For those that might wonder, yes I do miss my time in the Navy a bit. Sometimes. It is the people mostly, not the lllooooonnnggg waiting times to get off the boat, the sometimes good sometimes not so good food, or the long nights and short days (actually 12 hours each, but time is relative) that drain you physically and mentally. For part of my 22 years I was on the flight deck of several different ships keeping helicopters going. Most of the ships and all of the helicopters are no longer in service, but a couple of the ships are still out there, and I bet the flight decks are still just as hard. Yes, I have kissed the deck one time, and yes, hard it is. Especially at night in a blackout and the tiedown chain was not my friend. What I miss the most is the people. I mean, yes, there are people here but most of the people here are the same as the people who were here way back when. On the boat we had many different kinds of people from all over. Of course we had our share of people that I do not miss. Nor do I miss what felt like forever sea times. It is strange how much the feel of the flight deck imprints on you and gives you a sense of peace in the hustle and bustle of a launch or recovery. Danger? Sure, plenty. Safety has to be second nature and nothing is a slow process. Thinking must be done at lightning speed so mostly we relied on training and awareness. Head on a well greased swivel kind of stuff. After all, no one I knew out there wanted to take a swim with the sharks. Or get ground into hamburger by a jet engine or chopped, sliced and diced by propellers or rotor blades. It happens, time to time, when someone get distracted or stresses out. But mostly not.  The people made the difference because you had to trust the guys around you with your life, and they had to trust you. Mutual survival is a great influence.

Then my bones and kidneys remind me that I am glad the stress of that environment is part of memories and not current life. Uh-Huh it is indeed. Peace yall and head on a swivel  should any seadogs see this post. H-3's rule!

Well Hey Now

Notice to EU people. I have no clue what they are talking about when it comes to this cookie thing. I cannot do your thinking for you and although I do not care if you read my blog your government might. That simply indicates to me that your government is oppressive and dangerous to free thought and free speech. If you do not see a cookie notice, Then turn your eyes and don't look at this as I am not responsible for your errors. Besides, what europe did to my ancestors drove them out of that part of the world and I personally don't mind visiting there, but do not look for me to stay. Nor do I want your "culture" over here. Just so you don't feel neglected, I don't want any of the other world cultures forcing their cultures here either. We are an established country with our own cultures now. There is more than one here to begin with. I am of the southern culture which has connections to all the others but has its own distinctive characteristics. The world attitude towards this country has degenerated over the decades and all I can say is no, we are not perfect, but we are where the average world citizen would like to be. How about this idea, change where you are to be a better place and grow there. Oooohhh.

Just a quick Happy Birthday to my eldest. 

I look around and see many other fathers and I wonder if I did ok trying to raise the kids as I served in the Navy and later in the Postal Service. I didn't have to serve at sea a whole lot as my job was shore and ship based. 36 in seagoing duties and 36 in shore based. Moving every three or four years is rough on adults and even more so on children. I am astounded that my wife could love me enough to manage the moves and the times I was deployed, and still does after two retirements. Now here I am, back where I started from and now with Rose Marie, a cat and a dog. My children have given me twelve grand-kids ( so far ). Since I have retired again I haven't had to bail any of the above from jail, so that is good. 

So my eldest, happy birthday. My middlest, thank you for your service. My youngest, thank you for loving me, even though I was on the coast of Spain when you were born. I love you all.

Momma through the years. I guess you can blame me for SOME of the gray hairs.....





Of course, she had help. Grandma (Daddy's Momma), Dee (Momma's Mom), Aunt Jo, and Aunt Cherry all had a big influence when I was young. Then later there were other mothers that I "adopted" over the years and around the country. Aunt Al took me in when I was last on sea duty. Mom (aka Shirley Buckman) holds a special place in my heart and mind for he unconditional love she shared with me. Sister Pearl was a steadying influence after I retired. There were many other "Moms" through the years that gave me a lift through a kind word or three, mothers to many of my friends and so on. God has been exceptionally kind to me through these many ladies of faith and I want to give all of them and especially Him praise and thanks for the love you have shared with me.

What the divvil

So many things continue to change, yet mankind doesn't. I don't think of myself as a racist because I reject the term as a classification. It is the most inflammatory label one can assign, and being what the world calls a white boy, most of the world would slap that label on me faster than a stamp on a "guaranteed prize winning" envelope. Do I believe people of color are inherently below, above, or even with me? I don't believe people of color exist. I leave it at just people. I value or disregard people by how the act and what they do. If you don't want to be "judged" by me, then stay away from me completely. I assess threat, benefit, commonality and a myriad of  other quantification factors. I know people of similar ancestral background that I have confidence, trust and generally likeable. I know others of that same grouping of people that I wish to have absolutely no contact with them at all. I find the same thing true of various groups of people. I know of kinfolk that fall into all major groupings and many of the sub-groupings. Yes, I have kinfolk that are black, white, red, yellow and mixtures of all of the above. A person's value is determined by what they say and especially what they do, how they treat others. There is no place on this earth where it is ok to mistreat women, children, or men, religiously or politically. No group of laws that has ever been assembled have been better for mankind than those ten Moses (Musa, and many other ways of putting his name) brought down written in stone. We cannot improve on them, only dilute them to our detriment.

