom. Then I set up my desk and wrote the blogs I posted pretty much every night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FhnHckzGuTFaEO7BJ8cIezOhO1PKFe_ysJ0gMMOSowbMQUngqK-SC-nVTnMWackCf35QHrk0iXhe2UnNsXHEgcailNR830uWrpATGC3cygJkVgBF-D6-DjZIguUzFbMSJHD9gOprDVo/s1600/20150704_115347_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FhnHckzGuTFaEO7BJ8cIezOhO1PKFe_ysJ0gMMOSowbMQUngqK-SC-nVTnMWackCf35QHrk0iXhe2UnNsXHEgcailNR830uWrpATGC3cygJkVgBF-D6-DjZIguUzFbMSJHD9gOprDVo/s320/20150704_115347_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is a picture of the table folded out. I'd put my laptop on it (which was stored in one of the bins above the desk) and set up a padded folding chair and write to my hearts content or SKYPE, depending on what kind of mood I was in. LOL<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8BrOv_051SpEfT6GjQQzHWWDLu2d1d_Ow9s7GOWGanuNGuFfXJPjK7drjGegwS1jwk-n4CC8cxW5LYdBD2k0js1GP5H-3c-qPp-CrnVVgMHGHJayyGDEqvRplhI0_32arMULE9ObH38/s1600/20150704_115044_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8BrOv_051SpEfT6GjQQzHWWDLu2d1d_Ow9s7GOWGanuNGuFfXJPjK7drjGegwS1jwk-n4CC8cxW5LYdBD2k0js1GP5H-3c-qPp-CrnVVgMHGHJayyGDEqvRplhI0_32arMULE9ObH38/s320/20150704_115044_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is a picture taken from the kitchen area facing the front of the bus. The 3 bunks are on the left. This was after we got home, so they are stripped of the linens. Ty slept on the top, then Brody, then Drew on the bottom. We added bars so they wouldn't roll out in case they fell asleep going down the road. They had room at the foot of their bunk for Ipods and notebooks and things like that. Temporarily, we took out the sofa. So, the bunks didn't take up any more room then the sofa did.<br />
Yesterday, Richard took Brody to St. Augustine to visit with my dad. For those of you who don't know, he is in a nursing home and is deeply suffering from dementia. Somehow he always remembers my husband immediately. Last week when I went to visit, he said he knew I was Dolores because I had a guest name tag on my chest. Well, at least he can still read. <br />
Anyway, here's a picture of Dad and Brody. Both are missing their teeth. <span id="goog_173275861"></span><span id="goog_173275862"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTAugVIObaTEL53kTH_MpJLvrJnlzrKtNKEZIyMSTn9uQobt9hLJ8Q5H4sQ-fenKzX3O1h5BXkFKYTpOK4sW-L2iHWMxY-eddCgUVD2nP4X3Y6fb-LTmxm66v62wXG7h0lYatYfsF-Rs/s1600/20150708_153939_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTAugVIObaTEL53kTH_MpJLvrJnlzrKtNKEZIyMSTn9uQobt9hLJ8Q5H4sQ-fenKzX3O1h5BXkFKYTpOK4sW-L2iHWMxY-eddCgUVD2nP4X3Y6fb-LTmxm66v62wXG7h0lYatYfsF-Rs/s640/20150708_153939_resized.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad (88 years old)--Brody (7 years old)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Until next time,<br />
Dolores<br />
<br />
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-7162305607087836162015-07-05T10:42:00.001-07:002015-07-05T10:42:49.291-07:00July 7, 2015 Many years ago, Dear Abby published a letter with an unknown author. The things the letter said have stayed with me, but never more than in the past few years as I wake up every morning in all kinds of pain.<br />
On a scale of 1-10, I usually have about 4.5 all day long. I seldom take pain pills, so living with it is a fact of life. <br />
I don't say that for sympathy. It is what it is, and I always just keep rolling. I always say "A moving target is hard to hit." :-) <br />
Anyway, enough of that, but here is a copy of the Dear Abby letter. It makes me laugh.<br />
<div style="line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Old Folks Are Worth A Fortune<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> With
silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in
their feet and<span class="apple-converted-space"> gas</span> in their
stomachs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> I have become a lot more social with
the passing of the years; some might even call me a frivolous old gal. I'm
seeing five gentlemen every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> As soon as I wake, Will<span class="apple-converted-space"> Power </span>helps me get out of bed. Then I
go to see John. Then Charley Horse comes along, and when he is here he takes a
lot of my time and attention. When he leaves, Arthur Ritis shows up and stays
the rest of the day. (He doesn't like to stay in one place very long, so he
takes me from joint to joint.) After such a busy day, I'm really tired and glad
to go to bed - with Ben Gay. What a life!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">P.S.
