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This is the official start of the third thread in the “Outside My Windows” series:
Outside My Windows III – Around the Campfire
The first OMW thread was started as a feel good place where friends would gather and post on subjects they could share with forum friends that made them feel good. This theme continues.
The original OMW thread went 18 pages and was stopped as a courtesy to those without a high speed connection. OMW II went 16 pages.
“Around the Campfire” seems like a fitting name for part 3 as we go into summer.
Posters are encouraged to drift and hijack the OMW III thread in any direction they wish at any time.
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Tom,
At the end of OMW II you asked about how the "women in my life", are doing. Thanks for asking. Nancy's second operation on the same foot within three months is slowly healing - hopefully there won't be a, "Nancy's foot operation III".
Unfortunately my mother's health is still declining. We have to have her on such high pain medication that she is out of it most of the time. My daughter is coming from CA to probably see her the last time next weekend. I hope they will be able to talk together.
Thanks again for asking. I hope all is going well with Kathleen as she approaches her operation.
Dave
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Well done Dave - ''the tradition continues'' :)
Ahh saw your comment re Nancy's foot - hope that continues well, and less trouble than last time.
How is your wife doing Tom?
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Figured we needed a few pictures to start - of course my two favorite companions - don't ask who is number 1.
Waking up at sunrise.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000474.jpg)
Nancy feeds Spencer - her right foot was just operated on - excuse the Sunday newspaper clutter. Yes he is spoiled - this is how he eats all evening meals. He has to eat his breakfast without it being held though - need to draw the line somewhere.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000491.jpg)
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Dave, I can't let Isley, my service dog, see that. Then it will be all kinds of trouble at cafes.
Tom
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Dave:
Thanks for starting No. III! It would appear that Nancy is on the mend and that Spencer is living in the style to which he deserves to be accustomed.
Your mother and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
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As you all know, folk art is a thriving cottage industry in East Tennessee. I think I mentioned in OMW II that a tree had fallen during a storm at Critter Creek and that I had been down there cutting up wood. It was a tall yellow pine which snapped about 20 feet up the trunk. But what do you do about the stump?
One thing you can do is call "Granny's Bears and Birds" up on English Mountain. "Granny" comes down one afternoon with her chainsaw and her husband and a nephew to do the heavy lifting and carves the stump into a bear.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/Mar1302.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/e91f2716.jpg)
;D
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Richard, that is great, its like looking into a mirror ;D
Tom
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I also like that stone fence.
Bill
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I also like that stone fence.
Bill:
Those old rock walls are fairly common in that area, which is aptly known as "Rocky Flats" -- not to be confused with the "Rocky Top" of Tennessee song and legend. And legend has it that the walls were built by Scotch/Irish settlers in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries to mark the boundaries of their farms and to serve as barricades in defense against marauding Cherokees. (The Cherokees' defeat and the "Trail of Tears" to the Indian Territory in what is now known as the State of Oklahoma came later.) The wall in the photograph is described in the recorded title as marking the southernmost boundary of the property known as "Critter Creek."
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Richard, that is great, its like looking into a mirror ;D
Tom
Tom:
You and I are much better looking! ;)
Joyce and I wish your Kathleen all success with her treatment. You both are in our thoughts and prayers. Stay strong.
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Richard, thanks you are too kind.
Tom
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Richard
Boy could I use Granny to carve up some of my ten foot plus high stumps - she could do a zoo of animals. I have lived here in the oak forest for going on three years and I never have had an oak fall over from the roots. A number though have snapped off from ten feet up or higher.
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The first messengers of Spring have arrived at Critter Creek!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/Mar1338.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/Mar1315.jpg)
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Wonderful Richard - I think they are talking about some snow here.
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Well ahead of me Richard - just got crocusses out now and they are complaining cos it's gotten all cold again!!
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I'm just trying to contain the begonias, camelias, gardenias,
impatiens, and geraniums that have fluorished this winter
in Houston without a freeze; look out for August, though.
