The NEW YEAR 2025

 

For today:

I know, I know, I used to say it every year; "Boy that year flew by," However, I cannot say that for the past two years. I am not going to dwell on our problems. Those two terrible years (bad for us anyway)  are gone, and there is some promise in the coming year.

I enjoy all of your blogs.  At times each of you write something that penetrates my heart and life. NOW, this NEW YEAR'S words that hit me, came from Chatty’s Blog. I hope she doesn’t mind, I copied this from my sweet friend from Atlanta.

Chatty Crone: DECEMBER 31 HAPPY NEW YEAR ANY RESOLUTIONS?

Quote....

My dear friends have gone through tornadoes and hurricanes, losses of homes, losses of a brother, losses of pets, family members with dementia, children with drug issues, losses of family members, losses of friends, illnesses in themselves, some have a family member that has limited time to live, depression, loss of a sister, miscarriages, children issues, looking for new homes to move to, old age, financial issues, and surgeries.  

We need to keep these people in our hearts and pray for them.

unquote

I just had to repeat that, That is such a solid honest and true statement. YES we do need to be reminded we are in this world together and EVERYONE fights battles, many much worse than mine. I MUST keep that in mind.

How in the world does anyone handle life when someone near and dear to them becomes a convicted Rapist, mass murderer, child molestor, etc. That just might drive me to suicide, BUT I must remember SOMEONE is facing those terrible times mentally AT THIS MOMENT! THAT HAS GOT TO push the limits of mental stability.

What I am saying, and I hope I can remember this, MY LIFE IS GOOD, we are safe. No bill collectors on the way and our health is much better than most folks our age. Most of all, We do have confidence of making heaven.

I KNOW THAT! The Heaven thing, because a friend wrote me a book entitled, get out of Hell Free, no I am sorry, it is “HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN…OR YOUR MONEY BACK!” After I read it, I knew he  had written that for me.

So If I don’t make it, imma gonna demand my money back from Victor, I have the receipt!!  (just sayin)

BUT FOR NOW

 btw, We honestly haven't attended but 3 or 4 New Years Eve's parties, in our lives, but once at the Chief's Club in GITMO I was in line to get a drink, I thought I knew the man in front of me I tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned, I said, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else!"

He replied immediately, "I might be!"

I have never had a chance to use that line, I am still holding it. lol

Nite Shipslog

PS 

I smiled to read that Myra and HappyK stained your fingers and hands with pecans and walnuts.  Men can be excused easier than you girls!

Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it. We look forward to more interaction here on the BLOG in 2025.  You make our day reading or commenting!   ‘-)

Those memorable mistakes

 

For today:

Mistakes

When I taught at NIPS (Naval Intelligence Processing Systems) I was thrilled to find a big pecan tree in our back yard. It was summer and the uniform of the day was WHITES. One day I went out back and gathered pecans I shelled them with my bare hands NOT KNOWING THOSE PECAN STAINS ARE IMPOSSIBLETO REMOVE.

That evening my hands slowly turned brown and BROWNER!  I tried everything, even soaking my hands in Clorox, to no avail. For the next week I was dressed in a stark white uniform with dark hands.  My black students said I was the Watermelon Man, a movie that featured a white man slowly turning Black.

Used salt one time in my coffee vs sugar aboard ship.

On my first ship, during mid watch,  just to pass the time I washed all the nasty looking coffee cups hanging by the coffee pot ( hint, I learned sailors normally NEVER wash their cups they want it to show stained age, time aboard.) Next morning, The first thing I heard was from the leading chief, “WHAT FOOL WASHED MY CUP? (I did not say a word!)

 Oh yes, DAy light savings time!  Once stationed in Norfolk, I took the family to church, and no one was there? What has happened? we asked each other, Then my favorite wife says, "Honey, we are an hour early!"

I have taken the wrong road several times in my driving; I have had the names Wrong-way Jack and U-turn Jack for many years. BUT the worst was on the way to Canada from NC once; I took the wrong turn after entering Virgina and drove 100 miles directly WEST into Tennessee, when I should have been going North. There were no short cuts in the mountains, so I had to retract the 100 miles. OUCH!

 

Oh, the worst mistake I ever made was forgetting Sherry’s Birthday!  I later heard a minister say, “A sure way to never forget your wife’s BD….(a pause)…. Just forget it once!!!! True Dat!

I have made some doozies in my time. I am sure some biggies will come to my fading brain in the next few days.

Nite Shipslog

PS 

I

Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it. You make our day reading or commenting.  I bet you don’t even know that Wednesday will be the first day of 2025. And I just got used to using 2024! ‘-)

 

The Kids, Always have associated with telephones

 

For today:

The telephone one of the greatest inventions for communications. Once phones proved to work, it was tough to get them to all homes; running the wires on poles to every house. I grew up calling those poles, Telephone Poles, because phones lines were strung on them before electricity. Now they are power poles.

