Mini- Dream Vacation

My Honey and I got a treat, Our friends from Dallas Texas came home for a vacation, they rented an Island out in the St. Lawrence River and we got an "Invitation" to come out and see them, The rented a 10 bedroom, 5 bathroom, 4 porch, huge mansion on an "Island", the place is called "WATCH ISLAND" and you can only get there BY BOAT!!!

This is Mark and Marie Fuhrken, Mark and I were Policemen togeather and permanent partners for years and also off the job friends, Mark is retired and Marie works for a Large Television Company in Dallas!!








This is "Capt. Mark" commanding his Ship, the USS MINNOW taking us out to Watch Island!!!









We have arrived and are unpacking for a "Good Time" on the Island, We could only spend the day and really enjoyed ourselves.

This is "Watch Island" located out in the shipping channel of the river and very elegant and Old!!!

This place was a wonderful place to spend the day at and we enjoyed wandering around the 10 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, servants quarters and attic with the big 4 porches to watch ships coming up and down the river.

The woodwork was fantastic, huge stair case, all varnished and polished and an awesome sight!! The below picture is from the first floor to the second floor!!!!!

My Honey coming downstairs on the "Grand Staircase", I could just get my arms around the pillars holding up the main carrier beam!!!

Mark and I standing outside on 1 of the 4 porches watching the ships go by and catching up on a few years gossip!!!

Anna Mae and Marie and Mark and I having coffee in the kitchen!!

Sitting in one of the old antique chairs which was very cozy in one of the big living rooms!!!

We joined Mark and Marie and their son Lee, his wife Heather and Maddy and Gracie for lunch!!!!

Finally we went FISHING, Mark caught a nice scrappy Rock Bass!!!!

My Honey was not to be outdone by Mark so she caught one too!!!!!

Marie is finally relaxing and enjoying some well deserved R & R from work!!!!!

Mark and I did catch some nice Rock Bass, Perch, and then we let them all go by putting them back in the river so they could grow bigger!!!

We took a break from fishing and are trying to get the Gas Grill going, NO we didn't eat fish, we had STEAK!!!

2 Old Cops, nice set of steps, warm weather, nice sunshine, and just sitting and relaxing and catching up!!!!

Mark and Anna Mae with the Spy Glasses watching a "BIG" Freighter come down the river!!!

One of the many "Freighter's either going up the river or coming down the river, some head for the Locks and are Ocean Bound!!!!!!

I am sitting down relaxing as we are going to spend a few days here with Mark and Marie on the "ISLAND"!!!!! There are BOOKS and BOOKS, room after room to wander around in and front main stairway and also back stairs to wander around!!!

Anna Mae relaxing before bed doing some reading!!!!!
The desk is awesome and unique!!!!!!

A Beautiful sunset on the St Lawrence River over the 1,000 Islands!!!!!!!

Sitting around talking, relaxing in our elegant, antique surroundings!!!!!!!

Another beautiful morning on the river!!!!!

Morning Coffee on the porch watching the river and enjoying the view!!!!

The girls enjoying the morning coffee and a beautiful day!!!!!

Mark having his coffee, you can get lost in this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 of the 10 Bedrooms here and it was great sleeping with the River Breeze and quietness!!!!!!!

1 of the 5 Old Fashioned bathrooms with claw foot bath tub!!!!!!!!

Another day of fishing, WOW!!! this is Marie and her son Lee from Salt Lake City, Utah who arrived to spend some time with his folks and we also stayed over another night!!!!!

Lee and his folks getting ready to do some fishing!!!!!!!!

Me and Honey getting ready to catch some whoppers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heather and Lee watching the river enjoying the day!!!!!

This picture below, I an holding an unwanted guest that Lee's daughter Maddy caught, it is a Round Goby that is not supposed to be in the river, it got here a few years ago from an Ocean Vessal blowing its ballast tanks into the river and these things are native to Europe and are hurting our fishing by eating the eggs of our freshwater sports fish, any of these caught are to be killed and not to be returned to the water but disposed of so they do not breed!!!

Picture from 2nd floor looking down at Anna Mae when we took a break from fishing!!!!!!!!!!

This is the front porch, it is full of Old Wicker and is a great view of the river, boats and ships and a nice place to relax!!!!!!!

Mark and I getting ready to head outside, in back of us is the Bar, but neither of us drink and there was a sign behind me that said, "PRIVATE STOCK" DO NOT TOUCH!!!!!!!!!

Anna Mae relaxing before we go back FISHING and her back was hurting her!!! Sitting behind her was Maries Dad and Mom, the formal living rooms were back to back!!!!!

This is the end of the Island looking back at the Manse and a nice spot to go swimming but water was too cold for me, 68 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Maddy Fuhrken, Lee and Heather's daughter, she caught all the fish on her little Barbie pole, I know she caught 40 to 50 fish because her father lee and I were kept busy taking them off the pole and putting on fresh worms!!!!!!!!!

THIS GIRL LOVED TO FISH!!!!!!! Her sister Gracie caught some fish also but I missed the pictures!!!!

I didn't do too bad either, when I wasn't taking fish off for Maddy I managed to catch a couple!!!

Marie even got into the act catching the fishing fever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lee, who is from Salt Lake City, Utah liked catching fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT Maddy his daughter got the most, Lee's other daughter Gracie was off SWIMMING with her mother!!!!

AND guess who caught the Biggest Fish, Mark latched onto this nice 14 inch Large Mouth Bass which was a nice fighter and brought a smile to his face, the head sticking out from behind the boat house was me hiding the knife I was going to try to use to cut his line!!!!!

Mark and his granddaughter Maddy with a couple of thjier prize fish they caught! Maddy outfished all the men!!!!!!!

I didn't do too bad with a nice stringer of fish that I let go back into the river!!!

Trip is over, waters have calmed down and the river is peaceful, Lee Heather and Maddy and Gracie headed back to Utah, AND we had to go home but Mark and Marie were going to stop at the house before going back to Texas, how lucky we were to have been able to spend a few days with them, meet some of their family I had never seen . We enjoyed our MINI-VACATION!!!!!!! THANKS MARK and MARIE!!!!!

Let us not forget our service men and women and it is saddening to report our local Fort Drum Post lost 4 more soldiers overseas!!! Remember, it does not matter if you support the Wars or Don't, what matters is that you support the men and women who stepped forward in the past and those who step forward now and lay it on the line for you and me!!!!!!

FREEDOM NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!