12/7/06 Trying to get computer fixed

Hi....

On Thursday we started off the day by dropping off my computer, to Jim Sliddel (a local brother who has a business fixing computers) Then Sue & I headed to Lido Beach. Sue & Warren had stayed here one time- for their time share. When we first arrived we saw two young raccoons just at the woods edge. When we stopped the car, they just came up to us. We believe they were looking for food. Even though there are signs EVERY where not the feed the wildlife- people still do!! I got out of the car to take their pictures- they were so cute. Another car was coming so they scooted off into the woods. We then went down onto Lido Beach. This is a nice beach (as they all seem to be!! LOL). We collected some shells here too. After we left there we had lunch at "1st Watch"- this was a nice breakfast/lunch place. Basically a soup & sandwich type place. The rest of the day was quiet and I basically just rested up as I was starting to feel a bit under the weather.

Onward to the next set of pictures.....

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #47:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880
Tags: FLORIDA

12/6/06 A day looking for shells on Venice & Nokomis Beach

Hi again!!

On Wednesday Sue took me down to Venice, Florida!!

This a small little town south of Sarasota. We went there looking for pigs! LOL Venice had pig statues around town like Sarasota's clowns and Boston's cows, but unfortunately they had already had their auction of the art work, in Venice- so I'm sorry to say no pig pictures. LOL But the day was not a total loss. Sue took me to see Venice Beach we did some shelling there- then headed back to Sue's. We grabbed our swim suits and head to Nokomis Beach which is very close to her home. We found a lot of great shells there and went swimming. The water was a bit chilly but not too bad once you got use to it. We stayed there about 2hrs then had to head back as Sue had to go to work.

I'll be back soon with more pictures....Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #46:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Tuesday 12/5/06 "The afternnoon adventures"

Hi Everyone- I'm back LOL

I wanted everyone to know I made it safely to Texas, yesterday at 12:00am.

I left the New Orleans area around 11:30am on Thursday. Ended up driving straight thru cause there were no rest areas in except for when you 1st cross over the state line at the information center!

I'm staying in Killeen with LeeAnn. I will use her home as a home base for the month- while I see the sights.

But my first order of business is going to be updating this site!!! I've fallen so far behind LOL- between the computer being down and traveling!!

The pictures above were taken on Tuesday 12/5/06 in the afternoon. Sue & I had planned on doing the harbor cruise in the morning, but LeBarge told us they don't go out unless they have 15 or more people!! So Sue & I went and found the clowns in downtown Sarasota (pictures are on previous page), and we went out to lunch at Dutch Heritage- an Armish run restaurant. We were trying to kill some time before we went back to LeBarge to see if there were enough people for the 2pm cruise.

When we arrived back we found out that there was enough people and that we were going out on the harbor. The Sarasota area has a lot of very well to do families living here. Many choose to have homes on the water front. On this cruise we were to view some of these homes and we hoped to see some of the native- year round dolphin population.

As we left the harbor we saw many "house boats" moored out in the harbor. Our guide explained that this was because Sarasota has a law that you can anchor your boats for free year round out there. So some take advantage of this- they don't have to pay rent or taxes, and are not required to have insurance. So basically they live in Florida for free!! Not a bad deal if you don't mind living on the water 24/7-365days/yr!

In the above pictures you'll see some of the high risecondos and office buildings in the harbor area. There are the expensive waterfront homes around there- including some on the key- Bird Key- this key is where some very rich and famous people live- which include the Smothers Brothers, a member of rock band AC/DC and also Areosmith, and a couple of oil executives.....

Sue & I also were able to see some dolphins. Unfortunately dolphins in the wild - do not make a point of being very visible for picture taking like the ones in captivity!!! LOL So taking pictures of them is tricky!! But I did manage to get some finally. If you look closely to pictures # 19 - # 23 (using the view larger option) you too should be able to see the dolphins !!! LOL

This harbor cruise was very fun and informative- I would highly recommend it. It last for 2hrs and you get to see quite a bit.

Well I'm off for now- need to get the next batch of pictures ready. Take care until then-Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #45:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Clowns, Clowns, Clowns !!! 12/5/06

Hi Everyone!

On Tuesday - Dec. 5th- Sue & I went to down town Sarasota, to take pictures of the clowns....

Do you remember the Boston cows on 8/30/06 and the Cape Cod whale on 9/7/06??? Well these clowns are the same deal. They were made and placed around the Sarasota area. After being displayed for a period of time, they will be auctioned off for charity. Some of them were really cute!!

Later this week I hope to visit a town that has carousel horses displayed the same way!!

Enjoy the clowns.....more tidbits to come- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #44:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Monday 12/04/06 Day at Ringling Estates

Hey Everybody......

On Monday 12/04/06, Sue and I went the Ringling Estate. This is where John & Mabel Ringling made their home. Ringling was famous for putting together (with his brothers) the largest traveling circus. During the winter the circus workers would come back to Sarasota and surrounding towns, to live.

On the Estate is a visitors center, the original circus museum, the new miniature circus museum, the mansion, Mabel's rose gardens, and art museum, and a theatre!

The miniature circus museum is an exact- scaled to size- replica of what a circus looked like. The whole set up takes up about a football field size room. It has the town, trains, animals, tents- just everything you would have seen if you went the the site of a circus! The details were amazing!!! As you walked around this display there was audio with all the sounds you would have heard. An example: as you walked by the animal trailers - you'd hear the roar of the big cats; when you walked by the mess tent - you'd hear people talking and dishes clanging! The only thing missing was the smells! LOL Every so often the lights would dim and it made it so you could see what the area looked like at night with the lights and the performances going on.

The original circus museum had a lot of the original hand carved wagons that use to carry the animals, and many original costumes. There also was an exhibit dedicated to Gunther the animal trainer that died recently. In one section there was a man carving wooden figures like they did in the old days. Just before the end of the tour there was a section dedicated to the movie "The Greatest Show on Earth"- starring Jimmy Stewart and many other famous actors.

We walked from there to the mansion. It sat overlooking the Sarasota Bay. As you can see from the pictures it was quite the home in its day, with gold leaf doors, hand painted ceilings, and many other beautiful things.

Sue & I then went thru Mabel's rose garden. There were so many different kinds of roses in bloom. The smell was so sweet!!

We decided that due to lack of time - not to tour the art museum, but I'm sure it would have been a pleasure to stroll around the great works of art that we were told about.

All of the things we did, plus the art museum all came under the same admission price of $15.00. This is a very good deal!!! And a wonderful way to spend the day.

I hope that you enjoy viewing the pictures as much as I had taking them!

I'm going to go for now. It's getting late and dark.. harder to see what I'm doing. LOL

I just met a very nice young couple who pulled into the site next to mine. They are from France and are touring the US. They had been in Louisiana and then came to Florida. They too will be touring the southern and western states as well as Mexico. I'll be talking with them more tomorrow.

Well have a good night everyone, and I'll be back in touch again soon- With much love- Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #43:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Back on track!!

Hello Everyone!

I'm back on track- The computer is up and running and I'm on the move again!

Right now I'm at St. Georges Island, Eastpoint Florida.  I'm camping at this state park for 2 days, before I head toward Alabama.  I arrived yesterday at 4:30p.m.

I had spent 2 weeks in the Sarasota area with my friends Sue & Warren.  I had a great time and saw many wonderful things.  Because my computer was down I got behind on the website.....So please bear with me as I try to make up for lost time!!  LOL

Friday 12/01/06 my uncle & aunt took me out to dinner at Sam's on the beach.  After dinner my uncle & I took the back seat out of my car, so that I could have more room for my things- and to clear my back window area, so I could see better! LOL  It worked great.  Everything fits in so good now!

