SYSTEM SHOCK

 

SYSTEM SHOCK - PART 2...

 

 

We arrived in Cancun, just a couple of hours late.  It could have been worse.  Weather wonderful, high 70's and sunshine, lots of sunshine.  WOW!!!  Going thru customs was a breeze, upon exiting the terminal an Apple Tours rep. was waiting for us.  We were directed to our van (15 passenger van) and the fun began.  We just didn't know what the "fun" would be.

 

 

After dropping of most of our fellow passengers we arrived at Blue Bay Esmeralda Riviera Maya.  How beautiful.  This was a walled, gated resort.  We arrived at the lobby - which was only a lobby.  All the rooms were in other buildings thru-out the property.

 

Approaching the Lobby

 Some of the grounds



 

The view from our balcony

 

Upon checking in our room was not ready, we were directed to the buffet, the luggage remained in the lobby.  Lunch was great.  After checking out some of the shops and stuff returned to the lobby.

 

Room was ready.  Got our key cards.  The tram came to take us to our room.  Bell Boy accompanied us handling our luggage.  what we didn't know was.........

 

 

Nice building.  We were beginning to feel the effects of the trip, delay, flight, landing, waiting.  We were ready for a nap.  Rabbit Hole had other ideas.......

 

 

Our Bell Boy opened the door for us, stepped back bowing at the waist and motioning us to enter.  Which we did.  Oooooooppppps.

 

We had been given the bridal suite, complete with queen size bed, which spread, red rose petals scattered, and two towels fashioned into a swan and heart.  There was champagne, chocolate covered cherries and a 'WELCOME MR and MRS DOUGHERTY' sign.

 

 

 

I looked at Nancy - Nancy looked at me.  Expressions were priceless.  Here we are - 2 old gals, no intention of getting married and sleeping in the same bed, tired,  -- 

 

 

The Bell Boy dialed the front desk in the lobby and we explained the situation.   It took another hour for them to find, and prepare a room for us.  By then we were getting a little grumpy, Rabbit was laughing his fool head off, hopping here and there and grinning like crazy. 

 

 

We were escorted to our room, very nice room, actually 2 beds, TV, refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, beer, and water.  Immediately upon arriving in our room a Bell Boy appeared with a bottle of wine and 2 wine glasses - a gift for the mix-up.  I brought the wine and glasses home with me.

 

The view from our balcony

 

Our building

The way you got around, either walking or by tram

A portion of the buffet dining room

 

One of our two beds.  The decoration was an apology from the staff.

 

By the way, this is an all-inclusive trip.  The room, the chartered plane, all meals, all beverages, including alcoholic beverages were included in the price.   A really nice way to vacation. 

 

We took our much needed nap.  Later in the evening we hopped the tram and went back tot he buffet for supper.  The food was really good, we tried a lot of new food and drinks.  Finally we were two happy campers.

 

 

One of the views and the lobby early in the morning

 

To be continued - Stay safe and God Bless.

 



SYSTEM SHOCK!!!

FROM WINTER TO SUMMER TO WINTER IN 5 DAYS.....

DAY 1

 

Day 1 actually started the night before.  Sunday January 25 to be exact.  Major snow storm predicted to hit our area beginning Sunday afternoon.  Our flight was to leave Pittsburgh at 7:00 a.m. Monday morning.  Oh Boy!!!!

 

 

Nancy and I left home at 3 p.m. Sunday.  Arrived at our hotel a little over an hour later, approximately 4 p.m.  Checked in.  Had supper.  Watched TV - weather forecast not good.

 

 

My suitcase on the left - yellow - for 5 days

Nancy's suitcase on the right - green - for 5 days



 

My 2 battery operated clocks - just to be safe.  By the way the 4:25 was in the afternoon when we checked in. 





 

Decided to get to bed early, get up early, and head for the PARKING SPOT, the place I leave my car when flying.  It was only 5 minutes from the hotel.  Piece of cake.  I completely forgot that the famous rabbit hole is very good at following me around.  Neither one of us could sleep.  Everytime we looked out the window the snow was coming down and coming down.

 

 

Finally at 3 a.m. we decided to check out, go to the Parking Spot, get shuttled to the airport and wait, wait, wait for check-in.

