On Dec. 9, 2008, Marge and I decided to go back to North Palm Beach for a quick visit to join a lot of our Old Port Yacht Club friends at the North Palm Beach Country club for dinner. As you know if you have visited this space , our well loved Old Port Yacht Club has closed for good after
about 33 wonderful years. Our good friends, John and Joan Austen, decided to get the "gang' together every 2 weeks or so for dinner at the North Palm Beach Country Club. It caught on , and quickly becane a regular get together. They decied to have the Dec. 9 meeting
be their Christmas party, and invited Marge and I to come South for the event. It seemed like
just the right excuse for us to see all of our old friends at one time, so we accepted, and drove
South. We had a wonderful visit, and some pictures are below of the trip.
Bob Dodd

View of our old house on Singer Island. We lived here and loved it for about
20 years. I tsold for over a Million a few years ago. We built it, and a dock,, for
about $69,000 in 1069-70\
Bob Dodd

New house being built on Pat Brogan's lot where his house
stood, and was destroyed in Hurricane

On e view at the NPB Country Club

One of the tables at the NPB Country Club

One table at NPB Country Club

Fred Hosack and Don Neuman at the North Palm Beach Country Club

Veteran's Day, 2008
Tell me I don't look that old!
Put on a t-shirt I bought about 5 year's ago at a Collins Foundation show.
This is the first time I've worn it. Reason, no pocket for my glasses!

Marge and I are going to a Veteran's forum this afternoon, I'll
report on it later
RHD

The second day after our election. I reflect on the profound change in my lifetime.
Of course our election was about race as well as all the other problems.
At 85, I remember the attitude of my parents and their friends. If you had any job at all,
you probably had a black livein maid [the 30s]. You were prejudisced, but didn't know it.
The South still had Jim C row laws until the late 60s. White sheets still appeared at night
in the South.
I believe the beginning of the channge in prejudice came in WW II.
So now what. I am a conservative republican and voted for McCain.
I am somewhat disappointed in our election.
However, I am not scared of the future.
Our great country will probably shift somewhat to the left.
But it will survive, and prosper.
I believe Obama is highly intelligent, and will be a good, maybe great, president,
and I wish him well.
I will probably not live long enough to see all the changes that will take place.
We will probably elect a Republican president again in about 12-16 years.
President [elect] Obama, I wish you well
Robert H. Dodd

Yesterday, Election Day 2008, we went down to St. Marks again, and had lunch at the
Riverside Cafe. Anyone who goes to my daughter's blog, knows she is a suberp photographer
of Birds etc. along the rivers on which she kayaks. I took the following p pictures of the St. Marks local bird life. When I asked my daughter what they probably were [she hadn't seen them yet] she said Ospreys, pelicans, seagulls, eagles, or maybe crows. Of course they are none of the above. I'm sure after she sees this blog, she'll tell me what they really are.
RHD

A bird convention, St. Marks, Fl.
RHD

Our lunch companion, St. Marks

Greeter at Riverside Cafe, St. Marks, Fl. RHD

This last weekend, Oct. 23-24, we were invited to The FSU football game by Dual South, my cohort for about 10 years in the Merrill office, N.Palm Beach, Fl. His son in law, Vic Vickers, was the host. Fri night we went to the Governor's Club. A real treat. We felt like we were back in N.. Palm Beach, maybe at the Sailfish club. It was Parent's night. The downtown of Tallahassee was packed.
Saturday, we were again Vic's guest, in a Sky box no less, for the FSU, football game. The sky box was a real treat. Vic was such a wonderful host, I promised to come to Alaska and campaign for him in the next Senate race for Alaska.
Anyway, it was a superb weekend at what is almost our the end of our first year here inTallahassee.
Bob Dodd

The table at the Governor's club. One of about3or4 dining rooms.
A wonerful menu, and the food was superb.
RHD

Vick Vickers, our host, and his wife, Dual's daughter, Sandy
RHD

Dual and his daughter, who remenbers me from when she
visited Dual in our office, over 20 years ago!
RHD

Marge and I
RHD

Dual and his super wife, Jane
RHD

Our wonderful, gratious host,,,,, Vick Vickers

Following are a few pictures I took at the absoluty fabulous weekend here in Tallahassee.
M y old friend form Merrill days, Dual South, invited Marge and me to a FSU football weekend.
Started with dinner at the Governor's club, Fri. {pictres below}, and climaxed with a game in the Sky box. Only a few pictures from the best weekend since arrivin g in Tallahassee. The host for all of this was Vic Vickers, Dual's son in law. Can't sy emough to him for giving us this wonderful time. If he decides to run again in Alaska, I promise to go and campain for him!
RHD

A small view of he elegant spreads in the Sky Box, What a day!
RHD

Almost game time, still sober, I think!
RHD

My chauffers and a family friend in the Sky box waiting for the game to start
RHD

Here's part of the pre-game show, the famous Seminole horse is in the foreground
RHD

My first college game in 61 years. The spirit is unbelievable!
RHD

Here's the stadium as the game's beginning
RHD

Here's the guy that was the football hero for may years
RHD

Pre-game, an empty stadium

PEACE

What could be more soothing than a loving Dog!
RHD