Dreary Saturday Morning

Saturday. Cloudy, drizzle, cool. Overall a morning when I decided not to go on my AM walk. Tomorrow is supposed to be improved weather-wise. As I lay in bed pushing myself to get up (remember it's Saturday) I started thinking about how quickly the days pass the older you get. When I was younger, it seems they went much more slowly. But, that's another story.

A few years ago during a period when I had the "mid-winter blahs" longing for warmer temps and budding leaves, I found a passage on the Internet which I printed out and pasted to my work desk. It reads:

"A most pleasant day will be in the offing for you today, if you can just relax and enjoy yourself instead of trying to steer things into place. Let life tell you what to do and where to go."

That passage has improved my morale many times and it did so today as I sat writing this Blog entry. I also greatly improved my attitude today when I went back and viewed some of the photos I took last June-July when in Alaska. One is shown here. If that setting moon creeping behind that massive, crackled, blue-hued color glacier can't make you thankful for things the way they are, then what can?

Soldiers

I was one for many years, and I have never been prouder of that profession that I am today. Those now serving, and especially those deployed in Afghanistan, are without a doubt the most motivated and skilled warriors I've ever observed, or served alongside. My generation of Soldiers were pretty good, but these guys today really ARE that much better. Resilient, tough, dedicated, and ready to handle whatever is passed their way. They deserve the best leadership, equipment and family support possible.

On Camera

I took this photo during a "caution" at last weekend's NASCAR race at Martinsville. The guy was from a Roanoke, VA TV station (WSLS), recording scenes for the nightly news program. I spend a lot of time watching professional "shooters" at events like this, along with keeping an eye on the event itself. Always fun to see what sorts of "gear" they carry, and then to drool over me not being able to afford same.

Piano Stairs

A new way to get people to exercise their muscles by using the stairs instead of taking the nearby escalator. Check out this video.

Idiots in the Cockpit

The FAA did the right thing today in suspending the flying licenses of the two idiot pilots who flew past their destination by over 100 miles, while not paying attention on the flight deck. Personally, I do not believe their lame excuse about what they were doing; e.g. messing with their laptops. Northwest Airlines needs to fire them and with the loss of their pilot's license, they need to spend the rest of their lives working somewhere mowing grass.

These two guys had tons of experience, and were supposedly very well qualified. This makes me wonder how many other similar people are in charge of us when we are at 37,000 feet, and flying on auto-pilot.

But then on the other hand airline pilot wise, we have the outstanding efforts of the U.S. Airways pilot and crew who landed their damaged plane safely in the Hudson River thus saving all lives.

So, I am thinking the two Northwest dumbos are an anomaly.

Martinsville NASCAR Race

Another race has come and gone. I was in my usual seat. Virginian Denny Hamlin won racing hard against runner-up Jimmie Johnson, so local fans were very happy. Photos show excitement outside the track just prior to start, and the other shows action on the Army car driven by Ryan Newman. He was 7th, but ran up front most of the race, starting from the pole.

Windows

No, this is not a comment about Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system. I don't use Windows any more. But if I did, the new version seems OK. Darn, I'm already off topic.

The "windows" I'm talking about are the subject of many photos I take. This one was shot outside a pottery store I passed by in Harpers Ferry, WV. I find reflections off windows to be especially interesting, but as you can see here, it's what inside that is my main subject for this one. I had a cup of coffee in one of those nice mugs with the big handle, at the B&B we stayed in, and I really liked it. Had I been more observant of the specific items in the window when I took this shot, versus the composition itself, I'd have popped in and bought me one of those nice mugs. I didn't notice them per se until I started processing the digital photo. Anyway, I like the picture even if I did not get a new mug.

Trick or Treat

It's almost time for the knocks on the door with little-ones all dressed up in various costumes, saying, "trick or treat". This small cafe at Harper's Ferry, WV this past week is already ready to celebrate. We played "tourist" there for two days and found it not only interesting from an historical standpoint, but a nice place to see some fall colors. I'll post a few other images later.

Yard Ornaments

Many people have them, some look nice, others look like an item placed out for a yard sale. One thing of interest I noticed while visiting in Flagstaff, AZ is the amount of "stuff" people place in their yards, often to give a "western" look to the place.

Now, I have to say that using the term "yard" is not at all like what I would define that to be here east of the Mississippi. We have grass and mow it. "Yards" in Flagstaff have lots of cinder, pine needles, dry brush, tons of yellow flowering rabbit bush, fire ant mounds aplenty, and of course numerous ornaments such as the one shown above. Overall I liked what I saw, but still felt much of the area was a fire waiting to happen. Awful dry and crispy, given the lack of rain this year.

Wild Horses

During our recent trip to Northern Arizona, we had an opportunity to see and photograph wild horses ranging free on the wild, mostly desolate large Navajo Reservation. This young pony passed right near where we were parked, and I grabbed my wife's Nikon D40 and starting shooting. Note the brand on the rear flank. We were at Canyon de Chelly at the time, and that is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. There is a very interesting story about the history of the massive canyon.

The story tuns sad from 1863 to 1868 when Kit Carson and his U.S. Army troops forced the Navajo from the canyon, destroying their homes, orchards, and livestock. They marched the surviving Navajos 300 miles to Fort Sumner. Like the Jews in the marches in the Holocaust, many of the Navajos died from thirst, hunger, and fatigue- those that survived were prisoners. In 1868 the Navajos were set free to return to their land. Starting over, they regrew fruit trees, began raising sheep, and started putting their lives back together. Today their descendants continue to live and farm in Canyon de Chelly.

