Sunday, June 23, 2013

CRAZIEST MOST INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF OUR LIVES... WE ARE GRANDPARENTS!! LIAM IS BORN ON 6/1/2013 - THE FIRST DAY OF HURRICANE SEASON.

WE WERE SO VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL OVER TO THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA TO BE WITH JESSICA AND GARY WHEN LIAM WAS BORN... LIAM HAS AN OLDER SISTER WHO WILL BE GUARDING OVER HIM- THAT BEING VIVIAN, SHOWN IN A PHOTO. GRANDMA SCHNEIDER WAS REWARDED WITH SOME EXTRA SPECIAL LIAM TIME WHEN JESSICA AND GARY TOOK A SPECIAL TRIP TO VISIT HER ON LIAM'S 6TH DAY AS AN "EARTHLING."

Anniversary Trip to PEURTO RICO's Secluded Island VIEQUES...

AFTER AN UNUSUAL LONG DRYSPELL OF NO TRAVEL... WE TREATED OURSELVES TO A 30 YR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO A LITTLE KNOWN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF PEURTO RICO....VIEQUES. THIS HAD BEEN USED FOR BOMBING PRACTICE BY US NAVY FOR MANY DECADES- UNTIL THEY GOOFED AND ACCIDENTALLY KILLED A RESIDENT. FOLLOWING THE EXPECTED OUTRAGE FROM LOCALS, THEY STOPPED AROUND THE YEAR 2000 AND SINCE THEN IT IS SLOWLY EVOLVING INTO A ROMANTIC GETAWAY DESTINATION. THERE ARE SPECTACULAR BEACHES EVERYWHERE ON THIS ISLAND SITUATED ABOUT 10 MILES OFF MAINLAND PR (A 20 MINUTE PLANE RIDE.) IN THE PICTURES, NOTICE THE WILD HORSES THAT ROAM FREELY AT THE BEACHES AND RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE ROADS. THE PICTURE WITH THE JEEP SHOWS SOME OF THE 100'S OF ABANDONED MILITARY BUNKERS WHICH HOUSED THE NAVY FOR OVER HALF A DECADE. THE PICTURE OF THE TWO BATS WHICH WE FOUND HANGING INSIDE ONE OF THE BUNKERS... STILL JUST HANGING OUT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS (SORT OF LIKE ILEA & BILL!!) THE PHOTO OF THE BILLBOARD CLEARLY INDICATES THE NOTION THAT THE BOMBINGS WERE NOT APPRECIATED BY THE LOCALS. THE SHOT OF THE PIECE OF WOOD ON THE ROCK IS SYMBOLIC FOR US.... WE FOUND THIS VERY WELL WEATHERED WOODEN BLOCK WHICH HAD JUST WASHED UP ON THE SHORE AND WITHIN IT WERE TWO RUSTED NAILS. THE NAILS, DESPITE SHOWING THE SIGNS OF ITS JOURNEYS - STILL CLUNG STEADFAST TO THE WOOD WHICH ITSELF HAD BEEN SMOOTHED OVER IMPRESSIVELY FROM THE MANY MILES OF RIDING THE BIG OCEAN. (AGAIN... KIND OF SAW IT AS WE OURSELVES WERE THOSE NAILS HOLDING ON FOR LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS VENTURES.) OUR OCEAN FRONT ROOM WAS AWESOME AT THE "W" RESORT WHERE WE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE!

Adventure ONGOING @ 30 Years Anniversary Celebration Trip to VIEQUES, PR!!!