22 Feb 2008  - We've been out to visit Frank & Jan & Spokane, WA.  We had a great time and the kitties are very cute.  Click Here to see a little YouTube video of our trip. [Bil]

16 Dec 2007 - Merry Christmas from Zooey & Ebi.  Click Here to watch their holiday e-Card movie on YouTube. [Bil]

29 Nov 2007 - For those of you that have not seen our new addition, we created a little YouTube video.  As you can see we still have miles to go, but it is progressing nicely.  Click Here to take a peek. [Bil]

22 Oct 2007 - We spoke with Sharon last night and so far they are un-affected by the fires in the San Diego area.  If you'd like to see how hazy and smoky her neighborhood is, CLICK HERE to see her live webcam.  [Carolyn]

12 Oct 2007 - CLICK HERE to see the 2008 OBX house.  It's the Oceanside house with the green roof and red car in the driveway. [Bil]

12 Oct 2007 - The 2008 OBX House is reserved!  We'll be in Whalehead Beach in Corolla.  We'd be happy to help anyone interested in joining us find a home nearby--there are plenty to choose from and it's a beautiful area. Click Here to contact me for dates and details. [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

9 Oct 2007 - Happy Birthday Ned [Bil]

22 Aug 2007 - Sadly we've returned from vacation in OBX.  Here are a few photos I thought you'd all enjoy.  In order we have:  Carolyn on the front deck of this year's house (Notice over her shoulder is Lee Shore Lee--(the house Sharon, Dave, Liz, Bob and the boys rented for our wedding), The girls in our hot tub, our newest guest Kobi on the beach, Carolyn at the wedding house (2007), Carolyn at the wedding house (2005)--see blog entry below, Sunrise 2007 in Corolla OBX. [Bil]

Click on any picture for a larger view.

21 Aug 2007 - Our wedding house is gone!  Check out the photos above.  Apparently over the last year, they leveled our wedding house and replaced it with a huge new house.  They also removed the dune-top pavilion.  Fortunately the walkway and the beach where we were married remain.  Check out the 2007 and 2005 comparison photos above for the beach
view and the photos here for the street view. [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

26 July 2007 - We're getting ready for vacation.  If you want to see a cool view of this year's vacation house CLICK HERE
We're the house with the wrap-around deck and octagonal dune-top deck.  For those of you that are REALLY bored, CLICK HERE to see our wedding house.  Its the one with two cars parked out front.   [Bil]

25 July 2007 - I haven't forgotten to add photos of the home addition...problem is we've been so busy managing the home-chaos and even more busy hemorrhaging money, that I haven't had time.  The building is up, now all we have to do is get through, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall, painting, driveway, flooring...I swear in 10 years it will be done.   [Bil]

10 June 2007 - I heard again from Carolyn and she's doing well in Guyana.  She is now able to receive her gmail (which most of you may know by now), however tomorrow (Monday 6/11) she'll be leaving for a trip to the interior until Thursday.  She will be away from e-Mail until Thursday and returning home on Saturday.  As far as the house addition it is progressing quickly.  I'll post up some more pictures  in a week or so.   [Bil]

26 May 2007 - Heard from Carolyn today.  Apparently the gmail account she setup will NOT work down there so she will be using her Misericordia e-Mail address.
She said they arrived safely and have been keeping very busy.  Stay tuned for further updates [Bil]

26 May 2007 - The house destruction (oops I mean CONstruction) continues.  No real pictures to add but let's just say we have walls!  When things settle out a little I'll get some pictures out here.  It's actually starting to look like something that resembles a building.  [Bil]

23 May 2007 - Carolyn is off to Guyana.  I'll add updates here as I hear from her.   [Bil]

7 May 2007 - Wow...no updates for three months!  So what's going on you ask....well pretty much everything.  Our construction (or should I say DE-struction) has started.  I was going to put them out last week but I had a surprise 2-day visit to the hospital that delayed everything.  E-mail me for the painful details.  Since I'm home for a few days I've added a little rewind below.  Check out the posts below in chronological order after the Jan 21st post. [Bil]

7 May 2007 - So far no real destruction disasters, unless of course you count losing our sewer line, cable TV, phone and internet connection on day-1 of the excavation.  Today our surprise was a hole in the wall into our laundry room.  I guess they needed a quick way to determine the finished flooring level much to the surprise of our kitties who used to love sleeping in the laundry room.  Since that is our connection point to the new addition it's only a matter of time before that wall is gone anyway.  For anyone that knows our yard the pictures below should be shocking.  [Bil]

18 April 2007 - Rather than dragging it all out into multiple blog entries I'll get everyone caught up on our garage addition in this post.  After that I'll add updates as it gets interesting.  From top:  Before the destruction with corner stakes in place and trees marked, The trees are GONE, Stumps are pulled, Trenches for footers in place, Forms for footers in place, Footers poured & block work starts, First level of block in, Block completed w/parging and drainage starting. [Bil]

Click on any picture for a larger view.

