Christmas visit with Grandchildren

We had a great time visiting with Josh, Karen, Ellie & Jason.  During the week of Christmas Jacklyn & Joe flew in to spend the holiday. It was good seeing them again - Jacklyn is doing good after finishing her chemo treatment and is looking forward to a new year of healing.  Jason is talking all the time and is a real joy.  He is very good natured and happy.  It's fun talking with him and listening to him talk.  He is also very smart for a two-year-old.  He knows his colors, shapes, and many numbers, and knows what he wants.

Christmas Eve Ellie & Jason helped Mom set out cookies and milk for Santa Claus and carrots for the reindeer.

Karen has a cute set just for this - a cup, jug and plate for the cookies.

McLarty Treasure Museum, Sebastian, Florida

When we were staying in Sebastian, Florida we stopped at the McLarty Treasure Museum, the site of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet.  Between the 1500's to 1700's Spain dug vast amounts of silver and gold out of the mountains of Mexico and South America.  Smelted into ingots and coins, it crossed the Atlantic in wooden sailing vessels. 

American Victory Ship, Tampa, Florida

We went to tour the American Victory Ship in Tampa Harbor.  It is one of four fully operational WWII merchant ships in the country.  It was built in 1945 at the California shipyard and served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam as a cargo vessel.  It circumnavigated the globe twice.  In 1999, it was towed to Tampa and underwent a $2 million restoration to become a world-class national memorial and museum.  It's mission is to honor the dedicated men and women who provided service during times of peace and war.  

American Victory Ship

A visit from Sandhill Cranes, Ruskin, Florida

The campground we are staying at (River Oaks, which right on the Manatee River) had a surprise visit this morning by three Sandhill Cranes.  They were near the dock for a while and the local cat was completely awed by them.  It sat pretty close to them and then one of the birds started flapping its wings to chase the cat away.  Not to be deterred, as the Cranes started walking through the park, the cat followed and looked like it wanted the birds for lunch. 

Duck Commander, West Monroe, LA

You may be wondering why we stopped our westward vacation and headed east. Our daughter called us while we were at Capitan, New Mexico to inform us that she had ovarian cancer and needed us in Florida ASAP. Needless to say, we put our vacation on hold and headed to Florida to help her through chemo. 

While making our way from New Mexico to Florida at the end of July, we found ourselves in West Monroe, LA for the night.  Jim happened to mention that he thought the Duck Commander headquarters was somewhere in the area, so I looked it up and low and behold, it was right in the same city we were staying. 

Smokey the Bear, Capitan, New Mexico

The true story of Smokey the Bear took place in Capitan, New Mexico.  Smokey was a small black bear who survived a fire in the Capitan Mountains and became the world's most well-known bear.  It is the birthplace and burial site of Smokey the Bear.  Smokey's story is factual although it might appear to be fictional.  In May 1950 a fire started in the Capitan Mountains, from a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.  

Lincoln Historic Site, Lincoln, New Mexico (The Legend of Billy the Kid)

While we were staying in Capitan, New Mexico we went to the old city of Lincoln, New Mexico. Lincoln is famous because in 1880 Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County and is determined to bring in the outlaw William H. Bonney, famously known as "Billy the Kid."