Sisters

 

Carol's vacation is over and we're on our way to the airport. Until next time....

Never, Never Land

I'm getting on a harness to go zip lining on Hilton Head. I went over with a TV crew from our Sun City station and had fun on the zip lines with another reporter. The whole thing was filmed and I am looking forward to seeing the video. It was great fun and my second time trying this.

Blackbird

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol came to visit and we had a great week together.One day we visited the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and saw many large alligators and lots of birds and water fowl. Carol is posing with the large leaves of a Japanese Parasol Tree. An Eastern Kingbird and me soaking up some rays. Carol was fascinated by the red winged blackbirds while an osprey hovered overhead searching for some fish. A green heron and an anhinga spreading his wings in the sunshine.

Younger Than Springtime...

 

 

 

This gator was on our back lawn and actually looks like she's smiling. Eventually she closed her mouth and took a snooze. A little too close for comfort.A gorgeous day got us out to the beach. Funny - in NJ we say, "We'll go down the shore."

Old Friends

 

Sad to say goodbye to our best friend Ziggy. She went to sleep for the final time today and we can't imagine life without her. Ziggy had turned 14 on January 2 which made her very old for a Lab. She came to live with us when she was only 6 weeks old and was our constant companion. Ziggy came to work with us every day and when we retired she became our traveling companion on all our RV trips. She logged over 70,000 miles visiting Alaska three times and many national parks. She always had a big smile for her human friends, but never liked dogs very much. She earned her pet therapy credentials and used to accompany me to nursing homes to visit. She was truly a character and a loyal companion. We know Ziggy is in doggy heaven chasing squirrels and maybe even climbing trees to finally catch one. She is out of pain and running free with her back legs working as well as when she was a pup. Thank you Ziggy for all the joy you brought to us and everyone who knew you. You are missed and will never be forgotten.

MacArthur Park

 

We have a new hobby - geocaching. We went on our first expedition with friends Sue & Bob Wiener and had a great time trapsing through the woods looking for hidden caches using our GPS and wits. Luckily we found treasure at both sites we explored. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we got to know two new parks and in between had lunch and good conversation. Hope to do more of this fun activity which is like a scavenger hunt and lots of fun.

Do It To Me One More Time

 

 

 

The seder at Parris Island Marine Corps Base. Our synagogue volunteers run a service every Sunday morning for recruits. Jeff and I try to volunteer each month. Each year we also host a seder for the recruits and chaplains. This year I served as chair and got to arrange the logistics as well as shop, cook and serve the meal. We had about 40 people in attendance with 22 recruits, chaplains and our volunteers. It was a wonderful evening with a short reading of the Hagaddah and all the traditional foods. I made about 5 gallons of chicken soup with many, many matzoh balls and it was a big hit. Some of the recruits had never seen a matzoh ball and they liked them. All the traditional foods like gefilte fish,  brisket and potato kugel were servced and gobbled up quickly. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers who all pitched in with cooking, schlepping and cleaning. Jeff and I are exhausted in the kitchen after washing all the dishes and getting everything packed in the car.
B'Shanah Haba'ah B'Yerushalyim v' Parris Island (Next year in Jerusalem and Parris Island)

Chad Gad Ya

 

 

 

 

We had 16 guests for the first seder of Passover 2012. An important evening with good food, good friends and a meaningful service with lots of fun thrown in too.It took Jeff and me days to prepare, another day to clean up and wonderful memories to keep forever.

Our House

 

 

 

 

Back yard and front yard views this spring.

Sailing, Sailing....

 

 

 

 

 

 

A busy day getting home. We decided to take the ferry and it was a long trip. First we boarded the free ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke and it was very windy. The ferry was small and open and we were positioned in the center taking up three car spaces. We got off after a pleasant and surprisingly smooth ride and waited for the larger ferry to take us to the mainland. Again we were placed inside and the ride was a bit bumpier, but we were okay. Really made us sure that a transatlantic cruise is not for us.

We finally made it to Nowheresville, NC and started the trek on country roads. We reached I-95 after 8 pm and Jeff was rarin' to get home so he continued to drive arriving at 1:30 am. We took a few necessities out of The MaRVelous Toy and returned him to the RV lot. Will unpack in the morning (afternoon) or whenever we get up.

Garden Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A beautiful day in nature for me. I drove to Roanoke and visited the Elizabethan Gardens. It was a riot of color with azaleas, rhododendrons and camelias as well as some bulbs like tulips and daffodils. The drone of bees and the delicious scents made me dizzy with delight. The gardens have well marked paths and interesting statues set in picturesque grottoes.
When I was done indulging my senses I went next door to the Roanoke Visitor Center. I saw the displays and watched a movie on the lost colonists including infant Virginia Dare.
On the way home I stopped at the Pea Island Wildlife area and walked their pretty trail. It is a good mix of ponds, scrub and open areas. Lots of water birds and song birds. One pond had a large collection of turtles who came up to the surface to watch the visitors.
Back at the campground I found that Jeff and Ziggy had relaxed all day. We cooked dinner in and will pack up and leave early in the morning.