July Update - Friends, Concerts & Reunions (and some rain)

After we returned from our 4th of July cruise to Washington DC, the weather turned hot, humid and rainy. Typical summer weather along the Maryland shores of the Chesapeake Bay, but even this was more than normal. None the less, there were enough "good" days during the month that gave us the opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends.

The week following the 4th of July, my sister, Janice Walden and one of her grandsons, Owen, stopped by for a quick visit on their way home from a vacation week in Ocean City as did my niece, Dana Walker and her daughter Kinsey.

Rain, rain go away....

"Red sky at night, sailors delight" (well, maybe)

Pete, Rachel, Dana, Kinsey

We stared the month out attending the Shania Twain in concert at the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington. Having been a fan of hers for more than 20 years, it was great to see and hear her perform again. The concert was more than a concert -- it was a full-on "show", with great music, incredible choreography, set and costume changes, and high tech features.

"Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under..."

Shania Twain!

We had a great visit with our former Maryland neighbor Carol Richardson and her daughter Cheryl, catching up and reminiscing about old times and good times of some 40 years as friends.

Carol Richardson

July was also filled with visiting with some of the people in my professional life in Washington Radio, starting with my former boss, mentor and dear friend, Ted Dorf. He is now 92 years old and is as engaging, interesting and enjoyable to be with as ever. We met with Ted, his lovely wife Joan and son Mark for brunch in Rockville, MD.

Mark Dorf, Ted Dorf, Pete, Rachel, Joan Dorf

Rachel and I also had lunch with one of the first people to ever take a chance on me as a young and inexperienced 23 year old. Susan Breakefield Fulton hired me as and account executive at WASH-FM and helped set the course and compass for my professional career. Always a treasure to spend time with this special lady.

Susan Breakefield

Perhaps the biggest event of the month was the 50th Anniversary Reunion of WASH-FM held at The Monocle Restaurant on Capitol Hill. Amazingly, the majority of the staff of this radio station has managed to stay connected and close all these years. Gathering together again to celebrate that friendship and time in our lives was indeed very special.

The WASH gang

Bob Woodward, Bob Hughes, Peter Ferrara

We had a fun visit with our friends Barbara and Chet Peckett from Orlando, enjoying a day on the water with a run to Rockhall, Maryland complete with steamed crabs at Watermen's Crab House.

Barbara and Chet Peckett

Bev and Joe Wood were first our neighbors in Maryland over 40 years ago and are now neighbors in
Florida. Their daughter Jenn and her family now live in the Washington Metro area. All of them gathered on Endless Summer for an afternoon cruise to Annapolis followed by a feast of Maryland steamed crabs at Kentmorr Restaurant on Kent Island.

The Ulloa and Wood Family

Our dear friends Wynn and Nancy Poole have retired to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and are only about 20 minutes from where we dock the boat. Since they are now "locals" and know of the best places and events to attend, we joined them for an afternoon of good time rock and roll (and a few adult beverages) at The Jetty enjoying the music of Classic Case.

And finally, we had a brief but delightful visit with Preston Padden, the person perhaps most responsible for our adventures traveling the Atlantic ICW. Preston and I, along with a few other friends, use to move his boat from Oxford MD to Islamorada FL and back again each year. That was when the long distance boating bug first bit -- and seems to have hung on!

Preston Padden