So, today began early, like 5 am, Marti had to go out in the rain and lots of wind.  Nothing unexpected since this system was predicted last night.    A perfect day to just stay under the covers and keep warm and ignore what was going on outside.  That basically is what we did.  Yes, we did eventually got up but that was only because we both got a bit hungry!

Time now to get caught up on what we’ve been doing the last several days.  So  let me share with you our trip to Wreaths Across America in Columbia Falls, Maine.

This is a picture of the entrance hall as you first walk in.  The picture at the end of the hall is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Our guide through the museum was Nancy pictured here with Barbara beside an

example of a Veteran Remembrance Tree. (more about this later)

Here is what we learned and saw during our time at the museum.  Wreaths Across American began with Morill Worcester who as a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News won a trip to Washington, DC.  His first trip to the nation’s capital was one he would never forget.  More to the point his visit to Arlington National Cemetery

made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career as the owner of Worcester Wreath Company.  He never forgot that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington Cemetary, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.  The annual tribute went on quietly for several years

until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries, or to simply share their stories and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes.

The annual trip to Arlington and the groups of volunteers eager to participate in Worcester’s simple wreath-laying event grew each year until it became clear the desire to remember and honor our country’s fallen heroes was bigger than Arlington, and bigger than this one company.

In 2007, the Worcester family, along with veterans, and other groups and individuals who had helped with their annual veteran’s wreath ceremony in Arlington, formed Wreaths Across America (WAA), a non-profit 501-(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand this effort, and support other groups around the country who wanted to do the same.

In 2014, WAA and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands. The organization’s goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery was met in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.  The wreath-laying continues today held annually on the second Saturday of December.

This is a picture of WAA entering Washington, DC last year.  The convoy from Maine to

National Cemetery has become known as the world’s largest veterans’ parade, stopping at schools, monuments, veterans’ homes and communities all along the way to remind people how important it is to remember, honor and teach.

Last year when the trucks entered Washington DC (pictured above) there were 70,000 volunteers waiting to help place the wreaths on the graves in Arlington Cemetery.

This year WAA has received 2 million orders for wreaths to be placed on veterans graves.

Going back now to the Veterans Remembrance Tree  it is described in this way.

We created the Veteran Remembrance Tree Program because we wanted to find a way to recognize veterans and their families in a more permanent way, explains Karen Worcester, Executive Director of WAA “This endless forest is a truly visual representation of our unwavering commitment to our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach and to recognize our veterans and families this year and for many years to come.”

Two other projects still in the works are a chapel that can be used for funeral services

for veterans.  And in addition, there are plans to build a Flag Pole of Freedom which will be a 1320 foot tall flag pole, the tallest ever built.

The flag pole will eventually house a museum at the base and two observation decks, one at 100 feet and the second at the top.  The flag to be used will be an acre in size and will be designed to be self-furling when the winds reach a certain speed.

At the museum there is also a separate display regarding the Vietnam War.

Some of the statistics of that war are absolutely staggering.

We came away from the museum having learned a lot and also deeply impressed by what WAA does each year.  Despite the ongoing controversy that surrounds the connection between WAA and the Worchester Wreath Company, I believe in the integrity of WAA and what they are doing and hope to be able to volunteer this December when the wreaths are placed at the Florida National Cemetery. 

OK, tonight being the last night we will be in Maine and able to get a fresh lobster dinner

I did just that.  I believe I finally have my fill of lobster and fish, at least for the foreseeable future!  But not for too long, oh no, no, no!

The rain continues to fall, the wind is blowing 15 to 20 mph right on the front, gusting even higher at times.  We are, however, snug as a bug in a rug.  Tomorrow promises to be a fine day for travel.  Time now to begin packing up and putting things in order for the road.  We bid you, therefore, good night.  In closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Another beautiful day when we awoke today.  This being Sunday we were bound and determined to go to church.  We knew of a church just a few miles away, but we didn’t know what time worship was.  Well, isn’t that what the internet is for?  To discover such things.

I Googled Methodist Church Lubec but I could find no web site for the church.  I found a few articles that gave the name of their pastor, the size of the congregation (38 families), some of their activities, even some of the local causes they support.  But no time for worship.

So I Googled the location and zoomed in on the outside bulletin board which stated it this way:  Sunday Worship . . . .am.  That’s right just am, no time.  Ah, but wait I found a phone number for the church so at 8 am I dialed it thinking I would get a recording with the time of service.  Wrong again, I got someone out of bed who was very unhappy about being woken up.  Thus, in the end we never made it to worship.  I guess they are trying to keep their church to themselves.