-----might have to spend that month in Ruidoso.
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tracker, roger on spending the summer in Ruidoso.
Tom
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Since this is a "feel-good and driftable" thread, something happened today which I thought I would never see and which makes me feel very good indeed.
In 1992, my work took me to Liberia in West Africa in the midst of a four-way civil war. The warring factions at the time were: (1) an interim national government headed by President Amos Sawyerr; (2) the National Patriotic Liberation Front (NPLF) under Charles Taylor; (3) the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) under Prince Yormie Johnson (who had captured and executed former President Samuel Doe); and (4) the forces of the Economic Community of West Africa Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) under the command of Nigerian General Ishaya Bakut. The country was in total chaos, there was carnage in the streets, and foreign embassy personnel were being evacuated by helicipter.
Today, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's newly elected President (and, to my knowledge, the first woman to be democratically elected as president of any country on the continent of Africa), addressed a joint session of the United States Congress. She expressed her gratitude to the United States for its role in helping end the civil war that engulfed her country just a few short years ago.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060315/pl_afp/usliberiasirleaf_060315200607
If I had been asked in 1992 if such an event could happen in my lifetime, I would have denied the possibility.
There is hope!
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Richard
I can tell that you are proud to have had a part - I'm proud to know someone that did - things that go on behind the scenes that we never hear about and the press never reports.
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What is all this talk about summer ...
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000379.jpg)
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Richard
Ever get shot at on one of your foreign adventures - or is that classified.
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Dave:
With such a lovely lady around, who needs either Spring or Summer? ;)
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Richard
Ever get shot at on one of your foreign adventures - or is that classified.
Yes, and otherwise abused and mistreated. But, fortunately, I'm still here with most of the important parts still intact. 8)
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Richard
Hopefully I'll never experience the, whatever the feeling is when it occurs, of being shot at -- and as you say abused.
I'm sure your lovely wife is glad you're mostly intact.
Dave
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It is spooky "outside my windows" tonight.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000818.jpg)
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Just danged windy here Dave - waiting for some calm after high winds. If the moon's up there it ain't gonna say Hi tonight!
I can post what it should look like tho!! May have posted this one before.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd3/moon-1098.jpg)
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Nice Chris - I didn't feel like doing a tripod so mine is not near the quality of yours. A little shake makes it look spookier.
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Dave,
You could superimpose that one scary picture of your dog along with the scary moon picture. The new picture would be double scary. :D
I tried to merge them, but it was snowing too much that night the dog picture was taken.
Bill
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Ok Mountainman, I would like to know about the Red Airplane. With the length of that nose, I would say, there must be quite an engine in there.
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RJ,
I think it is a deHavilland turbine Otter.
I've seen the twin Super Otter land, and it can be spectacular. Just before setting down on the runway, the pilot raised the nose sharply, there was a great roar from the turbines, and the plane stopped rather immediately.
The single engine turbine may behave that way, too.
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One of my agency friends sent me this today. I thought it should be shared. 8)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/priceless.jpg)
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Ok Mountainman, I would like to know about the Red Airplane. With the length of that nose, I would say, there must be quite an engine in there.
RJ
Thats a DeHavilland Otter- This model can carry 10 passengers - extremely powerful and can easily go up to 12000 ft. Built for rough landings on dirt or snow with short take offs and landings.
One of the planes we used on our Alaska trip to wilderness areas.
PS: Just saw that Bill already answered that above.
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Richard
I find myself getting more and more anti Muslim - think that most of them want us dead.
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Dave:
You created (and for all purposes "own") this wonderful thread, and I had doubts about posting that photograph. However, it made me smile and want to throw another log on the campfire. ;)
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Richard
I saw that picture in the past and it made me smile then as it does now.
I always considered this thread owned by all of us as a way to share.
