YOU KNEW FEAR--YOU FELT DEATH ALL AROUND--YOU SLEPT IN MUDDY FOX HOLES--YOU CRAWLED THROUGH BARBED WIRE--YOU CRAWLED THROUGH JUNGLES--FROZE IN FAR OFF NORTHERN LANDS--FOUGHT YOUR WAY UP MOUNTAINS--FOUGHT ON THE SEA AS WELL AS UNDER THE SEA--FOUGHT IN THE SKY--LIVED WITH PAIN--KNEW THIRST AND HUNGER--LONGED FOR HOME--COMFORTED THOSE WHO WERE BEYOND ANY HELP IN THEIR LAST MOMENTS--
FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART--I KNOW IT SOUNDS HOLLOW BUT THANKS..
HAD A NICE PICTURE FOR THIS POST BUT I HAVE FINALLY GIVEN UP TRYING TO DOWN LOAD IT--SORRY--TILL NEXT TIME
THANKS TO ALL YOU PAST VETS
FOR GIVING US FUTURE VETS
SOMETHING WORTH DEFENDING
Monday, May 27, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
WARRIORS--WELCOME HOME & THANKS FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE
I AM HONORED TO HAVE A FRIEND WHO
SERVED IN THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION..OUR FRIENDSHIP STARTED IN HIGH
SCHOOL AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY..HE REFUSES TO SHARE HIS STORIES OR HIS NAME
ON THIS BLOG AND I RESPECT HIS WISHES..ANYWAY, BACK IN 1969 I SKIPPED SCHOOL (ONE
OF MANY TIMES) AND DROVE HIM TO BRADLEY FIELD IN WINDSOR LOCKS..
BACK THEN THERE WAS A OBSERVATION
DECK WHERE ONE COULD WATCH THE PLANES LANDING AND TAKING OFF..I WAS THE ONLY
ONE PRESENT ON THE DECK..I WAVED AT THE PLANE AS IT ROARED PAST AND LIFTED INTO
THE SKY..HE LET ME KNOW VIA LETTERS TO HIS GIRLFRIEND THAT HE SAW ME OUT THERE
WAVING.. “I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT,” HE SAID..AND SO STARTED THE FIRST LEG OF HIS
JOURNEY TO THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM WHERE HE SERVED IN SUPPORT OF THE GREEN
BERETS..
NO MARCHING BAND AWAITED HIM UPON
HIS RETURN—NO WAVING FLAGS—LIKE THE MAJORITY OF VIETNAM ERA VETERANS ONLY A
GRATEFUL FAMILY WAS EAGERLY AWAITING HIS RETURN..THE MEMORY OF THAT TIME PLAYED
ITSELF OUT IN MY MIND ON SATURDAY NIGHT, THE 27TH OF APRIL, AS I WAS
AMONG THE HUNDREDS THAT HAD ASSEMBLED TO WELCOME HOME 120 WORLD WAR TWO
VETERANS..THEY HAD BEEN FLOWN TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR THE DAY BY THE NORWICH
BASED ‘AMERICAN WARRIOR PROJECT.’ THIS WAS THE NINTH TRIP AND THE PROJECT HAS
FLOWN 938 VETERANS TO VISIT THE WAR MEMORIALS IN D.C...
I CANNOT POSSIBLY POST ALL THE
PICTURES—BUT I SHOOK HANDS AND THANKED AS MANY AS I COULD..MY EYES WELLED UP A
FEW TIMES AS RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS PLAYED IN MY MIND AND ONCE AGAIN I SAW THEIR
FACES IN MY MIND’S EYE..I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT EVERYONE THERE WAS SOMEHOW
WELCOMING AND THANKING ALL THE VETERANS WHO HAVE EVER SERVED TO PROTECT THOSE
WHO COULD NOT PROTECT THEMSELVES AND DEFENDING AGAINST TYRANTS WHO WOULD SEEK
TO DESTROY THE GOD GIVEN RIGHT OF FREEDOM…
I AM HONORED TO HAVE WALKED AMONG AND WELCOMED
THESE MEN, SHAKEN THEIR HANDS..
