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

 

BAPTISM OF ALEX HELMINEN, (RUSSELL and KATRINA) WITH SISTERS LILY AND MAGGIE

DOUBLE BAPTISMS OF ALEX AND OTTO HELMINEN (JENNA and STANLEY)

DAVID, CARLA, BUTCH, COOKIE, JULIE, JERRY, ME

Christmas dinner at Julie and Jerry’s

BARB HEINONEN, DEAN HEINONEN, ISAIAH BEKKALA, BRADIE AND KATIE BEKKALA

SIBS, COOKIE JERRY, ME

 

MY RECENT PAINTINGS FROM AROUND THE COPPER COUNTRY..all for sale

 

The angel has returned…I asked for a shoehorn for Christmas, and got 

Shoehorns  in the first six gifts, and the last gift was the angel in a shoe with this note! 

OPENING THE SHOEHORN GIFTS…GOT NO. 7 later

ME AND SOME GREAT GRANDS (106 altogether) AT OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY

THE WHOLE CREW…SANG, SKITS, GAMES, EAT

BLESSED CHRISTMAS