UK Trip #8: Edinburgh Castle: Mary Queen of Scots and Ghosts!

This is part three of our tour of Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle dates back to the 1100s.There was an exhibit about Mary, Queen of Scots and her son, James who would later become England's king. Mary and James lived in Edinburgh Castle.
 

Portrait of Mary after François Clouet, c. 1559

WHO WAS MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS? - Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was queen regnant of Scotland from December 14, 1542 to July 24, 1567.   Her parents were Mary of Guise and James V of Scotland. She was born in 1542 and was executed on 1587. It is generally believed that Mary's execution - ordered by Elizabeth I - was the final reason Philip II needed to launch the Spanish Armada. Mary was Elizabeth I's cousin. 
THREAT TO THE THRONE -   Mary was a staunch Catholic, and her cousin Elizabeth I was protestant. Mary was seen as a threat to the Queen who wanted to keep England as a protestant nation. According to HIstoryLearningSite.Co.UK,  Catholics didn't recognize Henry's divorce from the Catholic Catherine of Aragon and there were rumors that Henry married Anne Boleyn before his divorce came through. SO, if the marriage to Anne (Elizabeth's mother)was illegal, Elizabeth was illegitimate and had no right to the throne. If Elizabeth had no right to the throne, the nearest legal heir to the English throne was.........Mary, Queen of Scots.

The display that Mary's ghost didn't like

HOW DID MARY'S END COME ABOUT? -     Elizabeth's solution was to keep Mary, Queen of Scots, in prison. For the next 19 years, Mary was kept in safe custody in various castles and manor houses. What's strange is that Mary never met Elizabeth over that entire time. Mary, however, kept telling everyone that she should be queen of England and rallied peopleagainst Elizabeth, even while locked up. In1587, Elizabeth hesitated about signing Mary's death warrant but did. According to HistoryLearningSite-UK, Mary was executed at Fortheringhay Castle, 70 miles north of London, on February 8th, 1587. (For the whole story go to: History Learning Site UK

GHOST IN  THE HONOURS OF SCOTLAND/CROWN JEWELS- The "Honours" is basically the crown jewels of Scotland and the "coronation stone" (a stone that sits under a throne whenever a royal is being crowned) and they were housed in a building with a display about Mary, Queen of Scots.
Before seeing the crown jewels, we walked through the display about Mary, which included life sized mannequins. It was there that Tom got the ghostly message. Both Tom and I walked around a corner and were face-to-face with a life-sized mannequin of Mary holding her son James. We both became very light-headed. Tom said "Mary doesn't like the exhibit and says it makes her look ugly."   WE FILMED A SHORT VIDEO RIGHT AFTER THE ENCOUNTER -

Tom and Rob in the last room of Edinburgh Castle's tour

A design in wood Tom liked

 KING JAMES BIRTH CHAMBER- Connected to Mary's bedroom was a tiny little room that could barely hold 10 people (let alone a bed). It was all restored and had no furniture in it. We noted that if there were a bed in there (where she gave birth to James) it would have to be a twin bed and only one other person could fit in the room!

The Haunted Whisky Shop!

THE HAUNTED WHISKY SHOP - There's a building on the castle grounds that has a triangular shaped- peak and what appears to be two large doors. By looking at it, I can only assume that's where wagons were stored, or maybe it was used as a stable for horses. 

Today, it's used for selling Scottish whisky (they spell it without the "e"). However, there was something more in there. When we went inside, Tom smelled the odor that lets him know that there's a ghost around. Basically, he said, it smells like a rotting corpse. He said it was so strong that it made him nauseous.  

  I had my ghostly headache, but because I was getting over the shingles (yes, it was a challenging start to vacation for me), the illness blocked out my ability to get messages. Regardless, we both knew that there was some person in there, and I would hazard a guess that it was a man (not many women were handling military animals hundreds of years ago).

NEXT: HOLYROOD HOUSE PALACE (The Queen's official residence in Scotland)

UK TRIP #7: Edinburgh Castle Part 2 - Dogs, Governor, Ghosts and Chapels

Governor's House within the castle walls

This is part two of our tour of Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle dates back to the 1100s. The oldest surviving building dates from that time, and we got to experience it. We also saw the former "Governor's House" and a special area that served as a tribute to military dogs (which was our favorite part of the castle).


 THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE - The Governor's House to the south was built in 1742 as accommodation for the Governor, Storekeeper, and Master Gunner,  and was used until the post of Governor became vacant in the later 19th century; it was then used by nurses of the castle hospital. Today, it functions as an officers' mess, and as the office of the Governor since the restoration of the post in 1936.

THE DOG CEMETERY - This was our favorite attraction in the castle.
Army regiments have mascots and  usually, they are dogs. Like today, Scottish military and the Scottish people loved their dogs. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that there was a special dog cemetery in the castle. 
   The cemetery is located high in the castle. The Dog Cemetery has been around since Queen Victoria's time (around 1840) as a burial place for regimental mascots and officer's dogs.


SOME NAMES WE SPOTTED ON HEADSTONES:
- "Jess" was part of the 42nd Highland Blackwater group. Jess was a band pet in 1881.
- "Dogla" passed in 1893 and traveled around the world. His tombstone said he traveled to China, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
- "Gyp" passed in 1911 and was a "Crown dog" whatever that means!

DOGGONE SPIRIT - Rob sensed that there was a springer spaniel still walking around the castle. The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. It is an affectionate, excitable breed with an average lifespan of twelve to fourteen years.

Rob sensed a Springer Spaniel's ghost around

"MY, THAT'S A BIG CANNON" -  The 15th-century siege cannon known as "Mons Meg" is located just outside St. Margaret's Chapel. Mons Meg was constructed in Flanders, a northern part of Belgium. It was commissioned in 1449 by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy.  SO, how big is it? It weighs 6 tons (13,000 lb.) and the cannonballs or stones that were fired weigh as much as 330 pounds!
  On July 3, 1558, Mons Meg was fired in salute to the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots.
  So, where did they get the "cannonballs" that were stones? The castle paid workers to find and retrieve the stones from northern Edinburgh.
  Does it work now? Nope. The Mons Meg has been defunct since her barrel burst on October 30, 1681 when firing a salute for the arrival of the Duke of Albany, the future King James VII and II.

 

Confirmation the chapel was built in the 12th century

THE OLDEST BUILDING IN THE CASTLE -  The oldest building in the castle is St. Margaret's Chapel, which dates from the early 12th century and is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh.
The chapel dates to the reign of King David I (ruled 1124–1153), who built it as a private chapel for the royal family. King David the First dedicated it to his mother, Saint Margaret of Scotland, who died in the castle in 1093. You can fit about 20 people inside.

inside St. Margaret's Chapel

 ANY GHOSTS IN THE CHAPEL? - When I (Rob) entered the chapel I sensed there was some energy inside, as their usually is in churches, where there's strong emotion. The residual energy radiated a need for solace from many people who entered the chapel, because of the many wars occurring over hundreds of years.

 SO, WHAT HAPPENS TO OLD CHAPELS?  - Over several hundred years, the chapel was used as a gunpowder store from the 16th century, when the present roof was built. In 1845, when it was "discovered," it formed part of the larger garrison chapel, and was restored in 1851–1852. Today, some weddings are still held there.

UK TRIP #6: Edinburgh Castle, Foog's Gate (and 2 short 60 second video tours)

On day two in Edinburgh, Scotland we started the day with a tour through Edinburgh Castle. The castle is located high atop the volcanic Castle Rock overlooking the city, and can be seen anywhere in Edinburgh.
   As we approached the castle, I (Rob) took a short video. There was apparently a military "tattoo" or performance in front of the castle, so the entry court was filled with spectator stands. 

SOME CASTLE HISTORY - 
According to Wikipedia, the first habitation of the site was in the ninth century B.C. The castle existed since at least the 12th century when David the first reigned.   The castle continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603.  By the 17th century its principal role was as a military base with a large garrison. Its importance as a historic monument was recognized from the 19th century.
    Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts, from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century, up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and has been besieged, both successfully and unsuccessfully, on several occasions.

Tom and Rob doing the audio tour

View of Edinburgh and North Sea from the Castle

 WHAT IS "FOOG'S GATE"? -  We liked the name of this gate, and found out that it was the principle gate to the Upper Ward of the castle. The origin of the name and date of its construction are unknown, however. It sounds like "Foog" could've been the name given to a big, goofy guy, in my opinion!

The perimeter wall on either side was built during King Charles II reign (1649-85) to bolster the castle's defenses.

Because it takes you into the upper part of the castle, we took a short video there. 