Dave
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Speaking of the plane RJ asked about:
Here we are waiting for a smaller DeHavilland Beaver to take off the glacier ice so we can do the same.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000373.jpg)
Shows how high you can get in the DeHavilland Otter turbine - the last picture is of Mt. McKinnley's peak above the clouds. At this height the pilot is required to be on oxygen for safety although others in the plane don't need it.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000390.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/P1000356.jpg)
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No prob's here Richard with that pic' - while as it will us all, induce anger - there is a rather nice ''whiff'' of retribution which more than makes up for the travesty! :)
I'll stop there ;)
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Shucks Dave - you just posted those pics - wow - what wonderful mountain grandeur - I do want to go see some of that one day - if so lucky.
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Dave:
What marvelous photographs! The one of Mt. McKinley prompted me to read more about it. Here is one interesting link: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=271
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Not as majestic as Mt. McKinley, but a lot more hospitable -- the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. ‘Y’all come back now, y’hear!?’ 8)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/mountains.jpg)
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Richard
I drove through them once a long time ago - usually I'm flying over your Tennessee mountains and many times they are Smoky.
Dave
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Sadly I only touched on very NW corner of TN when driving down to TX in 2003 - much I would like to have seen, including the Smokies.
Gonna make a total change of direction here - seeing as this is our thread for anything!!!
I doubt I have posted any before but I have a liking for fractals - amazing images that are mathematically derived. I found a copy of one lurking on server and so am going to post same - like some others, a bit of ''post manipulation'' sometimes is needed to get the final result.
If anyone is interested more in fractals, take a short tour thru my Fractal Gallery (http://www.plethorapix.com/fractals/) - a quite large selection I had fun making a year or more ago and decided to put on the web for others to see now and again.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd/rabbits-ears2-43-s.jpg)
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Chris:
That's georgeous work! "Mind blowing" might be a better term! :o
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Chris
My first degree is in mathematics - I'm going to forward the site to a some I know who work in that area.
Very intertaining - and in a way relaxing. Reminds me of a 16 mm movie that Disney did way back on geometry were Donald Duck touched on that area - haven't thought about that for many years.
May be what the Beattles were seeing after one of their LSD adventures that inspired a few songs.
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May be what the Beatles were seeing after one of their LSD adventures that inspired a few songs.
Once upon a time, long ago and far away, in a corner of Africa which Conrad once described as "the heart of darkness," I had the lack of good judgment to accept and drink from a gourd containing a foul-smelling brew, offered to me by a village elder, which resulted (about thirty minutes later) in my experiencing a "light show" of similar proportions. The problem came the next morning, when I awoke feeling as though I had taken a machete in the head. :-[
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Richard - I am certain you have (at very least) one rip-roaring book in you - you have done much and seen much :)
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I don't know about suggesting books to people w. colorful pasts -- too often there are people in that past who don't want to be colorful anymore...
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Once upon a time, long ago and far away, in a corner of Africa which Conrad once described as "the heart of darkness," I had the lack of good judgment to accept and drink from a gourd containing a foul-smelling brew, offered to me by a village elder, which resulted (about thirty minutes later) in my experiencing a "light show" of similar proportions. The problem came the next morning, when I awoke feeling as though I had taken a machete in the head. :-[
Note to self; if ever offered gourd with mystery liquid in it, politely decline. ;) :)
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They caught him! Now he stands trial.
(I'm breaking out some champagne tonight.)
http://today.reuters.com/News/NewsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=uri:2006-03-29T173934Z_01_L29735854_RTRUKOC_0_US-WARCRIMES-TAYLOR.xml&pageNumber=0&summit=
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always nice to see a guy like him get his due.
Tom
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Tom:
Yes, it is. And this one is a little bit personal.
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Richard - nice to get rid of some past demons.
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RICHARD - ARE YOU OK!
Saw all of the pictures of the tornado damage in your great state of Tenn.
Give us a yell - if you have power.
Dave
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Dave:
Yo! Thank you for asking!
