Teamwork

 Memorable Vehicles from The Past:

 I am a carpenter but I can do some concrete.

Above was the first pour of what Josh called the Flat. We put it together for him to use while attending college. He did well Staying on the Chancellor's list.

I have no idea how many yards we poured over the years. But once Sherry and I poured 32 yards in one day ourselves.... 110' x 24' drive way! Of course it about killed us. LOL

For today:

A man and his son (Concrete First) will do the slab and driveway.  I talked with the son, got a price. Date is not set. We are hoping to have it done while we are away on a two week RV trip. We need to stay off it at least 5-7 days after it is poured. We are getting 9 yards of concrete.

It really hurts my feelings when I hire something done that I could do myself. Looking at life causes lots of contradictions. Thinking back to my 40s, I looked at 70-80 year old men and thought they are past manual labor, after all he was OLD!

Now I think different. There are some who think I might ‘hurt’ myself pulling and dragging concrete. They think of heart attacks, strokes, etc. ME? I don’t think so. I still think I can put in an 8 hour day.

I am writing this in our motor home. Looking out the window I see our trailer. WE bought it so we would have a place to live when we were not RVng here in Florida. Reasonable campsites are hard to find. I never thought I would see a camp site cost what a motel does. When we started RVng camp sites were $8-$15 a night.  Now they are approaching $100.

Okay I said that to say, the trailer now is occupied by our son. He sold his home in New Port Richey, FL and is bedding down here until his next move. He is now 60 years old. At one time he was the best employee I had. We worked together like hand and glove. On one occasion he said to me, “Dad you are the smartest man in the world!”

NOW? If things were about the same he and I would be pouring this slab. I did the cost of equipment rental, day labor and materials and was giving some thought to awarding the job to him. BUT things are different now. I am no longer smart. He knows more than I do concerning construction, life, family and politics. As my dad would say, ‘We can no longer Gee-Haw.’

He would take this entry wrong, I hope you don’t. I love him to death, probably enabled him too much. I am doing better now; I did let off too much steam once or twice lately, but I am doing better (Sherry says).

Mark doesn’t read Shipslog, he hasn’t read any of my books. He watches TV, old movies etc. the TV stays on 24/7 awake or not. ;-). 

    Jack Jr, me and Mark our two sons (they outgrew me!)

So we will pay someone else to do the job, I will hurt inside watching a man and his son do the job, remembering when Mark and I were a team.

NiteShipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

9. THE FIRST COMMANDMENTS WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE.

 

Knowing IT, thinking IT and speaking IT!

 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 

For today:

We remember things in our lives.  Somethings heard and seen will stick . Others will be hid in the crevices of your mind and hard to find.  Of course you already know that.

Just after WWII Lots of BIG Airplanes were sold and of which some people made homes others became businesses.

On one trip of my childhood, our traffic was blocked on a NC road. Dad and I got out to see the problem, I was 6 years old. There sat a flatbed truck hauling a big Bomber Airplane body and it was wedged under an overpass. It would not budge. An old man walked up to the driver and said, let the air out of the back tires and she’ll move. It did.

I bet  this house below does not leak!

Truckers, I love’em.  They move everything you use in life. We had a lot of truck drivers in our family.  Driving an RV I find very few indignant drivers, most are courteous and I give them the road when possible, I know they are working, I’m playing.

A quote from Victor here in Blogger’s life lately is this: “Our Lord sends an invitation to heaven, we are welcome, but we must RSVP!”  Good one.

I will never forget this quote by a truck driver. Sherry and I met him on one of our walks back in Belmont. He quoted from his yard boss, “I can’t play a piano, but I can listen and know whether you can or not.”

That took a minute to register, but ain’t that the gospel?

YES! There are things that should be remembered and others that should be hid in the crevices of our minds. I don’t like it when some of those things that should stay hid, work their way up front.

NiteShipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

8. THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNT CYANIDE TO GET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

A matter of Trust

 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 I am not sure I would trust myself to drive this 1951 Ford.

                        ;-)

For today:

We have been looking for someone to pour a concrete slab for the coach.  I have been very disappointed in men who said, “I will come out and look at the job.”  2 or 3 did not show up; trust falls thru the cracks.

I understand about construction jobs, having been involved in them for many years. The unexpected happens, equipment breaks. A water line can erupt and REQUIRE attention and take priority.  Many things can happen, but common courtesy, and for ‘trust in your company’, notification is called for.

Politicians from local to national at times say one thing and do another. The one thing I do not appreciate in politics is when ‘religious activities are USED’ to take advantage of believers, saying, hinting, “I am a part of ‘your family’.”  BUT their lives don’t show it: they might talk the talk but the proof is when they walk the walk.

Many people do not trust our major news networks. I don’t watch the news, I do read it. I have NOT seen any flagrant ‘false news’ that I can put my finger on.  Boy have I heard some saying that it is ALL false? YES!  I DO NOT (MPO) believe that all major news is reported wrong.  I would like to see more writing that REPORTS news without a slant or opinion.

