50 YEARS AGO - PHOTOGRAPHY

MOMENTS IN TIME STORED IN THE BACK CLOSET

1968 NUREMBERG, GERMANY

Meeting Senator "Scoop" Jackson from Washington State after he landed in Germany for a tour of our base. Someone told him that a boy from his state was flying him to the base and he requested we meet. He and his team of dignitaries (I suppose I can tell this now) got off the airliner and immediately moved to under the back of the plane to relieve themselves. We thought it not best to photograph that moment nor mention it beyond the flight line.

After that moment, they headed for our helicopters idling on the tarmac.

How many pilots flying senators these days get out of their aircraft to shake hands and meet their state senator while carrying a loaded .45. Curious? 

The weather was lousy that day as we landed inside Merrill Barack's,  Nuremberg.

These three photos were courtesy of the Army photographer accompanying the senator and his team. .

.............

FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE BLOGGING CONTINUES

 


The photo I have been looking for more than 50 years. Mom kept everything and I mean everything.  


Thanks to her, some of these old moments are still recorded. This moment is mostly special to me. 

This was the closest I had ever gotten to a real airplane as a youngster, plus my first ride.

................

PART OF A YOUNG SON'S LEARNING CURVE LATE 1940'S

 

Maybe 5 years old when these two photos were taken. 

We often took off on the weekends to be near the water and when we could afford it, dad would rent a boat. These moments on the water were a real treat. 

A cold beer for my parents on a warm day and a packed picnic lunch always on a blanket near a beach. 

My father always had a sly grin on his face. Always. 

I think he was always looking for ways to play and on this day his son got to drive the boat and be a real man with a beer in hand. (The bottle had been half filled with water)

Can you imagine these photos taken and shared today? A father letting his young son steer a boat w/o a life jacket and then let his son drive the boat with "a beer" in hand - AND and with a can of gasoline near by? 

We laughed then and I am still laughing today. How did so many of us ever survive such an upbringing? 

MOST IMPORTANT: we were family-outing together and many times outing with other family members. Weekends were always a time to get together outside, usually near water, to go, see, do and with homemade picnic foods.

..................

1986 FLYING GEOLOGISTS FOR TEMSCO HELICOPTERS, EAGLE ALASKA

We carried 5 gallon containers of JP4 as we needed to stop for fuel on portions of the trip where fuel was not available.

Alaska offers some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. Flying and landing in remote areas like the photos above were always memorable. I spent the remainder of my time here casting lures into the river until the geologists returned from the brush. We always kept an eye and ear out for bear. Next to my fishing gear was always a 12-gauge shotgun with safety on, a slug in the chamber and 5 more to follow if needed. I never moved more than a few feet away from the fishing/gun kit.

Photography is a great hobby for memories, huh?

We lived in Eagle for three months and ate all of our meals at the one and only restaurant next to our hotel. In a few days we considered ourselves locals, especially when these kinds of meal options were listed on the meal board.

.............

TYPICAL OF MANY OF THE OLD PHOTOS HIDDEN AWAY IN THE CLOSET

  

My guess is that this photo was taken in the 1930's and these two were friends of my grandparents on the my mother's side.  

I do not recognize them as family and there are no notes on the back of the photo.

There are quite a few black and whites of young folks getting married and I am guessing this photo was taken on this couple's wedding day. 

Old photos like this are worthy of sharing of times past and of youngsters at a moment in the times of their lives. Chances are these two kids were also immigrants who came to America through the front door.

Some photo editing cleared up the background scenery in this photo.

............

A good spin off from sorting through old family papers and photos brings my camera out again. I should continue with old hobbies. 


All of this is "forcing" me to get reacquainted with the basics of photography too. These are also skill sets that wane quickly over time without current use and activity.

.............

Pot of beef stew on the cook. Will add some potatoes when this cooks down some. 

No muss and no fuss on a cold rainy Sunday.

Thanks for the visit this week.