Time does get away from you. Susan and I just passed our 51st wedding anniversary, and we still are feeling young and energetic. We are also glad to be retired so we don't have to run off to work every morning. Every evening we set up the coffee maker and remark that we can hardly wait for 5 o'clock so we can have coffee. We met totally by accident at Mizzou many years ago and soon started dating. The first time she met my roommates, one of them said, "Wait until you hear the kind of music he listens to!" Turned out that she liked my kind of music. Our phone calls nearly always ended with one of these songs, way back in the 70s.
This video documentary grabbed my attention because O.T.'s brother Maurice was in the Seabees, and they actually got to meet up on Guadalcanal for a brief visit.
Susan's weekend was a series of fine surprises. Her cousin Ann called Friday night to see if she was up for a trip into western Kentucky on Saturday for an event planned to honor a common ancestor. I can handle the dogs by myself, so of course she went. The event was for a ceremony to honor Mandley Winstead, who was a Revolutionary War soldier, buried near Nebo, Kentucky in 1846. Susan and Ann's connection to Mandley is through his third wife, Amy, and that was close enough for the invitation.
The church was nearly full, with descendants from the area, and a small band of re-enactors for a little ceremony.
Visiting the grave site involved some utility vehicles and a short hike.
Mandley Winstead's new marker, courtesy of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.
Here is a big surprise. This broken marker near Mandley's original stone still has decipherable dates, but the top is missing. Nearby is a footstone with the initials A W W. We looked up Amy Winstead's dates, and this is her headstone. Amy is a 5th great-grandmother to Susan, and a 6th to our son Zeke. This is a great, surprising bonus, having a grandmother we weren't even looking for to suddenly appear. Now we must maintain contact with the landowner for this little cemetery and plan a trip to find the top of Amy's stone. It probably is covered with soil nearby to what remains.
Book excerpt from: John S. Crow and Nancy W. Hutcheson of Mecklenburg County, Virginia and Hopkins County, Kentucky, A Compilation of Collected Materials Pertaining to Their Ancestors, Their Lives, and Their Descendants, Assembled by Ann Austin Hecathorn, July 1992
Susan completed another orbit of the Sun and got a couple of beautiful new tools to use in her garden. Rogue Hoes began as fire fighting tools, but now are being used by many others than wildland fire fighters. These babies can sure break and turn the soil!
We got Mom (Bea Johnson to the Blog World) a cell phone more than twenty years ago. With unlimited minutes we could talk whenever we wanted, and Mom enjoyed calling her brother Chuck every week and talking as long as they wanted. After Dad passed away we never failed to talk at least three times a day, morning, after work, and before turning in. Our last call was Thursday afternoon last week, and we could tell that it was the end. Mom passed at 9:29 Friday morning, November 10, 2023.
When she was living alone in her house, she got nervous about being able to protect herself, so she took up shooting. We would go out to the local range every time I went to Iowa to see her, and she went to Reno a couple times to attend Mike Gallion's Gun Blogger Rendezvous. She took the Iowa concealed carry class and qualified with her .45 Blackhawk because that was her house gun, and the big cartridges were easier for her to handle than stuffing .22s into a magazine. I put together a small collection of photos for those who remember Bea here on our little blog.
Habits die hard. Every time I look at the time, I think it is time to call Mom.
The uncle we never knew...Lloyd Tru Bentrup served on the U.S.S. Colorado during World War II. Three of his brothers also served, all in the Pacific. Donnie served on a seaplane tender, Maurice was in the SeaBees, and O.T. was in the Third Marine Division. Lloyd was mortally wounded on July 24, 1944 when the Colorado was hit 22 times by Japanese shore batteries at Tinian. He was evacuated to Saipan, where he passed one week later. His brother O.T. was fighting on Guam at the time. Lloyd's remains were shipped to St. Joseph, Missouri after the war, and his mother's peonies decorated his grave at Memorial Day for many years. O.T. mourned his brother Lloyd until his dying day.
