Health care OUR WAY!

This is Sonny, Colette, Sherry, jackie and Vickie when they came to visit us when we lived in DC. Jimmy Carter occupied the White House then.

This is a shot at the out door theatre (the only kind we had in GITMO) at the Bob Hope USO show. Charlie Pride came with him, I loved Charlie Prides singing when I could hear.

Todays drivil/........

Now I will be the first to say I have not read the proposed health care plan, None of them. I doubt very seriously that 1/10 of 1% the USA voters, including congressmen and the president himself have read the whole thing. You are looking at a minimum of 1000+ pages of small print, and it is in legaleze.

I do know that some democratic congressmen have stated that seniors need to accept the ailments that go with age. Easy for them to say because he doesn’t even have a deductable to meet, for the rest of his life.

I do know that illegals will be covered if passed and I do not like that.

(I just copied this from the bill, does this make you happy?)

(STUDY ON MEDICARE PAYMENTS FOR LANGUAGE SERVICES.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a study that examines the extent to which Medicare service providers utilize, offer, or make available language services for beneficiaries who are limited English proficient and ways that Medicare should develop payment systems for language services.) direct quote from the bill.

While discussing the upcoming Universal Health Care Program friends, I think we have found the solution. This is not original but I am sure you have heard the ideas that if you're a senior you need to suck it up and give up the idea that you need any health care. A new hip? Unheard of. We simply can't afford to take care of you anymore. You don't need any medications for your high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Let¹s take care of the young people. After all, they will be ruling the world very soon.

So here is the solution. When you turn 70, you get a gun and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representatives (no not kill them, just do a little damage) . Of course, you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head and all the health care you need! New teeth, great! Need glasses, no problem. New hip, knee, kidney, lung, heart? Well bring it on. And who will be paying for all of this. The same government that just told you that you are too old for health care. And, since you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income tax.

And if we all do our part we can end up in the same prison and have one heck of a social life.

Thanks for reading this junk,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
There is a sign up here in Gorham that reads:
“IF the Healthcare Program is so Good, Let the President and Congress sign on FIRST!”

*******
Lucy climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God. Looking up, she asks the Lord, “God, what does a million years mean to you?”

The Lord replies, “A minute.”

Lucy asks, “And what does a million dollars mean to you?”

The Lord replies, “A penny.”

Lucy asks, “Can I have a penny?”

The Lord replies, “In a minute.”

Some cars I have known and a girl I have loved. '57 Rambler.

Volkswagen Camper YR?

That is our '55 RAmbler in the back ground, The proud parents of that fine boy.

This is our '55 Ford We liked 55's. This was in '61 I guess. That girl I've made love to again.

1957 RAmbler station wagon and my Girl and Jack Jr.

Our Friend Marty with our '55 Chevrolet about (1979)

Oh Yes, that girl I made love to and her 1953 Plymouth. (about 1958)

1968 Chevrolet malibu, This is Marks car, whern it was our it was blue and white.

One of our favorite cars the Nash Metropolitan. 1956?


Now today's exciting *&^%%$%... Stuff....

Do you refill your own ink cartridges? For a long time now I have, and never had a real problem until I started trying to refil the HP60 ones. They just seem to not want to work, once they are reinstalled in the printer. I did get both ink cartridges to work today after adding ink. Then they died tonight. Shucks!

My friend Dan in Lancaster, gave me a stack of books. Some by Clive Cussler and some by WW Johnstone. Johnstone writes Westerns. I have started them and I like them a lot. I don’t know why I like Westerns but I really do. It may be because the good guy always wins. I like that kind of book. One of the best fiction writers (not Westerns) is John Grisham. He has written so many block busters it is disappointing when you get one that is not. I know you heard me griping about the Appeal he wrote last year, but the good guy did not win.

Hey, I got a hint of a new type of politician. Name is Bernie Decastro. He wants to run for Senate in Florida and is trying to get on the ballot. Reading his past you wonder for a little while. As a youth he was in a lot of trouble with the law. I think he spent 14 years in prison. Seems he was serving a life sentence. He was given a complete pardon. He has done so many good things since getting out it is unbelievable. I think the man probably would make a good Senator, I am giving it some serious thought. He has a great family now and is a business man. Maybe a man like that, who has proven he can change deserves a shot.

At least his past is there in living color for folks to see.