OK, time now to have breakfast and then get on the road again.  Barbara whipped up a great steak and cheese omelet with a side of sausage to which I added a glass of juice and a cup of coffee.  She also had eggs and sausage and a cup of coffee.  Tummies full we now were ready to get on the road.  Just a little teaser, we went to Saint Croix International Park, and also went in search of the sculptures that we knew to be in this area.

Before we share with you today’s treasures, though, let’s finish up our time at Roosevelt Campobello International Park.  We’ve already covered the international bridge.  The two lighthouses we visited.  The Roosevelt cottage.  But we neglected to tell you, we also went off roading, so to speak in search of a sculpture which is one in a set of three that are placed here and in two other locations across America.

The three sculptures are called sunsweep.  One is in Washington, another in Minnesota, and the third is here on Campobello at Liberty Point. Thus, we made a trip to Liberty Point  in search of the sculpture.  Sad to say we never found it.  A first for us.  But we did find at Liberty Point what is referred to as frog rock

Come on now, use your imagination, surely you can see the resemblance to a frog?

Now to what was probably the most enlightening activity we participated in while at the park and that was the Tea with Eleanor which has become a favored tradition for visitors who visit the park.

There are two teas you can go to.  In the morning, which is free; or, you can pay to attend the afternoon session.  Knowing that the free tea in the morning was first come first serve, we arrived at the park early so we could get one of the 40 tickets that are issued for the morning tea.

With tickets in hand, we could hardly wait to learn more about the personal life of Eleanor Roosevelt; the longest serving First Lady of the United States (12 years), first Chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, and perhaps the most quoted women in history.  Today, the tea is held at the Wells-Shober cottage on the Roosevelt estate.

The aroma of freshly baked cookies beckoned us to enter the charming tea room.

Smiling guides welcomed us to Eleanor’s morning tea party and we settled down to sip steaming Earl Grey Tea and hear poignant stories about Eleanor Roosevelt, her life and traditions on Campobello Island.  Tanya and Debbie,

our hostesses, enthusiastically brought Eleanor into clear focus, as they related stories shared by their family members who had worked at the Roosevelt estate since the early 1900’s. Tanya reminded us that today, just as it was in Eleanor’s day, rule number one at the tea party; no talk of politics allowed!

What we learned about Eleanor was a lot.  We took away the following:

• That her early years were punctuated by the tragic deaths of her mother, father and brother, and her strict upbringing by a domineering Grandmother
• that Eleanor’s kindness and genuine interest in the community of Campobello Island endeared her to the islanders.
• She was known to invite just about everyone she saw from one afternoon to the next for tea, so the staff never knew whether to bake cookies for 10 or 50.
• Debbie laughed as she told us how Eleanor ordered dresses from the Sears Catalog to wear while on Campobello Island, so she just might be wearing the same outfit as one of her guests.
• Ever the gracious hostess, Eleanor was far more interested in people’s ideas than in their attire or social status
• During her public life as the wife of FDR Eleanor redefined the role of First Lady of the United States. Being First Lady was largely a ceremonial role, but Eleanor changed all that by holding press conferences to which only women reporters were invited.
• While Franklin broadcast his fireside chats on the radio, Eleanor took to pen and paper, authoring 27 books and penning 7,300 My Daycolumns which were syndicated in newspapers across America.
• While it wasn’t always welcomed or popular, Eleanor advocated for women’s rights, racial equality and the elimination of segregation in America.
• She traveled to the Tuskegee Airbase to shine light on African-American military pilots. When told by the secret service that if she wanted to go flying they would provide an experienced pilot for her, she instead chose one of the African-American pilots and flew with him for over an hour!
• She visited the South Pacific as a moral-building tour, visiting thousands of wounded soldiers. She would then in turn contact the family members of the wounded she had visited to let them know of their condition
• After Franklin’s death, Harry Truman appointed Eleanor as the first United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights where she successfully lobbied for the passage of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. When it was passed we learned that she was given a standing ovation by all delegates, a first in the history of the UN
• And this for all of us to take and hold on to, despite heartbreak, hardships and unexpected challenges, Eleanor grew to be one of the most respected women of her time. She did so by meeting challenges head on with courage and a can-do attitude
• One of her favorite sayings was

So that brings to an end our time at the park.  If you can, I urge you make the time to visit the park at least one time in your lifetime.  You will never regret doing so.  And don’t miss tea time with Eleanor.  That activity alone is worth the trip up here.

