This should be our last night on the road as we are presently in Gallup, NM and expect to be in Mesa some time tomorrow. It's been a good trip so far and in spite of getting some rain, and in some cases monsoon's, we are making good time and are on schedule.Having the TOM Tom GPS has been a help in most cases. Unfortunately when you plug in the 'fastest way' it tends to take you seriously and sometimes I think it just likes to mess with you. Case in point was when I plugged in the address for the campground in Missouri the directions didn't look like the ones in the book but I figured it must know where it's going. Well it got us there, but we ended up doing about 5 miles on this one lane dirt road out in 'baba land'. It was so dusty that Windy couldn't see the RV but had no trouble following the cloud of dust! I fully expected to see Jed Clampett or the Dukes of Hazzard to come up the other way! The next day we traveled to Chandler, OK and stayed on a little campground called Glen Oaks CG. It was on Route 66 which runs parallel to Route 44. Nice small town. I was amused by the election signs in the front yards though. They said “Elect Lefty Sheriff”. Can you think “Deliverance”. They did have a Super Wal-Mart though, so we took advantage of that and did some grocery shopping. The next day we were traveling though Oklahoma City and called nephew Jay to see if we could meet for a little while. As luck would have it he works close to Route 40 so we were able to meet up with him at a TA Travel Stop. It wasn’t a long visit but it was great to see him for a little while anyhow.
Last night we stayed on Route 66 again in a campground called Cactus RV Park in Tucumcari, NM. We pulled into the park in our usual pouring rain, which came down in buckets until shortly after I got everything hooked up. Today we got up to clear weather, which was a bit of a surprise, and traveled through the beautiful State of New Mexico. The scenery is one of the prettiest anywhere and looks just like a painting. A picture or a description just wouldn’t do it justice so I won’t even try. I just hope that you all can see it for yourselves someday. This afternoon, after our obligatory rain showers, we arrived in Gallup, NM. The name of the campground is USA RV Park and is without a doubt the best we’ve been in so far. The park is clean and has large sites. The people were very friendly and gave a “Veterans Discount” I showed him my Legion Life Membership card and he insisted on having his son shine it for me. He shook my hand and thanked me for my service, which about blew me away. He also said that Active duty military could stay at his park for free. After taking the dogs to the walled doggy play area, with a fire hydrant in the middle of it, we set up and had dinner. After dinner we went up to the “chuck wagon” for some peach cobbler and ice cream. They have breakfast in the AM so we’re planning on having that before we hit the road for the final leg home. The next blog will be from E. Colby St. in Mesa!

Hey y'all! Just a quick update since Ron blogged last time. Last night we got as far as Indiana and stayed in a campground that was kind of quaint called New Lisbon Family Campground. The owners were very friendly and showed us to our site - out in the middle of an open field with a few other fishermen. yep, there was a pond there which was evidently stocked for the campers. Ron couldn't figure out how to put a hook on his golf clubs, so we stayed in and watched some TV. I was pleased to have Wifi connection for a change and caught up on some email. Shortly after arriving, one of the workers knocked on the door. I couldn't hear what he said, but Ron told me they were going to bleach the whale so our water would have some bleach in it.

Now, mind you... my head after driving all day was slow to catch on. I'm thinking there must be a whale statue out there or something that needed cleaning. Perhaps they called the pond the Whale. I dunno. But figured as long as someone else was cleaning it, who was I to question where the heck the whale was? We decided to go to the KFC that just happened to be down the road a bit. When we came back, I was told the man who said he was going to bleach the whale actually said, in English, that he was going to bleach the well. Ron's attempt at a southern accent with the bleached whale certainly had me fooled!

We awoke to heavy rain this morning. After contemplating staying put for the day, we decided to chance it and hit the road about 9:00. After about a half hour on the road, the skies brightened and the rest of the trip was dry! Traveled through Indiana, Illinois and then the final leg of today's trip was to get past St. Louis, MO. We're about 50 miles west of it in a town called Cuba.