Whenever I learn about the ill treatment of Native Americans, by our own government, I am saddened.

Commander in the Field Proves my Point

Reference my most recent post about the delay in making a decision concerning the way forward in Afghanistan. Read this article published today in Army Times. Proves my point.

Decisions Take Time, But...

Sometimes people delay making a decision, because they are reluctant to go with what their gut tells them to do, and thus they tend to often do nothing. I sort of feel this way about the delay we're seeing in making a decision on what to do in Afghanistan. I know, it's a VERY important decision, but as a prior Soldier who was sent to and fro by the Army across the globe for 29 years, I have an impatient side to me. Knowing what to expect is important, and the longer I'm held in suspense the more impatient I become. It's worse for families.

Once a decision is made, we salute and move forward. We may not always like the decision we're presented, but we do our best regardless. That's the way it is and most times we feel just fine because a decision has been made and that's a good thing. So, I'm waiting to learn where we're going to go in Afghanistan. I hope my wait is about to be over. I'm not personally affected, but my thoughts are with so many who are.

More on Flying

I mentioned in an earlier post about the amount of fairly large carry-on stuff people are bringing with them these days while flying. I also wanted to comment on the fact that what I observed during 2009 is that every flight is pretty much full. I also noted that getting an e-ticket is not always as easy as it ought to be, especially if the airline changes your flight itinerary at the last moment. Always a good idea to give yourself time to sort it all out at the ticket counter. This happened to me three times this year. When it worked, it worked great.

I'm grateful I don't have to fly that much. Overall it's a pain in the buttress.

Standin on the Corner

In Winslow, Arizona. A well known lyric in a song sung by the by the Eagles (Take it Easy), and a popular attraction in Winslow today. The second verse of "Take It Easy" is set in the city of Winslow which responded by erecting a life-size bronze statue and mural commemorating the song, at the Standin' On The Corner Park. The statue stands leaning against a lamp post, securing an acoustic guitar between his right hand and the shoe of his right foot. Above his head, a metal sign, crafted in the style of U.S. Route shields, displays the words "Standin' on the corner". The mural on the wall behind the statue is that of a fake storefront, and includes what would appear to be the reflection of a red Ford pickup truck driven by a blonde-haired woman. My photograph above shows all of this.

Back in the 1930's and 40's, the city was a main railway stop for coast to coast travelers, and Winslow also sits astride historic Route 66. During our recent visit, the winds picked up to around 50-60 mph and we experienced the first of several dust storms during our two week visit to Northern Arizona. Cough, hack, yuck!

Inside an Old Barn

Wandering around the grounds at National Historic Landmark, Hubbell Trading Post in Northern Arizona, I looked inside an old barn and found these two horses staring back at me, sort of friendly like. I was transported back in time to the mid 1800's. Still am when I look at this photo.

Air Travel with Carry-On Luggage

One thing I recently observed while flying from Charlotte, NC to Phoenix, AZ and back two weeks later, is the incredible amount of carry-on luggage people are cramming into the in-cabin overhead storage on airplanes these days. I suppose it has a lot to do with checked luggage charges, but come on, people are bringing wheeled carry-ons that rival what I'd need for a week's hike in the mountains!

What this causes is totally full overheads that hardly close. Airline attendants spend a lot of time juggling overhead bags around to make it all fit, plus when leaving the plane, people are passing crap up and down the aisle to get to the owner. A real pain in the rear in my judgement.

My preference is to carry nothing on that won't fit under the seat in front of me. That way, I don't have to worry about not finding enough space in the overhead to place my carry-on. But, I seem to be in the minority these days.

I am SOOOOO glad I don't have to fly that often. It is definitely not as enjoyable an experience as it once was. I remember the times when I flew to Germany and back on a 747 and had an entire center seat section to myself so I could stretch out and sleep. Wonderful days that are no more.

Arizona is DRY

We're back from our two week vacation in Northern Arizona. The trip was great except for our unfortunate car strike with a deer at 6AM on a dark, deserted road to the north rim of the Grand Canyon which caused us to have to turn around and return our rental car to Flagstaff, thus making our hoped for visit to the beautiful north rim a "to do some other time" event. Believe me I've said numerous "thank-you's to God" since the incident, and we were very lucky the car remained drivable enough to get us back to Flagstaff, albeit with no head lights, turn signals or air conditioning. USAA insurance to the rescue.

While I would have liked to have seen the Grand Canyon, my wife was there before so she was not that disappointed. Frankly, neither was I afterwards, because the other sights we saw made my jaw drop. Red Rocks in Sodona, Sunset Crater lava flows, Indian ruins at Watpatki and Walnut Canyon, Canyon deChelly (actually better in some ways than the Grand Canyon), and Monument Valley. Driving through 40-50 mph wind sand storms in the Navajo Reservation was an experience, as was the constant bombardment of "views" almost everywhere we drove. My camera shutter could not stop clicking.

But, as is typical for us older folks, getting back home was the best part of the whole deal. Having been in the extreme dryness of Arizona for two weeks, and mostly being well above 7000 feet in elevation all the time, made us really like living here in SW Virginia with all the humidity.

Pictures to follow when I get the time to sort them all out.