UK TRIP #5: Adventures in Underground Vaults and a Ghost!

Anne Marie from Across the Pond Vacations pre-booked us on an amazing tour that took us under the streets of Edinburgh and showed us a different world where people lived and thrived, before conditions got bad. Then this underground city became a place where the darker side of living moved in. The tour was historic, fascinating, and had some ghosts, too. It's the "Ghost Tour" from Mercat Tours (http://www.mercattours.com/home.asp). We had a great guide, too, The guide's name is Craig and he was informative, personable, and scared the heck out of people on purpose a couple of times in fun. More on our adventures after giving you a history.

Descending into the vaults

WHAT ARE THE BLAIR STREET UNDERGROUND VAULTS?-  Beneath the South Street Bridge stood 19 enormous arches which supported the bridge. In the arches are vaulted chambers, linked by a honeycomb of passages. The vaults were originally used in the 1780s to house shops and merchants. When it was discovered that the vaults leaked during rainstorms and whenever buckets of waste were tossed out (every night at 10 p.m., per the city ordinance at the time). The dampness and the waste was enough to drive merchants out. When the merchants left, homeless people, thieves and brothels moved in. The vaults were a maze of tunnels under the city.
  Grave robbers stored corpses in the vaults before selling them to medical schools so students could practice on them. Others stored wine in the cold, damp vaults. There were a lot of uses for that miserable space! 
   The vaults were closed down in the 1800s and filled up only to be re-discovered in the 1980s by former international rugby player Norrie Rowan, who was  developing his property on Blair Street. That's when he developed part of the medieval street built in the 1530s that led into the vaults. He arranged for the vaults to be cleared out and organized tours through them. 

The first room

The room where the "Watcher" attacks women

GHOSTS OF THE VAULTS!!     Back to our adventure:  During the telling of several stories of ghosts, death and horrible conditions, Craig, the guide would shout out in the middle of his story and startle everyone on the tour!  One time he was talking and stamped down hard on a wooden plank, scaring everyone! Craig said that since the tours started several people reported ghostly interactions. Some have seen a cobbler in one room, who is kind, quiet and appears to be comforting. Others have reported an evil "watcher" who has caused women to faint, brushed or scratched them.

Women scrambling out of the "Watcher's room!"

The hallway where we BOTH saw a shadow man cross

Left to right: A ghost's orb, Tour guide Craig, Tom

Edinburgh at 10:30 p.m. - the sun sets at 1 am!

Twilight at 10:30 p.m.

OUR GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS - In one room, Tom told me that he felt something brush his hair, and there is no wind in the vaults. The brushing of hair is something Craig said others have reported. I felt uncomfortable in the vaults - of course, it was dark, (one light in each room), damp, cool and smelled somewhat nasty.  I kept imagining a "white light of protection" around us and I sensed evil. Apparently, I was sensing the "Watcher."
   Both Tom and I saw a dark entity cross a corridor in the next room, moving from right to left and blotting out light. There was no one in that room, and no other group in the vaults!!

   At the end of the tour we were in the last room before the stairway back to the current ground level. Everyone was crowded in the room and Craig said that a woman in the back of the room on a previous tour kept reporting a breeze, then ran out of the room yelling that someone was breathing on her neck! Once we got outside of that room into the hallway I took pictures.
  On my camera's viewfinder I suddenly saw a bright red orb (the most simple form a ghost can take) flight from right to left out of that room!  Chilling!!

ORB OUTSIDE - When we got home and looked at the photo of Tom with Craig the tour guide, there, standing on the other side of Craig was a ghostly orb! An orb is the most simple form a ghost can take.

 After the tour we needed to wind down, so a pot of tea and some scones at Martone's Italian restaurant was the perfect end to the day.

UK Trip #4: Arrival in Edinburgh, Scotland!

We arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland on Tuesday, June 18th. 

Hotel room at the Apex Waterloo

CONFUSED CABBIE - Our elderly driver was waiting for us at the airport and just grunted when we got there. He had my (Rob) first and last name and Tom's first name written on the sign he was holding. He asked where the third person was and I told him that "Gutro" is my last name and there's only 2 of us. He didn't seem to get it for a couple of minutes, then "dawn broke on Marblehead" as my dad would say, and he realized what I was saying, so he grunted and told us to follow him to the cab. He said almost nothing all the way to the hotel.

The tub Tom enjoyed a bath in!