 

 

Car covered with about 8 inches of snow, and still coming down.  Took what seemed like forever to get rid of the snow.  Luckily I had my scraper/brush with me.  Roads were covered, but the  road crews had already been out.  Arrived at the P.S., left the car and were shuttled to the airport.  By now it was 3:45 a.m.  HOWEVER Apple Tours begin their check-in at 4 a.m.

 

The rabbit hole was still sleeping.  Little did I know what that darned hole was planning!!!!

 

Got checked in, thru security, baggage checked and were at the proper gate.  Found out this was a charter flight, non-stop from Pittsburgh to Cancun.   By the way did I tell you we were going to Cancun?

 

Boarding right on time.  Then learned we had to be de-iced.  We got in line for that fun thing.  Two hours later we finally took off.  I went to sleep almost immediately and did not wake up until about 60 minutes before landing.  Needless to say it was good flight.

 

 

 

 

The first four were the de-icing process.  The last is finally on our way.  This is the last thing I remember until almost time to land.

 

Next blog will cover arriving, and let you know I found out what the rabbit hole was planning.

 

Today just keeps snowing.  My hill-top covered, decided I was not going to Church as I do not feel like walking up my hill in the snow.  Even tho I have all-wheel drive, I don't feel completely at ease.  All the fault of the rabbit hole.

 

Everyone stay warm, safe, and God Bless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JANUARY 01 2015 ...

...LOOKING BACK

Getting ready for the New Year, my 2015 calendar is already filling up.  Can't believe how fast time goes by.  Browsing thru my 2014 calendar - unbelievable.

January pretty easy month - the highlight was the open-house to see our friends/neighbors new house.  Really a great day.

February - Not much going on.  Dogs had a Vet appointment, otherwise just drifted thru the month. 

March - the calm before the storm.  Again a drifting month, did meet my Sister for lunch at Cheddars one day, - the highlight of the month.  Second highlight was going to Hartville Ohio and having lunch with Carol and Jim.  What a great day, and food at the Amish restaurant. 

April - Did a solo day trip into WV on a small photo-shoot.  Then flew to Phoenix to visit step-daughter Linda and her family and run around and see things and take pictures, and all that stuff.  Was back from Phoenix 3 days then Nancy and I spent the remainder of the month doing the first leg of our Rt 66 trip.

May - Things were picking up.   Had our mulch delivered for the flower beds.  Met up with 2 friends we met on one of our bus trips for lunch and catch-up.  Ended the month with a 1 day bus trip to Tara.

June - Dougherty reunion, two day trip to Pierpont to visit with friends and, of course, take pictures.  In between spread mulch, and mulch and more mulch.

July - One local grandson graduated from PTI in Pittsburgh.  Attended a renewal of wedding vows for my friends, Pastor Dan and his wife Kathy.  Met two friends from Ohio and spent a day "barnstorming" taking Mail Pouch Barn pictures.  Step-daughter Linda and her husband Dave arrived from Phoenix for an extended visit.  Linda went to the Mail Pouch picnic in Belmont Ohio one day.    Nancy and I also took our bus trip to the Virginia shore the end of July.

August - Linda and I attended a baby shower, Met with friend Vicki one day.  Another day Linda Dave and I went to THE WILDS in Ohio.  We also spent a couple of days touring west Virginia. The end of August into the first of September attended the Jackson's Mill Festival in West Virginia.  Also had my surprise 80th birthday party, a completely total surprise.  What a day!  Also did a Mystery Weekend bus trip.

September - Had lunch in New Martinsville with a lovely couple we met on our Virginia shore bus trip.  Their home was beautiful, lunch great, had a great time just talking.  Did a one da photo-shoot trip with Grandsons Garrett and Coleman.  What fun!

October - Did Oglebayfest festival, the two weekend Wash Co Fairgrounds festival which pretty much used up the month.