Shock of shocks... thunderstorms again! Shortly after arriving, the storms began. Amazingly loud thunder and lightening that lit the skies like the sun! But they've passed through now and it seems quiet for the time being. What isn't quiet is the bullfrogs out there. Good Lord they're loud.

Ron and Toby have gone to bed and I'm out here with Jazz enjoying the A/C and a little quiet time before I go to bed myself. We'll be driving through Oklahoma tomorrow (Hi, Jason!!)so need a little sleep tonight.

Tomorrow's Hunter's 2nd birthday. I'm going to miss being there to celebrate with him, but I know Tammi is taking care of making his day special for him. He has a party planned Saturday, too... and I'll look for the photos everyone is going to take so I can see what a blast it was!

Love and miss you all...

xoxo

Windy

Well this is the second day into our trip back home to Arizona and so far things have been going well. Last night we stayed at a campground in Blossvale, NY. Quite a bit further from the highway than I had thought, but it was pretty nice. It was on a peninsula almost totally surrounded by water. As per normal, we ran into a hellacious storm on the way there. Really need to get to a dryer climate before we start growing gills!

Route 90 was a nightmare getting out of Massachusetts. Apparently everyone else was trying to “Get out of Dodge” at the same time! I was a little nervous about towing the 5th wheel as I had never towed one before, but everything went well. The truck handled the rig perfectly, and with the exception of the gas consumption (about 9 miles a gallon!) was a perfect tow vehicle. This morning we left the campground about 9 AM and then ran into the obligatory rainstorm after which it was smooth sailing down Route 90. We made our next stop in Conneaut, OH at about 3 PM. The name of the campground is Windy Hill Golf Course and Campground. While the campground is nothing to brag about, the golf course is great. After getting set up I dug out the clubs and played 9 holes. $15 for 9 holes with a cart. I couldn’t believe that it was practically empty. I would have enjoyed playing the back 9 but Windy had supper going so 9 holes had to do it.

Windy is towing the utility trailer with the jeep, following me and making sure I don’t wipeout too many cars or poles. Toby has been my co-pilot and is enjoying the adventure. Jazz on the other hand pants himself silly in the backseat of the jeep with Windy, and passes out when we get set up in the campgrounds. He hates the riding. This morning he knew we were getting ready to leave and we had to literally drag him out of the 5th wheel and into the Jeep. He better get use to it as we have at least 6 more days to go.

More tomorrow I hope.

Note from Windy: It’s been a nice trip so far. Very quiet and uneventful. We’re keeping it at a speed of 62 mph all the way so the mileage on the Jeep has been averaging 17.4 mpg. Not too shabby, considering the weight I’m pulling behind me on the utility trailer.

Cell reception has been crappy at both campgrounds. I’ll be so happy to get back to Mesa where we have all bars on all phones AND a landline! Looked ahead to the weather in Mesa and they’re getting thunderstorms. What a change from what we’ve been experiencing in NH… NOT! But at least it’ll be less humid so I’ll take it. :)

Last Thursday I spent the night with Mom Tancrede and Irene in Hampton Beach. We had a blast – shopping, eating, shopping some more. Had a couple of license plates custom designed for the truck and car (see photo) and bought Ron a tee-shirt with Schitts Creek Paddle Company on it. Thought it was cute. Friday night Chris and Elijah came over to the camper for dinner and we had a final chance to say our goodbyes.

Talked to Tammi today about her plans for Hunter’s birthday party this coming Saturday. Sounds like it’s going to be fun and we hate to miss it! But will send something special when we get back to Mesa. Another chance to go shopping! :)

You’re all in our thoughts and prayers – especially you, Art! Please keep us posted on everything. We just know you’re going to be fine!!!

We love you all and look forward to seeing you come to visit us. In any case, Ron will be there for Thanksgiving and I’ll see y’all at Christmas time!

