Sunday, February 23, 2020

A VALENTINE'S ROSE - LAND ROVER ART - STORY OF LITTLE BOY


Her says not to buy her chocolate and do not buy flowers.  

So what is a husband to do on Valentine's Day, let alone her birthday just around the corner? 

This Valentine's day, I opted for the flowers not to purchase gift choice paired with a card. I found the small, healthy rose with budding babies and fresh water droplets on the leaves.  Little did I know that this is a Victory Rose and she loves this kind of rose. 

Later that day, I found her hovering over her rose(s), making eye contact and picking off dead leaves. Then, searching for sun light coming in through the kitchen window. A path was cleared and her rose was placed in the rays of sunshine. Rose was moved several times during the day to keep up with the passing sun light.  

The next morning her was talking to the rose(s). Yep, giving encouragement to the youngsters responding to the warm sun light. 

Hey!!
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"LAND ROVER ART"   Restoration inside HILLSIDE GARAGE

1967 Land Rover 2A
 
Installing steering and dashboard components.

Every part of these older Rovers has a detailed parts list.

2.25 Liter Petrol Engine

Classic Body Style

Another ground up build in the queue.

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One constant of the sightings of all alien bases, craft and creatures is that publicly released photos do not help prove the story. I would guess that is on purpose. The actual clarity, not shared by authorities, would scare the poopinskies out of all of us.

Maybe in my life time proof-positive? 

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It was just a couple years ago this (these) fellow(s) had to drop from a helicopter to fly. Now, they hover and jet off like Iron Man.

Take a few moments to watch. The take-off from a hover is worth it. 

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STORY OF THE LITTLE BOY

I enjoy watching people. Anytime and any place. Curiosity. Entertainment. Something to do. Quite often I see glimpses of life wonderment.

Walking into the local grocery store brought me behind an elderly couple blocking the lane. I could not get to the carts nor get pass them. I circled around through the out door and then back through the in door. They began to move forward and the way cleared. I pulled my cart out of the rack and began the same path through the store I have taken for the past 15 years. 

In a few paces, I caught up with the elderly couple. Eighties? She had been loaded into a large person cart on wheels. He was behind pushing her. Pushing her was work according to his face, but not work he disliked. Just work. She faced him as he pushed her backwards towards the start of their morning shopping. Neither of them showed signs of hardship nor unhappiness.

I thought "thank you, dear lord." And to myself I said "not today." I realize more and more that this is a one way trip and snap shots of older me and the older us pop up every once in awhile. I was watching aging life and old love.  Good love.

At checkout, I fell in line behind a 30's something father dressed in warm winter clothes. A small cart full of items. His young daughter was on one side of the cart grabbing candy bars off the shelf to quickly get into the cart. The little boy was on the other side of the cart, moving forward with the cart and the food placed on the moving belt. 

The young father helped his daughter put the candy bars back. Quiet "no's" and gently moving her along with the cart and her brother. Father was doing a wonderful job of herding and loving his children as he fulfilled one of his hundred things to get done that day. 

He kept his children close to the cart as he paid for the groceries. The little boy was wedged between him and the paying station. 

The father had it all organized, well organized. Cart of groceries, daughter holding onto the cart and his son between him and business getting done. 

The little boy was shorter than the paying machine and for what appeared to be a moment of self entertainment, stuck his tongue out to taste the surface of the flat structure under the credit card reader. Ok.

Then again in a different spot. Then again in another spot. And then the little guy started a designed program of completely licking the entire surface from left to right, top top to bottom. In his quest, he overlapped each lick so not to miss one spot. He was one hundred percent successful. A few seconds most likely. 

I was most impressed with the completeness of the the little boy's agenda. A professional painter would have hired this kid for his knowledge and understanding of over lap.

Father never new. I said not a word. This was a window of how kids grew up in the days of old. My bet is his immune system is ahead of the curve.

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The month is short and March marks the start of the end of this winter season. Light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks for the visit. 


Sunday, February 16, 2020

SIGNS SIGNS, EVERYWHERE...


From a field near Yakima, WA. Many seasonal fresh fruit and vegetable stands.


From the Cradle of Humankind, SA 2007


 From the Cradle of Humankind, SA 2007

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Trucks and trailers in the queue for loading on a ferry to Newfoundland. 

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Her pointing to our destination Dallas, from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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Front lawn and view from one of our overnight B & B's en-route to Newfoundland, 2008. 

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HOME CANNED HAM AND RELISH 

A recent visit with relatives, about stocking up, caused us to go to our canned good shelf. We picked out a jar of canned ham (5 years old) and a jar of home-made zucchini relish (2 years old).

Canned goods; good or bad?

The canned ham had a wonderful smoky flavor. I ate a small bowlful as opened.

Her mixed some mayonnaise and relish and I ate a small portion of that, too.

This one jar of ham would feed 4 people, more if rice/beans/pasta were added for filler. 

We canned the ham years ago, put it on the shelf and had forgotten about it. See from the dust on the top of the lids. 

So what? Putting in preps like this is worth its weight in gold should we need to resort to that. 