'BELA' ALSO A VET..SERVED AS A BOMB-SNIFFING TROOPER |
THE 'PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS' PROVIDED A MOTORCYCLE ESCORT FOR THE VETS |
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
THINGS-PRO GUN RALLY--HARTFORD CT--CAPITOL BUILDING
FIRST OFF-I AM HAVING A BIT OF
TROUBLE WITH MY BLOG, AMONG OTHER THINGS, MY FOLLOWERS LIST HAS DISAPPEARED—HOPEFULLY
THIS POST WILL MAKE IT ON LINE—HERE WE GO…..
I’M THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT ISN’T
COMFORTABLE IN THE CITY..FOR THAT MATTER I DON’T EVEN ENJOY BEING IN A MALL OR
FINDING MYSELF IN A CROWD..I DO LIKE PEOPLE BUT I AM JUST A ‘COUNTRY BOY’ TYPE
OF GUY..
HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALWAYS
EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE..THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I ACTUALLY LOOKED FORWARD TO
BEING AMONG LARGE NUMBERS..THREE EXAMPLES: BACK IN THE SEVENTIES CONNECTICUT
LAW MAKERS SAW FIT TO PASS A HELMET LAW..THOSE WHO TOOK PART IN THE PROTEST
RALLIES THAT FOLLOWED NUMBERED IN THE THOUSANDS AND I EAGERLY TOOK MY PLACE AND
STOOD AMONG THEM..ANIMOSITY BETWEEN CLUBS WAS SET ASIDE AND WE UNITED TOWARDS A
COMMON GOAL, RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER—THE LAW WAS REPEALED..
ANOTHER EXCEPTION TO THE ‘I NEED
MY SPACE’ MENTALITY WAS WHEN I SERVED AS A MARINE..PICTURE US MILLING AROUND
TOGETHER, EACH WITH AN M-16 (A REAL ASSAULT RIFLE WITH 20
ROUND MAGAZINES) HAND-GRENADES, M-60 MACHINE GUNS, 45 CALIPER PISTOLS, BAYONETS
AND A FEW CLAYMORE MINES..STANDING IN THE MIDST OF ALL THESE LETHAL WEAPONS AND
EQUALLY LETHAL WARRIORS, I WAS COMPLETELY AT EASE..IN SPITE OF OUR DIFFERENCES
WE HAD COMPLETE RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER-WE KNEW WE WERE SAFE..
THE MOST RECENT EXCEPTION TO MY ‘ANTI-CROWD’
MIND-SET WAS THE PRO-GUN RALLY HELD AT THE STATE CAPITAL..I EVEN LOOKED FORWARD
TO BEING A PART OF THIS GATHERING OF HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE (I AM
UNSURE OF THE NUMBERS)..MANY WOULD BELIEVE THAT THIS WOULD BE A MOST DANGEROUS CONGREGATION..YOU’VE
HEARD THEIR VOICES, YOU’VE HEARD THEIR PROCLAMATIONS THAT ‘GUNS KILL PEOPLE.’ I
AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT IN SPITE OF THE HUNDREDS OF GUNS BEING CARRIED, NOT ONE
GUN JUMPED OUT OF IT’S HOLSTER AND SHOT ANYONE..
WE STOOD UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO
LAWS PASSED IN IGNORANCE, UNITED AGAINST THE BLATANT INFRINGEMENT OF OUR RIGHTS
AS LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS WHO SEEM TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND PUNISHED FOR THE
ACTIONS OF THE LAW BREAKERS AND THE MAD-MEN WHO HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE GOD
GIVEN GIFT OF LIFE OR THE LAWS THEY PASSED..WE STOOD UNITED AND IN SAFETY
KNOWING THAT GUNS DO NOT KILL PEOPLE—NEITHER DO
KNIVES, SCISSORS, BASEBALL BATS, BOWS AND ARROWS, OR HI-JACKED AIRPLANES, NOT
EVEN PRESSURE COOKERS KILL PEOPLE-THE SIMPLE, BUT UGLY AND UNDENIABLE TRUTH IS—PEOPLE
KILL PEOPLE…THE ABERRANT EPISODES (HORRIBLE AS THEY ARE) BY A FEW
DERANGED INDIVIDUALS IS NOT LEGITIMATE GROUNDS TO PUNISH THE MILLIONS OF
LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS..WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM …
SCENARIO::MARTIAL LAW IS DECLARED
AS LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS A SUSPECTED TERRORIST..HE IS WELL TRAINED AND
MOTIVATED, NOT JUST A YOUNG FRIGHTENED FUGITIVE RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE..INSTEAD
OF SEEKING TO HIDE, HE REALIZES THE MUCH GREATER VALUE OF TAKING HOSTAGES..HE
DOESN’T JUST PICK A HOUSE AT RANDOM..HOW MANY CARS ARE IN THE DRIVEWAY?? PERFECT,
