Recent Comments

1. 11 days ago on For Better or For Worse

   Any thought I ever had of riding a motorized bike ended when someone showed me the scars on his belly caused by losing control and going through a barb-wire fence! He survived mainly because it was old and rusty – plans were to replace it with new barb-wire the next week! And when in the Army, one man got out early, after going around a corner, and caught foot between foot-rest and curb! (Hard to march left – left – left——)But cars can be dangerous too- near me was a one lane bridge over a canal. It was night, one driver blinded by the light of the other and not familiar to the road hit the banister, with part of it impaling his wife.

2. 27 days ago on For Better or For Worse

   In 1967 my new wife and I went to Canada. One of the big engineering projects of the century was the Welland Canal. Stopped at a local shop and asked if we were close to the Welland Canal. Got a blank look. About a mile down the road, there it was. (Also went on to Niagara Falls and Expo 67.) Illinois has over 100 counties – glad we didn’t have to know all them and county seats! Note: World history was not taught in our high schools. After a course in world history in college, US history made more sense.

3. about 1 month ago on For Better or For Worse

   How old? My mother was 40 when I was born, and my youngest son when my wife was 40 years old. She was up and looking in the nursery, when a couple teeny boppers came by, and one said “I heard some old woman 40 years old had a baby!” “Oh, tell me about it!”

4. about 1 month ago on For Better or For Worse

   Actually, they were quite at ease with horses, the farming in those days was with horses, and they appeared quite often at county fair events. They and the shetland ponies were local entertainers. (I was happy to see tractors taking over – they don’t kick or bite!)

5. about 1 month ago on For Better or For Worse

   My twin sisters were born in 1927 at home. Weighed in apx 3 lbs each and not expected to live till morning. (One died in 2016, other in 2019) Always joked about having been delivered by a vet! (1920s, Western Illinois, whether the mare was having a colt, or wife having a baby, you called for the same man!) I came along 11 years later.

6. 2 months ago on For Better or For Worse

   I’m sure the tree will appreciate that!

7. 2 months ago on Ripley's Believe It or Not

   The lightning rod / umbrella was in honor of Ben Franklin’s lightning rod, but it took time to realize, as mentioned above, that it was more likely to attract lightning than protect you from it. Lightning rods on buildings have a large braided copper cable to ground, NOT a dragging chain!

8. 2 months ago on For Better or For Worse

   “More” can get to you at eol. Wife is in nursing home, and I and son are trying to clear out the house to sell. I should have been more aware several years ago what was going on. Turns out wife is a hoarder, and a large chunk of retirement income has gone to QVC and Hoarders Served Nicely, leaving us with crates of purses etc to send to Goodwill. Plus about 100 VHS tapes (when they were the latest and greatest). And not recyclable – more tonnage for the landfill.

9. 3 months ago on Ripley's Believe It or Not

   My method for taking selfies was, with an Argus C-3, on a tripod, prop a slide-rule over the trigger, and under the light-meter, and pull the slider out to just where the weight wasn’t quite enough to trip, get in front and wait. Sometimes got a pix running into place, and some times waiting a long time. Kodachromes from 1964 still good.

10. 3 months ago on For Better or For Worse

    At least you know the little one is alive – and when the TV announcement “Do you know where your children are” comes on, yes you know!