Hurricane Wilma

Hurricane Wilma has blown on past Florida. It didn't do any damage
to us. All we had was some wind and about an inch of rain. Wilma gave
us some good fortune. We had a very nice visit from our old friends,
Dave and Marguerite Robinson. They live in Naples and evacuated to here
on Friday. We went out to eat dinner on Friday. On Saturday we watched
Ohio State football (They are big fans), and went to Joe and Lisa's
for dinner. Sunday we watched the Giants ( Wow what a come from behind
win) and had everyone over here for dinner. Yesterday we
went to Frenchys for lunch at Clearwater Beach. The Gulf was really
churning and the wind was still blowing. After lunch, Dave and
Marguerite went back to Naples. They called and said that the damage
was extensive but that they were OK.
We were able to get all the work to the house done last week. It was
needed and we are glad to get it finished.
This week, I start back to school for H&R. The tax year is coming!!

Mid October Musings

At long last we have reached the middle of October. Any day now,
we will be able to shut off the air conditioning and start to live
in the fresh air again. I estimate that the air conditioning has
been on since the beginning of May. But I don't know what we would
do without it.
In the next couple of weeks we will have some needed done work around
the house. On Thursday, we are having a lawn sprinkler system installed.
This will allow all the work done by Dan, Mickey and Lisa and their
families to keep growing. We are now approaching the dry season here.
Next Monday we are having the gutters and leaders replaced. They have
been rusting and fallin apart for a long time.
We have spoken to alll the family during the last few weeks. I am
happy to report that you are all doing well. JoAnn and Augie are
getting ready for Nicoles new arrival. This time it is a boy.
He is due by the middle of November. Joe and Lisa are making plans
for Joey to head off to college next year. They hope he can get some
athletic scholorship for soccer. Marry, Ben and Christie are all doing
well. Ben likes his new job and Christie only has this last year to
finish college. Mickey, Becky and the boys are doing well. Becky is
so organized and still home schooling the boys. Mickey is still searching
for a job. Jean and Harry are doing good. Jean is back to work and Harry
is very busy at work. Colin is running cross country and doing well.
Justin is in his second year in college. Kate, Chad and the boys are
doing well. They have not been affected by the floods in the north.
Margie, Hank and the boys are back from Hawaii. They like their new
house and are having Thanksgiving at their home this year.
Dan, Dawn and the boys are doing well. Dan is coaching and Kevin is
playing soccer. Dawns dyalysis clinic has been taken over by a new
company, So she has been working very hard so everything runs smoothly.
Matt has been very busy at work. He is planning on going to Margies
for Thanksgiving. Bren, Jana and Coleen are getting ready for winter
in their new house in Kansas. Coleen is keeping them both busy
Jana has a new partner so they are able to get some more time off.
Eileen and Tom are having a tough time because Tomhas to go to
Charlottsville to work during the week. She is planningon takin a
leave in March for the birth of their new child.
and to move.

Aero Service, 1956

This is a picture that appeared in Aviation Week in 1956. It is a helicopter I flew while doing geophysical surveys. We tested it in Philadelphia and then flew it to Canada to a place called Shabogamo, Canada. I am not too sure of the spelling. It was about 200 miles north of Montreal. It was a small mining town, policed by a Red Coated Mountie, complete with a wooden sidewalk. We lived in an old wooden hotel that had a tavern on the first floor, where every evening the miners gathered got blotto and sang "Mon baby que travia". I am not sure of the spelling, but I can still hear it. Mom, JoAnn and Joey were back in Phiadelphia. I quit when they were making plans to send me to South Africa.

Mickey, Becky and the Boys.

This past weekend, we had a visit from Mickey, Becky and the Boys.
They were in Tampa because of the death of Becky's Uncle who lived in Tampa.
They came into town on Friday and left on Monday morning. The boys were all very
well behaved and looked like a bunch of choir boys when they were all dressed up.
I even put Brian to work cutting some branches off the two palm trees in the front.
But it reinforced in my mind why God, in his infinite wisdom, does not allow older people to have children. We would just not be able to keep up with them. They sure are quick. As a matter of fact, I don't know how we did it when we were younger.