There are times that we do not know WHY?

Life is full of surprises. I did not turn out as my folks had planned, as a matter of fact I am sure I was not planned. Mom and dad were in their mid thirties when I came along.

I do not know why folks bite their nails, but I have done it, and have known many 'serious nail biters.'

I like this palm tree and don't know why. I do know it is prettier trimmed.

The guy on the left (below) is Jack Darnell, the guy in the middle is Jack Darnell. The guy on the right is Charles Darnell the 'other Jack's brother. Jack and I are about the same age, we are both writers. I don't know how his mama and daddy decided to name him Jack, since I already had that name. (smile) We were in our 70's when we met. We are no kin as far as I could tell. Jack lives in the house he was born in, I have never seen the house I was born in. I wonder why?

 I like dogs and horses, I have no idea why.

When in Paris we got this close to the Eiffel Tower and did not get closer, to this day I wonder WHY? 

I liked uniforms since I was this age, Why is that?

I guess just like the photo below, some things are just out of our grasp!!!!

I once heard this story when we lived in Biloxi, MS. 

There was once a man who was disillusioned with women. His wife had left him with a baby boy. His decision was to move to a deserted island in the Gulf of Mexico and raise his son without EVER seeing a girl.

When the boy reached the age of 21 his dad decided it was time to take him to the mainland. They rowed their boat to Biloxi, Mississippi. After dragging the boat up on the beach two pretty girls in bathing suits, walked by . The boy was puzzled.

"Hey Dad, what is that?" pointing to the girls after they passed.

"Son, them's ducks!"

The son stood there puzzled for a minute then  said.....

v

v

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v

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"I want one!" (and he didn't know why!)

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It was sorta like that when I saw this one, and she was not wearing a bathing suit!

 I first spotted that girl above in 1954 and said, "I want that one!"

And I really did know why!!!!!!

Nite Shipslog

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This is a 1954 Ford, It was new when I first saw the love of my life. There are times there is no QUESTION of WHY!

Rolling with the punches, or faking it while I try to Fix it.

Sherry and I at the end of the Alcan Highway in Alaska.

Below is our dirty, REALLY DIRTY Saturn tow vehicle.

Below is our coach passing a couple Caribou in the Yukon. My sister Kat must have taken this picture They were following us in their Bounder.

A beautiful lake in the Yukon, these lakes were absolutely gorgeous and pristine. Cher, who is a Yupper now, did find her hubby  at the end of this road, in Alaska. She reads the blog often.

Even in the Yukon and Alaska you can have a Veggie Pizza. (Along with many other delicious meals including fresh Salmon and Halibut.)

Nite Shipslog

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I think this is a GTO about 1960?

Sometimes I just feel dumb

Above is Bill, me and Darla. In the background is their log cabin. They built it. Darla skinned every log in the house. I saw the drawing knife, it was worn. Hubby Bill is battling his eyesight. His shooting eye is very important. They live a lot off the land.

 I read a comment by my friend Darla up in the North Woods. She mentioned about having a little problem with a smart phone. I e-mailed her back telling her about the time I was leaving the Appalachian Trail and Sherry had sent a smart phone with me.  It was raining and I was at a trailhead and was trying to text Sherry, but the phone was on 'CAMERA' and I had no idea how to get it off. Sitting there under my poncho rain dripping  and about to cry when a sweet lady hiker happened by. In two seconds she fixed it for 'grandpa', smiled and was on her way.

Simpler times, Shirl loves pigs, this could be her!

When I see names like the Duggars, Kardashians, and many others in the AOL news every day, I feel like I am from outer space. I don't recognize movie stars and many politicians. I miss simple names like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Doris Day, Lucille Ball and The Duke.


Below is the Rainbow River fed by Rainbow springs in Florida.


















I am honestly laughing now as I type. Once Sherry niece mentioned  xxxx, and Sherry said 'who?' Sherry said she looked at her like she had lived under a rock.


I try not to continually mention 'the good years' to kids because they are having their own 'good years'. So I confine my thoughts to the blog, Sherry and old folk I know.  HA!