East Tennessee had only some minor wind damage from that storm system. Parts of West Tennessee, however, sustained terrible damage -- especially in and around Dyer County, which is bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. The tornado which hit those good people is thought to have been an "F3" storm. The Governor has declared a disaster and requested Federal assistance for the area. May God bless and help the victims!
Tornadoes are truly dangerous and unpredictable forces of nature. I saw a few while growing up in Oklahoma. Most of them were small, touching down only briefly and doing minimal damage. But one of them in the early '50s practically leveled a small town a few miles west of our home. I still have two vivid memories from that storm . . . first, the sound of the thing in the distance, and later, the sight of a pickup truck sitting upright on the rubble of what had been a two-story building in the middle of town.
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Glad to hear you are OK Richard. Some terrible damage has been inflicted.
Bonnie and I are just back from Tulsa Gun Show yesterday evening, and Saturday night we had what was thought to be a small twister hit nearby which caused some damage at the airport but that was nothing compared to what developed further North and east thru the following 24 hours.
As we flew back from Denver after the hop from Tulsa, I could see to to my Southern aspect over parts of MO and Southern IL some angry cloud formations which suggested some less than pleasant activity still around. We also had a very violent T storm too as we drove the last section of 70 on way home from DC.
Nature is all powerful - and some of that stuff is scary beyond description.
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Richard
Glad all is well!
In 1985 I watched a F5 tornado go by - thought it would hit the house but turned and went down the road to a town and killed several people. To see the damage close up. I remember copper electrical wire stripped out of the insulation - houses completely gone, and etc.
I had tornado nightmares on and off for years after that.
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This day was 70 degrees, but not yet ice out.
(http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9665/dock0001small3hx.jpg)
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Might as well take advantage of the weather.
(http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/893/ice0001small2fz.jpg)
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Captain:
Great photos! "I love it when a plan comes together." 8)
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You Michigan people sure know how to have fun.
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and we haven't even heard from the Yupers yet
and their winter roof jumping escapades. Do we
have any R-9ers in the upper peninsula?
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Capt - great pics :)
Ice'll soon be gone I reckon, well anyways - once this latest cold snap expires ;)
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Capt,
Great pictures. Thanks for posting them.
Bill
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shorts and ice, where is a tall glass when you need it! ::)
Tom
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Capt, Nice pictures Looks like a great spot to relax. Dan
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(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/REMAXDTM/P1010021.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/REMAXDTM/P1010017.jpg)
Tom, Re the tall drink. This has been my winter project almost complete. Needs a seat a tall drink holder and a rack for my rifle. ;D Dan
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Dan, good looking tractor and great job with it. Ditto on the tall drink holder.
Tom
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Tom, Thanks This city boy is going to take his first crack at plowing and planting a field. Should be interesting because I don't have a clue what I'm doing. But my friend always told me The dumber the farmer the bigger the potatoe. So I shoud do OK.
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Dan ,you have a good time being a farmer.
Tom
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Dan:
What a wonderful winter project! Congratulations!
Anyone who can restore a classic tractor such as that will have no difficulty with the farming.
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Dan - nice work!! Restoring classic tractors take skill and patience. Amazing how many tractors from the 40s and 50s you still see being used.
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This one was posted on the Seecamp forum.
Kill the Zombies before they rip your head off.
Use shift key to change weapons - nice if you can get the shotgun. Has different levels. Has sound
http://artscool.cfa.cmu.edu/~lee/deanimator.html
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Dave - I tried this one a while ago and forgotten about it - yes quite a fun game. Gets quite frantic as they keep on comin' ;D
I have some other ''shoot-em-up'' flash games around and will post a link if I can find others later. Terrible time wasters of course!
I have some on one of my servers - try this one (http://www.thingameez.com/flash-download/neverendingfall.swf) tho it is not a shooting game at all - just rather fascinating!!
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Dave, thanks for the game. Now I can just sit back, relax and spend the day shooting guys who want to rip my head off.
Tom
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Dave:
Great game! (There's never a BAR around when you need one. :P)
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i NEED SOME SPEED LOADERS!!