Blog friends have seen Merle mentioned frequently on these pages. Merle has been part of this blog for many years, as a supporter of the e-Postal matches and screener of engine videos. Merle recently lost his daughter Terri, and any kind thoughts and prayers you can send his way will be a comfort to our good friend. Click to read Terri's obiturary and please keep Merle and his sons in your prayers.
Our rings still look pretty good, because we haven't worn them often. We've kept them tucked away because of the risk of degloving a finger, plus not wanting to damage them when working. We can put them on, but getting them off again is a challenge.
"Colonel JERRY R JOHNSON 5/21/1932-12/31/2019; Colonel Jerry R Johnson, 87, loving husband, devoted father and longtime resident of Las Vegas, passed away December 31, 2019. Jerry was born May 21, 1932 in Moline IL, to Ray and Orpha Johnson. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951, served 26 years, and rose to the rank of Colonel. Jerry was awarded a Business Management degree from Golden Gate University, and worked at the Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas Referrals and was the president of the F-86 Saber Pilots Association. He loved the Air Force and especially flying. He piloted a variety of planes including T-6, F-86, F-4, F-101, and F-111. He flew 156 combat mission with 100 over North Vietnam. He held assignments all over the world from Morocco to Hawaii and twice at Nellis Air Force Base where he was the squadron commander for the 422nd. He married his wife Dorothy in 1956, and they lived a beautiful marriage for 63 years. They raised two children, daughter Linda and son John. Jerry led a full life with travel, golf, bridge, and close friendships throughout his life. He joins his daughter, Linda; and brother, Dwain in Heaven, Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy; his son, John; and brother, Lloyd." From Las Vegas Review-Journal/Legacy.com
Jerry was my Dad's little brother. (Lloyd came along later after Orpha remarried.) Their early years were pretty tough, and Jerry didn't talk about it much. Their father, Ray, was a roll turner in a steel mill, but work was not steady during the Thirties. They ate a lot of corn meal, and lived in a little tarpaper shack. Ray died in 1940 from a perforated ulcer, and that was a hardship neither one of the boys talked about. Orpha married a successful farmer and their lives improved considerably, but both of them said that going into the service was great. They had good shoes, good clothes, and the best food of their lives. Jerry loved S.O.S. Jerry was in the mess hall one day when an officer came in and asked if anyone there wanted to learn how to fly. Jerry stuck his hand in the air, changed his life, and had a memorable career. Jerry stayed in touch with Dad through the years, and after Dad passed away in '05, he called Mom every Sunday morning. Susan and I took a few vacation trips with Jerry, Dorothy, and John; those are special memories. Jerry was a hero to me as long as I can remember, and we are sure going to miss him.
When our son was born many years ago we named him Ezekiel, and after Susan and he were settled in their room, I went home to take care of things and came back to the hospital in the evening. As I walked by the waiting area on the maternity floor, this scene from The Wizard of Oz was on the TV. Dorothy yells, "Zeke, Zeke!" What a surprise! I had seen that movie who knows how many times, and I didn't remember that name. Susan saw it on the TV in her room, too. Pretty neat.
Scrolling through photos, I spotted this scan of a photo I printed from the negative many years ago. The license plate says 1914, and that probably is pretty close. At the wheel is a great aunt, May Garrison, and in the passenger seat is her sister Iva. Behind Iva is my Great-Grandmother Myrtle, who passed away in 1971. I remember her very well.
I know nothing about the car, but it is noteworthy that it has acetylene headlights. I think manufacturers switched over to electric lights about 1915. The right hand drive is dated. Ford switched to the left side with the Model T for the 1909 model year. I wish I knew where this gathering occurred, and the people in the background. They are probably family, but the details are a lost ball in high weeds.
Two dates in one day. First, to Home Depot, then to Pistol League to get re-acquainted with our shooting friends. Susan hasn't been there in nearly two years. I shot a couple times, concentrating on making hits rather than making good times, then ran the timer the rest of the time. It was very much a mental exercise getting back in that groove, and we had a good time. Nobody to check on. Nobody to check in with. We do have dogs, and we are glad for that. We should return to regular posting in a few days.
