7/12/16 Hawaii To Meet Jack's Ship

USS Chung Hoon passing "Mighty Mo" (USS Missouri)

Last minute plans to fly to Hawaii and meet the Chung Hoon at the dock after a 6 month deployment was an experience no words can describe. Aunt Sherrie joined us for the homecoming. With the pier full of family, friends, hula dancers and a band, Jack's ship pulled in with the bow draped in a lei and with Jack standing by the front gun mount wearing orchid leis which he later presented to Mom and Aunt Sherrie.  We returned the aloha with leis for him and some shipmates who didn't have anyone greeting them.  

The Commanding Officer and Executive Officer both raved about Jack's performance saying he has a bright future in the Navy.  Who'da thought his first grade drama role would turn into a real life story.  Jack's fellow ensigns have nicknamed him "warship" due to his extensive knowledge of weapons systems and naval operations.  By the time we left the pier two more destroyers were stacked up next to his.Truly a sight to behold.

Jack and Zoe Catching Waves

We  stayed near Kailua Beach, about a 20 minute ride from Jack's fabulous house in Kaneohe.  Spent sunrises walking the beach to Kalapawai Market for coffee and scones then around the point to Lanikai to meditate.  Waves were unusually high and we spent hours boogy boarding.  Fourth of July on the

Even Sherrie Got In The Water

beach was a hoot with families setting up tents, grills, games, kids, dogs and flags as far as the eye  could see. From the beach was a birds eye view of the fireworks and a 5 minute walk back to the ohana house where we were staying.  Jack took us to Giovanni's shrimp truck on our way up the North Shore for snorkeling and our first fabulous acai bowl (acai sorbet, granola, honey, banana).

2016 and 2001

At a BBQ at Jack's house, Zoe surprised him with her arrival as he came through the door. It was great getting to know the other ensigns he lives with. 

What a difference 15 years make.  The bottom photo was taken when we lived in Hawaii while John was the Special Assistant for his friend Admiral Dennis Blair who was Commander In Chief Pacific Command.  John traveled extensively through Asia during these 3 years and helped develop the notion of security communities.  For our 20th Wedding Anniversary, we asked friend and Buddhist priest Dean N. to bless us on Kailua Beach, just down the street from where we lived.   

Hippy Beach Camper

In addition to lots of beach time, there was shopping for Hawaiiana, dinners with jack's 4th grade buddy Fred and his parents, dinner with Aikahi Park neighbors Jodi and family, and with Debra's  now defunct Investment Club ladies.   

Aunti took Zoe for a 30th birthday camp out in a 1976 Volkswagen tricked out hippy van. They toured the North Shore, snorkeled with lots of fish and sea turtles in Waimea Bay, and camped on the beach at Kaena Point.  They had a blast and set a precedent for future visits.  

Auntie with Jack at his House

We ended our wonderful visit watching the Chung-Hoon depart for RIMPAC 2016 while waving to Jack on the quarter deck.  Pearl Harbor  was filled with ships from 26 countries, in what the Navy says was "the worlds largest international maritime exercise".  40 ships and submarines, 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in the exercise. Shortly after underway their ship and Marine helo crew were tasked to a real life search and rescue mission for a small downed plane off of Kona. Both pilots were rescued with only minor injuries! During the RIMPAC exercise with destroyers from Korea and Japan, they "demonstrated the combined forces ability to respond to a small boat attack as Chung-Hoon and Sejong the Great deployed their small boats to simulate attacks on the ships."  Jack also coordinated the visit of 

Japanese and Korean Destroyers During RIMPAC

old friend, retired Vice Admiral Denny McGinn to the Chung-Hoon.  VADM McGinn is the current Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment and one of Jack's references when he applied to the Navy. And if his plate is not full enough with his responsibilities as Auxiliary Officer, Legal Officer, and Energy Conservation Officer; Jack passed his SWO Board and can now wear the pin of a Surface Warfare Officer!  This is a massive milestone and one he accomplished in only 9 months!   

Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Soooooo fun seeing so many old friends and can't wait to go back for a month in January!  ALOHA

6/19/16 Westerly, RI and 45th Dartmouth Reunion

Condo Deck View

 It is wonderful to be back in Rhode Island at Ashaway RV Resort.   We walked through our Champlin Woods condo where inside walls have been

roughed in but the view of Misquamicut Beach is complete!  The builder hopes to have us in by the end of the year but we are not holding our breaths.  Hard to believe that we are home as we walk along the beach and look back to see our condo on the hill.

