Head of the Charles Weekend

The scene is Saturday, October 18. The location is Cambridge, MA, on the Charles River. Ransom Duncan, Jan's god-daughter Judy Duncan's twin brother, is rowing with other alums from his college in the Head of the Charles regatta. The short clip is the moment that Ransom's boat passed the family's observation post. As you can hear, they were very encouraging!

It was a great weekend. The weather was beautiful, the colors of the foliage were almost at peak, and we were with friends. Life is good!

Celebration Time at the Melting Pot

On Sunday, October 5th, Jan and I gathered with friends to celebrate at the Melting Pot in Westwood, NJ. The FlipVideo provided this short, unfortunately dark, record. However, the conversation was bright and the meal was delicious!

Wedding Day Plus 1

Here are Pam and Tom Watson, the newly minted couple for which we journeyed to Murfreesboro. Their wedding day was Saturday, September 27, and the it could hardly have been nicer. The weather was great, the service over which I officiated went without a noticeable hitch, and the reception included some great dancing for Jan and me.

It was also a super time because all of my siblings -- Louise (mother of the bride), Barbara and Leonard were all together along with a good number of their children -- nieces and nephews and great-nieces. With our families spread from Colorado to New Jersey, from Minnesota to Texas, an occasion such as this is precious. This morning, after all the excitement, my sister Louise and husband Doug Smith hosted a family brunch before we all spread out on our separate paths.

Tonight Jan and I are in Louisville to visit her uncle and aunt, Gerald and Frieda Wheeler, who are in a Louisville nursing home, and her cousin Barbara Wheeler. Tomorrow, we head back to New Jersey.

Murfreesboro Sep 26

Our trip to Tennessee was pleasantly uneventful. We spent two eight-hour days on the highway, arriving in Murfreesboro on Thursday afternoon. My sister Louise invited all of us presently in town to their home for dinner.

This morning we shared breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express with my brother, Leonard, sister-in-law, Jolene, nephew, Len III and his wife Lisa. Then it was off to do some sight-seeing at the Stones River National Battlefield near Murfreesboro.



It reminded me of Gettysburg in so many ways, with the seemingly senseless loss of life on both sides of the controversy. The park is beautiful as was the day, but the impact is still somber.


Tonight is the rehearsal for the wedding, and tomorrow we celebrate!

More to come...

Trip for Pamela's Wedding

On Wednesday, September 24, we begin our trek to Tennessee for the wedding of my niece, Pamela Smith. (You can see her wedding blog at http://mrandmrswatson.com/blogger)

Pamela is the oldest daughter of my younger sister Louise, who with husband Doug, live in Murfreesboro, TN.

All forecasts seem to indicate good weather for the trip, although there are some rumors of gasoline shortages in the South. I'm hoping we won't encounter that.

More to come...

Pacific Coastline

Yesterday (Friday) and today brought us to the Pacific coastline starting at Seaside, OR. On the left is Jan at the beach at Seaside. Note the contrast from 98 degrees F. on Wednesday, with 60 degrees F. and windy on Friday. And yes, that's a rain cloud in the distance, which moistened us a good bit on the way back to the hotel. The town of Seaside and the beach area has been densely populated for the past couple of days for the Budweiser volley ball tournament.

Before arriving at Seaside, we made our way to Astoria, OR near the mouth of the Columbia River. It's the oldest settlement in the USA west of the Mississippi River and is built on hills not unlike San Francisco. Nearby was Fort Clatsup where the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered before returning East.

Today we drove south to Cannon Beach which has a shoreline populated with stone monoliths and rocky beaches which have a rugged beauty. We then headed to Tillamook, OR to visit the Tillamook Air Museum, housed in one of the huge hangers built during World War II to house the dirigible fleet which escorted the cargo ships up and down the Pacific coast. The hanger was built all of wood because the available steel was directed to other war construction, and is now the largest wooden building in the world. Check this URL. The museum houses a great assortment of vintage planes used in WWII through the Vietnam War.