I left the Hudson area around 9am on Saturday 12/02/06 and headed to Sarasota.  It was a bright sunny day.  On the way I had to cross the Skyway Bridge.  This is a huge bridge.  There are rest areas and fishing piers that you can access from the bridge.  I stopped there to take pictures of the bridge and all the sea birds that were on the pier. 

I then finally made it to Sarasota around 1pm.  After unpacking a few things, Sue & Warren took me on a drive around the area.  we went to Sarasota Harbor, Siesta Key, Bird Key, Anna Maria Pier, Armand Circle and other areas.  We stopped at a restaurant called The Beach House.  This is a great place located on Gulf Drive, on Bradenton Beach.  When we arrived we saw a couple getting married on the beach while the sun was setting.  It was very pretty wedding.  On the other side of the restaurant was a huge sand sculpture.  There were several smaller ones in different stages of being built...I guess there was some sort of festival upcoming. We went into The Beach House for dinner.  We sat out on the patio area that overlooked the beach, and watched the sun set as we ate dinner.  At one point I got up and was taking pictures and saw a guy out in the water surfing- he did pretty good! LOL

I had a bunch of pictures of the Skyway Bridge and of the Sarasota area that night- including the sand sculpture....but unfortunately I lost them when my computer crashed!!! :0(  Needless to say I wasn't a happy camper- but what can you do???? Things happen!  But fear not I made up for loosing those pictures! LOL  While the computer was down I took 1555 pictures!!! LOL  I'm going to go get some ready and start to take you through the rest of my time in Sarasota.

So check back and I'll have more posted on the fun I had!!  Take Care- and as always- with much love-Donna

 

WHOOPS!!! computer trouble

Hi Everyone!

I am writing this to keep you up to date.... I'm in Sarasota, FL right now visiting my friends Sue & Warren. 

I've seen a lot of really cool things and have pictures, but have run into a slight problem....  My computer has crashed!!  I am working on getting it fixed.  But until I do I can't put pictures on the web site.  So be patient and I'll try to get things back up & running soon.

So until then- Take care of yourselves....Love Donna

Tags: FLORIDA

Day 67 11/21/06 KeyWest Florida

Hello....

Finally the last of the pictures!!! LOL

These pictures are of Key West, I started my day by leaving camp site on Bahia Honda around 9am. I arrived downtown Key West about 10:30 am.

After getting a parking space (hard to find) I took around the ride around the island on the Old Town Trolley. We have this trolley back home in Boston. Its a good way to check out different points of interest- especially for an area that you're not familiar with. I learn a lot of interesting facts about the Keys. I saw where Hemmingway use to live, and where President Truman use to have working vacations. I also saw where Jimmy Buffet plays, and many other famous spots. The Keys have a rich military history too. Most of Key West was re-done in the late 70's. The places sold for very little money, but there was a clause that said the new owners had to rebuild or renovate to the original state that the building were in in the 1800's.

I also visited a butterfly conservatory. This place was very cool. You walk through these doors and watch a short video about butterflies. Then you go through another set of doors. Now you enter a large hot-house type room. There are many plants and trees. There are many,many different kinds of butterflies. They are every where !! LOL

There is also several types of small birds- finch type. It is a definite must see. When you go to leave the room, you pass through another set of doors with huge mirrors on the walls. This is to make sure that you don't have any hitch-hikers leaving with you!!! LOL They fly all around you and even land on you. You also have to watch where you walk cause they like to land on the walk way!! The colors and sizes are amazing.

I finished my day by taking a picture of the most southern point of the Continental USA, seeing where Rt. 1 begins (yes this is the same Rt. 1 that goes all the way up to - and ends in Maine!!! And for those who don'tknow it runs right through Massachusetts) and I made a stop to Mallory Square.

Key West is a party town for sure!! It would be great to spend a few days here with some friends. You can see people walking around with their drinks in hand. In the evening just before the sunsets vendors and entertainers set up their carts in Mallory Square. While I was there, several food vendors, a sword swallowing guy, and a guy with dogs that walked tight-ropes were there. There was also some people playing musical instruments too.

Well I am finally all caught up!!!! Saturday I am going to Sarasota to visit Sue & Warren. I'm sure I'll have more pictures then.

Oh almost forgot to mention this...Saturday we had gone out to dinner. We went to the Chesapeake Bay Crab House in Spring Hill. If you ever find yourself in this area...I highly recommend this restaurant!!! The food was wonderful !!! They also have a guy who plays guitar and sings while you're eating!

Ok time to run now- everyone have a wonderful night, and I'll be back in touch soon- With Love Always-Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #42:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 66 11/20/06 Ft. Myers/Bahia Honda State Park

Hi Everyone,

I'm finally getting some-what caught up with my updates!!

The above pictures are:

1-5 Fort Myers- I stayed here one night. It basically was a mobile home park that had empty spots, and instead of filling them with more mobile homes they let RV's and tenter's rent the spots. There is electric & water hook ups at the sites. There was a nice heated pool and clean, large bath house.

6-9 Were taken at an Information Place that I stopped in on the way to Bahia Honda. There were some very hungry fish in a sm. pond just outside the office. There was a banana tree and an orchid tree too.

10-30 This is Bahia Honda State Park. It is one of the 880 keys in Florida. (side note : out of the 880 Keys in Florida- only 30 are inhabited by people) The sites were great!! most were surrounded on 3-sides by trees and a wooden fence. They all had grills & picnic tables, plus electric & water. The site I had was in a good location. If you looked thru the trees at the back of my site the beach was about 100' away. The walk way to beach was about 20' from me (it ran along the side of my site), and the bath house was 30' diagonally across from me!! The beach for swimming was about a 2 min. drive down from me. There were a lot of trails to explore, and they had several nature programs set up so you could learn about the critters in the area!

I was here for 3 days - 2 nights. I would definitely recommend this park to all. One last side note: only tents & pop ups were allowed here- no RV's.

Well I have one more set of pictures to go....the ones of Key West itself!! So I'll be back soon. Until then.... take care everyone-Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #41:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 65 - 11/19/06 heading for the Keys

Hi !!

I'm back LOL... Just loaded the pictures for Sunday 11/19/06. This was day #65 of walkabout. It was sunny, breezy, and about 75 degrees out. I left around 10am to head for the Keys. The trip to Keys was to take about 9 hrs, so I decided to break up the driving by stopping and spending the night in Fort Myers.

About 10 mins after leaving, I was driving past a 50's diner called "Mels" (on Rt.19 Port Richey) when I noticed there was a classic car show going on....Well for those of you who know me -I just had to stop!!! LOL It was absolutely great to see all the old muscle cars! There was even a Charger there (my favorite car- use to own one). I was there about an 1hr and decided I best leave before I ran out of time, as I was going to stop by Clearwater Beach before going to Ft. Myers. I hated to leave though, cause the cars were still coming in!!!

I arrived in Clearwater around 12:30pm. It was a beautiful day. There were a lot of people there too. The sand at this beach was soooo white, and very soft! And the water was so warm! There were shells all over the place. At one point I came across a guy who was there with his Macaw- her name was Tiki. He let me take their picture. I also saw a small flock of green parrots with black heads. They were buzzing all around. This beach and all the other beaches along this area are just too pretty to describe. They are a must to see!!

I finally made myself drive on....I made it to the camp ground around 5pm. The next set of pictures will be of the spot in Ft. Myers where I stayed and the campground on the Keys......so I'll be back.....LOL

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #40:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 64 - 11/18/06 Saturday

Hi Everyone!!

I'm sorry that I haven't written for awhile things have been busy here! I'm taking today to catch up.....

I'm going to start with Day #64 of journey. It was last Saturday. A bright, warm sunny day. Judy, Danny & I went to the aquarium in Tampa. It was a small but nice place. A lot of colorful fish were to be found there. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Some of the pictures were taken by Danny, some by me.

