Swimming Pools Used to Have Diving Boards?

A baby’s car seat was Mom or Dad’s lap?

It was OK to Ride in the Back of a Pickup Truck or on the Tailgate?

You could buy a house for less than it cost to buy a car today? 

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU ARE GOING TO MEET!!

A month or so ago, my friend Gene Carly and I were in Washington, DC for some meetings with our Congressional delegation. Gene has been my travelling buddy for a couple of years now and we were in Union Station. Gene started talking to me about how I was always meeting famous people and we started talking about all of the famous people I have met over the years. No sooner had we started listing the people when Gene tapped me on the arm and said, “Look!” There in living color was….. SEE THE PICTURE!

 That’s right – The next president of the United States – Senator John McCain! He was very nice and cordial and gracious. What can I say? Just in the right place at the right time.

Some time ago I promised that I would share some photos of my adventure in Virginia’s Shenendoah Valley. Instead of taking the new highway, my friend and I took Highway 11, the old Valley Turnpike which was the main road for well over 200 years. Sections of the old pike are still visible and it is pretty cool to stand on those sections and imagine who traversed those roads or what happened there. Now for some photos:

The McLean house in Appomatox, VA. In the parlor of this house, Robert E. Lee surrended to US Grant, a bad choice in retrospect!

The Valley Turnpike (original) where such luminaries as George Washington, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, et. al. used.

Me sitting by the grave of a Confederate soldier killed during the battle of Cedar Creek. He was severely wounded and his brother brought him to the Stickley House (next photo) and asked the Stickleys if his brother could die on their porch. The brother died and he was buried close to the house at the site in this picture. The brother promised to come back and dig up his brother and bring him home for burial, but he never did. Perhaps 35 years later, one of the Stickley sisters was at a Confederate soldiers reunion in Richmond and ran into a man who told her a story about his brother dying at Cedar Creek and how he was never able to come back for him. You guessed it…all those  years later, the man came back to the Valley and put a marker on his brother’s grave and all because he and Miss Stickley (she never married) met all those years later!!

The Stickley  house in Stasburg, Va. It was built in the 1840′s and served as a hospital during the battle of Cedar Creek. A family of free blacks lived in the upper floor and it was spared from burning by a benevolent Union officer. Itsn’t it lovely?

What is the story with this door you ask? Well, look at the next photo. This is a beautiful old home on the main drag in New Market, VA which is a colonial town. An interesting story indeed.

All of you know that Rhonda is the love of my life and my one and only. That is until June 23, 2007!!! I must admit, I now  have another lady that has wrangled her way into my heart and my affections. Her name is “Sentimental Journey.” You guessed it…She is a B-17 bomber sometimes called the “Flying Fortress.” It has been a lifelong dream of mine to ride in one of those bad girls and finally I took the plunge. It was an absolutely amazing experience.

First, a little background:

This plane is immense! For those who don’t know, it was the workhorse bomber in World War 2. The model I rode in, the B-17 G, was the most produced model with over 8,600 built. A total of 12,731 Fortresses were built and roughly half were destroyed in combat or operational accidents. Over 48,000 airmen lost their lives in B-17 bombers. Today, about 50 are in existence worldwide and of that, roughly only a dozen are in flying condition. Now you can understand my love affair with this beautiful lady.

The weather was spectacular the Saturday morning that I flew in her. There were six of us. As we sat on the runway, the pilot started each of the four engines separately and it was sheer joy to see them come to life and spit, sputter and fire up. With the six of us plus the flight crew, there was 10 total which is exactly the number of crewmen when she flew missions in WW 2. Once each engine was humming, we taxied down the runway and the pilot throttled her up to maximum RPMs. The noise was deafening, the plane was shaking and our hearts were pounding. We started our takeoff run and before we knew it, we were off the ground and sailing into the wild blue yonder. I literally cannot justly describe in words how I (and my fellow adventurers) felt as we lifted off the ground. There was a lump in my throat as I tried so hard to imagine how those 18, 19 and early 20 year olds must have felt as they took off to drop their 16) 500 pound bombs over enemy territory.