Boy hearing about all the gardens, tomatoes and squash makes me want fresh home grown tomatoes.
Take care and thanks for coming by the Log today.
Nite Shipslog

PS:
If you pursue happiness, it will elude you, But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. That my friends is a fact.

Identity Theft!

Wiley Aaron Harris Senior. 1902-1985 July 27th would have been his 107th birthday.
This is Wiley with his three beautiful daughters (And one grand daughter looking up). I got the girl on the Right, the youngest and the prettiest.

This is Wiley in his later years with his collection of family pictures.

Here he is relaxing in Key West when he came dow to visit for a few weeks.

Above, his loving wife Susie, looking up admiringly.

Wiley left us, taken by cancer at the age of 83. RIP /Wiley......

Now today's exciting news.........l

Well, this has been an interesting day. It is hard to believe that we have so many file folders in our personal files. FIFTY. Today I have been going through and renewing the folders and discarding the OLD stuff. We do not keep records for too long. Bank records go back three months, etc. So I cleaned out a bunch. Lots of Insurance stuff from 2004-5.

Now my Little sister Shirl is a purveyor of shredding. I realize there are folks out there who want to steal my identity, but for the life of me I don’t know why, I have about used it up. They should want an Identity of someone 22-30 yrs old. A lot more years to use it. Hahahaha!

Anyway we do not have a shredder. Being very ingenious I made my own. IT is amazing how easy paper comes apart in water. Take a bucket. Put your life’s info in it and add water. Let it sit over night and stir vigorously in the morning. As I was doing this I thought how much a company would save if they had a mild solution of bleach and a 50 gal drum. After soaking use a drill with a paint stirrer attached and voila. No more documents. For the fun of it I made snow balls of ours. Now to the dumpster. Now let the ID thief look!

Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me, they were cramming for their finals.

As for me, I'm just praying God grades on the curve.

Please enjoy your days and love your life, because life is a journey to be savored, every step of the way!!!!.

Sometimes it is Gremlins!

Just who'd a thunk that this HEAVY easel would blow over in a hurricane. LOL

This will be the starting of the picture, for the house by the side of the roads. I will add purple mts. in the fore ground the light blue will become the distant mts. With flourescent chalk I will add a full moon and stars, lights in the windows, highlights to the trees and stream.Red flag to the mail box and some flowers around the house. I haven't tried the chalk, I may try it today, the paint is good and dry.

We made a day trip down to N. Conway, NH to find a shop or two. We passed the entrance to Mt. Washington on the way. We drove this a few years ago.

Mt Washington in the distance notice the dark area to the left, might explain later.

I had to get a picture of this: a five and dime or what we used to call a 'Dime Store'.

Another shot. to be explained later.

This is a better view of Mt. Washington.

While in N. Conway I was able to find an external hard drive. Haven't put it in the system. Probably should with Gremlins running around.

I have had a couple strange things happen lately. Before leaving the last Hut on the trail I went inside to shoot some pictures. In the kitchen I shot a picture of the Croo (How they spell Crew). I dropped the camera, or something evil knocked out of my hands. I prefer to believe the last, since I could not admit to being a klutz. When I picked the camera off of the deck I immediately noticed the ‘nose’ was bent.
Due to evil forces being around me on occasion, this had happened one other time with another camera, while we were volunteering after Katrina hit. So being experienced, I gritted my teeth and straightened the nose pushing in, as I did, voila! Plastic surgery finished Nose retreats into the camera as I expected, but his time the little shutters stay partially in place when it slides back out. $$$$$ float in front of my eyes. When I tried to review the pictures of the hut, they B gone. If I manually push the shutters up the camera works pretty well. (refer to pics above with the shutters in the way.)

Today I did surgery and removed the shutters. It seems ok.

Now the other mysterious gremlin happening. When I walked out to see my masterpiece had been blown over (Who would have something as heavy as a Velvet painting would blow over in hurricane winds, evidently not I!) I thought I saw the van's blinkers on. I checked again, sure enough the blinkers were on. Had they been on all night? I opened the door, the keys were not in the ignition (good), but the GPS is in my seat. The holder is on the floor board. Ah,ha! The detective in me says: the sun has released the suction cup, dropping the GPS which hit the Emergency flasher button, turning on the flasher. Whew, nothing evil here. Just ignorance of leaving the GPS in the Van. Maybe a message in there somewhere.