The port was busy near aquarium. There were two cruise ships docked there that day.

I'll be back in a little while with more pictures and updates.

Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #39:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

A day out in Hudson, FLA area

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to touch base before I headed to Key West.

Last night I went over to my cousin Michael's home and met his wife Denise. We had a nice time chatting and catching up. I haven't seen Michael since about 1971!!! and hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Denise. I enjoyed their company very much. Michael works in the food/restaurant industry, and Denise works for AAA. I will be seeing them again tomorrow when we all meet up at my other cousins home, (Michael's sister) Mia's for dinner. Michael & Denise have also invited me to stay a couple of days with them - when I get back from the Keys. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them.

Today is my Aunt Judy & Uncle Danny's 2yr anniversary. They are going out to dinner & a movie tonight to celebrate.

I ran some errands this afternoon. When I got done I went to Hudson Beach to see if anything was going on. The beach was quiet, but I saw an interesting vehicle there. If you notice the pictures 1- 5..this is the motorcar I saw. It looks like a modified motorcycle type thing!! LOL It really looked like a rocket to me!! I couldn't find who it belonged to...but if I see it again and can find the owner I'll get more details about it.

I then drove to an animal sanctuary that Danny had showed me the other day. Pictures 6-41 are of these animals. There are water buffalo, antelope, emu, ostrich, sheep, camel, reindeer, zebra, and many other critters living here. One woman who stopped while I was there said that the farm is owned by a doctor and his wife (who is a school principle). I guess their son works for some big wild life preserve in FLA. All of the animals are either sick or have been injured. No one was home when I stopped by...I am going to go back and try to find someone to talk to. In order to get more info about this place. Will write about it when I get the information.

Then on my way back to the house I saw a very large crane in a front yard. So I stopped and got some pictures of him too!! LOL (pictures 42-47)

I'm watching a beautiful sunset as I'm typing this...I hope everyone is doing well....take care and I'll be back in touch soon. Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #38:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Sunset on Hudson Beach 11/12/06

Hi Everyone......

I know this is unusual for me to be on twice in one day, but I wanted to show you exactly what I see while watching a sunset down here....I just had to share the evening right away!!

I drove down to Sam's on Hudson Beach to catch the sunset. I arrived at 4 p.m. and was there until 6:26 p.m.

When I first got there I knew I had a bit of a wait, so I grabbed a glass of wine and a good table- with an excellent view of the skyline.

While I was waiting, I was watching the birds...they were floating so effortlessly!!! So I took a few pictures of them.

Then the sun started to do its thing !! LOL

All of the sudden the word was out...there was a dolphin right near the beach. I tried to catch a picture of him fishing, but only was able to catch his fin!! Oh well.....I'll do better next time!!

As I was watching the sunset I started to speak with a young man down here on vacation. He is an officer for the Marion County Sheriff's Department in Indiana. His name was Nik L. We had a real nice conversation. He gave me a number to reach him when I get to Indiana....told him I'd let him know when I was in the area. He said he'd help me find a good/safe place to stay- and an idea of what to see.

I was able to get a total of 79 pictures tonight....I know it's a lot, but I really wanted you to be able to get a feel of what a beautiful sunset it was. I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures, as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Well, I'm off for now...take care everyone, and I'll be back in touch soon.- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #37:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Hudson, FLA 11/06/06 - 11/12/06

Pictures: (1) Dan's golf buggy; (2) Judy & Dan; (3-10) wildlife & Sam's on the beach; (11-14) Dan & Judy's place; (15-24) more views & wildlife @ Sam's on Hudson Beach; (25-26) entrance to mobile park; (27) Rascal (tabby) & Gidge (white); (28-37) views within the park; (38-39) sunset on Hudson Beach; (40-42) Smitty,Jean,Judy,Dan@ The Inn on the Gulf; (43-55) Wild green parrots in trees on Hudson Beach {make sure you enlarge pictures before viewing-parrots are hard to see cause they blend with the trees LOL}; (56-61) Dan's modified golf buggy and their lighthouse driveway.

Hi Everybody,

Just a brief rundown of my 1st week in Florida.

I arrived in Hudson on Monday, 11/06/06. I landed about 5:530 p.m. This is where my Uncle Danny & Aunt Judy live. After dinner, Danny took me for a quick ride around the park in his modified golf buggy (he did all the work himself).

Tuesday morning we headed to Hudson Beach. We had breakfast at Sam's on the beach. Danny & Judy come to this beach every morning to have coffee & to take in the view and wildlife.

Thursday night- Danny & Judy had a park meeting to go to, so they dropped me off at Sam's. I got some pictures of the sun setting, then I made my way to the Tiki Bar @ Sam's, where I listened to a local band and enjoyed a couple of drinks-waiting for Danny & Judy to return! I met a very nice couple- Deb & Jim. They lived near by. The bands' name was "The Dock Rockers". They played a nice mix of 70's-todays music. The music and drinks were good, the atmosphere was "AWESOME"!! A celebrity was there too....Tony Stewart #20 of NASCAR - he was there enjoying the evening with friends.

Friday night Dan & Judy took me to their favorite pizza place- "Gianni's". The pizza here is real yummy!

Saturday night we met up with friends -Smitty & his wife Jean. We all had dinner together @ "The Inn on the Gulf". This night held another 1st for me.....I tried Grouper. It's a white fish that is popular down here. It was very tasty! After dinner, Smitty & Jean went home. The rest of us walked across the parking lot to Sams, to have a couple of drinks & to listen to another local band- "The Mixx".

Sunday morning, after having our coffee on the beach, we drove around the area. We came to a very, very big flea market! It took us almost 2hrs to make our way through the whole thing. There were muscle cars showing there too. I was good- didn't buy anything!! LOL- Don't have anymore room in the car for anything else!! LOL.

Later tonight I'll go up to the club house to see "Hootenanny"- This is a gathering of local musicians who perform for the other residents. Then I'm heading back to Hudson Beach to get more sunset pictures!!

This week we have plans to visit a local aquarium. Then next weekend I hope to catch up with my friends Sue & Warren, who live in Sarasota. On Monday 11/20/06, I'll be heading to Key West. I have camping reservations @ Bahia Honda State Park, which is about 26 miles outside of Key West.

Keep checking back for more updates & pictures. Hope everyone is doing well- Please take care- With Love Always- Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #36:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 54- Homasassa Wildlife Center 11/07/06

Hello everyone.....

I'm finally catching up with all my news!!! LOL I kind of got a bit behind with all the traveling- and being to tired at the end of the day to work on the website! *****Just a quick side note***** I was finally able to solve the picture problem for 10/15/06-I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Now onto what I saw on Wednesday...... Danny & Judy took me to the Homasassa Wildlife Center in Homasassa Springs, FLA. It was a privately owed park for many years, but now is run by the state. When you first get to the center there is a building that has a gift shop, restaurant, displays of local wild life, and other interesting displays. After you pay your admission you can either take a tram or a boat ride to the entrance of the park.

We started with the tram ride to the park. The entrance to the park has another building you go thru which has another gift shop and a snack bar. Then we entered the actual park. The 1st thing we did was make our way to the Manatee show. There are several females (they keep the different sexes in separate parks- so there will be no breeding) living here at park. They have a feeding demo 2x's per day. The park mostly is manned by volunteers. The man who did the feeding demo while we were there was one of those volunteers. He did a good job telling us all about these gentle sea cows. We then headed to the alligator & hippo exhibit. They had demo's for these animals too. Then we strolled around the rest of the park and looked at the exhibits they had on all the local wildlife. It was very interesting to see all the fine critters & birds. We were in the park from 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. This is a great place to come see if you ever find yourself in the area!!! Kids (or adults who are kids at heart) would especially love it. It was nice to see the animals in natural habitats. We headed back to the entrance.... this time we took the boat back. It was a nice,quiet (electric boats),peaceful ride back. We ended our visit to the park by having lunch at the restaurant located at the entrance. This restaurantwas done up in the 50's theme!! The waitress even had on a poodle skirt!!! LOL

It was a great day. I really enjoyed the whole experience. I hope all of you enjoy looking at the pictures of the critters & birds.