I do not expect to be loved nor liked by everyone. BUT when my name is mentioned, I hope most folks who know me can say, “You can trust him!”

My attorney once said, “I search the homes you sell and NONE have construction loans or outstanding debts; how do you build without owing on the land, materials and labor?”

“I borrow from friends.”

“Where is the paperwork?”

“There is no paperwork, WE shake hands. I make a note and put it in the safe in case I should die before I pay them, Sherry will know who to pay. I make loans to them when necessary.”

“Folks trust a handshake for $50,000? You can’t do that!”

“You can when you are trusted.” (I didn’t tell them I paid 10% interest, it wasn’t any of his business. LOL )

 

At the time Construction loans ran 12%.

 He explained I needed a paper trail, etc  ………

 

NiteShipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

7. MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD, WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS.

 

Insulation and non-insulation

  Car of the day…

I am very familiar with insulation trucks, from another life. LOL

So for today:

Many of us are insulated from the darker sides of life, i.e. Poverty, hunger, homelessness, drug and alcohol addictions, divorce, and poor health. So much so that when hit in the face with it, it messes with our world. 

In my childhood I only knew of one divorce. It was a dear friend’s mom and dad. The dad was unfaithful and she had had enough. I remember because she was a very sweet pretty young mother. My buddy was devastated, he hugged his dog a lot back then.

So Sherry & I are no longer mentally insulated from some of the world’s nastiness. WE know a lot about drugs, alcohol, jails and divorce. If your family has not been touched by these you are so blessed.

BUT, but I can remember sweeter times when insulation meant keeping, noise, heat and cold out of your home. AND something still a real memory is cold air coming in thru cracks and around windows because of lack of insulation during our ‘mild’ southern winters.

BUT!  But thanks to friend Rick (RIP) who brought back to my memory the ‘non-insulated’ SOUND OF RAIN on a tin roof, one of my sweetest childhood memories.  

final note:

When you are older you need help backing a vehicle, I have found the best of helpers:

Nite Shipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

6. SAMSON SLAYED THE PHILISTINES WITH THE AXE OF THE APOSTLES.

The Space Station?

  Car of the day…

Gas and gas stations, I remember when I though gas would always be less than 30 cents a gallon.

So for today:

With this crazy dangerous attack by Russia, ………What about the international Space station?... We were having so much fun playing together like grownups….

I can imagine the uneasiness of the UK and EU. There are still folks there who remember very well the brunt of WWII!  WE have a couple friends who live in Athens, the blow up isn’t far from them.

To me one of the scariest things so far is bombing a Nuclear Power Plant. You know those close must worry about leaked Radiation. I was surprised about Chernobyl. I guess I wasn’t paying attention, I was seeing that catastrophe as on Russian soil, I was wrong, and it is in the Ukraine.

I am just a little upset that some of our GOP politicians voted against support of the Ukraine. Some comparing this attack to our southern border.  I ain’t happy with our southern border my ownself, but to hint it is right up there with an all-out unprovoked military attack, is sorta mentally questionable.  Again here, this is an OPINION, not fact.

I am proud of some of your young men and women (USA & Canada) who are headed toward the Ukraine on their own to assist in the resistance.

Y’all take care, this mess is on my mind, I B back on track tomorrow……  BTW Spring is in the air…

Nite Shipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

5. SAMPSON WAS A STRONGMAN WHO LET HIMSELF BE LED ASTRAY BY A JEZEBEL LIKE DELILAH.

THAT maintenance! Remember simply: on & off?

  Car of the day…

So for today:

This Coach is ‘old’ by today’s standards, it is a 2000 model. I have modified it a lot. I added 120v lighting in each area. And due to so many chargers required added outlets also.

So with its age, comes repairs. That is what I have been doing lately.

The RV commode is gravity flow and foot operated to flush. It must be rebuilt periodically. The last time I did this one was 2017. I just did it again. I noticed I don’t bend and mold well in this small space anymore, harder to fit-in!

Then there is this jewel……..

..is an outdated Thermostat. They are not for sale new at ANY PRICE. You can send if off for $175 they will repair it. I decided to fix it. The parts are miniature but not impossible. It works now.

Rear A/C quit. It has a bad Circuit board…..

Not available new at any price, ‘used but not guaranteed’ are available for $250. It has been years since I read an electronic schematic, but I dug into it and figured I could eliminate all those chips and most of the circuit board. Now it is no longer controlled by mystery, We have simple on/off switches.

You would think traveling had nothing to do with an on/off switch!  Wrong….

Sherry asks, “What happened to just turning on the TV?” We bought new TVs for the coach a few years ago. I’m sure you know you have to program the new TV when you first get it. (You have at least 254+ options, i.e. cable, air, hulu, Netflix---- !!  Then you must search the area for stations available whether on cable or air!  Well in a motor home you must reprogram or at least do a search for stations each time you move. You just do not turn it on and watch!

