We're Back in Texas!

Daisy and I got to Texas a little bit ago. We've been on I-20 heading west since mid-day yesterday. We spent last night in Meridian, MS, and today traveled thru' Vicksburg and almost to Longview, TX. On to Abilene tomorrow!

We weren't planning to get this far today, but my planned exploration of the areas north and south of Vicksburg--other Civil War sites--was prevented by the exceptionally high flood waters of the Mississippi River. We were able to tour the Vicksburg Battlefield itself and took some nice walks, and then headed out, driving a bit further than we had planned so tomorrow will be a shorter drive to Abilene.

I was able to get near the river just south of the town of Vicksburg--right by I-20 and some casinos. Some are open--the one I took pictures of is not as it is flooded. The water looks pretty scary, and I hope we all are praying for all the people affected by high water up and down the Mississippi (and other rivers).

So now we have a quiet late afternoon/evening (Daisy is napping in her crate) and on to see family (and their dogs) tomorrow!

Off to Kentucky

Daisy and I had a great visit in Wilmington, NC, last weekend. She and Chester ran and played all day every day. The humans had a blast going out on the boat to the beach for 7 hours Saturday and then a shorter ride to lunch Sunday. Good times with good friends.
We leave tomorrow for Kentucky to see cousins and join their annual Derby party Saturday. Pics to come!
Happy Mothers' Day weekend to all.

We Miss Cameron

My last blog was months ago, when I told everyone that Cam (Bonnie's dog of over 8 years) had cancer. Well, we put him to sleep Saturday at VSH (Veterinary Specialty Hospitals). Dr. Ruslander, who had cared for him so very well these last 7 months, came in to administer the drugs himself, which we appreciated. My cousin, D, was here and helped us out A LOT.

Now it's time to think about traveling again. Bonnie, Daisy (the World's Most Spoiled Dog), and I are going to see friends in Wilmington this weekend. We are looking forward to getting out of town, as we have spent the last few days recovering from Cam's death and starting to get our houses back in order after 7 months of intense dog care.

Daisy and I will go to my cousins in Kentucky te following weekend for their annual Derby party (I won last year--that is, the horse I randomly chose won) and then onto Annapolis to see friends and family for a couple of days.

Not long after that, Daisy and I will head to Texas, and go to Abilene FIRST this time, since we have missed seeing everyone there the past 2 falls when we have been in TX. Then we'll go on to Austin for Memorial Day weekend. Not sure when we are coming home...got lots of people and places to see.

I'll post a few blogs along the way, especially if we see anything new or very interesting that I've not talked about before. Hope everyone has a great May--we will...on the road again....

Cameron

Daisy and I were having fun in Austin, Texas, a couple of weeks ago, planning a trip to the coast and then up to Abilene to see more family. I was planning to post some great pictures from Oktoberfest (in Fredericksburg, TX) and the trip to Rockport. But Daisy and I had to come home.

Bonnie's dog, Cameron (the World's Second Most Spoiled Dog), has a tumor in his sinuses. It is inoperable, but he has now received 5 palliative radiation treatments, and they seem to have eased his pain. He's now on more meds than many humans, and Bonnie and I have to keep a log to just to keep up! We are hoping for a few months more with him; his quality of life will dictate how long we have him. Right not he is doind well. Daisy and I are staying with Bonnie and Cameron for a while to help out. I've posted a few pictures of the poor boy, with his head shaved and marked for radiation. he also has to wear an "E collar" much of the time to keep him from scratching his head and tearing the fragile skin. We go back to the specialty vet in a week to see how he is doing. More to come....

Never Forget

I'm in NH visiting my family, and as always it's wonderful to spend time with them. I rode with my sister in law and niece to R's first ballet lesson of the season. As we rode, I saw so many flags at half mast.
Today all across America people are remembering that awful day 9 years ago. Facebook is full of posts about the sacrifices made, lives and innocence lost, etc. As many have said, we must never forget but we also must NOT let the memory of that day drive us to hatred, uninformed biases agains certain people(s), and the like.
I hope that this year and in all years to come we can focus on how blessed we are to live in a country that is diverse in so many ways; a country stronger because of our differences; a country that was founded on religious tolerance. Let's not dishonor our flag or the many who have sacrificed for our freedom by engendering intolerance and hatred.

