Gifts from the Sea (Bay)

These pictures were taken over several days. There isn't a day that goes by that something doesn't happen that I wish there was a child to share it with. It's so exciting some days or some part of the day. This ship was so quiet I almost missed it but it blew a horn as it came out of Little Creek Base and I ran to grab the camera. Ollie this one is for you!




















This is a beginning to a walk I try and take every morning. This is the way out of the neighborhood and to the beach on the bay.

























This is my goal and then I turn around and go back. The other day there was absolutely no one on the beach for as far as I could see. It was over cast that day and just a little bit of rain. It is soo very humid here that it is sometimes hard to tell if it is raining or not, then add the sea spray.....








Wonderful presents guess after a while they won't be worth picking up, but for now the novelty has not worn off.
















Ok, you can't see much here but I tell you I saw at least 2 dolphins swimming along. I didn't know there were dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay! Sorry Rachel I woke you up to share but I was so excited!! Thanks for listening.









They swam right between the end of the Riff Raff (is that how that is said?) and the boat out there.












Then came a barge passing the Coast Guard boat the small boat in front is the Norfolk Police.








































This may look like it is out of order but I climbed up on the big rocks to see the boats in the inlet then back down to the beach to get the walk way home.
This watermelon looks like a volunteer that has a slim chance of actually growing the little melon to maturity.




























Walk way home
















Another day (today actually Saturday with LaVar )



We often see this Jelly Fish parts.






Crabs this one is not alive but there are many that are and always busy.












Sea Gulls also busy











This is the first whole jelly fish we have seen. LaVar got these pictures with all of its parts. What "eats" it that on the beach only that one part is left to litter the beach?










See the tenticals that are wrapped on top of him and his "intestines"?













Labor day is a great time to take out the boats and there were so many.





























The Kayak is more our speed and we hope to get a couple of those come spring time.










Man fishing across the street










More Gifts from the Sea!
Jake notice the rock with that is hollow. I put a shell in it so you can see that it is empty. There is a piece of sea glass and just little shells of all kinds and a bit of sand too. Just a bit of a collection. Thanks for sharing with me. We are loving it here, most moments. I wish I could share the cool breeze and the friendly neighborhood, but many of you have the latter also.

Ryan Hightower

Ryan called last night I was so pleased! He is graduating from BYU soon and was asking for addresses to send the good news.
Here is Ryan and Stacey's blog address... http://high-towers.blogspot.com/

Check it out and tell them "HI". Notice that Stacey tells that Ryan has built a website for Chelsie. That is exciting news too.
http://www.chelsiehightowerdance.com/

First Party in the "New House"

Here are pictures from our first High Priest Social. LaVar volunteered our house for the second weekend after the movers came. We thought that a bunch of older adults could probably handle a few boxes scattered here and there, our art work for the walls on the floor for now. We then needed to put it off a week because we wanted to go to Mary Rich's wedding in Washington DC temple. The group leader who is 35 years old about and has 3 young children, was ok with postponing it. Then on Sunday this same group leader announced that the social was for families. That upset me because I just "Assumed" it was adults. We worried about the shakey railing on the third floor, the glass cabinets,... etc. The Robertsons ( group leader and family) came over and assured us that our home would be fine. In answer to his wife's questions I found out that we would be serving, "burgers and dogs". Yikes, not my favorites but..... Ketchup and mustard, white carpet oh, my. Then I just told myself "hey, you don't want to have 'one of those houses' where the Bishop is ask to take off his shoes or just not useful because it could get messed up. Just sit back and what will happen will and you can be happy you tried.




So the Lady in the hat is Helena Adelin, she is originally from Finland. Dad and I home teach her. She moved in the same week we did. She has come to care for an 102 year old lady, who is her sister's mother-in-law. Helena's sister and her husband are gone on a mission. She is from Salt Lake City. Is an interior designer and goes nuts for Brad's Oly stuff. The lady in the blue Lynn Shealy is my visiting teaching companion. And the couple are the Naylors



I saved the best for last. Dad doing karaoke with a few of the other men, including Chris Robertson the group leader and Charlie Brown who had been baptized and hour before. We wondered what the neighbors thought, "Oh, great a beer bash-there goes the neighborhood!
The only incident, I knocked over a lamp. NOW that is justice. Everyone else was careful that was nice. Many of the children liked the croquet outside and asking to use the vacant lot introduced me to Doreen who lives nearer the beach and she has asked me over and that was nice. The only thing that needed picked up was brownie crumbs. Why are brownies just a staple at gatherings like these?