One more must see while in this area and that is Wreaths Across America

But this is much too important to try to squeeze in tonight.  So, we’ll cover it in tomorrow’s blog.

In closing though, we want to share with you a funny if we can.  Saturday we were on the road with the mission of finding the sculptures that were part of the Main Sculpture Trail in this area and, of course, visiting Wreaths Across America.  We got up early wanting to do as much as possible before it became too hot in the afternoon.  And we were doing just fine until . . . . until we ran into the Machias Shriners Day Parade

For those who may not be aware of the Shriners, they are a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing care for children and families in need.

The parade was on Main Street, meaning Route 1, meaning the only route through town!  Oh well, remembering that usually the situation is the boss the only thing we could do was pull over and enjoy the parade.  Here it is for you to enjoy.   There were bands

The march of big furry creatures

They even had a Coast Guard boat, well in miniature form that is

Of course we also need a fishing boat

18 wheelers also in miniature

And just in case anyone needed road side assistance

Then, of course, we had to have some race cars

Big foot truck wise also got in the act

It was a delightful diversion for almost an hour.  Once it was over we were rolling again.  As to our discoveries, I hope to finish up tomorrow what we found.  I know, I said that last night.  Just hang in there with me.  Wreaths Across America is one you don’t want to miss.  That I promise with be tomorrow’s blog.  And more.

So our day is now done, the sun has gone down, the clouds are moving in and we are expecting a storm tonight.  We have had a really good time these last few days, days full of so many new discoveries, and, of course, we’ve done it together, hand in hand, traveling along singing our song.  Now in closing one more quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Wow, oh wow, since we’ve been here I’ve never, ever witnessed a morning like this.  A beautiful sunrise, temperatures in the 50’s already at 6 am, and the bay is like a sheet of glass.  There is absolutely no wind, though I expect that will change as the day goes on.  But for now, picture perfect in every way.

Just a bit about our day today which we’ll bring to you in detail tomorrow.  We started out searching for more sculptures but ending up getting caught up in a parade before we got too far.  Eventually we did find the sculptures we were looking for.  We also discovered and visited Wreathes Across America, a place not to be missed under any circumstances.  All of that is coming tomorrow.

But time now to get caught up on yesterday.  First, meet two of God’s beautiful people, Brian and Sue.  They are here in the park with us, they have a 2006 38-foot Damon Challenger.

Brian is a retired nuclear plant engineer.  Sue is an active mother.  With them on this trip is their 15-year-old daughter (on the left above) who is still in high school.  Until she graduates, they stated they need to keep their home base in Ohio.  As of now, they primarily travel during June and July when their daughter is out of school.

We’ve had many delightful conversations with them over the course of the last couple of days.  Brian and I have been swapping notes about our RV’s, upgrades done, maintenance performed, likes and dislikes.  In talking with Sue, I discovered that she grew up in Iowa and had a paper route between the age of 11 and 18.  We got on to this subject when we were talking about the winter weather in Maine.  Seems Iowa is right up there in terms of harsh winters as well.  I also discovered that they are like me, meaning they are into history and historical sites.  Unlike me, though, they do not prefer the interstates choosing instead to travel as many back roads as they can.  They will be leaving today and we wish them safe travels as they head back toward home.

We’re going back now to Campobello Island.  To bring you up to date the island got its name in an interesting kind of way.

The question, though, for me was how in the world did Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt end up making their summer home here?

To answer that question, I did a little sleuthing and I asked a whole lot of questions when we visited the visitor’s center at Roosevelt Campobello International Park.

 

As a quick aside, the Roosevelt Campobello International Park was established in 1964 following a gift of the Roosevelt Cottage and its grounds to the Canadian and United States governments.  The park was established as an expression of the relationship between Canada and the United States and as a memorial to the president who so greatly strengthened that relationship.  Back now to how the Roosevelt’s came to be here.

In so many words, the Roosevelts ended up here in sort of the same way that the Carnegies ended up on Cumberland.  Let me explain.

During the 1860’s with the island’s economy suffering, a new industry took hold which was rum running.  Gin from Holland, French wine and Scotch and Irish whiskies were shipped to the island where they were transferred to fleets of fishing schooners from Gloucester, Massachusetts.  It proved for a time to be a lucrative way of making money but with the repeal of prohibition the industry dried up and another way had to be found to stimulate the island economy.

