Marbles

Cat's Eye This photo reminded me of playing marbles as a kid. Marbles weren't that big of a deal in my childhood; Scouts, sports, board games and bike-rides were more fun than shooting marbles in the dirt. Marbles were popular when my dad was a kid (1920's). My entire "collection" came from him, and they …

Calling Home

If you wanted a ride home when I was a kid, there was a predetermined time and place to meet.  If I wasn't at the appointed place when my Mom got there, I was in Big trouble. Today, kids just call on their cell phone and play video games while they wait. Thought for the Day: …

Bye, Bye Love

"Bye, bye love   Bye, bye happiness    Hello, loneliness    I think I'm a gonna d-ie"  was the opening and chorus of the Everly Brothers' debut song in 1957.  It quickly rose to the top of the charts, and the Everly Brothers' mix of Kentucky Country with Rock 'n Roll became wildly successful.  Phil …

Butterfly Hunter

Everything is fun for the 18 month old ... except for going to bed and getting your pants changed.  That's about the only two things that get in the way of new adventures.  The simple pleasure of chasing a butterfly is the best thing ever ... until the next new adventure comes along. He is …

Creepy

Remember that creepy house in your old neighborhood?  The one you avoided every day, not just Halloween.  Something about the place just scared the crap out of you. The one in my neighborhood had a crazy lady named Rosie living there.  She was thin, boney, and had scraggly mouse-brown hair.  I never went near her …

Flashbacks

You ever have flashbacks?  You see or hear something that rewinds your brain to a memory so vivid it feels like yesterday?  I "flashbacked" to second grade when I saw this old-school playground in Adair, Iowa.  Adair lies in the middle of the state along I-80; a small town with a once-bright, but now faded, …

Butterball

This picture was taken 62 years ago today.  Yeh, its me, you do the math.  Quite a little butterball back then, "chubby" as my Mom likes to say.  I must have put the candles on the cake myself.  Looks like I had a stylish amount of axle grease on my hair ( "Brylcreme -- a …

All Aboard!

I visited this Union Pacific train station as a young boy in the early 50's; the memories that remain of that day are vivid ones.  The whole family went to the train station to see my uncle off to the Army.  I couldn't get over how BIG the place was ... and how busy.  The …

Day after Father’s Day

Yeah, I know, I'm a day late with  Father's Day.  I had a wonderful day yesterday, made special  by my three kids and seven grand kids.  Like my wife said, "Did you ever think you would have grand kids, let alone seven?"   Wow!  But, I digress. All day yesterday I sort of had an …

Froggie

Last Friday, late afternoon, I got a call from my daughter saying the stork has been sighted.  "Oh, and by the way," she calmly stated, 'the landing gear is already lowered".   I felt my heart racing, so I started my breathing exercises.  Oh, wait, I'm not the one having the baby. I certainly wasn't …

Birthday Cake

Did someone say cake?  Even if its not your birthday, even if its your Mom's birthday, you still get cake. Thought for the Day:  Let them eat cake!                                                       …

First Sleigh Ride

Finally enough snow to go sledding.  Time to get the old wooden sled with steel runners down from the garage rafters, sand the rust off the runners and wax them down with a block of paraffin. I don't remember the first time I went sledding, but I remember the first time I went sledding with …

Old School

I remember these ... well, I don't remember using one, and I've never seen a picture of me in one, but I remember seeing them around the neighborhood when I was a kid.  I suppose they came in other colors too, but blue is the only color I remember.   Maybe only boys used them. …

Ice Doily

Doilies are a thing of the past.  You know, those white, hand-made, crocheted or knitted pieces that were about the size of a woman's handkerchief, looked like a spider web and were under every lamp or vase in your grandmother's house.  Sometimes they were on the arms of sofas and chairs, or even on the …

Magical Stairs

These stairs may not look like anything special, but they led to magical places when I was a kid.  Some of my fondest memories come from both ends of these stairs. At the top of the stairs is a gravel road, and across that road is the house where my cousins lived.   We had loads …

Smash Mouth

Now that Labor Day is behind me I can concentrate on football, my favorite sport -- that is spectator sport.  Play football?   Are you kidding me!?  I could get hurt!  I played flag football in 7th and 8th grade and tackle football in 9th grade.  That was enough for me; I finally realized how important …

Fishin’ Hole

Labor Day:   The unofficial end of summer, the last summer holiday, the final curtain of summertime fun.  Reality sets in with thoughts of "school nights", regimented daily schedules, early risings, and shoes. One last night on the dock at the old fishin' hole is a good way to end the summer. Thought for the Day:  We …

Early Retirement

After a full summer of baseball, its time to hang up the glove.  Maybe this little guy can find a better-fitting hat next year. Thought for the Day:  I take a one hour nap, from one o'clock to four.   Yogi Berra

Bus Stop

Back to school?!  Are you kidding me?! ... its still August, the autumnal equinox isn't for another 30+ days!   My tomatoes are just turning ripe, it can't be time for school to start already. Today's kids really have it rough, they have to start school in the middle of the hottest month of the year; when I …

Teamwork

One of the things I like best about photography, as opposed to videography, is the ability to freeze a moment in time.   In this photo, the aspiring young gymnasts are waiting their turn on the high bar.  At this moment in time, there are mixed emotions visible on the faces, like boredom, awe, and anxiety. Maybe in …