The preacher came to call the other day. He said that at my age, I should be
thinking about the hereafter. I told him I do - all the time. No matter where I
am - in the parlor, upstairs in the kitchen or down in the basement - I ask
myself, "Now, what am I here after?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> I'd like to leave you with this song a friend send me. The main thought of the words says it all. I'm still here. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="http://bitly.com/151PpFN">Green Side of the Grass</a> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Until next time,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Dolores</span></span></div>
<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-49926677624655149332015-07-03T21:45:00.003-07:002015-07-03T21:45:52.687-07:00July 3, 2015<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Home again-home again, jiggity-jig</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Every
time Richard and I return from one of our travels, I am faced with the worse
part of the whole adventure. UNPACKING
AND CLEANING THE BUS. There is something
about being in the confined area with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide that
makes me burst out the bus door and breathe Tison Road air. Then I don’t want to go back into the bus. I’ve tried yelling, “you can’t make me.” But that doesn’t really work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Soooo,
I do a little each day. We totally take
everything out of the bus including all refrigerator and freezer goods. We leave no clothes in there. No boxed or canned food. So it is quite an ordeal to get everything
out. I pack things in boxes, bags, and
baskets. Richard carries it in and sets
it on the dining room table, chairs and floor. Then I get to unpack and put all that away and do any laundry not done
while we were traveling. I then take the
baskets, etc. back to the bus the next day and refill them, all the while
singing—I loaded 16 tons, and what do I get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Over
the years, I have learned that if we were gone four weeks, like we were this
time, then it takes 4 days to clean out the bus. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Tomorrow will be day four, and true to form,
I should be able to finish it up before 4 of the grandkids arrive for our mini-
4<sup>th</sup> of July celebration. At
least I hope I'll be done. :-P <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Several
of you have asked how the 5 of us fit comfortably into the bus for 4
weeks. I’ll take a few pictures after I
get it all cleaned up and post them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoL05wpst7kXZjeLe9BpQvkcnJdMv9fsjwJNkSxgiUswjCPYflAgtddPktoEM_rQEvC_HkERNZ1xaRdPjqkOJK3G8QEuQLwDiIfnzJy4xlhAFCRmJLbq78SEanYqweUO1NW3URUFLkMw/s1600/american_flag_194592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoL05wpst7kXZjeLe9BpQvkcnJdMv9fsjwJNkSxgiUswjCPYflAgtddPktoEM_rQEvC_HkERNZ1xaRdPjqkOJK3G8QEuQLwDiIfnzJy4xlhAFCRmJLbq78SEanYqweUO1NW3URUFLkMw/s1600/american_flag_194592.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long may it wave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I want
to wish all of you a very safe Fourth of July.
