Dominica

This turned out to be one of our favorite islands. Without a plan, we just walked off the ship and began negotiating with the locals. My eye spotted an Antour rep. After reading on Cruise Critic how good they are, we decided on an island tour including river tubing. It was THE BEST! There were only four of us. The other couple John and Robin were great company! At times we had more than seven guides to keep track of the four of us. We got some great pics, got to sample some local fruits, walked thru the rain forest (while it was raining)and went swimming in the Emerald Pool and had a blast tubing for more than two miles of the river! The water was perfect, the scenery amazing and it was a fantastic day!!!

St Thomas

We had been to St. Thomas before, but agreed that with seven islands in seven days, this would be a good one to just relax in familiar surroundings. So we took a taxi to Megen's Bay Beach - voted one of the World's most beautiful beaches. It was a great place to just relax and enjoy a tropical day.

Halloween night in Old San Juan

We had dinner at Tijuana's on the water front. Because it was Halloween, we were served by a pirate and serenades by a Zorro character. The weather was perfect for dining and dancing on the patio overlooking the water. We then strolled along the waterfront to a park where some locals were celebrating the holiday. We delighted in watching a woman who had to be at least mid 90's dancing the night away in her hat made from a newspaper. It was a delightful night.

Southern Caribbean Cruise

Recently we took a seven island in seven day cruise of the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Victory. This required getting up at 3 am to get to our very early flight to San Juan. It proved to be worth the early rise, as we had time to check into the Sheraton Old San Juan, get a nap and still partake in the Halloween festivites of the area. The views from our balcony, of Old San Juan and the pier where the ship would be docked the next morning were breathtaking. It was a great place to do a precruise night, but proved to be less than great for those doing a post cruise night when all the ships arrived Nov. 1.

The Big Day!

The weather was cold with rain showers in the morning, but they still went forward with this outside wedding. The gamble paid off as the sun did come out, but the winds also picked up making it a very cool affair. The wedding was nice, and the reception an all night celebration where the drinks flowed much heavier than the rains earlier that day. The brides father came from a family with 14 kids and Rachel has nearly as many brothers and sisters, so the wedding was nearly all "Smiths", but I was glad she had the stong support from her family and the wedding she had dreamed of.

Ryan & Rachel's Wedding

Friday night, Tony was very kind and included us in the rehearsal dinner at a WONDERFUL Italian Restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. The food served family style was tasty and plentiful. The atmosphere was perfect for such a special occasion. It was a perfect evening.

Hickory Run Park

Yesterday was a rainy day with 40 mph gusts of wind, so we spent it doing laundry, playing gin and just generally relaxing.

Today, we wanted to get back to exploring the Poconos, so we drove to Hickory Run State Park for some hiking. First we took a 1.5 mile trail to Hawk falls. The path was easy and painted with the colors of fall as the leaves fell before our eyes. We enjoyed that walk so much, that we then decided to do a more ambitious 7 mile walk to Boulder Field. The last pic will show you why it as that name and is the icon and National natural landmark for this park.

Water Fall Walk

Yesterday, Gary and I both took care of paperwork in the morning and just relaxed in the afternoon. After a week of hard work and being on the run, the down time felt good.

Today, we drove 35 miles east and north to "Bushkill Falls" the "Niagara of Pennsylvania. We hiked miles of wooden bridges and walkways through the beautiful lush forests of the Poconos, passing by several nice waterfalls. The fresh air, exercise and peacful surrounding of the woods, made for a perfect day.

We Are Here!

Finished the drive to Lake Harmony, PA today and what a beautiful drive it was. The next week is the peak of the fall foliage for this area. it is as beautiful as any calendar pic I've seen. Am looking forward to long hikes and just soaking in the beauty of the season. The best news of the day is that I get to add a new pin to my "kiss" map.

Road Trip

Got away about 11 am after taking care of a few loose ends. We traveled through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio today ending just north of Akron in Kent. We went through Columbus just as the buckeyes were gearing up for a football game. I'd almost forgotten how much fun the traffic associated with College football can be from my years in Lawrence.