Mascoma Lake Campground

In between John's conference at the Naval War College and Deb's picking tile, bath fixtures, lighting, etc. etc., we take the RV up to Mascoma Lake Campground near Hanover, New Hampshire, spending five days at John's 45th Dartmouth College reunion. We have a wonderful time seeing over 100 of his classmates, reigniting old friendships and making new ones. We ran ourselves ragged on planned activities including delicious meal gatherings, hiking, panel discussions, campus tours, a concert by

award winning acapella group The Dartmouth Aires, and a fascinating presentation about the Thayer School of Engineering Mobile Virtual Player  (MVP) robotic tackling dummy which is used to simulate live tackling during practices.  

Dartmouth's MVP

Since using the MVP, a significant reduction in injuries and concussions has resulted from the college's policy of NO live tackling in practices.  Last Falls team's spectacular performance highlights the benefits of having healthier players.  Other colleges and the NFL are now trying the MVP in their programs.  

Protesters Confront ROTC Students

The mood of our country toward the military was quite different in the late 60's early 70's during the Vietnam War. John's experience as a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corp (NROTC) student is reflected in this photograph of the war protesters and in the photo of a NROTC Dining-In where John (third from left) was the company commander hosting the nights speaker.  Dining-In's are formal military affairs following British traditions of rules of the mess, much toasting, and after dinner cigars and port.

It was fun listening to his buddy Dick, tell stories.  "You were hard ass ROTC; made me and Knolls look bad." "You must be really smart.  You would sit in back of Thermodynamics cutting your nails while I was furiously taking notes. Did you get an A or B in that class?"  To which John meekly replies, "I got a citation in that class." (That's like a A+++++!)

6/1/2016 Virginia, Bahamas, Zoe's PhD Board, Jack in Philippines

Zoe's River Canoe Trip

Zoe passed her PhD boards (YAHOO!!!!) complaining that they didn't ask her the really hard questions she spent months preparing for ;)  Her plans are to finish writing her dissertation by next May.  In between she is puttering in her garden, hiking in the Cascades with Gabe as they continue to check out wolf research sites, and take his girls down the St. Mary's River in Idaho in their new canoe!

Campsite Neighbor

  After an overnight stop at a KOA off I-95 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, we are back in our old stomping grounds at Bull Run Regional Park in Manassas, Virginia. We love camping in the spacious wooded campsites here, being awoken every morning by numerous bird calls.  A week goes by where we catch up with friends, make some professional connections, then put the RV in storage at Settles Truck & Auto where we bought it 4 years ago.

The Beautiful Boat

John flies to the Florida Keys to help some friends crew their boat to the Bahamas.  Having had an amazing time cruising around the Bahamian Islands on two prior occasions, Deb (wisely) chooses to remain  behind this time to work on design decisions for the condo (aka - to avoid the open ocean crossing) ;) Half way across, one (of two) engines fails so they limp into Alice City on Bimini.  Finding no qualified mechanic and no success at self-repair, they cruise to 

Bimini

Fort Lauderdale whereupon they experience a water in the bilge alarm.  After many buckets of water over the side, they arrive in FL, get repaired, tested and head back to Bahamas.  After two hours of smooth sailing the engine room fire alarm goes off.  While the Captain handles the boat, John's uses his Navy emergency training and several breath holding trips down into the engine room to put out the fire.  This trip is over and they return to Fort Lauderdale.  John says the trip was GREAT especially loving the opportunity to drive the boat, stand watch and help with the challenges.  The Captain's wife, on the other hand, was traumatized by these events.......(men are from Mars!)

Deb has a blast sacking out at her cousin Bruce's and various friends homes (Marie, Marcia,

Azalea Bonsai, National Arboretum 

Susan B.) while he was gone.  Visited the beautiful National Arboretum, attended a community theater production of "My Fair Lady" where our friend Joni played Professor Higgins fabulous secretary, and continues working on floor, kitchen plumbing and appliance decisions for the condo.  

Marcia, Jane, Actress Joni, Debra

John gets back in time to celebrate our 35TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!  We are blessed beyond words for the life we have had together and plan to continue to have in the future.  

After moving the RV back to Bull Run, we continue our marathon visiting with friends and family as we both finish up some consulting projects.  Had a great day at the Nationals Ballpark even though they lost.  Met up with Deb's Uncle Bill (drove Marine landing craft in Vietnam) on Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Day in DC at the Massachusetts Vigil Society exhibit he was manning.  The group formed in 1982 after the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial to maintain POW-MIA

Massachusetts Vigil Society Exhibit

awareness.  They recently added banners naming fallen veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.  A very emotional and humbling experience as the Washington Monument rises behind the exhibit.