I hope your celebrations with friends and family brings you all the
happiness in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until
next time,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span></div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-73436914439936814412015-06-30T19:22:00.002-07:002015-06-30T19:22:27.122-07:00June 29, 2015Day #25<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> On
Sunday, June 28, 2015, at 10:21 am, an unmanned cargo ship launched from the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The ship was headed for the International Space Station, and was carrying
4,000 pounds of experiments, a replacement spacesuit, a camera to record meteors
streaking into Earth’s atmosphere and the first of two docking adapters that
would serve as parking spots for future crew capsules being developed by Boeing
and SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Two
minutes into the launch, the cargo ship disintegrated, scattering debris into
the Atlantic Ocean. This was the third
ship launch to fail to get the supplies to the ISS. It’s reported the 3 astronauts in the Space
Station have enough supplies to last until October. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywO-CihjR6jPB2DjpbBe-orrTcbjfDMYsMPZKcJVVSvVNGpQq3_okxtrBqQd9sbbjSTFuXWR5Rw-FnvkFolMcC7dOodLaeWZKsEEKwkuFBK5179eOkbuskcxxk809Qp89zH5vBrTGtqY/s1600/nasa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywO-CihjR6jPB2DjpbBe-orrTcbjfDMYsMPZKcJVVSvVNGpQq3_okxtrBqQd9sbbjSTFuXWR5Rw-FnvkFolMcC7dOodLaeWZKsEEKwkuFBK5179eOkbuskcxxk809Qp89zH5vBrTGtqY/s320/nasa1.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovell, Glenn, Shepard<br />
at Kennedy Space Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v_FV7lRZ69v3ny4b_vbA5owRyYsUS0EO_83Zu1xpMU36Mz_-F3GCD3Y3DfVwNjiysZRPAp4JkeoIvqakIKQgLJp-vw9kEsbaNxsyIjNB7G4ySNe7LIrNGnfj-rqupHK6Fsxn7htTwoc/s1600/nasa4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v_FV7lRZ69v3ny4b_vbA5owRyYsUS0EO_83Zu1xpMU36Mz_-F3GCD3Y3DfVwNjiysZRPAp4JkeoIvqakIKQgLJp-vw9kEsbaNxsyIjNB7G4ySNe7LIrNGnfj-rqupHK6Fsxn7htTwoc/s320/nasa4.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The launch pad in the distance where<br />
an unmanned cargo ship disintegrated <br />
2 minutes after launch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> This
month (July, 2015) 3 new astronauts are scheduled to join the other 3 at the
station, and, at this time, it doesn’t appear this failure will delay that
mission.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSzoNIpp2dEexkpOZw3H7f7uqZJFg2U2po-I7c3NNrHIBzzxSGvzMPIdnQ1SZBHLDOjE3YH3e2HiS0GSd7jvUkMEPix8C3PpQo1zyx3RQmTqlX0iNUhUvS2ONXVEs1ypkS8om6JxhZzE/s1600/nasa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSzoNIpp2dEexkpOZw3H7f7uqZJFg2U2po-I7c3NNrHIBzzxSGvzMPIdnQ1SZBHLDOjE3YH3e2HiS0GSd7jvUkMEPix8C3PpQo1zyx3RQmTqlX0iNUhUvS2ONXVEs1ypkS8om6JxhZzE/s320/nasa2.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brody and Drew<br />
Inside a capsule</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKwi-7q1S1Zx93vCgpUVPjwI0UJeF-k9Q1Us5yOS-eskCGI_7-wh5vYokPSMHZ7fuY3E-iSNeYSyne-K2Zlt0A474zTAfNfrscxVuktID3UVrhu0mPkdeHgWd3qUxh1s2jZbpLc5EpTo/s1600/nasa6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKwi-7q1S1Zx93vCgpUVPjwI0UJeF-k9Q1Us5yOS-eskCGI_7-wh5vYokPSMHZ7fuY3E-iSNeYSyne-K2Zlt0A474zTAfNfrscxVuktID3UVrhu0mPkdeHgWd3qUxh1s2jZbpLc5EpTo/s320/nasa6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Atlantis
completed 33 missions from October 3, 1985 thru July 8, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> We
arrived at the Cape the next day.
