Prayers...

always in our minds and hearts.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas was pool side and on the tennis court... very non-traditional! But Santa still found us. Thanks to all our family and friends who sent cards and gifts... especially the edible ones! Sampson loved his "Elmo Replacement" Auntie Wee. Dogs do smile!
We walked the beach Christmas Eve and spoke about our many blessings. Family, friends, our health, the weather... Wishing you all a joyous holiday season.

Glen, Connie & Katie... Oh and Sam n' Lu!

OOOSAWALLA HA!! (Connie language)

We picked her up at the Punta Gorda airport Wednesday afternoon and headed straight to the beach to get some sand in our toes. The birds put on a show just for Kate and sunset was on time and spectacular. Dinner at McCabe's Irish Pub off 5th Street (I "procured" a supply of monogrammed cocktail napkins for you, Tim). So good to have her here. She slept 12 hours for the past 2 nights. Poor working girl is all worn out. Muma Luv will take care of that.

Katie ran down the beach chasing the birds like she used to when she was 4. Some things never change...

Christmas shopping was fun yesterday. All the palm trees are wrapped in white lights. Santa is wearing shorts. Instead of Christmas cookies and egg nog we had Cuban pulled pork paneras and black bean soup. We stumbled into a wine tasting event (... and stumbled out). Connie only got lost twice so we have devised new reminders to carry our cell phones. It involves honking the van horn, doing a little dance, clapping hands and now pantomiming a phone call... then laughing hysterically as people look out the corners of their eyes at us.

Who has more fun than people?

Fort Myers

We need a bumper sicker on our van that says "We stop for Rainbows..." Big double above the Sanabel Captiva Causeway... Connie gets wicked excited....

Lat night we had dinner at a great seafood restaurant called "Prawnbroker" with Uncle Ray, Aunt Bev, Nancy and Michael. Lots of laughs "We decided on a new kitchen...", happy memories and sharing of news from the families. What a good bunch!

Sam n' Lu were welcomed and proceeded to make themselves a home... So many laps to sit in... so little time....

Katie comes tomorrow!!! WoooHoooo!!!

Sunset on the Gulf

Wow! Could really get used to this place. There is a lot of $$$ here... an understatement. But last night when we walked 33 Ave beach we saw only a dozen people over a 2 hour period. The poor rich folks were too busy taking care of their stuff to come out for a glorious sunset. Ya gotta feel bad for em...

Talked to my friend John last night. What a good guy.

6 Days to Katie!! YEAH!!!! can't wait to see her

Punta Gorda

Art and Carol invited us up for dinner and a boat ride. I had no idea that Art was into boating in such a "BIG" way. Who knew? We had a great day and can't thank them enough for the wonderful hospitality.

Art noticed the hat on Captain Harold Small from New Harbor Maine. He and his lovely wife Ellie stopped to talk for a few minutes with their dog "Buddy Love". We played the "who do you know game" and shortly had identified mutual acquaintances. If we had talked for a few more minutes we would undoubtedly have found we were related... Small world and wonderful people. Harold and Ellie invited us all over for drink and offered us the spare bedroom if we wanted to stay in Florida after January. Really nice people.

What a journey we are on...

editors comment by Sam and Lulu: And while they were out to dinner, we got to sit on the couch with Aunt Peggy (Carol's mom). We can't tell you how well she took care of us! What a nice woman!

Clam Pass

Sunset at Clam Pass. 85 degrees. We hear from family and friends that Maine got socked! And this morning it was 1 degree in Skowhegan. December is a tough month in many ways, but being in this warm and healing place makes it much easier.


We waded in the Gulf of Mexico for about a mile checking out an incredible array of shells. (Nanie would have filled her bucket in 2 minutes! see picture gallery...) Connie knew a short cut back to the car through the mangrove swamp trail and we ended up stranded on a peninsula! Next time we're bringing the Garmin! Incredible beauty. The sun melted into the sea.

Connie called her good friend Carol from Michigan who she hadn't seen since December 1999 just to touch base. Carol said, "Where are you?" "Naples Florida", Connie replied. After a stunned silence, Carol said " Oh my Lord, so am I!!" Long story short. She was sitting in a Starbucks on Davis Boulevard 5 minutes away from our condo. A picture is worth a thousand words...
Coincidences? Ya think....?

editors comment by Lulu: Sure is nice walking on a beach instead of on ice. Short dogs have a problem with 20 inches of snow! We went to a Christmass tree lighting last night and were mobbed by lots of little girls in red and white dresses. Samson found a friend named Everett. Check the picture gallery... It's so easy to meet people and spread joy when you are as cute as me and Sam...

that'll do,
Sam n' Lu

Sunday in Naples

Nice trip down the East coast of Florida with stops in Jekyl Island, Amelia Island and Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine was charming, all decorated for Christmas. Felt very old world. Took the back roads to Naples through Florida farm country. Reminded us of Belize... especially the prison complex and the orange trees.