I know I cannot comprehend the complexities of 
some of the new electronic world, but then most of these kids could not set the points on a 1953 Chevy either. (Not that they are ever going to face the challenge. LOL)

Challenges are different. At one time some of us looked for a hill to park our cars on so it would roll off and start. Now the kids must figure how to get the money to BUY the battery because FEW cars will start with a roll or a push.

No matter the challenges of life, we all do our best at facing them head on. Really most of us do a pretty danged good job of it.
Nite Shipslog


Below is a picture of my friend Buddy's Mustang, he loved that dude.

This and That

 I think I am putting the correct tag with the right car. We saw this one in BAngor Maine.

I have mentioned we are taking another trip with our sons in a couple months to the Badlands area. Below is one trip where they came to us. This was taken at Bar Harbor.  Strange how much more enjoyable the boys are to be around now (smile).  Sherry and I do hate they did not have the marriage we were fortunate to have, but they do have wonderful families. Now these boys are 'THE ODD COUPLE", Just like the TV series.

That is my Sherry relaxing in the Shelter entrance on the left.

The girl scouts above we ran into on the Rattle River in New Hampshire Just before we got to Maine.

Below is a family from Scandavia who were hiking South in Maine. Very nice folk.

This was a sweetheart, she was 83 years young and I met her in the hundred mile wilderness backpacking alone.

It will take me awhile to get used to posting this way again. I found the pictures at Picassa.

Nite Shipslog

Above is a desoto from the mid 1950's.

Below is an 8N Ford Tractor Many still working today from the 1940-50 time frame

The word is frustration, methinks

I have been blogging for years now. I started on AOL journals, then to Blogger.  Here on blogger I was sorta proud I was approaching a half million reads  until I read Rick's blog who has over 2 million hits.

Now I feel like this old barn in a field in Idaho. LOST!

My friend, Lucy from Nebraska suggested I use 'Windows Live Writer' to prepare my blogs. It has been great. Put pictures where I want them, etc.  Now Live writer doesn't recognize my blog, I keep getting messages that says 'Unknown'.

So here I am back at the blogger entry and it has been so long, don't know how to use it. hahahaha.

We are still in Lenoir, had a visit from Don & Evelyn yesterday.  Sherry is visiting with Mary Ann this morning up on the top of the mountain and I am here trying to get Live Writer to recognize Blogger.

Any ideas?  Do you use a platform other than Blogger to post?

Nite Shipslog.

I cannot find a car, but here is another Idaho Barn.

I lied , I did find this Hudson that is located in Albuquerque. 

Another story

Above is the Indy in the Mediterranean, I slept just under that angle deck.Just under the word Power. 

I remember as a kid when mama told me of the encounter of GGGrandpa and the Yankee, I was amazed. The story was of grandpa talking to the Yankee at night over a creek. When grandpa traded some tobacco for a newspaper. Enemies who were just young men following orders.  I tried to picture it and I think I saw real men. Since then I have seen things that reminded me of that story.

I have put this on the blog before, when I was on the USS Independence I worked in the Intel center we were OZ division and were called the ‘Land of OZ’. Working there allowed certain privileges. We worked with all pilots aboard but especially the RA5C pilots. The RA5C was an intelligence bird, no bombs or guns, just cameras and digital gathering equipment. Our photo mates processed the film and the Photo Intel guys reviewed it.

The unique part was the pilots all carried their own 35mm cameras, and we processed their film also. I was reminded of this a couple days ago when some country scrambled planes to escort a Russian Bear out of their air space. 

The Russian Bear is the large Russian bomber propeller driven.. I have pictures taken by our pilots personal cameras of the Bear.  

The one above was taken back during the OTHER COLD WAR, that it seems is about to re-start. These were F-4 Phantoms escorting the bear, not out RA5-c spy bird.
The pilots did get close enough to wave. I have one shot where the Russian Pilot held up a ‘Playboy’ magazine he was reading.  I cannot find it.
The pilots were like the Rebel and Yankee, except it was not a shooting war and they seemed to enjoy the encounters.