16 April 2007 - It's never a good sign to get 10-inches of wet concrete snow and high winds in mid-April.  Sure enough, at 3:45AM we heard a loud bang and the house shook.  We awoke to find a large maple tree on our garage.  Here are the photos.  Ironically enough it fell on the very day the tree guys were supposed to start clearing our yard for the new garage.  Who would have thought we'd be building two garages at once.  Check out the pictures below for the fun.  [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

16 April 2007 - Sadly we had to say goodbye to Grandma Harriet.  I'm not alone in saying we will all miss her a great deal.  It was no surprise that her friends and family turned out to say a fond farewell.  Sadly we also say goodbye to grandma Harriet's cat Morris who happily is now with his mommy Harriet.  [Bil]

21 Jan 2007 - Sorry we haven't updated the blog in a while but we've been busy with the day-to-day stuff and planning an addition to the house.  I thought I'd post up a picture from the last night of Elmer Sudds.  For those that don't know, Mike and Debbie are moving to Texas so Elmer Sudds closed Saturday night.  Here's a picture from the festivities.  I have quite a few other pictures, but this was perhaps the best (or safest) one to post.  From left to right are Terrance, Delerium Noel, me, Dirty-D, Mike & Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome.  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

23 Nov 2007 - We're hosting the family for Turkey Day.  Be sure to tune in on our webcam and say hi.  [Bil]

15 Nov 2007 - OBX 2007 is locked in!  I know it seems early to be planning OBX 2007 but we have the house pretty much set.  We'll be in Whalehead beach this Aug.  Here are a few pictures of the house.  [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

09 Oct 2006 - Happy Birthday Ned!

08 Oct 2006 - OK so we've been busy.  Now that we're out of the automotive black hole I thought I'd at least take the time to post  a picture of my new car.  This is my new VW R32.  It's a rare VW with only 5000 being made.  It's all-wheel-drive, fun to drive and has all the practical goodies like heated seats that an old guy like me suddenly appreciates.  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

19 Aug 2006 - We're back from our week at the beach so I thought I'd add a group photo in our D'enormes Vagues / OBX 2006 shirts.  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

18 Aug 2006 - Hello from OBX.  We're winding up our yearly trip to the shore.  We've had a great week down here so I thought I'd post some pictures up for everyone to check out.  They are in order:  Our visit to this year's house in 2002, a re-creation of that photo from this year, another beautiful sunrise in OBX, Katie & Kelly on the beach, Carolyn on the beach, Our pool and walkway to the beach, one of the big-surf days at the Villages @ Ocean Hill beach.  [Bil]

Click on any picture for a larger view.

25 July 2006 - It's been quite a trip but we're back home from our Canadian Maritimes vacation.  We somehow managed to hit Newfoundland/Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Cape Breton Highlands.  We started in St. Johns Newfoundland and had a great whale watch in Bay Bulls, took some great pictures and visited the Geo Centre and Signal Hill.  Next it was on to Nova Scotia for crystal and fossil hunting in Parsboro and Joggins.  From there it was off to West Point lighthouse in Prince Edward Island where we actually stayed IN the lighthouse and walked on the orange beaches.  From there we were off to Charlottetown and then took a ferry back to Nova Scotia where we spent a few days at the Markland resort in the Cape Breton Highlands area.  For those that haven't seen it, the Cape Breton Highlands National Park is amazing.  Rocky coastlines and beautiful scenery all along the Cabot Trail.  We stopped off at Ingonish and took mom on a 55-foot Schooner called Avon Spirit for another successful sailing and whale watching adventure.  We finished up with a visit to Peggy's Cove and Halifax for a few beers before returning.  We covered thousands of kilometers and almost every inch of the Canadian Maritimes thanks to Ned's planning and organization.  We were also very lucky to have great weather and get to see multiple humpback whales, fin whales and even minke whales.  It was a great trip as you'll see in the photos.  Be sure to check out the photos below and I also posted more pictures in the photos section.  Click HERE to go directly to the Canadian Maritimes photo section.  In order below we have:  Carolyn on Signal Hill overlooking Cape Spear in St. John's Newfoundland, Katie and her new friend in the Geo Centre in St. John's Newfoundland, Kelly and her new friend also in the Geo Centre, Ned and Pattie on West Point Lighthouse beach in PEI, The girls and I at the North Shore Lighthouse in PEI, Mom and Kelly at the home of Anne of Green Gables in PEI, Mom at Peggy's Cover in Nova Scotia, Looking out at the harbor from Parrsboro Nova Scotia, The entry sign for Meat Cove at the northern tip of Cape Breton Highlands, The girls petting the horses near Meat Cove, Everyone on the Avon Spirit as we sailed out from Smokey Point in Ingonish, Me at the Markland resort beach in Dingwall Cape Breton, The wave warning sign at Green Cove in Cape Breton, Mom hanging on as we returned to Bay Bulls on the whale watch, Carolyn with a humpback whale spout behind her in Bay Bulls, Mom at Gull Island or "stink island" as we affectionately  called it, and Carolyn Katie and Kelly on Signal Hill in St. John's Newfoundland overlooking Cape Spear.  [Bil]