Jack had some well needed downtime on a recent port call in Subic Bay, Philippines.  His ship is involved in activities described in a newspaper headline: "Deploying ships, jet fighters, and reportedly, a high-tech surveillance drone, Beijing is moving quickly to cement its claims on strategic islands, while also forcefully rebuffing America’s own military moves in the region."   He is working hard at his new position as the ships Auxiliary Officer (AUXO) while at the same time putting max effort into qualifications for his Surface Warfare Officer pin. His first Fitness Report was EXCELLENT!!!

While reviewing condo plans recently, Debra asks John, what is the size of our deck?  He says 300 sq feet.  What is the size of the RV living area?  He says 310 sq. ft. Soooo we have been living on our deck for the past two years?? Yup, that about sums it up.  

John says you know it's time to bring this Freedom Folly to a close when Deb starts complaining about him leaving his soap in her makeup space (really John, I would have complained about that under any circumstances:).  We had a real hard laugh when John then complained because she left her book in his chair space. We continue to find it absolutely amazing that we still find humor in our ability to tolerate each other in such close quarters.

5/2/16 Savannah and Charleston

Zoe's 7th Grade Painting for Aunt Dee

Feels good to be at the Atlantic as we visit Deb's sister in beautiful Savannah, Georgia.  We store the RV at Hunter Army Airfield and stay with Dee at their lovely home overlooking a pond.  Zoe's 7th grade giraffe painting in their guest room reminds us of how her life resembles her childhood dreams. Stan cooks great meals, the boys go fishing in the kayak while the girls head to an orchid show and to the beach and shopping on Tybee Island.  There we reminisce about the family visit here 5 years ago for their sons' bar mitzvah and of the Ya Ya weeks us sisters and Zoe spent in Virginia Beach feeding

John, Shelbi and John

Cheetos to the gulls, getting massages at the Edgar Casey Center and shopping at the  "Voo Doo" store.  We top it off with a wonderful visit with Jack's best friend John and Shelbi (who is due in about a month!) at their lovely apartment outside of Savannah.  

Charleston Bike Taxi

Charleston, South Carolina is only a couple hours drive up the coast where we spend a few days each at the beautiful James Island County Park and then at the functional Lake Aire RV Park in Hollywood.  Campgrounds are getting full on weekends as summer is here.  We take a shuttle from James Island to Charleston and spend the morning on a great historic area walking tour.  Charleston is clean and beautifully preserved.  Hopping on a bike taxi, we are peddled to

Fort Sumpter

the dock and board a boat to the island of Fort Sumter.  The museum here is great and enough of the Fort remains to get a good feel of its history.   Another day we drive to Patriots Points Naval Museum where we tour the WWII era aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown, a destroyer and a submarine.  Great exhibits and a must do in Charleston. 

Derby Juleps with the Gibbons

For the last days in
Charleston we stay with Jack's other best friends parents who moved here from Fairfax about the same time we moved. Chuck and Dana built a lovely southern style home where we enjoyed mint juleps during the Kentucky Derby (hence the hats).  So good to talk to son Greg who skyped from Korea on Mothers Day!

4/26/16 Florida and Jack in Singapore

Cousins Marcus, Mark and Debra

On a river south of Tallahassee, Deb reunites with cousin Mark (and son Marcus) who she hasn't seen since childhood.  It's like being with an old friend and we can't wait to get together again soon.  

 


Further south, we find a little rustic RV park hidden in a small fishing village called Keaton Beach.  Old Pavilion RV Park turns out to be one of our most favorite stops in our Freedom Folly as our intended overnight stay turns into 3.  Cash or check only, no facilities, but quiet and the

Early Morning Moon Rise from our RV

Sunset from the Deck

nicest people ever.  Parked right on the water next to the parks deck, we enjoy watching birds, fish, crabs and the company of fellow RVers for nightly sunset cocktails.  John spends many hours fishing along the shoreline and catches a 19 inch speckled sea trout and a red fish - YUM.  Friendly kitties visit and neighbors Duane and Barb, and Chuck and Pippy Longstockings (dog) plan to reunite here again April 2018.

On to Leesburg where we spend the day with Deb's cousin Terry and family at the Mt. Dora Blueberry Festival.  So fun watching the twins play and fresh picked blueberry's were big and sweet.  Good fun was had as we visited John's sister Judy (and Bill).  While the girls went shopping, the boys went golfing and John nailed a 50 foot put from 10 feet off the green. Sounds like a fish story to me based on how he usually describes his golf outings but Bill backs him up.  We camp at rustic Griffin Lake Park with great trails and kayaking.   A dangerous coral snake crosses Deb's path on her morning walk and a photo to Zoe for confirmation comes back with this little ditty, "Red touches black safe for Jack.  Red touches yellow kills a fellow".  Don't ya just love having a wildlife ecologist in the family.