Knight Family Reunion 2010

Daisy loves playing with cuzzins.


Sunrise



More sunrise

The World's Most Spoiled Dog loves the farm in KY

Cows on the farm

Sunset

The 22d annual reunion is winding down. Daisy and I are the only guests left, and we're leaving in an hour or so. We had glorious weather--lows near 50 and highs in the 79s; slept with windows open so we could hear cows in the early morning and coyotes at night.

As always we had wonderful meals and a rousing game of dominoes--why does the hostess always win?

David's thinking about a lavendar farm (inside joke) but Daisy and I resue to work it. We've got too much traveling to do!

Off to New Hampshire next!

On the road again

Daisy (The World's Mst Spoiled Dog) and I are at it again. We spent 10 days in Annapolis w/ Cuz D (and Cameron and his mom and Belle [D's black lab]). Got to see some other cuzzins and friends and generally had a blast. The next 2 months are BUSY!
We leave Friday for our annual Knight Family Reunion in Winchester, KY-- can't wait to see friends and family there. Then the next weekend I fly to NH to see brother and his family. Less than 2 weeks after that, Daisy and I will set off for another big adventure in Mississippi, Texas, and who knows where else. Looking forward to seeing lots of family and friends, maybe a Civil War site or two, and just relaxing in South Austin w/ my favorite Unc and his dear wife and the rest of their families.
I'll post some pics along the way. Let's hope the weather stays good for all who travel this fall. NO HURRICANES!

Burkett Family Reunion #2--July 2010

US map showing how far-flung we are!


Cameron, Daisy, and a new friend




This baby boy was born 12 hours before this picture was taken



Plymouth Dairy Farm milks 2700 cows 3 times a day!

Well, it's all over except for the picture sorting, address/contact list creation, family website update, and telling all those who missed it how great it was!

On July 16-17, 2010, over 60 members (direct and extended) of the Edith and Lowell Burkett family gathered in Le Mars, Iowa, for our second official family reunion. (The first was held 4 years ago in Abilene, TX.) The weekend capped over a year of planning by many family members, including our oldest attendees (thank you, Bert and Paul, for renting the facility and so much more!), the Senior Chief, and the grandmother of our youngest attendee (I think Blake had a good time meeting his relatives, even if he is only 4months old!).

Official events started with tours of family gravesites in several locales as well as many drives through town to find former family homes. For those of you not familiar with Le Mars (and I am among that large group), the streets are a confusion of numbered avenues and streets made further bewildering by directionals such as Third Avenue NW or Fourth Street SE. I believe there may have been some disagreements about how/where to find certain houses or gravesites, but fortunately, I wasn't along to witness them!

On Friday afternoon many of us gathered for a tour of Plymouth Dairy Farms, one of the suppliers to Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream. Le Mars is the Ice Cream Capital of the World, because Wells make more ice cream in Le Mars per day than anyone, anywhere else in the world. The kids loved the cows--especially the baby boy--and we all learned a great deal from our excellent tour guide and herdmaster, Scott Thomas. From there we went to Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream itself; Colleen Nelson provided a tour of the museum where we learned the history of this family-owned company, then spent time in the store and ice cream parlor (yummy!).

Friday night dinner was a pizza, pasta, and salad buffet at Mr Ps, where some cousins met each other for the first time in their lives. Edith and Lowell had 8 children (two of whom attended, as well as the widows of two more), and there are 27 kids in my generation. The next generation has 51 members currently, and the fourth generation is 22 and growing fast! After dinner, many of the younger ones swam in the pool at one of our hotels (Baymont) and most of the rest of us enjoyed adult beverages on the patio outside the pool. Someone brought a "bar in a box" causing much hilarity. Two of us entertained our cuzzins with a slightly-behind-the-beat rendition of the Talking Vietnam Pot Luck Blues (by Tom Paxton). Some song about Iowa and beer was sung repeatedly, and we were all reminded how much music is a part of our family tradition.

