Family Picnic Today.....

We had a good time today down on the Husdon River picnic Tables under pavilions and all. The west coast branch of the family came over to visit. The weather cooperated, the food was good and the grand kids, entertained until they got tired. Top photo is a view of the Hudson from the park. Second one was an attempt to get a shot of my gransdson.

This is my grand daughter scarfing down cheez-it crackers.She comes by it honestly, because her Grandfather is a Cheez-It addict. So its gotta be from me. We made it through the day and finished up before the thunderstorms rolled on through. I would have had better shots. However, we forgot to bring our camera so I had to use my Blackberry which has no flash.

Blackberry Withdrawl.................

For the last week and a half, I have suffered a serious case of Blackberry Withdrawl. My World Edition Blackberry from work went on the fritz and was unrepairable. Aside from the cracked case, the trackball was frozen in place. So I ordered a new one. Now, I'm not by any means a technocrat or versed in this kind of stuff, so I just ordered the first one I stumbled across, the Blackberry Bold. Nice machine, great graphics, etc. only the key board was miniaturized; my hands could not handle it. Try as I might I came close to wiping the Blackberry several times. I literally reached 9 attempts a couple of times at home and had to bring it in to work the next day to have somebody with small hands give it a final shot and get me back on.

Suffice it to say, I drove our IT Department nuts. One of the other guys had a Black Berry Curve which I tried. I became ecstatic. I could actually type the password and get it on the first try…….I demanded a trade and just received the new Curve. For the life of me I cannot understand the design of the Blackberry Bold's keyboard. The keys are very close together and way to wobbly at least in comparison to the Curve.

Between Blackberrys, I was going nuts. I was used to sitting down after dinner and watching a movie with my wife. While watching the movie, I could check email, check the weather, check the votes in Congress for the Debt ceiling, etc. etc. search on Google, you name it. Without it, I felt naked for the last week. I even texted on my own puny cell phone to find out about work during the weekend.

I got the new Cuve in the mail yesterday and was happy with the phone, though I must say that I am a bit miffed at how cheap Verizon is getting. With the Bold, I got an at home charger and a case. With the Curve, no at home charger and no case. Their poor excuse for a charger was a teeny black plug that you would plug into a the wall using an IT cable and the other end into micro port on the phone. On the way home from work, I bought a car charger and a NORMAL home charger.

I already had a nice Blackberry case at home, so that was no issue. I'm back on line and I'm happy, my bosses are happy, everyone's happy!!!!!!! Until this one breaks. This is my 4th Blackberry in 10 years……..Hope this one lasts. I'll need a magnifying glass and a stylus to use a keyboard if they keep getting smaller.

Bavarian Manor Vacation

Just returned from our summer vacation at the Bavarian Manor in Purling, NY. in the Catskills. Above is the front porch; really enjoyed it. A nice place to decompress. They had a German restaurant open Thursday through Sunday and the food was delicious. My doctor will probably kill me. I feel like a gained a couple of pounds. It is an old inn first opened in 1865. The present owner has had it in her family for the last three generations.

Below are a few more photos to savor..........
The view from our room-above.


the lake on the property

Potato Pancake appetizer.........Excellent



The inn itself.......

Warriors and Quiet Waters.........

I just stumbled across a not for profit to which I think I'll make regular donations. As a veteran, its the least I can do to help our warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Its called Warriors and Quiet Waters. It involves taking soldiers recently returned from the Middle East and taking them to Montana in groups of 5 or 6 to do some fly fishing for a week.


This is a quote from their website.

"In our program, volunteer guides and companions meld together with recently wounded warriors for six days of therapeutic fly fishing instruction, fishing, and recreation on the rivers and streams of southwest Montana. The wounded warriors receive a break from their medical treatment and are given instruction in the lifetime sport of fly fishing. At no charge, each wounded warrior is provided with transportation, accommodations, meals, and a complete fly fishing outfit, theirs to keep, valued at approximately $3,000 per wounded warrior! Result – wounded warriors experience a relaxing, rehabilitative, enjoyable, activity and a lifetime sport skill they can enjoy the rest of their lives. "

what a great idea. I love to fish myself so I can attest to its therapeutic value. So in addition to my other causes, now goes this one. Being so close to retirement, I won't be able to give them a lot but every little bit will help.

Finally, I OWN my Ford 500........!!!!!!

After 5 long years, I just made the final payment on my beloved 2006 Ford 500. Free at Last!! We'll wait and see how long it lasts now. I really love the car. Its roomy and comfortable. Great for long trips. It gets about 28.5 mpg on the highway. I've attended to it religiously over the years. She has 91,500 miles on her now. I will attempt to bring her into 200,000. I'm not thrilled with the 500's replacement, the new Taurus is the same car with a few more refinements and a lot more bucks. So when this one finally dies, I'll be hard pressed for a choice.

True to form, Ford sent me a brochure on the new 2012 Taurus when they sent me the letter releasing the lien. Not anytime soon folks!! As long as she rolls, she's going to stay in the driveway and carry me faithfully back and forth to work :-)

Preparing for Retirement............

will be retiring in a couple of years and am cutting back on disposable income. I have very few subscriptions left, I don't donate as freely as I used to. Its funny but when I stand back an take stock of what's left, my love of all things maritime certainly stands out. Gone are ALL my Civil War subscriptions and newsletters. Those that remain are: The U.S. Naval Institute, Zuni Maritime Foundation, U.S. Coast Guard Tug Association, Friends of the Hunley and the National Maritime Historical Society as well as the Nomadic Preservation Society (The ship built to tender the Titanic). I will keep up the annual donation of a wood burning stove to an Indian Reservation out west and monthly donations to my Sister's/Daughter's NFP Four Legs Good to help with Trap Neuter and Release program....Oh and then there's Netflicks:-)

I've cut up a couple of credit cards along the way as well and debating on dropping a third. No telling what the economy is going to be like in a couple of years. The car is now paid off. Hope to make it last a while longer. If we go on holiday, I'll go away closer to home to save gas and wear and tear on me and the car...

Such is life.......

Trying out a new place for a vacation

What with gas prices going up and things in general costing more, we looked around for an alternative. We spent the last 4 years at Herrington Harbor just south of Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay. It was a beautiful place and reasonably priced, but quite honestly the last two years there have been unbearably hot.

This time around we found an inn in the Catskills. A place called the Bavarian Manor. It sits on a hundred acres of woods, walking trails and a lake. Its about the same price as Herrington Harbour but its only a 2 hour drive as opposed to 5 hours so less time in the car and less gas. Just hope it lives up to expectations. I'll be taking a lot of photos there for sure.