Finding Friends Where Ever We Go - What Fun

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek - Lake Barkley ---It's cold here tonight in Kentucky and that's why I don't like March in the Commonwealth one day it's beautiful and the next it's dreary. My Momma would have called this "Dogwood" winter since what few dogwoods that are left are trying to bloom. Last week we had "Redbud" winter, if you haven't guessed we name them all up here. Call it whatever it's cold, damp, rainy and we had some snow flurries early this morning but nothing stuck. And yes, y'all I am missing Tybee terribly!

However, the weekend in Middle River, Md. was quite the treat for me and although the wind was very gusty at times it was warm and beautiful.

A bunch of Lockheed Martin employees and their contractors gathered with our neighbors in the Hawthorne community adjacent to the MS2 site there and cleaned up the backs of the bays and the shorelines as part of an annual cleanup campaign.

This was year two for the Lockheed folks to volunteer and we were mighty proud of all of them. They did great work, had a great time and everyone came to understand the importance of keeping the area clean. Even the kids had a fun time!

You can't imagine what all we found but I will post a few photos to give you an idea.

This event is always a treat for me because I get to see our dear friends Doug, Lil, Chuck and Pat, and Ed and Robin who also have become part of my "extended family". These are the "worker bees" in the Hawthorne Civic Association. Doug is my ole buddy that plays the horn and provided music for the photo exhibit (www.ldarrylarmstrong.com) that all my classmates of 1968 got to enjoy this past summer. (It was Doug and Lil that were to visit with us at Tybee and Doug had to turn around in NC and return home due to his back problem. However, I have given him my old back brace and it seems to help somewhat.)

Lil and Pat are dear hearts that work consistently hard to make things work right for the association and the rest of us. And Chuck and Ed are right in there tugging and hauling with the rest of us. You know one of my old friends, who also started out as a "client" said it best --- it is great when you can work together and become friends as well as trusted business associates.

He's right on spot.

Kay and I have been blessed over the years to have made friends in cities we would have never thought we would know people in let alone become friends and colleagues with people there.

Now that we are entering our 15th year of business I fondly look back on all the folks I have met and how many of them have become dear to us. Our work although at times demanding and crisis laden is frequently a joy and so it is every year when we do the Hawthorne cleanup.

We are looking forward already to next year.

Sadly, Kay had to go work in Seattle this weekend and missed it but she did get to see Danielle and Friedemann, our "adopted" daughter and husband so that kind of made up for it.

So, what did all that trash we picked up look like and what fun did we have?

Take a look see:


P.S. (And yes, Sue you and Ace are part of the family too, of course you are! I just overlooked you in my last article because you were not at the dog park the last week or so and you know how an old mind can forget things. Sue Bentley, many of you will recall, received the "Golden Eagle" award from us for her outstanding service as a real estate agent at Tybee Island. Ace is one of Max's buddies! My apologies dear one for the oversight.)

Until we meet again amigos ...

Love, peace and grace, Dr. Darryl