Singapore From Jack's Hotel

News headlines provide details of the continually rising tensions with the Chinese as Jack's "Great Green Fleet" patrols among shoals claimed by China in the South China and Philippine Seas.  A port call in Singapore, provides needed R&R, another beautiful hotel with an endless rooftop pool, touring and more Facetime with Jack.  John asks "hows your Mandarin", whence Jack replies, yes we have been communicating a lot with our Chinese counterparts.  Jack suspects the Chinese boats and planes that buzzed them recently were probably wondering what they were doing as they played corn hole during a "steel beach picnic" on the deck of the Chung-Hoon.  Jack got to

Sigsbee Ceremony (can't see Jack)

participate in the 21 gun salute during a ceremony honoring the ships name sake, Admiral Chung-Hoon, for his heroic actions in WWII while serving on the USS Sigsbee during a kamikaze attack.  

4/19/16 Mississippi and Alabama

Love driving on I-10 which is flat and pretty scenic once you get out of West Texas.   A morning drive into Mississippi to Davis Bayou Campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore Park and another state sticker gets added to our RV travel map. What a find this small campground nestled among dense forest beside the bayou.  We watched osprey catch and eat their dinners while kayaking among the swallows and jumping mullet.  

Gulf State Park Shore

Big winds expected later today so we depart early for the short drive to Alabama's Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. Long late afternoon walks on the beach remind us of what we will be doing once settled into our new condo overlooking Misquamicut Beach. Of course Deb picks up pretty shells while John finds chunks of dried oil and shells coated in black.  It has been 6 years to the day since the horrific BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the flora and fauna in this part of the Gulf and the economy of nearby communities.  Oil flowed for 87 days spilling an estimated 5 million barrels. Although it looks beautiful now, oil contaminated 1,300 miles of shore line from Texas to Florida, where they continue to find significantly high levels of birth defects and low reproductive rates among fish and wildlife.

John, Linda and Steve

We visit old friends Steve and Linda I., spending the night at their lovely home in Fairhope, Alabama.  John and Steve served together on the USS Guitarro in the early 70's and we hung out with them when they moved to Connecticut in the late 70's.  We had 30 years of catching up to do and realized, crap, we are getting old!   Note the beautiful grey hair on these lovely ladies. Deb let hers grow out over the past year, deciding to get through this ugly stage while on the road and away from friends and family.  She had to cheat a little and have the front "salt" streaked with "pepper" to match the back.  


While driving near Mobile, John notes that his Great Great Grandfather (another John H.) fought in the Civil War at the Battle of Mobile Bay as part of the Minnesota 7th Infantry Regiment.  His mother gave him a 2 volume book published in 1888, "History of Minnesota Regiments in the Civil and Indian Wars", which was signed by this Grandfather.  How cool is that!

Debra's RV Workstation

It's somewhat melancholy as we add Alabama, the last state sticker to our map while on this Freedom Folly.   After this point, we will not be camping in any states we have not already visited. That leaves only Utah, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alaska to explore on future folly's.  Oh yes, and Hawaii for which we will have to buy RV pontoons. 
  
Progress on the condo seems to be speeding up.  At this rate can't believe it will really take till February to finish up.  

Windows In and Deck Almost Done

4/14/16 New Orleans, Louisana

Alligator Next to RV

The roads through Louisiana to New Orleans were mostly on piers over wetlands and rivers.  Not hard to imagine what happens to southern Louisiana when oceans rise from hurricanes and global warming.  Aviation Arbor RV Park at Naval Air Station New Orleans is a lush, tranquil little park south of the city.  From the RV we enjoy listening to birds and watching ibis fish in the drain.  Several 4 foot gators are regulars but after a monsoon rain the drain doubled in size and a 6 footer swims by.  

Jazz Plays Everywhere for Free

We take a pedestrian ferry to the island city of New Orleans and jump on the Hop-On Hop-Off City Bus Tour which includes walking tours of the French Quarter, Garden District and historic Lafayette Cemetery #1.  We arrive during one of many outdoor music festivals and enjoy numerous venues walking around the historic French Quarter.  Beautifully preserved buildings as far back as late 1700's tell the story of the tumultuous Spanish, French and American blending of

Beignets, Chicory Coffee - Cafe du Monde

cultures. We enjoy beignets for breakfast, spicy creole food (crayfish quesadillas and gumbo) and the fantastic "original muffuletta" sandwich from Central Grocery and Deli.  Think fresh bread, olive salad, and layers of mortadella, salami, provolone, ham and mozzarella.   

