Edinburgh: What an Experience!

      This photo shows Marty and me, relaxing at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, after another crazy day of touring in the rain.  We began our day at Edinburgh University's Chapel of St. Albert for Sunday Mass.  The chapel is located on the second floor in a house (once occupied by Arthur Conan Doyle ) while a new Chapel is under construction behind this building. The music accompaniment was an accordian, played beautifully, and adding much charm to the whole experience. (Definitely a first for us!) When mass was over, Marty went to talk to the musician, and we found ourselves invited to coffee in the lower room where several of the parishioners were eager to talk with us.  What a great way to start off the day!

     We headed towards the Royal Mile and  Edinburgh Castle. We soon found ourselves in the former Castle School building, now the home of  the"Whiskey Experience."  Before you knew it, we were sitting in an oak barrel, traveling through the process of making whiskey which is, by the way, distilled twice. The tour was topped off by "tasting" the whiskey of one's choice. How appropriate to receive the lesson of making whiskey in an old school house!  

   We exited the tour and headed up to the castle when the rain really began to pour again.  The castle is a history lesson in itself, going back to the 800's.  There are some spectacular views from the grounds but, unfortunately, our photos are filled with rain clouds.

   After a full day of touring in the rain, Marty and I headed to the Balmoral Hotel for High tea.  We were just outside the door when a bus came by, hit a puddle, and soaked my legs and shoes completely through.  We walked in the door to the restaurant and the concierge took one look at me and insisted that I be escorted down to the "Spa" so that I could use a blow dryer to get my pants dry. I certainly had not expected such attention and would have been happy just to sit down in a warm room at that point, but I relented and soon found myself in a posh room holding a warm hair dryer to my pants. I joined Marty in the dining room for our meal, and we had a delectable High Tea, but not without several of the employees stopping by to be certain that I was "recovered" from my drenching.

   I asked if I would be able to take the scrumptious shortbread cookie that was left home with me in a bag, and I was assured that they would be happy to box it up for me.  I was handed this very cute box with a handle to carry my "cookie" home.  When we got back to the room and made ourselves some tea, imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found no less than four of the melt-in-your-mouth treats in the box. How's that for hospitality?  It may be horrid weather, but we are still having fun!

Don't forget to check out the newest flickr photos.

     

And Then came the RAIN!!

The day began with a bright blue sky and puffy clouds, seemingly perfect, particularly for Edinburgh where it rains most of the time.  Marty and I managed to climb to the top of Arthur's Seat...not an easy feat for someone existing on just 2 and a half hours of sleep! The views were spectacular, as predicted.
How lucky were we to manage to view these spectacular vistas?  Within an hour of our descending the trail,  we felt the raindrops so typical of this country.
Within the hour, drops changed to torrential rain, soaking us to the bone, despite being armed with appropriate rain gear.  We both spent some time blow drying our shoes when we got back to the B&B.
Despite the weather, the city is filled with people hoping to celebrate the festival of the Fringe!  Narrow sidewalks and umbrellas make it challenging to maneuver, but so far, everyone has been in quite an upbeat mood.
My favorite moment was in the pub ladies room last evening.  There was this charming older woman fretting about how wet she was.  I mentioned how comfy her woolen shawl looked, and she made a comment about the horrid weather.  I looked at her and said, "You could have traveled all the way from America for this."  And she said, in the cutest Scottish accent, "That's it!  I am NEVER complaining again!"  How cute!
Gotta run.
Check out the flickr photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157627250134323/

Good Times with an Old Friend

We all seem to have fond memories of a best friend from our childhood. If one is lucky, you grow up together, rejoice in the good times, and help each other through the bad.  You graduate from high school, and you promise to remain BFF despite going separate ways in the world.

It's funny how the years can pass by with little or no communication, but one phone call or e-mail will restart that connection despite the miles that separate us.  Our lives are far different, but it is obvious to those around us that we continue to share that bond:  the excitement when we meet again, the exuberance in our voices as we share stories; the intense interest that we have in each other's lives.

And, that's how it was this morning, when Marty and I drove to Malvern to visit with Tammy who had spent the night at her brother Ted's home.  He and his wife, Gail, welcomed us into their beautiful home nestled in the woods, where we shared a delightful breakfast, got caught up on family news, and enjoyed stories with many laughs. Although the time seemed way too brief, it felt like it was standing still while we were enjoying the moment.

"Enjoying the moment" is something that Tammy and I seem to be able to rekindle without effort.  Perhaps the distance between us makes us realize how precious these minutes are.  If you look closely at the photo, you will see a reflection of Marty who is happily taking our photo. Now, I ask you: How lucky am I to have a husband who appreciates this "best friend" as much as I?  

Enjoying the Moment

On Saturday, Marty and I made the trip to Princeton, New Jersey, to attend the latest Family Update Meeting pertaining to his Uncle Fred's MIA status during World War II.    I have spent years putting together a case for this man, proving that the original investigation into his whereabouts was not at the correct location.  (The army review boards never seemed to actually check the coordinates to verify the actual place of disappearance.)  My information pinpoints an exact location where a PVT stepped on a land mine.  Marty and I walked the spot ourselves last year.

When Marty and I attended our first actual on-site meeting, it became immediately obvious to us that we need to show our faces at these meeting if we expect any type of action on their part.  The historian at the time felt confident that we had enough information to initiate an investigation on the part of JPAC.
Well, here we are two years later, attending yet another meeting.  The write up included in our folder has gone from one page to two and a half.  An impressive amount of data spelling things out quite clearly, (every piece of data was supplied to these people by me. It sure looks convincing when written by a 3rd party!)

This time we had the opportunity to meet with a woman who works with JPAC as well as our army service coordinator and the historian, both of whom were quite familiar with the case.  There were lots of smiles, and accolades to my work, but no real commitment to actually follow through on their part.
After sitting through presentations, particularly the one from this woman who is employed by JPAC, where we were informed of all kinds of difficult complications that arise in jungles, and result from air losses, water losses, etc.,  Marty felt compelled to mention to this lady that our particular case need only involve an air ticket to the area.  There was no dangerous terrain or country hostilities, or complicated ground to maneuver.  This only requires a walk through with a metal detector to prove that the area was never searched for anyone's remains.  That was proven by our contact last year, who managed to pull up a fox-hole shovel, Gilette razors still in their case, a K-Ration can, 3 grenades, and a lot of unfired artillery in about an hour's time.  The woman smiled at us, and said that she would talk to the people in charge and see that the case was put on the list for 2012.  Considering that we have gone this round before, I'll believe it when I see it.

We did not let our frustration keep us from enjoying the rest of  our weekend.  We stayed at a lovely B&B in Burlington, New Jersey, and I must say that I don't think that we have ever had such an entertaining proprietor.  We spent quite a bit of time laughing with this man, who is well versed in the local history.  If you haven't been to Burlington, and you live nearby, you really must consider taking the day to walk through this town with a map from the Burlington Historical Society.  The town is really quaint and lovely and holds a wealth of history worth investigating.
Stop at the Cafe Gallery for a bite to eat while you are there.  The veranda offers a lovely view of the Delaware River.

Our place of refuge was the Lily Inn.  It appears that we cannot escape mention of the dog, even while getting away for the night.  But, one thing was for certain, there was no little white dog waking us up in the wee hours of the morning.  The resident Yorkie, Harold, didn't so much as bark at us, although he did enjoy coming out and sniffing us when we would walk through the door.  We apparently met with his approval.

