North Carolina Trip, August 19-27, 2003
   
 
Day 1, Tuesday, August 19
 
Morning breaks at Sea-Tac...
 
Descending into the Charlotte area...
 
Charlotte airport... being fetched by Mother and Father...
 
Father and Baby Ralip...
 
 
Day 2, Wednesday, August 20
 
Visiting at Sister Jan's and Matt's new house at Mountain Island Lake outside Charlotte... featuring the Young Will & Ryan Show!
 
       
 
       
 
     
 
 
 
A walk around Sister Jan's new neighborhood. The lake is just across the street...
 
       
 
   
 
Beloved Mother...
 
 
Day 3, Thursday, August 21
 
I visited with my good friend Randy, who was in the midst of moving his family into a new house...
 
         
 
Afterwards, Randy called at Farmwood, my parent's house...
 
 
Later in the evening I dropped in on Tom Billotto who was holding forth at the Bonterra, in Charlotte's South End (with Kathleen on vocals). Carina was also present, as was Pete. Tom introduced us to his new friend, Heidi. A very pleasant evening...
 
       
 
     
 
 
Day 5, Saturday, August 23
 
After dining with Pete at the Japanese Crazy Buffet we stopped for coffee in the Elizabeth neighborhood (formerly known as Stanleyville). We walked our coffee across 7th St and sat on the porch of La-Tea-Da's, where Pete demonstrated a fashionable use for the common hanging basket...
 
   
 
 
Day 6, Sunday, August 24
 
Tom stopped in at Farmwood and delivered a fine afternoon concert...
 
       
 
       
 
     
 
 
 
After the serenade, watermelon was served...
 
       
 
 
 
Brother Brian also dropped in... arriving on his Harley-Davidson Road King Classic...
 
     
 
Beloved Mother in her home office... a picture of my grandfather (Mother's father) hangs on the wall, along with his hammer...  "Grandpa Was a Carpenter"...
 
 
Day 8, Tuesday, August 26
 
I took Baby Ralip in for her yearly checkup. Father was picking the mandolin upon my return to Thompson Manor...
 
Toward evening we ordered pizza...
 
       
 
     
 
Young Ryan seems to be taking well to the accordion!
 
Brother Brian and Joanne dropped in...
 
Pete also stopped by for a visit...
 
 
Day 9, Wednesday, August 27
 
Departing Farmwood...
 
Mother and Father dropped me off at the Charlotte airport...
 
Then it was back to faraway Seattle...