Farewell Charles Osgood, Enjoy Retirement.

This morning was the last Sunday Morning that Charles Osgood will be on CBS Sunday Morning.

Charles has been the anchor of the program for the last 22 years. I have enjoyed this show for most of my life. Mom would call and say, "turn on Sunday Morning you have to see the next story." Well in more recent years there were times that I have called her and said to turn on the show. Ironically Brian's parents also enjoy a Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. Through the years deciding weather to go to church or watch Sunday Morning is a hard choice. But thanks to the dvr and replays later in the day you can now do both.

Still I enjoy it the most to get up and have breakfast with Charles. Prior to Charles Osgood was Charles Kuralt. I loved Charles Kuralt for his "On the Road" segments. He even wrote books about traveling the back roads of the country. I can still hear his voice in my head. Such a resounding voice. I am so jealous of all the places he has been and spending enough time in a place to get to meet a local or two and share their story. Which years later another journalist Steve Hartman, who also does a segment on Sunday Morning called "On the Road". Steve also had a segment  "Everyone has a Story", he decided where he would go by throwing a dart at a map at the end of each weeks segment and that would be the town he would go to the following week. He would then go to a pay phone booth and open the book and randomly select a name. He would interview this random person and tell their story. I thought how inspiring. If you only take the time to sit down and learn about a person you will walk away a better person.

Back to Sunday Morning. News, Weather, Art, Theater. It is like opening up the New York Times Sunday edition and reading the whole thing. When I worked at Eckerd back in the day we sold the Sunday edition and we would get it in two segments and I loved to read through the Art and Entertainment.

So if you watch the show you would know that Charles Osgood was know for his snappy bow tie and clever wit. He always had a song to sing and rhyme for the time. So when I heard he was leaving I thought I would take a stab at his wit and write a poem that would truly fit. I emailed it to CBS and watched his final show but no they didn't use my rhyme so I thought I can share it on my own.

So Hail and Farewell to Charles.

Many Sunday’s we have spent together.

You sharing the news and the weather.

Wearing a bow tie each week.

Me sitting by listening to every word you speak.

Introducing all of the segments.

 Along with their correspondents.

I can hear you say their names aloud.

Hartman, Giles or even Geist.

On the Trail or On the Road.

A pause for a Passage or Remembrance.

Postcards from Oklahoma to China.

Or an update from Our Man in Paris.

Music and Movie reviews from David Edelstein.

Or a Commentary from Ben Stein.

Review the Calendar for the week to come.

Entire issues dedicated to Technology and Money

Or Architecture, Design and Fashion.

What is next on Face the Nation.

Last but not least the Moment of Nature.

Scenic wonder from anywhere at all.

Showing us the beauty of summer, winter or fall.

Thank you Charles for all our Sunday Mornings.

I have always enjoyed the show.

And in closing, I will continue to see you on the Radio.

Have you ever been to Cumberland Island?

I start with the question because if you have not you should put it on your list of places to see. Cumberland Island is a National Seashore ironically closed because of the government shutdown. I was reminded of my visit by a segment on CBS Sunday Morning (my favorite show on TV). But I have been there and can take you there today.

I was reminded this morning the island is not just a place to visit but to remember. Some trips you go on to places like this are physical but others are a dream like memory of times gone by. I first visited the island when I was 13 years old. My Aunt Jan took me and my sisters Beth and Tori. I do not remember a lot of the actual trip. I remember the beauty, I remember the ferry and the water and the dark clouds that morning. I remember a submarine in the St. Mary's River from a near by naval base.

My basis for the memories of that day with Aunt Jan was a picture she took of me and my sisters standing on the rail of the ferry heading out to the island. The wind blowing our hair. I was wearing a Clearwater High t-shirt my parents got that year when I finished 8th grade. Of course I still have the shirt. It is full of holes and memories. The ferry ride was great. We have always been a family on the water. Sailing, swimming and going to the beach were some of our favorite activities as kids.

We walked across the island. One side tropical and lush green plants. Then you cross the sand dunes that are higher than a house and you are on the beach on the Atlantic Ocean and you can see shrimp boats. The water is rough and the sand is smooth. Not as white as at home but hard packed down by the waves close to the water. We walked past the ruins of Dungeness the home of the Carnegie Family built in 1884. Tragically burned to ruins in 1950's. They sold or donated most of the island to the Federal Government soon after. There are many ruins and artifacts left untouched and melting back into the ground. Old cars that were ferried over to the island for the family. There are buildings crumbling due to lack of funding that were in disrepair and now will be taken back into the land the same way we will one day. When I was young the cars were still cars just rusted. Now they are piles of parts with a radiator and wheels to remind you of what they once were. There are headstones in a small cemetery for those fortunate enough to die and be buried in paradise. They can spend eternity walking the sand dunes and seeing the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean with the horses that were once domesticated that nature has taken back as well. Originally brought to the island probably when it was a cotton plantation along with slaves.

Brian and I visited the island as well many years ago. Stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in St. Mary's, Georgia.
A nice small town that is the gateway to the island. A short walk to the marina and the ferry. That day there was a double rainbow that we have a picture of to remind me of my second visit to the island. The great thing about a National Treasure like this is that not much changes over time. Buildings may crumble but the grass is still just as green and the sand dunes are just as high as they were 15 years before and will be in another 150 years later.

On the ferry ride to the island a spokes person tells you the rules. Take nothing and leave nothing behind. You can not take the shells and can not leave your garbage. There were no garbage cans, no concession stand on the beach. No life guard. The ferry will be back at 4. Please do not pet the horses they are wild. At the time we were there you could not notify them ferry if you had an emergency you just had to wait until the ferry came back. Brian had to test the do not pet the horse theory. Yes. He almost got kicked in the face. They are serious the horses don't want to be touched. If we would have walked out to the beach and seen a Spanish Galleon approaching I could have believe that it were the mid 1700's and we could have been the first scouting party to the beach. But there are no Indians today. There are no slaves. But the history of all are there for you to discover on your day at the island.

You can stay overnight roughing it in a tent or stay in the Greyfield Inn. The Inn is only operated part of the year. It does not have air condition and is very expensive but probably the closest thing I could ever get to having my own private island get away. Maybe someday

I know we were there prior to September 1996 when JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette got married in a small chapel there. I was impressed to hear that the National Parks Service did not budge on their no motorized vehicle policy and would not let the Kennedy Family drop Jeeps on the grounds to be used to move family members back and forth to the chapel. Nice to know the rules don't just apply to me and you. They apply to Kennedy's as well. The Kennedy's did spend the night at the Greyfield.

So to say the island is fit for kings is shown by the previous residents the Carnegie's and that the Kennedy's found it private and beautiful enough for their royal standards. I can only hope that Carolyn and JFK Jr got to walk the beach and see the wild horses running the sand dunes as I have.

Now you to have been to Cumberland Island. If only in my memories. I hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did.