November - Voted, set up my photo display at Shrader Center in Oglebay Park for the Christmas show and sale which lasts until January 1st - today.  Did the Morgantown festival in West Virginia, and got ready for Thanksgiving, and the thundering herd.  Had 20+ for dinner.  Thanksgiving night step-daughter Linda and granddaughter Rachel arrived from Phoenix.  Their men had been drawn or something for elk, or something hunting so they decided they were not going to sit at home.  The Saturday after Thanksgiving son Andy, his wife, his mother-in-law and their son arrived from Oakland Maine.  Do we have fun or what?  While the guys hunted us girls (5) spent one dat at Oglebay Park visiting the Mansion House, the shops, the glass museum, having supper at Wilson Lodge then driving thru the park to see the lights.  Anne (the M-I-L) said they did not have anything like that in Maine..  A couple days later the 5 of us went to Cambridge Ohio to see their Dickens Victorian Christmas and Courthouse light display. By this time we had moved into December.

December - Our (Nancy and me) over night bus trip to Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs WV, which we had done the year before, enjoyed it so much did it again, and already have it scheduled for 2015.    Grandson Austin graduated fro W&J College in PA.  Had our usual house full for Christmas Dinner/Gift Exchange.  Met friends for lunch on the 27th at Primanti Bros Restaurant at the Highlands, and
watched the New Years Ball drop at midnight last night.  Son Mike had called up inviting his to his place, it was nice. 

And now am starting to fill up my calendar for 2015. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!!!!! 


 

OUT OF A .....

...CLEAR BLUE SKY

Isn't it strange how things happen?  When least expected.  This began 2 weeks ago on the Friday the Wash. Co fairgrounds Christmas festival opened.  A customer entered my booth an congratulated me on the newspaper article in that days local paper - The Washington Observer.  I knew nothing about it. 

I got a newspaper and in the press release promoting the festival  I was their featured artist.  Why me?

Later that day a reporter from the Observer approached me and began asking questions about my pictures, me, and stuff.  She asked if I did anything else, so me and my big mouth told her about my 5 published books.  She asked if I was self-published and I told her NO - I was with a traditional publishing house complete with contract, they foot the bill for editing and publishing the manuscript, and I get Royalty checks.  End of story.  Or so I thought.

Last week I received a phone call from - the Observer.  This reporter wanted to schedule an interview with me.  Why, I asked.  The  answer - about my books.  We settled on yesterday afternoon.

The reporter, and a photographer, arrived and were here well over an hour.  We just sat around the dining room table and talked, photographer takings pictures, reporter asking questions and scribbling in her note-book.  They examined each of my 5 books (6 counting the first one published in 1972) and asked numerous questions about the pending release of book No. 6 (or 7) titled THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS.    Release date is early spring 2015.

I don't know when, or even IF, the article will appear in the newspaper.  I don't know what they will say.  I don't know if it will be good or bad.  In fact I don't know nothin'. 

Oh yes, the reporter also asked me about my photography, how and when I started selling etc. etc.

For some strange reason the RABBIT HOLE just keeps getting deeper.  All I do is just try to live a normal (that's questionable) life minding my own business and doing what I truly enjoy doing. Strange and unusual things just seem to follow me around. 

Maybe the answer is - IT IS HALLOWEEN!!!!

Enjoy your day and God Bless.

LIFE'S STRANGE

TWISTS and TURNS ... SEPTEMBER 05 2014

Talk about strange twists and turns - on in this case - paths crossing without being aware.  Sounds complicated but it is not.

I July Nancy and I went on a bus trip.  There was another couple, about our age, sitting directly in front of us.  Of course we talked, and talked some more.

By the end of the trip Fran had asked for our telephone numbers and addresses, as she and Harry would like for us to get together sometime later.  She would call.

Call she did.  Between their busy schedule and our busy schedule, the first day we both had free was yesterday, September 4th.  Plans were finalized...she wanted us for lunch about 12:30, then after we would go to the farmers market.  They lived just slightly an hour away from us.

Nancy made a gift basket, I baked Black Bottom Cupcakes.  We went merrily on our way, address in my GPS.

Arrived just at noon.  What a marvelous house in a neat neighborhood.  It is an old, high-ceilinged two story home.  Fran laughed and said it was furnished with gently used and Good Will.  They wanted to maintain the old look, which we absolutely loved.  And how comfortable we were in this old house, just made for old folks.

Had a great visit.  Great lunch.  Lots of talk.