A MINI-VAN WITH A CHILD’S SEAT AND A ‘SOCCER MOM’ BUMPER STICKER ALSO!! CUTS
THE PHONE LINE AND STARTS TO KICK IN THE DOOR…WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??? WELL, IF HE
WAS UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO PICK A HOUSE WHERE ONE OF THE MANY PEOPLE IN THE PICTURES
I’VE POSTED LIVE—THE END…
WE DO NOT NEED MORE LAWS--THEY ONLY AFFECT THE GOOD PEOPLE..AFTER THE SANDY HOOK TRAGEDY, ANOTHER 62 PAGES OF ANTI-GUN LEGISLATION WAS DRAWN UP--MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WERE A SECONDARY CONCERN...THE LAW MAKERS NEED TO WAKE UP-THEY SHOULD FIRST LEARN WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT..NOT PASS NONSENSE LAWS THAT CRIMINALS COULD NOT CARE LESS ABOUT TO BEGIN WITH..(CHECK OUT MY POST 'GUNS' FOR SOME STATS)..I REFUSE TO MENTION HIS NAME (THE MEDIA HAS ALREADY IMMORTALISED HIM ENOUGH) BUT I'LL BET THAT THE ANIMAL WHO DESTROYED SO MANY LIVES AT SANDY HOOK WAS NOT IN THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE LAW WHEN HE PLAYED OUT THE LAST FEW HORRIBLE HOURS OF HIS LIFE..MAY GOD BLESS THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES...
****************TILL THE NEXT TIME****************
*************STAY SAFE AND HAPPY**************
DO NOT SURRENDER THE RIGHT TO PROTECT YOURS AND YOURSELF
***********************************JIM******************************
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
PLACES--A MISSION TO 'CABELAS'
FIRST OFF THIS WAS NOT THE POST I HAD PLANNED TO DO THIS TIME AROUND, BUT GOD WILLING, THERE WILL BE TIME ENOUGH LATER ON TO DO THE 'WEIRD' POST THAT I HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY..
I AM GOING TO ASSUME THAT 95% OF THE FOLKS READING THIS BLOG HAVE HEARD OF 'CABELAS' OUTDOOR SPORTS CATALOGUES AND STORES.. HOWEVER, NOT EVERYONE HAS HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT ONE OF THESE OUTSTANDING OUTLETS...
I WAS NOT ABOUT TO RESEARCH HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS-WHO STARTED THE BUSINESS OR HOW IT GREW TO BE SUCH A FAMOUS OUTFITTER FOR THOSE OF US WHO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS..RATHER I JUST INTENDED TO TAKE YOU ALONG ON A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY OF THE OUTLET IN EAST HARTFORD ...
I WAS ON A MISSION--AND REMEMBERING HOW IMPRESSED I WAS WITH MY LAST VISIT, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAMERA ALONG...I WISH I COULD POST ALL THE PHOTOS I TOOK BUT THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE ON THIS BLOG...HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SIGHTS....
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED-GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR STEVE-GREAT GUY YOU'VE MET HERE BEFORE HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY STEVE *JIM* |
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
FINALLY !!!!
WELL FINALLY!!! TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT ACTUALLY FELT LIKE SPRING HAD FINALLY ARRIVED IN THIS LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD...SEVENTIES AND SUNNY--WOW, ABOUT TIME!! THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE REGULARS WILL REMEMBER THE LAST POST I DID AND THE PHOTOS I SHOWED OF THE FLOWERS GETTING READY TO BLOOM AND THEN THE VERY NEXT DAY THEY WERE COVERED IN SNOW...WELL I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE FINALLY SHOWN THEIR HAPPY LITTLE FACES (SEE BELOW)...I'M NOT REALLY A FLOWER TYPE OF GUY, I LIKE THE MAJESTY OF TREES, BUT I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE THESE LITTLE HARBINGERS OF SPRING...