Finally we checked out the Cape Meares lighthouse near Tillamook. It has been replaced by a modern signal unit, but is open to the public to marvel at how it efficiently it worked.

Here's the photo gallery of the trip. Enjoy!

Quitting Time

For the last three days, we've had an intense stretch of work on the re-design of the Diocese of Oregon web site. With Director of Communication, Deirdre Steinberg, we've met a diocesan headquarters to review everything about the present site, and with the help of diocesan staffers, have discovered where most of the out-of-date material exists.

After working seven hours at the office, we've come back to the hotel to do more work, as well and keeping up with the requests of other clients. Only on Tuesday was Jan able to check out the city of Portland, and late that afternoon brought me back to see the amazing Rose Garden. The accompanying photo is just a tiny sample of the hundreds of varieties raised there.

But now it's quitting time. We've completed the planned three days of work and tomorrow we head for Seaside, OR, on the Pacific coast, to sight-see and relax. So far the weather has been very cooperative, and we hope that will continue.

More will come...

The Columbia River Gorge

On Monday, August 4th, we arrived in Portland about 10 a.m. The flight was on Continental Airlines, which did not charge us for baggage and provided us with a hot breakfast and snacks! Way to go, Continental!


We got a surprise when picking up the car. Hertz apparently did not have the economy model I had requested, so for the same price, they awarded me a Nissan pickup truck! It has plenty of room, drives pretty well, and has a good air-conditioner. Hey, you never know.



Upon leaving the airport, we headed directly to the Columbia River historical highway, built in the early 1900s to open up the truly beautiful valley. Jan had researched a tour going from west to east, including spectacular look-outs and at least seven waterfalls. The accompanying photo is taken at the Multnomah Falls, the second tallest falls in the entire United States.


We drove as far as The Dalles and then back to Portland to check in and check out what had collected in the inbox. Tonight we sleep well and tomorrow my work starts.



More to come...

Off to Oregon

Tomorrow begins a new adventure -- part business, part pleasure. Jan and I will be off to Oregon where I will consult with Deirdre Steinberg, the Director of Communication for the Diocese of Oregon, about the redesign of the diocesan website.

After we land in Portland, still in the morning Pacific time, we're going to go sight-seeing up the Columbia River highway. In the afternoon we return to our hotel in Portland so that I am ready to go to work on Tuesday.

More will follow...

Minnesota Trip - Day Ten and Home

(High Bridge, NJ - July 5, 2008) The final two days of the Minnesota trip were spent on the highways. The long trip wasn't difficult with two drivers -- Jan and I drove two-hour shifts. The weather was fine throughout, with only a few sprinkles on Saturday.

The Fourth of July was celebrated by watching three different televised fireworks displays -- from Washington, DC to New York to Boston. It amazed me to see the variation in the different locales, as though each region had its own theory as to what was an appropriate display.

The trip as a whole resulted in some good images which can be seen by clicking here. The pictures are fairly large, so be patient as they download.

This will complete the chronicle of this journey, but likely there will be occasional posts in the future.

Minnesota Trip - Day Nine

(LaPorte, IN - July 3, 2008) The journey home began this morning in Eagan, MN and ended tonight in LaPorte, IN where fireworks are being set off outside our hotel as I write.

Until we got to Chicago, the travel was fun and easy. We traveled through rolling countryside with crops growing and livestock dotting the fields. The trip around Chicago was grueling, partly because it was rush hour and the start of a long weekend, and partly because the Illinois Division of Highways conspired to create several long stretches of detours around construction.

We're grateful for a good night's rest and an Independence Day to celebrate tomorrow.

More to come....

Minnesota Trip - Days Five - Eight

(Eagan, MN - July 2, 2008) The days spent at the family lake house on Hammal Lake near Aitken, MN were great -- great weather, great fishing, great relaxation. We calculate that Jan and I caught at least 3 dozen fish, mostly Northern pike ranging from small to medium size. And each of us caught one bass which I am proudly holding.

