@A PersonOfInterest:Late summer, 1961. I was in Placer County, camped where the No. Fork of the American River and the No. Fork came together. Heard on the radio there was a fire over in El Dorado County. (this is in the Mother Lode country in CA)Having a good deal of experience at fighting wild fires. I left and thumbed a ride over to where the fire was , above the So. Fork of the American.Day one, they assigned me to lay out a route.for a bulldozer, which followed about fifty yards be hind me. We were working our way up a shallow canyon, when the wind changed and the fire came up the canyon behind us, fast. We had time to make a one and a half passes, then parked in the middle of where he had scraped. I think what saved us was the erratic winds that swirled and kept giving us some fresh air. Fortunately, there was no large trees or heavy brush where we were. The only way out was the way we came in, and there was a large unburnt area that we hadto go through, and we didn’t want to risk it. After a while that burned and we waited for it to cool off before we drove out on the dozer. All i had was some minor blister on my wrists, between the shirt sleeve and gloves when I tried to star a back fire, and the real one got there aat the same time. Day two, we were at the top of a very steep slope. I told the dozer guy to sit still while I tried to see if there was a way down for the bulldozer. The slope just got steeper and ithere was no chance for the dozer to work.I was standing there when the fire blew up suddenly right below me, and there was no way I could get up the slope before the fire got to me, but I tried. All on a sudden I got splashed with pink slurry fire retardant. When I looked up, I saw one of the torpedo planes above. I never did wash the slurry off my hard hat. Lots of scary, but no real damage done.
@SLIM, by your writing it looks like you are OK now (I hope).
Good morning, Vagabonds. Here it is 3 AM and I have just finished reading and cataloging the genealogilical journals that accumulated in my NY home. The floor is still a mess with papers that I intent to put in recycling and I want to clean my bathroom where the kitty litter is, even though it’s basically clean – I don’t know which of my 2 bathrooms my blind friend will want to use. On top of it, my cat just let out a hairball (I disposed of it instantly, I wish she could do her hairballs in the kitty litter box the way she does her other stuff – she’s good about that). I still have a few letters to the edit to read.
I must meet my friend at 33 St and 7th Av at 1:45 PM today. He wants to eat a NY pizza, eat at an Afghan restaurant with his grandmother and me as well as Azerbaijan food at Baku Palace all the way out at the end of Brooklyn with his grandmother, who he hasn’t seen in years, and me. I hope I’ll be up to all that walking/escorting (his grandmother, who I haven’t seen in 10 years, speaks no English and I’m the only one who knows the way around NY).
Morning, Village.Wow! Two great stories today, one from Slim and one from Arye. Thank you to both of you, it’s very interesting reading. Okay, here’s mine.
In 1999 we took in a German foreign exchange student. We have become very close friends with her and her family over the years and have been to Germany twice to visit them. She and several members of her family have come here several time as well to visit us. She has since, of course, graduated from High School, but has also graduated from college and Med School and is now a doctor in Hamburg. Last Summer we went to Germany and I participated in her wedding. Her husband is also a doctor. Then, after the wedding, they invited us to go with them on a part of their honeymoon. She is right now, today, in the hospital giving birth to their first child. A C Section was necessary because the baby’s head is too big due to some complication. I’m praying that they are all right and hope to hear from them soon
Good morning Vagabonds..Keep the stories coming, they help us know you better..I don’t have a lot of stories about myself, but I know a lot of the histery of my aria..One of my favorite places is the Old Stone House in Brownington, VT.It was the dormitory for Brownington Academy, and is now the Orleans Co. Historical Society Museum with a room for each of the 14 Orleans county towns.See avitar..Not so much a story as a travel log. :-).ttfn
Slim, you have led a very exciting life. I love the tales you share. Arye, take care of yourself, my friend. Don’t let your sense of obligation and love of your friends put you into a bad place physically.
Nice spring weather today. The winds have died down and the temp should be in the mid to high 70’s.
Not much in the way of tales to tell from here. I have read a lot of local history, but Vegas has only really been here as a city for about 100 years, so there’s not much to tell unless you want tales of the mob. One of the things that impressed me about the mob here in the Las Vegas Valley is that they kept the violence out of town. They knew that a reputation for violence would keep away the tourists, so they didn’t kill or beat up each other here. They waited until the guys they were mad at went elsewhere. That’s why Bugsy Siegel was killed in Hollywood at his girlfriend’s house. He stayed here in the Valley for a long time knowing that his name was on the hit list because of his royal botching of the Flamingo construction, and then took a chance and went to LA to visit her. It was his last mistake.
@davidf42: That’s the way that you are supposed to install baseboards, chair rails and crown moulding by coping the ends. If you cut a 45 angle on each piece and your corner is not a perfect 90 angle, you will have a gap. This doesn’t matter if you are painting the wood, you can fill the gap with caulk, but, if it is natural wood you can’t do that. Also, if the wood should shrink, the 45 joints will show more than if they were coped.