The main event was held at the old bathhouse in Municipal Park. We had both lunch and dinner catered, and a great time was had by all--including some extended family members whom we were glad to see. Swimming, stories, T-shirt contest, and pictures, lots of pictures. The day was hot but we hardly recall that now with the good memories of family and fellowship crowding out all other thoughts. We posted a US map and asked everyone to note their home town. I had heard some kids talking earlier...

"Where are you from? "

"Hometown A [state not mentiond]"

"Where's that?" (I would have then given a state name....)

"Near Little Town X."

"I don't know where that is. I'm from Hometown B."

"Where's that?"

"Near Big City Y." (Note, no state yet given...)

And so it went. I hoped a map might give the younger ones an idea of where they live in relation to others... But then again, even we adults were struggling with relationship constructs..."Am I your first cousin once-reoved or second cousin?" "Uh, I think we're third cousins twice removed, or something like that." Whatever! We are family! (Some of this was clarified by my cuzzin's fabulous family tree, which she created through painstaking research and repeated e mails that eventually went like this "Don't make me act like a Burkett girl. Tell me your wedding date and youngest child's birthdate or else!")

Informal get-togethers were also held in the lobby and the lawn of the Baymont Inn on Thursday and Sunday. Daisy (The World's Most Spoiled Dog) and her buddy Cameron got to join in those events and loved playing with the kids (they are family too). (They were in a kennel Thursday nite-Sunday morning.)

I am trying to remember all the stories that were told, and all I learned about my family. My cuzzins of all generations are wonderful people with interesting jobs and hobbies and a great sense of family. I am so glad I got to spend some time with them and can't wait for the next reunion in Colorado in 2014!

PS: Thanks to all the folks in Le Mars who helped make our reunion a success, including Stacey at the Baymont , Scott at Plymouth Dairy Farms, Colleen at Wells Blue Bunny, the caterers and the folks at Mr Ps!

Family Reunions Trip

My friend B and I set out yesterday for a 2-week trip that included her Family Reunion today in Hartwell, GA, and the Burkett Family Reunion next Saturday in Le Mars, IA. Of course, Daisy (TWMSD) and Cameron (TW2dMSD) are with us and delighted us by wanted to go out and pee or whatever at 11:30 and again at 1 am last night.

The picture here is of Lake Hartwell, near where B's Family Reunion was held today. About 50 people attended; most are from GA but some came from as far away as California. They hold their Reunion every July. Ages ranged from the soon-to-be-born to 91. It was a lot of fun and the food (it was potluck) was great!!!!

Tomorrow we head to see a cuzzin near Memphis, TN, then sightseeing in Arkansas before heading north.

Zoo-again

I don't know if this will work but I am going to try to post a video slide show I made from our trip to the zoo. Music performed by Tom Paxton.

July 1, 2010

Osprey feeding babies




Out on the ocean




I wish this were my boat--so does Daisy!

Exhausted after a day playing with Chester

Best buddies--Daisy and Chester

Best Buddies

It's the first day of July. The World's Most Spoiled Dog has eaten her heartworm pill and had flea and tick stuff poured on her neck, so we are ready for travel! We leave tomorrow for Camp Mabry (again! yeah!). Then home on the Fourth to see our visiting cuzzin, Belle, and her human D. Then we'll be off next Friday for 2 weeks of travel to and from B's family reunion then mine. I'll blog along the way. Till then, here are a few pics from some past visits to Camp Mab

Travels to New England, May 2010, part 1

Dog Chapel (and to the right, the gallery) at Dog Mountain


Daisy (curly tail) running out of the pond before turning to jump in again



Daisy (the world's most spoiled dog) enjoying her Ben&Jerry's ice cream!

