Memorial Day Tribute......

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!!!  We wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!  We won't be going camping over the holiday, but next weekend R&T's Pod will be out and about.

Rob wanted to do a Memorial Day salute to our family members who have served in the US Armed Forces as a way of honoring them for their service.

This first picture is of Rob's grandfather R.G. Ritchie, Sr., USA

He served in France in World War I

The back of this picture is labeled:

Chatillon, France

Jan.  1919

 This picture is labeled:

"U.S.S. South Carolina"

"Ship that brought us home"

On the back is written:

Sailed from Brest France May 26, 1919

We landed Newport News, VA.  Sunday June 8, 1919 2:30pm.  Arrived  home (Landis, NC)  June 20, 1919.

Next is Rob's father, R.Guy Ritchie, Jr., USAF (Ret)

  

This is his official retirement picture.  We have lots of pictures to choose from, but Rob likes this one the best. 

He served in both the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict.

Next is Rob's brother. 

Cullen B. Ritchie, USN. 

Operation Desert Storm

Now Rob has lots of pictures of his brother in uniform, but once again, this is his favorite.

An here is a picture of Rob's uncle: Kenneth G. Jones, USA.  

Cullen's youngest son is named in  honor of Uncle Kenny.

While these are all the family members we have pictures of in their uniforms, they are not all the family members who have served in the US Armed Forces at one time or another.

Here are a few more that Rob remembers:

Elige E. Jones, Sr.  USA                       WWI

Jesse C. Sigmon, Jr. USA                     WWII

William R. Jones, USA                         Korea

Marshall Lambeth, Merchant Marine  WWII

Steven Lambeth, USMC (Ret)  

A.A. Peeler, USA                                 WWII  (Occupation Forces)

Thanks for checking by today.  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J.

The GPS's on Parade........

Happy Wednesday everyone!  If your counting, only 16 more days of school until summer break!  HAHA!  As we told you in our last post, we have replaced Geraldine our GPS.  Now we don't want to offend anyone named Geraldine, but our Geraldine didn't always have a good sense of direction.  It's a funny story how our GPS came to be known as Geraldine, and maybe Rob will tell you sometime.  Anyway, here is a picture of all four of our Garmin GPS units.  They are arranged around the one thing important for ALL GPS user's to own. A good atlas.  

From left to right they are:

Garmin Street Pilot i2

Garmin Street Pilot C550

(a.k.a. Rosie)

Garmin Nuvi 265W

(a.k.a. Geraldine)

Garmin Nuvi 50LM

Why so many GPS units you ask.  Basically because when it came time to upgrade the map software for them, it was usually more cost effective to buy a new GPS that had a larger screen, more features, and of course the latest mapping software.  In fact, with the newest GPS, the final cost using reward certificates we had accumulated at Best Buy was less than the cost of lifetime updates for our current GPS.  Plus, the new GPS has lifetime updates included in the price.  Here are individual pictures of each one:

Street Pilot i2

This little unit was very basic, and we never actually gave it a name.  It was a little difficult to see when driving, but it generally worked well.

Street Pilot  265W
a.k.a. Rosie

This unit was a vast improvement over our first one.  It came to be know as Rosie, after Rosie the Riveter of WWII fame.  This unit was very reliable.  It took us from North Carolina to Seattle, WA and back in the summer of 2008 with very few mistakes.  

Nuvi 265W
a.k.a. Geraldine

And then we have Geraldine.  This GPS was larger, worked good, but was prone to recalculating en-route and deciding we were somewhere we definitely were not.  Then a few moments later, it would recalculate and find us again.  Both of the last two GPS units had the traffic software, and bluetooth connectivity.  Both of these features we found to be not all that special.  In fact, Geraldine seemed to work better with them turned off.  

Nuvi 50LM

Here is the latest member of our travelling family.  The screen is a bit larger, it tells you which is the proper lane to be in for a multi-lane intersection or exchange, it doesn't have bluetooth, or traffic software.  The biggest bonus with this unit is it has lifetime map updates included.  We haven't had it long enough to name it just yet, but with the trips we have planned for this summer, I am sure we will come up with one.

Rob has owned one other GPS prior to these units.  It was a Magellan Marine unit.  Rob says it was one of the first portable, consumer units to come on the market.  It was large, slow, and due to federal regulations at the time, had an "error" factor of 10 to 15 yards.  

Thanks for checking buy today.  Come back again soon, until then, stay safe out there.....-R,T,&J.

Mother's Day 2012.......

Today's post will be our Mother's Day tribute to Rob's mom Voncylle Jones Ritchie, and grandmothers Mae Ritchie and Glovie Jones.  If Trisha gets some pictures before Mother's Day of her mom Ann, she will be here too.  We want to wish each and every mother who reads our blog a wonderful Mother's Day.  (And all the mom's who don't too!!!)

Voncylle

Glovie Jones and Rob

Voncylle 1924

Voncylle 

Voncylle

Voncylle

Voncylle

Voncylle

Voncylle and Rob

Voncylle and Rob

Voncylle and Rob with cousins Becky and Miriam Sigmon

Guy and Voncylle

Guy, Voncylle and Rob

Mae Ritchie and Rob

Mae Ritchie and Rob

As promised, Trisha did get some great pictures of her mother Ann, so here they are.  Happy Mother's Day Ann!

Thanks to everyone for checking buy today.  Check out our next post where we tell you about Geraldine's replacement.  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J.

Random Rally Pictures.......

Well Monday did sneak up on us about three days too early, so it was off to school.  We are now on the downhill run of EOCs, EOGs, all sorts of random assessments, portfolio presentations, exit meetings, progress reports, etc.  


But all is good because in only 22 more days, summer break will be here, we'll be off to Kentucky for the 2012 Eastern R-Pod Roundup.  In the meantime, here are a few more pictures from the BRR.  

Hope you enjoyed your visit today and be sure to check back soon. Until then, stay safe out there.....-R,T,&J.

Thanks are in order........

Well it's Saturday night at the holler, the Holler Hoedown was a success, Snatch-a-Gift was a hoot, and now lots of the group are around the final campfire of the 2012 BRR.  Some people left today, some are leaving very early in the morning, but by about lunch time tomorrow all that will be left are memories and photos. 

This post tonight is for Sharon who spends months planning the Blue Ridge Rallys.  Also, I know Sharon couldn't pull it off without lots of help from her sister Becky.  Here's a great big THANKS to the two of them for all their hard work in making each of these rallys the successes they are.

And if you don't think Sharon is a woman on the go at these rallys,  just check out the next few pictures I caught of her today......

Check out her "cape" on the back of the golf cart.  You know she had the petal to the metal.  That's all for tonight.  I'll take a few days off and then post more pictures from the BRR.  Check back soon, until then stay safe out there.....-R,T,&J.