He truly was a Good Boy

Good Boy, Good Boy. I bet I have said those words a million times to our dog, Ranger. Unfortunately, today, December 12, was the last time I got to say that phrase to our "Ranger Boy". He tried to fight the cancer and the arthritis, but it got the best of him. It was sad to see him go, but it was time. All the joy and blessings he brought to Kathleen and I will be treasured forever.

We got him in the fall of 2004, at the ripe old age of 10, and we loved having him live with us. Even though he was not ours for his first 10 years, Ranger has been my buddy for almost half my life. My brother, Joe,and sister in law, Faye, rescued Ranger from someone giving away puppies in front of the Ukrops grocery store. We never really knew Ranger's pedigree. With his markings, we guessed maybe blue tick hound or some type of setter or spaniel or all the above. Ranger grew up on Joe and Faye's beautiful piece of land in the country and got to run wild. He loved it. When the softhearted Faye and my nephew, Joey, rescued about a dozen animals over a period of time, Ranger became the old man of the place. Meanwhile, Kathleen and I decided to get a dog and one day, half joking, I asked Joey if we could take Ranger. He thought about it a minute and said that would be great. The kittens and puppies were running him ragged and we soon started calling my house his "retirement home".

It took him a little while to get used to the new house, but soon it became his home, too. He loved his back yard, his new toys, soft beds and the peace and quiet. He really made me feel extra special, because he just followed me around like, well, a puppy dog. Whatever room I moved to, if he was not sleeping, he was soon to follow. He was my little buddy. It seems very odd not to hear the jingling of his dog tags or the clicking of his toenails on the hardwood floors. We are sad he is gone, but we are so thankful that God blessed us with him. His name probably should have been Saint, because he was so good. Ranger Boy really was the perfect pet. Good Boy, Ranger, Good Boy.

Tar and Feathered

Well, not really tar and feathered. More like deep fried without any feathers. This year we decided to deep fry the Thanksgiving turkey. Kathleen, Ranger and I left for Hampton since my sister, Carrie, was hosting Thanksgiving. We had decided a few days earlier to try the deep frying method and we both had done some research. Of course, we found all the horror stories online and talked to a few people with actual experience and heard some similar scary tales. So we hoped the bird would taste good, we just weren't sure if we would be eating the bird from the emergency room.

Well the time came for cookin' and my nephew, Joey, and I were the chefs du jour. We carefully located a safe location for the burner to set and we measured the oil. As we brought it to the correct temperature, we worked hard to get all the water off the bird. The stories were that the bird will splatter, spit, and explode if too much water goes in the hot oil. So needless to say we were a little apprehensive. We rigged up a pole to use to lower the bird into the cauldron. Thankfully, it worked without any serious injuries and now all we had to do was wait, and discuss all the things that could go wrong and burn the house down. As the rest of the men arrived, they all levitated to the bird. It was like the hot oil was calling to there inner caveman. One hour later and no visit by the fire department, we pulled the golden brown bird out. What a relief. High fives all around and now it's time to eat.

What a spread. We ate until uncomfortable, and then a little more. We enjoyed the food and each others company and basked in everyone telling us how good the turkey was. It's good to be the hero (well, in our eyes anyway). We also celebrated my nephew, JW, and Carrie's birthday. Just another thing to be thankful for.

Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom

On Saturday, our last day, we first ventured to the Animal Kingdom. We first rode the Expedition Everest, and then got right back on again. It truly is a great roller coaster. Next was the Safari and we saw all the amazing animals up close and personal. We then experienced the Dinosaur ride, the Lion King show, and the Flights of Wonder show. Terri Mann and I got to actually be in the Flights of Wonder show, we will be famous. We ended our stay by seeing the It's Tough to be a Bug 4D show. Kathleen is not quite so afraid of bugs anymore.
We then traveled to the Magic Kingdom to experience the real Disney World as Kathleen would say. We experienced the Buzz Lightyear ride, Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. Our heads were spinning after all those rides. We ended the day with the whole gang viewing the Spectromagic Light Parade followed by the best fireworks show in the world. We had premier seats and enjoyed seeing the fireworks explode over Cinderella's lit castle. We couldn't believe our journey was at the end, but what a time it was!! Thanks to the Manns, Rands, and Kaufholds for making our vacation so special. It truly was one of the best times of our lives.

Hollywood Studios and Epcot

Friday started with a quick bite at the resort and a bus ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We experienced Star Wars Tours, Jedi Training, Tower of Terror, Rock & Roll Roller coaster, Prince Caspian, and the incredible Stunt Car Show.


