Friday, September 15, 2017

# 36 Memories

As a kid we took trips back to OK to see my parents kinfolk.  We usually stayed with my Grand Mother, my Dad's Mom.  She lived in a small town called Summerfield.  One of my Dad's brothers lived with her.  Their lifestyle was very different.  You went to the well and drew water for the house.  Outdoor toilet, wood fired kitchen stove and one stove in the living room to heat the house.  We made the trip by car.  My Mother's brothers had newer cars most of the time my Mom's Dad and Mother.  They would drop us in Summerfield and then go stay with family.  My Uncle  drove a pickup so we were there without a car.  We depended on relatives to take us around to visit other family members or they came to Grandma's house.  I think my Dad wanted to move back to OK but Mom said no.  Dad bought a used 1952 Mercury and we drove back to OK, again with Mom's brothers but this time we had a car.  Still the trip was to visit family.  Our first solo trip (again in the Mercury) was in the summer, I don't remember the year.  The trips were to visit family.  As I compare those trips to my own family trips to Spain.  At age two Sandy traveled cross country and we boarded a flight to Barcelona.  My Father in law was a very outgoing person.  They met us at the airport in a tour bus from the company he worked for.  He worked as a tour guide for people visiting Barcelona.  What a contrast to my side of the family and Jo's side of the family.  In 2015 Jo and the girls traveled back to Barcelona so the girls could see the city Jo grew up in through adult eyes.  They had a wonderful time and now the girls have a memory to share with each other and their Mom.

Happy thoughts and good travel.
Pappy1
     

Thursday, September 7, 2017

# 35 Weather

Hurricane Harvey in Texas, hurricane Irma approaching Florida and Jose forming in the Atlantic is the next one.  There's also a Cat 1 in the west coast of Mexico.  Wild fires burning in the Western US.  News but all seems bad.  Mother Nature cares little for the things humans build.  She is a powerful force.  Is this her way of telling us we need to do things differently?  We have raped this land and tried to make it conform to our wisher's.  Maybe we need to step back and reassess our expectations as stewards of our planet.

Pappy1
 

Friday, September 1, 2017

# 34 Summer's end

Labor Day week end is here.  This year is flying by.  The first 4 months were good.  Middle of May I broke my hip and since then it has been a recovery mood.  Here's hoping the remainder of 2017 goes well.

Terrible storm in Texas and the gulf coast.  So much hardship for the people who live there.  Makes my trouble seem small.  Did you notice on the TV coverage how many pickup trucks are in the area?  Recovery will take some time.

We are in a heat wave here.  Pushing the 100 degree mark where we live.  Expect another week of this heat.  Glad I no longer have to work when it is so hot.

Take care.
Pappy1