First, let me apologize for the low quality of the pix on this page.  I definitely set the resolution on them too low --  on the positive side, they do load about as quickly as possible.  Next page the pictures will be better, I assure you (too much work to redo 101 pictures this time).  Also I'm going to delineate groups of pictures with headers stating what the events were to make them easier for you all to follow.  Thanks for following along on our journey.

Uncle Leon and Aunt Ellen, Florence and Gene Martin, and Aunt Wanda

Twenty-seven pictures from the tripod later... voila, the annual Christmas pic is fini

Oma and Opa somewhat peaked looking Christmas Eve (both got stented this fall)

Mike in his shooting regalia (in preparation for a Monster Jam show in Feb that we ended up skipping).

Em getting her new favorite school uniform, I mean, sweatshirt.  Oh -- same thing!

The modular space shuttle toy was a BIG hit

Dad's current fave (must be I get all emotional when I see my wife near the washer!).  I'm gonna pay for *that* one!

Mike's first horseback ride.  Thanks Spencer!

My little Rocketeer (I wish he would pretend he liked doing it!)

Post Ice Capades Disney extravaganza with the Barbe extended family.  Thanks Diane

Michael mowing the front lawn all by himself (at 6!).  He did a great job too.

MT ready for his first Spring Training Camp.  Fungo anyone?

Easter morning bounty

Easter morning bounty part deux

Mike and Dad in Canton.  Do you suppose one day that....

Mom and ERM at the HOF.

And all but the camera man.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  It was a Hall of Fame kind of roadtrip day

Action Answering Service featuring Coach John and Coach Martin.  Couldn't have asked for better coaches.  Kudos guys

The McCauley boys in their Saturday morning finery

This is a drag shovel used to strip mine SE Ohio back in the day.  It's decomissioned now but in it's day it was the biggest and the baddest earth moving device.

That speck at the back of the empty 230 ton bucket there is the BMB kid, Mike.

Each tooth is about a 2 x2 foot triangle of hard carbide steel weighing almost a ton.  Removable of course for quick changes when it gets broken on some unsuspecting piece of granite

This a picture of the dragline.  The Big Muskie Bucket filled and dumped its 325 tons of earth every 60 seconds.  I circled our friend the BMB for you! Looks positively tiny compared to the winched that pulled it.

And you thought there was nothing interesting around these parts!

Poised and ready for the big game!

May's Kindergarten graduation ceremony

Summer soccer camp.  Looks like a competitor doesn't he?  Don't know where he gets *that*

For a brief period Soccer supplanted baseball as Mike's favorite sport.  But all is right with the world once again now.

Great kids program here -- Safety Town!  Stop, Look, and Listen never came so naturally.  Thanks community.

First "fireworks"

The future site of Emily's perfect smile

Yikes!  Snakes!!!

Storybook world (yawn for all but the little kids)

Mike post shrink ray accident

Commodore Mike at your service!

Good thing he has that sucker stick to bite against while he forces the sword from the stone.

Mike and Big Sis Em on his first "big kid" ride -- the Log JAM

This is even easier than driving Dad's truck in a parking lot

She's going round and she's merry.  Guess where she is?

Until he discovered all the kids rides this was the high point of Mike's day.

But once this area was 'discovered...'  Oooh boy.  Driving...

Flying...  And so much more not even pictured (trains, boats, handcars on rails, motorcycles).

Showing off the famous punkin patch of McCauley lore to Anna and Lauren.  Mike and Em planted it themselves.

Mike and Lauren (my youngest niece's youngest)

Pat and Opa (see he's much hardier now 6 months post procedure)

Saw this pic of Richard and me and for some reason all I could think of was the monkey house at the zoo...

We *do* have fun nicht war?

MT and Lauren with the sidewalk chalk.  Art at its dusty finest.

Two horse-crazy girls

Good clean fun at the water exhibit

Now *this* is a marble race game!!!

Guess who?!

The wonders of mechanical advantage <grin>

Growing his own sunflower seeds for *next* baseball season

Oma and Opa hanging at our house

Yikes!  More snakes!!!

He a crafting kind of boy this Michael

Friend Roy and his niece Ruthie at his birthday party

Mrs Roy's partying too.  Is that a tequila sunrise I see?  (no)

75% of the people in this picture are saints

Mike and Eric Hoelscher warming back up after a fun afternoon playing in the pool

A little cheese peanut butter nutrition before we get under way

The benches from Hades -- but still fairly comfortable at this stage of the trip

These are old logging trains designed for mountain climbing.  Harken back to yesteryear

Studiously looking for fauna to go with all the flora

Approaching the midpoint stop and the first panoramic vista

I think I see it coming....

There it is!  The photo doesn't do it justice

We stop at Whitaker station and wait for the next hour long sulfur-smoke filled leg back.  We see now why losing coal burners was a good thing

Step up to the water fountain boy -- and smile for your Daddy or else!

The McCauley boys enjoying another trip into yesteryear

Leaving Whitaker Station.  All aboarrrrrrrrrrrd!

No feel for scale here.  This is the largest man-made movable object ever built.

You can't take electronic pics any closer than here.  GBT is the world's largest radio telescope.  Nestled into the mountains in NE WVa in a radio free zone it collects data from the universe first emitted billiions of years ago.  Science is every bit as cool as history!

On the banks of the

Greenbrier River.  At our motel the night before we head to Snowshoe for the 2009 SFR

Soon...

to be...

riding down to the lake at Snowshoe.  Not a favorite thing for me, I suck it up (and cross all my finger and toes) -- and thank engineers!

All but a couple of us go paddle boating

What kind of parent lets their kid ride the transmission hump of a paddleboat?!  Uhhrmmm.  Uh.  What was the question?  --SQUIRREL!!!--

Beached safely

Aunt Ellen posing on the rocky shore.  Can 2 rocks make it count as rocky?

Ellen and Deb pose for us

Hanging out waiting for the bungee trampolinists to finish

Mike wants a turn too

And does GREATT!!!

The requisite SFR group shot

As well as the requisite sub groups (the Houchin's)

The Martin's (Topping's?  There are more Topping's)

Cousin Roger Shumate with Aunts Ellen and Flo.  We're sure glad Roger makes the trek every year

The "Smith" Children.  Guess how many are named Smith?  (zero)

Snowshoe Fireworks.  Gotta love digital cameras.

Mike reading to Oma using Dad's earbud.  I'm pretty sure he was more interested in 'playing' with the earbud than showing off his substantial reading skills...

Ready for the 1st day of

school 2009!!!

The requisite group shot

Another with the engineer

Talking to the DJ

More to come soon