So we managed to get a refreshing night's sleep, a great breakfast, delightful conversation, and even attended Mass at the local Catholic Church just a few blocks away.  The weather was perfect, only adding to the highlight of the trip.  All that, in combination with a proprietor who was the "Resident Hugger,"  I can't help but wonder, "Who could ask for more?"

Here you will find my Military Investigation.
And don't forget to check out the flickr photos at the bottom of the page.

Restitution

OK, so I'll admit that I owe Marty an apology for not believing his "fishy" stories earlier in the week.  Today  the fish couldn't keep away from him, as he so modestly put it!  Here you see him holding a mullet and a spot, both hitting the line at the same time.  Jim was fishing alongside his dad and catching mullet as well.

Finn decided that today would be the day that he absolutely loved the beach and he spent nearly two hours entertaining us with his crazy antics.  He had a blast running in and out of the surf, chasing birds, looking for airplanes and collecting a few shells.  At least he managed to have some real fun (as did the rest of us) on this last day of our beach vacation.  

Fun in the Sand

Sandcastles have always been a big part of our beach vacations.  The kids spend hours creating an awesome structure filled with turrets and a huge moat, each year attempting to outdo previous works of art in the sand.   Then, they sit in anticipation of the tide coming in, slowly destroying their creation. They've even been known to sit in the moat while it fills up with water from each encroaching wave.

You can see from the posted photo that this year, the kids opted for a sand creation that was not a castle.  It appears that Mr. Crab made such an impression on them that they felt it appropriate to replicate him in the sand. The eyebrows reflect his sinister look, and the crown on his head signifies that he is King Crab, according to Amy.

I find the likeness to be remarkable, and I particularly enjoy the moat that surrounds this guy in the sand. And even though his likeness will be gone in the morning, we all know that the real Mr. Crab will continue to be on the lookout for beach invaders.  Hopefully he has a sense of humor and won't be feeling the need to retaliate tomorrow.

I used my panoramic setting on the computer to snap this photo which includes the likeness of Mr. Crab as well as the family sitting under the canopy, relaxing after putting out so much effort on their creation. It certainly will be a great memory for years to come. After all, isn't that what family vacations are all about?

Fish Kissin'

The kissing of fish is an old family tradition, begun by Jim at a young age, and it generally involves the trout species.  But this year, Marty felt compelled to smack his lips on a mullet.  You can tell from the photo that the fish isn't all too keen on this idea, but a kiss is, more than likely, a much better option than being made a meal of, when you are a fish.

The week is speeding by and we've made the most of this beautiful weather.  The area has been plagued by a thick cloud of smoke from a burning forest fire in North Carolina.  The air gets thick and one feels like there should be a campfire nearby.  Visibility becomes substantially decreased.  Luckily, the wind changes course several times a day or we'd be stuck inside all day.

Our unfriendly crab continues to rule the beach.  We saw him take on a family of 5 yesterday.  The mom was commenting on how cute the crab was, when he went barreling toward them at rapid speed.  He taunted them by skirting back and forth, defending his stretch of the beach while we waited to see just how bold Mr. Crab would be.  But the two little girls found his antics to be amusing, and since they were vertical and could run as fast as he could, he decided to retreat to the top of the dune and let them pass by.  So, we spend time keeping an eye on his antics while he keeps two pop-up eyes on us.  Entertainment at its best. And, so far, we still have our body parts intact.

Crabby Crab

You know those little ghost crabs that look so cute and innocent, popping their head up out of the sand, doing a quick scan of the area, then running a few feet to bury down into another hole?  Well, today's morning adventure brought a whole new light to the “cuteness” of those little creatures.
We were sitting under the tent on the beach, Heather & Finn sitting on the beach blanket, spotting some rather large crabs poking their heads out from the sand, when Jim decided to sneak  up on one of these crabs who was just hanging out a few feet from the tent.
As soon as the crab was spooked,  he began to run straight for the tent, directly towards Heather & Finn.  Before any of us realized what was happening, this rather large crab (I mean he was large enough to be dinner!)  had managed to scurry across the diagonal of the tent and run up Heather's leg as far as her knee, where he obviously found himself catapulted to the ground when Heather jumped up to get rid of the guy.
What was once a cute little adventure soon became a horror story in Finn's eyes and you can only well imagine the distraught cries that resulted from the boldness of this crab.
And, to make matters worse, when Jim strapped Finn into the stroller to bring him back up to the house, he was surprised to find Mr. Crab hanging out under the stroller, where he proceeded to jump on Jim's foot, causing Jim to jump and Finn to start wailing all over again!
I don't know if the crabs are a bit bolder here in Duck, but I can tell you that we will be watching our backs for the rest of the week.  Just in case this guy decides to sneak up on any of us just for fun!

It's Just a Perfect Day

I couldn't help but hear Susan Boyle singing "Perfect Day" in my head while walking along the beach last evening with Marty.  "It's such a perfect day...I'm glad I spent it with you."
This first full day at the beach offered the perfect temperatures with plenty of sunshine and only one looming black cloud that somehow managed to roll by without affecting our beach time.
Little Finn is keeping us all on our toes as he is one busy guy always on the move. He was enjoying the early morning beach time, sitting on Marty's short beach chair, when suddenly, he tumbled forward into the sand.  Somehow, he managed to balance himself on his belly, with both arms, legs, and face held off the ground, reminding me of a turtle.  He really doesn't like the feel of the sand and it is entertaining to watch him attempt to pick off any sand that accumulates on his body.
But he loves to point his finger and yell at the ocean.  Perhaps he is scaring all of the fishies away.  He certainly does make enough noise!
An evening game of Canasta resulted in Jim and Heather killing Amy and me.  OK, so maybe it wasn't such a "Perfect Day" after all!

Europe-oly

Marty & Barbara drinking Tokaj wine in the Hungarian Embassy

Today Marty and I attended the European Union Open House event in Washington DC.  Once a year the embassy's of the European Union host an "Open house" where they invite the public inside to experience the cultural of that country.  We started our day with at our favorite B&B in Takoma park, then rode the metro into the city.  We picked up an official European pamphlet which featured the location of the embassies as well as 8 spots to have "stamped" as we attempted the tour.

Let me begin by saying that the embassies are located all over D.C. There were four "groupings" by area on the pamphlet, and we began by heading out to Slovakia and Austria, which coincidentally are neighbors in D.C. as well as in Europe.  Walking through the doors of Slovakia, we were greeted with samples of homemade Haluski and from that moment, our enthusiasm caused us to tackle as many of the houses as our feet could handle. 

 
Security was extremely heightened, and we found ourselves standing in long lines waiting to go through metal detectors and have our coats and personal items searched by nearly every embassy.  That certainly took up a lot of time, but we met some delightful people while waiting in line. 

We ate Haluski in Slovakia, tasted pastries and coffee in Austria, had some Tokaj wine in Hungary where we also managed to pet some very cute Hungarian dogs.  Marty feasted on Czech Goulash while quenching his thirst with a Pilsner.  We were certain that Lithuania was our favorite embassy when we found ourselves being offered free beer, bread, cheese and chocolates, without having to go through a search at the door,  but then we headed to Poland and found ourselves with free Kielbasa, pierogies and beer.  Needless to say, a new favorite was found.