Ciao for now!

I know I'm late in this but I want to thank everyone for their concern, prayers and good wishes sent me for my last bout with the medical community. Being put to sleep three times in seven days isn’t as restful as you might think! But everything is great now and even though my iron level isn’t quite up where it belongs yet, the doctor is happy with the progress and I feel better than I have in months. Again, your prayers were much appreciated and I’m sure helped the surgeon’s hands to do their magic.

Our days since moving into our new house have been anything but boring, starting with the first week. The first thing on my “fix up” agenda was to upgrade the electrical service to the house, it was a 60 amp service with a circuit breaker box that was outdated to the point that new breakers were no longer available and had to be “jury rigged” to fit. The wood spacers between the breakers and signs of scorching convinced me that this was a priority! Naturally the Friday that I had scheduled the electrician to do the work, the electrical company to shut off then restore power after the upgrade, and the county inspector to sign off on the work, was the same day that I ended up in the hospital. So Windy was stuck coordinating the whole job! Thankfully, we had discussed the order of things beforehand and she was aware of what needed to be done. As with all home improvement jobs, it didn’t go smoothly. The inspector showed up at 8 AM, which was ridiculous to expect that a job scheduled to begin at 7 AM, would be done in an hour! The upgrade from 60 amp to 200 amp wasn’t done till about 4 PM that night. Thankfully my electrician is a friend of mine, whom I met working at the Legion, and as the inspector wasn’t going to return till Monday morning and the power was not suppose to be turned back on till the job was signed off on, he turned it on for the weekend and returned early on Monday to shut it off and wait for the county inspector to show up and give him the ok to turn it on. Otherwise Windy would have had no power all weekend and with her customers, that would have been a disaster! All the while I was “doped up” and oblivious! She did a real good job balancing the workers, her customers, and visits and phone calls to the hospital. Guess she’s not just a pretty face and I’ll keep her.

Next week Windy is going to the doctors to have one of her hands fixed. She’s been suffering with carpal tunnel for a while now and has completely lost feeling in three fingers of the hand. Thursday they're going to fix the nerve in that hand and shortly thereafter do the other hand. She explained what the doctor was going to do and it’s amazing how they do it now. The doctor said she should be typing shortly after the procedure. It’s all done right in the doctor’s office with microsurgery.

We drove to Las Vegas for a week early this month for our Godchild Amy’s wedding. We left on Thursday and spent the first night in Laughlin, NV at the Colorado Belle Hotel, right on the Colorado River. Next day we drove to Vegas via the Boulder Dam. Really a pretty ride through the desert. The first two nights we stayed at the Excelsior Hotel, which is shaped like a castle. The night before and after the wedding we stayed at the Venetian, which was really upscale to where we had stayed before! The last night in Vegas we went back to the Excelsior, which was like going to a Motel 6 after the Venetian! The wedding was held at the Venetian on a bridge in St. Marks Square. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. The bride was beautiful and the groom was handsome in his tux. Congratulations to them both and we wish them the best of luck and much happiness. We're both 'Vegased out' though and don't care to go back for a long time. Lots and lots of walking and everything is so expensive there even if you don't gamble. Between us we lost about $150, which after spending a week there, is like coming out a winner! We were glad to get back home to the pups, (who friends were watching for us), and an area where a muffin and two cups of coffee don't cost $13! Evan though two cups of gas is getting to be close to that!

Yesterday our spa finally arrived! (the picture above) Only five weeks after it should have, and shortly after I threaten to sue them. It’s a great jacuzzi with lots of jets, neck and shoulder massagers, room for 6, l-e-d pin lights that change colors, and a Genesis system for low maintenance. We were up late last night putting up a gazebo and anchoring it to the concrete. Finally we got to go in it about 9 PM and it was wonderful. I’m sure we’ll get a lot of use out of it.