Vermont Vietnam Veterans' Memorial

Vermont Vietnam Veterans' Memorial

Daisy and I are at it again. Less than a week after the Gettysburg adventure, Daisy and I set off for New England on Friday, May 28. We swung west to get to Bow, NH, in order to avoid urban traffic on I-95, especially over a holiday weekend. After retracing many of Lee's and his army's steps before and after Gettysburg, we went north to Binghamton, NY, to spend the night, then arrived in Bow, NH, to visit my brother and his family by early afternoon Saturday.

The kids came over to the hotel for a swim that afternoon, and then we had a great dinner at their house. On Sunday, Daisy and I drove around Vermont, heading for St. Johnsbury, where there was a memorial service for Stephen Huneck.

First we stopped at the Vermont Welcome Center on I-89 North, where the Vermont Vietnam Veterans' Memorial is located. Then we went to Ben and Jerry's (Daisy had ice cream, I had an iced latte), then on to Cabot Creamery--bought lots of cheese!

Dog Mountain was full of people and their dogs honoring the life of Stephen Huneck. Daisy had a total blast running around chasing and being chased by other dogs, swimming, and barking her fool head off. We also went to the gallery and bought a few things--presents for me and a few other people. We got back to Bow about 4 pm, the kids came to swim again and then we had another great dinner at their house and then we all (including Daisy) went to a local dairy to eat more ice cream!

About Stephen Huneck: I was first introduced to his art by my friend, S, who with her husband had discovered his gallery in Vermont and bought me one of his books entitled "My Dog's Brain." I read his biography, where I learned he had suffered an ailment similar to that which my father had, and went through months of rehab. He credited his black lab, Sally, with helping him regain his heath, and he redirected his art to focus on dogs. He bought Dog Mountain and built a Dog Chapel there. I have visited many times (both with Savannah and with Daisy) and own many of his beautiful art pieces. Tragically he committed suicide earlier this year. Many other people and their beloved dogs attended the service planned by his wife Gwen and other at Dog Mountain yesterday. It was a beautiful event. I don't know if Dog Mountain can be saved--tax bills are enormous. I hope so, so that we can visit again!

Gettysburg--UNC GAA Trip, May 2010

The Women's Monument at Gettysburg Nat'l Cemetery.



Dean Bolton (ret.), aka Joshua Chamberlain, and Bonnie, aka Confederate Colonel Oates (Alabama), at the site of their character's battle at Little Round Top.



Tour group member reenacting posed photograph after Devil's Den skirmish.

Union Gen. G. Warren, scouting Confederate positions from Little Round Top

Eisenhower Farm viewed from observation tower at Gettysburg battlefield.


Price of gas at Eisenhower Farm!


View of Eisenhower House Porch (for preservation purposes, shades are drawn).


Practicing how to dress our lines and do double quick time 2 days before planned reenactment of Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge.


Abe and me, outside Gettysburg Visitor Center (just opened a year ago--(MUST SEE!).


Fred Kiger discussing the events leading to Stonewall Jackson's death at Guinea Station, VA, where he died 2 months before Gettysburg, thus changing course of history.


Bonnie outside our bus.

My friend Bonnie and I recently went on a 3-night, 4-day trip from Chapel Hill to Gettysburg with the UNC General Alumni Association. While I have been to Gettysburg several times in the past, this was the first time with a well-read and enthusiastic tour guide, and my first group tour since sometime in the 1980s.

The trip was fantastic! I met interesting people, and our tour leaders were fabulous--from our driver, Jim, to our host Roger (and his able assistant, his son Joshua), and our lecturer--Fred Kiger. I taught school (Chapel Hill High) with Freddie many years ago and remember how enthusiastic his students were about his classes. Now I know why. He led us on a carefully designed itinerary to capture the chronological highlights of the battle as well as put the battle in context of the larger war, the individuals involved, and the war's aftermath.