Of course, not every home could afford a phone and many times the phone lines were not available.  There were less lines ran so families had to share a phone line. They were called party lines. Two or more families shared the line.  When calls came in all phones on that party line rang. The families knew when it was a call for them because of the rings, One long ring might be the Darnells, 2 shorts and one long might be the Smiths, etc. Note: HappyK, who comments, said she remembers party lines from when they lived in Scotland.

There was no real privacy, because we kids could pick-up the phone real easy and listen to conversations. My sister and I were yelled at many times, "get off this line!" I would bet some nosey old folks did the same. LOL

Then came the dial phones, no party lines and even operators were no longer on the line. Now, oh boy, kids could dream up games.

AT first one of the big ones was to pick a number from the phone book and dial. When answered, the kids would ask, “Is your refrigerator running?” At first the person thought it might be the power company and would answer, “Yes, it is,”

Then the smart aleck statement, “Then you had better run and catch it!” the kids would crackup  laughing and hang up quick.

Oh yes, that phone has been the source of all kinds of fun, jokes and menace.

It is still amazing to us old folks; the speed kids have typing using fingers and thumbs.

I am so old I still refer to it as a phone, but it is much more, it is a very quick acting computer and a great device for learning and communicating.

My sons can answer a lot of questions for Sherry & I, but if I need real advice I must go to their kids.  LOL, Yeah and I bet you do too!

Love hearing from each of you that read, if you don’t comment, I still am blessed you stop by.

God is good.

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it. You make our day reading or commenting.  The best to you in the next coming year.

 

OUCH! I accidentally drug up a bad memory here!

 

            ````1948 Chevrolet
For today:

I am not embarrassed, but somethings in our lives of which we are a little ashamed.  I said yesterday, “One of the things you should NEVER do is try to outrun a policeman.”

It hit me, OUCH, That is from experience. L

At 16 I had  a 1948 Chevy convertible. At that time, 1955, LOUD was illegal, but of course we wanted loud mufflers, you had to be light on the pedal around the law. I wanted my chevy LOUD!

Bobby Ferguson had a split manifold for sale. $10. That would allow 2 mufflers on my car. I gutted two old mufflers. Called Smitties.

Once  installed, I went for a drive. Holding the gas light until out of town, then I  let her sound off, GREAT! I loved it. I circled around town and down by the river then I got back on Wilkinson Boulevard. The only 4 lane road I knew; it ran right past our town. Just up the road I spotted a state trooper car coming toward me.

Not thinking I stepped on it. I didn’t realize it but the GREAT sound I liked just blasted out as we passed. I looked in the mirror and to my horror he did a cool sliding 180 degree turn in the 4 lanes and headed after me, red light going. I held it to the floor until I saw the side road, into Browntown. I slid into it and took the first right. I was shocked, as I turned he was on my bumper.  I pulled over.

Officer Burris walked up to my side. “Ok, let’s hear ‘em.”  I touched the gas lightly, “More he said!” I touched a little harder. BEfore I knew it he grabbed me and flipped out of the car and got in.

He held the gas down. “Ah, sounds like $10 to me,” then again, he continues, “Nah, that is $20.”  Then I though he was going to throw the bearing out of the engine and let off. pop pop pop, ”Nah, that is $30 if it is a dime.” 

“STOP! please!“ I said.”

“Follow me to the Belmont Police Station and courthouse.”  I did.

I was held a couple hours before the judge called me.  It was a $20 fine I could not have paid $30 That was more than a week's pay!.

 

Looking back a 16 year old can’t think well. Ain’t no way an old 6 cylinder car is gonna out run a 1955 Ford Police Special! LOL

All that work on the mufflers and it lasted only a few days, before removal.  LOL

I did roll the car over and tear it up later, but at least it was pretty quiet. LOL I lost my license, I did much better the rest of my life, I LEARN SLOW, but I DO learn. LOL

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Ok I did try to out run a cop, but I honestly NEVER did rob a Bank!  Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it. You make our day reading or commenting.  The best to you in the next coming year.

 

3 things you should NEVER do! Crazy Number things

For today:

Three things you should NEVER DO!

1.       Try to outrun a Policeman.

2.       Rob a bank

3.       Swallow Poison

(Some facts, but mostly My opinion!)

 

If you are on the net in the same areas as I am you are inundated by articles of NUMBERS, i.e.

1.       12 things to show your spouse is cheating.

2.       17 things you should never eat.

3.       8 things you should never do if you are losing weight.

4.       5 reason you should hold off buying a home in the next 2 years.