Windy and I are planning to leave here the third week in May to be back in NE in time for our nephew Matt’s wedding on the 31st of that month. We’re going to miss our home while we’re away, but it will be nice to see our family and friends “Back East” again. We’re planning on staying there for two months or so to be back h... more

Here I am for what's turning out to be a quarterly edition of the WART news. In the day-to-day activities it just doesn't seem that there's much of interest to write about but in an effort to bore those of you who still read our ramblings into submission, here goes.

Our lives tend to be about the same; work, motorcycles, golf and dogs. Windy's still working at web design, I'm still pushing drinks at the Legion, we're still riding with the Legion Riders, I'm still trying to work my way onto the 'Senior Tour' in golf (they haven't allowed 30 handicaps on the tour yet), and we're still walking the dogs 4 times a day and if dog poop were currency we'd be multimillionaires!

Some of the more notable things that have happened in the last month are that Windy went back to New England for the Holidays. She was there for 15 days and enjoyed being with our relatives and friends. I flew back for 4 days to visit with my mom, and spend some time with Chris and Tammi and the grandkids. Got to see my sister Irene and her husband Bob and sister-in-laws Wendy and Dee. Trip was short and in spite of the warm company, the weather sucked! While the weather in Arizona has been the coldest since we started coming here, 7 degrees is a hell of a lot colder than the high 30's and lower 40's that it sometimes gets here at night! They're having a hard time convincing me that Global Warming is for real!

While Windy was in New England I told her she should be prepared to do something radical about Jazz when she got back. He couldn't get up by himself, slept all day, and was obviously in pain. Thinking that when she took him to the vets it would be a one-way trip; I was surprised when she came back with some new pills. Well after a week on this medication he was running, jumping, and playing with Toby. It's like he's a different dog. I'm seriously thinking of making an appointment with the vet for myself!

Another new development that's come about is that we've decided that after 3 years of living in motorhome and trailers we would become homeowners again. We put a bid on a small ranch house about 2 miles from where we are now and it was accepted. It's a nice little two bedroom with 2 baths, large Arizona Room, and a fenced in back yard which borders a 'Nature Walk'. There are lots of cacti and two fruit trees, an orange tree and a limon tree, which bears fruit that are a combination of lemon and lime (very good in water or what I prefer, rum and cokes). The closing day is scheduled for February 26th and as I was pre-approved, unless something radical happens, we should be moving in then. It also comes fully furnished and with all the appliances. We're pretty anxious to get in there and hope you all come to visit.

This year is going to be pretty busy as far as weddings are concerned. We have 6 nieces and nephews, 3 of which are getting married this year. First Adam and Wendy are finally getting hitched in February, followed by Amy and Dave who are getting married in Vegas in April. Matt and Teresa are tying the knot in May. We hope that they all will always be happy and prosperous.

Well unless Windy has something to add that's about all for now.

Windy's Additional Notes

I do have a few other things to note! Spending time back east was awesome. Wendy and Art were wonderful hosts who put me up (or put up with me) while I was there for 15 days. Their new dog, Addie, is a little cutie. They adopted her from the pound after having to put their beloved Haly to sleep. Addie's a lucky little lady to be in such a loving household!

For those of you who don't know, my house on Hooker Street is on the market. Timing sucks, I know. What sucked even worse was that the weekend before I came home, the temps were really cold (about 9 degrees). I turned the kitchen faucet on with a drip so the pipes wouldn't freeze. Did this on Thursday. When Tammi and Alain went to the house to clean it up, they found the pipes burst in the attic and just reaked havoc to walls, floors, ceilings... a real mess. So, before the house can be shown, we have to deal with insurance adjusters, contractors... Tammi's dealing with all of that while I'm out here in Arizona having a stroke over the mortgage amount climing every month. Damned adjustable rate mortgage. Bad idea. Don't do it.