Taking the Good with the Bad

This is the Robert Entertainment Center failing to get up the stairs. This means that the plan to have the wonderful office room upstairs to change. The ideal guest room is now the office and the guest room is on the main floor. This was quite a disappointment to us. But whatchagoin'to do?








There were some things that just got broken.















This was one of the only chairs that we had that was perfect.....but no more. Notice that someone noticed that this was broken and tried to fix it with a screw so that we didn't notice it until the movers were gone... not that that matters. The body of the chair has had a spill of oil or something.....








This poor guy has broken every time we have moved. It breaks in a new place every time.











This is the finishing touches on the Master Bathroom. I was able to find a Gardenia! I just love that and we will see if I can keep it growing.






























This is how we figured out how to put on the netting. This is not a very good picture but it shows how things are.

Whooo Glad that Day is Over!

Ever have one of those days when things just keep going as you didn't expect? Yesterday things went from bad to worse. Suffice it to say, I went to DMV for the FOURTH time trying to prove my residency, change of address didn't work, (those had LaVar's name on it), cable bill didn't work because of the before mentioned, Deed to my house didn't work they were faxed, life insurance didn't work because it wasn't a bill...... post offices (2) didn't have change of address forms, tried to change on line but Chase, who sent us credit cards here to Norfolk changed the address per post office change in Fallon from Fallon to Alexandria to LaVar's work..... got 3 mosquito bites at the garden center... can't get either printer to work.....and that's enough. I assure you there was more, but why remember? I just say "glad that day is over!" LaVar felt so sorry for me he took me out for dinner and that was fabulous! Stuffed eggplant and Shrimp Fettuicini that we shared. Then off to Wal-Mart for a Red Box video "Bella" which we like a lot.
Today we have hung pictures, mirrors etc to decorate our home. This was the stage we got to in Fallon and had to pack it up and leave so this was really fun to do it here. We are going to a baptism of Charlie Brown, a man about our age who is some kind of leader in the community which most are thrilled with. Then we are ready for a High Priest party with families. So many of the leaders of this ward are young had have young families. When LaVar volunteered us for this we just supposed was for adults, silly us. 2 weeks later it was announced it was for families I just choked.... but we will be fine. The Group Leader is bringing a grill and tables and chairs, we have a vacant lot for sale beside us and have permission to use it for croquet ( I know that is your set Tim, you probably need to get that to you. But for now we are glad we have it.) About 40 people are expected. Thanks for listening (reading) we are off to return the Red Box.

So YOU Think YOU Can Dance!

What are these people standing in line for???


So You Think You Can Dance is coming to NOrfolk Yeah!!






We are so pleased! Micah and Stephanie will come down to share this with us! Hoorah










Ya, isn't that an ugly picture but so happy hope to see Chelsie other than on stage. I would love to hear her stories, I'll bet she has some interesting stories to tell.

We are "Home"

Here we are. We closed on Friday. On Saturday we walked the neighborhood garage sales and met some nice people, and watched the sunset on the beach. Moved our stuff and checked out of the Residence Inn on Sunday and slept in our house.
The house seems large to me but in actual square footage its not much bigger that the Fallon house... which seems rented by the way. So much of it is stairs, no broken legs are needed or wanted.
What color is it? Beige, pink, buff? I never know what to call it.
Looks nicer in pictures than it really is. It has some age and needs cleaning and some care. The outside is vinyl siding.

There seems to be plenty of yard work. I watch the neighbors spend 4-5 hours on their little parcels but they do a magnificent job of it. (eww, that is a price to pay, ours is one of the oldest in the hood and probably the least cared for, for the longest time. The most recent owner' husband just died of cancer.) Hope that is not contagious.







Here is our dining room.













Have air mattress will travel.














First act of service. On the way home from the garage sales we saw the kids (20+)of the people that live behind us struggling with a kiyak ( thats not how that is spelled) and dad offered to take them to the water. They accepted. The people behind us have 6 children and a few grandchildren he told us he bought this house to be a "grandchildren magnet" we laughed and dad told him we did the same thing. Their children live near, since ours are far, its going to have to be awfully strong pull, hope it works.

Saved the best for last, the view on a Sunday, we were just passing by.