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29 June 2006 - For those of you that may have missed seeing us featured on CNN, MSNBC, ABC National News or even Nightline; we had an exciting few days.  It's been raining here non-stop for over a week, punctuated Tuesday by an all day downpour dumping over 14-inches of rain on Harvey's Lake in 24-hours, and an equally huge amount all over the valley.  Naturally this made the Susquehanna River a little crazy.  On Wednesday afternoon they declared a mandatory evacuation of the entire Wyoming Valley.  For those of us that remember the Agnes flood of 1972 it was eerily familiar.  With the new dike sitting at just over 41-feet on the Wilkes-Barre side and a projected crest somewhere between 38 and 43-feet it was quite a night.  King's and the city powered down everything and we sat up all night listening to the PA Emergency Management radio (PEMA) calling out river levels.  Finally around 3AM it started dropping from about 35-feet and they re-opened the city this afternoon.  We were able to sneak into the city this morning to get the campus back on-line.  It was quite a sight seeing the city of Wilkes-Barre as a complete ghost town except for a few National Guard vehicles.  In the end everything in Wilkes-Barre was ok, however the remainder of the area took quite a hit.  At home we had a little water in the basement which is not a big deal because we have nothing down there.  Locally the lake took quite a hit and lakeside drive remains closed even today because of a huge hole washed out in the road.  We've also seen and heard everything from extreme flooding to trees down, basements flooded, roads washed away, mudslides, bridges destroyed and ever three local dams wiped out.  It was an amazing night as we listened to the scanner bark out high speed water rescues, homes being washed away, cars being flooded and even the Grotto Pizza parking lot full of cars going under 4-feet of water.  As 14-inches of rain filled the already bloated lake the water level rose and covered parking lots as well as just about every dock out here.  I have a few hundred pictures and videos from both sides of the river and all over the valley, but here are a few select pictures of the mayhem.  From left to right they are:  1) Looking back from the Kingston side of the Susquehanna at King's Admin building, 2) Looking again from the Kingston side of the river at the Market St. Bridge and downtown, 3) Looking back toward Wilkes-Barre as they closed the gates on the Market St. bridge, 4) Looking into downtown Wilkes-Barre as the Market St. bridge floods, 5) View from the Pierce St. bridge of the river and Market St. bridge, 6) Harvey's Lake flooding (YES that is a complete dock underwater).  [Bil]

Click on any picture for a larger view.

24 June 2006 - Happy Birthday Pattie [Bil]

29 May 2006 - The Hummingbird CAM is up.  Please be sure to check it out.  The birdies have been very active lately.   [Bil]

27 April 2006 - Well we've added a new baby to the family.  Carolyn has a new car.  Say goodbye to Lucy, our baby Honda and hello to a new Subaru.  Carolyn will have to wait 10 months to try out her all-wheel-drive in the snow, but in the mean time she can ride around looking cool in her new car.  It's a Subaru WRX with all-wheel-drive, ABS and 227 horsepower more than Carolyn will know what to do with.  Check out the pictures below.   [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

25 Apr 2006 - Just thought we'd put out some updated kitty photos.  First is Zooey looking cute on my drawing table and Ebi taking a shower.  Actually Ebi likes to play in the shower after we're done.  Yes it's wet in there and she seems to actually like it.   [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

9 April 2006 - Happy Birthday Ryan [Bil]

3 April 2006 - Happy Birthday Katie! [Bil]

29 March 2006 - Happy Birthday Carolyn! [Bil]

2 March 2006 - Wow what happened to February?  Not much to report here.  Carolyn and I are home today on a rare snow day.  We're getting about 10-inches and both King's and Miseri cancelled so we get a free day at home.  Check out the web cam for live pictures of the snow. [Bil]

