RON DECIDED TO RETIRE LAST SEPTEMBER. INSTEAD OF A WATCH FOR 44 YEARS IN THE FIRE SPRINKLER INDUSTRY HE DECIDED THAT HE DID'NT CARE WHAT TIME IT WAS ANYMORE.
SINCE WE OWNED THE BUSINESS ANYWAY, HE FELT A SPORTY SET OF WHEELS FOR DOING A LITTLE CROSS COUNTY DRIVING WOULD SUITE HIS (OUR) NEEDS BETTER.

THE CAR DOES HAVE A CLOCK, SO THERE YOU GO ............



SOOOO...... IN 2010, BETWEEN CRUISES, WE WILL HIT THE ROAD AND GO TO PLACES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN BUT ALWAYS TALKED OF DOING SOME DAY.

THANKSGIVING 2009 - WE ALL GOT TOGETHER, WENT OUT FOR A GREAT BREAKFAST, THEN SPENT THE DAY AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO. AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WAS BACK TO CHRISTI & BRYANS FOR THANKSGIVING (LITE?) DINNER. FOR THOSE OF YOU OUTSIDE OUR AREA IT WAS 78 DEGREES AT THE ZOO!!!

ON SEPT. 30TH, 2009 WE HEADED OUT OF SAN DIEGO ON
A 18 DAY PANAMA CANAL CRUISE ENDING IN FT. LAUDERDALE.
THIS ONE HAD 7 DIFFERENT PORTS THAN LAST YEARS RUN.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
IN COSTA RICA WE WENT ON A RIVER BOAT TOUR AND SAW

29 CROC'S, THIS ONE WAS 10FT. LONG AND WAS EATING RAW

WHOLE CHICKEN OUT OF OUR GUIDES HAND, YIKES !!!

A SUNSET IN GUATEMALA

ONE OF THE MANY BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN ARUBA

HALF MOON CAYS, BAHAMAS -

A PRIVATE ISLAND OWNED BY HOLLAND AMERICA

THE 1ST WEEK OF AUGUST, SANDIE AND I FLEW INTO SEATTLE
TO SURPRISE MY BROTHER AND HIS FAMILY
ON A 7 DAY ALASKA CRUISE,
ON THE HOLLAND AMERICA - WESTERDAM.

THE TWO BROTHERS CHECKING OUT THE GLACIERS IN GLACIER BAY.















JERRY, KRISTI, MANDY AND SANDIE.

DOWNTOWN KETCHIKAN FROM THE SHIP. STILL CLEAR SKYS AND COOL.
















THIS IS CREEK STREET IN KETCHIKAN, WHAT A PLACE.


FROM HERE WE HEADED BACK TO VANCOUVER

HERE'S A COOL SHOT OF JUNEAU AS WE WERE GOING UP THE TRAM TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN (2050 FT. ELEV)

SKAGWAY WAS OUR NEXT STOP, THIS IS A MUST DO FOR
EVERYONE.















HERE IS A SHOT OF SKAGWAY FROM THE SHIP.

HUBBARD GLACIER WAS SPECTACULAR, COOL, CLEAR AND THE FROZEN YOGURT ON OUR BALCONY WAS A TREAT.

OUR 1ST ALASKA STOP WAS ICEY STRAIT POINT NEAR HONAN, ALASKA THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND CRISP. WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND IS MOST OF WHAT THERE IS TO SEE.

ON MAY 11TH WE HEADED OUT OF SAN DIEGO FOR AN 11 DAY CRUISE TO ALASKA. OUR 1ST STOP WAS SAN FRANCISCO, WE OPTED FOR A TOUR OF ALCATRAZ ISLAND. AS WE LEFT IN THE EARLY EVENING WE CRUISED UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!
(A picture from our Christmas Cruise)
Left: Daughter Christi w/Brian & Alysa
Right: Sandies Aunt & Uncle - Sheryl & George

NOVEMBER 2, 2008

DAY ONE - 5PM

LEAVING SAN DIEGO FOR OUR 13 DAY PANAMA CANAL CRUISE.