So, what revived the economy?  Remember what Cumberland Island had going for it?  The playground of the rich and famous.  So too with Campobello Island.  During the 1880’s, a new industry boomed when wealthy people had extensive leisure time as well as the means to enjoy it.  It was the age of summer long vacations and great summer resorts.  The one end of the island near Friar Head and Mulholland Light had already

been clear cut for farming.  Many also saw it as a great place to build hotels

and cottages.  To that end a wealthy group of Boston and New York businessmen bought almost the entire island in 1881.  They called themselves the Campobello Company.  They then proceeded to construct luxurious hotels that they leased to private management

and sold land to wealthy visitors and island residents.  This is a picture of the first hotel.

Both the Canadian and American press promoted Campobello as a summer resort.  They portrayed the island as a place to escape the sweltering summer city heat.  Well-to-do families escaped to Campobello by private yacht, steamship and train.  Among those families was that of James Roosevelt, who, with wife Sara and one-year old son Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  They first visited the island in 1883.  James purchased several acres of land and had a summer home constructed; other wealthy visitors did the same.  That, dear friends, is how the Roosevelts first came to Campobello Island. 

Fast forward to 1910 and all of the hotels had closed their doors and land sales completely fell off.   However, today, several of the original cottages still remain.  There is The Roosevelt Cottage which we’ll cover in a bit.  There is The Prince Cottage which today

 

is used as a restaurant and conference hall.  Here is Barbara on the porch entering for a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee.

Then, there is the Wells-Shober Cottage which is the location of the Tea with Eleanor.

Back now to the Roosevelt’s.  OK, you say so far we’ve accounted for James and Sara, but what about Franklin and Eleanor?   The condensed version goes like this.  In 1897 a cottage was built on the island for Mrs. Harman Kuhn of Massachusetts that was adjacent 

to James and Sara’s.  At her death, she left a provision in her will that the cottage be sold to Sara (James was deceased) for $5000.  Sara then gave the cottage to Franklin and Eleanor when they got married as a wedding present.

Eleanor and Franklin and the children first moved into what is now known as The Roosevelt Cottage beginning in the summer of 1909.  This is what the cottage looks like today.  The wing on the left was added after they

 

were given the cottage.  Eleanor who had previously lived in two houses with her mother in law said of this cottage, this was the first house that she really felt was actually her own.  She was now free to make it her own, to decorate it the way she liked.  One story told is of a time Eleanor called Franklin and told him I am moving the furniture in the house.  He asked her but why?  She replied just because I feel like it and I can.

Now that you know how Franklin and Eleanor came to call Campobello Island home for the summer let’s take a look at their summer cottage.  This is the outside entrance way.

This is the entrance way from the inside

This is the main parlor

The view out of the parlor window.  What a view each and every day!

The telescope in the parlor that Franklin used to watch boats out on the bay.

This is the main dining room.

 

Of course, the children ate at a table of their own when there were guests.

This is the kitchen

A closer look at the main stove that was used for cooking and to heat water for the house.

The laundry room.

The butler’s pantry

The master bedroom

The room that Louis Howe would stay in.  Louis who you ask?

Louis was fragile and small in stature, sickly and disheveled in appearance, described in the press as “ghoulish” and a “medieval gnome,” Howe inspired legends concerning his power over the president. Making light of the name-calling, Howe responded by printing personal cards with the title, “Colonel Louis Rasputin Voltaire Talleyrand Simon Legree Howe”; playing on the many famous characters to whom he had been boldly likened. He favored The New York Times‘ description of him as “The President’s Other I.” The New York Herald Tribune stated of him, “His loyalty is not to himself, or to an abstract ideal of government, but solely to Franklin D. Roosevelt.” ” He was in truth one of the most influential characters in the making of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s political careers and perhaps most widely known under the title, “king-maker.”

Next we have a typical guest room

This is John and Franklin Jr’s room

 

This was Anna’s room

And we’ll end with a portrait of the Roosevelt family.

Time now to call it a wrap.  We still want to share with you the tea we had with Eleanor.  And of course all of the high jinks of today.  All of this will come tomorrow.

We continue to be amazed at all we’ve seen and learned since we’ve hit the road of retirement.  And we know we are still missing so much more.  What a fascinating country we live in.  Day by day our eyes are opened to new wonders, new discoveries, new vistas.  We truly believe we are blessed by our good Lord beyond measure and we thank Him daily for it.

In closing two more pictures.  Unfortunately I’m not that good yet with a camera but take a look at this beautiful sunset.  What a display God puts on for us each evening right outside our solarium window.  Absolutely breathtaking.