Still not yet in a new state for adding pins to my map. Gary came with me when Shauna was attending CCAD.

The brisk air, blowing leaves, dried fields and almost full moon playing hide and seek behind dark clouds reminds me that Halloween is not far off.

#8 Sherry Dr.

TGIF

The work week is over - Yippee! A brisk cool day, but I spent most of it inside flipping #8 Sherry Dr. We met the tenant at 8am this morning to inspect the house and settle his deposit. Then it was time to get busy. I stained the deck, patched nail holes, painted, replaced the caulking in the bathroom, and cleaned, cleaned cleaned.

Tonight was a special treat when I got to meet Ludy as she and Charlie stopped by our hotel on their way home to Henderson, KY. It was a brief visit, but a nice change from the "vegging" we usually do after a hard days work. You hear about someone for years and see them in Christmas photos, but it just isn't the same as meeting them in person. What a great end to what had already been a very productive week.

Tomorrow morning we check out of the hotel and head to Akron,Ohio for the night before driving the remaining way to Lake Harmony, PA on Sunday.

Rainy Day

After completing the project of super-insulating all 21 homes on Tuesday, we were feeling great! Wednesday was spent trimming limbs and shrubs and cleaning up the property so we could "chipper - shred"today. I liked the days when you could just burn a wood & leaf pile, but that's not allowed here anymore.

When we woke today, we were surprised to find the rains were arriving earlier than expected. We rushed to rent the shredder and quickly worked our way through several mounds of debris, but managed to finish in less than 3 hrs. and before the rain began pouring. I completed the "maintenance-man shower project I had promised a tenant then took the afternoon to dry out, warm up and do travel agent work. I am looking forward to the New England fall foliage next week. Hope the trees have turned in PA so I can post some beautiful fall pics. Today, all you get is before and after of the trimming I did behind #4 Sherry Dr.

A Fall Adventure

Sunday, Sept 27
Yesterday, had a great time at Sean's graduation, followed by a rush to pack then off to the Black and White Ball where we danced the night away. Gary got about 30 minutes of sleep then it was "On the Road Again" at 4 am. The rush to pack caught up with us 32 miles later when I realized that we had forgotten some critical equipment. Thus, we lost more than an hour of travel returning home and trying again at 5:15 am. This meant that Gary had to stop for a nap before we were even out of Texas. We did make it to Ofallon by 5:30 pm today only to find that the equipment we needed to rent here was not available. It's hard to blow insulation without a blower. One was out for repair and the other unit was already rented. After locating a new source, we inspected the development and scheduled entry into the houses to get them super insulated.

Total miles traveled today 796. Best gas price $2.05 throughout Tulsa.

What Next

Now that we are home, the focus is on giving the house the attention it needs and get ready for the next trip. School starts next week, so it's back to teaching. The next trip begins September 26 when we leave for the East Coast, including a week in the Pocono Mountains and 2009 family wedding #6.

What An Adventure!

Aug 10
Longest day of the trip. We visited Gary's mother in the hospital. She has declined so much that they can not allow her to return to assisted living, so tomorrow, they move her to Rose Haven Nursing Home. Mid afternoon, we headed to Lawrence to deliver a wedding invitation and pick ivy for Jessica's wedding (in the dark). Then down the road to Arlington, TX. We had one final adventure when Gary hit some construction debris that instantly blew a tire. Being in a restricted construction zone made changing the tire at 3 am very interesting. We got it done before AAA could find us and made it home by 9:30 am. A 28 hour day without sleep.
Miles traveled 935! Total miles traveled this trip 8,947

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy Jig

Aug 9
We traveled from Chamberlain, SD to Williamsburg, IA by way of dinner and a visit with Haylee and Nick. We hit severe storms that paralyzed the interstate traffic. We pulled off to get gas and find shelter from the hail only to discover that Gary had lost his wallet. Returning to Des Moines, he was very lucky that the employees from Home Depot had found it and kept it safely in the safe. Wow! That was one memorable day!!
Miles traveled 657 Best Gas Price $2.39 in Newton IA