Marty and I managed to fill all 8 stamps, and actually visited two more, for a total of ten embassies. I think we passed "Go" a few times, but didn't collect $200.00.  Luckily we didn't end up in jail either!

Fun with Family & Fish: What more could you ask for?

Today the long anticipated meeting of Marty and my Slovak cousin, Mary, was fulfilled!   Mary is my fellow "Takach" family genealogist.  Her father and my grandmother were siblings, so we share the bond of tracing the family from Slovakia to Pennsylvania, and, lucky for me, Mary speaks and reads fluent Slovak, which has come in handy on many occasions!

Now that Marty and Mary are facebook friends, Marty felt that it was finally time for them to meet, and Mary was equally excited.  She welcomed us into her home where her lovely daughter, Diane, had prepared a delicious lunch for us.  You'll note Mary standing with me, holding a DQ Ice Cream Cake which was truly scrumptious!  What a real treat!

Marty and Mary really hit it off, and he is looking forward to a return trip sometime in the near future when we can spend a bit more time together.  Mary and I didn't even have time to delve into much genealogy!  We did talk a bit about last year's adventure to the town where Mary's parents grew up before emigrating, but there's much more that we need to catch up on before too much time slips by!

Since Mary lives only 5.4 miles from the Bass Pro Shops, Marty couldn't resist stopping in for a "quick" look.  Lucky for me, Sunday hours are only until 6:00 p.m., so we only had about 25 minutes to wander through the place, but he didn't waste any time checking out the items of most interest to him.

Marty sports his new Bass Pro Shops while sitting on a "Fish" Bench

I've decided that the next time that we make the trip to visit Mary, Marty will have to drop me off, so that Mary and I can really talk genealogy, and Marty can spend as much time as he likes in the Bass Pro Shops.  This way we'll both be able to enjoy our favorite things.

No offense to you, Mary.  I'm sure Marty likes you more than fish.  But he'd definitely put this place ahead of the genealogy.

Hanging with an Angel

Most of my posts as Gallivanting Geismom involve exciting adventures to fun and fabulous places, generally accompanied by my husband of 30+ years.  But today I offer you an entirely different experience to ponder. This weekend finds me in Peabody, MA attending a Granulosa Cell Tumor Symposium with my daughter, Stacey, at her request. We hopped in the car early Friday morning and made the drive to the hotel in just short of 8 hours.  We've been quite busy since we arrived and today was spent sitting in a conference room listening to a myriad of speakers offer their expertise surrounding the subject of Granulosa cell Tumors.  Now, one might find such a subject to be a bit less than exciting, but I can assure you that the day was filled with enthusiasm and Stacey and I found this event to be of great value.  We met with some fabulous doctors, all who had a wealth of information to offer to us. The above photo shows Stacey posing with Dr.Penson, a man whom we had only corresponded with via phone or e-mail, but the one person whom I consider directly responsible for directing us to the best possible care for Stacey.  He remembered her name as soon as he saw her namecard, and he was thrilled to pose with her for this photo.  Don't they both look fabulous?  If you look hard, I think you can spot a halo around his head. Attending this conference was probably one of the best decisions that we could have made.

Genealogy at its Best

Nearly six years ago, Marty and I stumbled upon a B&B on the North Side of Pittsburgh, called the Priory.   We celebrated our 25th anniversary there and enjoyed the close walking proximity to PNC Park as well as to the city of Pittsburgh.  As we explored the hotel, perusing through the on-site history books as well as the photos on the wall, we realized that the Priory was actually part of the Church and Benedictine Monastery where Marty's Dad and siblings had attended grade school while growing up.  A stroll around the neighborhood led us to the actual street where Josef Geisler, a tailor, set up his residence after he emigrated from the small town of Zell am Ziller. Matthias Geisler, Marty's grandpa, raised his family of eleven children just a block away.  It was great to see that both houses still stood on streets where the original Belgian Block roads intact.

Just about a year ago, the Priory purchased the building adjacent to theirs after it had been gutted by fire.  They added 17 rooms to the hotel and as part of their Grand Opening celebration, the Priory offered a room special to past customers.  The offer was "too good to refuse", and Marty and I decided to reserve a room for Saturday night.

We began our Saturday night retreat by attending Mass at Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, located on Troy Hill.  The church has genealogical significance to Marty's family as some of his relatives were baptized there in the late 1800's. We opted to have dinner at Max's Allegheny Tavern located on Suismon street, just a couple of  blocks from the original Geisler Homestead and down the street of the home of Leo Woelk. ( Leo's sister married Matthias).  Max's restaurant is in the original building that housed a hotel and restaurant as early as the 1860's. The venue is German and Viennese food, typical of the immigrants who immigrated to the area.

Marty enjoyed the four beer sampler of specialized brews from the restaurant.  Our food choices included Schnitzel Royale and Viennese Chicken, which came with side dishes of potato pancakes.  We ended up switching meals as the chicken that I ordered came with a sauce that was filled with green peppers. This seems to be the trend anymore when Marty and I go out.  They say that cats migrate to people who are allergic to them.  I seem to have the same penchant with green peppers.  Luckily, Marty is happy to switch meals when this occurs.  The food was fabulous.

As part of the Priory hotel special, we found a dozen fresh Roses in the room as well as a chilled bottle of Champagne  and Priory Baker sweets.  So, we sipped our Champagne while enjoying a delectable mini cheesecake and chocolates.  I'm willing to bet that none of Geisler family relatives partook of such delicacies, but I, for one, am thrilled to have had this opportunity. Marty is certainly not complaining either!

Celebrating Spring

On this beautiful first day of Spring,  I realized that one does not have to travel far to experience adventure worth sharing.  Today, Marty and I decided to drive through the countryside to Annville, PA to the Allen Theater to view a showing of "The King's Speech".
The drive is certainly a familiar one, made countless times on our way to and from Lebanon Valley College in years past.  But, it has been awhile since we traveled this route, and I'm happy to say that the scenery continues to be as unspoiled as in the past, full of farms, many with signs featuring an inspirational reading from the New Testament, either on a placard by the mailbox, or painted in brilliant white on a dark blue silo.
Our travels took us back to the Allen Theater, a single stage theater with an old fashioned appeal.  It kind of reminds me of the Beaver theater where I remember going a few times as a little girl, but I do believe that that theater is long gone.  The Allen Theater was renovated with a state of the art sound system and crystal clear projection which adds to the entire experience.
Where else can you pay $6.00 for a ticket to enjoy not only a movie in plush, comfy seats, but pre-movie entertainment while you wait for the showing to begin?  Today's talent featured a young man playing classical music on a violin with background music piped through the sound system.   When the young man was finished, the audience was greeted personally by the owner who offered a "satisfaction guaranteed" experience.  At this point, your eyes are drawn to the stage to await the opening of the red velvet curtains when the performance begins.   Marty and I rarely see  movies in the theater, probably because we are spoiled by these personal touches at the Allen Theater.

Today's showing of the "The King's Speech" was spectacular.  I highly recommend this film which is based on a true story of King George VI of Great Britain.  The scenery, music, and attention to details make this movie well worth seeing.  Colin Firth's performance is deserving of the Oscar which he received.   I prefer "happy ending" movies, and this one was no disappointment.  The musical score at the end only added to the pleasure that I felt as we exited the theater.

