 |
 |
| After a great day on the water, we arrive back at the Chechessee Creek dock and boat landing. We are gearing up for the cobia fishing season in the Broad River close where it enters the Atlantic just north of Hilton Head. (April/2009)
|
 |
|
The Karen E.
We are all smiles as we glide across the salt waters in our "new" boat, a 19' 2" Key West bay boat with a 115 hp Mercury outboard motor. We bought it via eBay and towed it home from Coaca, Fl, about 300 miles from our Sun City Hilton Head home.
We plan to enjoy nature around the ocean inlets and tidal rivers and maybe catch a fish or two. (April/2009)
|
 |
| When not in use, our boat will sleep in the Sun City Boat & RV Club's parking area. Our spot is behind my tan pickup truck .
The club's parking lot is at least 10 times the area shown in this photo. There are electrial boxes near each parking space. There are wash down areas near the entrance gate. (May/2009)
|
 |
| The Wyoming High School Class of '58 celebrated its 50th reunion in May. Of 37 graduates, 19 showed up for the alumni banquet. Seven had died over the years.
Standing from left are Bill DeGroot, Vern Stisser, David Shearer, Bob Weber, Carl Hopkins, Paul "Joe" Shane, Fred Schupbach, Don Schaffer, Lee Hager and Larry Drawyer. Seated from left are Lynda Newton Dunn, Mary Stagg Vetter, Ruth Rewerts Muller, Janice Stephens Hollis, Jan Farmer Deissler and Maureen McMullen Drawyer.
Attending the banquet, but not in this photo, were Mike Real, Frances Conover Thornton and Barbara Goodrich Hart. (May/2008)
|
 |
| Karen wanted a remodeled kitchen and she got it. We did most of the work ourselves. We love the new granite counter tops and extra cabinets too. They really set the kitchen off. (Apr/2008)
|
 |
 |
The main project was to replace a tiny wire shelf pantry with cabinets, throw out a small table and replace it with a work island.
The granite counter tops were the most expensive part of the project. (April/2008)
|
 |
Karen shows off her new car. We got it early last year from a Mercedes dealer in Wilminton, NC. This E320 CDI is the best car we have ever owned. It is fast, has a very smooth and quiet ride and gets over 35 mpg at 80 mph on long trips and never gets less than 25 mph on short trips.
Over the years, we have owned eight Diesel vehicles. Karen loves this car. I usually drive the truck. (April/2008)
|
| We bought this Ford Ranger last year via an eBay bid. Karen and I drove to western Florida last fall to close the deal and convoyed back to South Carolina. The pickup had less than 30,000 miles and was still under warranty.
Hey, a guy has to have a truck. (April/2008)
|
 |
|
|
|
After a year of work, our 16 x 16 sunroom addition is finished. We hired a contractor to build the outside and we did all the inside work including electrical, insulation, sheet rock, painting, ceiling and floor tile and trim. Installing the white porcelain floor tile was very hard for us, but looks great. (Apr/2008)
|
|
| Karen sits with one of her "babies" by our little Christmas tree. The gift stack was small this year since we used our Christmas funds to take a holiday cruise. (Jan/2006) |
 |
| In the final days of December, we took a 10-day cruise from Charleston to the Western Caribbean. We even spent Christmas in the Bahamas. More.
Karen and I pose in front of a huge Mayan temple within the walled city of Tulum near Cozumel, Mexico. (Dec/2005)
|
 |
| Karen and I and eight other neighborhood couples had a great time at a Christmas Caroling party . I didn't sing, but hummed a little. (December/ 2005) |
 |
| My sisters, Jane, Sally, Susan and Margaret get together for a birthday dinner in Peoria. This photo makes me miss them. (Nov/ 2005) |
 |
| Here I am in my home office. I built the desk and cabinets from scratch to fit the odd shaped space. Three monitors are enough to keep up with the work flow. The consulting jobs pay for my toys. (Apr/2008) |
 |
FRIENDS AT DINNER.