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No Tom - frag grenades and bouncing betties would even things up ;D
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We found this game while we were deployed in the desert. It became a competition between a lot of the younger guys (E-6 and below). I wanna say that our eventual winner ended up killing 420 Zombies or somewhere right around that. It's a good day if I can top 120.
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David, you are far better than I am, only in stage or level 1, then maybe 2 or 3.
Tom
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(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/bunny.jpg)
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Dave Good Zombie game I played for about 3 hours got nothing done at work. So far 103 has been my top score. But tomorrow is another day.
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Bwhahaha - that is a great pic Dave.
Must suck being a choc bunny! ;D ;D (or is that ''chew'' LOL)
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Richard -- did you make it ok through the second set of tornados to hit Tenn. in a week.
I think these new ones went through the eastern part of Tenn. and if I remember correctly you are somewhere in the east.
Give us another yell.
Dave
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Dave:
Once again, East Tennessee was spared any significant damage other than some minor flooding. The mountains around here help to break up some of the most devastating of the weather systems. This time, Middle Tennessee took the hit from the tornadoes.
Joyce and I spent the weekend at Critter Creek, monitoring the the Weather Channel on satellite TV and watching the creek rise. The only thing we lost were a few trout which washed out of the ponds and were sent downstream to the Pigeon River. A lot of good people in Middle Tennessee lost their lives, or loved ones, or everything they own. May God bless and help them!
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Well Richard - glad to see you and Joyce are fine - hope this isn't a sign of new weather patterns.
Now if it happens again don't wait two days to log on so we won't worry about you. :) :)
Having witness the distruction of such weather first hand I feel for those who were in the storm's path.
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Richard - well pleased you were not affected severely. I too had meant to ask. I have some internet friends down in Nashville and wondered about them but they escaped luckily.
Sad thing is for so many - home is totally trashed and have to say, at my age, the thought of trying to start over is daunting to say least!
I fear this year will again bring a large share of severe weather - stay safe.
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Richard so happy you and Joyce are fine and safe.
Dave, how are you doing?
Tom
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Hi Tom
Thanks for asking - All is status quo. I am off this week - taking today off to relax and need to start working outside the rest of the week. Need to rent a brushhog - something that needs done at least once a year and takes 12 hours each time. Of course I can't complain - I know that you would love to be able to have the opportunity to suffer like that. I told you Tom how you inspire me at times.
Stayed over night at my moms twice last week and took a day off work to give my one brother and his wife a break. She was more alert and talking yesterday even though most were of things in the past - her cancer has caused her to slip into a form of dementia. I have no idea how much longer.
Well Tom - hope Kathleen is healing well - take care.
Dave
PS: Nice Banner
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Dave, thanks, yes the banner is nice. Chris did a great job with it. Now, that I am official, what do I do?! :D ??? Have fun doing pioneer duties.
Tom
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Tom:
I like that banner advertisement of yours! 8)
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Richard, thanks, now buy something LOL :D
Tom
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Yours truly gets airborne!
Beaut' spring day and went to help a local guy with a flying field sort out some computer issues, web stuff etc. Semi social call really as well as excuse to get bike out!
Business over with - he got out his old 2 seat ultralite and off we went for a 30 minute trip locally. He is not that far from my place and so we did some fly-overs there and around.
I did I think post a few aerial pics some time back taken by American Images but this was a chance to photograph things for myself, as well as nearby spots. Unfortunately yet - winter brown is still somewhat the color tho trees soon will be out.
First is a view across to where I am - bit right of center on top edge of the big long field - usually planted with corn.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd6/257-from-north-40-s.jpg)
Same place but from another angle - home is just left of center.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd6/wayne-56-20-s.jpg)
Just up the road a mile away is Pleasantville, looking approx to the North. Allegheny range in distance.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd6/pleasantville-19-s.jpg)
This is the guy's house and flying field - a very nice 2,000' plus strip - good too for my RC planes! Landing strip is in top third of pic.
