Random Reflections...

(Authored by Jack)
The best thing about retirement is having no particular place to be every morning. My only responsibility is walking our dogs, Maggie and Ryan. I really enjoy the fact that the dogs appreciate my efforts. They are quite easily pleased and they don't ask more than a little food, water, and attention. I can handle that. I really love our dogs.

Since Gail and I were married, we've been traveling. We finally got to try out our 5th wheel. We discovered a wide variety of uses for bungee cords after finding many of our belongings misplaced at the next campground. Some of our country's wonderful interstates are in serious need of some TLC, to say the least. Not that we had any loss or damage, but finding things that were once in cabinets on one side of the 5th wheel suddenly on the opposite side concerned us both.

A real downside has been the weather. In Topsail it rained for 3 or 4 days prior to our leaving the campground and we remained under the same storm until we reached our Washington, DC campground two days later. Setting up our 5th wheel and tearing down in the rain is not a task I relish. Oh, and we left 75 degree temperatures and landed in 48 to 53 degrees. I can't wait for winter, right! Overall our trip has gone quite well.

Speaking of our trip, we found many of our greatest national treasures being held hostage both in DC and National Parks. I have some very unkind words for the so called elected "representatives" in DC.  I must admit I will never understand why some people have such an aversion to compromise for the greater good. To be so arrogant as to think they know what the people want without asking is unconscionable. My feeling is when elected officials determine they know best what's good for the country, they should be replaced. We did not put them there to take care of us, we put them there to speak and act on our behalf. Sounds as though changes are required to reacquaint them with reality.

Moving on, we have found we don't like being under large trees with acorns and squirrels. There's nothing like leaning back to take a nap and having dive bombing squirrels dropping acorns on the roof. Will definitely sit you right up when you're half asleep. Autumn's leaves cause problems when closing the slides. Sweeping the roof and slides is required before leaving a campground. Crows can be very athletic when they find a loose acorn on the roof. If you've ever wondered what a soccer game sounds like underground, I can tell you.

We spent one of the best Thanksgivings I've experienced in years in Myrtle Beach. I attribute that to the company I am now keeping. Gail and I went to Ryan's Restaurant and had quiet a dinner. It was buffet style so we got more than we could eat, which we paid for later. Another perk was the price, it was very easy on the wallet and was quite good. The best thing was that we were together and had lots to be thankful for this past year. The soothing sound of the ocean made for a wonderful month on the beach.

We've spent the Christmas holidays in Wilmington. Gail needs to get in a lot of grandma time because after this we head to Florida for two months and then on to parts west. We went to have lunch with the youngsters at school one day, Gail babysat them several times, and we spent Christmas with them. Not to mention the occasional drop-bys from time to time. She has decided that, while on the road, should she miss them too much, she may hop a plane and make a weekend visit. I can't blame her, I fully understand how she feels as I don't get to see my grandkids as often as I'd like.

Wilmington has one drawback: it has one way into town and one way out. Trying to get in or out of the KOA here is tricky and time consuming. Turning right takes a minute or two depending on traffic but turning left can take up to five or more minutes. This is just to get into the center turn lane, getting into traffic sometimes takes more time. I've considered writing a letter to the editor but think it is a waste of time as the town has been this way for years and I guess no one else is complaining.

To be honest, we haven't tried to banish one another to the couch, the dogs haven't tried to leave home, we haven't gone broke nor have we been asked to not return by any of the campgrounds we've stayed at, so I guess we are doing great.

Once we leave Wilmington we are embarking on new ground, places we have no ties to in any way. So far we have been in areas familiar to us and had people close by, but now we will really be on our own. It's both exciting and a little scary but, overall, we are looking forward to the travel and the adventures. Time will tell.   ...Jack

Washington DC...Part II

The sun finally showed its face on Monday...for the first time in nine days!

We overslept, of course, but eventually made it out and took the Metro into DC. There was only time to see one museum and our first choices, any of the Smithsonian Museums, were closed...thanks to Boehner and the government shut down. Since Jack chose Mount Vernon on Sunday, Monday's pick was mine and, after much research, I chose the Newseum. It is a museum of News and Journalism from previous centuries right up to current minute news. The exterior includes a 74 foot high marble engraving of the First Amendment. It is seven floors and can be an all day trip. There was so much to see and so many exhibits that I liked, but one of my favorites has to be the display of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs. Amazing photographs that will take your breath away and sear themselves into your brain - a few depicting things I wish I'd never seen, though that would not change the fact that they happened.

Here are some photos I took in the Newseum.

9-11 Pieces from the World Trade Center and a door from an NY Police car.

and

J Edgar Hoover

The Berlin Wall - Two Views 

Above two photos - The view from the Terrace of the Newseum

Martin Luther King Jr's Jail Cell door

Above right - 

The Woolworth's Counter in Greensboro, NC where the February 1960 sit-in took place

Transmission Tower from the World Trade Center

The World and Freedom

Green are free countries. Yellow are partially free countries. Red are not free. 

There is far too much red...and not nearly enough green. 

 A journalist getting shot.  The journalist's truck took many shots...

Daniel Pearl's Passport...cancelled...

These are photos of journalists who have been killed all over the world...

  TV News Helicopter

Guard Tower from the Berlin Wall

With Blue Bear and Red Bird in front of the background of a news set.

We had the option of actually recording a news story, but we passed on that!

After we left the Newseum we walked around looking for somewhere to eat.

These are a few shots I took while we walked.

We found a great little place to eat called Oyamel: Cocina Mexicana - a different kind of Mexican, it was delicious!

Visiting Washington D.C.

We left Topsail, NC on Thursday the 10th.

The first stop on our itinerary was the Washington DC area. We had an overnight stop on the ride up in Glen Allen, VA at Kosmo Village Campground. Getting a late start and driving in a lot of rain meant we arrived after dark. The campground, though not far off the Interstate, was hard to find in the dark but, with the help of a salesman at a nearby Ford dealer, we did find it. It is a bare bones CG, suitable only for self-contained RVs, but fine for an overnight stop and the price is reasonable for the area.
 
Day 2 - Friday the 11th - brought more rain, a missed turn that took us smack into Washington DC, and a near miss with a tunnel to low for us that added 45 minutes to our travels, but we arrived at Cherry Hill Park Campground in College Park, MD with daylight to spare and settled in for a few days. It is pricey but a great headquarters for visiting Washington D.C. There is a Metro Bus Stop on the grounds and a Metro Rail station nearby. There is even a dog-walker if you plan to be gone for a long day of sightseeing. We didn't have opportunity to use the dog walker as the rain and the government shut down curtailed our sightseeing!

The Ikea up the street made for a great rainy Saturday afternoon visit. It was a first visit for both of us so we toured top to bottom and had lunch in the café. I spent all of eight dollars on placemats, bag clips, and a small covered can for picking up after our dogs!



Sunday it stopped raining for a few hours so we embarked on a trip to Mount Vernon for Jack, my history buff. We walked our legs off seeing the sights.


Jack can be seen photo bombing George and Martha Washington and their grandchildren in the Visitor Center!



Below is the front view of Mount Vernon that overlooks the Potomac.

The back of the Mansion and the kitchen off to the right. 

This is the view from the house overlooking the Potomac. 

 Gail overlooking the Potomac :-)

The Washington Tomb.  George Washington's coffin is on the right, Martha's on the left.  The rest of the family is entombed behind the small black door.

Our Selfie  ;-)

Next: Monday the sun shines and we visit The Newseum...