Little old me, has shrunk two inches... but not in the waist... what a waste...

  I have likely  suffered a shrinkage of mental capacity that caused my head to be too heavy for the spine and, and Gravity is winning.  So, if the doctor's office is correct, and I am paying him, I am a little old five ten now. I did go in for a cough, very persistent one, and have been treated, now one more day of lolling around and I should be able to re-engage life as I knew it.

   I did some playing with old photos, and posted most to Face Book, and my brother says if they won't give him a way to opt out of interruptions for commercial value to Mark and Company, he will be leaving FB. A real guy. He hardly has time for FB, none of us do. I like to think I am there for the family and friend contact and pictures.

Warren, Ohio, baptism day. Picture taken by my grandfather, Rev. Earl Martin Smith, who would also baptize us. He was up from his church in Uruguay.

This picture is of the Loyalhanna Creek, Ligonier, PA, it ran right behind our home, and often ran into it when Spring floods came. I spent lots of time on the rocks, swimming in the pool below the falls at the top of the picture, and a little trying to fish. My father, built me a tree platform to hide and read in, since the one I started wasn't going to hold. He also built a canoe to ride the water with. Fishing was possible, but it never took with me.








The last picture is of my brother and I on the porch of the farm house we lived in.
West Mifflin, PA. It was like many old farmhouses, surrounded by the development built up when the farmers sold out and highways, shopping centers and sprawl made a modern world we still don't understand. We are wearing matching Robin Hood shirts from Richard Greene's program.

This time I got to fish... and I don't as a rule...

Went to Twin Harbors State Park and found our Fish Camp group. Slept in the Caravan, amazing how much room there is without the back seats. Started to take pictures and found that I had not re-charged the battery the night before, nor that day either. So I paid more attention and saw and talked than just took pictures. Thursday, some of our party fished from the pier, and we all checked into the charter service. The rain clouds were rolling in so fishing was cut a bit short, but by the time we returned to the camp the weather was fine and steak dinners for everyone were prepared on the grill above the glowing embers. I was going to weigh twenty pounds more by the end of the camp on Saturday. Saturday woke early, dressed for wet weather, cold seas and ate breakfast. Then we took our coolers and lunches and went to meet the Charterboat Slammer.

We got a polished inbriefing and rules of the boat speech by the Captain, then we cast off and went to sea.

First stop, fishing for flounder to use as bait for the bigger game which was LingCod, an an uglier fish is difficult to imagine. Being my first time, I was happy to learn how to use the reel and by chance catch two flounder. It was a start.

After enough bait gathered, off we raced (?) to find the LingCod and another class in how to hook the bait fish and the tactics and techniques to catch the LingCod.  Too Many Words but as soon as he was on the fishing site, we dropped hooks and let the sinkers pull the bait and line deep. And if we weren't too crowded, salmon didn't strip the bait, or the LingCod decide it didn't want caught and sheared the line - well, if they knew what was going on the Lingcod started coming up and cluttering the deck as the hands pinned them and tossed into the catch hold.  When there were enough LingCod for two per fishermen - they stopped fishing and got ready to work on Rock Fish.  New rods and reels (just when I had the old set working), lighter line for bottom fishing, still using sinkers.

Rock Fish and Salmon jumped on the bait and we reeled them in, over a hundred in the Skippers report. I only caught two bait fish, one LingCod, and one Rock fish. Not that I wasn't trying, I was. I had tangled line, I had caught gulls and others - the gulls stayed in my mind when they cried upon being caught, so human...

We tried a couple of Rock Fish areas and then finally went back in happy in the day, the weather and the opportunity. I tipped the boat boy, he had cleaned all the fish for required customers. Smooth operation all around, departed at seven am, came back at 6:12 pm. I had spent most of it rolling with the waves and helping a bit all around.

Back to the camp ground where we were warmly welcomed, some of our wives couldn't help but thinking that something had to have been wrong with our trip.

I took a hot shower, changed and went to sleep - such is a great day on the water on wearing this one out. The pictures posted were all lifted from the Facebook pages, and only the second one is of some of our fishermen that did very well. I know now more about filleting a fish, sharp knife and practice with get it all cleaned and bagged on the way back from the fishing holes in the sea.

Cleaned up the camp today, still telling tales of what we did and how great it was, and packed and drove back home into normal every day, not much happening. When I got here checked the email and found three alarming emails about my brother being admitted to the hospital in Spokane on Wednesday but he was released by Friday to continue his adventures. My sister had finally made it to Sherry's home (our niece) in South Dakota - and she is already talking about the long drive back to Winston-Salem, NC. The price of fuel hasn't stopped my family from moving on. May they all have safe return trips.

Riding off into the mist.. misty memory of a great visit...

He paid his bet off, convinced me to ride around the Olympic Peninsula on our bikes, and we had a great time.