Taking in the sights

"Man of Steel" movie ad on a Scotland bus!

NICE HOTEL - We stayed at the Apex Waterloo Hotel and it was wonderful. We were on the 10th floor (top floor) and had a nice view of the North Sea and the northern edge of Edinburgh. The room had a nice big tub (which Tom enjoyed a bubble bath in), shower, comfy bed, desk, TV and an internet connection we could use freely on another floor.

A castle-like building on a hill in Edinburgh

SUPERMAN IN SCOTLAND - I was excited to see a "Man  of Steel" poster on the side of a double decker bus!

The Scottish Monument

"Arthur's Seat" - the extinct volcano

GREAT SCOTT!  - The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh.
  
WALKING THE CITY- We unpacked and walked around the city, walked through the huge underground mall, grabbing a sandwich and taking it back to the hotel, where we watched some kind of Scottish HGTV. 


LOOKING AT ARTHUR'S SEAT - No, we weren't looking at a guy's butt... but that's not to say we wouldn't. We were looking at a geographical feature called "Arthur's Seat." According to Wikipedia,  Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design." It is situated in the center of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 822 ft. Arthur's Seat is the largest of the three parts of the Arthur's Seat Volcano site of special scientific interest which is designated to protect its important geology (see below), grassland habitats and uncommon plant and animal species.

downtown Edinburgh, Scotland

GREAT GHOST TOUR- Anne Marie Clarke of Across the Pond Tours (we highly recommend) booked us on a "Mercat Tour of the underground vaults that run under part of the city. We took the "Hidden and Haunted Tour" and had a great tourguide in a tall young guy named Craig, who had a great sense of humor. The tour took us down a stairway into the underground catacombs off South Bridge Street.

NEXT BLOG: ADVENTURES IN THE BLAIR STREET UNDERGROUND VAULTS AND GHOSTS!!

Great Book! Thriller: A Reason to Live

**Our Trip Blog will resume tomorrow after today's blog about a great book I read**

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Matthew Iden, a local author, at the Frederick Book Festival last month, and we traded

books. He wrote a great thriller called "A Reason to Live" that I read while on vacation. It was really engaging.
  Matt's a great writer who really makes you see, feel, and hear the characters and what they're thinking.
   The characters are likeable, and the story is great. There's a great and unexpected twist in the story that will surprise everyone. I highly recommend it!  I read this book in a couple of days!!

Here's a summary of the book: 
Ex-DC cop, Marty Singer, is facing an uphill battle against cancer. When graduate student Amanda Lane, the daughter of a homicide victim from twelve years earlier approaches him, worried that her mother's killer is now stalking her, Marty decides he must, despite his own health concerns, help her. His reasons are bigger than just helping a young woman in need -- as the lead detective on the mother's case, he feels responsible for the fact that her killer went free. Soon enough, Marty agrees that someone is stalking Amanda, the question is, is the stalker her mother's killer? And if so, how can they find him before he harms or possibly kills Amanda?

UK Trip #3: The Freaky Flights to the U.K.

BWI Terminal. Cr: facebook sn jetboy787

The flights over to Scotland were a challenge and fraught with delays and issues.
FLIGHTY FLIGHTS -   The first flight was slated to go from BWI to Heathrow Airport, London. After getting there around 6:30 p.m. the flight was supposed to leave at 9:30 p.m.. Delays and thunderstorms in the vicinity (but not visible area) caused the flight to depart at 10:30 p.m. , an hour late. I was concerned because we had a connecting flight in London to take us to Edinbugh, Scotland, but there was about 2 1/2 hours between flights.
   Once we were airborne, the pilot came on and told us that the flight was being re-routed inland over Pennsylvania to avoid some strong weather. That added about another 45 minutes to the delay...
DINNER DILEMMA - British Airways is a great airline. They really provide excellent service and take care of their passengers. However, their passengers (i.e. me (Rob)) need to be cautious about eating stuff. At midnight our time, they served dinner. It was some kind of spiced beef... Well, over the course of the next 5 hours of flight, I was up almost every hour running to the bathroom and getting sick. By the time we arrived, I was better (but wound up being sick all day) and totally exhausted.

