The Beach at Thanksgiving

Every year for about the past 20 years, Clint and I have gone to the beach at Thanksgiving. We used to stay in a friend's condo on the beach close to 100th Street, but then her family discovered how wonderful it is in Ocean City at Thanksgiving time. In fact, we believe the whole world has discovered this. When we first started coming over here, there were about two restaurants open. We were always able to find one open for Thanksgiving lunch, but it took some searching. Now... there are many restaurants... many hotels... the main street through OC (the Marylander's fond name for Ocean City) is always busy -- all three lanes going north and south. However, now we've found another quiet spot over here. Our motorhome goes anywhere, and today we are parked just behind the dunes right on the beach. It's beautiful, but windy. Today is supposed to be 70 degrees, but tomorrow night down to 28 degrees. We'll enjoy today. Here's a picture of Clint I took earlier today. It's his 63rd birthday! Wow! The other picture is of one of the ponies munching on grass near our motorhome -- that's our motorhome in the background. We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are headed into town in about an hour or so for turkey dinner.

A New Friend

Recently, Spring Ridge had the privilege of hosting an exchange teacher from Switzerland. Barbara Leuman was with us for three weeks. What a pleasure! The boys and girls really grew to love her wonderful sense of humor, the great stories she told, and the activites she engaged them in. It was a fun experience for all of us. Barbara lives in a small town, Lillis, a village smaller in population than our school. The photos she shared with us were incredible. The small cabin in the middle of the "hillside" picture below is the hut she and her husband own, way up on one of the mountains. It's quite a hike up the mountain to the hut, but it's a place where they can "get away" for reading and enjoying nature. The water is fresh and it's quiet and peaceful. Barbara is a special education teacher in a small school in another village. Her commitment to her students was evident. She is an outstanding teacher. As always, when meeting a new friend, the hardest part is saying good-bye. We were blessed to have her with us, and look forward to keeping in touch with her for years to come. Perhaps Clint and I will take a trip to Switzerland in a year or two. :-)