On our way back home from the theater, we stopped in Cornwall at the BlueBird Inn for dinner.  They had 14 types of beer on tap to choose from, but Marty finally settled on the Yuengling Bach which he found quite tasty.  I decided to treat myself to a "Frozen Leprechaun" which was "magically delicious", despite the lack of Lucky Charms.  We had the dining area practically to ourselves and dinner was fabulous.  I chose the pistachio-encrusted chicken topped with melted brie, served on wild rice with a light Bing cherry sauce, while Marty ordered the Whiskey Salmon over browned butter & bacon Risotto.  It's a good thing that we both decided to take a hike through the neighborhood prior to our leaving, since I'm certain that we consumed way too many calories today!

Wild times in Western Arizona

Finally, Marty and I got to enjoy some sun in the morning before the Wild crew showed up to meet the Pa cousins. These folks sure do know how to have a Wild time, befitting of their surname.  The house was filled with babies:  six month twins, Indigo and Marley and nine month old Mackenzie, three little girls who surely have melted their grandparents' hearts, that's for sure.  Cousins came wandering in throughout the day, but not before we managed to check out some of the Glendale highlights, including a local candy store where one can actually see the employees hard at work dipping the chocolate.
The day was surely a sweet one in more ways than one.
It's a darn good thing that we managed to soak up some of the sun's rays because the news from home tells me that we will be heading back to a cold winter wonderland tomorrow evening.

Memories for a lifetime

Let me begin by saying that I do appreciate the concern voiced from my friends regarding my possible encounter with the netherworld last evening.  I will embarrassingly admit that I awoke every hour to look at the clock and tuck my head back under the covers and was relieved to have made it through the night without incident.  Marty, of course, had quite a bit of fun with the whole adventure, and you can witness his antics for yourself here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/5461163989/in/set-72157626091359986/

The morning brought bright sunshine and we headed off to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on the way to Phoenix.  We were lucky to be able to walk the main path which offered sensational views as well as some interesting birds who entertained us on our journey around the park.  We hopped in the car and headed to Scottsdale just as the rain began to torrent upon us once again.

We pulled into Scottsdale just as the blue skies began to appear as the clouds finally rolled out of town.  Here we spent some time with my cousin, Tina, and her husband David. Neither of us has met the "husbands" as our last encounter must have been nearly 36 years ago.  We had a great time catching up and sharing fun stories, wondering how the years had slipped by so quickly.

But we soon said our fond farewells, and Marty and I found ourselves basking in the sun as we headed off to the home of my high school "best friend" Tammy, who, as you can see from the photo, looks as wonderful as ever.  The hours flew by way too fast as we caught up on memories, enjoyed a delightful meal,  and shared so many laughs......just like old times.  It's funny how the years can go by with so little contact, but in a brief time together, we just reconnect as if we'd seen each other just yesterday.  How wonderful it was to rekindle the bond from time gone by.  It was certainly the perfect ending to our on the road adventure in Arizona.  We came to escape the cold, and although the weather did not accommodate us on that request, the warmth that we felt from the welcomes that we received certainly made up for any lapses from Mother Nature.

Tomorrow is sure to guarantee warmer temperatures and lots of action as we spend the day at the Wild Homestead in Glendale. I'll keep you posted.

Traveling Backwards in Globe

Pictured above is Marty and myself aboard the Copper Spike Railroad Dome Car leaving from Globe, Arizona. Just for the record, it is certainly well worth staying in this old mining town since it offers easy access to roads offering unbelievable views of canyons and Tonto National Forest, but let's face it, when the sun goes down, there really isn't much to do in Globe.  I had stumbled upon the website for this train excursion and decided that it would be fun and so I reserved the tickets, and we were certainly not disappointed.  We came to Arizona to escape the cold and found ourselves in the pouring rain with temps hovering around 50 degrees, so this train escape certainly was timed perfectly for the day.
Since the restaurant choices in Globe are pretty bleak, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to enjoy lunch while admiring the scenery from the windows.  We still managed to have a great time despite the raindrops on the windows and the haze from the rain.  The cabin is very plush, the staff was exceptionally friendly, and the music was from the 40's era, which seemed to be appropriate as we found ourselves in the presence of many "snowbirds" who flock to Arizona when the cold weather hits in other parts of the country.  It took two hours to make the trip over a mere 24 miles total round trip.
Upon our return we need only to walk across the street to the Holy Angels Catholic Church built in 1918 for Mass. Afterwards, since lunch was quite substantial, we decided to just munch on some snacks from the local grocery store in our room and relax.
Marty began asking me some questions about the B&B school where we are staying, and I did a quick search on google to find the history.  Big mistake!  I was soon delving into articles featuring paranormal activity in the very room where we are staying.  Although I must say that we made it through last night without incident, Marty has spent the evening finding all kinds of creepy u-tube videos and sightings regarding this place, so I can't predict what tonight will bring.  Going back in time on the train was definitely a pleasant experience, but sleeping in a supposedly haunted schoolroom is something that I think I can do without.  I suppose that I'll just have to leave you guess until you hear from me tomorrow.  Hopefully.......
In the meantime, be sure to check out the flickr pages from today's adventures. The rainbow over the Salt River Canyon was certainly a lucky shot.

Arizona and an Apache Trail Adventure

Our day began with a trip to the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix.  As we walked to the entrance, Marty was amazed at the beautiful cacti sparkling a shiny green, until I informed him that they were glass.  Chihuly glass, to be exact.  Not the first of his works that I've seen, and I'm sure that it won't be the last.  The shiny, pointy structures were indeed, quite beautiful, but paled in comparison to the amazing Sonoran Desert scenes that we would wander through in the Gardens.
After touring the gardens, we drove off to Apache Junction, a turn onto Highway 88, and we soon found ourself on the Apache Trail.  The vistas along the road were amazing. We weren't on the road long when we spotted flashing lights, and it was obvious that someone had taken the curve a bit too fast and had rolled off the side into some cactus.  Two people were crawling out of the open top of the sports car, and they were fortunate that they had not rolled off where there had been a very steep drop off, and that the car had come to a stop fairly close to the highway.  The scene was just what I needed to assure that Marty took this drive seriously and kept his eyes on the road.
We stopped for lunch at Tortilla Flat and there must have been a retirement special since the place was loaded with seniors.  But, lucky for us, they traveled in small groups, and since we were a couple, we were seated right away.  The restaurant was interesting, with dollar bills pasted all over the ceiling and walls.  There is definitely a lot of money invested in that place!  The saddle seats at the bar and the boar with the sunglasses hanging on the wall only added to the ambiance of the place.  We couldn't pass on a prickly pear cactus ice cream cone before heading off to the real challenge of the trail.
A few miles past Tortilla Flat, the road turned from pavement to dirt and the rest of the trail  was certainly a challenge with hair pin turns and several one lane bridges, not to mention the fact that some of the road was  not wide enough for two cars to pass.  All in all, we handled the drive well, but I was certainly happy to reach pavement once again.  It took a couple of hours to drive 20 miles and I found myself rejoicing everytime we passed another mile marker on the way.
The drive from the Roosevelt Dam to Globe was through the Tonto National Forest.  The vistas there were equally remarkable, with rolling hills of green cacti on either side of the highway.  Fortunately, I had printed up driving directions since our GPS unit was thoroughly confused.  and we managed to arrive safely at our destination in Globe. We are staying in an old school house, built in the early 1900's,  that was converted to a B&B. Let's just say that we are "learning" a lot about the area! Be sure to check out the flickr photos.

