Sorry about the long delay between posts. Work often has a way of side-tracking the best of intentions! Finally managed to get away for a few days - though it was a close thing. We had put a deposit down for a much needed week in Hilton Head South Carolina with my daughter Christy, Her Husband Kenny, and out grand kids Ella and Julian (JuJu). Right up to the last minute it looked like I wouldn't be able to go. Hilton Head holds many memories for my wife Martine, as it was her family's vacation spot of preference when she was a child. I was first introduced to it when following her mother's death we flew down to the island to pick up her mothers car.

It was a great first introduction. We sat a a little outside bar at Harbor Town sipping Mellon Coladas, and listening to live music. Here I was, thousands of miles from my comfort zone and wouldn't you know it - I actually knew the musician who was playing! Billy Blair - who I had met at a NAMM convention in Nashville. He invited us over to the place he was playing that evening where we had a great meal and another great concert. I was hooked on the island from that moment on. One of my favorite parts of the experience is always that first sniff of the ocean air as you drive over the bridge (or even sooner if the wind is blowing in the right direction.

Marti and I weren't married at the time of that first visit. When we finally decided to get married, and were trying to decide on an invitation, we settled on the idea of photo-shopping a picture of the two of us as children together on the beach at Hilton Head. She had a picture of her and her sister, so it was just a matter of having my good friend David VanDelinder take out her sister and put me in her place. David did a great job and created the picture below. We had a lot of questions about it - "I didn't know you knew each other as children!" Thought I would include the picture as a fun "then and now"



Its been a couple years since we have been able to make the trip, so I was really looking forward to it. The best part this year was seeing the grand kids - and their excitement about going to the beach. At that age everything is new and exciting - discovering lizards, spiders (Marti's favorites), crabs, jelly fish, dolphins and gators. We also had a great time riding our bikes around the island. There are bike paths everywhere. Oh and did I mention Melon Coladas at the Salty Dog? Didn't get to play golf this year as my back was really screwed up for most of the time there - that was the only dissapointment - Hilton Head is really a golfers paradise.