FROM SAN DIEGO TO: ( DISTANCE BETWEEN ) NAUTICAL MILES

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO 768
ACAPULCO, MEXICO 682
HUATULCO, MEXICO 246
PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA 792
PANAMA CANAL 482
CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA 270
FT. LAUDERDALE 1,149
TOTAL NAUTICAL MILES 4,369

NOV. 4TH

LEAVING CABO SAN LUCAS AT SUNSET. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES, WE SPENT THE DAY WITH SANDIES COUSINS, TOMMY AND ALI MOODY.

NOW ON TO ACAPULLCO - 682 MILES.

DAY 5 - NOV. 7TH

HUATULCO, MEXICO

VERY CLEAN AREA, HERE WE ARE AT A SMALL SHOPPING AREA WITH LOCAL CRAFTERS.












HEADING BACK TO THE SHIP TO CONTINUE ON TO COSTA RICA,

NEXT STOP IS 792 MILES

SUNDAY NOV. 9TH

PUNTARENAS,
COSTA RICA

HAD AN ALL DAY TOUR TO THE MOUNTAINS AND A COFFEE PLANTATION.

HERE IS SANDIE HELPING TURN THE BEANS WHICH ARE DRIED IN THE SUN






HERE IS RON TASTING THE COFFEE, AFTER 6 DAYS OF THE SHIPS COFFEE (MUD) THE FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE WAS TERRIFIC !!!



FROM PUNTARENAS TO THE PANAMA CANAL ITS 482 MILES

NOV. 11TH PANAMA CITY 6AM



STARTING TO GET TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE PANAMA CANAL












GATUN LOCKS ON THE CARIBBEAN SIDE WITH THE LAKE IN THE BACKGROUND














LOCOMOTIVES FOR MOVING THE SHIPS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 8 PULLING US THRU THE LOCKS















COMING INTO THE 3RD LOCK ON THE PACIFIC SIDE, PEDRO MIGUEL LOCKS, WITH THE CENTENIAL BRIDGE COMING INTO VIEW.












PASSING THE CENTENIAL BRIDGE AND GOING THRU THE "CUT" HEADING FOR THE LAKE.

OVERALL - 50 MILES LONG, 6 PAIRS OF LOCKS, IT COSTS APPROX. $200,000.00 FOR A BIG CRUISE SHIP TO GO THRU, IT TOOK FROM 8AM UNTIL 5 PM.

CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA
NOVEMBER 12TH

OLD TOWN - LOOKS LIKE NEW ORLEANS, HAD A WONDERFUL TOUR OF THE AREA, LOTS OF GREAT MEMORIES.

NOV. 12TH

CARTAGENA SKYLINE, BEAUTFUL AND VERY CLEAN CITY. VERY HOT AND THE MOST HUMID OF THE TRIP.

WE HAVE 1149 NAUTICAL MILES YET TO TRAVEL TO GET TO FT. LAUDERDALE. THE TOTAL TRIP WAS 4,369 NAUTICAL MILES. AND 2500 AIR MILES TO GET HOME.

October 4 th was the 3rd annual Canyon Lake Car show. About 210 cars, invite only. The red 40 coupe in the background belongs to the couple that have invited us the last 2 years, Howard and Jane Dague of Canyon Lake.

The Car Show raises funds for the Progeria Research Foundation. Chip Foose lost a sister to Progeria back in the mid 80's. Progeria is a super rare disease that makes children age extremely fast.

Most of the raffel goodies for the day were donated by the Foose family. We won a basket with 6 of the die-cast cars representing either cars from the tv show "Overhaulin" or cars that were designed by Chip Foose.

At the end of the Day as we were heading out we stoped to chat with Chip and he signed all of the cars for us.

At the end of the raffel they had a peddle car painted by one of Chips painters, real red leather upholstry and pin stripped by "Hod Rod", it went to the high bidder at $2,100.00.
In the picture is Chip and his dad Sam Foose, helping to get the bid up.

Great day, Great fun - with our Hosts Howard and Jane.

After many years of putting off concreting the gravel side of the driveway, we finally got the job done. With the gravel gone and a new gate, we are ready for the next project (new garage doors)