Are you seeing what's around you?

Too many of us fail to take the time to look and truly "see" what's there. Everyone seems so busy these days, that they often miss the beauty of things sitting in plain view all around them.

Job and family pressures and priorities, failure to just say "time out" and relax, taking on too much at once, and a tendency for us to forget that many things which were "important" to us when we were much younger might still be important today.

For example, why was it when we were kids in elementary school, that the excitement of having a few months off during the summer took away all concerns about how hot it was? Barefooted in shorts and faded tee shirts, we yearned for the outdoors...lakes, streams, woods, hills and mountains and if we were lucky enough, visits to the ocean with breaking waves along the beach, seashells, and chasing sand crabs with a flashlight at night. We "saw" everything around us...missing nothing. And as a result, we were generally stress free...unlike how we became as we grew older.

How many of you reading this blog, took a week-long family vacation this summer, during which you spent several hours a day reading your job related email, or posting on Twitter or Facebook? The time you spent doing those things was time you could have spent looking around at your surroundings, and better appreciating where you are in life, and all the goodness for which you ought to be most thankful. Start thinking like a kid again...not all the time...just a bit to help you remember how it used to be. And...how it might be again.

New Army PT Test

Army Times online has some interesting information about average scores for the new (and more demanding) PT test. It's here if you want to take a look. For me, with muscles much less flexible than they used to be, and a tendency to pull them here and there when doing chores (especially those in my lower back) I am glad that I am NOT on active duty and thus subject to the new test. I am quite proud to say, however, that I  got my highest PT test scores ever the last few years I was on active duty...maxing out every time I took the test. Not sure I could do the same with the new one, but I'd give it one heck of a try were that to be necessary...which (thankfully) it is not.

Battles in Nature

We who serve or have served in the military certainly know a lot about "battles." But, are we aware of what's going on around us in the form of micro-battles in nature?

At our house we love to watch hummingbirds fly to an fro getting nectar which we place inside a glass feeder hung near our back porch. The little guys have become used to us, and even come to feed when we're sitting nearby watching. They tend to be very territorial, however, and when another hummingbird comes to feed, they often try to drive each other away. However, that's nothing like the territorial battles they have with Yellow Jackets.

Yellow Jackets are on my most disliked list of critters in nature. A couple of years ago I disturbed one of their in-ground nests while using a weed eater, and got stung numerous times...making for a painful time for a day or so. I learned to be more careful afterwards and look for signs of nests before doing my yard chores. I also attack their nests with various remedies to kill their nests...which I will not describe in detail because some might say I am not being environmentally sound pertaining to what I use to kill them in-ground. My solution works and that's enough for me. Anyway, I do not like wasps of any sort, but Yellow Jackets are at the top of my list in that regard. Hummingbirds do not like them either.

Our backyard feeder attracts both of these enemies, so it's to be expected there will be battles going on all the time. The hummingbirds zoom in, get a fast drink, then quickly back off hovering in space waiting until the also feeding wasps get out of the way. I learned that Yellow Jackets can and do sting hummingbirds, but I have never seen that happen. What I do see everyday is a back and forth rush to get to the sweet nectar first...sometimes the hummingbirds win out, sometimes its the wasps. I always root for the hummingbirds.

Meanwhile, I do my job by seeking out and destroying as many in-ground wasp nests as I can find. Yes, I know that wasps such as Yellow Jackets have a purpose in killing other insects, plant pollination and so forth and I ought to "let nature be" and not interfere. But, any critter that is an enemy of hummingbirds is an enemy of mine...for life!

Army (Military) Friends

I read a post on Facebook today, which commented how easy is is to make close friends in the Army (military) and then how sad it is to see them go; e.g. move away on a PCS or retirement. I agree totally with that comment, but have an add-on I'd like to make.

Friends you make in the military last a lifetime, but mostly in your memory bank, or during the Christmas season when cards are exchanged. This is especially true after you leave the military, such as with retirement. For those then located in large metropolitan areas with lots of retired military it's better, but even then it's not the same as when you were on active duty. We lived in the Washington DC region for about five years after we retired and there were many of our close friends also living there. However, even though we lived relatively close (within 25 miles) we hardly saw each other throughout the year. Interests (and jobs) had changed, priorities had changed, and new, more current neighborhood friends had been made. After a year or so we began to miss being back on one of the Army installations where we'd lived, with everyone essentially sharing the same chalenges, the same type furniture (in Germany for example), and the togetherness we'd experienced within our housing area and job locations.

So for those of you still on active duty, cherish what you have now and do all you can to keep in touch with close friends and co-workers after your career paths separate and go in different directions. Having served in the military is an experience I'd never trade...even though we had some pretty rough times here and there, and it was certainly not all fun. But the older we get, our minds tend to focus more on the good than the bad. At the center of it all was the network of close friends we had made. Try hard not to let that slip away.

Still a Learning Gardner

If this years experience is any indication, I am not the "gardner" I thought I was. Let me explain.