5.       15 reasons Ford outperforms Chevy.

6.       15 Top picks to watch on the telly this Christmas.

7.       5 must have storage items, according to experts.

8.       14 things men with good character refuse to do.

9.       3 Holiday expenses the middle class can no longer afford.

10.    12 behaviors that show a person is not as nice as they pretend to be.

11.    12 places you should never use a debit card.

12.    #1 mistake new brides make

 

I could actually go on.  But all in all, Microsoft news has more # news items than AOL.

I do appreciate advice.  Advice like all these news stories or editorials (I am not sure what they should be called), is someone’s ideas.

I see things like: I am a doctor, SENIORS should never do this!

I am a financial advisor, 3 things you should never do.

I am a plumber, 2 things that should never go down your drain.

 

How do I know that guy or gal is a Dr. or plumber?

Advice is most times an opinion NOT FACT.

I sit and think, if I read those things that tell me Sherry is cheating (or not), she might be doing one of them and make me suspicious. You see, I KNOW Sherry would NEVER cheat on me……… or would she? ;-O

That is actually a joke, I am so sweet, rich, goodlooking and nice, (OK, I am nice) She would never think of cheating.

(Stella Bella and Jude the Dude, "2" of our RV drivers)

I think we have too many reporters and editorial writers who need to find another profession. Yep, that too is an opinion.

I had a "4" year old grandson once who told me, “Yes, Grandpa, EVERYONE has an Opinion!

Below is Kennedy and Jack Wiley (2 more)

All the great grands like to get behind the wheel of the RV when they visit. You would be surprised where they have taken me, NY, England and China!

                                    Above are "2" Jacks, Jack Wiley and Oliver Jack

  I hope your holiday season is #1 or at least #2!

 
Yes, there is Rose Mary

Do Not  have Elsie driving, But she sneaked my camera and left me some crank shots with us in the RV, here are two:

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it. You make our day reading or commenting.  The best to you in the next coming year.

That Crazy Phone call

 

                                                        Cuz Dewey in China

For today:

You modern up-to-date people know everything about that phone (computer) you carry around.

You know what? For years we traveled the USA and other parts of the world that we will never see again, and the only communications with family was from pay phones.  I mean pay phones that costed up from $5 to $20 a minute for long distance.  Now you must understand long distance could be 20 or 30 miles according to how Ma Bell decided.

Now? We cannot walk around the block without hearing,"Do you have your phone?”

I call them ‘the leash!’  We are bound to a phone.  Even some children  have a $1000 phone. How did all this happen?

OK, last night I was working on a blog entry you have read by now, about our travels in desert areas. Sherry asked, “Do you want to try and answer this?” as she slid her tablet over to me. I had no idea what I was doing but I saw my crazy cousin Dewey’s name.  WE never know where Dewey is. For some reason he has a love for Oriental countries. I think that call was from Thailand. WE talked and looked at each other for 15-30 minutes. In 1963 that would have cost about two months pay, without the visual, just the phone conversation, from Thailand to Florida USA.

Anyway, I told him I did not know how to do this stuff. He said, “I thought you were the smart one in the family?” I told him I was, but do not do this again!  WE did the Merry Christmas’s, and I finally figured how to hang up.

I am not complaining. I KNOW how wonderful that would have been when I was on a ship in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea or even Gitmo.. If I could have talked to Sherry and see her and the boys. I thought we were pretty modern for a while we exchanged tape cassettes, and I could HEAR her voice. But to have been able to SEE her, that would have been WONDERFUL.

BUT for now, we are happy to live with the phone as we did most of our later lives.

And YES, I am old. I remember four-digit phone numbers, operators who asked, “Number Please?” and party lines. You could only move 3 or 5 feet because of the land line phone cord.

Anyway, my word # is up. I hope you had a great Christmas. And enjoy your phone

Nite Shipslog

PS 

My Sister Shirl (RIP), Dewey and sitting is my oldest cousin Harold still around in his 90's. When Dewey is in the area he makes sure we go see some kin.

I don’t want to sound ungrateful. It was good to see and hear Dewey. He is probably the closest family I have from the past. He keeps me informed of family happens 30 miles away from us and him halfway across the world.

 Thank each of you for stopping by!  We appreciate it.