Rob's tummy troubles

PLANE INSANITY - Changing planes at Heathrow was a lot more time consuming and challenging than I expected. First, our plane was 2 hours LATE in arriving. We had just 30 minutes to make the connecting flight when we got off the plane in Heathrow. We didn't know that we had to go through customs before boarding a connection - didn't think about it -  and that took about 20 minutes. We then had to go through security...
  When we finally got through all that mess, the signage was lacking. Signs directed people down a corridor for "connecting flights" and went to an elevator, a down escalator and split into two corridors. At that point there was NO signage of which way to go. Tom asked a flight attendant who directed us down a level and on a subway ride to another terminal. When we arrived we saw our connecting flight was closing out so we ran. We got to the gate just minutes after the door closed. It was too late. 
SUPER HELPFUL - A British Airways gate agent, Kathleen Olah at Gate A2 on June 18th at 11:40 a.m. local time was extremely accommodating. She stayed past her shift, rebooked us on the next flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, re-routed our luggage for the next flight, and let us use her phone to call the taxi service in Scotland (who would be waiting for our arrival there) and inform them we'd be late. In addition, Kathleen gave us two 5 pound (British money, btw) vouchers to buy lunch while we waited for the next flight. Wow. THAT is Customer Service!!!
- We had a light lunch of fruit and cake and took our flight to Scotland (which was delayed 15 minutes).
NEXT: Arrival in Scotland! 

UK Trip #2: Getting There

Our summer vacation this year was to the United Kingdom, starting in Scotland and traveling south to York and Windsor, England. Getting there was both easy and challenging.
  DOGGONE IT - We had a night time flight to the U.K., so after pre-bagging breakfasts and dinners for the dogs, we dropped all FOUR dogs off at daycare.  We also brought their nylabones, treats, and bottled water (because daycare has well water, and our kids won't drink it). The team at Cozy Canine Camp (www.cozycaninecamp.com/‎) are awesome. Sprite, our 16 1/2 year old Dachshund is dealing with kidney failure and has been growing increasingly weak, so we hoped he would pull through. (He would up being hospitalized while we were gone- because the Cozy Canine Camp kept an eye on him)
, but is home and recovered, although his back legs are weak).
  PARKING - This was incredibly easy. I pre-made reservations on-line with PreFlight Parking. I recommend making reservations in advance to guarantee a space and get a discount on parking. The driver was timely, courteous, and he actually got out of the van and picked up our luggage and loaded them on the van! Wow!
  AIRPORT - We arrived at the International Terminal and saw a line of about 200 military men and women to go through security. We were glad we got there 3 1/2 hours ahead of time, but were startled that an entire military unit would be going through security. Tom waited in line while I went to exchange money for British pounds. When I did that, I noticed that there was another security checkpoint that went to OUR gates! So, I brought Tom over and there was no one in our security line. That was the end of the ease of getting there.
CONTINUED ON NEXT BLOG: The Flights Over

U.K. TRIP #1: Vacation Highlights

United Kingdom from NASA's Aqua Satellite. Credit: NASA

In mid-June for 9 days we toured the U.K. starting in Edinburgh, Scotland and taking the train to York, England, and ending in Windsor. From Windsor we drove to various castles and museums. Here are some of the highlights. The coming blogs over the course of the next monthwill highlight each stop!

1) Great being at the Langdon house B and B again in Windsor, England.Last year we befriended Paul and Sonja, the owners and it was great to see our old/new friends again.
2) We'll take you back through Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace- and the return of the screaming ghost.We saw different rooms that were not open last year! More on this in later blogs.
3) Cliff Richard's Concert was AWESOME!!
 Because Cliff has been singing since 1958, there were a LOT of older fans. I (Rob) LOVE Cliff Richard and have since the late 1970s.  When we were sitting in the car waiting to go to the concert we saw a woman using a walker with an oxygen tank attached to it- that should give you an idea of the concert goers... and Tom said "what have you brought me to?"
4) Edinburgh, Scotland was nice- the Apex Waterloo was great. Great room, service, clean, centrally located.
5) Edinburgh Castle- it was good, but we liked Holyrood House better. There was a special dog tribute in the Castle (more later). Holyrood is the current Queen's summer palace.  People should do both.
6) Recommend the Mercat Underground vault tour in Edinburgh-  It was very cool, and fascinating and we saw a ghostly shadow.
7) The Witchery "Murder and Mystery Tour" in Edinburgh - was fun, entertaining and informative. www.witcherytours.com
8) You'll soon read about a special dog, immortalized by the people of Scotland - and the very inspirational cemetery where he's buried.
9) We got to see Rob's old friend Bob and Kristen (who moved to England from the states for work) and their three cool kids while dining and touring York
10) Took a climb to the top of a massive and ancient cathedral- built over Roman ruins from 71AD
11) Hever Castle- A must for Tudor fans... and Rob ran into a special and historic ghost that was unexpected.
12) Sudeley Castle- Original Home of  one of Henry VIII's six queens. Gardens were amazing and we'll take you on a tour. 
13) We'll also take you into a brand new museum that houses the remains of one of Henry VIII's war ships - half was preserved in sand for 500 years, brought to the surface and a museum was built around it. It opened this year!
14) Trains were great. (One thing we didn't realize was that the Train tix also worked for one connection on the Tube in London- we didn't read the ticket).
15) Flights; Delays, missed flights, and a dinner challenge NOTE for others: It took about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours to get through Customs at Heathrow and again through Security to get to the connecting flight.
16) Hertz Rental car- perfect.  *Note to GPS users- sometimes it will take you through 1 lane roads, farms, fields, and closed roads. Yeah, we experienced all that... so we finally opted to use road signs and ask directions. GPS is really great for city driving and as a map back up.