Grandma's shelves in her basement and upstairs pantry were always full of home canned meats and vegetables from the garden. She used most all of it feeding family and friends through out the seasons.

Grandma canned because of the lack of refrigeration. A way of life she was brought up in, taught by her elders and she continued through out her life. She passed this down through generations and, to this day, her knowledge and lessons, feeds her extended families.

So? Learning to can foods that will store a few good years ensures some quality eats when the lights go out. 

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A morning read of blogs earlier this week put me into tears of laughter. Some of the folks who make memes are very clever and play well on public gaffs made by some of our politicians. I think it is the face of the golden retriever in this meme that put me into uncontrollable laughter. 

And it was good.

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Repeating radio signal from 500 million light years away. Apparently, a galaxy far far away. Surprisingly, nobody knows why. 

I am not surprised as I cannot even fathom a 500 million light year distance. Oh, that is just 3000 trillion miles.

My personal belief is that we are not alone. Probably never have been. 
regardless, this story does stir thought.


No, I did not read this either. Just the first paragraph. If 3000 Trillion miles hurts my brain, this technological data assembled by the listed authors is at least worth a scan and ought to impress that human minds actually understand all of this. 

My next question is what does the signal say? Is there a message? Why repeat any kind of signal if there is no message. Or is the repeating of the same signal over and over the message? Because they can?

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FIRST IN THE NATION PRIMARY - HISTORY
 

Mid-week and candidates have moved on on. The airport is empty and final days of local media tilling local political soil. What to do when the only game in town moves on and out?

Look, snow storm coming and fracking cold weather!

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 #COVID19  

The corona virus has a name now and more and more headlines. Be afraid? Troubling? Truth?  I have no idea what to believe. 

But, I am washing my hands more often. Getting close to it becoming a habit.

Lots of headlines now. Worth the time to keep up on this from all sources. Also, if there is a close friend in the medical field, talk with them. They tend to be more matter of fact and most likely will mirror the basics of hand washing and staying away from crowds.

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THE BEST IS YET TO COME 

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Fried eggs in bacon grease. 
 


As good a place to depart this week as any. Zero degrees outside, bacon and eggs for breakfast and the wood stove is full. 

Thanks for the visit. Stock up and plan.



 

Sunday, February 9, 2020

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE..." - DOOM FATIGUE - WINTER ICE - CROP DUSTER

"That's Impossible..."

I am reminded of one of the best ending scenes in any movie; the final turn to the checker flag in "Secretariet." 

The true story is one of perseverance on slim odds, a belief in what is right, and the never ever giving up on what you stand for. Fast forward to 2:30 if you do not have patience for this moment. Secretariet comes around the corner alone and far ahead of the rest of the pack. A most wonderful moment for victory.  All it took was one woman who believed in her horse and the faith to "let him run his race."

It was much like this for many Americans this week (I am guessing) when our President was acquitted of all impeachment charges. It was a long time coming.

I doubt any other man or woman could have survived the onslaught of hatred, lying and deceit brought to him, the office of the presidency, his family and this country for the past three+ years. Never have I witnessed such hatred from a dedicated internal foe against their own country. And yes, it is a hatred for middle America, the everyday hard-working folk, mom's apple pie and God Bless.  

I was not a fan of our last president. Not a fan because of his policies and not standing with/for the men and women in harms' way when he needed to.  The giving away of so much of what had been built in our history and his designed acknowledgement of a declining country and people that he was leading was also paramount in my disappoint in him and the Democratic Party.

I did not vote for him, but never ever have I hated or spewed angst against him or his family. Never. I always hoped that this country could again rise up against these kinds of beliefs, leadership and to once again recognize the greatness of this land and its people. I hoped that I would live to see and recognize that day. 

I will not to beat a dead horse this week nor outwardly gloat over a big victory for America. I will, though, grin more often than I have in the past months. I will also stay vigilant and tuned to the days ahead. The fight is long from over.

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Apparently there is a name for some reasons I no longer watch much news, the NFL nor any Hollywood related self gratification exercises. 

No one is happy and everyone seems hell-bent on elections to live in self imposed quicksand of hate for fellow man/woman or other. Across the board, a good cross-section of our land tills this soil. Day after day, moment after moment. 

At every turn, we are a land doomed to failure, decline and loathing of the American way. 

Not so much!!

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CORONAVIRUS. 

Thoughts from Daily Luther here and from SHTF here and here

So what to believe?

Royal Caribbean ship docks in New Jersey with suspected coronavirus patients

Raconteur 02-07-2020

Disturbing if this report is true.

I am guessing most folks are keeping an eye on all of this.   
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 ICED IN


A "perfect storm" scenario this weekend. Four inches of fresh snow removed with the snow blower. Next, light ice rain. Then rain on top of that, freezing instantly upon contact. Followed by a long window of freezing temperatures  falling into single digits for the next few days. The iced driveway is here to stay and we are house bound for awhile.

A trip down the driveway would be "iffy" at best. The chances of getting back up the hill - slim to none. From that stuck at the bottom of the hill scenario, it would be my wife and me trying to walk back up a 900' ice rink.

Many other driveways are in the same condition. Our problem is the hill. Walking on any of this, is an ass-kicker and bone-breaker.

