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Borrego Springs, CA

Monday, September 10, 2012

A Real Blast From the Past!

I’m not sure I can remember the last time I skipped several days from posting on the blog, but things have been far from exciting around here.  If I’m bored, than I’m sure anything I might have to say would be boring as well.  I worked the weekend at both visitors centers and nothing note worthy happened.  I took the back roads to and from work, but even the creatures decided to take the weekend off from posing.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from someone in my distant past (and I truly mean distant).  He and his wife have been living in North Carolina for the past 25 years, and he found out that I was volunteering here on the coast.  Last night he sent me another email stating they would be in Manteo this afternoon.  We eventually decided to meet for dinner tonight in Wanchese. 

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That seemed to signal the end of boring times.  Even the great blue heron came out of hiding.  Winking smile

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And the great egret didn’t fly off as I approached late this afternoon.  That is unusual.  I also had an interesting encounter with another bear, but I’ll leave that for tomorrow.

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I made my way to Fishermans Wharf Restaurant in Wanchese and got there a couple of minutes early.  The fish company associated with this restaurant has been in business since 1933. 

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The shrimp boats dock right alongside the restaurant and offload their bounty.  They usually go out on Mondays and return at the end of the week.

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I was happy to see information on how the shrimp are caught, but more important was how the equipment is designed so sea turtles are not caught in the huge nets to die.

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Carl and Ellen Jensen were inside waiting for me when I arrived.  Now here is the rest of the story of this blast from the past.  Growing up in Chicago, Carl Jensen was a good friend of my older brother, Carl.  I was just a kid sister at the time.  Both Carls retained their friendship after high school graduation, and both remained very interested in flying.  Carl J. got his pilot’s license, and I remember both of them taking me on a memorable flight while I was in my late teens.  Carl J. did everything possible on that flight to get me sick in that little three person aircraft.  Smile with tongue out  I don’t remember where we were going, but I do know it was my first ever flight in an airplane.

Then a few years later, Carl J. called me up to see if I would like to go on a blind date.  He was working for IBM, and knew a couple of young bachelors that were new to the Chicago area that needed dates.  He and Ellen were already married at this time.  I called up my best girlfriend at the time, and off we went.  A second blind date ensued with me adding another single friend that I taught with.  The result of those two blind dates were that all three girls ended up marrying the three guys. 

As we enjoyed our dinner, Carl and Ellen figured out that the last time we had seen each other was 31 years ago!  That made this meeting especially interesting.  A lot has happened in 31 years, but I was able to recognize Carl as I entered the restaurant.  Tonight was truly, a blast from the past!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

26 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a great meet up with old friends. So often we lose touch but it's nice when you can get together.

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  2. Wowzers! Anything but boring, huh? Nice to catch up with friends from "ago."

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  3. How nice to reunite again with these old friends!

    But... I wanna hear about your encounter with a BEAR?????


    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com

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  4. That heron was sure trying to hide - but you got him anyway!! Fun story from your past but I kept thinking about what may have happened in your bear encounter too! I guess I can wait until tomorrow.

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  5. Truly a blast from the past! How cool!

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  6. Nice of you to dangle the carrot of a teaser for us..... Yes, we will still be here tomorrow to make sure you made it out alive or should I ask about the bear? I have found it incredible that when reconnecting with some friends it is as if time stood still and you just take off where you were when you parted. It is always a pleasant surprise. Glad you had a nice time.

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  7. How nice to renew old friendships, that's one for the book of memories.

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  8. That is quite a tale:) That many decades is quite a long time, even for those of us a bit long in the tooth:) I sure hope that you do not hold a grudge against pilots. I always tried to make sure that first time flyers always had a good ride. Of course, I was always hoping they would come back and take lessons from me:)

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  9. That is a long time and still Recognize the guy.

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  10. Just wanted to comment to say hi, and that I stumbled upon your blog & can't stop reading. Love your photographs and your stories. Can't wait to read more...especially about the bear.

    :) Suzie (new to rv'ing and blogging) @ californiafamilyrv.com

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  11. Boring is an understatement. Your day was a hell a lot exciting than mine. I had fun reading about your adventures. lol It was a lot of fun.
    seo taunton

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  12. Isn't it wonderful to meet up with old friends. What a great "blast from the past."

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  13. I think you live a more interesting life than you admit to.... your encounters, whether with 2 legged or 4 legged critters are always so much fun to read about. Nice that you had such a good reunion!

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  14. Ah yes, the TED (Turtle Extrusion Device), seen a few of those in my CG days. It was one thing we checked closely to ensure they were the right size and in good condition. Sea turtles are wonderful to see in the ocean, don't want to see any of them killed off.

    BTW, you may a suckered, er, contracted an intern to wash your rig, but when we meet up again you MH will probably need another wash job, so I'm not off the hook yet. Plus, I'm doing it for free! :c)

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  15. How fun! I think we enjoyed your visit almost as much as you did! It resonates with all of us to meet old friends and make those personal connections while traveling as RV full timers.

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  16. Cool story Judy! I am anxiously waiting for the bear story!

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  17. There is nothing better than catching up with old friends who share your past. Sounds like you had a wonderful evening.

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  18. How great that you were able to reconnect with your friends and what a fun story. Thanks for the identification of my turtle picture. I'm amazed at your wealth of knowledge on critters!

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  19. What a nice diversion from boredom. I take it Carl didn't have a blind date for you this time!

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  20. What a nice surprise that must have been to hear from someone in your past. I have had no contact with anyone from my past - moved around a lot when I was younger, then the military moved me around after college. I'm going to a high school reunion this weekend, so that may change.

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  21. Your day was a whole lot of fun! I enjoyed reading your blog. Keep posting please. Thanks for sharing it.

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