Heading Home

We began the journey home. Today we traveled across most of Montana, a corner of Wyoming and thru much of South Dakota. Sights of interest included antelope, fresh snow (on the road) and a variety of interesting "biker" characters. The journey took us past Sturgis, SD where the annual "Harley Davidson" gathering attracts thousands of bikers. Hundreds of them were on I-90 with us. We also enjoyed the journey down 212 thru Custer National Park.
Miles traveled 674

Wedding #5

Friday, August 7
Today was spent preparing for and attending Jared and Rebecca's wedding. They are so young and in love, we delighted in their excitement when they showed us their new one bedroom apartment that will be home once they are married. Although the weather included rain, it didn't keep the 200+ people away from enjoying the union of this very God centered couple. A good time was had by all! The posed pic is Bride Rebecca, Groom Jared posed with his six brothers and parents (The Schlender Family). The two on the far right are Jesse (who's wedding we attended in Portland last month) and Josiah who's wedding we attended last year.

On the Road Again

Thursday, Aug 6
Today was primarily a travel day to get us from Powderhorn Ski Resort in Colorado, to Bozeman, MT. We departed around midnight and arrived in Bozeman at 1pm. This was just enough time to catch a quick nap before going to Doug and Sandy's house for dinner and to visit with their family. The boys were doing the "batchlor party" thing, but we had a nice visit with Jim, Bonnie, Sandy and the "girls". I'll leave you with a couple more images of Grand Mesa National Park, where we fished and hiked the last two weeks. The largest lake on the left is Island Lake (or favorite fishing spot).
Miles traveled 725

CO National Monument

Sunday, Aug 2 we drove 50 miles back west and south of Grand Junction to Colorado National Monument. This 36 sq mile mini-Grand Canyon has breathtaking views and a unique beauty to enjoy. We spent the day driving and hiking throughout the park who's exsistence can be contributed to just one man "John Otto". These images can't do justice to the grandeur that this monument holds.

CO National Monument

From fishing to hiking

Saturday, Aug 1
After five successful days of fishing, we shifted our energy to hiking. The picture above is the view we had while enjoying a picnic lunch. This morning we went over-the-river, around Mesa Lake (pic with fishermen & canoe), through the woods to "Lost Lake".(last pic) You could easily see 30 - 40 feet to the floor of the lake it was so crystal clear. Deep in the wilderness, miles from anything, we found it to be a jewel of a prize at the end of our hike.

Lost Lake

Rocky Mountain High

July 26 – Aug 5
For the next two weeks we are staying (and relaxing) at Powderhorn Ski Resort at the base of the main lift. The scenery is breathtaking, the air fresh and the location perfect. Just five miles from Grand Mesa National Park and countless lakes for fishing and hiking, this week is devoted to just that. So far, we have successfully caught trout every day. Monday, we feasted on our catch for dinner. Tomorrow evening, we drive into Grand Junction for an evening visit with Jack Curtis (one of Gary's relations). Enjoy just a few of the picture perfect views we have experienced.

Vegas to Colorado

July 25
Today we traveled 545 miles from Las Vegas thru Arizona & Utah to Powderhorn Resort just outside of Mesa, Colorado. We stopped in Grand Junction for groceries before settling into our condo for the next 12 days. We were surprised at how scenic and beautiful the landscape was all through Utah. We knew it was going to be a fun stay based on the large amount of wildlife we saw after leaving I-70 and climbing to the ski resort.

July 23 - 25
The Golden Nugget (GN) offered us two free nights plus $50 in slot play, so off it was to Fremont Street. “Summer of 69” is the latest theme. From tie-dyed shirts, to 60’s piped music and the light show, everything made you feel like you were once again a hippie of the 60’s. The Friday night concert included “Three Dog Night” and “Earth, Wind & Fire”. Cars being given away were classic cars from the 60’s. It was a fun blast from the past. My favorite part of the GN stay was swimming with the sharks. You slide down a tube thru a tank filled with sharks and end up in the Golden Nugget swimming pool. It was great! Gambling continued to be kind to us. We played for hours on almost no money but the best part is earning loyalty points for future comp nights.

Golden Nuggett