Until next time- take care of yourselves-With Love Always-Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #35:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 52- Savannah, GA 11/06/06

Hello,

Monday was a warm, sunny day- a bit humid. It had rained during the night. I also had a fog horn blowing all night long !!LOL- My hotel was a 15 min. walk away from the river front.

I got up early and decided to check out the river front before my 11 a.m. check out. As I walked to the river, I saw the streets where lined with trees that had Spanish moss hanging from them. This was very pretty- even though I know the moss is bad for the trees (it kills them). There was a mix of old & new buildings in the area. The downtown area is being revitalized. Many old buildings are being gutted out and refurbished.

This reminded me a lot of Boston, with the old & new mix of buildings, cobble stone street, water ways, ferries, and small shops. The bridge that goes over the river even reminds me of "The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge" back home- I think the same guy designed both!! LOL

After spending the morning browsing I was once again in the car and head south to FLA. I arrived in Hudson, FLA around 5:30 p.m. Hudson is where my Uncle Danny & Aunt Judy live. I will stay with them for a couple of weeks and check out the area. I also have two cousins who live close by- will be visiting with them also.

Well, next I have pictures of my trip to a wildlife center that is located near by....so I'll be going now so I can get those pictures together! Take care- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #34:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 51- N.Myrtle Beach & Myrtle Beach, SC

Hi again......

These pictures were taken Sunday - 11/05/06.

I left Tatum, SC around 10 a.m. I head down towards the coast. My first stop was N. Myrtle Beach, SC. It was very pretty- but it felt like a ghost town!!! There were hardly any people around. It was a beautiful sunny day with temps in mid 60's. I took some pictures of the hotels in the Ocean View St., then I walked down onto the beach and took some shots of ocean, and beach front- skyline. I then went back to car and headed down to Myrtle Beach. Here too was very empty!!! It made driving along the main drag- much easier!!! LOL There was a roller coaster right there on the beach front. I took pictures of the coaster- for my "coaster buffs" LOL. After a brief stay I was on the road to GA. I was heading to Savannah, GA to spend the night. The sunset was gorgeous! Hope you enjoy the pictures......

I arrived in Savannah, GA at 7:30 p.m. I got a room at the Econo Lodge on Martin Luther King Blvd. After settling in I went next door and ordered Mexican food for dinner. I enjoyed a margarita while I waited!! LOL I then I brought the food to my room- turned on Monday Night Football- (my boys "The Patriots") were playing! They didn't win, but it was good to see the game (well most of it LOL- I fell asleep before game ended LOL!!!)

Take of yourselves and I'll be back in touch in a little bit- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #33:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 50 of Walkabout- Cape Hatteras- Outerbanks,NC

Hey Y'ALL....

Here are the pictures that I took when I visited the Outerbanks, NC.

I left Charlotte at 8:30am. Brenda B. came with me, as she needed a ride to SC ( her family home)..... The Outerbanks was reached, around 2:00 p.m. It was a beautiful sunny day with temps around mid 60's. It was quite breezy along the shore.

The sand dunes were so pretty!! When I finally made it to the Cape Hatteras Light, I was so excited!!!! The sun was beginning to set and I was able to get some good shots of the lighthouse. I ran out of daylight and was unable to get to the other two lighthouses in the area. I will be back to this area again- and I'll catch the other lights then.

I then headed to Tatum, SC to drop Brenda off at her family home. We arrived there at 1:30 a.m.- I was most definitely was ready for bed!!! LOL I had put 780 miles on the car that day.....(it was like driving from Home to Maryland)

Well, I have to go get the other pictures from the weekend ready for the website.....I'll be back soon!!!! - Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #32:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

On the road again.......

Hey Everybody......

 

Today is Friday 11/3/06.  I'm am packing up the car again, and getting ready to hit the road!!  LOL

I've been here in Charlotte, NC since the end of September.  As most of you know I used this as my home base over the past few weeks.  While here I managed to get to Williamsburg,VA; Asheville,NC; Chimney Rock, NC, Statesville, NC; Crossville, TN; Bennettsville,SC;and Tatum, SC.  There was only one big disappointment and that was not being able to see the Hot Air Balloons (due to weather & a plane crash the day before-at airport)....so I've managed to do pretty good so far.  I've met a lot of nice & interesting people so far.  I'm looking forward to this next few weeks.

I am leaving here Saturday morning (early) and heading to the coast of NC- the Outerbanks specifically- I will then travel south to the Myrtle Beach, SC area.  Then I intend to make my way through GA to my next destination- Hudson, FLA.  This will be the 1st of many stops in FLA.  I have a lot of family & friends in FLA, so I'll probably be in FLA approximately 3-4 weeks.

I am hoping to see many things- two things in particular that I'm working on getting to is Discovery Cove- to spend the day with the dolphins, and Key West area. 

Well, I have to get going now- there is a lot to do and my friends in this area are getting together tonight for one last hurrah!!! LOL

I'll make sure to keep in touch with y'all by  posting my activities through the website...so make sure you keep checking back at the site...... I miss all of you......Take Care of yourself.

                                        Love Always, Donna

http://journals.aol.com/pandadmd/Panda'sWorld/

Day 43 of walkabout

Hello Everyone....

Today is Saturday 10/28/06. I got up at 5:30 a.m. to go to a Hot Air Balloon Rally. I arrived in Statesville at 7:05 a.m.- (the rally was to open at 7 a.m. and balloons to launch at 8 a.m.) It was very foggy and there was still a light rain in area. We were told the Rally was postponed until 11:30 a.m. So now I had 4 hrs to wait- with nothing in area to do LOL!!!

The time finally passed and I went back to the airport where rally was being held. Got the car parked and took shuttle bus to rally location. After walking around for an hour trying find someone who had any information about the balloons, I found out that they canceled the launching of all balloons today!!! I was extremely bummed!! They said that the winds were too strong and that there were other problems stemming from an airplane crash the day before.

So folks I'm sorry about not having the pictures I thought I'd get.....I was very disappointed. But I know that somewhere along in my travels, I'll come upon another Balloon Rally, and I'll get some pictures then.

Today ended up being a gorgeous, sunny, windy, warm day. I was talking to David & my mom back home they said it was pouring and very windy up there....I told them that was the weather we had here in Charlotte yesterday.

Well I'm going to get along now. Take care of yourselves and I'll be back in touch soon. -Love Donna

Visiting family friends in Crossville, TN- Day 37- 10/22/06

Hi Everyone.....

The above pictures are of Crossville, TN. I left Lake James around 9:45 a.m. I arrived in Crossville around 3:00 p.m.- Or so I thought!!! David was quick to let me know I had crossed a time line. Even though all my clocks said 3 p.m.- it was actually 2 p.m. (Except for my cell phone - it had the correct time- still not sure how that happened!!!! LOL)

After David & Jane, and I visited for a bit they took me out to see the area. Here I thought they lived in the boonies (cause of the back way they had me come to their house). LOL Come to find out Crossville is not even a town it's a city!!!! There are 3 exits off route 127 for Crossville!!

After we drove around a bit- we went to Ryans for dinner.

We decided that due to me being tried and being up in mountains....that it would be best to stay over night and leave in the day time after getting rested up.