30 Jan 2006 - I have removed the hover buttons from my website and the photos page.  Since the hover was Java based I found many people were locked out of my pages and pictures.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  I wasn't aware that so many people didn't have the latest Java runtime on their machines.  PLEASE let me know if anything on our web pages does not work. [Bil]

29 Jan 2006 - Here are a few pictures.  Please be sure to click on them for a larger view.  Also be sure to click on "Photos" above and click on "Other Photos" to see more pictures from our cruise.  From top to bottom Carolyn & Sharon share some drinks (and cash), Bev, Diane & Marilyn during the life jacket marathon, Carolyn and I in our fish-scented life jackets, The most popular store in Cozumel, Our downfall in Cozumel, The view from Fat Tuesday's in Cozumel, The devastation in Cozumel, Looking south into the Caribbean from the Stingray Sandbar in Grand Caymen, Carolyn at the Stingray Sandbar, Mauricio's Elephant and Stingray towels.   [Bil]


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29 Jan 2006 - We're back from our cruise and visits to Florida.  We had a great time and we'd like to thank everyone who shared our week with us in Tampa, Cozumel, Grand Caymen, Windermere and cruising the Atlantic Ocean on the Inspiration.  We had a lot of fun but what really made it special were all the people we shared it with.  Thank you all for your time and hospitality. [Bil]

8 Jan 2006 - My first entry in 2006!  Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you all survived the holidays.  Carolyn and I have been juggling an increasingly busy schedule so I have not had much time for blogging.  We'll be heading down to See Aunt May and the rest of the cruisers in a week or so.  We'll be cruising to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico out of Tampa.  We can't wait for the warm weather (a first for me in Mid-January), and the break from everything up here.  At the end we'll be visiting the Fitch family in Windermere for a few days, which we also can't wait for.  I'll add some pictures when we get back but be sure to check in on our kitties via the webcam while we're away. [Bil]

20 Dec 2005 - Carolyn and I are hosting again for Xmas Eve so be sure to check out the webcam and say hi.  [Bil]

19 Dec 2005 - Bev is showing her artwork at the Tudor Book Store until Dec 31st so stop by if you can and take a look.  [Bev]

4 Dec 2005 - Vacation OBX 2006 is reserved!  Yes that's right we have the house for summer 2006 reserved in the Outer Banks.  The dates are Aug 12th thru 19th and we'll be WAY up north in an area of Corolla called Ocean Hill.  We're actually the 4th house from the end of the paved road.  As always if anyone is interested in coming down we'd be happy to help with the house rentals.  Here are a few pictures of the house.  [Bil]
  Click on any picture for a larger view.

21 Nov 2005 - We'll be hosting the family for Turkey-Day.  Please be sure to tune in on the web cam and join us.  [Bil]

19 Nov 2005 - Carolyn and I joined our friends from Elmer Sudds for the Great American Beer Festrival.  Debbie and her friends arranged for a brand spanking new Stretch Hummer H2 Limo so we had quite a ride up to Split Rock and  back.  It's probably hard to see in the pictures but the interior and exterior were beautiful.  Of course the beer festival was also fun and we had some great beers, including Dogfish Head's 2005 Worldwide Stout and our favorite, Weyerbacher's Insanity (Blithering Idiot aged in oak barrels.)  Here are a few pictures from the day.  In order we have Ann Marie & Debbie in the Limo, Terrance & Kelly at Shenanigans after the Festival, Terrence and the others in the Limo, Debbie & Carolyn in the Limo and finally Debbie & the Elf at Coopers (you figure out which is which.)  [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

6 Nov 2005 - Fall has arrived at the lake so we took a few pictures of the lake.  With darkness arriving at 5:00PM it's hard to find time to get anything outside done, let alone take pictures.  Ironically enough most of our best sunsets are in fall and winter so I thought I'd show off a picture from the other night.  This sort of sunset happens over and over again here so we sort of take them for granted.  Zooey kitty decided to take advantage of our warm weather (high 60's all weekend) and sneak in one last snack on Carolyn's azalea bonsai before the deck and plants go to bed for the winter.  Here is Zooey and some of our late fall foliage across the lake.  [Bil]
  Click on any picture for a larger view.