BACK DURING THE WINTER I HAD POSTED ABOUT OUR WICKED STORM THAT HAD SOME FOLKS SNOWED IN FOR UP TO FOUR DAYS...IN THAT POST I HAD MENTIONED A NEIGHBOR THAT SAID HE HAD HAD ENOUGH OF OUR WINTERS...HE PUT HIS HOUSE UP FOR SALE (REALLY NICE PLACE) HIS WIFE AND HIM PACKED UP THEIR GOODIES (INCLUDING A BRAND NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON SWITCH BACK) AND OFF THEY WENT TO SOUTH CAROLINA--(GOOD LUCK TO YOU TWO)...
ANYWAY, YESTERDAY I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING ONE OF OUR NEW NEIGHBORS..'OTIS' A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL BLACK LAB PUP...LOVE THE LITTLE GUY .. WELCOME TO PLANET EARTH OTIS--HOPE YOU HAVE A LONG AND PLEASANT STAY .... COME OVER ANY TIME AND CHASE THE SQUIRRELS...
WELL, NEXT POST I'M GONNA GET A LITTLE ON THE PERSONAL AND WEIRD SIDE (WHAT'S NEW RIGHT?)..KIND OF JUGGLING IT AROUND IN MY MIND SO STAY TUNED..
*****************************TILL THEN--HAPPY TRAILS*************************
JIM
GOT TO ADMIT, FEEL A LITTLE
GUILTY…TOOK OFF HALF A DAY BECAUSE OF A LITTLE BIT OF BACK PAIN…ACTUALLY I’VE
DEALT WITH MUCH WORSE BUT TODAY IT WAS IN THE LOW SEVENTIES, JUST A LITTLE BIT BREEZY
AND WHAT THE HECK, EVERYBODY WOULD BE AT WORK SO I WOULD HAVE THE ROAD MOSTLY
TO MYSELF (KIND OF)…
THIS OLD ELEGANT BUILDING USED TO BE A HORSE STABLE OUT IN BURLINGTON CONN.. |
PUT THE CAMERA IN MY POCKET BUT
DIDN’T REALLY PLAN ON USING IT, JUST WANTED TO RIDE AND DIDN’T REALLY FEEL LIKE
HUNTING DOWN PICTURES FOR THE BLOG…BUT I DID GET A COUPLE ANYWAY…SO—HERE I AM…ACTUALLY
THIS IS MORE LIKE A FACEBOOK POST RATHER THAN MY USUAL BLOG POST…
UNFORTUNATELY THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS NOW SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF TIME AND NEGLECT AND IS NO LONGER IN USE.. |
THIS IS USUALLY MY FAVORITE TIME
OF YEAR TO RIDE…ON THE BACK ROADS, THAT I PREFER, THE VEGETATION HASN’T BECOME
THICK ENOUGH TO HIDE ANY CRITTERS THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT CROSSING THE ROAD IN
FRONT OF YOU (TURKEYS-FOX-DEER ETC.)…SO OFF I WENT…
DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED HERE |
LOVE THIS LITTLE FELLOW-LOOK AT THOSE EYES |
*****************************TILL THEN--HAPPY TRAILS*************************
JIM
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
THINGS---WINTER A TOUGH ONE FOR ME
LOOKING LIKE SPRING IS JUST ABOUT HERE--TOOK THE SNOW SHOVEL OUT OF THE JEEP-REMOVED THE SAND PAIL-STARTING TO FEEL OK
MONDAY MARCH 18TH--TWO MORE DAYS TILL SPRING ARRIVES |
HAPPY TO SEE THESE FLOWERS FINALLY COMING BACK |
FINALLY GETTING TO THE END OF WINTER |
YEA--FINALLY THE END IS IN SIGHT UNTIL---- |
TUESDAY--MARCH 19 |
GOTTA BE KIDDING ME |
JUST GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! |
ANOTHER DIFFERENT TYPE OF POST
FOR ME—JUST KIND OF BLABBING AWAY AND VENTING OUT INTO THE BLOGGING WORLD…THOSE
OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE KNOW ABOUT THE SUDDEN PASSING OF MY
LIFELONG FRIEND JAMES (JAY) MORIN BACK IN OCTOBER, JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE MY
BIRTHDAY…THAT SEEMED TO KICK THE WIND OUT OF MY SAILS IN A BIG WAY…THOSE OF YOU
WHO HAVEN’T BEEN REGULARS CAN READ ABOUT JAY IN THE OCTOBER ARCHIVES…THAT DARK
DAY WAS AN AWFUL PRELUDE TO WHAT IS USUALLY AN ALREADY DREARY TIME OF YEAR FOR
ME…
ROBIN PATIENTLY WAITING FOR ME TO LEAVE SO HE OR SHE CAN ATTEND TO WHATEVER WORK HAS TO BE DONE |
SOME OF YOU ALSO KNOW THAT I HAVE
A BOOK OUT “EPILOGUE: TIME MACHINE CHRONICLES.” IT’S BEEN DOING OK ON AMAZON
(14 FIVE STAR REVIEWS-1 FOUR STAR-AND 1 TWO STAR, AS WELL AS A FIVE STAR REVIEW
FROM BARNS AND NOBLE)…GOT A LOT OF E-MAIL FROM SOME READERS WHO WANTED ME TO
EXPAND ON A CERTAIN SECTION OF THE BOOK, SO I STARTED ANOTHER STORY..STARTED
OUT PRETTY STRONG AND THEN DIED OUT ON IT…I’LL E-MAIL WHAT I HAVE DONE TO
ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT WHERE I SHOULD CARRY IT (COULD USE SOME
INSPIRATION OR HELP)—I KIND OF LOST IT FOR NOW, WINTER BLUES OR SOMETHING..
THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ROBIN LIVES IN THIS SHRUB AND I ASSUME EITHER THE SAME ROBIN OR ONE OF IT'S OFFSPRING RETURNS EVERY YEAR |
THE MOTORCYCLE AND I HAVEN’T EVEN
COVERED 100 MILES THIS WINTER—ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND HAS BEEN CRUDDY…LOVE
ASTRONOMY-BUT MY TELESCOPE (16 INCH MEAD STAR FINDER) HASN’T BEEN OUT IN MONTHS-JUST
SITS IN THE GARAGE STARING AT THE CEILING…THEN TO KIND OF WRAP UP THE LAST WEEK
OF WINTER I TOOK A TUMBLE DOWN THE STAIRS THAT HAS LEFT ME FEELING LIKE AN
EIGHTY YEAR OLD MAN WHO WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR WRECK…TRIED TO WORK MY MIND OUT
OF THIS AWFUL FUNK AND TOLD MYSELF THAT SPRING IS THIS WEDNESDAY (MARCH 20TH)…TOOK
A LITTLE WALK AROUND THE HOUSE AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE—SOME PLANTS WERE
STARTING TO POKE THROUGH..TOOK SOME PHOTOS—AS YOU SEE..THOUGHT I WOULD PHOTO
THEM EVERYDAY AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME JUST TO RECORD THEIR PROGRESS…BUT WINTER
JUST WON’T LIGHTEN UP ON ME, AND THE SMALL BIT OF HAPPINESS I FOUND UPON SEEING
THE LITTLE BUDS RISING TO GREET SPRING WAS BURIED UNDER SNOW NOT EVEN 24 HOURS
LATER..COME ON!! DIE
WINTER!! DIE!!
JUST 24 HOURS TO GO TILL SPRING AND WINTER HAS TO GO AND PAINT OUR BACKYARD WHITE ONE MORE TIME!! |
WELL, TRYING TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT
ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, I GOT INTO SOME DEEP THINKING..WE WERE CLOSEST TO THE SUN
ON JAN 4TH (91.3 MILLION MILES) WHICH IS WINTER IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE..THE
EARTH FLIES THROUGH SPACE AT 67,000 MPH SO EVERY DAY WE ARE 1,608,000 MILES
CLOSER TO THE SPRING EQUINOX AND WE SHOULD BE THERE BY TOMORROW (MARCH 20TH)
AT 11:02…AND NO MATTER HOW HARD WINTER TRIES TO LINGER, THE COLD WINDS AND SNOW
WILL GIVE WAY TO THE SPRING WARMTH AND THE PROMISE OF SUMMER (AND I HOPE A DRAMATIC
IMPROVEMENT IN MY ATTITUDE) I CLOSE THIS KIND OF WEIRD POST BY SHARING WITH YOU
A VIEW WE HAD LAST SPRING FROM OUR WINDOW…
TILL THE NEXT TIME STAY WELL STAY HAPPY STAY SAFE HOPE TO SHOW YOU THOSE FLOWERS IN BLOOM REALLY-REALLY SOON!!! JIM |
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