Business and everyones' lives were going on as usual. I’m ashamed to say that I live so close and
have not visited the Kennedy Space center in many years. It certain has changed and reminds me of
Disney World on a small level. You buy
your tickets for the tour and attractions you are interested in. You wait in line (not near as long as at
Disney). The presentations were
excellent and the boys (even Richard didn’t fall asleep during the 3D movie
about our space journey) were interested in the productions and
information. They loved the place where
they were treated to a liftoff simulation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> It
was a long day, but nice, peaceful rains came and went and cooled everything
off.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzi8AB06QTj274r5wDQLluNNPsAuW5gW_Fqb84gtyjHCt7LZOrms_69FfKliyFCPjmsc-8tFurXDPRKI55vKKz5Z2GUnUyRXkoGaLRSTxN0yIkwTDTs8rzzZWqYFQLqWY64wau59Yeg8/s1600/nasa5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzi8AB06QTj274r5wDQLluNNPsAuW5gW_Fqb84gtyjHCt7LZOrms_69FfKliyFCPjmsc-8tFurXDPRKI55vKKz5Z2GUnUyRXkoGaLRSTxN0yIkwTDTs8rzzZWqYFQLqWY64wau59Yeg8/s320/nasa5.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie Brown, Schroder, Linus<br />
and Snoopy at the Kennedy<br />
Space Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPDikKpzsYzU5aQZfjDPjPytxOSN9sKikELWRQLp7rJfiwbaqz_vL_vn0qNAiDAqw0ApwOVIynj3EpqyGwa_SskaxBEfNBu62A8-vhmrITh_JX0nJTA-GxTlNDKeWaJHd68QJLHKXVSo/s1600/nasa3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPDikKpzsYzU5aQZfjDPjPytxOSN9sKikELWRQLp7rJfiwbaqz_vL_vn0qNAiDAqw0ApwOVIynj3EpqyGwa_SskaxBEfNBu62A8-vhmrITh_JX0nJTA-GxTlNDKeWaJHd68QJLHKXVSo/s320/nasa3.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired fellows ready to leave the<br />
space technology overload and<br />
hit the pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> When
we got back to the campground, I took the boys to the pool so papa could take a
much needed nap. There were three
teenagers in the pool (1 boy and 2 girls).
I could not believe the topic of their conversation (which girls had sex with whom)and the language it
was in. They couldn’t have been more
than 14 or 15 years old. I can tolerate
a slip once in a while, but had Richard been there, he would have yanked that
boy out by his ponytail and shook his braces out of his mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I
let the first time slide by, but the second outburst of the F word and a loud
announcement of what part of his anatomy one of the girls had kicked him in, I
stood up. He crawled out of the water
and slowly made it to his feet and slowly made his way to the restroom. He had to go right by me. I glared at the young man and dared him to
ask me what I was looking at. However,
he made a wide path around me and kept glancing at me to see if I was going to
make a move. He knew exactly why I was
staring a hole through him, and I had the feeling he thought it was better to
just keep going. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> He went into the
bathroom and didn’t come out until they locked up the pool. I don’t know if he was scared of me, or if he’d
truly been hurt. As a mother and
grandmother, I did wonder about the last part, but I was too disgusted by his
behavior to go into the restroom and inquire. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
some of you already know, we made it back to Jacksonville earlier today (June
30, 2015). We were welcomed by a typical heavy-duty
thunderstorm. After the rain stopped, we packed up the boys, and
took them back to the waiting arms of their parents. The boys were glad to
be home. Lacking 2 days of being 4 weeks away from home is a long
time for little ones, but I have to tell you, they had a great time. None
of them cried to come home, but were glad when it was time. They really
are good kids, and they made the whole trip really enjoyable.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I want to thank all
of you who have followed along with us and commented and "liked" the posts.