6 Nov 2005 - Happy Birthday to Bil! We've been celebrating Bil's birthday all weekend. Last night we went to Elmer Sudds for some low-key fun and this morning, Zooey and Ebi and I had him blow out candles on his birthday donut. We then had him put on all of his presents for this picture!  A good time was had by all especially the kitties who got to play in the tissue paper and wrappings.  [Carolyn]
  Click on the picture for a larger view.

30 Oct 2005 - We stopped over to see Aunt Marilyn at the lake this afternoon and meet her new puppy Poker.  What a cutie he is.  It was nice to get to see Aunt Marilyn and hear more of the details on who is going on the cruise with us in January.  We can't wait for the cruise and to get to see everyone again soon.  I'm sure January will be here before we know it.  Here's a picture of Poker and his mommy.   [Bil]
  Click on the picture for a larger view.

26 Oct 2005 - I didn't get a chance to take pictures but believe it or not we had SNOW yesterday!  It was amazing to have a winter storm warning on Oct. 25th.  I was home all day having our well pressure tank replaced so I got to see the sleet and then the big wet flakes as they fell on our deck.  Apparently Hurricane Wilma joined with Hurricane Alpha to create a Noreaster' and even our area had high winds and two days of rain and snow.   [Bil]

13 Oct 2005 - At Ebi's last emergency visit to the vet, Dr. John noticed her deciduous teeth (baby teeth) have not come out yet and her permanent teeth were in.  She had double top fangs, which I probably should have photographed.  The bad news is that if they didn't fall out by Nov. Ebi would have to undergo surgery to have them removed.  For the last 10 days Carolyn and I have been feeding her the crunchiest treats we were able to find, letting her chew on her toothbrush and playing tug-of-war with her toys in an effort to avoid surgery, with no luck.  Last night we did a quick check and much to our surprise the deciduous teeth are gone.  Now Ebi can avoid the surgery so we're very happy.  Our only mystery now is, "where are the teeth?"  We looked everywhere but can't find any sign of them.  Knowing Ebi she ate them.   [Bil]

9 Oct 2005 - Happy Birthday Ned.   [Bil]

8 Oct 2005 - Well so far so good.  I'm happy to report that Ebi seems to be back to her little self again.  I'm not sure Zooey would share the same emotion, but it looks like Ebi is OK again.  We still don't know if she slipped, lunged at a bird or simply thought it was an easy jump to the ground.  In any case we did add some window screen to make it impossible for her to walk from the upper deck floor to the lower deck railing.  Of course as soon as she figures out she can jump up to the rail all bets are off.  Of course as soon as she realizes she can jump that high the stove, washing machine and kitchen counters all come into play also.   [Bil]

3 Oct 2005 - A kitty-parent's WORSE NIGHTMARE.  Last night Carolyn and I were closing things up for the night.  Before we close the back door we do a kitty inventory to be sure they are both inside.  Zooey comes in but Ebi doesn't.  After checking her favorite hiding places on the deck and in the house, we start calling her.  Now Zooey will ignore your calls even if she's sitting under your chair, but Ebi always comes running.  We tried her favorite toy noises and she still didn't show.  After 10 minutes of frantic searching every inch of the house, I set outside into the darkness with a flashlight.  Thankfully after a few minutes I spot a little kitty curled up in a ball in the weeds of our flower garden.  Apparently she fell off the deck.  Thankfully our vet is a friend so he met us at the office late Sunday night to check her.  She seems OK but she definitely hurt her right front leg.  After a thorough checkup and a shot in the butt we were on our way.  We're watching her now to be sure she's OK.  She seems to be running and jumping like normal but there is somewhat of a hitch in her step, but the limping she had last night when I picked her up is gone.  Naturally Carolyn and I are very upset.  Just the thought of her falling, or being hurt or worse yet the potential that she would run away and be lost made us both ill.  I don't think we slept all night.  I'm thankful that either because of instinct or injury she stayed pretty close to where we think she fall.  The spot she picked is actually the only spot that you can see into the house so we think she was watching us, even though she was silent as we called for her outside.  We think the fall came form the upper railing because that's where she seems to be clumsiest.  We're hoping it was at the low end of the deck but based on where we found her it could have been anywhere from 8 to maybe 18 feet from the rail to the ground.  VERY upsetting to say the least.  We'll update the blog as we know more.   [Bil]

30 Sept 2005 - Happy Birthday to Frank & Happy Belated Birthday to Jan!  I know you are both busy up there but we wanted to say happy birthday and let you know we're thinking about you both.  Hopefully you had some time for a little birthday celebration.  If you have any good pictures (of you or the kitties) send them down and we'll add them to the blog.   [Bil]

