WinKing: CONNECTICUT

17 - 19 June 2012: We are with our friend Patrick Gauruder in our old house in Quaker Hill, Connecticut, just north of New London and the Coast Guard Academy. Patrick is retiring from the state prison system with a newborn, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old and 8-year-old twins. His wife, Channing, and the children are already in Colorado, where they have bought a business and are having a home built.

Eight years ago Sheila got a call at home in Quaker Hill from Thom in Florida, saying he was at Melbourne Tower and had been offered an Air Traffic Control job there. "Offered a job!" was the exclamation, and visiting Channing and Patrick said, "We'll buy your house." Now they are selling it and we are helping Patrick put the finishing touches to getting it ready to put on the market before he leaves for Colorado on 1 July.

The house in Quaker Hill; the back overlooks the Thames River.
Downstairs is a self-sufficient apartment.

Thom takes down the play equipment from the back garden.

Patrick and Thom take a DQ break.
Patrick is recovering from a shredded Achilles tendon.

Nearby New London is known as "The Whaling City"

New London has a long time maritime history, and is home to the
US Coast Guard Academy.

New London is also home to the school house where Nathan Hale (1755-1776) taught in 1774 and 1775 before going to New York City to spy for the Revolutionists. He was captured, and is famous for his last words before being hung:
"I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."

20 June 2012: We visited the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine that was built in Groton in the 1950s. It is moored in the Thames River off Sub Base New London (in Groton!), Connecticut. We took granddaughter Skye aboard the Nautilus when she was about four, and she was quite thrilled with it all until she found out we weren't going to submerge and go somewhere.

In the evening we went for Pizza in Wallingford with Patrick, and then to Norwich to see a baseball game: the Connecticut Tigers v. the Massachusetts (Lowell) Red Socks.

USS Nautilus, "First and Finest." Not just the first nuclear sub,
but the first practical use of nuclear power.

Thom with two of the sub's torpedoes.

Cramped quarters!

Thom at the periscope in the sub museum,

checking to see Sheila's bike is still on the back of the car!

Sheila, so fleet of foot and fast that she cannot be captured on camera. However, next day is a different story; stepped a mis-step and twisted an ankle and heard a snap.

Doctor says a torn ligament, so slower for a few days.