Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Day 2 Grafton West Virginia!













Today Joy took to Grafton West Virginia the birthplace of Mother's day! since we won't be together for Mother's day she thought it would be a great place to explore. So off we went. The road there was so scenic! The winding road in the country. The town was very historic. So she took lots of pictures. These are just a couple. Then we went to lunch at the Stagecoach for lunch. A small little place all the locals go to eat. The food was good and plentiful. And on Tuesday you get free dessert with your meal. So I had brown beans and corn bread since that was a West Virginia tradition food. Then my dessert was lemon pie.
We then went to a state park where there was a dam. Tagart State Park( I think that is how it is spelled.) It was very scenic and they have cool cabins to rent overlooking the lake, and houseboats to rent and you can go canoe or kayaking.
All in all it was a fun filled day and I learned where the Mother's Day celebration was started.


Enjoying West Virginia & Family! Day 1
























Arrived safe and sound in West Virginia to Joy's home and got greet by Tillie. When I went to pet her, she jumped on me and proceeded to kiss me and them kyle and I put the rocks I bought him from all the states I visited in the grandma garden. Named that because grandma Bell provided the water feature and I provided the rocks and kyle put in the shells we gathered while vacationing and Duck, NC.
We then went out to eat in a fun Mexican restaurant, and then we walked off our meal on the rail walk. A wonderful first day together.




Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Doreen & Family




This is my cousin Doreen, Jessie, Jenna and David. Doreen and her father have always been the closest of all my cousin. her dad was like a brother to me because when we were growing up we were always together. Doreen I have been close to since she was a baby.
Well they took Leigh and I to dinner and they were the ones we spent our last night in Virginia with. Our time together this time was short but hopefully next time we will have more time.
This week has been wonderful spending time with family. As you get older family becomes more and more important. So the time i spent with sterling my son and his soon to be wife Laurie, and my great aunt Doris and my cousins Mike and Doreen and her family has meant so very much to me.
I love them all very much and hopefully we will all spend time together sometime in the future God willing.

Jets over Campground in Virginia!






These are just a couple of pictures of the jets that fly over this campground day and night. And the noise is unreal. But the view is great because they almost touch your RV they come so close.
We surely won't miss the noise. The campground itself is great 4 pools and lots of places to walk and they evn have super site that are truly great if you want to spend the money. We would stay here again if we come back.

Airforce rescue demo at Virginia Beach!




































































Today our last day at Virginia beach they had a demonstration of a rescue mission. It was awesome. It was put on by the Air Force and the navy as joint effort. What a way to end our visit here. Tomorrow morning we head for Pennsylvania.







Monday, April 20, 2009

Great Aunt Doris!


This is my Great Aunt Doris. She is the last of her generation in our family. She is my grandmother Katherine's sister. She played a big part in my childhood. She was always there to talk to because I was raised by my grandmother and sometimes I didn't get along with her.
We would have rootbeer floats and I would complain about stuff. She was always there to cheer me up and give a hug.
She lives all alone now in a senior housing in Norfolk Virginia. Even though we have some cousins left in Norfolk they don't go and visit her much. So when I do get to Norfolk which isn't too often I try to take her out and we talk about the good old days of my childhood. When she passes I will have no one left to talk and remember with. She is my hero of my childhood.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Virginia Beach visit with Sterling and Laurie













Well, we arrived in Virginia Beach on Thursday. We set up camp and I went to have lunch with Aunt Doris. Friday Sterling and his soon to be wife stopped by the camp site and they prepared us a Delicious Steak supper and fixings on the grill. We drank a little beer and wine and walked around the campground to see all the sites as it is Biker Week here. I do know the bikers here in Virginia know how to party.
But for me it was just so much fun hanging out with Sterling and Laurie. They always make us feel welcomed when we come to Virginia. Time spent with them is always fun.


Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter Sunday Sunrise in Flagler Beach










We started our Sunday out with the Sunday sunrise in Flagler Beach Park and then we had out easter dinner at nursinghome with Grandpa Page.
We only have a few days left here in Florida and this was a wonderful day!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Visit to Chuck & Barb













We drove Wednesday to Webster Florida to the Oasis RV Park where our friends from Vestal New York go every winter. We met up with Chuck and Barb Tennant. They are Friends of Leigh's since his school days growing up in Vestal.
We had a great time. We went out to eat and then came back and I learned to play shuffle board and Leigh learned a ring game. It was just a wonderful day with friends and we even got to meet their resident alligator who lives in their pond. We also met some other friend that stay there every winter. In fact they have many people from new York State we are friends with. The only reason we are not in that park is it is not near the beach and we are beach people.
Today, as we prepare to leave Florida next Wednesday we took a trip to Camper World to purchase a surge protector so we don't have anymore electrical problems from bad voltages from places we stay. We also picked up a few need things for our trip.
We are packing and getting ready for our next adventure. Bike week at Virginia Beach and visit with family. On to Pennsylvania to meet with more family and a side ride to West Virginia to visit more family then off to Maine for our summer job and my grand-daughter's graduation and spending time with family there also.
Grandpa Page is doing well here in Avante Nursing home. Just hope he continues after we leave. We will have Easter diner with him tomorrow at the nursing home. Well that is all the news for now. Our next update will probably be when we get to Virginia for Bike Week.


Saturday, April 4, 2009

Magical Day at Evans Farms






















































































































































































































































































Evans farms is a magical place we were lucky enough to tour, thanks to our friends Paul Holt and Joan Carter. Joan's sister and her husband Gene and Marilyn Evans owned the Evans farm which is quite the operation.


The whole farm is about 2000 acres. It has deer, turkey, bear, alligators and allot of other wild life plus bulls and cows. But the most interesting part of the farm is the aqua farm part where they raise Sturgeon and Tilipia.

Beginning in 2003 the Evans Farms bought 13 shipments of live sturgeons into the United States to start the first and only sturgeon farm in the United States. There were beluga, asetra and sevruga.

Research scientist in various countries wanted to preserve the sturgeon gene bank and to have genetic samples of these ancient species on hand.

The Evans farms has over 1000 sevruga, 30 of which are sexually mature. They have 10 Russian and 70 Adult beluga sturgeon. They are now harvesting sturgeons from sturgeon eggs preserving the species. We were lucky enough to see this first harvesting. This was most impressive seeing the eggs becoming live sturgeons a scientist first in the United States.
It was truly a magical day and very interesting seeing what most will never see a truly scientic first.