I learned a lot, even though I thought I knew a lot about the war and the battle. Here are a few of the things that were new knowledge to me (in no particular order):
1. How the Union turned an originally poor field position to one of advantage through an apparent "loss" the first day of battle.
2. In this battle, for one of the first times, the Union generals and other senior officers generally performed well--smart, able, and brave. The Confederate leaders, on the other hand, made unaccustomed mistakes in judgment, communicated poorly with each other and their men, and were simply out-maneuvered by folks they had previously defeated quite decisively.
3. While to many this was the turning point of the war, it was probably only one of the turning points. After all the war went on for almost 2 more years.
4. The event known as "Pickett's charge" is more accurately called the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge, and by any name was crazy to engage in. Some of our group were brave enough to make the charge across rain-soaked fields. The rest of us watched....

I won't bore you with all the details of our visit, but if you ever go to Gettysburg, in addition to the battlefield I strongly urge you to go to the Eisenhower Farm* (where Ike and Mamie retired after his presidency) and the David Wills house++ (where Abraham Lincoln stayed before the Gettysburg address). There are also excellent historic inns and restaurants in which to stay and/or dine. These include Hickory Bridge Farm and the Fairfield Inn--both a short drive from town. We stayed at the 1863 Gettysburg Inn, right downtown, and where I've stayed before since they are very dog-friendly!

*To get to the Farm, you take a bus from the Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor Center. It is very interesting and has fantastic views.
++David Wills was a leader in pre- and post-war Gettysburg and was a major figure in getting the cemetery established, among other accomplishments.

Go Super Saver!

As many of you know, I have cousins (cuzzins) living all across the US, and a few over the pond in Merry Olde England. Two of my favorites live on a "Farm" in Kentucky, just east of Winchester. They live atop a hill with a beautiful view of sunrise over the Blue Ridge and they share their 60+ acres with 1 horse, multiple cows, calves, and bulls, 2 dogs, and 2 cats (oh! and a mouse from time to time).

Every year they host a party to celebrate the Kentucky Derby. This is a party done right--with color-coordinated tableware, great food, and the companionship of wonderful family and friends. I have long wanted to attend but in past years work obligations kept me away. This year, being happily unemployed, I was able to go along with my good friend Bonnie and our very spoiled dogs--Daisy (TWMSD) and Cameron (TW2dMSD). They had a blast running around, and we're so glad neither chose this visit to roll in cow manure. (It's happened before.)

I was lucky enough to pick the winning horse (Super Saver)and won a whopping $39! (Almost paid for a tank of gas....).

I've got some great pictures, but can't get them to post right now. I'll try again later!

Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo

A few weeks ago two friends and one of my "cuzzins" and I decided to spend Saturday at the North Carolina Zoo. By landmass, this is the largest zoo in North America and comprises two sections: the North American Pavilion and the Africa Pavilion. For the most part, the animals are kept in huge areas with vegetation similar to that of their natural habitat, and a visitor follows a long winding trail that loops through these areas. To walk both Pavilions is to walk 5 miles or so. We visited both areas on this day and had a picnic lunch in between. The Zoo is located near Asheboro, NC, which is about an hour and a half from where I live in Durham, NC. It was a beautiful day--perfect temperature, and we learned later that they had set an attendance record for that day--over 11,000 people joined us and the animals!

About the title of this post: a long long time ago my cousin Gary Olsen came back from Vietnam and gave many of his siblings and aunts and uncles an album called "The Compleat Tom Paxton." Many of us have learned the words to many songs on this album, most of which are anti-war songs. (Many of us have shared those lyrics in very off-tune renditions of these same songs to members of the unsuspecting public from time to time.) Years later, when Gary was dying, I tried to find that album on a CD. The closest I could find was "The Very Best of Tom Paxton," which included many of the songs from the album we all knew as well as a few new ones, including a children's song called "Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo." One of my yet-to-be accomplished projects is to set pictures from our zoo trip to the music of this song. When I do, I'll post it here.

For now, please enjoy the pictures!

