Side Trips to the Eastern Shore and Pax River

During our stay in Annapolis we drove across the bay bridge to the Eastern Shore. It's a quiet, scenic and very rural area, and was the setting of James Michener's novel Chesapeake back in the 1970's - still one of our favorite books.
Drove down to the little village of St. Michael's, which is where Rita is standing in the photo above, and had crabcakes for lunch in a waterside cafe. Also drove over to Easton and just walked around the town on a pretty Autumn day. Made for a pleasant sojourn from the hustle & bustle of Annapolis.



After the reunion festivities wrapped up we departed Annapolis on Monday the 2nd and drove down to the Patuxent River area, which is where we lived 3 different times during postings to the Test Center and later to NAVAIR in Crystal City from '89-'91.
Stopped enroute to walk around the little town of Solomons just across the River from Pax. It's a popular summer destination for the folks from the DC area - especially boaters - but usually gets pretty quiet by November.


Enjoyed stretching our legs walking around the town - and having lunch at the old Solomons Pier Restaurant (crab cakes again).



Stayed on base at the Navy Lodge and explored the area again after being away for many years. The base has changed quite a bit thanks to the relocation of both the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division to southern Maryland from DC in the 90's. What used to be a quiet little rural base is now bustling with activity (and people) and the two-lane corridor of Rte. 235 is now about 6 lanes going into and out of the base.
We drove out to St. Mary's City west of the base and down to Pt. Lookout to the south and they both appeared to be untouched by the development near the NAS - still as charmingly rural as ever.
We usually drive by our old houses to see how they're doing...and to see how all of our old plantings of trees, bushes and trees are doing. The photo above is our last house on Aspen Lane in Wildwood - still in pretty good shape after we sold it in 1991.



This is our first house on Town Creek Drive, where we lived from '77-'81. Loved it when we lived there but the neighborhood looked a little dated. Afraid the house was showing its age too.





This was our home on Defender Street near gate 3 to the base. Used to be that the forest began just behind it and ran about a mile along a winding dirt road to the bay - now it's all developed...nothing but condos and small single family homes.




We also swung by the schools that Kevin and Mike attended. Here's Little Flower School in Great Mills - still looks the same.
Below is St. Marys Ryken High School, which had a lot of construction going on near the entrance. Am sure that enrolment has increased dramatically with the expansion of the base in recent years.



All in all the area was still pretty much as we remembered - especially south and west of the base where the area from St. Marys City to Point Lookout appeared to be unchanged from our time living in the area all those many years ago.
This has always been one of our favorite areas - lots of good family memories here and we always enjoy returning whenever the opportunity presents itself.

We were looking forward to flying down to Valdosta to see the kids and grand kids, but received word late one evening that Rita's Mother had been taken to the hospital with stroke symptoms and so cancelled everything and flew back to Vancouver to be with her. Tests indicated that it wasn't a stroke after all but it was quite a scare for everyone nevertheless.
She's home now, mentally alert but physically still pretty weak. Rosie flew back from South Carolina, so all of the sisters are here providing support.

From the Archives

Bob Fawcett from our old 16th company provided a bunch of photos from our days at the Academy together - between 1965 and 1969. Here are a few that show what Grandpa looked like about 40 years (and 40 pounds) ago.

The one above is a shot of our company marching off the field after the last dress parade of June Week - June 2, 1969 to be exact.


Me with Bob Fawcett. - Christmas 1967.


Life (such as it was) in Bancroft Hall


We were divers once - and young. Suited up for a dive in a rock quarry on an Autumn day - probably Second Class year. We were pretty hard up for dive destinations back then, but everyone was freshly qualified so off we went.

More Reunion Photos

Couldn't resist the opportunity to put up some more photos of a very enjoyable weekend with the old company-mates. From L-R above are Myles Fisher, me, Bob Fawcett, Don Tanaka, Brian Kinsley and Tom Reeve. Tom was the guy who arranged the blind date where I met Rita back in 1967. He's a lawyer now and lives in San Diego. Myles is a terrific, outgoing, big-hearted guy who's now retired and living in Pensacola. Bob retired from the Marine Corps in '99 as a Colonel, and says that the highlight of his 30 year career was being Commanding Officer of The Basic School at Quantico. He's now living in Virginia Beach. Brian was in our wedding, and is the HR Manager for Columbia Forest Products and in presently living in Olean,Vermont. He's promised to teach me how to fly fish if I can ever get to Vermont between snowfalls.



