Random Thoughts

While preparing to enjoy the winter Olympics and seeing the taping of "We are the world" I couldn't help but wonder if these words really have true meaning in this messed up world we live in today. Not a day goes by when some headlines are depicting how either political party is hurting this country. Its always easier to point fingers and play the blame came than to say "lets put our ideas together and work things out."
At least for a period of time now we can all focus on something in common, the greatness of athletes around the world and then look forward to spring training of the MLB while still cheering for our favorite teams of basketball, soccer etc.
There seems to be enough turmoil and strife throughout the world, earthquakes, freezing snow storms,rain, drought,wars and the worst enemy of all GREED, so if there is a higher power as I believe we better all try to learn to get along.
Congrats to all the athlete's of the winter Olympics, I must say my heart was filled with pride every time I cheered on Team USA.
The older I get the more sentimental I get. Being away for half a century from the little place in Colorado that I proudly call my home town, I keep searching for some resemblance to the past. Thanks to today's technology I can turn on a piece of electronics and view movies or still pictures that the present day residents love to share with the world. I must say though, the beauty that these modern day devices display makes me wonder if I really lived in the same place. Its amazing how many videos are posted online promoting tourist and developers to come bring your life's savings, big city ideas, kill the game, cut the trees, change the rivers, its no wonder that the senior population now consists of retires from other parts of the world. They came with loaded wallets and like a magician made the real historians disappear.

Time Changes Everything

While trying to keep from feeling like an old bear in hibernation during the past deluge of rain, I decided to drag out some old photo albums and put together a memory slide show to share with the up coming generations.

Being a sentimental old fool, the blood shot eyes began to tear up when I ran across a photo of one of my favorite places to hang out as a young boy, my grandmothers house. This was the place where the aroma of old fashioned home cooking was always an open invitation. A young boy could always expect a handout when asking "Mom, can I do some chores for spending money?" knowing that a quarter would slip into my pocket without having to do anything.

This photo is the property where my grandparents home was in the 1950s. It was located on the north side of US 160 at McCabe creek. The auto parts store is where the garage was and a two story apartment was behind. The house was approx. 50 yds east of the present store. The hill in the background once housed the local school until it burned down in early 1900s. The land on top of the hill belonged to Buck and Nellie O'Neal who had two boys. Many adventures were enjoyed playing with those boys on the hill.

The water from McCabe creek ran under a bridge on US 160 and behind a big red barn across the street belonging to an early pioneer "Ed Speelman." The place where he cleaned his horse stalls near the creek was a perfect place to find feisty little red worms in the manure to lure a rainbow trout onto my fishing hook. It was under that bridge that I caught me 14 inch trout and proudly took it my grandmother who made sure I got my share for supper.

Yes its true time changes everything and now all that is left is memories and faded photos.

Where's The Ark??

Be careful what you pray for you just might get it! This golden state of sunshine has been in a drought and people were being fined for watering their yards, now it looks like someones prayers were answered but who ever is charge up there forgot to turn off the faucet. I"m just real grateful to be an old timer who don't have to get out in the rain to punch a clock anymore.
Being shut in has given me time to tackle a project on computer. Many attempts at capturing my old family photos into a slide show I could share or hand down to grand kids was getting the best of nerves but I think I finally mastered it. After recently acquiring a new computer and printer I thought my problems would be solved until I discovered my favorite photo program was not compatible with the new operating system. After using up all the colorful language I could muster I decided maybe I better just learn to deal with the programs that came bundled. Being a stubborn old fool has now brought forth good fruit, I now have a slide show with background music that brings tears to these old eyes.

By The Numbers

Well, old father time has turned the page on yesterday and now we can all wonder just what changes the new year will see.
As for me I'll just wait and see if I can add up more failures to my life span. I remember growing up and hearing my grandfather say, "get your hands out of your pocket"," or you're never goin' to amount to a hill of beans." After surviving for over half a century and looking back at my past failures, I see maybe he had the foresight into my future.
Back in my early teen years living in Pagosa Springs, my attempts to be accepted along with my peers found me only getting into trouble. Maybe the hormones were growing faster than the brain and looking for that magic bullet to strengthen the nerves lead me straight to the liquor bottle.
If only I could turn back the years and have the courage to say no to tobacco and beer, I would not have broken my Mother's heart or embarrassed my family. Many adventures found me letting the beer do my thinking for me, like the time I must have made some remark to a fellow on crutches that he didn't like. We were at the wildest night spot in Pagosa, a place by the name of "Pine Grove Inn," standing in the parking lot. I had no Idea what I was being accused of saying so when I denied it , I got beat to a bloody pulp by a cripple on crutches. I wouldn't fight back because he was crippled., big failure! My face was such a mess none of my so called friends wanted to be around me. All I have is memories of the the place called the bloody bucket or "Pine Grove', like many other landmarks it has disappeared. That was also the sight of a terrible auto accident that took the lives of four of my high school friends.
The last episode was at the age of 16. Both brothers had gone off and joined the Navy. Feeling lonely and sorry for myself I got into a car with some older boys who were celebrating a huge Elk Kill and the car was filled with all kinds of booze. After consuming so much, I got sick and ask them to pull over at a place called the "Y" where US160 and US89 merge. While heaving my guts out a car pulled behind and I thought it was more high school kids but it turned out to be the highway patrol. After a short pursuit we all ended up in the local jail for a few hours but the episode ended with a court hearing and fines issued. My punishment was to pay off my fine by sweeping the streets in "Jail" overalls after school and cleaning the drunk tank in the jail on the week-ends. Seeing all my school friends watch as I swept the street was bad enough but my Mother bless her heart worked at the bank and could see me from her desk. I couldn't wait to see my birthday roll around and talked my Dad into signing for me to join the navy. I missed walking down the isle to graduate with my classmates.
Military leaves and vacations always found me making it back to good old Pagosa, mostly during the summer months to attend the 4th of July celebrations. The "Red Ryder Roundup" was not only a favorite of mine but all of my in-laws. My parents never mentioned my troublesome teen years but I have always felt ashamed for what they went through.
I was really blessed when I fell in love and started a family as a young man, loosing the Mother of my children after only 18years left a big void in my heart. I've had many failures in my life since but the good Lord has been good to me and helped me steer this old ship on a much straighter course with extended families, so for those who read this, Happy Trails and many more Happy New Years.

