Back from the Beach

Wow! I'm letting this blog slip. Not that I haven't wanted to post something here lately. It's been very busy since I took the promotion and Tricia and the boys got out of school.

Last Sunday the boys headed to the beach (Cherry Grove/North Myrtle Beach) with my sister Amy and my Mom. They met up with my other sister, Susan, and her family. Our family rented an old beach house that we have stayed in since I can remember. That old house and the one next two it (we rented both over the years) have some great memories. If those walls could talk... The houses once belonged to the Future Farmers of America (FFA). My Dad had a lot of connections with FFA over the years (he had a PhD in Agricultural Education after all...) and we got a great deal on the rentals. The houses are right on the beach and at the end of the Ocean Drive right before you get to North Carolina/Little River. The boys had so much fun with my family down there this week. Tricia and I had a blast going to see Grace Potter and her band at the Handlebar on Tuesday night. My recording had some issues; but, I know the problem (switch issues and operator error :-) ). Luckily, there was another taper and I should have no problem getting the audio. Check out my pictures here: Grace Potter at The Handlebar. It's always fun to go out to see music with Tricia and not having to worry about the kids is a big PLUS too!

Speaking of the kids...Dylan had some major and minor trauma this week at the beach. While walking with Uncle Dave on Tuesday along the beach, he made the HUGE mistake of picking up a washed-up Man-of-War jellyfish. Can you say "Pain"? It took a great deal of TLC and some vinegar and benadryl to make things right. The life guard told Dylan he handled it better than some men he has helped treat for the stings. Dylan had multiple stings on his hands,arms and legs. It was not a good site according to the eye witnesses. Luckily for us, his aunts and Nana took great care of him and today he doesn't have any signs of the stings. He also learned a valuable lesson about God's creatures, great and small.

Tricia and I left Greer on Wednesday night and spent the night in Home Branch before getting up and driving to the beach on Thursday morning. We went out to eat with the whole family after some fun in the sun. We went over to Ella's in Calabash, N.C. We have always gone to eat seafood in Calabash and there is good reason for that. Although we had to wait and it was hot, we had a great meal with everyone. You can't replace fun times like that. We walked down to the fishing docks and got a nose full of fish and made it back to the cars just in time before a HUGE storm rolled in and let down the rain. We hit the ice cream shop on the way back to the beach house. That was some of the best black cherry ice cream ever made. Period.

Mom and Pete went back to Home Branch after the meal in Calabash. We had the house with Susan and her family. We made a full day out of some putt putt on Friday and all the girls went out shopping in the evening. My brother-in-law Dave and I spent the afternoon with the boys in the surf and watching God's fireworks over the ocean from the back deck. Like I said, you can't replace times like that!

We are back in Home Branch now and will be going to the Johnson Family reunion tomorrow. This is a reunion for all of the children of my great grandparents on my Dad's side. Next year will be the 50th reunion and I will be the president of the reunion committee. I have put together a website at http://pinewoodjohnson50.org (it's a shell right now and I will be putting more family tree info and pictures on there soon). We are going to church in Pinewood tomorrow and then the reunion. More swimming in Nana's pool after that, I'm sure. We are staying here on Monday because my Mom is having her surgery on Monday. We will drive back home after I finish some work meetings. It will be good to get back home and see how much fun Keller and Shadow have had with Mrs. Linda and Mr. Barry. Well, time to wrap it up over here. I am at my sister's house while she is working. I have her wireless network up and running and her external hard drive ready to go. Life is good now that I can bring my laptop to my folks and be able to work wirelessly!!!!

Couple of cool things before I go:

- Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellancamp are playing in Greenville at the new Heritage Park ampitheatre on Dylan's birthday in July and kids get in free with an adult. It will be a lot of fun for us. Of course, Dylan will have a "real" party later that week with his friends at the movies and a sleep over planned.

-Swimming over to Bird Island (across a small river) with the boys on their rafts was very cool. Although Susan got caught in a little current and was scared a little before she made it over. We had a lot of fun walking around the practically empty island looking for shells and surf treasures. Mom and Nana stayed on the other side and waved. Miles and Dylan thought it was so cool that I could swim and pull their rafts at the same time. I hadn't swam that channel since 9th grade with my buddy David Curlovic. That seems like another life time ago and I am so glad Miles and Dylan got to go over with me. That is something that you can't replace either! Thank you God!

See ya!