prune picker

This is the blog of a prune picker. (Native born Californian) Retired oilfield. I am an old man. I blog a lot about my body and getting old. As I approach death life gets more interesting. More interesting is not good. I still drive. I attend sports, music, and civic events. I am writing my memoirs. I attend swim class three times a week. Some of my blogs might be interesting. A lot of my blogs are silly and trivial. None are very long.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Last soccer game. We lost 1 to 0.

Here are some pictures from yesterday's soccer game between the Techsters and Hawaii. We lost in overtime on a penalty shot. I had a movie clip of the shot on a blog yesterday.

Other than the score it was beautiful day. I am sorry to see the soccer season end.






Sunday, October 30, 2011

Samuel Munson and Henry Lyman, Christian Martyrs in Indonesia.



In June of 1833 Samuel Munson and Henry Lyman and their wives set sail from Boston. Samuel was a distant cousin of mine. He was 29. Samuel and Henry were Christian Missionaries that were sent to Indonesia. These two young men had spent years in religious, medical, and language studies.

In Java Samuel’s wife Abbie gave birth to a son who was named Samuel of course. It is believed that the baby was the first American to be born in Java. Their son came home to have a military career in the West.

Sadly both Samuel and Henry were murdered in 1834 by natives on the island of Sumatra. Check this link to read more about the story,  http://northsumatratravel.net/north_tapanuli/death.htm


Penalty shot lost us the game.



The Techster soccer team played their last game of the year today against Hawaii. They were tied 0 to 0 at the end of the regular game and then went into overtime. Hawaii was given a penalty shot and made it. So sad.

Staying home, reading a book.

I am almost half way through the book, Education Of A Felon. I have grown to know Edward Bunker who wrote this memoir. I am reading his book because we were both involved with the McKinley Home for Boys in Van Nuys. We knew Van Nuys and the San Fernando Valley when it was still farmland, before it became the huge city that it now is. The land where McKinley sat is now covered with a huge shopping mall. I can remember wheat  fields across the street from the school. That was in 1932.

Bunker spent most of his life before his late thirties in prison. There is a lot about prison life in the book  In his day there were only three mens prisons in California. Now there are over thirty.

I have to get back to my book now.



Saturday, October 29, 2011

Looking at ankles today.

Between trimming my beard and treating my ankles I keep pretty busy. I had swollen itchy ankles today. During the day my ankles are always swollen. They are also itchy at times. If I scratch with my nails I can get a bloody mess. So I rub my ankles with alcohol soaked terry cloth. This really helps.


I noticed that the effect of the May-Thurner Syndrome is very pronounced. This vein condition results in your left ankle swelling more that your right ankle.


You can tell that I have a lot on my mind.....and that I will take a picture of anything.



Prune picker beard. Week 4.

I could not tolerate the mustache. It tickled my nose and got food stuck in it. So I shaved it off. I will try just chin whiskers.

Friday, October 28, 2011

JD Harper on dawn flag patrol.

At 5 this morning I was relaxing over coffee at a meeting of the Jefferson Corner Liars Club. Through the front window I saw JD Harper working on the flag out front. A pipe on the flag holder had broken and JD was replacing the holder.


Early or late JD is on the job. JD Harper is the Commander of the Ruston VFW Post. The Post furnishes flags for many Ruston businesses to display year round.




Thursday, October 27, 2011

Education of a Felon.

I am reading a book. The book is  Education of a Felon by Edward Bunker. It is the memoirs of a man who grew up in Southern California. He was from a dysfunctional family and did a lot of bumming around on his own. Like me he spent some time at the McKinley Home for Boys in Van Nuys. I was referred to the book by a blog reader who had read my blog about my stay at McKinley.


Many aspects of the book remind me of my youth. The geography is the geography that I grew up in. Bunker was a loner and bummed around as he pleased as I did. However, not like me he spent many years in prison. He spent many years in prison reading and learning to write. The last half of his life he was an author and sometime actor. He played Mr Blue in Reservoir Dogs.