If We Make It Through December

YouTube - Merle Haggard-If We Make It Through December

This song really has some deep rooted meaning for me. I try to go along with the merriment of the season, knowing full well that the only thing to celebrate is the birth of Christ. Seems I'm always expecting some sort of tragedy to fall in the month of December.

Years come and go but somehow I can never shake the memories of loosing the love of my life and the mother of my children just days before the big season in 1976. I'm kinda like chicken little waiting for the sky to fall. Oh, sure there have been many joyful times since then and I've been blessed with new and extended families but the beast of past never leaves my mind. This year is starting out kinda bah hum bug, not only is the economy bad, a granddaughter who is

expecting is having difficulties carrying and a grandson was just rushed to the hospital with appendicitis.

Wouldn't it be nice to turn back the years and leave all the worries behind? Being a kid in Colorado and the only thing to worry about was how to keep warm. I didn't even mind getting frost bite while searching for just the right tree to chop down or gathering pine cones to make wreaths to ship to sunny California folks.

Here's wishing all my friends , family and readers of this blog, a joyous season and a Happy New Year. My wish for all is good health, peace and love shared to one another.

Looking Back

On my last trip to Pagosa while trying to re-trace landmarks where I once enjoyed nature in its glory, my heart was crushed to find nothing resembled those special places. The place where I once skinny dipped with friends had been transformed into a place for tourist to pollute the river and build condos along the river bank. "Cotton's Hole" as we knew it was not longer a place for youngsters to learn to swim, spear mud suckers with hand made willow spears and pocket knifes or steal a first kiss from the girl next door.

Mesa Heights as I knew it decades ago gave many youngsters a thrill parking on the hill overlooking the town,listening to some romantic tune while embrassing your sweetheart. This hilltop now is a serene setting for some lucky homeowners to have a daily
view of the beauty down below. The sawmill that once provided much employment to the area is long gone. The smoke from its smoke stake could be seen from the top this hill. This was where highway 160 and 89 separated and was also a favorite parking place for teenage lovers.


While visiting and reminiscing I was thrilled to enjoy sharing an evening of bingo with folks from my era, even got to meet one of my old school teachers there. My brother being very active in the local American Legion helps with the activities there. I was amazed to find the old building so well kept but my mind kept having flash backs of the days that building was the local Teen Canteen, home of the duck tail haircuts, saddle shoes and poodle skirts.

The Reason for the Season

Once again old father time has marched into the land of young just to remind us all that our time here is only on borrowed time and the only insurance for longevity is to love one another.
With the economy being on the down side, I ventured out into the local shopping mall to attempt putting a gift or two under the tree. What would have been a nerve wrecking trip in past was quite pleasant. Since I am not the only penny pincher looking for a bargain, the other souls though few, seemed in good spirits. The few things I managed to find worthy of resting under a beautifully decorated tree, I would have been embarrassed to claim in years past.
Reading scriptures related to advent and the coming of the real reason for the season I was taken back in time with my thoughts. Remembering when Christ was really the center of festivities and decorations, and local merchants greeted with a "Merry Christmas" and political correctness was never considered with Happy Holiday replacing the birth of Christ.
Growing up in a poor family in Colorado, only two Christmas's stand out. One was a year when my most treasured gift was a basket of fresh fruit, the other was a time I got a Roy Rogers outfit complete with guns and holsters. Expensive gadgets escaped my youth and I seemed to have survived, living with a land line telephone, a Philco radio with laughter and suspense coming out of speakers that only my mind could visualize, a brownie Kodak camera, a 35 cent movie ticket or a gallon of gas for about the same price.
As years have come and gone I tried to instill some the values of life handed down to me into my own children, but like the pied piper of stuff they have all fallen in line and at times I'm sure have forgotten the real reason for the season.
When driving down the road in the comfort of our shiny automobiles and burning $3:00 gas and seeing some poor soul standing in freezing weather on the corner with a cup in hand. do we curse and say what a lazy bum or do we wonder if maybe he just lost his job or had his home forclosed. Perhaps the change in our pockets could put a little nurisment in a belly or help find a warm place to sleep on the eve of the reason for the season