The next morning was overcast and starting to spit snow....when I was getting ready to leave. I took a few pictures of David & Jane's new house and of their little girl- Miss Hannah Claire!! LOL

I'm going to lay low now until this up coming Saturday, when I head to Statesville, NC to see the Hot Air Balloon Rally. So until then everyone take care....Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #31:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Saturday 10/21/06-day 36 of trip

Hello Everyone,

These pictures and notes are from Saturday 10/21/06.

Who's in the pictures....In #5 - Steve & Jeff, #6 - Scooter, #9 - Miranda and Steve, #10 - Johnnie (Steve's wife), #12 - T.K., Steve, Jackie (Jeff's wife), # 28 - Miranda, Johnnie, Steve, Jeff, # 29 - Front Row: Johnnie,Jeff,Chris (Jeff's son), Amanda, Steve ---Back Row: Jackie, Miranda,Christine (Chris's wife).

It had been a chilly night (low 30's) camping up there on the mountain. It was still quite chilly when I got up at 6:30 a.m. It was also very foggy. I went to take a shower to wake up, on my way back I couldn't find my tent it was so foggy!!! I was hoping to find the tent before I stepped off the side of the mountain !!! LOL ( I had put the tent up about 20' from the edge!) Well I finally found it...but it took being with in 10' of tent in order to see it!!!

I packed up and went down to the parking lot where I was to meet Steve and his family.

Steve arrived and introduced me to his wife- Johnnie, and his twin daughters Amanda & Miranda. I made the two girls get side by side so I could look at them. Then I had then each say their name. (I had learned way back in high school -we had 5 sets of twin in my class- that there was a way to tell identical twins apart) And I must say I did well...I managed to get their names correct for the rest of the time we were together!! At this point Miranda hopped into the car with me. Evidently Steve has a heavy gas foot!!! LOL They didn't want me to get lost, so Miranda was with me in case I lost sight of Steve's SUV.

We got to Marion, NC around 9:45 a.m. We stopped at a local flea market to stretch, shop, and get coffee. After we made our rounds in the flea market, we left for the lake.

When we arrive at Lake James, some of the gang was already there. (There are several families that have trailers here and they camp here yearly- and have for many years)

Jeff (another pogo friend) and his wife Jackie were already here and all setup. They are from South Carolina. We unloaded and got Steve's trailer opened up. They then took me around to meet some of the locals!

We had a real nice day. Went to a local store to get some needed supplies, then we sat around the fire, talking, laughing, eating (note: on weekends here only the men cook- the ladies get to sit back and relax), drinking, taking pictures and listening to good music.

I got my 1st taste of Tennessee "corn liquor" that day. I had already tried corn liquor from NC, SC,VA and MS.- So now I've added TN to the list. That brings my total to 5 different kinds!! It was real good too!!

I headed to bed around 9 p.m.- I know this is early for me- I think it had to do with all the walking I did the day before, the good fresh mountain air- and a bit of the "corn liquor" LOL

The next morning I was to head to TN to visit long time family friends, David & Jane W.

I'll be back later to write about that and put more pictures up. Right now Brenda & Barbara are after me to get dressed and to get out of the house. It's a beautiful fall day here in Charlotte. So until then- take care everyone......Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #30:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 35- on the road again.......

The above 47 pictures are of Lake Lure & Chimney Rock Park, located in Chimney Rock, NC, and Campfire Lodgings, located in Asheville, NC.

Hey Y'all....

Friday was day 35 of walkabout. I left Charlotte at 9 a.m. and headed out to Chimney Rock, NC. This area is in the western part of NC- in the Blue Ridge Mountains- near TN. I arrived in Chimney Rock Park around noon time. This is a privately owned park. The ride up there was beautiful!! The trees were really starting to show their Falls Colors.

Once I arrived at the park- I took an elevator- that had been carved out of the the mountain- up to the Chimney Rock out look. It was a sunny, windy, clear day. The view was spectacular! Up above where I was, there are a path to top of mountain- with 2,000 steps to get up there!!! Needless to say I chose not to go up there! LOL After taking some pictures, I made my way back down to parking level. I noticed there was a 1.5 round trip trail that led to a 404' waterfall. I decided to go to that location. To get to the trail I had to climb down 135 steps! LOL The trail to Hickory Nut Falls was rocky and had a steep incline. The path itself wasn't really wide either!! About 2/3's of the way to falls, I started having breathing problems. I used my inhaler and continued onto the falls. I rested again for a bit once I got there and took some pictures of the falls. There was a family from Knoxville,TN there at the same time. They kept an eye on me for a bit- to make sure I was going to be ok. As I started back down the path I once again had an asthma attack- this time it was real bad. That is when I noticed the black mold growing on the rocks- I'm very allergic to mold!! After many stops to rest and several puffs of my inhaler, I finally made it back to the 135 steps- I was so not looking forward to climbing back up them again!!! But up I went. Just about 1/2 way up I started getting blurry vision & dizziness ( both are side effects of meds). So, I sat down to rest. I was looking up to the remaining steps I had left, and noticed 3 Fire/Rescue personnel and a park employee heading down towards me. When they got to me they said "we are looking for a lady having an asthma attack". I smiled, raised my hand and said that would be me!!!! LOL

Evidently, they were in park helping a guy that had fallen at the top of the mountain. They got him off to hospital and started to leave, when a fellow hiker report me having breathing problems. So they came to check it out. They were all very nice. They checked my lungs & BP. The lungs were clearing up and BP was sky high (another side effect of meds). They asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I thought to myself if they had reached me 20 mins earlier- I would have said heck yes!!, but at this point I really was starting to feel better. (I don't mess around with my asthma)- I reassured them I was feeling better. I told them I may be stubborn, but I wasn't foolish. We all talked for a few minutes about the mold and my trip....then the fire/rescue people left. The park employee stayed with me until I was ready to make the trip the rest the way up the steps!! LOL

While she waited for me, we talked a bit. She was from GA originally, and had moved to Asheville, NC not to long ago. She then mentioned that she had been up in Boston this past August. She stated that she really liked the area and was thinking about moving up there. We talked about the places she visited while in Boston- Some times it's a small world folks !!! LOL

Finally I got myself back together and we walked up the rest of the stairs. She went on her way, and I made it back to my car.....and boy was I glad that I was finally there!!

I then headed to Asheville, NC to the Campfire Lodgings, where I was going to camp for the night. The road to Asheville was one Mean A** Road!!! It was the tightest, narrowest, winding road I've ever seen!!! LOL LOL There was not one bit of straightness until you got the very bottom of the 3,000' mountain!

I finally made it to the campgrounds around 4:30 p.m. I registered, set up camp,showered & changed by 5:45 p.m.

A pogo friend Steve, stopped by and took me out for some supper, then showed me around the area. After about 2 hrs we came back- sat and chatted, then he left and I headed to bed. ***I had made a change of my plans that night. Originally I was to stay at these campgrounds Friday & Saturday night. But Steve and his wife Johnnie invited me to come with them and their twin (19 y/o) daughters on Saturday. They had plans to go to their camp site/ trailer that next day, and they were staying there until Sunday. So I accepted their invitation! *** I was in bed by 11p.m.

Well folks it's getting late now and I'm beat from the weekend!! So tomorrow I'll write more and post more pictures from the weekend. So until then...Y'All take care of yourselves!!! LOL

Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #29:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

30 DAYS into walkabout

Hello everyone...

Well today marks 30 days into the walkabout. It's been a very exciting month. I've met a lot of nice people, and visited quite a few interesting places.

I've been resting up for my next series of adventures. This past week I did get to see what "Race Week" in Charlotte means. Big Ma lives about 15 mins from Lowes Speedway in Concord, NC. There was a race there this past Saturday, but I found out that the activities go way beyond just the day of the race. I drove up by the track on Thursday....already the vendors were all there and set up for business. The fans had also started to arrive. Some stay right on the grounds in tents & R.V.'s, others stay in local hotels. I saw plates as far away as Maine, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Florida, and many others. It was like seeing a small city being formed right before your eyes! LOL They estimate that 20,000-30,000 people come into town for the races.