Thanks for reading this drivel.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
I've gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'A Good Doctor'!

Painting and trying to eliminate PAIN!

This is home for a week or so while we contemplate our navel? Or something.

When you walk in the woods you have too much time to think. I still do a few Art presentations and chalk talks to entertain and sell a few books. Our equipment weighs from 80 to a hundred pounds, and is awkward to carry. I have had this brilliant idea. Instead of throw away paintings and drawings, why not try something new, reuseable stuff. I have decided on velvet.

When I was a kid my brother Jr. brought mama a picture home from the Pacific that was painted on velvet. I loved it. I want to start with a partial picture and finish it to the music or during a talk. I am working on one I love, "The House by the side Of the Road", a poem by SAm WAlter Foss. Above is the rough, in chalk.

Getting there I think, but it is hard to paint on velvet. I was surprised. Much different than canvas.

This is a close up, but either I took the picture crooked or I need to straighten the house. While I am waiting for it to dry I am making this entry.

This is the view from our front door, here in Gorham, New Hampshire.

Some of the white Birches I have been talking about every once in awhile. the Whites are named that because of the many White Birches here.

Sherry is not neglecting her feet. Soaking in Epson Salt.

Soaking in Salt while playing games on the computer. She has evidently finished reading all her journals and Blogs. Now time to play Freecell, Hearts, Solatiare and Capture the Cat. She MUST win each every day. Keeps her mind sharp. (Can you tell she just said don't snap that? Of course I don't hear well sweetheart.) (What good is a handicap if you can't use it sometime)

Through soaking, now it is Sudoko time. She is a puzzle and games lady, and she is good at it. The Afgan (?) on the couch was crocheted by our long time friend Mary Ann, Sherry loves it.

Well that is what we are doing. My idea of the velvet, if it works will lower our weight for a show to about thirty pounds, and cut set up time considerably, I hope. I think I can drop the colored lights and simply use the Black light in the finale. I am hoping under the black light I can turn on the lights in the house, raise a full moon and highlight the smoke fromthe chimney using flourescent chalk. After the presentation I hope to be able to vacuum or clean the velvet of all except the permanent acrlyic. We will see. If half that works I will be ready for Fall presentations.

Take care, and thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.

Maybe women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!

Since we have been in the White Mountains, we have decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just not able to bounce it.'

Leaving the Trail for a while.

This is the Galehead Hut. We helped the Croo (as they are called) set up for 36 breakfasts to pay for our stay on the floor. One of the cooks gave us a half loaf of sweet bread. We took a cup of coffee out to this porch and had our breakfast. Yeah it was better than raisins and Prunes. Everyone is inside having breakfast, Here is Sherry dreading the climb for the day.

This is the view Sherry has from where she is standing. GAlehead is the most remote of all the AMC huts. It still amazes me that anyone will pay $95 a night to walk up here and spend the night. However, if you do not tent, and can afford it, There is nothing like these stars at night. I think even clearer than Montana. I am sure RAin has the same view in Quebec, if there are no lights around.

Sherry doesn't look real happy. One reason is a fever blister. She forgot her Lysine. She takes that religiously and keeps away the fever blisters to which she is prone. To be honest, her feet (mainly ankles) are killing her. Yesterday's extended hike about done her in.

But Happy Jack is just glad to have her, so we leave the crowd eating breakfast and head toward Mt. Garfield, and Mt Lafayette. This ain't gonna be a lotta fun.

However the sky is clear. We loaded up with water at the hut and we headed slowly down the trail.

Plenty of water on the trail as this photo shows.

Looking forward to the next mountain. Actually looking ahead, not forward to. LOL Now at this point we come to a trail that joins the AT, called the Gale River Trail. I have elected myself TRail Master so I called a pack off break. There is an auto size boulder at the junction so we climb up with a map to look and rest. I point oiut on the map we have a 3000 foot climb ahead. and a very steep, rugged 35oo foot descent. I was afraid her ankles would not handle it. As we sat there a group of about ten young girls stopped (coming from where we are headed). I asked for a vote: "Ladies if you loved your grandma would you allow her to, or send her hiking where you just came from?" Overwhelmingly they said, 'no way.'

I also asked a gentleman from Brighton what he thought, he pointed down the GAle River trail.