When we were on active duty in the Army and moved an average of every two years, gardening was not a high priority in my life, but there were times when I did plant various crops. But, some error on my part always made the effort less than satisfying...albeit I adapted. Like the time when we were living in Northern Virginia when I was assigned to the Pentagon on the Army Staff, and that being a four-year tour I had time year by year to try different crops in the backyard. One summer I wanted to plant green peppers...the "bell" type. But, I instead purchased the jalapeno variety, because I did not pay that much attention to the name on the plant's container when I bought a dozen or so. A "pepper was a pepper" was my comment at the time. They grew like crazy but when I saw they did not have the familiar "bell" shape, I realized my mistake. So, we adapted and produced many jars of hot pepper jelly that summer...but no home-grown bell peppers on our salads as desired.

Flash forward to late May 2011 when I bought cucumber plants...three small pots, each with nice sprouting plants waiting to be located into the newly tilled and mounded soil in our garden. Like the jalapeno peppers of long ago, they grew like crazy and I got lots of pretty yellow flowers which would surely turn into nice green, tender sweet tasting cucumbers. But it was not to to be. I got the flowers on long bright green, healthy looking vines, but the only cucumbers which resulted were a sickly light green to white color, and 80% were too bitter to eat. So yesterday I gave myself an "F" in raising cucumbers this year, and pulled three large mounds of long, tough to remove vines out of the ground, and then lifted the heavy mass into a wheel barrow, pulling a muscle in my lower back, which only added to my disappointment of having received a failing cucumber grade.

A grade of "B" or better for our tomatos this year would be good, but that grade is still undetermined. Meanwhile my sore back is slowly improving.

Do you read books?

I have a good friend who is also a retired member of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the other day when I recommended three books he might enjoy reading, he thanked me and said he'd add those to his extremely long list of books waiting for his eyes. Not saying he does not read books...quite the opposite...he's a prolific reader...he can't get enough...so his only solution is to line them up on his to-do list as they come to his attention...first in, first read. Since reading takes time...you get my point.

I suspect there are a lot of people in the Army today who spend little time reading books...most of their time is spent scanning endless words on the internet, emails, cellphone texts, and along the little news bar at the bottom of TV screens. It did not used to be this way and that's a shame. When I was a kid growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, I would spend an entire summer while on school vacation reading books of many sorts...yes I admit that some were comic books...but even with Archie and Jughead, Mighty Mouse, Superman, and Flash Gordon as the main subjects, many of the "book classics" were also published in comic book form.

I know there are millions of folks who read just as much today, as did their mothers and fathers. Electronic devices such as the Kindle have made it a bit easier, but I know many who shun those devices as if they are devil sent. For them, a good old-fashioned hardback book with removable cover is what they want. Point is...read books no matter the format!

Who is the Mentor?

Important people in a person's life are many...for most of us. In the military we all have had a favorite mentor or two who played a significant role in making each of us into what we've become. Perhaps you've had a mentor without even knowing that person existed. Mentorship comes easy for some, as they tend to act as a magnet, attracting those in need of guidance.

"Guidance" comes in many forms. Some is professional, some is spiritual, some is family and social oriented, and some comes from peers who simply want to offer a suggestion about how you might take on a tough challenge. It's interesting at times, when a person you never expected to become that important in your life, turns out to be truly special.

In my case I met, by pure chance, an individual who was working at an Army installation to which I was assigned, toward the latter portion of my military service. That person later turned out to be a very important individual in my life...professionally and spiritually. I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say our paths crossed and because of my position at the time, I was able to help "nudge" him in a new direction professionally. That placed him essentially on a new career track, which turned out to be just what he was looking for. I never gave it much thought when I made the call to do what I did, he was just one of many who were impacted by some decision I might have made at the organizational level I sat...lots of routine stuff usually...at least as I saw it.

After I retired from active Army service, I remained in contact with this individual, and saw him from time to time during events and activities related to my second career. As years passed, he himself rose in professional stature, but did so in a very humble and appreciative way. Whenever I would run into him, he would sometimes remind me of the routine decision I had made...the result of which placed him on the professional path he was now on...a path he says has become his great passion, and as such he considers himself blessed in many ways. "Getting paid to do what I do is pretty wonderful!", is the way he usually puts it.

Recently, my friend gave me a "nudge" in a new direction in life, because as special friends often do, he was/is a ready listener when I needed someone to hear what was on mind. So, I ask, who is the mentor here? Him or me? Maybe both. In the beginning of our relationship it was me doing most the guiding, but now it's kinda the other way around. I like that very much.

When it's Hot...it's HOT!

Ah yes...July. A typically hot time of the year in the United States...and then there's August to look forward to...endure is perhaps a better word. For those in the Army, hot weather means watching the heat index value and altering outdoor training activities accordingly. That's not possible in a combat zone, however, so those deployed there have to adjust to hot conditions as best they can.

It's this time of year when I recall my numerous proclamations made during the cold winter months about how much I was looking forward to being hot...in July and August. Well, here ya go...I got what I asked for! Now, I'm wishing for those times during my early morning walk when I was all bundled up...sweat pants, heavy sweat shirt, jacket, gloves, and warm hat.