 

Let me close tonight out with yet another quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Today promised to be a full day of discovery.  For a fact, it was all that we thought it would be and more.

When we awoke this morning the storms of yesterday were long gone.  The temperature was still in the high 40’s but no wind and no rain.  The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear blue.

We had so much we wanted to do, many historical places to learn about, an international bridge to cross and an international park to visit, lighthouses to discover and learn about, we were looking forward to a Tea with Eleanor, and along the way we discovered two more of God’s beautiful people.  The bottom line is that, today simply cannot be put into one blog.  So, we’ll begin tonight and hopefully finish up tomorrow.

Since Campobello Island was on Atlantic time and thus an hour ahead of us time wise, we needed to get an early start.  By 8:15 am we were on the road.  Oh yes, much earlier than our normal day!

First things first, we need to get there and to do that we needed to cross the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge. 

Prior to the construction and completion of the bridge there was no easy way to get to  Campobello, a 15 square mile Canadian island in the Bay of Fundy and site of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s long time summer home.  Ferry steamers navigated the narrow but treacherous Lubec Channel beginning in 1882, later supplemented by auto scows that could only carry 6 cars at a time, both suddenly obsolete the day the new bridge opened on August 13, 1962.

Construction of the bridge started in late 1960.  International agreement provided that half of labor and half the materials would originate from each of the two nations – the United States and Canada.  But for the roadway, most bridgework was finished by the March 29, 1962. Pouring of the concrete deck was scheduled later in the spring. July 10, 1962, a small trailer hauled into place would serve as a temporary U.S. Customs office.  On August 13th, the bridge opened to traffic with its official dedication occurring on August 15, 1962.  But work remained. A bright new brick building was erected to permanently house  U.S. Customs and the U.S. Postal Service under a single roof.  Canada, too, would build its customs office, just beyond the northern terminus of the Roosevelt Memorial Bridge.

Across the bridge and time now to use the passport cards we worked so hard and so long to get.  We pulled up to Canadian customs, presented our cards, and we were in Canada!

Specifically, we were on Campobello Island.  A funny name you say, well, here is how that came about.   Tomorrow we’ll get into the actual history of the island.  We’ll also share

with you our visit to Roosevelt Campobello International Park, our tour of the Roosevelt Cottage, and our Tea with Eleanor.  Tonight, though, we want to share with you another two lighthouses that we discovered while on the island.

The first was the Head Harbor Light Station sits on an island in the Bay of Fundy.  The lighthouse was built in 1829 as a means of helping ships in the area navigate the famous Bay of Fundy fog, high tides, and the treacherous rocks surrounding Campobello Island.

The original octagonal, wooden tower is still in use, and although the light still shines into the bay, it is no longer staffed.

Known as the “Head Harbour Light” to local residents, the tower is designated as a Classified Heritage Site. The tower has a white-shingled exterior, painted with a red cross. It is believed this distinctive day mark has been on the tower since at least 1850. It is the older sister light of West Quoddy Light in Lubec, Maine.

The interesting thing about this lighthouse is that you can only visit it at low tide.  And to get to it you need to climb down one set of stairs, a steel ladder actually, walk across

a sand bar and then proceed to climb yet another set of stairs, again a steel ladder on the

The second lighthouse we discovered was one we first saw from the town of Lubec.  It was the Mulholland Point Lighthouse.  Built in 1885 it guided many ships through the shorter but more treacherous passageway between Lubec and Campobello Island.

Once the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge was completed the lighthouse was no longer needed since aids to navigation were installed on the underside of the bridge itself.

An interesting aside to this lighthouse, the last light keeper for the lighthouse lived on Campobello Island, he tended the light morning and night, but also rowed each day across the Lubec straight with its swirling currents to a full time job in Lubec.  This he did for many, many years in all kinds of weather.  How did he do it?  His son stated that his dad had a special knack for knowing how to work the currents.  Now that’s got to be the understatement of the year!

Coming back home we, of course, had to clear US Customs.  Time for the Passport Cards.

Once through Customs, it was a short ride to home to a very grateful Marti who had spent a long day in his cage.

We have much more to share with you, which we’ll do beginning tomorrow.  It was a fascinating day of discovery at Roosevelt Campobello International Park, a wonderful time of Tea with Eleanor, and so much was learned about Campobello Island itself.  Even better, we did it together, hand in hand, traveling along singing our song.  Let me end tonight with just one of many quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before