So he is here, what to do now... well, get him off his bike...

   There are a couple of motorcycles on this street beside my own, which has a low to dead battery now, but they all rumble since they stir testosterone up, my brother's bike shows up quietly and politely. And he is wearing this glaring reflective yellow motorcycle jacket. I won't ask but that makes me believe he doesn't want to pass un-noticed as he rides to survive the folks not watching out for him. He rides much more, and has longer than I so what ever he is doing works.

   He got off the bike, we hung the jacket in the closet to brighten the world of the waiting not totally forgotten clothes that make us men.  A glass of water, quick discussion of plans for the evening, and we start talking. It is catchup time.. last time we saw each other was last Summer in Rochester Minnesota, for Dungeys and especially our aunt Velva. Which was my last long motorcycle trip, and pre-Borg pacemaker planting.  When I drop a note on Facebook about we are talking like two Dungey men will (non-stop) it got immediate likes from my cousins and family that know about trying to get a word in edgewise.. oh, how our ladies suffer (or laugh about that).

   We go off to the Men's Bible Study, where I lightly introduce him around, somehow he figures out we are all retired military, friendly and familiar. We discuss the lesson, reading Bible passages and pray, after singing three of the good old hymns. By final prayer time, any requests come out for others. Then we go to gather at the feasting table - which I am sure is more of a hook to a couple of the men than the Bible study, the food is always various, and good and seconds are encouraged, and still our wives will take the excess home. I got two apple pie servings with softening vanilla ice cream - perfect Summer night. More talking over food, more solving the world's problems while checking out how we have been since the last study, yes we do meet in church, but talking is difficult there, too much doing and going on. Say good-bye, back home and Wynn moves the bike to the street for parking overnight. Takes his stuff off and brings it inside. Another hour of talking when he announces that he is done at 11:03 Mountain time zone (home court time), He goes to bed and I go to the internet and then go off to sleep, too.

My brother called from Spokane, only about five hours away...

 He is on his way, on his own trusty motorcycle - what a young fool is he... he had just finished Yellowstone with his son and daughter-in-law and is whirlwind touring. With good winds and smooth sailing he should be able to see both his sisters in Box Elder, SD. Folks from New York have no idea of the distances around the Great NorthWest and great plains... it is all flyover country to them. His home base is Aurora, Colorado.

  The weather is fine so only construction and traffic and tired will slow him on the way here.  I am having fun watching years of stuff, being unstuffed and marching to other storage spots in the home... always have needed motivation to move procrastination piles.  Two major thoughts emerge, I think I am watching an episode of Hoarders and my wife and I are really just two little old folks. When she was searching for the best linen to put on the guest bed I was sure we could have filled some more donation boxes for charity - I am always sure, she is always sure she can't let things go, we might need it.

  I find myself posting on Face book that I thank the LORD for my KNOWING that a soft answer turns away wrath, and amazed that I was so long married when I was still stupid. She is better than I.

Have burned enough hours and still he isn't here, but he is getting closer..

The Ghosts of RWVA Appleseeds in the future, in the great NW...

  So in August:  Stevenson, WA 2-3 August 2014 space for 14 to 24
                        Medical Lake, WA 9-10 August 2014 space for 20
                        Nampa, ID         23-24 August 2014 space for 25

        in Sept     Ariel, WA  6-7 September 2014 space for 26
                        Lewiston, ID 6-7 September 2014 space for 28
                        Port Townsend 13-14 September space for 25
                        Custer, WA    20-21 September space for 25
                        CdA. ID 20-21 September space for 24
                        Eagle Creek, OR  20-21 September space for 35
                        Blackfoot, ID 20-21 September space for 30

      in Oct        CdA, ID 18-19 October space for 24
                       Rexburg, ID? 18-19 space for 25
                       Coupeville, WA 25-26 space for 20
                       Springfield, OR 25-26 space for 30
                       Nampa, ID 25-26 space for 25

     in Nov       Port Townsend, WA 8-9 November space for 25
                      Eagle Creek, OR   15-16 November space for 35
                      Ariel, WA  22-23 November space for 26

The last of the cool for today...

 It is morning just before 9:15 here, and the last of the cool is being burned off by the Sun. I have been in hotter places - Vietnam and Saudi Arabia come immediately to mind, and I have never been to Death Valley although because of Twenty Mule Team Borax I always knew how hot it was there.

  I am recommending reading of American Spring, by Walter R. Borneman. The kindle edition is in my library, and I find more than I had from Paul Reveres Ride. Of course, I would say the point of this book isn't the same as Paul Reveres Ride unless you count wanting to have a best seller as the point. But it gives a better idea of the English and characters.  Always seek for more information, and wisdom to know what might be too much to tell.

  I am preparing a 'Ghosts of the RWVA' blog post. But don't hold your breath. It is Summertime and everything is on the procrastination pile.