Kathleen and I then took the short ride over to Epcot and experienced all the countries in the World Showcase. We also experienced the Mission to Mars, Soarin', Nemo & Friends, and Turtle Talk with Crush. One of the highlights of the night, was seeing the space shuttle blast off. It was amazing to watch the fireball rise in the sky while everyone cheered. The night ended with a spectacular fireworks, laser, and fire show called IllimiNations. Another Magical day.

The End of the Cruise. Parks, Here We Come

Thursday brought us to the end of our cruise. We were all a little sad as we left the ship, but we were soon smiling again as we traveled west to Walt Disney World for 2 days of playing with Mickey and the gang. We arrived at the Pop Century Resort early afternoon and checked into our rooms. Kathleen, Terri, and the Kaufholds decided to go visit some of the other resorts while Greg, the Rands, and I played in the pool. Dinner at the resort was followed by a trip to Downtown Disney for more shopping. We then tucked ourselves in and dreamed about the adventures to come.

A Day at Sea

Wednesday was a day of rest and relaxation. With no port of call, we were able to schedule our own day. A day of swimming, lounging, hot tubbing, playing shuffleboard and of course eating. Kathleen took a tour of the ship's galley and was amazed at how they prepare tens of thousands of meals each day. Tonight's dinner was at Parrots Cay and it was just as wonderful as the rest. Dinner was followed by a spectacular show. Disney Dreams is rated the best show in the entire cruise industry and it was easy to see why. Unfortunately, the end of this day brought our cruise to an end. Now we had to pack and get ready to leave the next morning.

Castaway Cay, Disney's Slice of Heaven

While eating another wonderful breakfast on Tuesday, we arrived at Disney's island, Castaway Cay. There is no way to describe it other than, WOW! The sky and water were their own shade of brilliant blue. Kathleen and I started our day by going snorkeling on a reef just a little ways off the island. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. We saw thousands of bright, beautiful fish less than an arms length away. It was like swimming in a fish tank. After returning to the island, we had an incredible bbq lunch with the Rands and then it was off to the snow white beach. We parked ourselves on some lounge chairs under an umbrella and I had a nap. The cabana girl brought us some tropical drinks and we just relaxed in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The evening found us back on the ship for another great dinner at Animators Palette. Following dinner was a Pirate Party on the Deck. Food, dancing and having fun was followed by the Pirates of the Carribean movie shown on the huge deck screen.

Arriving in Nassau, Bahamas

Monday morning brought us to the blue waters of Nassau. Greg and Terri Mann and Kathleen and I prepared for a day of shopping in Nassau. We hiked up and down blocks of jewelry, rum, and souvenir shops. Although Kathleen saw many rings that fit perfectly on her fingers, we left Nassau without putting too big of a hole in our wallets. We left downtown, took a water taxi and went on a brief tour of Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. After losing $10 in the casino, we headed back to the ship to get ready for dinner.

The dinner at Animators Palette was incredible. Afterwards, Jeannine, her boys, and Kathleen saw a movie in one of the on board theaters. The Manns, Dan and I watched Monday Night Football on the 150 foot screen on deck. Another day in paradise.

Off to See Captain Mickey

The Manns, Kaufholds and Newtons left at a very early 2 am on Sat, 11/8 to start our Disney Vacation. As we traveled down I-95 in the Kaufhold's RV, we talked about our 5 days at sea and 2 days in the parks. We met the Rands in beautiful Cocoa Beach, Fl at 5 pm on Sat and spend the night anticipating the beginning of our cruise the next day.

As we arrived at the ship on Sunday, I could not believe my eyes. As we boarded the ship and left for the Bahamas, my eyes were still as big as saucers as we toured the huge, beautiful ship. The lunch buffet was everything Greg had told me, including the shrimp as big as your fist. As we departed, we partied on deck and set the tone for all the fun to come. Dinner at Tritons was incredible. And the only thing that could top the dinner was the broadway style show we saw, The Golden Mickeys. What a great way to end the first day.

A Day in Raleigh

We spent a great day in Raleigh on Sat 10/18. We traveled south and visited Kathleen's sister and her family and then went to a picnic hosted by some great friends. Monica and Shawn throw a pig pickin' every year that includes some great blue grass music. Shawn smoked some delicious pork and chicken and Chuck and the Wagin' Ears played and sang some top notch blue grass. Although the weather was not as nice as the year before, the food, music, and visiting was great.

RAE Conference in Providence, RI

I attended, and spoke at, the Restore America's Estuaries Conference Oct 13 -Oct 15. I enjoyed the conference but really enjoyed the city. A beautiful city with lots of great pubs, restaurants, and architecture. The city has done a great job building their city around the river that runs through it. A great trip that only would have been better if Kathleen could have gone.

Welcome to the home of The Newtons

Welcome to the place where you can see all the things that are happening to John and Kathleen. You will see updates on all our adventures.

Hope you enjoy your visit.