Anyway, I flew back home on Monday and tried to call Chris on his cell. No answer for 2 days. Finally called Lynn (his x-girlfriend) who advised me he was in the hospital in Rochester with gallstones. I called him there and he said they'd be removing his gallbladder that Thursday. Long story short, they did, he survived and is feeling back to normal now. This also started his mindset very strongly toward dieting so is working on eating healthy foods. I'm proud of him!

With all of this and the prospect of maybe having to put Jazz down when I got back... well, I have to tell you. If I could hav... more

Since the last post 2 weeks ago things have been pretty much 'same old, same old, around the 'Valley of the Sun'. We've attended 2 'Welcome Home' rides with the PGR. One was for a Marine medic returning home form his third tour in Iraq, and one was for an Army interpreter who arrived on November 10th while his town (Queen Creek) was having a Veterans Day celebration. It was pretty neat as we got to escort him from the airport directly to a park where he was honored by his neighbors and friends. On Thursday of last week the PGR was invited to Gilbert High School to participate in their Veterans Day observances. At first the kids seemed to be put off by a bunch of old motorcycle riders but as we were introduced and what we do explained to them, they seemed to get friendlier and asked lots of questions and a few even asked how they could participate.

On Saturday the 10th we had a spaghetti supper at the Legion to benefit the Veterans Home in Phoenix. Windy was the chief cook and I ended up being the chief 'bottle washer'. Even though they picked one of the worst possible nights to have it, they still managed to make some money. It was a bad night because a lot of the bikers went to Rocky Point, Mexico for their annual rally. A lot of the Posts had Veteran Days stuff going on, and some had Marine Corps birthday balls to attend. The people that did attend raved about the food and are anxiously waiting for the next one. It'll be awhile though, as Windy was exhausted for two days after it was done. Isn't she cute in her chef's coat? Even though, because of the spaghetti sauce all over it, she ended up looking more like a butcher than a cook!

On Sunday we were invited and rode our motorcycle in the Apache Junction Veterans Day Parade. Then on Monday Windy and I were asked to pick up a couple of convertibles at a local dealership and drive dignitaries in the Tempe Parade. Got to drive 2 new PT Cruisers.

I have to work all weekend both this week and next, including Thanksgiving Day so there won't be much happening for a few weeks. Next Tuesday we're going to Mexico to pick up some stuff that we need, and get new glasses. They're about a quarter of the price of getting them in the States. We're going with some friends that we met here in the park. Their from Canada and as he drives 'big rigs' on the frozen highways of the Canadian Pipeline they'll be leaving to go home in December when the bogs freeze over. Too bad, we get along well together. Thanksgiving Day we've been invited to a friend’s house in Fountain Hills. As she's undergoing chemo treatments Windy is going to help her with the cooking for her family. So I'll be good and stuffed to go to work that night. Bummer is I won't get my nap while 'watching' football!

Well enough for now. We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Holiday. We'll be thinking of you and remembering the 'mashed potato fights' of the past. Please fling a couple of spoonfuls for us!

Well, y'all... after Ron spent so much time updating the blog for everyone, I neglected to insert specific photos of events that he wanted to include. He even told Toby to come after me with his dukes up. Fearsome looking, isn't he? ;-) Anyhoo, the following photos are from the PGR missions he mentioned in the blog. Each of these is very special to us, and we take a LOT of pride in the fact that we ride with the Patriot Guard. They're an awesome group of guys and gals with huge hearts.

Welcome Home Gone A-miss...

Lots of us showed up. Neighbors were a little green around the gills thinking we were going to move in. But, as you can see, the group is harmless!! hehe...

A Young Soldier and No Answers

Shawna, a beautiful, vital and loving daughter and sister, died at the age of 21 years old. She was found dead in her barracks. She was a Chemical Engineer for the Army and this poor family has no idea what killed their daughter. Their grief is real. After the ceremony at the cemetery, I pinned our 'Mission Accomplished' dogtag to her mother's dress and told her that Shawna will always own a piece of my heart and that she will be a hero in the eyes and hearts of every PGR member as well as America. Please say a prayer for Shawna and her family...