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd6/fly-field-34-s.jpg)
Coming in on final - damn, I love flying!
(http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/img_assd6/final-49-s.jpg)
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Thanks, Chris! Those photos made my pulse quicken with some great memories of puttering around the skies of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in a Cessna 150 back in the '70s. The land is still as beautiful as I remember it. :D
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Thanks Chris. Very nice photos.
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Nice Chris - have never been in an ultra light - looks exciting - with that corn field you can have your own "Field of Dreams".
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Great pictures, Chris.
Fun to see. Thanks for doing it.
Bill
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Chris, thanks for your up in the air views, beauiful. It can take away ones breath.
Tom
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Chris looks like a pretty exciting afternoon. Nice pictures. Dan
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What I Did Today - Or The Curse Of Living In The Woods
Didn't have the fun Chris did on my day off. I still had piles of leaves that where left over from fall. So I loaded them on a tarp and pulled them over the hill a couple hundred yards to dump. Leaves look light but this much, and many wet, are rather heavy.
Did ten loads like this today. Last fall I hauled away about twenty loads before the snow. And this is just right around the house - about 5% of the property - the rest of the property is left natural. Need to get something to make this easier.
Still need to rent a brush hog - there is another two days. Then picking up twigs and branches that came down around the house over the winter. I think it would have been more fun to not have the week off.
Oh well - it is nice and peaceful in the summer.
Cell phone pictures so not the best:
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/leaves1.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/leaves2.jpg)
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Dave - for cell phones pics those are great!
I do not envy you that size area to clear or the qty of leaves!! Bonnie and I had enough fun this afternoon emptying our small pond to clean that out and remove a lot of stinky rotten leaves.
And yes - wet leaves get real heavy!!!
But ahhh - the sense of achievement!!! :)
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I don't know if these are still made -- benefit of having a farm where every implement has been kept in functional condition since the late 1700s when my family bought it...
But, we have a trailer, that's intended for spreading normal manure/mucking from stalls -- we fill it w. leaves, then go out and spread them/use it as a dump trailer, depending on what we're up to. The main benefit is it's a trailer meant for fairly light, bulky loads that can dump.
The other bit is use a plastic mucking shovel to move the piles
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Dave, I sure like the stone used in building your house. Now, you know what real work is! ;D
Tom
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Beautiful home, Dave.
I find that in early November the leaves all blow away.
The natural methods work well.
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Chris,
Do you have a picture of that ultra-light airplane?
That must really be fun, as long as the air is nice and quite.
Bill
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Bill - no I don't. Crazy really I should have taken a pic of it. It's an old 1986 model with partial fuselage and canopy, tho I had my side panels off for pic taking.
Pretty basic machine but flies well. This one, unlike many, has a fully covered wing - flat bottom with quite significant angle of attack - most of course are the under-cambered style.
Next time I go up (sometime I hope) I'll make sure I take a pic of it.
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Dave, in the second picture of the house, what is that little open area on the right? Is that a picture of the back of the house?
Tom
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Dave:
What an extraordinarily beautiful and elegant home you and Nancy have constructed . . . truly a "dream house" in a "wonderland" setting!
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Dave,
I'm delighted you showed those house pictures. And eleven acres!
I don't see how it could get any better than that.
Bill
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My X-Ray vision shows a great truck in your garage, too. I was thinking about that yesterday.
It's funny how attitudes change over the years. Heretofore, I would never have lights above the cab, but now it will most likely happen, because of you. When you come across high-class people, you want to be like them.
In addition, I would never, ever wear a shirt that was not tucked in. Now it happens most all the time to conceal the artillery. It seems natural and comfortable.
Thinking about your land, when we were first married we bought a brand new house trailer. Even went to the factory and received a tour by the sales manager. Can you imagine?