Nite Shipslog.
PS:
AT times I like to think back to time aboard ship, I told the skipper I would stay forever if he allowed Sherry aboard to live. I will never forget his words, “There will never be a female aboard a fighting ship.”

Can you smile at that?

I am working at a disadvantage. so I cannot past pictures where I want them. No auto tonight... 

Is the TV antenna down?

The first thing folks who have an RV with a TV learn is the RV is taller than a car. You must lower or pull in anything that protrudes.   Most RV parks have signs as you  leave. One sign says:

Thanks for staying with us, please come again.

The other sign reminds the driver by asking:

IS YOUR ANTENNA DOWN?

ARE YOUR STEPS IN?

  

Life is sorta like I heard a preacher in San Antonio say :

“Men, I can give the secret of how to remember your wife’s birthday…………………… Forget it one time!”

If you have time to see trucks and RV’s that were too tall:

http://dailypicksandflicks.com/2012/10/25/undefeated-worlds-toughest-bridge-in-durham-nc-video/

As below The antenna and a/c units are off, now it fits.

Usually when an RV’er forgets these once, they never forget  again.

On another vein, the evening before we were to leave for the mountains I was at the rear of our coach and noticed the tailpipe was  looking at me from the WRONG angle. Under it  I found the 4” steel tailpipe BROKEN off and dangling. I  cannot remember hitting anything.

Must fix it. The third auto parts store that was open  had the 4” muffler clamps. I was able to smooth the break by cutting the pipe and reinstall. After a couple hours we were good to go.

Then on the morning of our departure Stella and her mama came out to say good bye. I asked Stella if she wanted to ride up the hill in the motor home, BIG smile and YES! The coach was ready (?) and I raised the jacks and eased forwarded. I looked down at Stella and said, “Ask your Grandma if the antenna is down?” (I just ‘knew it was), I didn’t hear the ‘NO!’ from Sherry and nor did I hear her tell Stella to shake her head no! BUT in the mirror I did see a power line shaking  after it had ripped the TV antenna off the top of the coach! OUCH!

Oh well,  we did need a new one that will import the HD stuff (our sons watch TV while visiting).  Amazon was nice enough to agree to send us one, it is headed this way as I type. (smile)

No matter what your way of life is, some times there is a little bump (or two).

Nite Shipslog

PS:

The antenna might make our TV so good, I might watch it.

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Do you have a favorite car from your past?

I loved this little one we had:

This was a ‘55 Nash Metropolitan.

Memorial Day, and just a little on BIRDS

 

This is a very important holiday,  One that carries the backbone of our nation. Those who gave all that we might enjoy this life and day.

I try, but I cannot feel the deep sorrow, because I have not experienced it.. But God bless the families that have been left with loving memories.

Rick said it  Very well at:

http://www.rickwatson-writer.com/2015/05/veterans-day.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2Fxague+%28Life+101%29

There are many good writers that brought tears to my eyes. I think many times during the year of our fallen warriors. God bless and keep their memory alive.

       

I got a big smile tonight from the Scooter Lady at http://scooterladyridesagain.blogspot.com/2015/05/after-fact.html

 How many times does that little statement jump into most of our lives.

In the end, there is mourning……………

Then there is that sweet lady who touch me tonight when she placed her Grandma’s writing in her blog about an incident back in 1906. Sweet Myra:

http://mevely317.blogspot.com/2015/05/do-birds-mourn-guest-blog.html

I always get a smile inside when I read something that especially touches me.

This is like the Chatty one and “WITH a little Help from my friends”.  Thanks you guys for making my evening or early morning.

Yes Myra, Birds and animals mourn!

Please enjoy this Memorial Day, and remember the reason.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

If you read comments you know that Betty and MA always say it right. I see them on many blogs.

We are now in the Lenoir area for two weeks, we had a good trip. Although it did not start off too well. More about that, maybe tomorrow.

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This car was new when Myra’s grandma was touched by a Robin. This is a 1906 Mason Car (I always want to say a Mason Jar)

A job well done, means….. thinking what you are doing. (This man knows, this could be him on his next tour!)