Welcome Home Mission for Nick at His High School Football Game

Now, this was amazing. About 150 bikes, flags flying and this young man comes home smiling after having spent only 3 days with his new leg. Nick is a hero - not only because he lost his limb in Iraq, but because he's living and walking proof that our boys are coming home and felt they were doing the right thing. He's a great kid... and his whole town is very proud of him... as are we.

175 Troops Come Home to a HUGE Welcome!

I missed this one as I was at the Legion getting the food ready for our Bikers Ball for Halloween. Ron (Tank) went and said it was awesome - as is depicted in the photo collage below. It's always a good day when we welcome home our heros - alive and well. Thank you all for your service! We love you!


And there you have it. The photos don't come close to showing the love and pride we feel. We'll have more missions, happy and sad... but we'll also keep sharing the normal hum-drum lives we lead out here. Golfing. Swimming. Walking in the hot sun. Riding whenever we can... it's a tough life, but it's one we're loving living!

We love and miss you all!!!

xoxo

Well, having been rightly chastised for putting the blog on the “back burner”, I’ve decided to use my time before work today to punish the complainers with a long but hopefully not to painful update to our goings on here in Arizona since we’ve been back.

We arrived here on October 5th after a long and thankfully uneventful trip cross-country. After reacquainting ourselves with our buddies on Friday night we made our first PGR mission on Saturday, which was a welcome home party for an army medic who returned from Iraq. Everything went well except when 125 motorcycles pulled up in front of his house, on a quiet suburban street, no one was home. So we took a picture of us and left it on his doorstep. Meanwhile, there was a house for sale across the street which we told some of the neighbors, who came out to see what all the commotion was about, that we were thinking of buying it for our clubhouse! They soon all disappeared, I’m sure, to call their own realtors. For Sale signs must have been flying off the shelves at Ace Hardware until they found out we were joking.

The following week I started working back at the Legion in Tempe tending bar. In fact I ended up working 9 out of the next 10 days due to one of the bartenders being on vacation. Starting this week I start my regular shifts of Sunday and Monday nights and every other Saturday. I’ll also be filling in as needed. The pay is all right and the tips are good which I’m using to pay the doctors bills accumulated this summer. Seems like our doctors in NH are much richer than they were in the spring. All that and we were healthy! Can’t imagine what it would have cost if we were sick! I’m hoping to get Windy’s hospital bill from her heart operation the previous summer paid soon. Three more payments and her heart is officially mine, with no more danger of it getting repossessed!

We also went on two other PGR missions that weren’t so pleasant. One was a funeral for a young man, who after surviving 18 months in Iraq, came home safely and was killed in a vehicle accident. Goes to prove that when your time runs out it doesn’t make any difference where you are! The second was for a 21 year old woman who worked in chemical weapons who was found dead in her bunk. They still don’t know what happened to her, and considering the nature of her work, I doubt we ever will.

Last Friday night we went on a special mission. We, (the PGR) met with PFC Nick Williams at a parking lot in Mesa. Nick was wounded in Afghanistan when an IED hit his vehicle. He lost a leg and had many other injuries. He was a standout football player for his high school team and his coach wanted to do something special for him. At 7 PM, just before the start of the game, unbeknownst to anyone in the stands, 150 motorcycles with Nick riding in the front on a trike, roared into the stadium doing a lap around the track with flags waving and to the tune of Lee Greenwoods “ Proud to be an American”. The people in the stands went nuts! Nick was announced and his story told before he was led onto the field to do the coin toss to start the game. The players were all wearing his old football number on their helmet and it was retired that night. It was a very touching night and gives us hope for the future of this country when you meet young men like him.