During take-off, I started in the “waist” of the plane, about three quarters of the way back. There are 2) 50- caliber machine guns where the “waist gunners” were during the flight. I next rotated up about mid-way where the navigator and flight engineer sat. Finally, the biggest thrill…my last rotation was into the nose of the plane where I was able to sit in the bombadier’s seat through the last part of the flight all the way through landing the plane. Man, unbelievable. 

We were only a couple of thousand feet up, but during the bombing runs, these planes flew about 30,000 feet high. It was usually between 30 and 50 below zero. The crew had to wear very rudimentary (and poorly engineered) heated suits to keep from freezing to death. Our flight leader told us two things usually happened. Most often, the suits would not work and the men would get frostbite on their noses, ears and exposed body parts. When they did work, they got so hot inside, they would sweat inside the suit and get steam burns. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. If and when they were wounded, it was tough for them to survive with it being so cold.

The bombing missions would last anywhere from 5-6 hours all the way to 10-12 hours. One veteran I spoke with said it was either sheer terror when the enemy aircraft attacked their B-17 and the flak guns were beating them up or it was sheer boredom if no one was shooting at them. Finally, the plane is unbelievably cramped inside and is definitely not made for the comfort of the men. When I finished the approximately one hour experience, I was physically spent-sweating, tense and my ears were ringing and my head pounding…It was amazing!! Suffice it say, my appreciation for the brave men who defied the odds and lived and those who lost their lives increased immensely that day. Early in the war, the airmen had to fly 25 missions in order to go home and as the war progressed, that number grew to 30, then 35 and then up to 40.

Now the moral to the story: Do any of you have a dream or a desire to do something that you have put off and postponed because you don’t have time, you don’t have money, you think its silly? This experience cost me $425 and I’m telling you, I don’t regret one penny of it. I promise you, if you don’t take the time, spend the money or do what your heart tells you, your opportunities will slip by. Please, please, please live your dream now!! Whether it is sky diving, scuba diving, going to Europe, whatever, JUST DO IT. It will change your life and you will have a very, very contented place in your heart. I recommend a B-17 bomber ride to everyone!

Please write or call me and let me know what dream(s) you have fulfilled or soon will fulfill!

Shadow of “Sentimental Journey” – Photo I took from the nose of the plane.

Norden Bomb Sight Used by the Bombadier to Pinpoint Bomb Targets

Finally, Rhonda, Amy, Oaklee (grand daughter) and I just returned from Sun Valley, Idaho last week. While there, we attended an Ice Show which featured former Olympic star, Nancy Kerrigan. I’m happy to say her knee has healed nicely, but she still doesn’t like lead pipes or any other blunt, bludgeoning objects. My point…we had the chance to meet her and to take a photo with her as proof that I’m not making up this story. Here she is:

Don’t forget…in my case, the camera adds 30 pounds!

Hope you enjoy this installment of my blog. I love hearing from you and hope to hear about exciting things going on in your lives. Until next time, God Bless and thanks for being my friends.

You Meet The Nicest People

About a month ago, Rhonda and I were in Monterey, California. On a Wednesday afternoon, we decided to take the “17 Mile Drive” out in Carmel. Of course there is Pebble Beach and SpyGlass golf courses, but there is also breathtaking scenery. I suggested we stop and take a photo with the rocks and the ocean behind us, so I told Rhonda to lean against the rail. A man and his wife (the only other people in the area) came up and asked if they could take our picture together. We said “Sure!” and proceeded to pose for the photo.

One thing lead to another and we were soon engaged in some major chitchat. The couple indicated that they were “local” and owned a home in Carmel. I commented that real estate in Carmel was very pricey and the wife responded, ”We bought our house in Carmel 10 years ago for $2.2 million!” I asked what the home would be worth today and he responded that he had been offered $12 million for it, but he wouldn’t consider selling it for under $15 million. Now my curiousity was getting the best of me.

I asked him, “I don’t want to be too nosy, but what is it you do that would allow you to buy a $2.2 million home 10 years ago? He responded, “Oh, I’m an artist. We own a series of galleries around the country.” My dear, sweet wife said, “Oh, you mean like Thomas Kinkade?” He got a wry smile on his face and said, “I am Thomas Kindade!!” My Rhonda flippantly said, “Yeah, right.” It took him a moment to convince us, but it was him.

