I was at the monthly Orlando Remembered meeting. Above is Duke Crittenden, Tana Porter, Charles Gray and Mayor Carl Langford. Below is a new comer, Melanie King, whose Grandfather designed the former Orange County Courthouse that the history museum is now using. Here Melanie King get’s the opening poster of the museum from museum curator, Sarah Van Arsdel.

I drew a lot of signs during the Orlando Tea Party. Here is one. For more photos of crowds and such click here at Rob’s Right.

Easter Sculptures! Two items received. The one above from my friend Diana Eberle from Germany. It’s a Kinder hollow chocolate rabbit. I love the cartoon bunny. Below is something the Eater Bunny delivered, Quax, a chocolate ducky.

We got ourselves together for an early morning trip home. Here Jeff Mallett, Bil  Hinds, Mike Ramierez and Jeff Bacon wait for the van to take us to Frankfurt airport.

On the plane I sketched Jack Davis, who sat just in front of me. His airline tickets are in his top pocket.

After landing in London, we had a looooooooooooooooong wait at the Heathrow airport. Here Bill Hinds, Bill Amend and Mike Ramierez relax and chat.

Jack Davis and Jeff Bacon share tales.

We finally got to Washington DC and stayed overnight at a nearby hotel. We exchanged good byes and a hope to gather again for another trip to entertain our troops and realize how incredible our military is and more over how lucky we are to live in the USA!

I had a ton of time before my flight. The rest of the guys were gone and I was told that going into Washington DC itself might have me missing the plane. Soooo, I went to a mall….and I found the Easter Bunny!

We started the day participating on a radio program of the Armed Forces Network hosted by Demarrio Spence. Below is Demarrio at the mic with Jeff Bacon ready to go on the air.

Group photo! Top row: Bill Hinds, Mike Ramierez, Demarrio Spence, me and Jeff Bacon.
Bottom: Jef Mallett, Dave Coverly, Bill Amend and Jack Davis.

We got a tour across the facility.

A bunch of the guys got these cool berets!

We did lots more drawing. Above is one Jack Davis did.

There are hiking trails EVERYWHERE!

Came across this hiker and his handmade flexible cane hiking sticks.

We had a wonderful dinner at the Bremerhof Restaurant & Biergarten.

My meal of wild boar.

Jeff Bacon received an award for his hard work putting all of this together from Walt Murren, Regional Vice President of USO Europe.

A number of USO officials joined us for this meal. Amongst those joining us was Mary Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Here Jack Davis talks to her.

Group photo!
Front Row: Jef Mallett, me, Mike Ramierez, Mary Eisenhower and Walt Murren.
Back row: Mike Lewis (Country Director, USO Germany), Bill Amend, Dave Coverly, Bill Hinds, Jack Davis and Jeff Bacon.

The troupe for the USO lands in Frankfurt, Germany.

Here’s Jack Davis and Jef Mallett coming off the plane in Frankfurt.

We arrived at the Hotel Christine and settled in for a nights rest and get ready for a very busy next day.

The next morning we were welcomed by the USO’s Konrad Braun who guided our visits. He’s at left and then Bill Hinds, Jack Davis and Dave Coverly.

We were taken first to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center where we visited many troops and did our best to leave them with a smile as we had at Walter Reed Medical Center. Above is one of the surgeons.

My lunch. That is Pecan pie.

At the USO Warrior Center we all gathered and drew away! Above is Jack Davis and below is Jeff Bacon.

Above is Kyle at the Warrior Center and below is Colonel Harris who escorted us around the medical center grounds.

The group photo at The Warrior Center. Jeff Bacon, myself, Bill Amend, Bill Hinds (in the back), Dave Coverly, Jef Mallett, Mike Ramierez and Jack Davis.

My only time spent outside the itinerary was following a few of the guys to a place called The Tree Bar. The three drawings above and below were down there. Below that is an interior photo of the underground spot. Unfortunately for me, no milkshakes served there.

Sandra and I headed to Summer Haven, south of St. Augustine, to stay with friends who have a home there. Actually, their family built the home there in 1882 (Below) and established the community known as Summer Haven. The spit of land on the ocean was dotted with small beach houses in the early 1900s. Many still stand. Next door is a place they use as a B&B, known as ‘The Lodge’, built in 1898.

We ate two nights at Saltwater Cowboys. At the top is a sketch of the boardwalk outside and a chicken I doodled as I had some very good fried chicken.

Pushing myself to get an ‘Illustration Friday’ piece done. The word this week is ‘Poise’.

Below is the rough pencils.

Orlando Remembered met today. To the right is a sketch of member Bob Buck. Later met with Ken Culotta at Beefy King and wrote gags. Below Ken strikes a GQ pose.

This was the first time of our years of meeting at the Belleview Biltmore that they didn’t have our space for us despite my arrangements. Since this was our last meeting there I guess it didn’t matter. We gathered in the coffee and ice cream shop, Maisie’s. Above is a group shot of our last gathering there.

Below is Katie. She works currently at the Belleview Biltmore in Maisie’s until it closes on May 31st.  She’s been there for a few years and is the only one who know how to make the souped up hot chocolate I like. She has gotten me out of plenty of binds when I’ve done something there nearly half asleep until she cooked one of those drinks up. I remember a Florida Historical Society meeting there a few years ago where she saved me and I could be minimally consious during the terrific lectures. Anyway, as a thank you I drew a caricature of her and wished her good luck in her future endeavors.

We’re up to about 40 days of freezing weather since the beginning of November.

Three more books read. Another exciting Vince Flynn Mitch Rapp book finished. Ready for another one!

But I wanted to get a James Lee Burke novel wrapped as I knew I was seeing my good friend Jeff Parker, who has often recommended the author. Rob, the coffee shop fellow, warned me I wouldn’t like it. He was right. The main character was reeeeeeaaal depressing and I didn’t like him or much of anyone else in the book. In that way, it reminded me of Randy Wayne White.

I went back to reading through the Laurence Will series. This time ‘Okeechobee Catfishing’. It’s a history of catfishing in Lake Okeechobee in it’s prime years of 1900 to 1920. A lot of repetition of stories from earlier books, but still fun stories and fine information is included.