25 Sept 2005 - We're not really too sure what the temperature is today, but we can say that the kitty thermometer is saying its cold.  We were wondering when the kitties would each figure out that the other one generates heat, and it looks like that day is today.  Long about lunch time we noticed a lack of kitty games going on and here's what we found.   [Bil]
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24 Sept 2005 - We have the webcam pointed out the window so everyone can see the fall foliage in PA.  It's still mostly green but I suspect it will change rapidly.  Be sure to tune in and watch fall arrive at the lake.  Click here or click on "webcam" on the menu bar above.   [Bil]

19 Sept 2005 - Carolyn and I are booked for our cruise in Jan.  We'll be joining Carolyn's family on the Carnival ship Inspiration on January 21st.  After Grand Caymen and Cozumel Carolyn and I will be visiting Dale & Colleen in Windermere, Florida for a few days.  It feels funny to be planning a cruise for January, especially after spending the day watching Hurricane Rita lining up for yet another hit in the Florida area.  I'm sure a week of fun and sun will be a great break from the January weather in PA.

16 Sept 2005 - Ebi had her sutures removed this morning by Dr. Bucha.  Everything looks great and she's back to being the total spaz we know and love.  We're both relieved.  We've been watching Hurricane Ophelia hit OBX all week.  We missed Ophelia (and Katrina) by a few weeks this year.  Last year Charley hit OBX a few weeks before our wedding and in 2003 Isabel destroyed Avon right after we left.  We saw pictures of the restaurant in Avon where Carolyn and I had dinner the week before and it was gone.  Also the golf course my brothers and I played on was one giant sand trap thanks to Isabel.  That's three years in a row!  We will be choosing the OBX house for 2006 in about a month or so.  We're planning for the week of Aug 12th - Aug 19th 2006 if anyone is interested.   [Bil]

11 Sept 2005 - Weather seems to be the only story of the day today.  As we watch Hurricane Ophelia toy with the Outer Banks we've been watching our weather start to change.  I guess I should know that once football season starts, leaf removal season and snow thrower season aren't far behind.  Yesterday we "temporarily" moved all of our tropical plants inside except for our wedding tree.  The wedding tree is a 2-person move now so I just covered her with a sheet.  Our lows on the deck hit 49.2 last night and even though we'll be back in the 90's by Tuesday it's still a little sad.  So how is everyone else's weather this time of year?

7 Sept 2005 - Little Ebi had her laser surgery yesterday.  The good news is she's home, the bad news is she'll never be able to have kittens.  Yes the little kitty had her laser spaying yesterday, and I think Carolyn and I are feeling worse than her.  It's heart breaking to see her hobbling around the house and struggling to eat and drink.  I stayed up all night and home from work today to stop her from pulling out her little sutures.  I'm sure she'll be back to herself and making us both crazy in a week or so (I can't wait!)  It was very hard to see the look in her eyes when I picked her up after surgery....MAJOR guilt trip!  We're trying to keep the web cam on her so be sure to tune in and watch her recover.  Here are a few pictures to show her groggy demeanor and her shaved belly (not to mention her shaved neck and little paw.)  Look closely and you can see she has tiger stripes on her belly even without fur!   [Bil]
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31 Aug 2005 - Well as I'm sure you all know Hurricane Katrina caused quite a mess and is has even been dumping quite a bit of rain and wind on our area overnight.  After seeing New Orleans I think we were very lucky that Katrina avoided OBX, not just for this years vacation but even next year.  Things are almost back to normal after vacation.  Carolyn and I are having my family out for Labor Day this Sunday (9/4).  We'll have the camera out for the party so be sure to tune in and say hi. [Bil]

26 Aug 2005 - This is sort of an odd blog entry.  Funny how a day at the beach, our last day at the beach, can change in a heartbeat.  Well here's the story.  Ned & I were out on the boogey boards enjoying some fairly rough rides with Kelly & Katie.  From the shoreline someone called out and sure enough there was a large (perhaps Hawaiian man) in trouble  Turns out the rip current had him and his boogey board well off shore and he was in trouble.  Ned & I swam out and pulled him in.  Ironically he could not kick to help us because the rough surf had removed his swimsuit and it was tangled in his ankles.  After a few mouthfuls of water we pulled him in to shore.  No sooner did we get him in when he and several others on the beach pointed to his wife, another woman and TWO kids even FURTHER out and in more trouble.  Again Ned & I swam out as people on shore called for lifeguards.  Fortunately we got to them and started back in as several other men made their way out to all of us.  It was quite a day and quite an event.  Thankfully they were all OK but I doubt any of them will ever get back in the ocean, in fact the husband tried to give Ned their boogey board as a thank you.  I guess sometimes you take for granted knowing how to swim in the ocean and also how quickly things can go wrong.  I'm sure their lives changed today, hopefully for the better.  It was also amazing to see how many people risked their own safety to help us pull in the women and children.  I guess you just never know  [Bil]

