Musical bivouac in the California Hills.

I was watching Austin City Limits on my Roku last night. A Mexican band was playing Spanish music. As I listened my memory returned to a night during my Army basic training at Camp Coole. My company was bivoacing overnight in the soft rolling hills of central California. We were some where between Santa Maria and Lompoc.

My company was made up of draftees from Souther California. There were many Mexicans in the company. It was a nice evening. We were settling into our pup tents for a nights sleep. Nearby was a group of 5 or 6 Mexicans. They started to sing. They may have had a guitar, I am not sure. I have always remembered that evening! Beautiful country, beautiful music.They were good singers. I am partial to Spansh music. The evening is an outstanding memory of my time in the Army.

Jesse was one of the Mexicans singing. Jesse and I were on the tenth grade football team at Fremont Junior High in Pomona. He was a better player than me. A year later Jesse and I were in a platoon carrying explosives up Bloody Nose Ridge . That evening Jesse was shot and killed. He sang in the hills of California and he died in the hills of Peleliu Island.

Sunny is three weeks old.

 The newest member of our family in Franklinton Louisiana is a yellow lab puppy named Sunny. He lives in Kentwood. He will move to Franklinton when he is six weeks old. We went to visit him yesterday. It was exciting to see the new member of our family. John has the adoption paper but he really belongs to Johnny Lynn. She gave Sunny his name. Here are some pictures from our visit with Sunny.

JL and the Prunepicker say hello to Sunny.

A girl and puppy visit.

John visits with Sunny's mom. Sunny has 12 siblings.

Sunny's old and new families visit.

I think that Sunny and I will be good friends.

Why don't you speak for yourself, John?

Priscilla Mullins said these famous words to John Alden. John was proposing to her that she marry his friend Miles Standish. All three of them had been fellow passengers on the Mayflower. John and Miles had been room mates. Miles had been an English Army officer and was hired by the Pilgrims to be their military advisor for their settlement in America. He filled that position for the rest of his life.

Miles was a tough soldier and not too good with the words for proposing marriage. So he asked John to do the proposing to Priscilla for him. Which John agreed to do. But Priscilla had other ideas, hence the famous question. WHY DON'T YOU SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, JOHN?  She and John were later married and had ten children. I guess that Priscilla did have other ideas.

The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is one their descendants and wrote the historical poem "The Courtship of Miles Standish".He says all of the events in the poem actually happened. His poem was later made into a play.

Guess what? When I was in the Sixth Grade the school put on the play. I was chosen to play Miles Standish. My teacher said that I was chosen for the role because I was tall and stood straight like a soldier! After 80 years I remember her remark. I remember most compliments. I remember several events from the Sixth Grade. That year stands out in my memory. 

A barrel of peanut butter.

I can remember going to the food store (Torley's in Pomona, California) with my folks and they bought a wax paper bucket of peanut butter. They bought it at the butcher's counter. The butcher scooped the peanut butter out of a barrel and filled the paper bucket. Waxed paper buckets were used for various food items and were in common use. The bucket was square and had a wire handle. By the time we got home the peanut oil was seeping through the waxed paper bucket. You could see a line halfway up the bucket that marked the seeping oil. The peanut butter had to be transferred into a glass container.

I liked the peanut butter. Over the years I have learned to like it much more. I have eaten a barrel or two of peanut butter in my lifetime. 95 years. That is a lot of peanut butter! And jelly, jam, or honey.

The Education of a Mobility Scooter Driver.

What is a mobility scooter?

During the course of my bout with lung cancer I was unable to walk more than 10 feet with out resting. Any exertion laid me low. I needed a mobility scooter. My dear friend and buddy brought me a powered wheelchair. (mobility scooter) Richard and Cheryl Maxwell drove 8 hours to do that!

This is a first class powered wheel chair. It is powerful and agile. However it could not operate over much of my terrain. The yard is covered with loose gravel and sand. The chair would bog down and get stuck. It worked perfectly on a normal surface.

I purchased a bottom of the line mobility scooter.

I was disappointed. It was weak and also would not operate where I wanted to go. I felt like I was going to be tossed off at any time. So I recently purchased a stronger mobility scooter. 

It will carry a load of 500 pounds, has a top speed o 15 miles per hour, and travel 43 miles on a charge.

Fortunately radiation treatments shrunk my cancer. I got some wind back. I am now in much better condition. I can do a little more and walk much further. My need for a mobility scooter is much less. But I enjoy the stronger scooter and will be able to travel some of our neighborhood. Our area has good gravel roads connecting 5 acre fishing camps. It is a great place. Much nature and critter watching. I am a long time bird watcher.

The Wrocks of Dana Point, CA paid us a visit.

My oldest grandson and his family paid us a visit last week end. What a great time we had even  with masks and no hugging! Here are some pictures to commemorate the weekend. It was wonderful to spend quality time with Matt, Janelle, Winter, and Holly.

Matt swam the lake! Over to the other side and back.

The Wrocks enjoy the fire ring.

1953 trip to Yosemite.

Jackie and I and our two children (Nancy was 6 and Chris was 4) took a trip to Yosemite in 1953.  Nancy can still remember the napkin on the waiter's arm at the Ahwahnee Hotel dining room.

We ate at the best table in the room. (It was quiet at the time) Under the window at the other end. We had a perfect view of the Yosemite Falls. This spot was way over my pay scale. I  received the lunch due to some foul up over our reservation. 

That night was more like our speed. Our motel room was a tent with a wooden floor. A local young man of the Awahnechee Tribe was our bell hop.