Friday night I went uptown to visit the city at night. It was a nice cool evening. There were many activities going on. People were buzzing all around. At one intersection there was a local brass band playing, and on another corner there was a older man singing and trying to sell his CD's. There were a lot of limo's coming and going. The clubs were very busy too. I was surprised to see a lot of families out together enjoying the city, on this night.

Tomorrow I'm going back to SC for the day...not sure exactly where I'll end up, but you can be sure I'll have some pictures & tidbits to share with you when I get back!

Next week I'm heading to the Blue Ridge Mountain area of NC. I'll be out there for about 3 days, and then I'll come back here. I'll be awaiting the Hot Air Balloon Rally, that is going to be in Statesville, NC the last weekend of October. I'm trying to decide if I have enough courage to take a ride in a balloon!! LOL I'll let you know more about that later....

Well it's getting late now, and I want to get an early start tomorrow. So folks...until next time, take care of yourselves, and I'll be chatting with you again soon. Love Donna

One of my favorite subjects!!!!

Hey everyone... These pictures were sent to me by a friend. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

This is for? those that haven't seen the 16 baby pandas . .

SICHUAN, China -- One zoo in southwest China has its hands full with 16 baby pandas.

The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July, 2005. The brood includes five sets of twins. The cubs are weighed and measured every five days by a special panda nurse.

The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds. Once weaned, the panda cubs will attend panda kindergarten. In the meantime, more little ones are expected at the center, since 38 giant pandas were artificially impregnated.

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #28:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Pictures of Day 23- in Busch Gardens

Hey All....

Here are the pictures from day 23 at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA.

I took a lot of pictures of the different roller coasters...for those who are my "Coaster Nuts" (Dave,Amy,Tim,Barb, and any others that I'm not aware of!!! LOL) I tried to catch the cars as they were zooming along the rails.

Busch Gardens is a quaint park with the theme of old Europe. You pay one price and ride all the rides as often as you like. There are little villages for each country. In these villages are small shops. There were various food shops too. It was interesting trying the food of different countries and seeing the goods they had for sale. They also had shows in each of the villages that had to do with each country. Barbara & I watched a show in Ireland, of folk singers who were accompanied by Irish musicians.

There is also a game section of the park where you can play carnival type games for stuffed toys.

There are some animals here to see too. There were Bald Eagles that had been injured at one time and cannot fly any more, parrots and other exotic birds, snakes, wolves, Budweiser Dalmations and Clydedales.

We had a nice day. The rain had finally stopped during the night. It was cloudy but in the 70's when we arrived at the park around 11am. By around 2pm the sun finally made it out, but the temps didn't go much higher. We left the park around 3:30pm to head back to Charlotte, NC.

I stopped at my 1st WAWA!! Such a strange name for a convience store/gas station. LOL We arrived back in Charlotte at 10:30pm. It was a long day, but a lot of fun.

Well I'm off for now- everyone take care and keep safe.......Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #27:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 22

Hello Everyone.....

Well today was a wash out!!! Barbara H. & I were suppose to go to Busch Gardens- Williamsburg, VA. Unfortunately a huge Nor'Easter came roaring through this area. We had over 9" of rain with lots of thunder & lightening!! They posted flash flood warnings for this area.

Tomorrow is suppose to be a better day----so we'll try again then! LOL

I am very glad that I wasn't camping in my tent this weekend ! LOL - It would have been very, very wet....I might have floated away!

Well take care everyone and I'll be back in touch soon- Love Donna

Day 21

Hey Everyone.....

It's day 21 of walkabout. Yesterday was sunny and 85 in Charlotte, today is rainy and in the low 60's. Barbara H.& I left Charlotte at 1:45pm today, and headed to Williamsburg, VA. It rained the whole time we were traveling. We arrived and settled into the motel by 9 pm.

We will be going to Busch Gardens tomorrow. The Busch Gardens here is the European one. So it's a bit like Epcot down in FLA. Each section of the park represents different European countries. So I'll be taking lots of pictures, make sure you check back soon !!! LOL

Well I'm going to run now to get some sleep for my big day tomorrow! Take care and I'll be back in touch soon. Love Donna

Day 18 of Walkabout

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday October 3, 2006 was day 18 of the walkabout. I traveled south to Tatum, S.Carolina. It is a small farm town near Bennetsville. The country side was very pretty with a variation of crops and live stock. There were mostly cotton fields in the area I went thru. The cotton plants grow to about knee high and have pods on them. At the end of the growth cycle the pods burst open exposing the raw puffs of cotton. A very beautiful sight! In the pictures above you'll see a picture of the soil down through out North & South Carolina. It's different shades of an orange/red color like bricks. I also took a picture of my 1st Piggly Wiggly food store!! LOL They really do exist!!

I also saw a wild looking cactus in a front yard. I had to stop and take a picture of it. I haven't seen such a big cactus since I was out in Arizona back in 2001.

I'm getting ready to go to Williamsburg, VA this up coming weekend. Barbara H. & I are going to Busch Gardens.

A side note for the folks back home....I was thinking of the Topsfield Fair today. The fair is running this week. For those who I didn't drag up there with me at one time or another (lol)...it is a wonderful Fall activity. It's a true country fair with many great sights, food, animals, rides, games, and entertainment acts.

Well folks, I think I'll be going now....Take Care and enjoy life!! Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #26:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 8- Charlotte, NC

Hey Everybody,

Today is day 8 of walkabout. It was sunny and in the high 80's today, and a bit humid. We are expecting rain showers tonight.

I went uptown to Charlotte, NC. Barbara H. & Brenda B. went with me. (Barb has yellow shirt on & Brenda has tan shirt on)

This city is very new, up and coming!! The buildings are very interesting in design, many have art work designed right into them. There is a lot of art work/sculptures, and fountains/falls through out the city. At this time there is 6 new skyscrapers being constructed, also a subway is being built into the cities public system. Most of the streets are tree lined- very quaint! There are many open areas with gardens and cafe' type settings.

I was also able to get pictures of the 2 sports arena's- the Panthers & Bobcats. Currently there are plans to build a baseball stadium in the city too.

This is a clean, nice city to visit. They have a lot of activities year round for the residents. Every Friday night- they have different bands, vendors along the streets. They also do international days, where they shut down a certain sections and you can sample the food, music and customs of different nationalities, that represent Charlotte. There always seems to be something going on uptown in Charlotte. (lol)

I want to get some pictures of the city at night soon. When I do, I'll post them too. The city is very pretty at night.

Ok....well I think I'm going to run now....

Until next time- take care of yourselves and enjoy!! Love- Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #25:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Pictures from DC (9/18/06)

Hi Everyone...

I'm finally getting these Washington, DC pictures on the site!

I'm sorry that it took so long- I ran into a program problem, and didnt get it fixed until this morning.

I hope all are doing well. Take care of yourselves- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #24:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Day 4 of Walkabout!

Hi Everybody!

Yesterday was day 4 of my Walkabout. I had started out from Westminster, MD around 8:15 A.M.- heading to DC. I made it to DC just fine- trying to find the National Zoo was a different story!! LOL

Has everyone seen that Chevy Chase movie "European Vacation"? If you have do you remember the scene where they are stuck driving around the round-about a zillion times- and Chevy keeps telling the kids-"there is Big Ben"...Well that was me yesterday at Dupont Circle !!! There is 2 circles at Dupont, I was in the inner circle and needed (and wanted) to be in the outer circle! I kept going around by the fountain and got into a fit of laughing- thinking about that dumb movie scene!! "there's the fountain Donna !" LOL

I did finally get to the zoo. I was only able to stay a short time as I needed to get to NC that night. I will be going back soon though and will see more of the sights and take more pics. I will post the pics I did get later on today (need to get new batteries for camera 1st) So check back later to see what I captured !!!

