Tune Up

The old body is kinda like an automobile and has to be tuned up once in awhile. Both the wife and I are finding out that this getting old is not really so golden. Without any gory descriptions I will only say that the wife is going to have to have about a foot of her intestines removed. With this news facing us I learned that I have a tumor on my Kidney and will most likely lose it. My condition seemed to be the most urgent according to the experts so the wife postponed her scheduled surgery so that I can recover from mine first to care for her. Since all these problems popped up in November and no surgery for my Kidney is scheduled until February one can't help but wonder just how urgent this could really be.

On top of all that I have to have another surgery on my mastoid of the right ear again. This has been repaired three times and now the fix that was done six years ago has come lose and bleeding has sent me to the ER. This will have to wait for me get over the Kidney thing.

Here's hoping 2012 will be better for everyone. The whole world is in really bad shape these days and it will take a strong faith to lift us all from the strife. With all my health issues I have so much to be thankful for and will never give up trying to make this country a place to be proud of, God Bless The USA.

So Proudly We Served

These three sailors from Pagosa Springs are proud to be called "Veterans". All three eagerly volunteered upon completion of their high school education. Although there are no glorious heroic war stories to be told, each would have gladly laid down their life to protect this country.

Their stories all started in 1953 with Ron and friends enlisting in the Navy. Ron was a natural leader and selected as Honor Man of his training company in San Diego Calif. After completion of his training he attended electrician school and served aboard two wooden hull minesweepers, a tug boat in Guam, and an aircraft carrier "The USS Ranger". After twelve years Ron was forced into early retirement after losing a leg in an accident. Today He is still very much a Navy man as he attends to functions in the Local American Legion Post.

Jerry followed in the footsteps of his older sibling two years later and after completing basic training in Great Lakes, he attended machinist mate school and served the remainder of his enlistment aboard and oil tanker. The USS Caliente participated in "Operation Redwing" in evaluation of Atomic Weapons in the Pacific. Jerry passed away in 2008 after a long battle with COPD.

Billy left high school a year short of completion and followed his older siblings along with an old family friend Richard Walter. Upon completion of basic training in Great Lakes he was assigned duty aboard the USS Reaper where his brother Ron was already stationed. A rare thing for two siblings to be aboard the same ship, this lasted until a crisis in Lebanon forced a separation. Billy attended culinary school in San Diego and became the ships cook, a real delight to the older brother who always had a hefty appetite.

As November 11th rolls around each year the old sailors left will proudly display old glory and stand at attention to salute her, then bow our heads and thank God for the young men and women who have taken our place to defend freedom.

Diversified and Proud

Looking back over the makeup of my family tree, I can see that we are well rounded and very diversified with one common "A" running through our blood. There is a wide diversity in our religious beliefs, political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, income brackets, sports, etc. but one thing that binds us as one unit is our belief in a supreme being, love for one another and the big "A" AMERICAN. Each one of us in our own way will defend the foundation this great country was created for, and rights for all to be free to worship, speak, or love whom ever they choose.

Political debates are a healthy thing for this country; support and decent will follow every rally and after all is said the people of this country will make a choice for a leader. If we are to survive another 200 yrs of democracy we must set aside our dislikes and support the government chosen to lead this nation of diversified people. If it appears that the wrong choice has been made then the remedies is at the ballet box, not rallying with profanity laced signs, racial bigotry, and violence.

Remembering 9/11

Remembering events like 9/11 or Dec.7,1941 should only strengthen our resolve to punish those who wish to harm our Nation. On these anniversaries it seems so easy to join hands and relive the anguish for a day or two but how quickly we close our fist to one another.

I must say that for me the period following such tragedies has weakened my faith in unity of this great country. There has always been political discord witch only strengthens a democracy but the elections following 9/11 have brought to surface all the bigotry,prejudice, and hatred that this country has tried to overcome for decades. The separation of economical classes has been widened with the middle class slowly becoming extinct. Every attempt to help the poor has been halted by wealthy politicians and corporations because of the hatred of our President even though elected by the people. Every natural disaster, financial crisis, or major event has been blamed on one man, one can only wonder WHY?

We still have the most patriotic military of any Nation and those men and women still protect

our rights to sit here and squabble over who is to blame for the mess we are in. Seems to me the least we could do is put aside our bigotry, open our fist and solve our fiscal problems.

