Photo trip with grandson Robbie

Grandson Robbie all ready to attack

the wilds of Florida with a camera

Had a great time out in the swamp on a photo

trip with Robbie. Since we took our expedition

in the depths of summer, I bundled him up

to protect him from mosquitos and snakes...so

you may ask: "Who is that masked stranger?"

Allison Durham and family visit mom

Cheri's daughter Allison and her family
visiting with my mom

Lucy and mom

Mom with Mike, Cheri's son

Fun with Robbie

It's vacation time, so this is the story of my vacation
with Robbie......

It begins with the rest of his family...


Jackie and Neal are very involved in their local YMCA.
Every year at the annual fund raising party, they join
in the bidding. This year Jackie decided to start the
bidding on a catamaran trip in the Caribbean with
the hope that it would just be a beginning bid and
someone else would bid it up, but she was
the only one who put in a bid so she got it!

Sooo...Jackie and Neal spent their vacation on a
catamaran in the Caribbean diving...NICE!

Kayla was in Europe. She was one of the twenty-five high school
students in Sarasota County to be chosen for the People to
People Ambassador Program. She spent two weeks traveling
through France and England learning about how the histories
of our countries are interwoven, as well as spending time with
the 'native' children her own age.

and sooooo.......

I figured since the rest of Robbie's family was out
having fun, that he and I should have some too!

I have always wanted to swim with the manatees, and I
thought Robbie would enjoy it too, so we headed off to
Crystal River.

I thought it would be fun for him to navigate to Crystal
River, so I handed him the map and let him figure
out how to get there. He did a great job!

Early the next morning we went to the Dive Shop and rented
some wet suits, bought some underwater cameras, and
headed down Crystal River in search of manatees.

A unique boat in front of someones house

Robbie with tour boat

Niki with tour boat

A picture of Robbie at the entrance of Three Sisters Spring

Niki getting ready to enter the spring

Three Sisters Springs is a spring that runs into Crystal River.
It is usually full of manatees, but the entrance to the spring
was jam packed with boats. The temperature hit 100 Saturday
and EVERYONE was at the spring! The few manatees
that hadn't headed out for the warm summer water
of the Gulf were intimidated by all of the boats, so
there were none to be found. However the beauty of
the springs was amazing...it just felt good to swim
around and enjoy it!

Years ago Clyde had photographed Three Sisters from land, so
it was fun to see it from the water. There is a tiny entrance that
is large enough to swim or kayak through, then it opens up
into three pools of turquoise water...paradise!

Robbie resting inside Three Sisters Springs

Finding manatees in the wild during the summer is hard.
The water everywhere in Florida is so warm that they
have no need to congregate at fresh water springs to keep
warm. During the winter they arrive at Crystal Springs to
keep warm in very large amounts and are very accustomed to
humans. But during the summer they spread out and
are very few and far between, so I promised Robbie that
we'd return to Crystal River again this winter and try again!

But we had a lot of fun anyway. It was so much fun swimming
with him...and the water...wow! It is so beautiful and clear!

After our day of swimming around looking for manatees, we
jumped in the pool at the hotel and swam some more!
I certainly slept good that night!

The next morning I gave the map to Robbie and had
him find the route to Homosassa Springs so we could
see a bunch of manatees. Homosassa takes care of
injured manatees.They are contained until they
are well enough to leave.

So...we headed off to Homosassa Springs....

Homosassa Springs

Robbie with stuffed 'gator...a REALLY big one!

Niki and Robbie

We took the boat trip down the river
to the entrance of the park

View of a manatee through the viewing
glass in the sunken room.

Manatee with a carrot in its mouth

a manatee swimming away from us

Robbie watching a manatee

It was a great morning at Homosassa Springs. It
was hot and the water looked oh so very good. We
decided we needed to go for a swim, so I handed the
map to Robbie and told him to find Weeki Watchee
and tell me how to get there...

and we were off to Weeki Watchee Springs
home of the famous mermaids...

Weekie Watchee Mermaids

Robbie coming down the slide...

The color of the water is real! It isn't a swimming
pool, but fresh spring water with a white sand
bottom...incredible! ...and, VERY cold...well, to
us Floridians it is cold. Temperature is around 72.

The masses at Weekie Watchee...but then with record
breaking temperatures this is a great place to be!

We had a great time together and we are both looking
forward to spending some more time have adventures
together in the future...he's a great kid!

Orchids

This year my orchids bloomed all at once in a
bouquet of beauty. Daily they turn their heads
toward the sun and shout, "Look at me reflecting
the beauty of God!" Sometimes I hear them sing.

Since I poured love and care into my orchids this
year, I was taking all the credit for their beauty
until a friend mentioned to me that their orchids
were unusually bountiful this year too!

Ahhh well...guess it wasn't just me,
God had some hand in this too...

Did I ever share with you my personal belief on why
flowers were created? ... Flowers are a recent
evolutionary plant and the reason for that is
because when God created Eve, she stood up,
looked around and said, "God, this place needs
some color!" And so, God created flowers for Eve.

Message from Connie

From Connie:

I have asked a few of you over the years if you remember getting this letter from our Uncle Harold along with a check for $100.00. No one seems to remember it but me. Since I collect things written by family and friends, I thought I might still have the letter: here it is:

April 24, 1976

Dear Connie & David,

Enclosed please find a check for one hundred dollars from the estate of George E. and Maude Vogel, your grandparents. The check is made out to you individually. This is merely for convenience and is not meant to exclude nor ignore your spouse. Again, it is simply more convenient.