I got to see my pandas and a few other critters! When I saw my pandas it brought back memories of when I 1st saw the original Pandas- back in 1972. Nixon was President and he was given 2 bears (LingLing & SingSing) as National gifts from China. They were adorable!!!! I fell in love with them instantly! Hence- this is where my nickname "Panda" comes from. LingLing passed away in 1992, and SingSing passed away in 1999...very sad days...

I left the DC area around 12:30 P.M. and headed for Charlotte, NC. I arrived @ 9:15 P.M. It was a long trip-some traffic problems due to an accident. It felt good to land!!! I will be here in Charlotte for a few weeks. My best friend Barbara H. (a.k.a Big Ma) lives here. I will use this as a home base to see NC,SC,VA, and TN.

So...until next time- take care of yourselves. And thanks for all of your comments & suggestions- keep them coming!

Love Donna

Day 3 of walkabout

Hey there....

Well today I packed up my gear and left Assateague Island. And doesn't it figure- today the sun is out bright- it has been rainy & drizzly the last two days!! lol

I went to Sunday meeting at the Kingdom Hall in Delaware. The one I was looking for in Berlin, MD is being rebuilt this week. So this Sunday morning the Ocean City, MD; Berlin, MD; and Dagsboro, DE were all meeting together!!! I met some very nice (aren't they all!!) brothers & sisters. I want to say a special hello to Br & Sis Keller, Br & Sis Eutsler, and Sis Principe. A added note for Br. Keller- thank you for the excellent directions- I made it to Westminster just fine!!

Then I headed west back to Maryland....and I wasn't alone!!! A few of those 10,000 bikers that were at bike week in Del-Mar-Va must have decided to go home early cause we were all on route 50 together! lol Normally the trip from Rt.116 DE to Westminster is about 3 hrs.... It took me and all my biker friends 3 hrs to go from Rt 116 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge!!!!! (LOL) I'm just glad all the bikers didn't leave at the same time- or I might still be sitting on Rt 50 (LOL).

I met up with my pogo friends Deb & Barb- we went out to eat at a seafood place called the Liberty Road Seafood, in Frederick, MD. The food was good. They have all you can eat type of deal. They have everything from crab legs, crabs, mussels, oysters, steamers, crab cakes, ribs, chicken, and many other tasty treats! We had a good time chatting & eating away!

Ok now here is info on the above pictures: 1) Car & foot bridges leading onto Assateague Island; 2) sign outside the Visitor Center; 4) The Visitor Center; 5) Rangers station on Island; 6) One of the many deer that roaming about; 8) Momma & her baby- they were regular visitors to my camp site; 12) horseshoe crab- or what is left of him (lol); 14) a few of my biker neighbors outside the camp store; 17) Maryann & Norm (from VA) were in camp site across from me- had invited me over for dinner Fri night; 18) one of many ponies on island; 22) entrance to State Park on Island; 23) sign on foot bridge tells about the ponies; 26) Name of car bridge; 31) Kingdom Hall in Berlin, MD- home of the Berlin & Ocean City congregations- being rebuilt this week; 35) Kingdom Hall in DE- Dagsboro Congregation; 38) wild life from rehab @ the MD Coastal Day held on Island- on Saturday; 46) sunset Saturday evening- finally the rain had stopped!!

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #23:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Walkabout has begun!!!

Hello Everyone....

Well I started my walkabout today!!! I left Taunton, MA @ 2am and arrived at Assateague Island, MD @ 1:30pm. It was a long trip cause it rained all the way down LOL.

With in 15 mins of arriving I had set up my camp site & was walking the beach! The campsites are about 100' from the shore.

This place has tons of wildlife!! There is the wild ponies, deer and other critter's...many sea birds ( such as: plovers, gulls and egrets). The waves are huge, the sand is white and very soft. The water is refreshingly cool. If you look quickly you can catch the boroughing crabs make their way into their homes under the sand.

During my 1st beach walk I found the remnants of a huge horseshoe crab- it's shell was at least 10" across. The animals come right up into the camp sites. They don't seem to be to afraid of people. There is a strict NO FEEDING the animals here- which is good cause if they are fed the wrong things they can get very sick.

It is still overcast here, but the sun is trying to come out. It's in the high 70's with a nice ocean breeze.

I had to get some bug spray for the mosquitoes and beach flies. The area is very clean and quiet. The people in my "loop" (there are 6-loops with approximately 25 sites/ loop) are mostly older adults- so things should be quiet here later...lol I met a very nice couple camped across from me, Maryann & Norm. They are from VA. They invited me over for dinner Friday night- there was good food, good wine, and great conversation!! Thank you very much Maryann & Norm! Have a safe trip home...

If anyone on the east coast has a chance, they should come try this area out- It's GREAT!!! There are large clean bathrooms/bathhouses, camp store, nature center, playground, bike trails, visitors center (with a small store & exhibits).

Well I'm gonna go & enjoy the quiet for a while!! Take care and sweet dreams...I'll write more tomorrow, and post pictures then- Love Donna

P.S. I was thinking of Babs & Buc today..All the way down I saw bikers and knew something was up (lol). Come to find out there are thousands of bikers here forthe Del Marva Bike Week @ Ocean Downs in Berlin, MD. This is very much like the bike week in LaConia, NH every June. They have 4 concerts planned, an air show and open bikers market!! I'll try and get some pics of the bikes... There are hard core bikers &week-end warriors here. Now I know why the camp ground was booked solid- most of the bikers are staying here!!! LOL

Night out- To say goodbye.....

Hi Everyone......

Last night a bunch of us went out for one last hurrah, before my trip!! A good time was had by all. We went to Jamies in Marshfield, for dinner & dancing.

There was a lot of laughing, tears, and hugs .......

So who is who???? (lol) Here is the run down ...

1) Amy & Angie; 2) Dave & Me; 3) Amy & Angie; 4) Dave & Amy; 5) Babs & Dave; 6) Angie, Dave, Amy; 7) Amy & Me; 8) Angie, Dave, Amy; 9) Angie & Babs; 10) Angie, Amy, Babs,Me, Dave; 11) Babs & Amy; 12) Amy & Dave; 13) Angie, Amy, Me; 14) Babs & Dave; 15) Amy & Dave

Yesterday before Dave & I drove up to meet the others we packed up the trunk of my car for the trip. There is now only 5 more days until I leave. Thursday night Dave will come over to have dinner and help me finish packing the car.... Then off I'll go Friday morning around 2-3 A.M. I want to get through NYC before rush hour -- lol

So keep tuned into Panda's World for updates and tidbits, and we will have fun traveling together....

Until next time- take care.

Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #22: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Hey Everyone.....

Only 8 more days until the walkabout starts!!! Everything is coming together nicely.

Yesterday I went down to Cape Cod for the day. It was a cloudy day with temps in the low 70's. I met up with a good friend, Peggy. We went out to lunch then stopped by to visit another friend of ours Irene. After our visit, we took a ride down the west coast of the Cape. First we went to Woodshole. This is where Nobska Light is located. We then went down to Chatham. We stopped at Chatham light. As we were leaving the area I noticed an Osprey's nest up on top of a light pole. These nest are huge! Not quite as big as an eagles nest, but definitely a good sized one!! There are quite a few of these nest around the Cape.

Next you'll notice the decked out blue whale! (lol) This is only one of many that can be found through out the Cape. They are on the idea of the cows you saw from Boston. All these works of art are decorated differently, and on Sept. 23, 2006 they will all (whales & cows) auctioned off, and the money donated to charities. These art pieces have been on display for the entire Summer season.

