Being Old

(Pictures are Studebakers, some were built near here in South Bend, IN)

As we sit here in Buchanan, MI, sorta recuperating from the fast track trip from Layton, Utah to here, we have time to think. Also we have time to  take care of some sore spots on our bodies.

With a new pain, the first thing we say is, “I guess it is old age.”  We say that of course because as these bodies age they do develop some aches and pains.  And besides that is what old folk are supposed to say.

There is a generation of writers who are obsessed about how to treat the elderly or aging. I just read an article entitled, “What not to say to a person over 50!”  One of the things was never say, ‘you look good, for your age.’

First of all, any older person who gets excited over what someone says has a personal problem, and in all their years still do not know themselves. As we aged, everyone of us, have said (or thought) something ignorant (sometimes stupid) to or about an older person.

Seriously, I can remember thinking 35 was ancient and about time for the walker. . I have thought that a person  65 had lived a long life and they are ready to accept their passing.

I was telling Sherry a day or so ago. I can remember thinking 70 was at least one foot in the grave.

(Shirl had one of these until a few years ago, her’s was a ‘38)

You are not old, as long as you know someone older. In other words, now that we are mid 70’s, those 80’s don’t seem all that old. LOL

I know a fact, you are as old as your birthday says you are.

Not: as old as you look,

Not: as old as you  feel,

Shucks folks, you are as old as YOU ARE!

You are silly to add worries to your mind about how you have aged, or what others think or say. It doesn’t change a thing. Wrinkles? they show you know something someone else doesn’t.

MA and Rose say this much better, Be yourself, love life and be happy in your skin. You are unique. There is no one like you.  And of me, folks say :Thank the Lord there is only one!

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

You and I do not need to add unnecessary problems to our lives. Life brings enough along to keep us busy.

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We are in Studebaker and Notre Dame country, this is a 1929.

Getting Old or just Being Old

(Paula, Lucy or Jean)

Lot of jokes, theories and facts about aging. Some folk hate the idea, others appreciate the fact they are on the upper side of the dirt and grass.  There are the in-between-ers who hate it one day and face it as a fact the next.

And it is a fact to each person who attains the age of 65-70, it seems to you that it happened over night.  We all know it didn’t.  We were so busy working, preparing for retirement, surviving, just getting by, or making it to the weekend, that we just didn’t notice. Now that is speaking from a man’s point of view.

I think from a woman’s point of view things are different. Society, movie stars and wealthy women have set the ‘standard’, and that is ‘the female must be perpetually young’. MOST girls hate it when they see the first gray hair or prominent wrinkle.

There is something in me (and most humans) that looks past the make-up, face lifts, hair coloring, etc. The majority of us look for that natural beauty. One of the prettiest ladies I know has a huge birthmark on her face. It took only a few minutes being around her, and I seldom noticed again. Her beauty came from within and that beauty was as obvious as the perfect ‘Playmate’ centerfold.

Sailors on the USS Independence Knew PT3 Akore. At a glance you couldn’t miss him. He looked like he was wearing the big nose novelty glasses. After you were around him 15 minutes, you knew you would love this guy and he was going to be a friend.

When you are old you look at reality. There is no perpetual youth. If a model or movie star lives long enough they will get old. Hollywood make-up artists can hide it, but the person knows what is underneath.

Age is not an obsession of mine (YET), my loss of hearing makes me appear much older (HA!), I am really a 17 yr. old boy trapped here in this 74 year old body (Still chasing that 17 yr old girl who is also trapped in an older body).  That is good, because otherwise I couldn’t catch her...

Shucks, we all know everything doesn’t work as well as it used to, but IT STILL WORKS!

More on aging later.

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

At one time seniors had to worry about kids putting them in a nursing home and spending your money.  Now the kids want you to keep on working to support them.

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This was born the year I was, but this one had a silver spoon in its mouth. 1939 Delage D8

Interesting things ON THE ROAD

 

While in Pueblo, Colorado we saw some of the production stuff of the windmills built there, in a parade.  I do not know how many producers there are, but I know they are shipped by rail, then by truck to the erection site.  From a distance, they just do not look that big, but in reality they are huge!!

Below was just one section of the base in a parade in Pueblo in 2010.

These are Blades on the trucks

The one below was on the West bound lane..

What is in my rear view mirror?

There it is going around, is that big or what?

Nearly past here, that is a WOW being right beside it.

This is a 1/3 or 1/4 of the base of one on the West Bound lanes.

Other things catch my interest including WHERE trucks are from. I enjoying seeing a name, and saying to Sherry that dude is from Winston-Salem, NC or anywhere else.  It is just interesting.

This is a load of pipe stock but they have lug lips for bolts, so they could be light poles for parking lots.