When not fishing, we spent time enjoying the house (really a 50' house trailer) to which niece Heather and her husband Kyle recently added new carpeting and flooring in the kitchen/dining area.

Today we returned from the woods and spent a little time with brother Leonard and his wife, Jolene, at Hayfield, and back to Eagan in time to take my daughter Alissa to dinner at Luci Ancora in the Highland Park section of St. Paul. It was a terrific meal!

Tomorrow the trip back to New Jersey begins. More will follow...

Minnesota Trip - Day Four

(Eagan, MN - June 28, 2008) Today was the celebration of the 40th wedding anniversary of my sister, Barbara, and her husband, Jim Kelm.

The day started with ominous clouds and the promise of thunderstorms and rain. Jan and I filled the morning with a side-trip to the Indian Mounds State Park in St. Paul, MN. In her reading of 1491, Jan was made aware of the importance of the mounds as not only burial places but also gathering sites for the pre-Columbus natives. The mounds in St. Paul were good examples, and the view of the Mississippi River at St. Paul was spectacular.

The celebration was great and the weather cooperated. It brought together the four Rollins children, Leonard, Barbara (Kelm), Louise (Smith), and John, pictured above. Jim and Barb's daughters, Heidi, Gretchen and Rebecca hosted the event and gave their parents a wonderful tribute. Jan and I were honored to share the celebration.

Tomorrow we leave for the fishing lake. As Internet connection is practically non-existent in that area, the next chapters of this Chronicle will not appear for several days. But, more will come...

Minnesota Trip - Day Three

(Egan, MN - June 27, 2008) The trip from DeForest, WI on Interstate 94 took us through the Wisconsin Dells area, most recently hit by the above-normal rains. And we were able to check out the "lake that is no more" -- Lake Delton. Because of the rains, a levee which formed the lake was washed out, and the lake was drained in a matter of hours. The photo tells it all.

After a few more hours of driving, we arrived in the Twin Cities area. We headed directly to the Mall of America for some sight-seeing and shopping. The crowds were typical for a Summer weekday, but the Mall never ceases to amaze with its variety of offerings.

Tomorrow is the celebration of my sister's 40th wedding anniversary to be celebrated at their home in Red Wing. Again, more to come...

Minnesota Trip - Day Two

(DeForest, WI - June 26) The second day of the trip involved a little more than eight hours of driving, through stretches of flat Ohio farmland followed by the huge mills of northern Indiana and the crush of Chicago. The little video, taken by the Canon G5, gives a sample of travel on the Ohio Turnpike.

Along the way, we saw evidence of the over-abundance of rain the area has received. Some corn crops had areas where the plants had been drowned, and some had been planted late so the plants were much smaller than they should be at this time.

Our hotel for the evening is between Madison, WI and the Wisconsin Dells, in a part of the area just beginning to see commercial growth take over farmland, evidenced by a great cornfield right next door to our hotel. We've got the best of both worlds!

More comes tomorrow...

Minnesota Trip - Day One

(Richfield, OH - June 25) The first day of the Minnesota trip went smoothly. Google directions are great and Jan and I made good time as we crossed Pennsylvania via Interstate 80. The faithful Gran Prix is averaging 31 mph on the highway.

It looks as though the high price of gasoline has had an effect; there seemed to be fewer passenger cars on the Interstate and less congestion at the rest stops. Whether that means more people are using mass transit or just staying home remains to be seen.

I remain amazed at the beauty of God's creation as the scenery rolls by, and I rejoice that Jan and I have the time to share it.

More to come...

Here we go...

A long-awaited vacation begins next Wednesday, June 25. Jan and I will be driving to Minnesota to share their 40th wedding anniversary with my sister, Barbara, and her husband, Jim. Their daughters, Heidi, Gretchen and Rebecca have planned a special day.

Then, weather permitting, we'll be off to Hammal Lake near Aitkin, MN, to do some fishing.

More details will follow.