In the mid 1800's, Americans poured into New Orleans building beautiful Victorian mansions in the Garden District to get out of the crowded city and away from the French and Spanish style

Garden District Home

buildings.  Historic Lafayette Cemetery #1 was established in early 1800's featuring above ground tombs, the norm in New Orleans due to the high water table.  We saw French's and Smith's in there.  On the other side of the district was the Irish

Typical Cemetery Tombs

Quarter where poor immigrants settled from Ireland and Germany.  John's grandfather William Cortland H., moved here from Chicago around 1930 and worked for Sloan Valve.  Uncle Gene was born here and went to Loyola Seminary which may account for why he loved to come back and visit.

Amazing that after three days of touring with several different guides, only one mentioned the horrific August 2005 Hurricane Katrina which caused $100 billion in damage, flooded 80% of the city (half of which is below sea level), killing almost 2000 people.  After massive reconstruction, the only reminder we saw was this tree house sculpture built with storm debris.  However, outside the tourist areas in poor sections of town, an estimated 25,000 abandoned homes (down from 43,000) continue to rot.  

4/8/16 Eastward Bound! Texas and Zoe in Boise

Mountain Range after Mountain Range, West Texas

John retired 4 years ago this month and we took possession of our RV, which we have had on the road for 2 of these 4 years.  Whew.....time flies when you're having fun.

  We start heading East today, planning to hang around San Antonio, hoping the past weeks of severe rain, floods, hail and tornadoes along the Gulf subsides to we can navigate safely. so good to be back on the road again as we put the Texas state sticker on our map.  We stay at Fort Bliss RV Park in El Paso, tour the Museum of Archaeology during the Poppy Festival and spend a most delightful evening with Virginia friends Elizabeth Mac., Greg and 3 year old George who has added to our daily lexicon "mistakes happen sometimes".  We just missed Hannah and Patrick who were visiting grandma :( 

Japanese Tea Garden, San Antonio

Alamo Chapel

After a very long day driving to San Antonio, we arrive at Lackland AFB FamCamp to the intoxicating smell of cut grass.  Having spent much of the Fall and Winter in the West where drought and desert climate colors everything some shade of brown, the lush green grass and forests in mid Texas make us homesick for the East.  We are happy to meet up again with RV neighbors from Tucson, Tim and Cecelia, also staying at Lackland and with a family from John's days at Camp Smith in Hawaii, Joe and Lisa D.  

 Love, love, love the hop-on hop-off double decker bus tour which gave us a great overview of this beautiful city.  In the middle of the city is the Alamo, infamous for the 1836 battle where all the Texian fighters were killed by the Mexican Army including Jim Bowie and

Lunch on San Antonio River Walk 

Davy Crockett.  It has

been tastefully preserved and presented.  So many really great things about this city...the river walk and boat ride, the very cool Scottish Rite Cathedral (Masonic Temple) with it's awesome 1920 theater, the Briscoe Museum, and the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden to name a few.   

Half of our trip to the East coast is crossing the massive state of Texas.  In Houston, rules at the fancy Advanced RV Park (not usually our style) say if the RV is dirty, you have two days to get it washed or you will be asked to leave. Get over yourself!  We kayaked in Clear Water River (maybe clear back in the day) off Galveston Bay and spent a day at the Houston Space Center.  
John loves space stuff and would have chosen Naval Aviation astronaut training had the program not been cut after we landed

Space Shuttle atop a Plane

Apollo 13's Mission Control Center

on the moon.  Although much smaller than Cape Canaveral, the movie "Our Real Journey To Mars" and touring the space shuttle and it's carrier plane were well worth the visit.  Reminded us of watching the final flight of Endeavor on it's carrier plane as it flew around the DC area in 2012.  The movie described an inflatable living area and today SpaceX launched a rocket which delivered an inflatable room experiment to the Space Station.  Also a first, this rocket returned to earth, landing on a floating platform! Sure wish SpaceX stock was public so we could buy some.

Rocket Platform Landing

P.S. Lord help us as the motley crew racing for the Presidency continue to shock and embarrass our country.  If Trump wins I am moving to Canada!


On a happier note, Zoe takes a trip to Boise, Idaho to meet with fellow team member, Carter Niemeyer. Carter, a retired federal wolf and livestock depredation expert and author "Wolfer" and "Wolf Land", has been a tremendous resource for the Washington State University's wolf project.  He works with Zoe to try and fill in lots of gaps in the statistical data sets she is analyzing for her PhD dissertation.

Zoe and Carter