So, as July progresses into perhaps even hotter days of August, I tell myself it's all relative, and could be worse...like I could be living in West Texas, New Mexico or Arizona. Yesterday, for example, while it was in the mid 90's at our house, I drove into the Blue Ridge Mountains where it was ten degrees cooler above 3000 feet, and even cooler the higher I got. Going up the mountains was a joy, coming down to reality was less so. Like I said, it's all relative.

Simple Pleasures

I recall a long time ago when I was a young company commander...back when many Army company headquarters were located in a wooden building, at the end of a long row of similar looking structures, with a mess hall at the opposite end. Located in wooden buildings adjacent and parallel to the company to which I was assigned, were other companies...all comprising a battalion. But...Army buildings are not my subject here...trains are.

In my company headquarters where my small office was, we had the company First Sergeant, the company clerk, a supply room with supply sergeant, and one very nice soldier named Private North. Back then the Army had a military occupational specialty called, "Duty Soldier." These men performed a myriad of tasks...all simple, with minimal intelligence required. North was one of these soldiers and he was always in a good mood, and happily did whatever he was asked to do by the First Sergeant...tasks which did not require a lot of innovation.

One day I asked North how he liked the Army and he said it was great...it had given him a home, which he never had before. He was a high school drop out, and was not very smart, but he was motivated and like I said always in a good mood. When I asked what he usually did on weekends, he told me he liked to take a cab from the base to which we were assigned, and ride downtown to a bridge which trains passed under, and where he sat for hours, with a cold Coke in hand, watching massive engines and long lines of rail cars pass underneath. A simple activity, but to North it was a real joy.

To this day, whenever I see a train pass close by where I am standing, I think of Private North. If something like that made him happy, why not me...and that scene does make me happy...thanks to North. So, while he was just a plain, simple soldier, he left me something which I still carry "in my memory pocket", and for that I am grateful. Wherever you are North...thanks!

Thinner and Lighter is Better...Right?

These days it seems that just as we get used to some nice electronic or photographic piece of gear, it's replaced by a new model sold with glaring advertisement headlines which proclaim, "NEW...and now even thinner and lighter...just what you've been looking for!" Well, for me anyway, not exactly.

With some items, such as cell phones and cameras, I prefer models with a bit more weight and size, so they don't slip out of my hands. That characteristic is usually a top priority for me when it comes to selecting what I want...how does it "feel" in my hands.

I like reading books that are thick and heavy (when I read paper versions that is...since I am a Kindle user...which is not too light and not too thin...for me anyway). I like sandwiches that are thick...being full of goodies stacked on top of each other...but not too hard to hold so I don't make a mess on my white tee shirt. And lastly, I always want my milkshakes to be as thick and as heavy as I can get. Finding a gallon size chocolate shake somewhere would be nice...one that takes about an hour to devour before it melts.

How was your holiday?

Many ask that question (in the post title) on the first day back to work following a long weekend holiday...such as we just had. Many will smile and say, "Great...how about you", while others will mumble a few words such as, "OK, I guess." It's all in one's attitude I suppose.

Some are sunburned, some are bone-tired after a long drive home, some are nursing sore muscles after participating in outdoor activities their bodies were not fully prepared for, and others are simply thankful to be back to work...or not.

For my family, we were in the backyard pool at 11AM, and then at 2 PM we sat together on the patio eating peeled shrimp, Jesse Jones hotdogs (a southern treat...red-colored as they are...and full of stuff the Docs tell us is no good...but once or twice a year can't be all that bad, eh?), home-made potato salad, cold slaw and chips...followed by fresh watermelon. Then.. it began to thunder, lightning and rain.

Watching the local radar on my daughter's and my iPhone (we used two different websites to find the one with the best colors...mostly yellow and bright red) as the afternoon and early evening progressed, it became clear that our plan to drive ten miles or so to Eden, NC to watch fireworks was in serious jeopardy, because the weather radar we were watching had a mass of red color all over Rockingham County where the Town of Eden sits. So, we decided to go get milkshakes from Hardys instead, and sit in the house to watch Twilight Zone reruns on the Syfy Channel.

Point being...we had lots of fun...regardless of no fireworks display...even though they did take place. It stopped raining during the third episode of Twilight Zone. Oh well...there's next year...and besides, those Jesse Jones hotdogs made it a special day, fireworks or not.

Keep your bobbers out of the trees

During this July 4th weekend, now upon us, my sincere hope is that all of you reading this remember to keep your fishing pole bobbers out of the trees as you relax and enjoy life.

Cast carefully, away from low hanging tree limbs. Be mindful of those sitting close by, because unlike tree limbs, they bleed when hit by hooks with bobbers attached. And, give thanks when you are able to retrieve said bobbers without breaking the line. In closing, be safe, have fun, and eat lots of hot dogs, burgars, and chips...all the time remembering all the lost bobbers in your life.