Californian Coven Meeting

L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo.

Dodo

From JD:

Yesterday the coven had our yearly trek over to Dodo's, and had a lovely time. Dodo was in good spirits and seeing Lucina makes this trip extra special. We could have spent the whole afternoon, after a delicious lunch, chatting, but unfortunately the drive takes us 2 1/2 hours if we get on the road before the commuters.


BTW, Garlic Gal did a specaular job of weaving thru the truck traffic and the back seat in her car was most comfortable. Couldn't even tell it was 92 outside with the AC. :)

Chickie's Great Granddaughter Cecelia Rose (Cece)

36 hours old

Kazie Australia Trip

 Barry showing off the Buddha's hand grown by our friend.

 

  ...who is holding two giant passion fruits. this is a guy we met on our trip to Spain in 2012, and he delights in growing a great number of different crops, including ginger, pineapples, citrus trees, bananas, avocados, papayas, and regular garden vegetables as well.

  Bougainvillea in a Brisbane park 

 Barry and Kay on Tamborine Mountain, overlooking Brisbane

 with my cousins in Honolulu

  

A carved table we saw in a gift store there--only $19,000! 

 with my cousin in Tamworth

 View of the rain forest on Tamborine Mountain, as seen from the Skywalk that goes right through it 

 A pair of King Parrots on the feeder beside our friends' verandah 

 With an old friend on Port Kembla Beach

 Another friend laying down the law to some pet llamas

 With friends at a restaurant overlooking Nowra on the coast south of Wollongong. Barry and Kay in front, and standing left to right: the son, and husband of Kay's school friend, another couple of friends from school days. Seated beside Kay the friend from both high school and college, opposite her and beside Barry, her 98 year old mother. 

Sydney from the air, Anzac Bridge in the center, Harbour Bridge top left

  

Rainbow lorikeets feeding 

 Kay with two more cousins at Mosman, overlooking the Sydney Harbour entrance

  Another friend holding her cat and a wallaby feeding while the wash dries on the rotary hoist clothesline 

  Kay at Bondi Beach 

Sulphur crested cockatoo

Abejo (Bradley)

From Abejo (Bradley):

This is a photo of myself and Fermatprime's friend Harvey about a year and a half ago.  I am on the left as you are looking at the picture.  Harvey is on the right.  We were in Virginia together.  This organization, the Knights Templar, is what I do in my spare time.

Retirement Ceremony of Tom, Ron's stepson

 Entrance of the Color Guard

 Flag Folding

 Flag presentation

 Retirement pin presented by Tom's friend Jeff, a retired Lt Col who told us about 

Tom's career.

 Tom's remarks

Tom and Beth with Lauren, Josh and Abby
Now on to the next chapter of life

Lemonade Jamaica Trip

JJM

Marti Home Renovation Before & After

 Top Floor, front (before)

 Top floor,front After

 Top Floor, stairs

 Top floor stairs, after

 Second floor hallway

 2nd Floor Hallway, after

 Second floor BR, front after removing 2 layers of carpet

 2nd Floor, Front BR after

 Second floor BR, rear. Lino tiles too gooey to remove. Carpet over

 2nd Floor BR rear, after

 Second floor Rear - closet

2nd Floor rear closet, after

 New doors installed

 Second floor bathroom

 2nd floor bathroom - no shower rail or curtain! Tiles all had mold damage

We demo'ed down to the studs - ceiling and floors all had to go

Full Bath - new wall to accommodate tub / shower surround

 Second floor bathroom

 2nd floor bathroom, after

 LR damaged wall (sledge hammer, probably)

 LR wall after repair

 1st Fl. 1/2 bath

 1/2 bath - new ceramic tile floor, new electric, lights, window, painted beadboard

 Kitchen (you don't even want to know what was in the drawers)

 Kitchen - after

 Front stairs, looking down from second floor

 Front stairs - new treads, stained and coated with Helmsman. New balusters fabricated for ones that were missing.

 I even put a new cap on the bottom newell post, and stained it to match the stairs and rail.

 PA170131

 After chiseling tile off floor, re-finishing the wood floor underneath, and removing / filling about 1,000 screws and nails from the walls, it looks pretty good.

Kitchen - Driveway side

 Kitchen - New stove (the second one we had to buy after the first on was destroyed by the contractors), installed hood & cabinet above

Breakfast nook

 It cleaned up nice. 

Furnace

  $5800 later...

And this sums up the whole ordeal !!!