What does love mean? Learn from the best. Learn how to love truly. The truest and greatest love is the Love that desires that which is best for the loved one. Not the blindly give what they ask for, but give what is truly needed for true happiness. That simple and that complicated. Read the instruction book. It tells you the truth.

Well now. 18%, or was it 13%? Way to go people. This is why this country is dead and doesn't know it. Less than 20% of the people making the decision for everyone. You vote (maybe) when it is something blasted by the media but when it is more important you stay home. Well, now you gonna die, figuratively I hope. Your wallet is destined to suffer the slings and arrows of a government that thinks most highly of itself, demanding more (10.5%) than many say the Creator calls us to give. Those pushing to liberalize this government are trying to model us after the socialism of Europe. Now why, then, are the only ones who migrate to there are the radical pigs of the false prophet who seek world domination. And those who feel the pressure are STILL seeking the "American" dream of freedom, that will no longer be here.

I don't feel or think or really even wish that this is the "perfect" country. Nor do I believe that this country can be truly great again. Sin is too prevalent and the laws of motion are still not revoked by the Creator, so even social momentum is a real thing and that momentum is bent on going until it reaches the Immovable Object. Of course it will fail then and rebound. I fear it will be too late. Life will go on, I have no doubt. There will be those astounded that they can truly live and others that will continue to exist, but not the way they would desire.

But for the time being, we are faced with a choice in presidential wannabees of which NONE get an "adequate" rating from Possum Hollow, only a couple get a "tolerable if there is nothing else to vote for and Mickey won't run" category, and several in the "we are doomed" column. We should also title the ballots. My suggestion would be, and I quote: "You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me". I am not sure if we can even find a descent, really honest person who would be willing to endure the torture that media would inflict. I don't think I would want to put anyone in that position. Even an enemy.

There once was a man from Nantuckett....

Learning old stuff once again. 

Maybe....

Is there every going to be a change in the national, or even state political scene??  We have so limited a choice now that we have put lawyers and con men in positions of power. There used to be a lot of farmers and business people in those positions and sadly, those who hold those type of real jobs do not want the stigma of politics hanging on their coat-tales. I guess the next thing will be outsourcing governors and presidents to china or mexico. Should that come about I think it would be time to redo the not very civil war and eliminate the socialist government. Or perhaps we could vote with our own intellect and tell the posturing bimbos we have to apply at Mickie Dee's as they are no longer needed. And in the meantime tell them that they can have the retirement that they paid for, not the free ride on the working people. 

As for me, I think we should redo this thing. We should take care of our own first. Not refugees, not the illegals, immigrant or no but those who live here and are born here. I'd rather have Arnold than what we have now. At least we know where he was born. If you really think about it, our best president was an immigrant of a sort as he was a British citizen before the country was even formed, as were several of the early presidents we had. 

Truth is, our country is doomed and has been from the start. It is run by people. If we eliminate the people, we eliminate the problem. But then, who would be left to enjoy it? The great apes  maybe?? I think maybe so. Planet of the Apes for real! Awesome. 

But who would listen to Fever Tree then? Or Fantasy playing "Stoned Cowboy" ?


I'm just Grateful to be dead to sin....

Leadership is that tricky balancing act that is between the accomplishment of a task or the failure of the task. If you wonder why that thought occurs to me, just look at our condition in this country and our "leadership". Worst fail since Bush 2 violated our civil rights in the name of "security". Remember Tricky Dickie? His only crime was attempted (it failed, remember?) cover-up and he got pushed out of office. How many laws have been violated since Bush 1 and NONE of the people who have violated federal law have been prosecuted. I am no lawyer, but the word "the" has only one valid definition. No I am not going to define it for you. Look it up. If you can't spell it, print this and ask a librarian to help you. I figured that out in the 4th grade, and yes, I know I am slow compared to my classmates. More than half of the candidates for the next election should be in jail as what they perpetrated on America was criminal and dangerous whereas Martha Stewart (who I would not vote for) was guilty of a white collar crime (ergo, she made money from acquired information that was attained questionably). I wonder how John D. Rockefeller would fare in a similar situation? Would I vote for Hillary?   Maybe, if she were running against David Duke. That would be a 50-50 chance, depending on which way the quarter lands. If it lands on edge, I turn around and leave. I do believe we are facing a national "Kobayashi Maru". How sad is it? Only one of the democrats running would I give thought to select. Of the republicans, only the sad, bad, and if I gotta is what I have to consider. I'll tell you this though, if it comes down to a politician or an unscrupulous businessman, well the last three were politicians, lets try a different kind of crooked-soul heathen. As it is, the country is already ruined and we are on the brink of anarchy. 2043 may not be the truest math now, but the calculations cannot be adjusted till December of next year.

I don't know about ya'll, but I am praying for a miracle. If God says "No" then I will try to follow where He wants me to go, even if it hurts.