In the four weeks I've been posting, I had almost 2,000 page views. That makes it well worth the work it takes to do a blog. Thank you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dolores<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div>
djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-656131228817712525.post-49744232685678902652015-06-28T21:59:00.000-07:002015-06-28T21:59:54.537-07:00June 25-26, 2015<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Days #21 & #22<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> We left Key West behind
and moved to Marathon. The City of Marathon is known as the Heart of the
Keys. We stayed in a really nice campground, except for the herd of
iguanas, which I believe are following me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I have a writer
friend, Mary Stella, who lives in Marathon and works at the Dolphin Rescue
Center which was founded as a nonprofit corporation in 1984 by Jayne and
Armando Rodriguez. They wanted to ensure the dolphins had a home for life
if they could not be released back into the wild. The center has
established a unique education and research facility.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> At the center,
they have Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea
lions. Over half of those living there were born at the
Center, but other members have either come from other facilities or were
rescued, rehabilitated and deemed unreleasable back into the wild by the
Government. They now have a home at Dolphin Research Center forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I got to visit with Mary
while Aunt Gail went with Hickory, Dickory, and Dock to have an up close and
personal experience with the dolphins.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7wZZCBRj8niAuc2zCA0u0T9I7xS9Jb_89FO0sWdMQuHLPwmikPnkaZPcSgYw_xPWbNyyzvrPxcmhOft0cYo3Dl4waoYjVospKlTLMVf0eA2Pgwoisx2x7j9z3IF8AOmhUDgcOOA4inI/s1600/DRC_Photo_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7wZZCBRj8niAuc2zCA0u0T9I7xS9Jb_89FO0sWdMQuHLPwmikPnkaZPcSgYw_xPWbNyyzvrPxcmhOft0cYo3Dl4waoYjVospKlTLMVf0eA2Pgwoisx2x7j9z3IF8AOmhUDgcOOA4inI/s320/DRC_Photo_0036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brody swimming with the dolphins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1zKJRteKx3enlftirnWrZjypthAIIf3jN5JAe-y9RZyq5I0qqE7pNz2hEQof89AwJixryf85cuuJjFakbKJnBlUuo9KJtk0xcz49m4lCD7hn-T5dfdwFTURn01LwVe7FQ5aSD00odZQ/s1600/DRC_Photo_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1zKJRteKx3enlftirnWrZjypthAIIf3jN5JAe-y9RZyq5I0qqE7pNz2hEQof89AwJixryf85cuuJjFakbKJnBlUuo9KJtk0xcz49m4lCD7hn-T5dfdwFTURn01LwVe7FQ5aSD00odZQ/s320/DRC_Photo_0040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ty swimming with the dolphins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2ne9AVp1QFkpWHpOpoHhItkThLHtbB4nPDmsm-S18IjzSmucCCCUa5X3T1YtWwcyj4jZfS9Q6pPWN9gy8EyMT7uLRuF0McIj7Qv2Pk2jqGFIALNr6ChJO4hpfjjnj9Jz9HNXP_Nxrzs/s1600/DRC_Photo_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2ne9AVp1QFkpWHpOpoHhItkThLHtbB4nPDmsm-S18IjzSmucCCCUa5X3T1YtWwcyj4jZfS9Q6pPWN9gy8EyMT7uLRuF0McIj7Qv2Pk2jqGFIALNr6ChJO4hpfjjnj9Jz9HNXP_Nxrzs/s320/DRC_Photo_0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mAiiT51VU7HfNUxQU2g49t5jewZsQ1mStY1Qkv6tVYZt3-pbb8oNKNWLfOk-DfLggeow4prp1HvPi4zerrdH-2MlhhS7qf2Q4iUTjgKfl0LWHG0BPe9B8Ak2mJXAOFjqgiho_8HkRk8/s1600/DRC_Photo_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mAiiT51VU7HfNUxQU2g49t5jewZsQ1mStY1Qkv6tVYZt3-pbb8oNKNWLfOk-DfLggeow4prp1HvPi4zerrdH-2MlhhS7qf2Q4iUTjgKfl0LWHG0BPe9B8Ak2mJXAOFjqgiho_8HkRk8/s320/DRC_Photo_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brody getting a kiss from either Cayo or Gypsi<br />