26 Aug 2005 - Our OBX pictures from this year have been added to the photo album.  Click on the "photos" link at the top of the page and follow the link to "OBX Photos" or CLICK HERE to go directly to the OBX photos.  [Bil]

26 Aug 2005 - Another lovely day at the beach.  As we flipped on the weather channel today we watched Hurricane Katrina miss OBX (us) and hit Florida.  I guess that explains the red flag beach day yesterday.  We lucked out again with hurricanes.  UPDATE--They are now projecting the remnants of Katrina will hit OBX on Monday making for a lousy week.  Luckily we'll miss that completely.  [Bil]

25 Aug 2005 - Today was a beautiful day, BUT also a red-flag day which means no swimming.  Apparently the rip tides were nasty and by 10AM they had already rescued at least three swimmers.  When it gets this bad they put up the red flags.  Kelly, Katie & I decided it would be a good day for sandcastles and hair dye (not in that order).  Here's a few pictures of the fun.  [Bil]
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24 Aug 2005 - We had a great storm this afternoon that chased everyone off the beach.  Seemed like a good time (and some interesting light) for a picture looking north from our upper deck into the storm.  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

23 Aug 2005 - Miss Kates surprised us this morning with an anniversary shell.  She delivered the shell in a gift bag to commemorate our 1 year anniversary and our still-missing wedding shells.  THANKS Kates!  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

23 Aug 2005 - Our ONE YEAR Anniversary!  Carolyn and I walked up from this years house to our wedding house and took some pictures on the very SPOT where we were married last year.  One year has gone so fast but it was VERY nice to see the wedding house again and re-live some of the wedding memories on the beach.  Here are a few photos of the wedding house from this year.  To make it even more interesting, this year on our wedding day it threatened rain all day--thankfully it was this year and not last year.  We looked for the wedding shells, but of course we didn't find them.   [Bil]
Click on any picture for a larger view.

21 Aug 2005 - Well we're at the beach house in OBX.  Thanks to the generous (and somewhat anonymous) donation of an unsecured wireless network connection in our neighborhood I am able to connect and update the blog.  Day 1 down here and it is HOT!  High 90's and not a breeze to be found even on the beach.  Here's a video of Kelly & Katie playing in the sand.  [Bil]
  Click on the picture to view the video

13 Aug 2005 - Hurricane Irene Update!  Irene has been bouncing between a Tropical Storm and a Cat-1 Hurricane all day.  So far it looks like Irene is going to be nice to the outer banks.  As of Thursday it was on track to run straight into OBX just south of our house.  As of today the "projected" track has it turning east with OBX still in the low strike likelihood area.  CLICK HERE for the latest map and cross your fingers for us.  There are at least three tropical waves behind Irene but hopefully we will shoot the gap with our vacation.  [Bil]

12 Aug 2005 - My friend JB stopped by for a visit this week from Chattanooga TN.  It was great to see him as always.  Here's a rare shot of JB.  [Bil]
Click on the picture for a larger view.

12 Aug 2005 - This from Sharon.  I posted some new pictures on my site of an older backpacking trip I did with Dave, Mark Williams and Eric (of Chylese and Eric) in the Sierras. Some of the pictures are mixed in my Gallery under photos, but to see all of them go HERE and click on the link at the top of the page. Tim might like to see these as he’s spent some time out here.  Nothing too new on the kitty front. We did have the opossum visit a few nights ago. He managed to grab a pear from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and move it (somehow) to another area and maul it a bit. Took all the skin off and ate some of the inside, but mostly it was a big mess. He’d gotten into some Doritos about a week earlier. There were opossum dorito cheese footprints on the stove after that incident, and chips everywhere. I think we just need to take him into one of the nearby canyons. He’s big enough to be on his own now. ;) We can’t seem to get him on video though! I wish mine looked this cute!  Well, he did before he grew up.  I’m off to Frisbee golf. We play every Friday after work. Maybe I can take a few pictures and pass them along to you, or of ultimate Frisbee. I’ve been playing 6 days a week lately with my women’s team practice, summer league and pickup at lunch. To see the stats of my summer league team’s record, go HERE.  I’m on the gray team. We had a three week hiatus, and just started back this week again. This week’s results should be posted soon.  [Sharon]

