Watch It Grow

My best friend Dave, had a VW that he had driven for years around Washington, DC. He eventually stored the car and had great plans for its future restoration.. Dave died from cancer in 2004 and the car remained in an old barn in Houtzdale -as it had done for the previous 18 years.

About two years ago his wife Alice phoned and asked me if I would like the car She had offered it to her kids and they weren't interested. I didn't need another project but decided to take and restore the car-in memory of my friend. It will be a long slow project and I couldn't do it without an old childhood friend , Bill Dillon. He is a "VW BUG" expert, having worked on many of them in his youth.

In the glove box, there is a note in braille and the handicapped decal is still on the rear. As soon as I get some time I will "decode " the note. I think it might read, "Bill-lots of luck in putting this baby back on the road-you'll need it".

I intend to post on the blog the progress I am making- keep checking in so you can: "WATCH IT GROW"!

Beautiful Bermuda

There is a paradise about 570 miles off the coast of North Carolina. The place is Bermuda and it has it all-one of the finest cruise destinations around. Why is it so great: fantastic beaches with pink sand and clear blue water; quaint houses painted in pastel colors surrounded with flowers and lush gardens; and a population of friendly mannerly people-a win win win.

We recently sailed there on one of the largest cruise ships in the Royal Caribbean Fleet- Explorer of the Sea. It had 31280 passengers- an ice skating rink-an open center with a street, complete with shops, restaurants, and views seven stories high-very impressive. You could sit in little cafes and people watch,eat, drink and watch daily parades. You didn't realize that you were on a ship.

Buying a transit pass is the best way to get around. The cost twelve dollars a day and the price is even better buying for several days. It entitles you to unlimited rides on buses and ferries. Since tourists aren't permitted to rent cars, the only two alternatives are cabs and scooters. Public is the way to go.

Snorkeling is excellent and we always take our own gear. One of the best kept secrets is Tobacco Bay. It is a small bay protected from the ocean by a ring of rocks. I always take some rolls from the dining hall to feed the fish. At one point we had so many fish feeding around us- they started to nibble on our hands-awesome!