not sure which</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyma0-1X77NnAqbSO5FrqpL67YGyFxppqa8EguKNLevOVgRKh1Fvp8OKmQK8AR5ITLljTntMLcaKHZGf6Ni2cyj3kVAwAogo5E1WsG_vsi8mVmLJoZH4TCgj_hNS0btnHuiT8YLQdW_GM/s1600/DRC_Photo_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyma0-1X77NnAqbSO5FrqpL67YGyFxppqa8EguKNLevOVgRKh1Fvp8OKmQK8AR5ITLljTntMLcaKHZGf6Ni2cyj3kVAwAogo5E1WsG_vsi8mVmLJoZH4TCgj_hNS0btnHuiT8YLQdW_GM/s320/DRC_Photo_0015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiss for Drew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXFET5n8BB6GXbMnyaImPu4TjahY1fEVHzXoXoVsQ0_8ULDSCvAAxG6uCjzKwQKQ2VwldEbFTSheiRVNCt1XnuMUEOw8c9mUMyIVf6b0hnhh4qEWTwyvpm_JX-6qGEYNeP2ZlP0muxpA/s1600/DRC_Photo_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXFET5n8BB6GXbMnyaImPu4TjahY1fEVHzXoXoVsQ0_8ULDSCvAAxG6uCjzKwQKQ2VwldEbFTSheiRVNCt1XnuMUEOw8c9mUMyIVf6b0hnhh4qEWTwyvpm_JX-6qGEYNeP2ZlP0muxpA/s320/DRC_Photo_0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drew dancing with the dolphin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiv_rx7YR1M-qTihFrhU3zenCJRjkMktCl6bTlEjIISul85azf6F6TqUVYqyhcYtGXGcXGE6v7A7yXN-lUUustmwB8ChYWuzNDs4ypCaL3u2c-n2CFmA1Yxi6PkZENNUBWFzWj29oIdSU/s1600/DRC_Photo_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiv_rx7YR1M-qTihFrhU3zenCJRjkMktCl6bTlEjIISul85azf6F6TqUVYqyhcYtGXGcXGE6v7A7yXN-lUUustmwB8ChYWuzNDs4ypCaL3u2c-n2CFmA1Yxi6PkZENNUBWFzWj29oIdSU/s320/DRC_Photo_0061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving instructions for the dolphin to jump</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SbvHzMYVkh08ne8CnaEGJILm_ZMOaOREqFoXmiGc_V8191U3IQyX_ATUE19Gbzme_leEglU3dQiatxm6bQNjXPQ-mzUqARQ3seD56coaeUxcKIa1G8KCt-eK7939YT4q-8lbDtKWv2I/s1600/DRC_Photo_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SbvHzMYVkh08ne8CnaEGJILm_ZMOaOREqFoXmiGc_V8191U3IQyX_ATUE19Gbzme_leEglU3dQiatxm6bQNjXPQ-mzUqARQ3seD56coaeUxcKIa1G8KCt-eK7939YT4q-8lbDtKWv2I/s320/DRC_Photo_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphin jumping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6rWjvaosZrexodn08WnqAZMSPAGFG_OAR9jyIGI0VDyysoDUC9eKNiMLPrdSawrBFo1UkRjS0DdjgKfBRsnzSnl_-IrlMTZdE11kWwRSHlp03s2-NGt3ItY1IYi0HKfm4EcvXtrB5-A/s1600/DRC_Photo_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6rWjvaosZrexodn08WnqAZMSPAGFG_OAR9jyIGI0VDyysoDUC9eKNiMLPrdSawrBFo1UkRjS0DdjgKfBRsnzSnl_-IrlMTZdE11kWwRSHlp03s2-NGt3ItY1IYi0HKfm4EcvXtrB5-A/s320/DRC_Photo_0072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ty getting a kiss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Gail and Ronnie left
us the next morning to go back to Virginia. We stayed another day in
Marathon and took the boys to the Turtle Hospital. It is the only
state-certified veterinary hospital in the world for sea turtles. Many veterinarians
volunteer their time to take care of the turtles. They have up-to-date
medical equipment which has been donated, including an ambulance.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwrzH6Jf59ZJiZS5qOjOXPOsh088DiT23BhDfh5XT-X0G_7IzVbgfitO2FceT7d2D_uDr_-13n-jvhLKuLVZlpz2KVuoQBp_QhjUHw_uk-2AozaCQ-uMftR57dCNhaglHlVELgkD1pVg/s1600/kwn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwrzH6Jf59ZJiZS5qOjOXPOsh088DiT23BhDfh5XT-X0G_7IzVbgfitO2FceT7d2D_uDr_-13n-jvhLKuLVZlpz2KVuoQBp_QhjUHw_uk-2AozaCQ-uMftR57dCNhaglHlVELgkD1pVg/s320/kwn.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Bahama Richard reading all <br />
about the Turtle Hospital and<br />
its patients</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> They treat a variety
of ailments at the Turtle Hospital, such as: flipper amputations caused by
entanglements from garbage, fishing line, and trap line, shell damage caused by
boat collisions, intestinal impactions caused from ingestion of foreign
materials as plastic bags, balloons, food wrappers, and fishing line. Every sea
turtle brought into the hospital is rehabilitated and released as soon as
possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> The most common