Slovak Camaradarie

While gallivanting through Slovakia in May, Marty and I stopped in the town of Zavar where we found my gr.grandfather's grave.  Once I returned home, I began searching for more information pertaining to my heritage.  I contacted a couple of people on facebook who looked like possible connections.  The one young man was definitely related and I was able to determine that his grandfather and my father are first cousins.  My other query led to a Mrena family living in Finland.  They had, indeed, emigrated from Slovakia, and this man's sister, Marcela,  was living only about an hour from my home.

My information was passed onto Marcela, and within no time I was speaking with this extremely entertaining woman, who is convinced that we are related.  It is certainly hard to resist her enthusiasm, particularly when she is excitedly speaking to me in her thick Slovak accent.  I promised her that we would get together, and tonight was the opportunity that she was waiting for.

We drove to her home where we were greeted with hugs and welcomed as if we were best friends.  Amy was along for this adventure, and believe me, she'd have quite a story to share with you regarding our visit. We heard family stories that had us howling.  Marcela's husband, Villo,  is from Denmark with Canadian citizenship.  The emigrated during the Communist regime, and although they were permitted to return to the country for visits, they were under extreme scrutiny by the Czechoslovakian authorities.  When Marcela's mother died, and she wanted to return to Slovakia, the authorities would not issue Villo a Visa for entrance into the country because his passport showed a photo with him sporting a beard that he had shaved off.  So, Marcela and Villo came up with the idea of using Marcela's hair to fashion a beard on Villo's face.  As she told the story, she mentioned that she was not sure what they should use to secure the hair.  They had considered superglue, but decided against it.  Then, honey came up as an option, but she thought that would be way too sticky.  They decided to use regular school glue to adhere the hair to his face.  She showed us a photo, and I must admit, it sure looked convincing to me!  Apparently the authorities thought as well, because they issued the visa to Villo, and while he was in the country, he was able to grow a real beard to satisfy them when it was time for them to leave.
It was heartwarming to hear these two people laugh about an incident that must have been quite traumatic for them at the time, since Marcela had been very close to her mother and had missed the opportunity to be with her when she died, due to the rules that the authorities had established.

Another entertaining moment was when we were issued into the dining room for dinner, and Marcela proceeded to crawl under the dining room table while we watched in wonder.  She came out with  a hammer in her hand.  Apparently, a hammer under the table on Christmas Eve assures good health throughout the year.  Who knew?

We enjoyed a delicious Slovak dinner of sliced potatoes with onions, pork tenderloin and roast tenderloin sandwiched in between.  Marcela and her husband were so welcoming, you'd have thought that they had known us for years!  So, are we related?  Marcela will tell you that the Mrena surname is extremely unusual and that there are only a few of us out in the world.  I can tell you that I have traced back the name to my gr.gr.grandfather, and so far, I can't see the tie between her family and mine.  So, if we are related, the relationship would be fairly distant.  But, if this woman is so excited thinking that we are blood relatives, why ruin her fun?  After all, she just may be correct in her assumption.  Only time will tell.

God Bless Us, Everyone!

Barbara with Katarina

What a wonderful day we had, despite the chilling cold. Marty and I bundled up early, and headed out on the metro to the Cathedral of St. Matthew, the apostle.  The church takes your breath away as soon as you enter the doors as it is filled with beautiful mosaic inlays throughout.  Right below the altar, there is an inscription in the marble in memory to President Kennedy, whose funeral mass was held here.  The choir was comprised of a large number of young men & women whom I suspect are music majors at the local colleges.  The melodies, accompanied by the huge church organ, sounded like angels from heaven.  We left Mass uplifted, and headed back on the metro to the Slovak Embassy.

After a walk up a long hill, in the freezing cold, we were warmly welcomed by Slovaks, and, with Marty wearing his pin, "Smile if you're Slovak", there was no lack of enthusiasm there.  We had a wonderful Slovak meal, and, of course, the appearance of Sv. Miklus, which was the purpose of the party.  In addition, we were entertained by a very talented Slovak musical group, who sang along with playing the accordian, bass, two violins and a symbal.  A great time was had by all.

Back on the metro, and we headed to Ford's Theater to see the production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story ".  We probably had the best seats in the house, in the center of the balcony, front row.  Who could ask for more?  The production was definitely the best that I have ever seen.  If you are in the area, and have the opportunity to see this show, I highly recommend it.  Of course, the basic plot is the one that we are all familiar with, but the poetic license that enhances the performance was definitely unique.  I was impressed with the choice of music stressing the real meaning of Christmas with the majority of the songs dealing with the birth of Christ.  It was certainly a fabulous performance and Tiny Tim said it best with that familiar phrase, "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

Wanderings in the Nation's Capital

We began our day at the House of Sweden in Georgetown, where we enjoyed a delectable lunch  as well as a taste of Swedish Glog, which offered quite a punch! We then headed off into the city  in search of the National Christmas Tree.  

We had read that it had been transported from Vermont, and we were eager to view the finished product standing near the White House.  We exited the Metro and began the hike down to the Visitor's center, where we were told that all the Visitor Centers had been cut by the federal government, but for one:  The White House Visitor Center. We hiked on over, only to find it closed for the day.  So, we decided to head off on our own, thinking that such a large tree would be easily found.

One of the obvious changes since our last visit to the capital, was the increase in barricades and road closures, particularly around the White House.  After pounding the pavement for several blocks, we finally managed to make our way nearly the whole way around the White House when we spotted a Menorah in the distanced.  Marty was sure that the tree would be nearby, and so we headed in that direction when I spotted what looked like a pretty sorry looking tree.  I honestly did not believe that what I was gazing upon was this infamous Vermont tree of which I had read.  But, Marty asked a security guard who confirmed, with a smile, that it was, indeed the tree, and that its official lighting ceremony is scheduled for Dec.9.  I'm hoping that it stays standing that long, because right now it looks like it wants to mimic the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

Although the tree was quite a disappointment, the rest of the evening was quite the opposite.  We headed to the beautifully decorated Willard Hotel where we listened to a beautiful choral group singing Christmas carols in the lobby.  Right next door was an absolutely wonderful French Restaurant where we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner.  After all of the walking that we did, we didn't even feel guilty enjoying dessert!
Be sure to check out the flickr photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157625405513275/

Gallivanting through New Jersey

I hadn't planned on blogging about yesterday's adventure.  But, there was a comment made by my mother yesterday that compelled me to take  the few minutes to post an amusing story.
Our morning began spending quality time with my brother and his family before taking off to make the trip home.  Our plans were to break up the trip by visiting Becky and Jon who had graciously offered to make us lunch.  Marty had spoken with Jon the night before to get directions since we has always approached their place from the opposite direction.
Once we hit the northern New Jersey line, we knew that the fun driving was over.  I'm sure that the traffic was compounded by the fact that it is Thanksgiving week and holiday shopping was in full force, plus it was lunch time.  As I attempted to direct Marty, it became quite obvious that the given route number did not exist.  It seemed as if we were driving in circles, there was no mercy from the New Jersey drivers when it came to shifting lanes or yielding, so we pulled over into a parking lot to call Becky for help.  While Marty was talking with Becky, and my dad was commenting that he thought that these kind of things only happen to them, my mother put her hand on my shoulder and said, "We're out gallivanting, aren't we?" I agreed wholeheartedly and decided that it was worth posting on the blog.
As you can see by the photo, we arrived safe and sound at our destination, had a wonderful visit, and headed home later in the day, none the worse for the wear, although I think my parents have had enough gallivanting adventures to last them awhile.

