Big Cottonwood 25 Oct 10

The morning was pretty bleak out, but a cool, although somewhat damp, breeze was blowing making the walk a little above bearable. Little Gus and I eventually made our way to the park and stopped under the big cottonwood tree. I love to hear the wind blow through the leaves on a cottonwood tree – it’s hard to beat.

I stood there still and listened. Gus stood over by the trunk; I think the tree-side leg was lifted as usual. I didn’t care. I closed my eyes and just listened. The breeze blowing the leaves against one another, the rustle and crackling sound is the second most soothing racket produced in all of nature – I think it ties with the breeze blowing through pine needles particularly in East Texas while not the same but just as good.



I can stand there forever and just listen and imagine. Maybe I can hear the sound of the aspens in the Boundary Waters of the Quetico north of Ely, Minnesota or the Burch trees atop Bear Mountain as you gaze north toward West Point or east to Poughkeepsie across the Hudson. It could even be the Aspen down on the Kenai Peninsula or the Aspens and Alders on the west side of Hatcher’s Pass outside of Willow when you are waist to armpit deep and hear the horrible growl of a Grizzly that won’t stand and show himself – a frightful feeling nonetheless.

Whatever you hear, it takes you back in time and at the mere cost of closing your eyes and opening your ears – cheap at any price. Try it

SFA 45th Class Reunion

Returned home this morning from a short weekend in Bryan for my 45th high school reunion. The Class of 1965 of Stephen F. Austin High School. There were a lot of guys at the ball last night. I didn’t get a chance to talk with them all, but had a GREAT time discussing and cussing the old and current times with many.

The girls all look really good, but the males of our class have not held up quite so well. Some of them are REALLY OLD. I can not understand how they got that way and I didn’t. They can’t possibly be having as much fun as I am – I just know that’s the reason.

I firmly believe this should be scheduled as a four day event and nobody is released back to their life until everybody has had their fill – wouldn’t that be great if we could pull it off?

I saw people last night that I hadn’t seen since we left high school or if I had seen them, I didn’t recognize them. There were many last night that I could not recognize. I had earlier recommended that we all wear 8 ½ x 11 inch name tags. Dianna did her best and the tags we wore last night were larger than any I had previously come across and still not be easy enough to read from a distance where the reader was not caught by thy readee.

Man, I gotta hug a lot of GOOD lookin’ women as a result of just showing up. Sometimes growing just a little older has some very pleasurable side benefits.

Spent a great deal of time talking with long term friends that are always at the reunions but I think this time I actually spent more time chatting with some I hadn’t seen for many years. I don’t want to hurt any feeling by leaving some out but just to name a few really enjoyable short chats: Michele Melcher, Mike Scogin, Ronnie Arrington, Ed Glazner, Steve Henton, Bladge DiLeo, Thomas Faubion, Ernest Luna, Carol Ogg, and Tony Zemanek.

Great time guys and already looking forward to the next time.

Lamenting a chance at a World Series Game

Remembering 10 Oct 80 when I was sitting in the right field bleachers for the ALCS, the Yankees leading 2 -1 when George Brett hit a 3 run home run into the short porch, also in right, knocking the Yankee’s outta the World Series and my best chance to ever see a World Series game.

I remember it well. There we are the ball off Brett’s bat headed just to the left of us, the cops watching it travel also and the short little guy climbing the steps of our section chanting his wares “Yankee Youints.”

Some real goods names playing in that game and making a great memory. For the Yankees there was: Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Rick Cerone, Tommy John, Ron Guidry, Lou Pineilla, Graig Nettles, and Willie Randolph. For the Royals there was: George Brett, Frank White, Oscar Gamble, Dan Quisenberry, Willie Akins, Darell Porter, and Willie Wilson.

I need to look for that score-book and see the details.

Well, if the Rangers can just keep hitting like they have the last two games, that Yankee Stadium chance will soon be history. I will get another and even better chance – I have the tickets on the way.

Tearing up -13 Oct 10

I’m setting here watching the miners come outta the ground from that Chile mine disaster and its hard to not tear up when an event like this takes place – real hard. I don’t care what kind of tough guy you might think you are – emotions are emotions.

Over the years I have been involved in many search and rescue missions, the great majority while I was in the Army. Most of my experience was gained during my Army career while in Alaska. Every spring, we were constantly on some kind of rescue mission especially with the spring run-offs of the rivers and the native villages along them.

I also recall the Baby Jessica rescue from that backyard well that took place out in West Texas not so long ago. Do you remember the elation you felt when she was finally out of the well and seemed to be perfectly OK? Its like that today.

