An encounter.

There was a little snow coming down in a nicely brisk day and I had gone for a little walk to enjoy the little flurries of snow on my face. I came to this little park where a bench was exactly what I needed to rest my tired legs and catch my breath. I cleared a little snow from the bench sat and was looking at a group of young people on their way to the White House to demand some action to stop the many school  shootings. A voice nearby startled me.
“Would you mind if I seat here” Ah! A fine country with interesting and complex people ! Have you heard of La Fayette?”
“Yes, I admire him very much and served on a ship bearing its name”.
The men replied: “ I hold him in high esteem indeed. Here was a young man born in privilege who risked his life to come in this land to help its people to obtain freedom and liberties that his own land would not obtain for a long time” then he looked in the street and pointed to the group of student growing in number and wearing signs demanding action.
“Those young people exhibit the same spirit! They are willing to speak up and to act to obtain for all one of the most beautiful freedom! The Freedom From Fear! ByGod I shall join them”
He started standing up, but sat down again, looked at me and said “ But I must apologized, I forgot to ask your name”
I blurted out my name and he extended his hand and we shook hand “ Nice meeting you Dan, my name is Washington, George Washington, you can call me George “
I was stunned and lost for words, by the time I came through he was gone. Steps in the snow were leading to the group of students and for a second I would swear I sow him blending with the group and disappearing!

201 Raintree

Master Bedroom

Every master bedroom bathroom should have a Saloon Door, Pilgrim!

The office, being used.

Picture added just because I like it!

Another view of the Master Bedroom.

Master Bedroom again!

Guestroom

Guestroom again

Living room

Front of the house, view from the street

Front Yard

Front porch

Living room

Living Room

Living room......again!

Dining Room!

Backyard, the two sheds!

Back deck.

Back yard and back deck

Backyard fountain, soon to be Front Yard Fountain, by Order of the Queen!

Back deck seen from the Jungle/Garden!

Jungle/Garden, presently being slowly cleared (By order of The Queen!)

Another view of the Jungle/Garden (AKA Job Security!)

Back of the house.

Access from the street.

Abemus Garbage Can (Hey! That's my house! I will post the garbage if I like! My Castle, My Can!

The other side of the house!

The Shed AKA The Man Cave!

Homage to a departed one.

Tonight I pay homage and celebrate the life of one of the most courageous fighter I have ever known.  A very brave but gentle Lady finally gave up a hopeless battle against Cancer and went home.  My sister in Law Julie Ross is no longer among us and she will be missed.

Facing a relentless Cancer that furiously invaded her body Julie fought a long and brave battle.  She is now where there is no more pain or suffering.

Julie was to me more than just my Sister in Law, she was a person who spoiled me with a large amount of Sisterly love and regardless of my many shortcomings always made me believe that I was the best person she ever met.  I could have microwaved salt water and Julie would have consumed with enthusiasm declaring all along that it was the most outstanding feat of gastronomic marvel she ever had a change to swallow.

Julie had an insatiable curiosity and was a dedicated Genealogist in a constant search for the next layer of her ancestry. If somebody, given time, had succeeded to trace his or her lineage to Adam and Eve that would have been her.

Julie, her husband Henry, Jinny and myself had the rare opportunity to take a trip on the East Coast last year and thank to Julie it was really a marvelous trip of discovery, her child like enthusiasm took us in many wonderful places.  It was a too short but marvelous Saga punctuated by a small conflict due to my total trust to Sarge my GPS and Julies distrust of the beast and total confidence on her sense of navigation and multiple maps. I wish I would have deep sixed the GPS and gotten lost in Julie Map oriented adventures!

I will miss her very much!

Farewell  my little Sister, rest in Peace, you have touched many, many lives for the better.

Memories of November 22 1963 In Massawa.

On this day November 22 1963, I was serving aboard a French Minesweeper named « La Dieppoise » usually based in Djibouti. We were in the Red Sea port city of Massawa in Eritrea then the site of the Ethiopian Naval Academy for their Graduation Ceremony. Along with us were a British Minesweeper, a Norwegian Ships, and an American Destroyer. We were tied up directly ahead of the American Ship that was flying the Red Charley pennant of the US Navy Red Sea Squadron.
I was a young buck sailor, not even a US Citizen at the time.
When the news came out, in a state of stupor all the eyes were of the US Ship, his flag at half-mast. As tradition dictate all the ship then struck their colors at half-mast and a heavy cape of sadness overcame the crew of all ships. All in the sudden, we knew that right now no flag, no Nationality, no uniform and no language that would be truly important obstacles. We knew that some brothers by the Sea were dealing with a heavy heart.
That evening, in the part of town that usually would have been overflowing with boisterous, inebriated white uniforms of all shapes and the assorted usually nervous and tense Shore Patrols a very different mood prevailed. None of the brawny challenges and confrontation would be seen. Even the most chauvinistic and stubborn bullies would find the most basics English necessary to express to US Sailors their sympathies and support. Cigarettes were offered, beers were offered to people who usually would have been targets, and games to some epic bar fights.
That day left in my mind an indelible memory of great sorrow and friendship of the Sea.
I never met the Man, he was not even my President, but somehow this young sailor felt, as the song says, that He was a Friend of Mine and that a glowing Treasure has been stolen from us all.
Rest in Peace Mister President.

The Good King

He was a good King, a King who cared deeply for his People and governed with a firm but gentle hand.  He often travelled in disguise through his Kingdom seeking ways to improve the lot of his subjects.

On this particular day, His Majesty had decided to go visit this newfangled invention: a full of wonder Department Store equal to the best that London or Paris had to offer.  The concept was in its infancy and did intrigue the Monarch very much.  As he was strolling from marvel to greater marvels, all in the sudden, at the turn of an aisle, he stumbled on a young man holding a distressed child.  The child was crying, “I want my Mommy, I miss my Mommy” in a sad voice interrupted by large sobs, bid tears rolling down her chicks.  The Man, her Dad he assumed, was trying his best to comfort the child with that clumsy way of a Dad obviously suffering almost as much as the child does.  The King was also deeply upset, thinking of the future life of the poor child deprived of the tender love of her Mother.  He was much troubled by the injustice of the situation, wondering what he could do to ease their pain.  However, the issue was promptly resolved when Mom came back from the restroom.

Bird love.

This morning those two little bird, a female and a male Cardinal, warmed up my heart and showed me that, indeed, beauty is all over in this world. I am talking about beauty of the heart. As usual this morning I dropped some seeds and peanuts by the Stump. Usually I go back inside, but the morning was so nice that I decided to stay on the patio and savored my morning cup of coffee. The presence of a large creature close by do not seems to concern the squirrels and chipmunks. However, they must have been occupied somewhere else. This couple of Cardinals flew in carefully, from safe branch to safe branch then landed in one, in their estimation, properly out of my reach. It was obvious that the little pile of seeds was their pole of interest. Finally, carefully the male flew in and landed close to the treasure. I assumed that he would partake and enjoy, letting the female miss the bounty by lack of courage. Instead the male picked one seed then flew to the branch next to the female and gently, oh so gently deposited the seed in the female beak, flew back in, picked up another seed and repeated his caring action and after a few more repetitions finally started feeding himself. Finally, the female emboldened herself and flew in closer once that the safety of the situation became a little more obvious. You will never know how badly I wanted, then, to be able to hug those two little birds!

Reflections on a walk along the banks of Chattahoochee River and the Rottenwood Creek.

 I needed a little step out of my routine this morning. I wanted a blend of exercise and of mind cleaning to reset a heavy heart. I went for a hike on the banks of the Chattahoochee River and the Rottenwood Creek where there is a nice trail. I got some nice easy exercise but, most important, a reminder from Nature of where things really are in this life of ours. At first I walked, my mind trying to refocus then little by little, I became more aware of things around me. Nature was putting up a show. Not a spectacular display, no giant waterfall, exotic and very colorful or awe-inspiring panorama. Just one little tiny thing here and there. A pretty flower or two, a harmony of form and shade. Survivors or decaying goners, harmony of contrast. A totally out of place lump of strangely shaped concrete incongruously out of place providing a gentle contrast to some pretty innocent and retiring plant. Each one a gentle form of simple beauty on its own, but blending in a quiet ensemble. The lesson was gentle and to the point:: Regardless of my oddities, my propensity of feeling sorry for myself, odd character, accent and different taste I am not outside I belong to an harmony! That thought soothed my heart and sent me on my way to a better day.