 

Sightseeing from the car or RV

Above from the Grand Canyon

For today:

WE travelers and vacationers can see some great sights by driving up close and walking a few hundred yards, then back to the car. Oh yes, you can see some great sights in barren lands, and we have enjoyed a good bit in those areas,

One such area is in Southern Utah. WE stopped by The Arches (above) and Canyonland. . Seeing such magnificent formations there can be enjoyed by thousands of tourists, because WE can drive there. That is the beauty of the Appalachian Trail, we saw what only a few people see. Take Jashua Tree. Ed shows sites on his hikes

Spare Parts and Pics: Water Dagger Petroglyph Revisited

which only the determined will see with their own eyes. Fortunately, that dude can catch them, and you feel sorta like you have been there. I will never be able to catch shots like a pro, but I do point and snap a lot. LOL

You will appreciate a desert area with hills when you see:

The Chiricahua Nat’l Monument near Benson AZ .

                                                            Balanced Rock

 I did appreciate this little known outside the area, site.

 

 Thanks for looking in again. We have found beauty all across this nation and in all the places we have visited in other countries.

Sherry and I even entered Mexico once, illegally. A kid in a pole boat took across the Rio Grande  and we visited a small village, not even big enough to get on a map.
That was a site let me tell you. It was our most interesting of all our jaunts into Mexico.

I thought you might enjoy a shorter entry with no gripes.  Nite y’all. Merry Christmas…

Nite Shipslog

PS 

 

AGAIN, thank each of you for stopping by.  Having friends is important. I take pride in the fact that we have met you, even if it is on the internet.

 

Surprises in Travel, the Desert areas

 

Olive Ann Oatman (September 7, 1837 – March 21, 1903) was a child who was enslaved and later released by Native Americans in the Mojave Desert region when she was a teenager.

For today:

Traveling? I thought of lush mountains, beautiful beaches and hundreds of acres of veggies; I was surprised at hundreds of acres of Sun Flowers! I think it was in Kansas or Colorado I was so pleasantly surprised at seeing Sun Flowers and noting with a smile that it appeared every last one, followed the sun like Soldiers marching.

I could not find my pic, this is from the net.

We had read about the “Oatman Massacre” and set that as a destination in around 2000. Ah ha, it is close to Gila Bend. There is a National Park in the area with an RV park. More education to this Southern Boy. Gila is Actually pronounced 'Heela' Bend.

It was easy to find a camping spot, so we headed that way. We took a month’s reservation. WHAT? Very little SAND? This cannot be. Lots of Scrubs and cactus. Plenty of paths in that area.

 

This is the home of the Gila River Indian reservation. The home of the famous Ira Hayes and the Gila River. We actually shopped on the reservation, sad my friend the fate of the American Indian.

The Balad of Ira Hays, US Marine who helped raise the Flag on Iwo JIMA.

Hiking in this desert area we met Workers on an isolated farm.. They spoke no English. My first realization that Mexico was just down the road. Very few people were helpful at directions to the Site of the Massacre.

The Oatman Family and their 7 children, dedicated Mormons  were on their way to Utah. They fed some passing Indians. After the meal they were all killed except two girls. Thinking they had killed the son, they threw his body over a cliff, he survived to tell the tale and look for his sisters. The Girls were taken as slaves. Only Olive survived. Her chin was marked as a slave.

WE walked several days and actually enjoying a desert environment, we located the site, there were No big signs, just a simple acknowledgement of the site, on a 2 rut desert road.

I have lost my 2000-01-02 pictures. The above are from the net.

Want to view some beautiful out of the way DESERT areas? Drop by ANY TIME ‘Spare Parts and Pics’ and You will be enamored by the beauty of the Joshua Tree areas of Southern California. One must admire the American Writer and photographer Edward Abbey, a guy with a camera’s eye that can catch subtle but beautiful sites.

If you see only one post of Ed’s, you must visit:

Spare Parts and Pics: Water Dagger Petroglyph Revisited

Those formations and info left from the past engraved in many areas are fantastic

Tomorrow, the Yuma, AZ Area,  desert beauty.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

 AGAIN, thank each of you for stopping by.  Having friends is important. You guys are the best… You make a guy proud to know you.

For you who haven't read it here are the SAD lyrics for Ira's life.. Since I was a Marine, I do think of Ira.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Song by

Johnny Cash

Ira Hayes
Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Gather round me people there's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian you should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indian, a proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land

Down the ditches of thousand years
The water grew Ira's peoples' crops
'Till the white man stole the water rights
And the sparklin' water stopped

Now Ira's folks were hungry
And their land grew crops of weeds
When war came, Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man's greed

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived
To walk back down again

And when the fight was over
And Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high
Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Ira,he is returned a hero
Celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored
Everybody shook his hand

But he was just a Pima Indian
No water, no home, no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira'd done
And when did the Indians dance

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Then Ira started drinkin' hard
Jail was often his home
They'd let him raise the flag and lower it
Like you'd throw a dog a bone

He died drunk early one mornin'
Alone in the land he fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is just as dry
And his ghost is lying thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died

Songwriters: Peter Lafarge. For non-commercial use only.