Neighbor friends celebrate Honey's birthday at dinner at Sun City restaurant, Citta del Sol. Tom and Carol Algie are at left, Joe and Carol Ruoto are seated at center, Karen and I are standing center, and Hugh and Marilyn Worthen are at right. (Oct/2005) |
 |
| Peter Rabbit takes his buddy, Ducky, for a Halloween ride in the yard of Karen and Paul Shane in Sun City. Karen made the cute display. I assembled the wagon from a kit. (Oct/2005)
|
 |
| Karen and I have our pictures taken at a square dance party at the Sun City community hall. (Oct/2005) |
 |
| Great Sun City Okatie Farmers Rabbit Drive. Okatie Farmers take a break for photos following a drive through our community gardens to chase out any rabbits. Narry a bunny was seen that day. (Oct/2005) |
 |
| Karen has pulled some carrot from our garden plot in the Sun City gardens. Snow peas are blooming at my left and tomatoes are behind Karen. We garden here year round, but most plants do not do well in the hot months of July and August. The fence is against rabbits and the tall fence in the background is against deer. (April/2008) |
 |
Karen and I spent a long weekend at Key West, Fl for the wedding of brother John's
daughter, Amy. On the night before the ceremony, we partied aboard a large
catamaran sail boat. Pictured above, from left, are sister Jane, brother John with
Rolann, sister Sally and Karen and I. (Feb/2005) |
| Karen and I went back to Illinois last fall to visit both our families and to attend a niece's wedding. While there, a few of my classmates joined us for dinner. Our Wyoming High School Class of '58 had only 39 graduating students. (Nov/2004) |
 |
| Neighbors Hugh and Marilyn are avid Boston Red Sox fans. I sent off for a Boston Globe front page reporting the World Series victory, made a nice oak frame in my own workshop and presented it during a poker party at another neighbor's house. (November/2004) |
 |
| Karen and daughter, Sue, try on hats at a novelty store while touring Savannah's historic River Street. (October/2004) |
 |
We threw a party to celebrate our good friends' 50th wedding anniversary. Hugh, red shirt, and Marilyn, blue over white,
were the guests of honor. (August/2004) |
| Karen and I attended the high school graduation party for grandsons, Brent, right, and John, at a park pavilion near Allentown, PA. (July/2004)
More Photos.
|
 |
| Here's Karen and I taking our new Mercedes SL500 convertible to its first social event, a cocktail party at the ritzy section of our Sun City community. We bought the car via eBay and drove down to West Palm Beach, FL to pick it up.
"Fun, fun, fun 'til Daddy takes the T-Bird away." Yup! We sold it to a friend in 2008 and bought the truck above. (June/2004)
|
 |
| Karen and I visited Barbara and our four grandboys at St. Paul's, NC where we celebrated Steve's 15th birthday.
Karen is in the center, of course, and, from left in front, are Danial, Andrew and Steve. Upper from left, are Barbara, Joe and Barbara's husband, Danny. I was behind the camera. (June/2004)
|
 |
| 19th Hole: Stratford Village golfers replay our Saturday golf round over pitchers of beer in the Hidden Cyprus clubhouse. (June/2004) |
 |
| Bob and Jan Kelly join us on a sunset cruise around Hilton Head Island. (June/2004) |
 |
|
Here is my Advanced Router class project, a jewelry box machined from oak. I needed the router class before taking the Picture Frames course. Karen stained the wood to match our bedroom set and lined it with satin.
I go to the Woodworkers shop several times a week. I've taken all the safety courses which entitles me to use any machine in the building. (October/2004)
|
 |
| And here is the picture frame class project, an 11 x 14 frame made from worm holed poplar wood. Karen stained and varnished the wood.
An old guy who runs a Poconos area sawmill, gave me a pile of this kind of lumber. He thought it was ruined because worms had eatened so many holes. He had no idea that the artifacts increased the wood's value. (October/2004)
|
 |
| Cabinets I built from scratch are mounted over the washer and dryer. They are almost four feet tall and over 70 inches wide.
This was my first major woodworking project since moving to Sun City last July. (May/2004)
|
 |
Karen and I went kayaking with our next door neighbor. It was fun, but hard work paddling against the outgoing tide current. (April/2004) |
My sisters, Jane and Sally, and Karen and I are shown touring the shops in Savannah, GA old
town River Driver sections. The Illinois sisters were visiting us at Sun City in late April. (April/2004) |
Karen and I watch grandsons Brendan, front, and Patrick Kelly fish during a visit to South Carolina. (April/2004)
|
Karen and I and our daughter, Cathy, and son-in-law Brian and four grandboys, l-r Patrick,
Conor, Brendon & Kyle, pause for one more photo during their visit to our Sun City home. (April/2004) |
| Jake would rather play catch than sit on his grandmother's lap while he and Juleen and Greg visited us in Sun City. (April/2004) |
 |
FLOWER CHILD: Karen clowns around posing as the center of a blossom at the Macon, GA Cherry Blossom Festival. (March/2004)
|
I stand within a huge orchard of cherry trees at the Macon, GA
Cherry Blossom Festival. (March/2004)
|
Above: Karen sits with Tim, our square dance instructor, at a potluck party hosted by one of the dance couples. (March/2004)
Right: Ah, it's so good to be back in shorts mode. Neighbor Denny Mullin and I are on the 8th tee at Okatie Creek Golf Course. Shorts and golf shirt are the official attire at Sun City Hilton Head. (March/2004)
|
 |
I just had to try on one of the serving aprons. Karen bought one for me to use at the woodshop. (January, 2004) |
Karen, and I having dinner with our son, Joe, at Harold's Country Club about 40 miles north of Sun City. The place is inside a working gas station and garage with a honky tonk atmosphere. (January/2004) |
Karen, carrying her huge steak, heads for the salad bar at Harald's Country Club. (January, 2004)
|
My son, Joe, and I play golf on January 25. It was such a beautiful
day around 70 degrees, we played a full 18 holes. (January/ 2004 |