That’s right!! We were face to face with Thomas Kinkade, the famous “painter of light.” He and his wife were so nice and we visited for about 30 minutes. He shared his faith in God with us, told us how they met and how he derived his inspiration for his paintings. He even pulled out a small sketch pad and showed us some of his latest ideas. They gave us some ideas for good restaurants and wished us well. We even got an autograph from Thomas!!

My point is this…You never know who you are going to meet and when or where you are going to meet them! I truly believe that I  have friends all over the world that I simply haven’t met yet. There are scores of people that we haven’t met yet who are waiting for us to introduce ourselves. They enrich our lives and we enrich their lives. Friends (existing and yet to be met) are a wonderful gift from God.

This is one of my favorite Civil War era pictures. I took it when my brother and I toured the city and the battlefield at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Construction of the Old Vicksburg Courthouse began in 1858. Skilled slave artisans were used. It was completed in 1860, just before the Civil War began. On its grounds, Jefferson Davis launched his political career. Zachary Taylor, US Grant, William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt all spoke here. Union troops raised the Union Flag in the cupola when Vicksburg surrendered to Union troops on July 4, 1863 (Crap…damn Yankees!) The building is prominently displayed in most Civil War photos of Vicksburg.

This place  has special meaning for me since I had one relative killed at Vickburg and one who lost an eye to measles during the siege. My people fought for good old Mississippi and died for the cause.  Anyway, I just think it is a gorgeous old building and wanted to share. I took this photo right at sunset. Not bad huh?

A few other old antebellum homes in Louisiana for you all to enjoy.

Highland is the oldest house in West Feliciana Parish still lived in by descendants of its builders. The home was built in 1808 by slave labor. By 1850, Highland boasted 4,350 acres worked by 288 slaves. The plantation included a race track, large sugar house and a dance hall and hospital for slaves. The large live oaks in the photo were planted in 1830!

This is the Greenwood plantation. It was built in 1830 and was a 12,000 acre sugar plantation. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War. In 1960, the home was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The rebuilt home (meticulosly reconstructed to the original specifications) has been used in quite a few movies including “North and South”, a TV mini-series.

Butler-Greenwood Plantation. Constructed in 1780, by 1860, it was a 1,400 acre plantation worked by 96 slaves living in 18 dwellings. It is gorgeous.

While I don’t support slavery, I am proud of my Southern heritage. I hope you enjoy the beautiful images.

Finally,

This has nothing to do with my theme of this particular blog. I just wanted to show Rhonda and I in the ocean at Cancun so you all would be jealous!!

I love you all and will be looking for good material for my next installment. Hope to hear from you all on how you liked this particular installment.

I just returned from Kansas City on a consulting trip. Had a blast. Today is Memorial Day and I just wanted to share my feelings about our men and women who have served or are serving our country. They are the true heroes in our world. Ball players, musicians, etc. are certainly accomplished, but heroes???? I think not.

In Kansas City, I met a man named Pete Hall. Pete never told me, but during his stint in Viet Nam, he earned a Bronze Star, two Silver Stars and four (that’s right, count them!!) Purple Hearts. I asked him what motivated him to continue to go into harms way over and over again and he simply said “Duty.” Now that is a hero. He was kind enough (after much persuasion) to let me see one of the Silver Stars and one Purple Heart. What was interesting was he wasn’t even sure he could find them. Apparently they were in a bread box somewhere down in his basement. I suppose the truly great ones are the modest ones. Anyway, I felt a great affinity and affection for Pete. He literally had to teach himself to walk again after the doctors in Viet Nam told him he would never walk. He has now been added to my short (but growing) list of heroes. Thought it would be fun to post some pictures of the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart medals.

My thoughts also turn to those who have gone before us to provide the opportunities for  us to prosper and live the wonderful lives that we live today. I am attaching some photos of my great-grandpa and grand-grandma. Great grandpa came from Italy in the early 1900′s to escape a life of poverty and futility. A self-made man, he married my great-grandma when she was 15 years old. They settled in Bunkie, Louisiana and had three sons-Sam, Russel and Angelo who is my grandpa. One of the photos shows the three boys. The littlest one is my grandpa. Great grandpa Carmelo died when I was about 14 years old, so I remember him well. He was only 5’1″ tall and had a very, very thick Italian accent. I pay tribute to him and millions like him who blazed the trail for  us today. 

 Well, that is all for now. More to come. Thanks