First guy on the left is Ted Woodruff - my Plebe summer and Plebe year roommate. He was the first classmate I met on June 30, 1965 - the date of our swearing in. He was also in our wedding. Ted was an airline pilot for Delta for 20+ years, recently retired, and now lives near Atlanta.

Third from the left is Roger Vehorn. I had last seen Rog in 1990 at NAVAIR in Crystal City where we were both Class Desk Officers. He retired from that to go to work for Boeing near Seattle (turns out we're neighbors). He was recently certified an Anglican Minister and is the Assistant Pastor of a church in Oak Harbor, WA.


Brian Kinsley and Don Tanaka - two of my roommates our First Class year.


The Three Amigos.


Another group shot of the 16th company guys.


Two former 16th Company Commanders. Bob was CC for Fall & Spring sets and I had it for the Winter set back in 1969. Bob was also a Brigade Boxer. He narrowly lost the championship bout our last year to a guy who later became the only undefeated, 4 year champion at his weight class.


Ted Woodruff and his wife Sheila.


Heading for the Reunion Dinner on Friday night. First time I'd worn a tie in 3 years - I was again reminded how great it is to be retired. Rita bought this dress in Paris and looked great in it all night.


Tom and Pat Reeve.


Heading for the "Prom" with Don and his wife Susan.

Annapolis

Here are a couple more photos of our day with Dick & Saundra. Walked around Fairfax Lake on a glorious Autumn Day in Virginia.



Then it was on to Annapolis for my USNA 40th reunion. We opted to stay for a week this time rather than trying to jam everything in to the few days of scheduled events. We had done that before several years ago and, although it was still fun, it was pretty hectic. This time we arrived several days before the formal class events began and so could meander around the town and the yard (as the Academy campus is called) at our leisure.



This was one of the old "Drag Houses" where the girls who were dating midshipmen would stay for the weekend during visits. Back in the day it cost the girls $10 to stay here for the weekend...and they would have to share a bed with another "Drag". Rita recalls staying at this one...42 years ago.


The view up Maryland Avenue towards the State Capitol - this is the main street from the Academy gate into the town. As you can see the town of Annapolis was laid out WAY before the era of automobiles. Parking is always a problem. The town generally spruced itself up for the bicentennial celebrations of 1976 - the city dock area outside the main gate, and near the old crab market, used to be pretty seedy. Now it's all trendy restaurants and Irish Pubs - definitely a change for the better.


The little house we booked for the week. Turned out to be a great call. Not only was it a lot cheaper than the event hotel a few blocks away, but we were able to host our old 16th Company classmates one night for a social icebreaker in a very private setting.


In front of the Naval Academy chapel. The crypt of John Paul Jones is in an apse beneath the dome.


With my old room mate Don Tanaka in front of Bancroft Hall - the midshipman dorm. We sweated thru many days, and nights, here over the course of 4 long years. Don is one of the finest men I've ever known.



Here's the assembled group on the evening of our social gathering at the house. I hadn't seen many of these guys for the full 40 years since we graduated back in 1969, so it was a real treat for us all to be together again. We talked ourselves hoarse getting reacquainted. These are some of the best men I've ever had the pleasure to be associated with - and the wives were still looking good too!

Visit with Dick & Saundra Weller

On the way up to Annapolis for Homecoming at the Academy we stopped off in Fairfax, VA to spend a night with Dick & Saundra Weller - old friends from both VS-28 in Jacksonville and later at TPS in Pax River. Hadn't seen them in probably 15-20 years, but you wouldn't have known it from the ongoing conversations. Seemed as if we picked up a discussion from a few days earlier rather years. Their younger son Geoff was there too, so we got to meet him again - this time as an adult - and spoke with him at length. Appears that he's grown up to be a fine young man, which means he obviously takes more after Saundra than Dick.

Can't tell you how much fun it was to spend a couple of days with them. The gentle teasing that went back and forth had us smiling and laughing for hours - haven't laughed that much in years.

As you can see from the photo they haven't changed too much either. Dick is working for one of the beltway bandits in DC and Saundra is working with a local Medical Facility in the area. Both remain quite busy with their professional lives, although both remain as sweet-natured as we remembered from all those many years ago. Great time!