I am very familiar with this guys load, those are bands of concrete reinforcement bars or Re-bar as construction workers call it..

A load of spare wheels for locomotives, I don’t think trains have flats, but they may wear out. LOL

 

A day on the road. Thanks for stopping by the log.

Night Shipslog

PS:

We miss many good pictures, forgetting the camera while enjoying the sight. I missed five antique cars on Friday, just gaping at them.

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1930  Ruston Model C

Illinois, Indiana & Michigan

From Iowa we crossed the mighty Mississippi and into Illinois. The land scape is about the same and still a lot of corn and soy beans being grown.

I remembered the roads being TERRIBLE around Chicago, and hoped they would be better west to east. The roads were about half and half (good and bad). More traffic but the scenery was still great.

We do not know if this is a mine or just a huge rock quarry.  But those sheer rock walls are close to 70-80 feet.

Below was in South Holland Ill. Not sure what it was, appeared to be a huge cross over.

Then into Indiana, we are South of lake Michigan getting close to our destination in Michigan.

Traffic was bad, but we did pass thru some beautiful farm land here also. I was just too busy to shoot. 

Sherry got one of the three towers of some kind?

I estimated about 90 ft. high.  Interesting…

Then into Michigan, for about 45 minutes.

Yes there are thousands of acres of farms in Michigan. We tend to think of Detroit.

The land from Iowa to Michigan lays rolling and flat alternately. It is refreshing to see live waterways thriving.  Cattle on the hills with plenty of grazing land and water. The rolling hills are so refreshing and I never get enough of saying, “Would you look at that, or LOOK OVER THERE!”

Thanks for coming along over a quick three state hop. I know I have been too lengthy, sorry, I got carried away.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

We are all different. Different thoughts, plans and dreams, that is what makes us interesting as humans. (By the way I had a cone of Maple nut Ice Cream and Sherry wasted her time on Chocolate P-nut butter     ().) before leaving Iowa.

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We are in the state of the Motor City. This area is responsible for a love. Love between cars and humans.  We are sitting in Michigan, just a few miles above South Bend Indiana.

Autos were not only built in Detroit, South Bend saw plenty built. This 1987 Studebaker Avanti was the last production car built in South Bend, Indiana

Into Iowa

Iowa has produced some famous people, among them, Corporal Virgil Jensen, USMC and John Wayne. Virgil is famous because I was stationed with him and is the only person I actually have known from Iowa.  John Wayne was pretty famous, but I never met him.  I have admired famous folk, but not to the point of being a dyed in the wool FAN.  I like to enjoy the people I know and have known, they are the ones that are important to me.  I have always laughed at guys with pinups of movie stars and models. My question  always was, WHY? You will never hold, touch, kiss, make love to nor even shake hands with that model. My pinup is in my wallet and I see her every weekend I can, and I do get to hold and kiss her.

(This is a 1955, I couldn’t find the ‘56 quick)

Anyway Virg drove a Red/White, 1956 Crown Victoria, and was a cool farmer’s son.  In 1961 I tried to get up with Virg , even drove to his home town,  Kirkman, Iowa, population 50.  He was off in College in Omaha or Lincoln. So I never did see him again. I still wonder about him.

Now Iowa, beautiful state. Most of it is not flat like Nebraska, but Iowa is the top Corn and Soy producing state in the USA!

Corn fields and soy fields on each side of the highway. (Sara was showing corn on her blog)

http://sarasnextchapterinlife.blogspot.com/

I had to smile, there was water under all the bridges we crossed. (Not so out west)

Above, a plane, maybe a crop duster, I love to watch them.

Below Sherry texting Luke to see if he is feeling better.

Most all of Iowa is beautiful rolling hills, filled with some food for the nation.

(We had rain on this day so you see it on the windows)

 

There is beauty in corn rows. I love the rigidly straight ones and smile at the curved ones, they make me feel good.

(below) Plenty of long straight stretches.

One day I plan to just take pictures of the things and materials hauled on trucks. This day we passed Parts of the wind generators. the bases and blades.

Below is not very clear, but it is one blade that someone has mounted at their business. That sucker is tall!

 

We were impressed at the hundreds of units in wind farms across Nebraska and Iowa. The last figure I had was one of these generators would power about 1500 homes.

Iowa is beautiful, in the summer it is green, ahhh, but in the winter, it is WHITE!

Nite Shipslog

PS:

We lived in North Central Missouri just 20 miles below the Iowa line for a couple years. It is hard to describe an evening on one of the hills overlooking the farm land.

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A friend in this trailer park hired me to tow his trailer to Iowa with this ‘55 Ford. It also towed that trailer behind us, ours.

We made the trip looking for Virgil in this one. Sleeping on the side of the road in this 1955 Rambler.