Page 134: (Photo 1) Caption: Our 19’4″ first motor home. (Photo 2) Caption: Our second 25’6″ Xplorer. (Photo 3) Caption: Our latest “boat on wheels” – 33′ Landau with a fiberglass body.
Page 135: BOATS ON WHEELS
Dr. Michael DeBakey’s expert treatment of my aneurism of my abdominal aorta, he said, would be all right BUT he did not want me to engage in any physical pulling of anything for a couple of years. Naturally Helen and I deemed it wise to be rid of our beloved fast cruiser.
As long as Dr. DeBakey ordered me not to pull for a while, Helen and I decided we wanted wheels so as to move around a bit.
Our first motor home was a 19’2″ Chinook (6″ shorter than my Buick Station Wagon) and after a year we traded it in for a 25’6″ Xplorer. We then discovered we needed a little more privacy and acquired our beautiful fiberglass 33′ Landau.
In the autumn of 1978 we drove to California with stops at such places as Reno, Las Vegas, Carlsbad Caverns, The Alamo, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and many more places we never before had time to actually stop and visit.
On the 7,000 mile trip, our crew was Helen, general overseer and navigator; Anny, chief cook and bottle washer; Penny was in charge of security and I was the driver. It was a great trip.
Page 136: Bill Henderson, a neighbor and good friend, persuaded me to join the Naples Yacht Club and the Royal Poinciana Golf Club. I took up golf again after a 27-year layoff because of my injured finger on my right hand. I am proud of my present 15 handicap. I think Al Nelson, golf pro at the Royal Poinciana Golf Club, is the best golf instructor I ever had.
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My Exultant Hole-in-One
On Wednesday, June 27, 1979, at 10:23 A.M., I was playing the 8th hole at the Royal Poinciana Golf Course which is a part 3 and 142 yards. The tee was back and I was using a 5 iron when I made my first hole-in-one! I am closer to 72 years of age at this writing and have been playing golf off and on since I was 14 so this was quite an accomplishment. Helen and I celebrated the happy event by having dinner that evening at Pippin’s, one of our favorite local restaurants.
(Photo) Hole-In-One Club card
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