PS: Daisy, The World's Most Spoiled Dog, did NOT get to go on this trip. Don't tell her I blogged about it!

Gotta Get Back Into Blogging

It's been pointed out to me that I haven't blogged since December yet The World's Most Spoiled Dog and I have been traveling a lot. So I am going to try to catch up and share some of the interesting places we've visited. Since December we've been to Annapolis, Wilmington, NC (several times--great friends there!), Winchester, KY (great fiends and family, great Derby party!), Concord, NH (quite the birthday party for the 5-year-old princess-niece!), and the NC Zoo. Today we are in Hartwell, GA. Details on this and some of the previous trips in subsequent blogs!

First Night of Hanukkah

It's been just over a month since I last blogged. I have been busy getting re-settled at home, making two trips to see friends in Wilmington, NC (had a great Thanksgiving!), and now I'm in New Hampshire--without Daisy.
Daisy has been busy when we're at home playing with her old friend Cameron and her new friend Belle. We're leaving in 10 days for Annapolis to pick up Belle and her human and then drive to Memphis for Christmas and New Years.
Meanwhile, Daisy is in NC w/ Cameron's human and I'm in NH w/ my brother, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew. Tonight we will celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, and the kids are very excited. We have been told to hide their presents throughout the house so they can hunt for them. This should be fun. Good thing there are no nosy dogs here to "help."
The Hanukkah celebrations continue tomorrow with a big party at a friend's house involving lots of traditional food such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). But first there is the annual Army-navy football game, and we will all be decked out in blue and gold, including the junk food! GO NAVY!

Home

Daisy and I are home...it's good to be here!

Heading Home

We'll take Unc to the airport in a few hours then meet up with an old friend. Then tomorrow we head HOME! Daisy and I will be glad to get home.
It's been a GREAT 9 weeks on the road! I've been trying to think of a top 10--and in no particular order, here are my initial thoughts:
1. Lewis and Clark--I still stand in awe of what they accomplished over 200 years ago.
2. Grand Canyon--nothing like it in the world.
3. State and US highways--NOT Interstates--you can see the US better from smaller roads.
4. US National Parks, Historic Sites, and Monuments--thanks to NPS and BLM for maintaining these beautiful and historic places.
5. Honda--my 2008 Accord has served us wonderfully through almost 14,000 miles of travel.
6. Naval Aviation--thanks to all who serve to keep us free.
7. Friends and family--it was great to visit with so many of you along the way. Wish I could have seen even more of you, and hope I will see all the Burkett clan at our reunion next summer.
8. LQ and other dog-friendly hotels--thanks for providing clean, comfortable, and safe places for us to stay.
9. Cracker Barrel--thanks for good food and great audio books to rent along the way.
10. Daisy--the World's Most Spiled Dog and best travel companion!

More Travels with Daisy and Unc

It's 6 a.m. at NAS JAX, and Unc and I are on our computers while Daisy, TWMSD, stares at us trying to get us to feed her. Unc just gave her a cookie, on top of the popcorn I had just given her. You see why she is TWMSD.
Since New Orleans, we have been to NAS Pensacola where we saw the amazing National Museum of Naval Aviation. Then onto Athens, GA, to visit my aunt and uncle (Unc's sister and her husband). From there we went to Andersonville, GA, site of the infamous prison where the Confederates held over 30,000 Union soldiers, and also site of the National POW Museum. That museum provides a detailed view of American POWs from the Revolutionary War to the present, and the stories of bravery and fortitude of our many military personnel in the face of cruel and inhumane conditions are moving and remind of that FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
Yesterday we came to NAS Jacksonville and are staying at the Navy Lodge. Today we'll go to St. Augustine to see the old city at the World Golf Hall of Fame.
It's been a great trip, and Daisy has been a great traveler. She really likes Unc's junk food, so we both have to go on a diet when we get home. We will put Unc on a flight home to Austin tomorrow then head home ourselves on Friday. We've been traveling 9 weeks--hard to imagine!