It is strange that I am reading a book. I have so many irons in the fire. 1) writing for my blog, 2) studying the bylaws of the Council on Aging, 3) attend luncheons at the Senior Center, 4) attend meetings at the VFW. 5) working on genealogy, 6) trimming my beard, and 7) attending meetings of the Jefferson  Corner Liars Club. I hope to start writing my memoirs.

Edward Bunker.




Another milestone for the old prune picker.

Today is the 65th anniversary of the birth of my oldest child and daughter, Nancy Ann. I want to wish her a very happy birthday and the prayer that she will have many more.


I calculate that I was 21 years old when Jackie gave birth to Nancy. Jackie had a difficult delivery with Nancy. She was in labor off and on for five days. It was hard on me too. I remember saying that I had not had my shoes or socks off for five days. However, I think that Jackie would have traded places with me!

You can see in the picture that Nancy was a beautiful girl. I was so very proud of her. She is still beautiful and I am still very proud of her.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Feeding the fish and the cat.

This afternoon I fed the fish and the cat over at the Adam's new house. Pretty tough job but someone had to do it. John is in Baton Rouge on business. I wanted to come over here and test my iphone mobile hotspot anyhoo so I volunteered for the job.

 The fish enjoyed their food.





So did the kitty. He is about due for a name, unless Kerry has already named him.







Mobile Hotspot on an iphone.

I ordered the new iphone 4s with Mobile Hotspot service. I am very uncertain that I will be able to get Hughes Net at John and Kerry's new home. The trees only permit a view of the sky from the very top of the house. The router should send a signal to Kerry's computer but I do not know if the router will be able to send a signal to my trailer. My trailer will be very close to where the camera was located when the picture below was shot.

I sat yesterday about where my trailer will be and tested the phone Mobile Hotspot for several hours. It worked pretty good. With the phone hotspot I can surf anywhere there is a cell signal. This could be handy on trips. It will be good to say good by to Hughes Net. We will see how it goes.

That would be replacing a dish, a control box, and a router with a cell phone. There is a charge from AT & T for the mobile hotspot service.


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Pretty red tree.

I was walking this morning in Cook Park. This little red tree was in good light and looked so pretty. I do not know what kind of tree it is. Do you?










Parade Fans.

Looks like like the old prune picker is checking his phone as usual. I thought that this picture, taken by my grand son in law Justin Miller, of the people in the bed of his pickup was interesting. Except for Katie it was a candid shot.


My grand daughter Katie is holding my great grand daughter Johnny Lynn. She is the youngest of my nine great grand children.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Ethan Charles Newberry is 11. He is my oldest great grandson.

We celebrated Ethan's 11th birthday yesterday on Sunday. Here is Ethan with his line up of presents.


Here Ethan is tearing into his presents.


Every guy wants a picture of this man. (Sorry. I did not catch his name.)


Ethn's birthday cake came as two ones. Eleven, get it?



Happy Birthday Ethan.



8 am football game.

Old number 57, my seven year old great grandson Ross had an 8 am football game last Saturday.

The coach has a few words.


The players do their best!



Did you see 57 in the line? Here he is with his helmet off.


This guy was really watching the game. He might be a scout for the pros. Or he could be my two year old great grandson Christian admiring his big brother Ross.








Sunday, October 23, 2011

Nancy at her Mother's grave.


My oldest daughter, Nancy Ann Wright and her husband Bob are in Washington, DC today. They visited the grave of my wife, Jackie and my oldest son, Christopher. Needless to say, this picture is very special to me.

Navy Jazz Band.

The sailors in the Washington Parish Parade are the members of the New Orleans Navy Jazz Band. This is their third year in the parade. They play at the fairgrounds and are really good.





Crawfish Enchilada.

I have had crawfish and I have had enchiladas but never have had a crawfish enchilada before this last trip to the Washington Parish Fair.


Prejean's is a famous seafood restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana and they had a booth at the fair. I had a dish of their crawfish enchilada. It was delicious!




Saturday, October 22, 2011

Prune picker beard. Week 3.

Large dogtrot house.

The Washington Parish Fairgrounds has several old buildings on permanent display. Here are some of them starting with a large dogtrot.







These guys were jamming.





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