10 Aug 2005 - Track the hurricanes with us.  I swore that if we'd ever get wiped out by a hurricane any year in OBX it would be last year.  With everything from the wedding on the line I figured that would be the year.  I guess mother nature is a fan of weddings since we just missed the mess from Charley last year.  I'm sure many that were there last year will remember the street flooding, especially Dale who turned his rental Eclipse convertible into a U-boat on a cross street.  In any case here's the link I've been using to track the hurricanes.  Apparently TD Irene is going to make it "interesting" for us.  Click Here to track the hurricanes and watch where they are from 8/20-8/27. [Bil]

10 Aug 2005 - Carolyn and I are off to the OBX shore next weekend (8/20).  We both can't wait to relax on the beach without a wedding to carry on.  Hopefully this year my teeth will cooperate also (I'll explain if anyone asks).  We plan to return to the scene of the crime and find last year's wedding house and the beach area where the wedding was held.  It should be walking distance on the beach.  I'm sure it will be amazing to revisit a place that is now so special to both of us.  We're staying this year in a new area of Corolla called Ocean lakes.  It's about a mile south of last years house and the Food Lion (for those of you who remember last year's house).  Anyway here's a picture of where we'll be. [Bil]
  Click on the picture for a larger view.

6 Aug 2005 - Well the temps in PA finally dropped out of the 90's.  For those of you that don't live up our way we've had almost constant temps in the mid to high 90's since mid-June!  Combine that with almost no rain and it has been HOT!  Last night we had just enough rain to drop us into the 80's so today has been a banner day at the lake.  To illustrate that the kitties decided to have a play day on the deck.  Unfortunately they BOTH decided to seek out some shade under our wedding tree.  For those of you that have seen it, the wedding bonsai tree is pretty huge, and Ebi fits under it nicely.  Add in Zooey and there's not much room in the jungle below.  Of course the boxing match soon began.  Picture # 1 shows the 3.8 lb Ebi and the 11.5 lb Zooey in round 1.  At the end of Round 1 I declared that the wedding tree was the real loser.  In Picture # 2 you can clearly see that Zooey is about to land a clean right-cross to the fuzzy little chin of Ebi.  I gave Round 2 to Zooey.  In the end they decided to share the shade and the boxing match ended. [Bil]
  Click on either picture for a larger view.

5 Aug 2005 - Sharon passed along her Europe itinerary so she and Dave will be flying out on 8/27 for quite a tour of Europe.  They're starting in Istanbul and hitting all sorts of great places including Greece, Rome, Florence, Maggiore, Switzerland and finally Paris.  Sharon tells me they're joining Chylese, Eric and Sue from Rome on to the end of the trip on 9/20.  I'm sure she'll get some great pictures.  [Sharon]

5 Aug 2005 - Please join in on the blogging fun!  Do you want to reply to a blog entry from us or someone else?  Do you have a comment, an update on what's going on with you, a funny thought, a picture, video or ANYTHING else you'd like to share with all of us?  If so Click here or on the "e-mail me" envelope icon below and send us a blog.  I'll moderate and add the entries here so everyone can see them.  For now the blog is open to our families and friends but it is also open to anyone who'd like to join in or to anyone that finds it.  It's a great way to share anything with everyone.  Be sure to include your name or be anonymous if you'd like. [Bil]

5 Aug 2005 - Let's try some video to see if everyone can play these files.  Most of you should be able to play this video depending on how slow your internet connection is.  This is Ebi's dismount from her Olympic gymnastics floor routine.  [Bil]
Click here to try the video.

4 Aug 2005 -OK Just an entry to get this blog-thingy started.  Not much new with Carolyn and I...just getting ready for vacation in a few weeks and believe it or not our 1-year wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe huh?  Most of you know we've recently added kitty # 2 (see picture) to keep Zooey company.  She's a handful (a kitten for sure), and I think Zooey is tiring of the 24-hour marathon games of "tag" Ebi likes to play.  So far so good.  Tune into the webcam for the latest.  We're trying to keep the cam aimed at wherever the kitties are active.  Click here or on the "e-mail me" envelope icon below and LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE THIS BLOG and beebers.com thing.  More later...[Bil]
  Click on the picture for a larger view.

4 Aug 2005 -We're launching beebers.com to make it easier for everyone to find our webcam and individual web pages.  I've also added a direct link to the photos on my site to make it easier for everyone to find them.  Stay tuned for updates.  We'll be adding some blog-like entries here also just to let everyone know what's going on.  [Bil]