On Saturday this week we had another pleasant mission. The 259th National Guard unit came home from having spent 18 months in Iraq. This time there had to be about 200 bikes there. We were escorted onto the airbase and parked right near the plane when it landed and before they de-planned. We formed two rows of flags for them to march through and cheered as they came off the plane. As they formed up they were joined by about a half a dozen men who had come home early because of wounds incurred there. As they marched through the “flag line” the large hanger doors behind us opened up and all the families and friends were there to greet them with cheers and tears. After a few speeches and prayer for those of them who didn’t return alive, they were dismissed to the hugs and kisses of their wives, husbands, kids, and other friends and family. It was great to be a part of this day.

Windy spent most of the day Saturday in the Legion kitchen cooking for the “Bikers Ball” we had that night. It was a lot of fun but also a lot of work. Everyone said the food was excellent though. We dressed up, as you will see in the pictures. I was a convict in stripes and ball and chain, and Windy was a sexy policewoman. Only problem was that there were too many guys asking to be “frisked”! Windy also got some costumes for Toby and Jazz. While they weren’t as enthusiastic about the costumes, they did enjoy the treats!

We’ve been enjoying watching our Patriots and their undefeated season so far. The only problem is that unless it’s a Nationally broadcast game, we can’t get it at home, so we have to find a bar with the ... more

Well summer is just about over, (30's last night!!!) and we're starting to make plans to head back west. It's been an interesting summer visiting with family and friends, but we're ready to head to warmer climates. We're also sick of doctor's. Seems like we spend most of our summers doing things around our doctor's appointments. It would be different if we felt sick but it just seems they need to get as much money as possible out of us while we're here.

This month has been packed with activities for us. We spent two weekends in a row camping in a tent. The first was a family reunion with the Tancrede's. It was a fun weekend even though the temps and humidity were really high. (www.thetancredes.com) for pic's. The next weekend was Labor Day, camping with friends. That was a busy weekend. Saturday night they had a lobster feed, then on Sunday we got invited to a Jimmy Buffett party in the campground that was lots of fun. Those two weekends have reaffirmed what we already knew, that we are no longer 'tenting people'! That ship has sailed. I guess we've gotten soft and spoiled camping in motorhomes and 5th wheels. Last weekend we had a good time with Windy's sister Wendy and her husband Art on Cape Cod. After driving through Boston at 5 PM on a Friday, we arrived safe and sound in So. Yarmouth in sorry need of a martini (or two), then we went out to dinner. Art and I played golf on Saturday then we all took a trip down to P-town. After walking the strip looking at all the shops and the 'wierdo's' (I mean alternate lifestyle people) we had dinner on a deck overlooking the water. Sunday we came home after watching the Pat's beat the Jets. Happily the trip home was better than the trip out. Yesterday we were invited to an Octoberfest' party with my sister's in-laws 'The Bechard's' in Moultonboro, NH. It was a lot of fun with tons of German food and beer. pics on
( www.bechardhome.com )

The next two weekends will be spent saying our goodbyes to family and friends, and then on October 1st we head out for our Arizona home, where the temperatures are down to a very bearable low 100's. Though we'll miss everyone here, we're anxious to get back to our friends and 'riding' buddies in Arizona. Hopefully, many of you will come out to visit us in the 'Valley of the Sun'. So far about 8 of my New England golfing buddies are flying out in the second week in February. Wendy and Art are making plans to come out and as the American Legion National Convention is in Phoenix this year we hope to see more friends then. The Superbowl is being held in Glendale this year and if the Pat's make it, those of you lucky enough to score tickets are invited. If not then the 'Lingerie Bowl” is being held the weekend before in Scotsdale!

Well this will probably be the last blog until we get to AZ. (unless something of interest happens), so ya’ll take care now, hear?

Hey all... Been scanning some old slides that were tucked away for MANY years. As I can, I'll create little slideshows to bring you all down the path of memory lane. Well, it'll bring the Airey sisters down there. Some of you weren't even a twinkle in our eyes yet! But you may enjoy seeing these oldies but goodies! So, click here and take a trip back to the 1950's.