Puppies # 2

Here they are - Puppy Update #2 - which means they are 2 1/2 weeks old now. Are they cute or what!

My San Diego Family

I am going out to San Diego next weekend for a quick 2 days of hugs and playing on the floor....just hope I can get up afterward.
Click here for a preview of what I will see when I am there!

Puppies #1

Dixie is our neighbor's dog and last Thursday Dixie had 7 little puppies. I think this is going to be really fun to follow. So enjoy with me as we watch these little guys and gals grow.

Death of a Spider

Do you remember our lovely Banana Spider? She died. (we found out she was a girl) I guess they don't live forever. She moved from the tree to the house and then just stopped moving. On Thursday night she wasn't moving and was obviously dead in her own new web. By the next day she was gone. What do you think happened to her? I think a bird must have plucked her right off her web. I am hoping she left behind some eggs for next spring. I liked her.

Found - Chocolate Lab

We found this guy on our street tonight. If you are from Mount Pleasant, take a good look and ask your friends about him. He is missing his family a lot.

Post Script -
His name is Racer and he is back home with his family! Thanks everyone!

Iona College Freshman

Did I mention that my oldest grandson, Brendan, has left us all and gone away to college? I am really missing him but I know he is having a great time.

He is attending Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and playing soccer - his first love. Here is a link. He has already been into The City a couple of times which is a real switch from our laid back southern living. His brother, Casey, is flying up to visit him this weekend and I am sure the two of them will have a blast!

Brendan, if you see this - I sure do miss you.

Nova Scotia Vacation

I finally got my pictures uploaded from our vacation. You can click right HERE to be taken directly to them.

Orhan Atasoy

"So, you are from California. You smoke grass?" I had met Orhan Atasoy that afternoon while walking my dog in the boatyard in Deale, Maryland. We struck up a conversation about going cruising. It was 2005 and Kirby and I were at Herrington Harbor with our sailboat, TOBIAS, getting it ready to cruise. Orhan invited us over for cocktails on his boat that night so that we could talk about cruising. Those were just about his first words to us as we settled into the comfy cabin of his Tayana '37.

We learned yesterday that Orhan passed away last week after battling liver cancer. We will miss him so much. He was one of our "character" friends, so very precious and important to us. Orhan was Turkish. He was a Turkish Rock Star and is on YouTube....you can look him up. (you just won't be able to understand the lyrics to his song.) He had had a very interesting life and loved sharing exciting stories with us.

When TOBIAS was ready to go we decided to make a practice run to make certain that everything worked properly. We headed out into the Chesapeake following Orhan as he sailed "Melody". He lead us to a wonderful anchorage where we tied up together for the night and enjoyed cocktails aboard our boat.

When we decided to sell TOBIAS, he painted the bottom for us after we left because he didn't like the way it looked. He was a true friend - a perfect example of what a friend should be. He was there whenever we needed a hand on the boat or someone to drink a cold beer with. He loved his children and talked of them often.

We miss him.

Update - 6/10/2012 - Follow this link for a recipe from Orhan!

Update - 6/26/12 - Follow this link for more information

The Cat

And you thought I was finished with vacation didn't you? But don't you know we still have miles and miles to travel? We still are going to have some fun!

When we sailed our sailboat, TOBIAS, from Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia we saw a big, big wake on the ocean and wondered what could be making a wake like that. And when we approached Yarmouth we were required to report our position to the port captain. It was "The Cat". The Cat is over 300 feet long and travels between Maine and Nova Scotia at 40 knots! Hence - the huge wake! And the port captain needs to know because it goes so fast, you better be out of the way!

Since that time we have wanted to ride it. So, we did. After our tour of Port Royal we headed to Yarmouth where we had first landed in Nova Scotia 3 years ago. We had fun seeing this charming city again. Then it was time to wait in line to board the ferry. I don't know how many cars/RV's/motorcyles it holds but there were many of us and we were boarded by weight in order to balance the load. We left Yarmouth and were in Bar Harbor 3 hours later. But - it was another hour and a half before we cleared customs and were on our way to a motel for the night. All the waiting in line almost spoiled the whole experience. Even the people walking had to wait in line a long time at the gate. Oh, well, this is what our world is about now. I feel so much safer!! Sure.

We were very happy to be able to experience going so fast over the water after going only 8 knots or so in our boat!

Nova Scotia 8 - Port Royal

The last day of our Nova Scotia vacation suddenly arrived and we said good-bye to Rick and Tanya so they could get ready for their trip to Africa and Safari! We headed south to Yarmouth and on the way we stopped at Port Royal National Historic Site. The Port Royal Habitation is a reconstruction of a small French compound originally begun in 1605. In 1613 it was destroyed by a Captain from Virginia.

The reconstruction of the fort was begun in 1939 - the efforts of a Virginia woman. It is one of the best replications I have ever seen and we enjoyed it immensely.


Somehow Kirby's jacket and cap just don't go.