Found a wonderful place in Naples, called Unity Church. Very embracing. Wonderful music, overlooking a pond, butterflies, flowers... a really peaceful place. It made us think of what Christmas has become in our materialistic society and of what it is really supposed to be about. We hope our friends and family can find the joy of the season and avoid the frenzied rush.

No internet connection at the condo so sitting in a parking lot where we picked up a wireless signal. We are "off the map" (except for an occasional blog entry). Feels pretty good.

Last day on the beach

Starting to pack up and disengage from this beautiful spot. If this month on Saint Simons Island is in any way a foretelling of what is to come, we can't wait. It has been relaxing, refreshing and revealing. ( how's that for alliteration Katie, my English major daughter...)

The tide was dead low at Coast Guard Beach. You can walk a half mile out on the sand bars. It's feels like you are walking on the water and sandpipers take full advantage to feed on the stranded crustaceans. Some of the prehistoric horseshoe crabs are monstrous. The dogs romp and race around excitedly chasing birds.

I always bring along my little Panasonic transistor radio ("Panasonic is the best...") so we can groove on the beach. Connie dances on the sandbars like nobody is watching... and nobody is. The pumpkin seemed so out of place, but made for a nice photo op.

Joe and I shared his radio over the years. I took it to Snow Pond and it survived a dunking. I brought it back to him at the VA (where it was labeled). Now it's posing with a pumpkin. Joe believed in buying "the best". He was the best, not perfect, just the best.

His absence at Thanksgiving ( and Christmas, New Years, Super Bowl, etc.) will be poignant for my extended Murphy family this year. They are a great family and I'm proud to be among them. Tina's courage is an inspiration.

OK, time to pack the Thule. Tim, I am so thankful that you set me up with my "turtle". Looks wicked shaahp...

editors note from Sam and Lu: Here we go again! Hope we're as big a hit in Naples as we have been here. Life is good.

that'll do,
Sam n' Lu

It's the people...

Delightful evening with new friends Jay and Mimi. Shrimp parmigiana gumbo (wow...) at Jay's (awesome beach house) with Scott and Dianne. Sam and Lu enjoyed Shorty, a dachshund, hound mix.

We are getting ready to hit the road soon heading for our next destination ( Naples Florida) for Christmas. Katie's coming down to visit. So is Rosie. And we will be visiting Aunt Bev/Uncle Ray and Art/Carol who live nearby.

Ryan told us before we left Maine that his cross country travel experience became all about the people he met and visited along the way. So true.

Thanksgiving on St. Simons

65 degrees and mild winds on Thursday afternoon. East Beach was busy with activity. Families walking off the turkey and sweet "pahtaaytas", lots of dogs of every kind (even another Malteese... General Lee was his name. He was really attracted to Lulu. Sam was having none of that...), football games, elaborate kites.

As we walked the beach we talked about things for which we are thankful. Our children, our families and friends, our health, each other, our adventure, this beautiful country, our dogs...

After the sun set, we sat on a bluff at Jo's cottage and toasted the full moon. Life seemed seamless between this life and the next.

fishing...

by glen:

Yesterday on St. Simons Sound and back waters ( Hamilton River, Village Creek) fishing with next door neighbor, Steve. Fortunate to have hooked up with him as he knows just about all there is to know about fishing these parts. We got into the Sea Trout and caught 50 or 60 (only kept 30 all over 13", several 16-18"... great sport!) Such awesome beauty in the "low country". As the sun set, the marshes morphed into colors I have never seen. Alligators, dolphins, hawks, osprey, egrets, ducks, pelicans, cormorants. Wonderful...

Back at the Glynn County Marina, as we cleaned the fish, we were surrounded by hundreds of onlookers. Pelicans, gulls (small ones, not like back home), snowy egrets and wharf cats waited patiently until I tossed the fish parts into the water. Then things erupted. Pelicans grabbed each other by the neck, gulls swooped in to steal the scraps; the beating of wings and screeches...What a circus! At one point a pelican had a gull in his mouth until the gull gave up the scrap it had stolen. Fun to watch. We were also surrounded by millions of teeny, biting gnats. And I thought black flies were bad...

So, when I showed up back at home with a bucket full of Sea Trout fillets, I was a little disappointed that Connie refused to let me cook them in the house. (smart girl...). But there's more than one way to skin a cat (fish). I set up my small camping stove on the back deck, Connie cooked up some rice and we had a "Cajin fish fry" (Steve says the secret is in the coating and "Golden Dipt" is the best... he was right!) Wicked good!

There are still 10 pounds of trout fillets in the freezer for Dan and Brenda. Don't forget the Mexican Cholula Hot Sauce... and the Rolaids....

editors note by Sampson: I can't believe he didn't take me fishing. Sounds like he needed my protection with all those fish eaters... especially the cats!

A Message to Noah

Hi Noah! Thanks for singing to us on the phone! Here is a picture of us sitting on the back of our new friend, Dino the Dinosaur! Be a good boy! We'll talk again soon!
Love you, Sam n' Lu

so THAT'S a Low Country Boil!