Alive with the Spirit

Today was truly a spectacular day as we witnessed the baptism of my brother's youngest baby, Rose. The ceremony was held in the same church where her parents were married nearly 18 years ago.  My brother drove his family for two straight days to the home of his in-laws for this special occasion, so that more of the family could be in attendance.  We were fortunate to be able to drive my parents so that we, too, could witness this blessed event.
And what a special occasion for Rose, who had her 97 and 93 year old great grandmothers in attendance! Both great grandma's were certainly excited to be able to attend the ceremony.
Rose's grandparents opened their home for us to continue our celebration, and Marty and I had a grand time playing with Rose as well as enjoying our nieces and nephews.
Rose is certainly a sweetheart of a baby, and we heard barely a peep of complaint out of her the entire day.  When she does begin to complain, she has five older siblings who do not hesitate to rush to her side to see what kind of antic they can try to entertain her.  Can't ask for much more than that, can you?
What made the day even more special for me was seeing Rose dressed in the lovely heirloom dress that I had so painstakingly made for my godchild, Abigail, Rose's eldest sister, nearly 12 years ago.  I learned today that the same dress had been worn by Brigid, as well as two of their cousins.  It has become a special family heirloom, and I was so touched to know that so many baby girls had worn the dress that I had made, and that it was now considered to be a tradition in that family.
Yes, it was definitely a special family day, filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and Marty and I feel so blessed to have been able to play a part in it.
Don't forget to check out the photos on flickr.

The Newest Mrenna Adventure

Dinner at Apricot Pub

Tomorrow, the newest Mrenna baby, Rose, will be baptized in Connecticut.  Marty and I decided to make the trip to join in the festivities, and we have Mom and Dad along for the ride with us. They behaved beautifully on the 4 1/2 hour drive, and never asked one time, "are we almost there yet?"  At one point, Marty thought that he needed to be in charge of the heat in the backseat, but I convinced  him that my parents were capable of handling the backseat controls. 

We stopped at the Connecticut welcome center, and while we were stretching out our legs, a Ford Expedition Limousine pulled into the parking lot.  The doors opened and about a dozen young men and women came popping out of the door and headed to the facilities.  Just about the same time, my dad was heading down the walk, and he couldn't resist starting up a conversation with the limo driver.  The driver was having a grand time answering all of Dad's questions.  Suddenly, I heard the driver ask my dad if he wanted  to take it for a drive.  Marty and I exchanged worried glances, but Dad decided to decline the offer.  Thank goodness for that, because Marty and I didn't know we'd be explaining to Mom just what happened to Dad if he suddenly disappeared in a limo!

We rolled into our hotel around 4:00 this afternoon, and we headed into town where we enjoyed a marvelous dinner at Apricot's Pub.  All of our dinners were fabulous, and the owner was happy to take a photo of all of us around the table.  So far, we're having a grand time and we're certainly looking forward to the festivities tomorrow!

A fun time at the Pittsburgh Slovak Festival

Ever since our wonderful trip to Slovakia, Marty and I have enjoyed spending time hanging out with Slovaks, eating great Slovak food, listening to Slovak music and talking with many interesting individuals who share our love of this culture. This weekend added to the experience as we attended the Slovak festival held in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.  The festival is only four hours long, but packed with a variety of entertainment, and scrumptious food at a very reasonable price.  The photo of today's blog features Marty with Jozef Ivasko signing the CD that Marty purchased.  We had seen Jozef perform in New Jersey in September and we found ourselves amazed at his energy and his obvious love of Slovakia. When Jozef began his singing career, Slovakia was under communist rule.  His lyrics were considered to be controversial and his songs were banned by the communist government.  Jozef was forced to flee to Vienna so that he could pursue his singing career.

He is quite the entertainer, dressed in his native attire, still attempting to woo the audience, with the ladies loving every minute.   When his performance began, he spotted an elderly woman in a wheelchair who was dressed in her Slovak finery and obviously enjoying every minute of his singing.  She was 95 years old, and her daughter had placed her in the front row for the performance.  Knowing that her mother was quite happy watching the entertainment, the daughter sneaked off to take a peek at some of the beautiful Slovak items that were featured in the displays around the perimeter of the room. As Jozef began singing, he grabbed the elderly woman's wheelchair, and wheeled her  into the performance area with him.  She was having the time of her life, shaking her hands to the music, absolutely loving all of the attention.  In the meantime, I noticed that her daughter was making her way back to the spot where she had left her mother.  There was obvious  panic in her face as she scanned the audience looking for any sign of her mother.  I realized that this woman had no idea that her mother was on the floor with Jozef.  I caught her eye, and I pointed to the floor where her mother was still having a grand time singing along with Jozef.  The woman let out a huge sigh of relief, came over to me, shaking her head and said, "I thought to myself, 'Surely, no one would taken Mother!'" I thought I'd share the fun by inserting a video clip of this event.

You can find more videos and photos of the Slovak fun on my flickr site which is featured at the bottom of my blog.

Dobre Rano

Good morning!  (in Slovak). I'm posting this photo taken at 7:30 this morning, just prior to breakfast and our heading off to the Slovak Fesitval in Holmdel, NJ.
Well, the day was certainly an exciting one.  One would have thought that we were in Slovakia once we arrived at the PNC Bank Arts center in Holmdel, because most of the people walking around were speaking Slovak, including little children!  Who would have thought that so many Slovaks would be living in the New Jersey area?

We began the day by attending mass, which was completely in Slovak.  The Bishop of Kosice was the presider, giving no less than a half hour sermon in Slovak, and I felt better about myself when the lady sitting next to me began nodding off about 20 minutes into the sermon.  I must admit, though, that the exuberance exhibited by Slovaks gathered for this celebration was infectious.  I'll bet that the voices in Slovak song could be heard throughout the hills of New Jersey.    The Mass itself, last on hour 45 minutes, extended by yet another speech by the visiting Bishop, once again, entirely in Slovak.  There was quite a bit of smiling and chuckling among the crowd, so I can only presume that Fr. Bober was entertaining in his speech.  No one was in a rush to leave the tent, despite the length of time.

One of the highlights of the day was the presence of the Slovak President at the festival.  He was surrounded by several body guards, yet he took the time to walk around the tent where many people sat during the opening ceremonies.  Marty snapped a great photo of him, which I will post some time in the future.

We ate Slovak food and watched some very entertaining Slovak singers and dancers.  The weather was comfortable and cool, and we were fortunate that there was no rain, since the event is held outdoors.

We decided to spend the evening at the B&B, relaxing, and finishing last evening's scrumptious cake that we had brought home from the play house.  All in all, it was surely a super Slovak Day!