I guess my best memory of all came on 25 January of 1981. That’s the day the 52 Hostages that Iran took when they stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held the hostages for 444 days. Now I didn’t have the slightest thing to do with the rescue of the Hostages. But I was one of the few who saw them first set foot on American soil after their release.

At the time I was stationed at the United States Military Academy (USMA) and living at Stewart Army Sub-Post where their plane actually landed upon return to the U.S. We were not allowed to get anywhere close to the Hostages but we could make them out as we squinted to see inside the busses that transported them to the Thayer Hotel at West Point. There was some cheering that day – just as there is in Chile every time a new arrive is seen atop the shaft and freedom is once more gained by the miners.

Try to keep a tear outta your eyes.



1st Look at the Busses after Hostage arrival









Busses rolling out.







As close as we got to the Hostages










Bus headed to West Point - Everybody HAPPY

Fascinated

I have become fascinated with the several different woodpeckers I have recently found in the park. I don't know if they are just passing through. I haven't noticed them before. There is one that seems to be around all the time but the other two species are different.

This morning there was a pair (looked to be) that had a top notch like a blue jay, but they were definitely woodpeckers. I've seen them on the picture page. They stayed all the way up in the top of the tree and behind enough branches that I don't think I got any pix of them (I haven't looked yet!).

They are just fascinating!

Current project

I had this idea on Tuesday afternoon and tried it out on the group Tuesday evening. Both Courtney and Fred thought it was pretty good. I still have to polish it up some.

I am trying to find a place to submit it. Courtney suggested "Reader's Digest". I looked there and found that they want really, really short stuff (more jokes than stories) from the general public. Most of their story content comes from their regular authors or contract authors, so this doesn't look like a possibility. Have to look just a bit harder.

The finished product looks and reads a whole lot better than that I tried on the guys Tuesday evening. There still might be a change or two that can improve it, but I like it as it stands right now.

We'll see!

Gunners come out again

The Gun Control fanatics (those from both sides) will be out for their quarterly rampage on our sensibilities. They will be ignited by yesterday’s little show over on the tu campus (TU for you non-the-wise).

This event had very little to do with guns and more to do with someone just wanting to commit suicide. As yet there is only four shots reported (officially) to have been fired while the individual was entering and walking across campus to the library. Once there, he evidently shot himself, his intended act all along, firing at least one more shot. Our total seems to have been five shots. Anyone with any experience with automatic weapons will tell you that it is very hard to control the numbers of shots fired on auto – three-four-five-six, it’s hard to keep the number down.

The weapon was most likely not an AK-47; probably only a look-alike. At best it may have been a semi-automatic knockoff.

Before we get too carried away by the gunners, we need to step back and look carefully at the facts.

Would have the ability to have legally concealed handguns on campus have made any difference? Maybe, that’s a qualified maybe, at best.

The entire incident was over in almost no time at all. But the lockdown continued for quite some time. Why? The answer to that question is very easy. Excitement! Yes, excitement is the reason the incident continued for some time. Those around the action were excited. They couldn’t get the eye-witness facts straight. They couldn’t describe the shooter or what he was wearing. They couldn’t count to one, the actual numbers of shooters involved. Oh yes, there were some that remained cool, calm and collected and gave appropriate information that allowed the police, both campus and city, to follow and pressure the shooter into quickly completing his intended purpose – suicide and nothing else.

But still, the police, due to bad descriptions kept the campus on lockdown for several hours while they searched for the guy they already had laying under a sheet.

Had some of these description givers been armed, they just might have taken innocent lives in their attempt to be the next Lone Ranger. The concealed handgun license (CHL) requires certain abilities be met for its issuance to take place. Not one of these abilities requires or proves that the licensee will be able to act cool, calm and collected when Chicken Little becomes the message giver. Even the police have a problem with this fact. This is one of the main reasons that the Austin Police Department (APD) no longer assigns two patrolmen to a vehicle – cuts down on the excitement level under exciting conditions. Remember these are the guys carrying weapons everyday. If they fear excitement levels being elevated; what would one expect from the CHL guy//gal who is not under this level of pressure everyday or at this level of training and discipline routinely?

Imagine what those SWAT and other responders have to face when they start rolling up to a campus of 50,000 and are surprised by 20,000 to 35,000 students running around with their guns awaving – hopefully not afiring. Lets hope we never have to worry about those around us coming unglued due to the excitement around us and firing off their concealed handgun in our proximity.

Firing a gun is not an action one can take back – once its done, its final!