The last of the pictures are of a really cool antique book store that has been on the Cape for years. I've had the opportunity to visit it many times over the years. If you are looking for it- they probably have it! (lol)

Well, until the next time we meet- take care...........Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #21:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Trip to Boston with Babs

Hey Everyone.....

Today my friend Babs & I went into Boston to do some research at the Boston Public Library. While there I took some pictures of the city. These are for those who have yet to visit Boston. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

It was a great day in the 70's and sunny.

Only 16 more days until the "Walkabout" begins (lol) I can't wait...sure to be a good time!!!

Take care until the next time we chat......Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #20:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Plymouth, MA

Hey There....

Today I dragged mom with me to Plymouth, Mass. I decided to use the next couple of weeks to visit local sites and post them for those who haven't had a chance to visit Massachusetts yet. I hope you enjoy your tour of Plymouth Rock, The Mayflower, Brewster Gardens. These are all located in the heart of Plymouth Harbor.

In picture 32- this is mom- waiting for me to finish my picture taking rounds. Also in pictures 34-38 are of a pole that says the same thing in many languages: "May Peace Prevail on Earth".

On a side note my aunt & uncle told me about a cool website- it is: www.googleearth.com

This website works best with boardband, but can be viewed with dial-up. At this website you can put in an address/location and it will give you a view of the area via satelite! I think this tool will be neat to use to see the areas that I will be visiting.

Well it's time to start dinner...so until we meet again, take care and enjoy life.- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #19:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Answer to your questions

Hey Everyone!!

I wanted to take a moment to answer some questions I've been getting from you...

When are you leaving? - I'm leaving in early morning of Sept. 15th.- In just 22 more days!!

Where is your 1st stop? - My 1st stop will be Assateague Island, Maryland.  I will be here for 2days- camping.  This Island is where the wild ponies live.  I'll be able to camp right among them.  Once a year Maryland and Virginia (who share this island) round up the ponies, drive them across to Virginia side at low tide for an auction.  Any ponies not sold are driven back to Maryland side until the next year.

How do I leave a comment on your blog/web site? - In order to leave a message at site you need a screen name & password.  This is AOL or AIM screen names & password.  If you don't have either account- you can get an AIM screen name for free.  AIM is "AOL Instant Messenger".  If you go to AOL web site there is a section where you can get a screen name.  If you don't want to be bothered to do all that (lol) then just email me your comments directly.  My email address is: pandadmd@aol.com.  My email address is on web site also.

Who's in the pictures?  - It was brought to my attention that not everyone knows who's in my pictures (lol).  I'm sorry about that when I started this blog it was private and those who had access to it knew everyone else.  When I opened it to the public I failed to remember that.  So I have started to list at bottom of the page  who is in the pictures.  Hopefully this will help everyone.  If you'd like further info on anyone just ask.

Additional info: Just back ground info, for those new to my world.....I am 47y/o , single, and the oldest of 4 and mother of one. I have a son-Dave- 26 y/o, single, lives in MA.   I have a brother - Wade- he is 2 yrs younger, single,lives in MA; a sister- Darlene- 6yrs younger, married, 5 children, lives in NH, and my second sister-Tracy- 9 yrs younger, married, 2 children, lives in MA.  My mom Florence lives in MA also, my dad passed away in 1971.  I'm retired now due to a disablity related to an equine accident.  I like photography, music, animals, traveling, camping, horseback riding, talking and studying about God & the Bible, lighthouses and panda bears (lol) I enjoy meeting new people, and really enjoy spending time with family and friends.  I've been a Jehovah's Witness in the Rockland, MA Congregation since Feb. 1990.  If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

Well that is all for now.  I'm glad there is so much interest in this site.  Keep checking back and keep your questions coming- it helps make this so much fun!  Take care of yourselves-

                                         Love Donna

 

 

Another Great Day

Hey All......

I was up in the Rockland/Whitman area today helping a friend. On the way home I stopped at Stone's Exxon on Rt18., and look at what pulled into the pumps next to me. The Orange Chevy was cool looking. I asked the guy if it would be ok to take a picture- he said sure go ahead. So I thought I'd share them with you.

Shortly after I left there, I was heading to Mom's in Taunton and look what else I saw....my bother Wade & his work truck!!(lol)

I stopped to say hi to him- he was working on a truck that had broken down on Rt18 in Whitman across from the Bike Barn & Hancock Paint. I took a picture of his work truck for those who haven't seen the "White Beast" yet. (LOL) This tow truck is huge!! I would need a step ladder to get up in it! (lol)

Well we enjoyed another great day up this way. Bright sunshine, temps in low 80's, and low humidity!!!

I'm going to run now- have a great day everyone. I'll be back in touch soon.

Love, Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #18:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

More Updates

Hello Everyone....

It has been awhile since I last wrote. Things have been going well. I finished out the month of July in Amhearst, MA.

July 27-30 was my congregation's District Assembly. Held at the campus of U-Mass Amhearst. It was a weekend of Bible based talks. There were over 5,000 people at our convention. It was great visiting with friends.

The 1st week of August brought some very hot and humid weather. Most of the country was involved in the heat wave. Here in Massachusetts we had temps over 90 for 4 days straight, and with the heat index added in the temps were any where from 105 - 114. Way too nasty!!! I personally spent most of the time in the A/C so I could breathe. lol The very next week temps dropped into the 70's during the day and 40's at night!! What a change-- one of the good points of living in New England....the ever changing weather!

On Friday August 11th, I attended the reunion for the Hanover High Class of 1976. We've been out of school for 30yrs now!! It was held at BR's Monponsett Inn, in Halifax, MA. We were there from 7pm - 12am. It was great to see everyone after so many years. It was interesting to test our memories......Some classmates really hadn't changed in looks, but others had! lol There were lots and lots of talking and laughing. The food and music were good. Some even managed to get some dancing in too! Thanks to all who put the reunion together--you did a really good job!!!! Thanks again.

Sunday my son Dave & I held a cook-out at my mom's home for friends. The pictures above are from the cook out. The cook out had a two fold purpose. One was to see my friend Bab's son and daughter-in-law, who had come up from Texas to visit. Both Tommy & LeeAnn are in the Army and will be shipping out to Iraq next month. The second reason was for all of us to be together one more time before I leave for my cross country trip (walkabout). We all had a every good time. We cooked out on the grill, and had chicken, seafood, and kielbasa.....along with many other goodies. We watched the Red Sox's win their game....I "FINALLY" learned to fold my tent back up!! LOL...there was a food fight, and picture taking. Thank you to all who came- It really was an excellent time!!!

I have 4 more weeks, then I will start my walkabout... My first stop will be in Maryland. I plan to camp on Assateague Island. This island has wild ponies that roam free...My two favorite things camping and horses - - what could be better???

So stay tuned and join me as I travel from state to state...we'll have a good time together!!! If anyone knows of a cool place to visit- either in your state or in a state you have been to before, please let me know....I'm open to any suggestions of places to see!!

Well until next time- Please take care of yourselves, and I'll be back in touch soon. Love, Donna

P.S. Here is who's in the pictures above: 1) Terry & Dave; 2) Desi, Amy, Chy; 3) Desi, Tim, Chy, Dave; 4) Tim & Dave; 5) Chy & Dave; 6) Desi & Dave; 7) Chy & Dave - Desi & Tim; 8) Chy, Tim, Desi; 9) LeeAnn & Tom, Babs & Tim; 10) Desi, Amy, Chy; 11) Dave, Tim, Tom; 12) Dave & Tim; 13) Tom & LeeAnn; 14) back row: Chy, Desi, Tim - front row: Tom, Amy, Dave, Babs.

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #17:http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880