surgery is for the removal of debilitating viral tumors. This affects
over half of the juvenile population of the green sea turtles. I was
really impressed with this facility. I was amazed at the different tanks
that held turtles in different stages of healing and hearing all the attention
each patient gets in the Turtle Hospital.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> One thing
I found interesting (and a little funny) was a thing that happens to
some of the turtles that are struck by a boat propeller and cracks open their
shells. If this happens air fills the inside of the shell making it
deformed. Because of this, the turtle cannot dive to the bottom where his
food is and starves to death or since he is floating on the surface,
he can be hit by another boat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> The first turtle to
come to the hospital with this condition was in 1989, and he is still
there. His posterior bobs on the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of that injury, he became known as
“Bubble-Butt”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When turtles come in with
this condition, they fiberglass weights to their shell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weights offset the floatation
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the turtle has overcome the
problem when the weights fall off, he can then be released back into the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> Unfortunately, Bubble-Butt's rehabilitation
measures failed to correct his problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since fiberglass is only semi-permanent, his weights eventually fall
off. He remains at the hospital where his weights can be replaced as
needed.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3u973OC-rIhmcxlZ8wQhAgpNzzxqtlByC5QhHtEz2WhIJ8PTQCDicFpwX_QWW3ProfOlVvnFUs96TOPgpQnvSUAtIbLZVARIjXG2ww92koVqDG8gYz4JhALDDjDRxuANELY3eka-2T54/s1600/kwo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3u973OC-rIhmcxlZ8wQhAgpNzzxqtlByC5QhHtEz2WhIJ8PTQCDicFpwX_QWW3ProfOlVvnFUs96TOPgpQnvSUAtIbLZVARIjXG2ww92koVqDG8gYz4JhALDDjDRxuANELY3eka-2T54/s320/kwo.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a bunch of them<br />
I thought they were so cute.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1_OXrb1wrt9oO4eggkqBuk6QASQoH1MgAWW8Cx3kqG9VfswAlv_3iBx8Qpt3sw6DaiBcwiQUhwIgS9KUNmtQyc_wVJVe-SQGEpyQ8_X-zyxskh4mqY7Ow3hF32cot8rxBZdB2JNNMpI/s1600/kw17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1_OXrb1wrt9oO4eggkqBuk6QASQoH1MgAWW8Cx3kqG9VfswAlv_3iBx8Qpt3sw6DaiBcwiQUhwIgS9KUNmtQyc_wVJVe-SQGEpyQ8_X-zyxskh4mqY7Ow3hF32cot8rxBZdB2JNNMpI/s320/kw17.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't the original Bubble Butt,<br />
but you can see how its backend<br />
floats on top of the water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> I'd be willing to
fiberglass weights to my posterior if it would help with a bubble-butt
problem. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> The Turtle Hospital
is quite an impressive operation and took about 1 and ½ hour to go through the
whole place. I do recommend it.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqxLrs3OrykrGyP_SBUyWAR-oQezC0cMRe_r6fISN3UZEgFOYukX9uBrqh7EzcDYl2ElFPzQs5jCGidflgV84u2nDw_YbE9HRGFT1lA3A9dX7AOrQEyl-6A9Hy1Rxv2exSawz6xuQs2c/s1600/kwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqxLrs3OrykrGyP_SBUyWAR-oQezC0cMRe_r6fISN3UZEgFOYukX9uBrqh7EzcDYl2ElFPzQs5jCGidflgV84u2nDw_YbE9HRGFT1lA3A9dX7AOrQEyl-6A9Hy1Rxv2exSawz6xuQs2c/s320/kwm.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet little Ninja Turtles<br />
Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dolores<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />djwilson77http://www.blogger.com/profile/12288612175541271961noreply@blogger.com2