"Fresh, steamed oysters... wild-caught shrimp and coastal fare from leading Golden Isles restaurants... a Low Country Boil". That's what the poster advertising the benefit event for the St. Simons Island Land Trust promised.

We were invited as guest of Jo (middle) as were Harry & Joyce (right). A cool evening and a gathering of over 800 Island people under the live oaks and Spanish moss at the historic Fort Frederica National Monument. Live bluegrass and Irish music under the stars. A wonderful evening.



I found myself standing at a long, dimly lit table with 8 other folks with a steaming mountain of oysters piled in the middle. Each person had a short knife (oyster knife) and we proceeded to physically overpower the mollusks. I am almost certain that the sticky red substance covering the table was cocktail sauce and not human blood, but it was dark and the oysters tasted so good that it really wouldn't have mattered. The other tables offered other delicacies including steamed shrimp, corn, sausage, pulled pork, fried fish. It was all just so finger licking good...

note from Sampson: We stayed home and guarded the house. It was a good thing we did because there are now 4 squirrels in the trees around the house. Me n' Lu think they are up to no good. Believe me, you've got to stay on your toes when it comes to squirrels...

That'll do,
Sam n' Lu

Early Saturday morning at Dressner's Restaurant

by Connie:

We discovered the local breakfast 'hole in the wall' on Mallary Street where the "locals" gather. Dressner's has wide plank floors, a 12 foot metal ceiling and the best (and only) oatmeal-pecan pancakes we ever had. We drank "Sweet Tea" instead of coffee (free refills!) just like the locals.

An elderly man with an Alaska sweatshirt approached Glen and extended his weathered hand. With a smile, he asked our names and welcomed us to the island. Said he and his wife Francis had lived here for 53 years. After a brief conversation, he placed his hand on Glen's back (in typical Joe Murphy fashion) and told us he hoped we would come back to SSI and settle down after our journey. As he departed he said, " Glen and Connie, it has been a pleasure...".( Daddy always said that.) What a gentleman.

I LIKE "Southern Hospitality".

images of a walk in the park...

things that go bump in the night...

by glen:
In the tradition of Norma Mae, I beach comb on our daily walks on the ocean. The "beauties" are not as abundant as I am used to in Maine, but the dunes are so interesting for a former biology major. We soon learned to keep Sam ands Lu out of the pucker brush. It seems that every plant has adapted a spiked, spiny, sticky seed pod. We spend hours grooming them out of their fur.

The beaches and the dunes are covered with tiny holes in the sand dug by industrious "little thingies" (Darwin's term...). Today at "Bloody Marsh" National Historical Monument we walked out into the marshes and the tiny crabs skittled before us by the hundreds. Connie jumped on my back and wouldn't get down.

I brought home a variety of shells which I washed and arranged on the counter. Pieces of rainbow colored oyster shells, delicate little clam shells, spiral conch shells. We remember so well those trips to Higgins Beach with mom and all the grand kids, everybody with their own bucket, gathering "beauties". I remember one cold December day when Eric, 2 years old, waded into a tide pool right up to his waist in his little down jacket to claim a starfish. (beach combing is a competitive sport in our family...). I remember Spring Point on June 30, 2001 when Kimmy and Nate argued about whether to keep or release another giant starfish... probably the same guy!

We began to hear unexplained noises a couple days ago. Just bumps in the night.... But yesterday while Connie was talking on the phone to Tina, the conch on the counter just mysteriously flipped off the counter and onto the floor. She skooched down to check that the counter was level, scratched her head and picked up the shell.

This morning, as Connie was telling me about the crooked counter top, the shell got up and walked toward us. She screamed and started doing her best South Brewer Turrets Syndrome on me. I couldn't stop laughing.

I get to laugh every day.

Shrimper just offshore... tasty little buggers

This picture is for Sarianna...the name of this boat is "Dora" (the explorer...?)


Luv, Lulu

Veterans Day 2007 in SSI Georgia

The parade was nice; So were the ceremonies and the speeches from the military personnel and VFW old timers. We walked away with a sense of gratitude for the men and women who served this country (who served us...) That's when we stumbled upon Cecil.

He is a self proclaimed "young 88" and had served in the Army Air Corp in WWII, like Joe Murphy. He flew 78 missions from India, over the Himalayas, to Burma, The experience, like for so many of his generation, defined his life. He lives it even today... every day.

The speaker, a brigadere general who had been at the Pentagon on 9/11, said. "War is cruel... And sometimes, despite our words and our diplomacy, war is unavoidable." He said, " America's warriors will always be vigilant to protect our country, our people."

Made us remember Joe. He served. He protected. It's easy to overlook his sacrifice, to take it for granted. Thank you seems like so little to say for so much.

Picture by Connie... she's got a good eye.

Happy Anniversary Anne & Jeff!