Such is a normal winter time in New Hampshire. Folks plan for this. Our wood box full, canned goods as needed, food in the fridge/freezer and a generator at the ready should the power go out. Basics covered!

HOW DOES A CAUCUS WORK?

Iowa caucus winner. How the math is done. 

An excellent read on how the caucus process works, how the math is done and that the fate of any candidate can be up to a coin toss . Sanders gets 101 votes, Buttigieg gets 64 votes; both get 4 delegates. 

Sounds like Socialism distribution of earnings, huh?  "Making the top pair their fair share."

After years of planning the Iowa Caucus, the party could not correctly report the final numbers.

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SOMEWHERE EAST OF CHENOA, ILLINOIS, EARLY AUGUST 2009



I could not resist stopping and getting a photo or two of this crop duster. 

A fellow on the road stopped and told me the kid flying just had just turned 21 years old and had been flying since he was 16.

I watched as he zoomed up, over power lines and then wheels back skimming the crop as he sprayed. The kid was a natural. 
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Politics and nasty weather. A made for each other week. 


An airport full of corporate jets and the politicians will depart Tuesday after the NH primary vote. Those results will get top billing for a few days. Then yesterday's news.


Maybe sunshine to follow, hopefully a warming trend or two and the heavy breathing from the local political media may calm some. 


There are other things to think about.

Thanks for the visit again this week.







Sunday, February 2, 2020

STORY TELLING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY


Early August 2005, picked the wife up at SeaTac and we were heading back to NH via Seattle. We had just spent a warm and beautiful morning visiting Little Big Horn and then departed for Sturgis.

We chose highway 212E, 230 miles and about a 4-5 hour ride on a good day. 

Little did we know that a long portion of the highway had turned into semi soft mud due to recent rain and road construction.  It was on this portion of our trip that all of my time spent on a dirt bike paid off. 

Constantly slipping and sliding tasked every motorcycle skill I ever had keeping that Road King up and moving. Had we stopped we could not have been able to start up again nor find a place off of the road to rest/re-group. Had we dropped the bike we would not have been able to find firm ground to stand her back up. 

That portion of the road and the remaining crosswinds all the way to Sturgis that day turned out to be our worst and most dangerous motorcycle riding experience ever. 

My wife held on around my waist as we slogged through the mud and said nothing the whole time. The cross winds and truck traffic for the last half of the ride were exhausting.

We were both dressed to keep out the cold horizontal wind and rain. In the above photo my wife still had enough energy left after the mud ride and some attitude to find a little fun to show how hard the wind was blowing.



On the initial leg of this solo cross-country trip, July 15, 2005. I was trying to stay ahead of the leftovers from Hurricane Dennis. I stopped along the miles and miles of corn fields to start recording the first leg of this ride from New Hampshire to Seattle, Washington. The bike was still somewhat clean and I had finally slowed down enough to start enjoying my 60th birthday present; A coast to coast to coast Harley Davidson Ride. First leg solo to Seattle, the second leg would be coming home with my wife on the back. 


In this photo, my wife is recording the Vantage Bridge across the Columbia River. We were just south of the bridge having just come north from Yakima.


Quite often, I found myself alone on the highway with breathtaking scenery. A bike trip across the USA is everything that one dreams it could be. It should be done with enough time to enjoy and while still young enough. The very best birthday gift I have ever had. 

Do a trip like this while you are young, healthy and state to state freedom of travel still exists.

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GAME PARK NEAR JOHANNESBURG, 2007

Checking out the inside of the Land Rover. Very persistent!



Late afternoon lunch along the coast near Cape Town, SA 2007. One thing my wife and I remember most about the year living in SA, is the food was exceptional no matter where we stopped or what we ordered. Ditto for a coffee or latte stop.

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BADGER QUAY AUGUST 2008


Photo taken early August 2008 while on a motorcycle trip to Newfoundland. We were gone for 12 days, ten of which it rained. 

On one day during the trip, we arrived at one of our overnight B & B's. We were wet and cold at the end of the days ride. Raining outside still as we stowed our gear and trike. 

That evening, the owners served us hot hamburger and gravy poured over a large serving of mashed potatoes. To this day I remember that meal. 

How wonderful it was to be out of drenched clothing, to have warmed up and the simplicity of a hot, homemade dinner with good company. 

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ICE PATH

  
Pond near exit 10 on 89 North, NH. Warming temperatures then freezing temperatures seemed to come and go this winter. Usually, when the cold sets in here, a frozen pond can be trusted to be frozen. But this season, at least for this observer, I wonder. I see quite a bit of free standing water along the edges of many other ponds.

There were folks out ice fishing last Friday. I will just trust they know what they are doing.
  
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For the first time in my life I do not even know who is playing in the Super Bowl today, where they are playing etc. I have always enjoyed some of the commercials, but those too are now steeped in agenda driven political theater. In fact, the selling of agendas feel as though they have permeated and over taken the sport.

There were good old days leading up to the Super Bowl, no matter who was playing. Friends gathering, fun junk food, TV dinners and watching the game. Long gone.

Thanks for the visit this week and you know the drill.