CUBA…..TAP TO ENLARGE PRINTING

 

 

 

MY 86th BIRTHDAY  BRUNCH, ,GIVEN DESERT, CANDLE AND A SONG

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS ON THIS TREE, WHEN IN FULL BLOOM, THE WHOLE TREE IS ORANGE

AT 8AM EVERY MORNING, A BUGLE SOUNDS AND THEN THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS PLAYED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE 45 SQUARE MILES OF GUANTANAMO BAY.  EVERYONE STOPS WHAT THEY ARE DOING, STANDING AT ATTENTION,, THE MILITARY SALUTE DURING THE ANTHEM.  IF YOU ARE DRIVING, YOU STOP ON SIDE OF THE ROAD.  I NOTICED MANY PEOPLE AND MILITARY AT THE AIRPORT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN ONE SPOT, I WAS VERY MOVED.  AT SUNDOWN, REVILLE IS PLAYED.

IN THIS PHOTO, WE WENT TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN TO HEAR THE ANTHEM…BRIAN WAS CHECKING OUT THE SCENERY RIGHT BEFORE THE ANTHEM.

TRAVEL SKETCHBOOK…

A BANYAN TREE…HUGE AND BEAUTIFUL 

TODD, EVELYN, BRIAN, LITTLE TODD AND I

ANOTHERBLOOMING TREE

IGUANA

 

RECENT TRIP TO GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

IGUANAS ARE PROTECTED HERE, THERE ARE ROAD SIGNS..”IGUANA CROSSING”

THEY ARE ABOUT 15 lbs., and 3 FEET LONG

WE ATE AT A MONGOLIAN BUFFET…FIRST WAS A SALAD/VEGETABLE BAR, NEXT WAS A MEAT BAR, U PUT YOUR FOOD ON TWO PLATES, BRING IT TO THE CASHIER, WHO WEIGHS YOUR FOOD AND YOU PAY ACCORDINGLY, THEN TO SEASONING/OILS TABLE, NEXT GO IN LINE TO THE COOKS…DELICIOUS!

LITTLE TOD, SON OF EVELYN (Margie and Brian’s daughter) AND TODD

TOURING…MARGIE AND BRIAN.

BEAUTIFUL SHORELINE WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE.  THERE ARE HIGH GRASSY, BUSH HILLS.

ONE MUST HAVE A SPONSOR TO GO TO CUBA..MOST PEOPLE THERE ARE IN MILITARY, GOVERNMENT OR CONTRACTORS.  WE FLEW  FROM THE MILITARY BASE IN JACKSONVILLE.

 

Happenings in Florida…at ANnie and Ken’s….best hat!

WINNERS…BRENDA AND GRORGE!

 

WE WERE WAITING TO BOARD OUR FLIGHT TO CUBA AT THE AIR BASE IN FLORIDA.  FLIGHTS WERE ONLY TWICE A WEEK.  YOU  HAVE TO HAVE A SPONSER TO ENTER GUANTANAMO BAY, (TODD)WE WERE “INVESTIGATED, SIGNED FORMS, PASSPORT…

IN GUANTANAMO BAY

BRIAN CHECKED OUT THE FISH FROM THIS SIGN

 

IN FLORIDA ON A LITTLE TOUR WITH BRIAN AND JEAN TOROLA

THIS PIC IS OUT OF PLACE….THESE GUYS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO GO HOG HUNTING IN TEXAS…THEY STOPPED AT DARLENES HOUSE FOR A FEW HOURS OF SLEEP…IN DALLAS, TX…WAYLON TOLKKINEN, STANLEY HELMINEN, TWO ANDERSON BROTHERS, LADD AND  NASH

TOUR OF THE JACKSONVILLE FORT FROM THE 1800’s

OUR NARRATOR

BRIAN AND JEAN IN A LOOKOUT TOWER

THIS PLANE HAS A STORY…(another out of place pic) MY NEIGHBOR HAD JUST BOARDED THIS PLANE AT O’HARE TO COME TO HANCOCK, ALL BUCKLED IN,READY FOR TAKEOFF WHEN A TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE WING, CAUSING A TERRIFIC JOLT….IT WAS NIGHT, SO PERHAPS THE DRIVER JUST DIDNT SEE THE PLANE….NO ONE HURT, OF COURSE,AS  ALL WERE BUCKLED IN.  THE WING WAS DAMAGED, AS U CAN SEE.  A WEEKLATER, AS I SAT BY A WINDOW AT O’HARE, I SAW THE PLANE WITH THE BROKEN WING…..THEY WERE MOVING IT ELSEWHERE…..HOW CRAZY IS THAT?

I FLEW TO JACKSONVILLE TO MEET MARGIE AND BRIAN, PRIOR TO GOING TO CUBA TO VISIT THEIR DAUGHTER EVELYN AND TODD.  WE HAD A GREAT VISIT AND DINNER WITH MORE TOROLAS WHO LIVE THERE…BRIAN AND JEAN (down for the winter) AARON AND TRISHA JOHNSON, MARIA AND PAUL LAMPINEN