Today is Our 4th Wedding Anniversary!

Today marks four years that Tom and I have been legally married.
  On June 26, 2009, we got legally married in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Because our marriage wasn't legal in Maryland at the time, we had to go to the nearest state where it was legal. That was Connecticut. It took a little work and some good friends to make it all work out.
  My (Rob) brother Doug suggested Bridgeport as a good city to get married in, and he contacted his friend (the mayor of Bridgeport) who recommended a restaurant to have the post-vow lunch.

Mike officiating our wedding as our best man, Jeff looks on

 Our friend Jeff was our best man, and he drove up to Connecticut with us. We all remember the drive- it was a Thursday night and it took about 9 hours (instead of 6) because  of really bad traffic, lane closures, construction, etc. We got to the hotel and crashed. The next morning, our wedding day, we got up early and checked out City Hall before it opened, a nearby park where we  planned on getting married, and the restaurant  where we planned lunch.
     Our friends Mike and Amy Bettwy flew to Connecticut. Mike married us - but it wouldn't be in the park. We met Mike and Amy at City Hall where Tom and I got our official marriage license. We remember how wonderful the City Hall clerk was when we got the license. 

Friends and family at the restaurant wedding ceremony

     After getting the license, we went outside to the park. overcast skies threatened rain, so we went to the restaurant and called the small bunch of friends who insisted on driving hours from Massachusetts to be there.  It was going to be just us, Jeff, Mike and Amy - but I let some friends in New England know (since we were up there anyway). BTW-We planned a reception in the backyard in September for everyone to celebrate with us.
   The staff and manager of the restaurant were incredibly accommodating. They knew we had reservations for 12, but didn't know we'd be getting married there!  They put us in an area, and pulled a large curtain around it, giving us a large "private room." The restaurant is "Ralph and Rich's" and we urge everyone to go there: Click for Ralph and Rich's Website.
     The ceremony was short and perfect. Mike did an amazing job. Tom and I each read our own vows, and of course, we both cried during them. It was an amazing day. That was four years ago, and we continue to grow in love with each other. We have amazing canine children (we never thought we'd have 4 dogs), great family and friends.

  

Help Save Africa's Rhinos: Donate your old GPS Unit Now

Did you know that Rhinocerouses in Africa are still being slaughtered for their horns?  Rhinos are fast becoming extinct, and a Washington, DC area resident that we were "introduced to via facebook" is leading a charge to stop it. 

   Scott Lope (via facebook) ~  is requesting people send him their old GPS Units (now that many smart phones have built in GPS, we didn't need it anymore, so we donated it).  They are being delivered to anti-poaching rangers. Scott said, "This is a REAL chance to help save the few remaining wild rhinos in South Africa from certain death at the hands of poachers." Please  dig out those old GPS units, ask your friends for theirs. 

For the mailing address: Scott Lope c/o Animal Warriors, 206 Causeway Drive, #66, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

Help prevent this from happening

A Short: "It's Monday" Commercial to see

I usually don't relate to commercials or promote them, but this "It must be Monday" spot for Excedrin (appropriately). Considering it's Monday, you may want to watch it to feel better about your own Monday!

(Link: http://youtu.be/i7ZdHAw_b6g)