shirttailslim almost 11 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds
shirttailslim almost 11 years ago
@A PersonOfInterest:Late summer, 1961. I was in Placer County, camped where the No. Fork of the American River and the No. Fork came together. Heard on the radio there was a fire over in El Dorado County. (this is in the Mother Lode country in CA)Having a good deal of experience at fighting wild fires. I left and thumbed a ride over to where the fire was , above the So. Fork of the American.Day one, they assigned me to lay out a route.for a bulldozer, which followed about fifty yards be hind me. We were working our way up a shallow canyon, when the wind changed and the fire came up the canyon behind us, fast. We had time to make a one and a half passes, then parked in the middle of where he had scraped. I think what saved us was the erratic winds that swirled and kept giving us some fresh air. Fortunately, there was no large trees or heavy brush where we were. The only way out was the way we came in, and there was a large unburnt area that we hadto go through, and we didn’t want to risk it. After a while that burned and we waited for it to cool off before we drove out on the dozer. All i had was some minor blister on my wrists, between the shirt sleeve and gloves when I tried to star a back fire, and the real one got there aat the same time. Day two, we were at the top of a very steep slope. I told the dozer guy to sit still while I tried to see if there was a way down for the bulldozer. The slope just got steeper and ithere was no chance for the dozer to work.I was standing there when the fire blew up suddenly right below me, and there was no way I could get up the slope before the fire got to me, but I tried. All on a sudden I got splashed with pink slurry fire retardant. When I looked up, I saw one of the torpedo planes above. I never did wash the slurry off my hard hat. Lots of scary, but no real damage done.
arye uygur almost 11 years ago
@SLIM, by your writing it looks like you are OK now (I hope).
Good morning, Vagabonds. Here it is 3 AM and I have just finished reading and cataloging the genealogilical journals that accumulated in my NY home. The floor is still a mess with papers that I intent to put in recycling and I want to clean my bathroom where the kitty litter is, even though it’s basically clean – I don’t know which of my 2 bathrooms my blind friend will want to use. On top of it, my cat just let out a hairball (I disposed of it instantly, I wish she could do her hairballs in the kitty litter box the way she does her other stuff – she’s good about that). I still have a few letters to the edit to read.
I must meet my friend at 33 St and 7th Av at 1:45 PM today. He wants to eat a NY pizza, eat at an Afghan restaurant with his grandmother and me as well as Azerbaijan food at Baku Palace all the way out at the end of Brooklyn with his grandmother, who he hasn’t seen in years, and me. I hope I’ll be up to all that walking/escorting (his grandmother, who I haven’t seen in 10 years, speaks no English and I’m the only one who knows the way around NY).
davidf42 almost 11 years ago
Morning, Village.Wow! Two great stories today, one from Slim and one from Arye. Thank you to both of you, it’s very interesting reading. Okay, here’s mine.
In 1999 we took in a German foreign exchange student. We have become very close friends with her and her family over the years and have been to Germany twice to visit them. She and several members of her family have come here several time as well to visit us. She has since, of course, graduated from High School, but has also graduated from college and Med School and is now a doctor in Hamburg. Last Summer we went to Germany and I participated in her wedding. Her husband is also a doctor. Then, after the wedding, they invited us to go with them on a part of their honeymoon. She is right now, today, in the hospital giving birth to their first child. A C Section was necessary because the baby’s head is too big due to some complication. I’m praying that they are all right and hope to hear from them soon
Dkram almost 11 years ago
Good morning Vagabonds..Keep the stories coming, they help us know you better..I don’t have a lot of stories about myself, but I know a lot of the histery of my aria..One of my favorite places is the Old Stone House in Brownington, VT.It was the dormitory for Brownington Academy, and is now the Orleans Co. Historical Society Museum with a room for each of the 14 Orleans county towns.See avitar..Not so much a story as a travel log. :-).ttfn
davidf42 almost 11 years ago
We just got a text from Germany! Baby Girl born this morning – 4,020 grams – 54 cm. – Mother and baby doing fine!
davidf42 almost 11 years ago
That’s 8.86 pounds and 21 inches.
JanLC almost 11 years ago
Good morning, Vagabonds.
Wow, lots of good stories and good news today.
Slim, you have led a very exciting life. I love the tales you share. Arye, take care of yourself, my friend. Don’t let your sense of obligation and love of your friends put you into a bad place physically.
Nice spring weather today. The winds have died down and the temp should be in the mid to high 70’s.
Not much in the way of tales to tell from here. I have read a lot of local history, but Vegas has only really been here as a city for about 100 years, so there’s not much to tell unless you want tales of the mob. One of the things that impressed me about the mob here in the Las Vegas Valley is that they kept the violence out of town. They knew that a reputation for violence would keep away the tourists, so they didn’t kill or beat up each other here. They waited until the guys they were mad at went elsewhere. That’s why Bugsy Siegel was killed in Hollywood at his girlfriend’s house. He stayed here in the Valley for a long time knowing that his name was on the hit list because of his royal botching of the Flamingo construction, and then took a chance and went to LA to visit her. It was his last mistake.
arye uygur almost 11 years ago
My bedroom and its adjoining bathroom is cleaned. I have much fewer letters to the editor to read – I will enjoy reading them a little ata time.
SWEETBILL almost 11 years ago
GOOD AFTERNOON YA’LL
Great stories , Thank you all………………….
ME- simple man,simple life….
woodworker318 almost 11 years ago
@davidf42: That’s the way that you are supposed to install baseboards, chair rails and crown moulding by coping the ends. If you cut a 45 angle on each piece and your corner is not a perfect 90 angle, you will have a gap. This doesn’t matter if you are painting the wood, you can fill the gap with caulk, but, if it is natural wood you can’t do that. Also, if the wood should shrink, the 45 joints will show more than if they were coped.
JanLC almost 11 years ago
I found this terrific little book “When the Mob Ran Las Vegas”. It is my source for the above story and a very interesting read.