Floatin' down the River

Loving all things Slovak (well, maybe not all, but a lot), we decided that it would be fun to make the trip to the Annual Slovak Festival held in Holmdel New Jersey.  One of my fellow Slovak genealogists whom I help out at the FHC had told me what a great time this festival was, so on the calendar went the mark for Sunday, Sept.26.
Since Holmdel, NJ is a few hours from home, we thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to relax this weekend, so I booked a room at the Isaac Hilliard House in Pemberton, NJ,  about an hour away from the festival.
Our adventures began in the  Pinelands in  Wharton, NJ, where Marty and I rented a double kayak and floated along the Wading river for nearly two hours.  The water was smooth, and actually rather shallow and there were several spots where one could have easily waded, as the name implies. But there were a couple of times where I worried about getting impaled by a fallen tree limb.  I realized after short time, that since I was in the front, I could not keep an eye on what Marty was actually looking at, so, after fighting off a few trees nearly in my face which resulted in some annoying comments directed towards Marty,  he finally  caught on to the fact that he needed to pay more attention.  All of the lovely photos that I found on his camera card later verified my suspicions that he was not actually paying attention to the river ahead.  Moral of the story:  sit in the back of the kayak.  
For the most part, the trip down the river was pretty relaxing.  The only wildlife that we spotted was a turtle on a  log, basking in the sun which I decided to feature as  my blog photo.

After our trip down the river, we headed to our B&B in Pemberton.  We had dinner at a lovely Italian Restaurant in New Holly.  For some added fun, we decided to attend a play at a local playhouse just a block down the street from our B&B..   The name of the Play was "All in the Timing" by David Ives, and it was a series of short one-act plays.  We had been warned that the language was strongly adult, and we were worried what awaited us, but were pleasantly surprised to find that we had heard much worse language in some movies that we had watched in the past.  In addition to the performance, you could purchase dessert and coffee at the intermission, which everyone in the small theater had opted for.  Much to our surprise the size of our dessert was humoungous, and Marty and I couldn't help but laughing at the size of it.  Everyone was handed a bag for takeout, as it appears that no one can actually finish the dessert due to the size.  That was certainly the icing on the cake, as they say.

Rekindling Memories

On Saturday, Marty and I attended the Pitt vs. New Hampshire game in Pittsburgh.  Admittedly, the experience was quite different than those from our younger days.  I remember looking forward to Saturday home game days, trudging up "Cardiac Hill" to the back of the old stadium where the Student section entrance was located.  Back then we had benches to huddle on, but I don't recall sitting much.  We had a great time regardless of the weather, and it was a refreshing break for me, from my stringent engineering curriculum.
Today, the Peterson event center stands in the spot of the old stadium, and the University football team shares Heinz Field with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  This means that students now hop busses into the North Side rather than walking to the stadium.  There is much hoopla along the river front with games and DJ's offering entertainment.  Everyone, including the students, is guaranteed an actual seat rather than having masses huddled together.  The entire experience is filled with constant visual stimulation.

From the grand entrance of the Pitt Band to the emergence of the players from the locker room, one cannot help but be caught up in the excitement.   When the Pitt players enter the "red zone", the two Heinz ketchup bottles above the scoreboard flip open their lids, and they begin to tilt downward, getting ready to pour red streams which "fill up" the scoreboard with red, in anticipation of a touchdown.

I'm sure that the fans never tire of hearing the bottles opening!  At least I know that I didn't!

But, what I found the most fun was the entire stadium, at the end of the third quarter, breaking into song along with Neil Diamond, singing out "Sweet Caroline". Words cannot describe the experience.

It was obvious that the regular crowd waited for this big moment and there was no timidness among the ranks of those singing.  And, of course, we certainly had to join in!
Back in our younger days, Pitt was ranked #1 and Tony Dorset was the star of our college days.  But, I have to tell you, attending a Pitt game today is a whole lot more fun than what it used to be.  But, then again, I don't have to worry about cracking open "the books" to study later in the day, either.  That automatically makes it more fun!

Last Day at the Beach

This morning was, once again, a glorious beginning to the day.  Marty and I walked down to the beach to see the sunrise.  It was just past high tide, and Marty decided that he would do some fishing while the beach was empty.  He immediately caught a 15 inch flounder which we will enjoy, once again, for dinner.
I forgot to mention the spotting of dolphins, yesterday, as they swam north along the water.  This morning, Marty and I spotted dolphins, considerably closer to the shore, traveling south, this time.  You can see a shot that I managed to capture on my flickr site.
The water was crystal clear and warm, once again, and I even ventured out to do some boogie-boarding with Marty.  I could see Amy, camera in hand,  waiting for me to come riding in on a wave, but I must tell you that I had to leave her disappointed.
The last day at the beach is always a bit of a bummer.  We enjoyed the day to the fullest, but we needed to get back to clean up the house and pack the car for an early departure in the morning. 
As the kids used to say when they were young, "I didn't have enough fun yet!"

A Perfect Day at the Beach

You certainly can't ask for a better day at the beach then what we were blessed to have today.
The sky was a brilliant blue, the weather not too hot.  The water was considerably warmer than yesterday and crystal clear. I even ventured out into the surf for awhile and was amazed that I could see the bottom of the ocean despite walking out quite a distance from the shore.
The kids built a large sand castle in the afternoon, and later in the day, Marty and Jim had one of the most exciting fishing days at the beach.  You can see lots of fish photos on my flickr site.

At first, Amy and I began to question whether or not Marty was catching the same fish over and over, as it looked suspiciously similar each time he reeled one in.  He caught several mullets, some spots and a few flounder, one big enough to cook up for dinner.

This final catch caused some excitement, having broken the line on the rod.  He was flopping all over the beach, and for a brief moment I feared that Mr. Flounder was going to flop right back into the surf (which he actually did at one point, but Marty luckily had quick hands) and get washed right back into the ocean.  But we managed to barricade the guy until Jim was able to retrieve a bucket for us to pop him into.

Marty filleted the flounder and Jim cooked up some tasty fried flounder fillets for dinner. I don't think that you could ask for a better day at the beach.  But we still have tomorrow, so who knows?

The day was just Ducky

Feast your eyes upon the excitement of the day:  Amy and her nephew sporting their
"Duckwear". The evening ended up rainy again, but we never seem to run out of rainy day fun options to keep us entertained.

I tagged along with Marty and Amy as they went kayaking in the sound.  I struck up an interesting conversation with a 10 year old boy who was apparently a blue crab-catching expert.  He was sure to give me all of the ins and outs and tips on how to catch these creatures.  I spied what he had managed to catch that morning, and those crabs were huge!

After heading back to the house, I eventually headed down to the beach for a little while, and watched Marty pull in a flapping croaker.  Once that fish heard that he would make great bait, there was no holding onto him.  He flopped out of Marty's hands three times, but I did manage to get at least one photo.  Marty tells me that he caught three more croakers, but I had headed up to the house by that point. The weather was drizzly and overcast, so the girls and I decided to venture out into the town for a bit, where we picked up the shirt to match Amy's from last year.

We had a wonderful in-house dinner again this evening, and the entertainment was a game called "Munchkin" which Jim thinks is the best game ever.  I can't say that the girls and I agree with his review.  Stacey ended up winning, with me as a close second, but, somehow, all kinds of rules ended up surfacing just when I thought I had the game in my hand.  But it's not winning that counts anyway, is it?