Just like here, your furnace and A/C are also ‘thermally controlled’, even though you might move a switch to ‘on’, internally, it is using ‘those mysterious chips & ckt boards,’ many things are decided before the unit is actually comes on.

 That is why I have been  little slow lately.... ;-)

Nite Shipslog

PS: From the papers of kids in a Christian School:

4. THE JEWS WERE A PROUD PEOPLE AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH UNSYMPATHETIC GENITALS.

 

Just doing a job could be nasty and dangerous

Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 Another shot from Josh. He caught this 1955 step side Chevy P/U

For today:

The USA is refusing to allow Russian planes into their air space and vice versa. Same with the European nations.......

 Get the picture . Romania, Poland, Finland border or are very near Russia. Turkey is just across the Black Sea from Ukraine.  If a passenger plane from Russia, or vice versa strays and the military of that country is ordered to shoot it down.  Unthinkable, but we are there.

On the ground in the Ukraine are kids, just like in your family. I took this in either Athens or Istanbul. They are just kids..

I have said it many times, the military man is not much different than the carpenter, clerk or plumber of some BIG business.  The person has a job to do, The military man can be a desk-jockey, a ground pounder, truck driver or pilot.  He “simply” follows orders, the difference is the military personnel cannot quit and have agreed that they are willing to die if necessary while working. Most in the military have families, they love and miss them like anyone else. Most even have some friends who are not military.

Now put yourself in the pilot’s place and he is ordered to escort the plane out of the restricted air space or shoot it down if the pilot refuses. SAY the pilot (an honorable conscientious person) is ordered to destroy the plane and he REFUSES to shoot and kill everyone aboard; he can never go home. He would have to fly to a friendly nation and give them the plane in exchange for his life and protection.

I worked closely with our USN pilots. When A Russian BEAR (big bomber) was near our fleet WE scrambled fighters to escort it. Pilots of both planes knew they had a job to do. Our pilots would use their personal cameras to shoot pictures like this below.

 (The plane in the distance was called the 'Bear' at the time it was the best of Russia. One of our planes closest. I worked in the Intelligence center and we processed film. The Photomates would also do the pilots a favor and processed their personal film also.) Photo below taken above the North Atlantic.

I have photos somewhere with the Russian Pilots waving.  One Russian co-pilot held up a Play Boy magazine. The pilots would joke with the Russians, but said they always followed instructions and allowed them to escort them away from the Fleet.  That was COLD-WAR times. Now we are back to that place again.  These are bad, serious and dangerous times.  Time for prayer for the leaders of this country and the free world. It is NOT time for blame, it is time to react and pray.  Until the shooting starts these pilots are simply men doing a job, no animosity.

Personally, I am not for putting US soldiers boots on the ground at this time. That is my personal opinion.

 NiteShipslog

PS:

 

Things happen when your mind wanders

  Truck for the day…

So for today:

The GPS is a wonderful addition to us travelers.  However they are not fool proof. I am thinking of our friend Pauline (RIP) she called it ‘The girl in the box!’

Our GPS has taken us to2 driveways over time, both were planned roads but never built.

I told everyone back when Sherry was our GPS (SHE NEVER go us lost) but once put us on a road that took us into the back of an Army Base, in the middle of tank maneuvers in California. It was a small road, but nothing like this guy got into. I just saw that on the net.

 I like solitude, but this is ridiculous!

While waiting for a folks to give estimates for a parking pad  this picture popped up. I could not place where we were. Sherry said, “That was on Mackinac Island.” 

Yep, she is right), Mackinac Island, MI.  We enjoyed the walk around over there. No automobiles are allowed on the island and the walk around was very pleasant.

Our screen saver takes us back to past journeys. That one took us thru the Soo Locks, Upper MI to the shores of  Lake Superior. (Gitche Gumee according to Dar!).

WE had the privilege to meet Dar/Bill and Mel/Slim who live in the North Woods of Wisconsin.  They still live much ‘off the land.’  Both products of the Big “O” family. 

WE even got to meet Mama "O" who is years older than I and could still harvest her own deer for winter meat. Note the blanket, She's good inside too! ;-)

That year we continued to the “House on the Rock” one of the few tourist attractions we stop to enjoy.

We went all around the country MO, KS, CO, UT, ID, NV and NM.  NM we made Sandia Peak via Cable cars. Over looking Albuquerque.

We did the tourist thing with old friends Buddy and DI.

 Then TX, KS, MI, AL, TN and stopped in NC to bury Ruth; the sweetest of Sisters in law. She had been like a 2nd mama to me.

Then headed back South to Mississippi. Stopping in Alabama to see more REAL people and country. That was in 2010, wow how time passes.

(I called her Jean of Opp. A SPECIAL person, also her husband Grover. May they RIP, one lady you could never forget!!)

Odd what one picture will make my mind do! Does it happen to you?

(I would love to walk thru this!)

Nite Shipslog

PS: