         
         // add all the pins to the mapView
         mapView.addAnnotations(annotationsToAdd)
+        
+        println("mapView.addAnnotations in refreshPins(). annotations: \(annotationsToAdd)")
         
         // draw the pins
         dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue()) {

        // Add the annotation(s) to the map.
        self.mapView.addAnnotations(annotations)
        
        // Center the map on the coordinate(s).
        //self.mapView.setCenterCoordinate(pin.coordinate, animated: true)
        

        
        // TODO - Udacious
        if(recognizer.state == UIGestureRecognizerState.Ended) {
            
            // remove the ephemeral annotations
            self.removeEphemeralAnnotationsFromMapView()
            println(".Ended debug. ephemeralAnnotations count = \(self.ephemeralAnnotations.count), mapView annotations = \(self.mapView.annotations.count)")
            println("ephemeralAnnotations: \(self.ephemeralAnnotations), mapView annotations: \(self.mapView.annotations)")
            
            // Create a new Pin instance, display on the map, and save to the context.
            let viewPoint1: CGPoint = recognizer.locationInView(self.mapView)
//TODO - debug            createPinAtPoint(viewPoint1, bPersistPin: true)
            
            return
                
// =======================================================================================================
            
//            // gesture has finished (finger was lifted)
            println("UIGestureRecognizerStateEnded")
            
