Relief

A week of camping on the beach in South Carolina and a weekend in Southport was just what we needed to start the summer.  Elisha graduated from college on May 18th and Andrew and I left that evening for a nice relaxing and much needed vacation.

 She did it. BA in Art (Visual Communications) Art History minor

 Celebrating our anniversary on the beach

 Nolan meets the ocean

 Our 73 pop up camper still doing the job

 Edisto Beach

 2nd turtle nesting site of this season on this beach

 Fishy Fishy Restaurant in Southport, NC with my uncle and cousin

 Cyndi and me 

Nolan modeling the snazzy neck tie I bought him at a doggie specialty store in Southport. Isn't he a handsome boy?

Meandering Around Ohio

The last day of August was meandering kind of a day; we visited with mom's family at Uncle Dave's fabulous new retirement digs on the Stillwater River, stopped to see Ludlow falls and went antiquing in Urbana. My uncle at age 75, recently retired from the Priesthood and moved to a "compound" with some other retired Priests. They each have their own apartment and garage and share a chapel, rose garden, picnic grounds and their very own prairie aside the beautiful Stillwater River.  We had a family picnic and Uncle Dave took us for a tour of the grounds of his golf cart.  He was having the time of his life.  I am so happy that he has such a wonderful place to live in retirement because he has given so unselfishly of himself to his Parishes, the Boy Scouts of America, the community and his family since 1962. After the picnic we stopped at the famous Ludlow Falls. Another piece of Americana trashed to hell by those who don't know what a treasure they have. Last time I was there in the 70's the falls were iced over and lit with beautiful Christmas lights. I read on Google after our visit that the haven't done the holiday lights for many years due to lack of funding and I vowed to never again return to any place that I once held dear as I have been burned of late of these trips down Memory Lane.  Lastly we stopped in the charming little farming community of Urbana, Ohio and did some photography and stopped in a couple antique shops.  It was a wonderful relaxing day and our first official outing in our new F-150 pick up truck.

 Uncle Dave

 Andrew & me

 Me and my brother

 dad & mom

 "uncle" Kirk

the "boys"

Ludlow Falls

Scenes from Urbana

Ford Tough

Out with the old and in with the new.  Seventeen years of reliability from our '96 Ford F 150-over the river and through the woods all over the USA.  No question about our choice of a replacement-a 2013 Ford 150.  All we need now is a cap and a canoe rack and we are ready to roll again....