BETTE-- MY LONG LOST SISTER

This is the reason we left California early.

Good Hubby bought us tickets to the Bette Midler show in Las Vegas.

I know we were sisters in a past life.

She does not share well though---she got all the talent and can sing on

key and I was ask NOT to sing in a church choir and have "O" talent.

But we both have a love of Gardening and New York City.

"In 1994 I returned to New York to live and found a city under a pile of garbage. Her parks were abandoned, her highways filthy. I can only describe my feeling with a word that hasn't been used since the turn of the century: I swooned. When I came to I realized something had to be done and I founded the New York Restoration Project. Now I always say, "Get the trash off the streets and back on the stage where it belongs!" So we began by cleaning up.

Well, that was 12 years ago, and since then we've moved over 800 tons of garbage from the city's most neglected sites. Imagine, we've handled more trash than a security guard on the Jerry Springer Show! Presently, besides maintaining six parks and countless public spaces, NYRP owns and manages 60 community gardens throughout the five boroughs of New York City, each with its own personality, reflecting the traditions and flavor of the community in which it's located. This year, we began our newest, tallest order, planting one milliion trees in the asphalt jungle. All contributions are welcome. www.nyrp.com." Bette Midler

When we win the Lottery-- Bette and her gardens will get a bundle

TIME WARPS

Good cousin Becky and husband Jack visited us our last weekend. Saturday we took them to the Rancho Guajome State Park which has become one of our favorite new places. We did the tour and when we were getting ready to leave we ask the park guide what all the shooting and cannon? fire was across the river. He said something about a Civil War Re-enactment. We hustled right over there and caught the last 20 minutes of the final battle of the day. They have them the first weekend of the month and it was great.

This is a serious time warp with the million dollar houses on the ridge above the battle.

The Confederates had the Union on the dead run at one point but in the end the Union prevailed. I ask a guide how the "dead soldiers"knew when to die, and he said "When they run out of ammunition". Boys under 14 can't carry a gun but can be "pickle boys". These boys would carry water and pickles to the soldiers. The pickles were a way to replace the salt they lost in the fighting.

CAMP AND SHOPS

PHYSICIAN'S TENT

Could have done without this one

GREAT COSTUMES

We spoke with this nice lady for quite a while and told her she looked like a very proper Southern lady. She
informed us that actually she was a Northern maiden. Whoops

A great Abe Lincoln impersonator recited the "Gettysburg Address" to the crowd on the bleachers after the battle. He told how Lincoln had most of it written except for the closing line. He walked from his rooming house to the cemetery to pray and came upon a mother looking for the grave of her son. They spoke briefly and then he went back to his room and completed his speech.

Jack was very interested because he participates in the Pony Express Commemmorative Ride every year. One of his grandfathers was an original Pony Express Rider.

HELLO HANDSOME

YEA, BABY NOAH IS HERE!!! He was born on March 7th at 12:05 a.m. Isn't he beautiful. He was a month early and weighed 5 lb. 11 oz and was 19 inches long. Mom, Dena and Dad, Steve and Baby are doing great.

We were able to get to Salt Lake to be there when he was born. Becky arranged for a friend to give us buddy pass's on Jet Blue and 1/2 hr later we were racing to the San Diego airport. We arrived home 1 1/2 hours before he was born. We stayed at the hospital until about 2:30 a.m. and then upon arriving at the parking garage discovered we had a flat tire. AAA is wonderful and we arrived home at 4:a.m. Visited the hospital 3 more times today and then hopped back on the plane and was back in San Diego about 7:00. A great Day.

STILL GETT'N READY TO LEAVE

Big Fish in the Sky

These two pictures are for my Aunt Myrleen and Uncle Shirl

Their favorite Stores

This car likes to have fun. 1 racing dirt bike, 1 road racing bike,

1 "odie" surf board and lots of gear to go with it all.

We had a good time with Tim while he was here. Thanks Melanie

and Abby and Matt for holding down the home front.

GETT'N READY TO LEAVE

We're down to our last week in California and we've been working on the supplies and refrigerator for about a week. Anytime now we'll be having refried beans and pineapple slices for supper.

Tim raced in St. George last Saturday
and then hopped on down here for a few days. He had some "use it or lose it" vacation days. Melanie and the twins decided not to miss any additional school days. Tim just plans to bike and surf and T.V. It's good to have him here.

He went surfing this afternoon and biked through Camp Pendleton this morning. Loved the surfing at Orfino.

Becky and Jack Rhodes have rented a unit here and will be here on Thursday. We're looking forward to them coming.