Since they were faced with rearing a large family during some lean years, there is no fine china, art glass nor silver to distribute among the family as remembrances. Therefore, their children, the stipulated heirs, wished each of the grandchildren to have a hundred dollars from the estate so that each could buy something to serve as a memento. However, this is only a suggestion. Use it anyway that seems best to you.

With over half the page left, I'd like to reminisce a bit for those of you who may not have had a chance to know them well. At this distance from my childhood, I think I can recall and see the things they were teaching us better than I could have seen it at the time. Some of the things that Dad seems to have impressed on me were:
To be honest. If you are weighing a peck of potatoes, set the scales at 16 pounds.
To "always be a gentleman", and that's a quote. Somehow I always knew he meant to be a gentle man.
When walking in a strange city at night, never walk up close to the buildings (self-preservation).
When contemplating a new venture always discuss it with your banker, but not to always take his advice. It is your idea and you have studied it, you really know more about it than he does.
To pay your bills. I saw him start a big store after the age of 50 and stock it completely when I knew he had only $40.00 cash. And he and I used half that living two weeks in a hotel (those were the days).
Not to worry overmuch. I've also heard him say on several occasions that, oh well, I started this business thirty years ago with $375.00 and I guess I could raise that much yet if I had to.
To read
To be informed
To enjoy a humorous story

Mom's message summed up is this:
To be of service to others
To be open and loving
To enjoy life and try to lift the spirit of others
And, right or wrong, always be for the under dog

Together they made a pretty good team with each retaining healthy individuality. Although you may have thought differently of us during your adolescence, they taught us (their children, your parents) fewer non-rational prejudices and a greater concern for objective reasoning than other members of the community at that time were teaching their children. In my thinking, they left us a really great legacy. But then, I'm prejudiced somewhat - they were my parents.

Sincerely, Harold Vogel, Administrator


From Niki:
I remember getting that $100. For most of my marriage we lived on the financial edge. I never had money and this was the first big check that had my name on it. At first I was just going to put it in the pot to help make ends meet, but then I decided not to do that. I decided to honor Grama Vogel by buying something that would remind me of her. It took a long while for me to find something. I ended up buying an antique lamp. It was a design from her era and it reminded me of her life.

Aunt Wilma

I have just heard from Lynne that Aunt Wilma lost her dancing partner, and life partner, Mac, a couple of weeks ago. June 1, 2009. Lynne said, "The were quite the couple!" Cuz Gene, & Cuz Lynne spent several days with their mom after his death.

Previously I had received an email from Connie saying she had heard that Mac had Lou Gehrig's disease, so I am assuming that was the cause of his death. All of it was too sudden...

Niki spring trip to Calif

Mom & me

In April I flew out to visit family in California.

We look so very much a like. All I have to do is
walk into the nursing home and everyone asks me
if I am Betty's daughter! Some of them ask me if
I'm Betty!...not sure how to take that...HA!

Anyway, it was a fine visit. Mom is very healthy. She
has absolutely no problems and hasn't had a sick day this
year. However, she doesn't know who I am, but that
doesn't really matter. I know who she is. She can't talk
so we look at the pictures in magazines for a while
and I talk about them. It is hard, but it felt good
to see her and to know that at least her body isn't in pain.
I don't know if there is pain in Alzheimer's, but I sometimes
think there is mental pain. However, mom is as content
as I have ever seen her.

After visiting with mom for a few days I drove
up to the mountains to visit with Jan, Allison, Tom & Mike.

Before spending time with them I felt like I needed a
break...a quiet time with God...so I took myself on
a hike into the hills....

Wildflowers all around...

There were wildflowers everywhere

I love the hills of California in the spring...round knolls
covered in a carpet of green shaded by oaks...so very
peaceful...

Neat rugged old tree

California Poppy...the state flower

The path back to the car.

It felt good to be in nature for awhile. The stress of
seeing mom and then making my way up to see Cheri's
family, knowing that Cheri is no longer there...well...it
just felt good to be quiet with God for a while.

Jan in her house with her cat

On the way up into the mountains to visit with
Allison's family and Tom & Mike I stopped by
and spent the night with Jan. The next day we
drove up together for a visit with everyone.

Our first stop was an afternoon with Allison...

Chloe and Matthew

Jan and Ethan

Allison with Emma
and no...Allison hasn't gained weight. She is
due with another beautiful child in October.

Lucie

Ross and Lucie

Allison, Jan and Emma playing Chinese checkers

The guys...Matthew, Ross, Ethan

The girls...Lucie, Emma, Chloe

Chloe, Niki, Ethan

Chole jumping rope

Lucie jumping rope

Matthew jumping rope

Matthew's feet almost reach the controls. He says as soon as

they reach his dad will let him mow. FUN!

Road into Tom's new house

This is the first time I've seen the new house after it has been
completed...of course Tom is always finding more to be done, so
it may never really be done to his satisfaction...however, what he
has built so far is absolutely beautiful!
Tom also has a new woman in his life, Kristi. When I heard about
it I was so happy for him. Tom is a great man, so I am glad he
isn't stopping his life. True it is hard not to see Cheri there, but
the joy I have for Tom in his effort to live life overcomes
that empty feeling of not seeing Cheri.
Kristi is a wonderful woman...just as I thought she would be.
Tom has good judgement...of course, he picked my sister! Sooo, I
knew Kristi would be just as great and she is. It was such fun
meeting her. I know they are going to have a wonderful
adventure together and for that I'm very happy.

Kristi cooking in the new kitchen

Gourmet Tom on his porch grilling salmon for dinner...yummmm!

A loving trip to visit family ending with a wonderful
dinner with Kristi, Tom, Jan and Mike