Or course not.  That is why my kids are once again playing a game of Canasta, accusing each other of cheating as the game continues, putting Jim primarily in the wrong.  What else is new?

Here Fishy fishy....

This morning, as we sat on the beach watching the waves crashing on the shore, enjoying the beautiful weather, Marty decided to share his fishing strategy with me. He and  Jim had noticed that the water was quite cold, and there seemed to be a drop in the ocean floor just a few feet out from the shoreline.  The combination of the cold water with the extra depth so close to the shoreline would most certainly result in perfect fishing conditions just after high tide.
(Little did they know that the weather would change to overcast with an impending storm on the horizon, sealing the fate for several hungry fishies. )
Their sharp, decisive analysis resulted in Jim pulling in two flounder, one munching on his finger with its very sharp razor like teeth while Jim attempted to remove the hook, and for Marty:  one croaker, a pompano, and two flounder.
The best memory of the day for me, was turning around to see Marty walking towards me with one hand holding his rod with  a Pompano attached while his other hand was grasping a wriggling flounder. as if he decided to just grab it in the ocean.  It turned out that he had actually caught two fish simultaneously, and that the one had broken loose from the line, and Marty had grabbed it in his hand. 
I had suggested that Marty just keep the Pompano on the hook as is, and throw it back out into the ocean as bait.  It made sense to me that this fish would be perfect in attracting a larger catch, but my suggestion was scoffed at by the two apparent pros. 
This is probably why I don't fish. For those of you who share my lack of fishing enthusiasm,  the rest of the day was certainly interesting with thunderstorms rolling in. We sat in the loft room and watched the lightning strike all around us while the rain pelleted the windows.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I hear that there is a strong possibility that we will not be enjoying the sunrise or the sunset.  Perhaps I'll take my brother's suggestion and try to sleep in.

Mullet

Another beautiful day here in Duck.  The weather was hot, but if you got close enough to the water, the breeze was delightfully cool.  The ocean, itself, was surprisingly cold, and little Finn was not too crazy about getting his tootsies wet.
But I certainly had a great day hanging out with the little guy.
Here's the up to date fishing report for Dad:(see photos on flickr below)  Marty caught a large mullet and a flounder, both of which he threw back.  Jim caught a bluefish and a smaller mullet.  He kept the mullet to use for bait, which actually replaces the mullet that they used to catch the mullet.   Got that?
Luckily we weren't counting on these guys to supply dinner.  We feasted on an excellent Roasted Chicken with home made stuffing and corn on the cob from our garden.  For dessert:  Paul Neuman cake.  I don't know how the guy got a cake named after him, but it sure is great stuff!
As I write this the kids are having a grand time fighting over the rules to a game that they are enjoying.  We're having a blast!


 

Sunrise.... Sunset

Here you see a photo of last evening's sunset over the sound.  Beautiful, isn't it?  The house that we are renting in Duck, NC has a unique and smart layout with the bedrooms on the center floor and the living area on the top floor.  A short staircase takes you to a small loft, which is surrounded on three sides by windows, offering the guest the view of the ocean in one direction, and the sound from the other.  Today's photo was taken through glass in this room.  Really, you can't ask for much more.
The only downside to this place is the large spider population.  And I mean that in both contexts.  Large in numbers and large in size.  Can't say that I've seen spiders this large in real life, other than the ones the kids made in gradeschool out of playdough and pipe cleaners. 
Jim, Stacey , Marty and I were sitting in the hot tub last night, when we noticed that we were surrounded by webs with gigantic spiders in the middle.  When the one above Marty's head decided to play Tarzan, swinging up and down at random, Stacey and I decided it was time for our exit.  Amy never even made it into the hot tub, having arrived just as we were scrambling to get out.  She was more than happy to  make an exit with us.
Curiously enough, the spiders and their webs were absent in the daylight, making me wonder just where they packed up their bags and hid for the day.  Perhaps I'm better off not knowing.
The weather has been beautiful, although the surf is a bit rough for swimming.  But we had a delightful day just hanging out on the beach enjoying the sunshine, and relaxing in the house spending some quality family time together.  Add that to chasing a baby on the move, and one couldn't ask for a more perfect day.

Rain is Stupid, But Sometimes Humorous

Well we certainly had yet another adventurous day, gallivanting near our old stomping grounds here in the Pittsburgh area. Our morning adventures took us to the Oakmont Bakery where we marveled at the delicacies featured in this grand place located in the quaint town of Oakmont, PA. People were lined up by the dozens, waiting for their number to be called, to place an order with one of the cheery young ladies working there. We had to wait through twenty numbers until ours was called, but we needed the time to decide just what yummy items we wanted to bring home to enjoy.
Once our minds were made up, we headed over to Jim and Heather's place for a bit, before heading to Stacey's for a quick swim in the pool and some hot dogs on the grill. The weather was extremely hot, even for the pool, so we relaxed at Stacey's in the cool comfort of air conditioning, until Marty's brother, Steve, showed up with the family to join Marty and me for the Pirate Game. Marty had bought tickets for us to go at a crazy price of $4.00 each. One of the perks of the game was that the Steve Miller band would be playing after the game.
When Marty mentioned that this band was playing after the game, the memories of our last exposure to this band came flooding back. It was in the heat of August, at the Bethlehem Musicfest, and we had free tickets from some corporate sponsor. I wasn't exactly thrilled about attending, but went along because Marty was eager to go.
The weather was hot and steamy, and our seats were in folding chairs out in the lawn. The performance began right around dusk. The band played a few songs before the weather decided to bless us with rain. Before long, the rain picked up, and there was thundering and lightening all around us. The band was in the middle of a song when the power zapped out for a brief moment, and then all the music came back up again, and Steve Miller continued to play. Then, when the lightening struck again, the concert was called to a complete halt.
Marty and I found ourselves walking through ankle deep water, in the pouring rain, and I felt the need to stop into the restroom, and wring out my underwear before continuing to the bus that would shuttle us to our car. We were about as wet as someone who jumped into a pool of water would be.
Well, the story was certainly memorable for years, and I had just shared this with Mark, Susie and Sarah last evening when we were talking about seeing the band tonight.
So, we headed off around 5:00 for the game, in the extreme heat, bought dinner at the ballpark, and found ourselves seated comfortably in peanut heaven just as game time began. The Pirates were playing well through five innings, and the full moon began to rise over the city.
Soon, I noticed that the moon disappeared. San Diego began getting runs, and the next thing we knew, there was a rain delay. But we were comfortably dry up in the cheap seats, waiting for the game to presume. After about 30 minutes, the delay was stopped, and the Pirates went on to lose the game.
The field was set up for the Steve Miller band, and now, it was 11:15 p.m., and he was just beginning to perform. The band played through a few songs, and then the rain began, and we found ourselves watching this man playing in the rain just as he had 5 years ago. The security team was trying to get him to quit playing, but he insisted that the show would go on.
Once again, we were listening to the band, when lightening struck around the stadium, and Steve Miller decided to sing just one more song, and then quit the show. We all applauded at his efforts, and began the walk out of the stadium to our car, in the pouring rain.
Marty and I found ourselves soaking wet, only not so wet as to require the extreme measures of five years ago. We both decided that if we ever see Steve Miller Band again, it will have to be inside, because it would be nice to see an entire performance without having to worry about squishing our way to the car on the way home!
Be sure to check out the flickr photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157624571044178/