On the morning of 9/11 I will be in Church praying for God's guidance, forgiveness, peace and for all the souls lost on that tragic day ten years ago along with all the brave men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

May God Bless America

Music From Yesterday

Sometimes when I start reminiscing, the old mind drifts back to a time when Song Lyrics were understandable and the stories they told somehow were a reflection of ones own life. Growing up in Pagosa Springs Colorado, we didn't have television to capture our imagination so the old Philco radio put me to sleep many nights listening to country music from Del Rio Texas. When television arrived the "Ed Sullivan Show" gave us a glimpse into the pop music and then "The Grand Ole Opry" came along and all the country songs we lived in our mind came to life. The artist of the time dressed in such colorful clothes and the female artist didn't have to show skin to prove they were ladies. With today's technology now I can visibly watch all those glorious memories, tap my toes and sing along, thanks to a thing called "you tube".

Pagosa Springs now is bringing back some of the good old country sounds through the Bluegrass Festivals there. There are many musicians that like to gather there under the pine trees on a hill side near the famous Hot Springs. I haven't had the opportunity to attend these celebrations but through the wonder of the computer age I can enjoy them by clicking onto a web site called "All Things Pagosa". Anyone who loves the outdoors, mountain air and country music should plan a vacation trip to this friendly little town in Colorado.

Where Are We Going

Where is this country headed anyway?

This question has been asked by each generation since the founding fathers signed that historic document called the constitution of the United States Of America.

Looking back over the past 70 yrs that I have been fortunate to live in this great democracy I have seen it go through changes and wondered how we have survived. Our fore fathers sought a country of free will but I often wonder just how free did they really mean. America is loosing its stand in the world as a country of high moral standards.

Even the English language has taken on a meaning of its own and Websters dictionary can no longer be the source for interpretation of defining the meaning of a word. There was time as a youngster in school I learned that the word gay meant a feeling of happiness and never refereed to as ones sexual preference. Marriage was a union of man and woman as described in every holy manuscript written.

The right to bear arms when the document was written was needed to allow states to form militias,and hunt for food, not to allow any one who so desired to stock pile weapons to destroy their fellow man.

Freedom of speech and press was never intended for distribution of porn, slander, or profanity

or foul language yet this is becoming second nature to our children.

I too am guilty of becoming a member of a corrupt society but I hope as I near the time when I shall be called to answer to a higher authority, I can be deemed a remorseful soul and forgiven my transgressions.

I am one of the lucky ones, my years left on this earth are becoming fewer and only the ones I leave behind will have to decide whether to continue to stray from the teachings of our religious leaders or stand up for morality.

Welcome Summer 2011

Here it is the first full day of summer and soon we will all be celebrating Independence day in some fashion. My times of hitting the road and traveling to my favorite retreat, the place I grew up in Colorado have diminished severely.

Reaching a milestone in marriage I attempted to rekindle the youth in my blood by taking my better half to see a show in sin city Vegas. Cruising along the highway and trying to keep up with traffic while listening to tunes from the past, I noticed a strange image pop up near the speed odometer. "Check Engine" message gave a chill that went down my spine. Here I am in the desert a hundred miles from my destination, do I stop and call for a tow or try to continue to the city? Thanks to today's technology I was able to phone ahead to a dealership and winged my way into their service department. The folks there were very nice and shuttled us to our hotel and retrieved us when the repair was done.

Although the cost of repair depleted my playing funds, the "Jersey Boys" show was fantastic and is a pleasant memory to last a lifetime.

I was also pleased to see Old Glory so proudly displayed through out the Palazzo Resort.

This time of years always brings back memories of the July 4th celebration in Pagosa Springs Colorado. If any of the readers of this blog have the time to venture there this time of year you will surely enjoy a patriotic and with some of the most beautiful landscapes America has to offer.

I'm sure that folks my age will remember some of the comic book hero's of the 50's, one of mine was a cowboy whose story originated right there in Pagosa, my home town, "Red Ryder." I always looked forward to attending the Red Ryder parade and Rodeo and my family often participated in making the floats for that parade. Even today as years have passed my older brother is very active in the American Legion and can be seen in uniform in some function of the parade.