This threshing scene was on Pattie's home place twelve years before she came into the World. She came along in 1924 while the threshing was going on, and she has loved threshing all her life. She has been a regular attendee at Pinckneyville, Illinois, plus Boonville, Indiana, and Evansville, Indiana threshing shows. She also attended the little show at Bluford when that was active.
Pattie went to Pinckeyville in 2015 and had a good day, stomping around the grounds and posing for pictures.
She got to watch this Advance engine pull a thresher, in addition to seeing tractors, gas engines, and visiting with engine friends.
We went again in 2016, but our time was limited. Pattie couldn't get around on her feet, but we did some visiting and looked at tractors and gas engines. That was her last trip to an engine show, and we suspected it that day. She had a good time, though.
Get out and do those things you like while you are able to do them. Life is short and you have to live it while you have it.
Firearms; Col. Jeff Cooper's Rules 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. 4. Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.
Knives 1. Never cut toward yourself. 2. Always cut away from yourself. 3. Never cut yourself.
AND If you drop a knife or gun, let it fall!
Chainsaws
1. Always wear your safety gear when running your saw: hard hat, eye, face, hearing protection, cut resistant protection for your legs, heavy boots, gloves (depending on work conditions).
2. Safety devices on the saw must be in working order: front hand guard,chain brake, chain catcher, throttle lockout, and right hand guard.
3. Hold the saw on the ground or lock it between your knees for starting. No 'Drop Starts.' Set the chain brake before cranking.
4. The engine must idle reliably without turning the chain.
5. The chain must be sharpened properly, including properly set depth gauges.
6. The chain must be adjusted to remove slack and still run freely.
7. The operator must understand the forces on different parts of the bar as the saw runs: push, pull, kickback and attack.
8. Both hands must always be on the saw when the chain is running. The thumbs must be wrapped around the handles. Both feet should be firmly planted on the ground.
9. The operator must always know where the end of the bar is, and what it's doing.
10. Don't let the upper (kickback) corner of the bar contact anything when the chain is running unless the tip has been buried with the lower corner.
11. Let off of the throttle before pulling out of a pinch on the top part of the bar.
12. Make a plan for every tree you cut. Assess hazards, lean, escape routes, forward cuts, and back cuts. Evaluate the forward or backward lean, and the side lean of every tree you cut. Know your limits.
13. Clear your work area and your escape path of brush, vines, and other hazards that can trip you or catch your saw.
14. Escape from the bullseye when the tree tips. 90% of accidents happen within 12 feet of the stump. Go more than 15 feet, and stay out of the bullseye until things stop falling.
15. Keep spectators away more than twice the height of the tree in the direction it will fall.
16. Don't cut alone.
17. Keep your body and the swamper's out of the line of the bar in case of a kickback.
18. Set the brake when taking over two steps or when moving through tripping hazards. Keep your trigger finger off of the throttle when you are moving.
19. DO NOT operate a chainsaw from a ladder! Operating with your feet off the ground requires special training.
20. Do not cut above your shoulders.
21. Springpoles must be shaved on the inside of the apex between the ascending and descending sides. If the apex is higher than you shoulders, stand under the springpole and cut it low on the descending side. It will release upward, away from you.Leaning and heavily loaded poles that are too small to bore cut for a hinge should be shaved on the compressed side until they fold.
22. Do not cut a tree that is holding up a lodged tree. Do not work under a lodged tree. Think about a mouse trying to steal the cheese out of a trap.
23. Instruct your swampers and helpers to NEVER approach you from behind or the sides to within the reach of your saw when you are cutting. If you pull out of a cut with the chain running, or have a severe kickback, the swamper can be killed if he is coming up behind you!
24!! Quit When You Are Tired!
25!! Pause and review; reflect, when you are being pushed. You may be pushed into danger. Do not let pressure cause you to ignore safety rules!
Cutting dead and rotten trees is extremely risky, and your safety always comes down to basics and following the rules. Build a good hinge, even if there is just a thin shell to work with. Support the back side of the hinge with wedges if the tree is punky or hollow before you cut out the back. Don't fight side lean or back lean when cutting unsound trees. Release it quickly and get away from the stump. Tell your co-workers what your steps are before you crank your saw. You will live long.
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