After living there seven years, we bought a place with five acres. I was in heaven. Every morning, I would open the bedroom windows and it seemed like 1/2 mile to the fence row. :)
Bill
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Dave, it seems we are never happy. We always dream. Careful what you wish for......... ;D
Tom
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The grass may always seem greener the other side - but my grass tho a bit rough and not mowed often enough, is still green, and it grows where my heart is - called home :)
Dreaming is part of living - but so also is knowing and appreciating what we do have - even if that seems little compared to some. Quality can always win over quantity and love wins over all else.
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Dave, yes, you are a lucky man, a wonderful family, a super house, pocket pistols coming out of your ears and a boss truck. ;D
Tom
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Dave, yes, you are a lucky man, a wonderful family, a super house, pocket pistols coming out of your ears and a boss truck. ;D
Tom
Tom - one of the main reasons I am a lucky man is friends like yourself.
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Dave, yes my friend, you are right. Next to family friends are our most valuable possession. ;D
Tom
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A Son's Love
Some of you have been so kind to ask on the well being of my mom who was diagnosed with cancer last November.
My mom, Elma, passed away at her home at 9:45 am Easter morning. I stayed up with her all night, except for an hour when my dad relieved me. I'm not sure if she knew I was there but I talked to her assuming she did.
When she passed my dad, one brother, and myself were with her. I am glad we where able to kept her at home for this entire process dispite the daily difficulties.
I thank you in advance for your nice thoughts and prayers.
PS - I removed my new house pictures from this page - they didn't just seem right to be on the same page as this post on my mom - thanks.
Dave
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/melissa1948/momsbirthday.jpg)
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Dave, I am so sorry for your loss. Your Mother's picture, she looks like a grand lady. :'(
I will say a final prayer for her tonight, may she rest in peace.
I'm sure you and Nancy will feel good about her place in heaven.
Tom
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Thank you Tom - the picture was of her 76th birthday last summer. My mom had me when she was 19 - her and my dad started dating when she was 13 or 14. After he returned from WWII they got married a year later.
Dave
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Oh Dave - what can I say. I feel for you in your loss.
My Mom died March 8 2003 - I was 2 hours over the Atlantic from here hoping to get there in time (UK) - not to be. I am thankful for you being able to be with her.
We all know we are not immortal but somehow parents - Moms in particular I guess, are folks we so often feel will always be there. Doesn't work that way of course but - I cherish so many memories as you do and will - it does not fill the gaping hole but sure does help us in the celebration of a life - the part I feel we need to make important.
By deepest sympthies and while I am not a praying man per se - send the very strongest of positive thoughts your way - that you and your dear Dad may find the strength to manage.
I cannot take away your pain but sure can empathize - take care.
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Dave:
Joyce and I extend to you and your family our deepest sympathy and condolences on the death of your beloved mother.
I lost my own mother to cancer 36 years ago, but I have felt her presence every day since the day of her death. I also have found comfort in this poem, to which she introduced me when I was still a child:
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
[size=10]by Emily Dickenson (1830-1886)[/size]
Because I could not stop for Death
He kindly stopped for me.
The carriage held but just ourselves
And immortality.
We slowly drove - He knew no haste -
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His civility.
We passed the school, where children strove
At recess in the ring -
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground -
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice - in the ground.
Since then, tis centuries,
and yet feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
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Let me add this too Dave - it has been a source of comfort and strength to me in bad times.
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Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush of
quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
Written in 1932 by Mary Frye.
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Hi Richard:
How is the Judge's health?
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George:
I am fortunate. Joyce's cancer is in remission -- and we hope that her disease has been eliminated.
I think that this thread, "Outside My Windows III," should now be closed and locked in memory of the remarkable and elegant lady whose son started the series. In his own time, I expect that he will open "Outside My Windows IV."
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Richard - I am glad to hear that about Joyce.
Indeed I think perhaps you are right too - we could let this thread stop here, partly as a natural event and to honor Dave's Mom. R.I.P.
Dave - let us do that and when you feel the time is right - kick of #IV