Found out Fran did Art and Craft shows - she makes Christmass tree ornaments, and Harry does wooden toys for kids and collectors.  I told her about her about my photography.  She thought a moment then asked if I had ever  Granville, Ohio.  I had.  Russ and I both had.  She said she remembered seeing me in passing.  As we talked, there were several festivals that we had both done in the past, and some of them were way way in the past.  How many times our paths crossed!

Talked about reading.  We all loved the same authors and read every chance we had.  Another path crossing.  Talked about traveling, where we had gone, what we had seen, and again although not at the same time, visited the same places.  Paths crossing.  WE both did Lewis Wetzel Park in New Martinsville WV.  Oglebayfest in Wheeling WV.  WestBanco in Wheeling also.  As we talked we gradually remembered seeing each other in passing.  100 years later were having lunch together. 

It was an amazing day, a friendship was cemented,  we will be getting together again.  She has a -nephew I believe - that works for the same company that Bossman works for, has been in all the different sites that Bossman travels to.  Paths crossing.

Life's twists and turns.  The surprises waiting for you.  The rewards stemming from the simple act of boarding a bus for a 5 day trip.  Every day is a surprise, a challenge, an education, sometimes a new beginning, other times the end of a chapter.

Old friends, new friends, family, how blessed I have been to be surrounded with the love and friendship I have experienced.  I wonder what the next 100 years will hold for me.

Have a great day and God Bless. 

I'M BAAAAACK ---

FROM MY VIRGINIA SHORE TRIP ... JULY 31 2014

left early Sunday morning (5 a.m.) for my Virginia Shore trip.  I'm not going to go into everything, but the highlight of the trip was the Pony Penning at Chincoteague Island Virginia. 

The ponies on C Island are owned by the fire department which manages the herd.  The license to   own these ponies limits them to a herd of 150.  So every July they round up ponies to have them auctioned off, the revenue from this auction pays for the manageing of the herd.

These ponies today are directly descended from ponies that survived the wreck of a Spanish galleons several hundred years ago.  No other breed of horses are permitted to be with the C ponies. 

This year was the 89th year for the pony penning.  To support the fire department a carnival was established 89 years ago to swim some of the ponies to Assateague Island for auction. It has grown from a few hundred spectators to (as estimated yesterday) over 40,000.  There were people everywhere.  I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but I was very very far away and had to go into digital zoom, which is definitely NOT the way to go.  But something is better than nothing.

Anyhoo we were up at 5 a.m. yesterday morning.  Had breakfast, boarded the bus and headed to the pony penning.  Arrived at 8:30, which is when our tour guide was told to arrive - because of parking.  School bus shuttle busses ran from all the parking areas. 

The actual swimming of the ponies is not done until sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Until then you are just waiting around.

Surrounded by a growing crowd, who had folding lawn chairs with them.  Luckily there were a few places to sit - picnic tables, benches, etc., if you were lucky enough to find one.  But you could not see the festivities from there.So a lot of the time we were standing.  People were just coming and coming and coming.

Why between 11 and 1?  Because you are waiting for the "golden"  time.  And what the heck is that?  It is the few - very few - minutes called the slack tide, which is when there is no tide coming in or going out.  It is in that small window of opportunity that the have to swim the ponies, other wise the tide would take them out to sea.

A few minutes before the golden moment, a canon is set off.  That lets everyone know that the time is coming.  The ponies had been rounded up by the cowboys early, and were waiting off - way off - in the distance.  The canon went off.  Everyone headed for the shore to watch.  Lots and lots of everyones. 

There were lots of kayaks on the water.  They helped the cowboys herd the horses across the bay and onto dry land.  Once the swim was completed the ponies were allowed to rest and dry out.  Then they were escorted into the carnival area where there was a lot paddock filled with hay, oats and grain, and water for the ponies.

The cowboys herded the ponies down the Main Street, with police escort and all to the paddock.  The auction is taking place today.  I was told by a native of Chincoteague Island that last year one of the stallions sold for $17,000.00.. Not a typo.   They are beautiful creatures with a lot of history connected to them.    I am sharing some pictures.  They are not the greatest but will give you some idea of what it is all about.  I hope you have enjoyed your history lesson and God Bless.....