So with all the hullibalew about us hiking the entire trail, we started down the GAle River trail. Knowing all the time it was the only logical answer. Sherry's feet were hurting very badly. She did not like it, but agreed this was the right thing to do.

Another spring crossing the trail, yeah, no Bog water today......

This was the most unique water fall of the trip. The water flowed over and through dark green moss.

Sherry being real careful at a log crossing.

This was our first crossing of the Gale River. Rock hopping.

Another waterfall crossing the trail. This is normal. That is what made yesterday so bad, no good water for eight hours. Usually you see this hourly.

We crosssed the Gale once more on rocks before we came to a road. The cell signal was good so we called the campground. A man came to get us who had hiked and climbed a lot over his lifetime. He brought two cold drinks.

So now. We are nursing Sherry's feet. Hoping they get better soon and we can get back into the woods. In the mean time we are eating good and relaxing.

We ae now in Gorham, New hampshire. The view our our front door is a beautiful mountain. It is great to be alive.

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog.......

PS:

****** We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our skulls.That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

******** Every time I start thinking too much about how I look,I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.


This break is allowing me to continue the latest manuscript, S'Gar (just say Esgar) it is due out before Christmas.

The rough day, 12 hours

It is hard to tell, but this is scrub pines. They stand about three feet tall and won't grow any higher, this is what they call an alpine area, above the tree line. No trees over 8 feet.

Hikers like to stack rocks as they sit and rest.

She said she did not want to stack rocks today!

Direction signs for the many trails in the Whites. BTW if you do not know, the Whites are called that because 99% of the trees here are White Birch.

Distant mountains over the scrub carpet.

These are the first pictures of this day, and we have been climbing six hours. We are above the tree line on the Summit of Mt. Guyot. We are beat. It is still two and a half miles to the peak of South Twin Mt. We are not allowed to camp above the tree line and it will be awhile before we will be below it.

I guess I show some were and tear here. But the intent was the backgrounds. the view is fantastic from up here.

Gorgeous view. I sat and counted nearly a hundred mountain peaks, an that was without turning around.

I took this picture to show these small hemlock pines. They sit on the peak of a rock mound in a bout six inches of dirt.

I meant to blow this up, it is a Grouse I think. There were dibbies with her. She is a big bird. I first thought female pheasant.

Another picture I meant to blow up. A father and small daughter having their picnic. We saw them earlier on the trail, the little girl passed us at a run, what energy. We were to see them later, two more times.

These shots are from atop Twin Mt. We have now been climbing eight hours, but cannot stop. I also made a bad judgement call on this climb. I cut back on four pounds of water to make the packs lighter. WE were out of water soon. I took some BLACK bog water and strained it through my kerchief. Then used our water puifier to purify the water. It was enough to save the day and wasn't bad at all. The purifuer is one of the best.

View over the rocks at a distant peak.

Just a beautiful vista.

I don't know. I was pretty tired. I musta liked this rock for some reason.

This is looking back at Mt. Guyot, where we just left a few hours ago.

This is our best views but the worst we have felt. The sign reads, "8/10 MI to Galehead Hut'. And yes we are willing to spend what ever it takes for a place to sleep. WE are not allowed to camp between here and the Hut or a quarter mile past. We just don't think we can make it. We had NO IDEA what we were about to face in that SHORT eight tenths of a mile.

Once we started down we could see the HUT. Doesn't look far does it? It took us a record two hours to climb down that short distance.

We figured we would be there before supper. BUT we weren't. The GAle Head hut is the most isolated of allthe AM huts. It houses 36 people. They had one lady's bunk left. It was the fourth one up. Shery turned it down. Of course we missed supper. But they did have some left over soup for $2 a bowl and $1 for refills..YES we ate it and had coffee. We also met some very nice folks. It is hard to believe there are folk who will pay $95 for a night out here, but they sure act like they enjoy themselves.

Since there were no bunks we agreed to help set up for breakfast, for a spot on the floor. You bet we took it. Sherry slept on a bench. LIghts were out at 9:30 so we were asleep by ten, or rather I was. Some snorrer kept my girl up. To be honest, the floor felt good. I didn't have to pitch the tent, and I was able to bring the packs inside and not hang them.

Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

***** The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say,'Well, he looks good doesn't he.'

******. If you are going to try cross-country skiing,start with a small country!

***** I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,......just getting over the hill was enough.