Stuart Air Show - Veterans Day Weekend
We again had a wonderful Veterans day weekend for the Annual Stuart Air Show, dedicated to America's veterans and active military, with a variety of civilian and military acts and displays for an enthusiastic crowd of all ages.

Stuart, Florida
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Northport Vacation 2012

Nancy kept me on the run from one end of the island to the other.  One day we traveled by ferry to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to rendezvous with 39 Monterey "snowbirds" from the New England and New York area.  We went by train/subway to Manhattan to see the 911 Memorial Park, where we were quite humbled by the solemn beauty of the park and the awesome twin fountains. We went out to the far eastern end of Long Island to visit the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse. We visited the Aqueduct Casino a couple of times, walked several beaches, saw several shows, golfed, and went to two concerts in the Northport Park. We had a wonderful time, but it went by way too fast!

More photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785405962726860129

Photos of 911 Memorial:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785412038229188017

Photos of Montauk Lighthouse:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785443143383127729

 

Michigan Vacation 2012

In July I drove up to Michigan to spend some time with my daughter and son-in-law and visit my mom and aunt Sophie. We played some golf and did a lot of shooting at the range with the Jeff and his family. My mom and Sophie are doing great. Despite having to contend with the ill-disciplined Duke we all had a great time. Then it was off to Northport, Long Island to spend some time with Nancy O.
Click for photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5785208275445183521

Cruising Florida's Intracoastal

Nancy and I took the Island Princess'  luncheon cruise which travels south from Port Salerno along the Indian River to Florida's most exclusive island where America's ultra-rich reside. Jupiter Island has the second highest per capita income of any place in the country. The Captains narration brings history to life as we cruise by homes of celebrities such as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Burt Reynolds, Alan Jackson, the late Perry Como and many more.  We traveled  past the vast nature preserves on the island, watched for wildlife, and exotic birds, but did not see any  manatee or dolphins on this particular trip. The historic Jupiter Lighthouse makes for the ultimate cruise destination and a casual return trip to Port Salerno on a beautiful day.
Click for photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/104461058718739695077/albums/5733860783685163473

The Decline of a Great American City

For many of us who grew up in Detroit in the 1950s, the city was dynamic, full of life and culture, and with the exception of a few pockets of revitalization the city is now a disaster, resembling a war zone. Up and down Detroit’s residential streets and culture centers, great architectural buildings and homes stand abandoned and in ruin, as evidenced in the photo essay of French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre.  Their book “The Ruins of Detroit“, a document of decaying buildings frozen in time, was published in December 2010.

Click here for photos:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
and this will break your heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWEdjiEJg0U&feature=fvwrel

Historic Aircraft visit Stuart

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The Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour of the WWII Vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator and North American P-51 Mustang came to Stuart for 3 days in January. This was a great opportunity to visit, explore and learn about these rare treasures of aviation history. The Nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour is in its 23rd year and visits an average of 110 cities in more than 35 states annually. Since its start, tens of millions of people have seen the B-17, B-24 & P-51 display at locations everywhere. The tour is one of the most extraordinary and unique interactive traveling historical displays of its kind.

Manning the 50 cal. canon

The B-17 is one of only 10 in flying condition in the United States, the B-24J and Full Dual Control P-51C Mustang are the sole remaining examples of their type flying in the world. Nancy and I had a wonderful experience gaining access to the interiors of the B-17 & B-24 to witness the extremely "uncomfortable" conditions these brave crews endured with many making the ultimate sacrafice in the war effort. In addition to visitors having the experience of an up close visit to explore the aircraft inside and out, for a sizable fee you could actually take a 30 minute flight in the B-17 or the P-51, and many visitors were taking advantage of the opportunity.

A little windy on the tarmac

Mustang taking a passenger for a flight

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For more information on these historic aircraft, please click on the below links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_P-51_Mustang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-24_Liberator