We had our own wooden stove. We each had a cot.

This is the view you see when you first enter the valley. through the entrance tunnel. It is followed by some other views of the Yosemite Park.

The last photo is of the firefall. Everyone on the Valley floor would yell "let the fire fall!" Up on Glacier Point people would push the coals from a very large fire over the edge. Everyone would  cheer. It was quite a sight. They have stopped this practice due to global warming.

Rhonda and Michael Ray paid a visit.

Had company. Old friends from  Upsey Downsey Road in Farmerville came Saturday. Went home Sunday. We had a great visit in spite of the short time. I love Rhonda and Michael. Have known then for a long time. Rhonda had a Birthday on Saturday. She spent most of the day driving to visit Franklinton. I am so glad she did.

Saturday Rhonda, Michael, and I went to a local steak house. They both kept saying that they had the best steak of their lifetime. They know steak.

Sunday the three of us went to the Abita Springs Art Show and Farmers Market. It was a beautiful day. Hurricanes all gone. Not much got to us. Here is a pic of Rhonda and Michael under the entrance arch to the Farmer's Market.

We did not get to the Museum. Next time.

This a pic of the Last Chance Blue Grass Band. Spent a pleasant hour plus with them.

The Prunepickers are coming!

I am so excited. Some Prunepickers are coming to visit us. In my world a Prunepicker is a native born Californian. I think this group fits that description. I will treat them that way anyhow. My oldest grandson Matt Wrock, his wife Janelle, and their girls will be here November 6 for a three day visit.

Here is a pic of the Wrocks from eight years ago in 2012. The Wrocks visited Jackie and I in Chimacum. That is the World Famous Chimacum Cafe in the background.

Here is a pic from five years ago in 1990. You may recall that year was my 90th Birthday. My daughter Nancy Wright, husband Bob and her four children were spending a week on Orcas Island (San Juan Islands). I was so happy that they invited me. They even had a birthday cake!

Good looking Prunepickers don't you think?

I really looking forward to their visit. I am also looking forward to a visit next week end by Rhonda and Michael Ray. Oh Boy! it is so exciting living in Franklinton.

The State of Louisiana is too good to me!

 The State of Louisiana is too good to me. They recently replaced my old Drivers License with a brand new Identification Card. Here is a picture of my new card. Isn't it nice looking?

OK that is enough silliness from me. The true story is that when I went to correct my address on my Drivers License I flunked the eye exam. My Drivers License was taken and I was given the Identification Card. I have had a Drivers License for 80 years. It was a real traumatic experience to realize that I do not have one anymore. Look at that picture. Doesn't it look like the picture of a dead man? I felt like one or a prisoner. I spent a night agonizing and feeling so terrible. Driving and the freedom driving gives you has been a huge part of my world. The realization that freedom was over shook me up.

(Me to myself) Oh come on you big baby. Be thankful for how lucky you were to have had a drivers license for 80 years! Now straighten up and carry on.

My good friends, the Maxwells, brought me a powered wheel chair.

My good friends Richard and Cheryl Maxwell have loaned me their powered wheel chair. They had it for touring castles. I needed it for daily trips to my daughter's house. The trip involves going up a ramp. Castle touring is slow right now so the Maxwell's have loaned me the chair. They even delivered it to me! The delivery took an eight hour drive. From Ruston to Franklinton and back. I am so grateful to them. To be truthful I am more than a little proud of their kind act of friendship. We also had a great visit.

Heritage Manor of Franklinton. My 21 days.

I arrived at the Heritage Manor on Thursday August 13, 2020. I was in bad shape. Had a bad case of edema. Water was oozing out of my black swollen ankles. I was very weak.The week previous to my arrival at Prestige Manor it was discovered that my upper left lung lobe was full of cancer. I had several radiation treatments that restored my ability to breathe freely.

The care that I received from Heritage Manor over the next 21 days really got me into much better physical condition. Regular hours, good meals, and proper medicine really did a job. The edema went away. Ny strength and my endurance improved. Hooray for staff, nurse, aides, and the gym crew.

My morning meds. More in the evening and during the day.

Did I mention how clean the facilities are? The place was getting scrubbed, swiped, or painted all the time!

I would like to commend Kenneth Smith, Administrator, and his staff for a difficult job done well in a competent and professional manner. In good humor.  I highly recommend the Heritage Manorr of Franklinton.

My report on the death of my Lung Cancer was premature.

 I wrote my previous blog based on my interpretation of what had happened to my body. I was wrong.The Lung Cancer had shrunk, not died.  I sincerely apologize for the error. I wish that I had been right. I thought that I had better check with Dr Edward Mannina, Radiation Oncologist.  We did not kill the Lung Cancer, we shrank it to a size that allowed me to breathe. To kill the cancer would take 6 or 7 weeks radiation treatments, plus chemo therapy, plus maybe surgery. Dr Mannina assured me that the cure would be much harder on me than the alternative. He advised me that I had less than a year to live and to enjoy it as much as I can.

I am going home any day now and the VA is scheduled to furnish me hospice care. I am looking forward to many months of happy memories.

I am so very sorry for this mixup!

Birth and Death of my Lung Cancer

 May 19, 2020 I had a pain in my left chest. Turns out that the pain was the birth announcement of my lung cancer, altho at the time I thought that the pain was from a heart attack. Went to ER. After several sortes into the world of medical marvels the lung cancer was accidentally found. Here the lung cancer can be seen attached to the left wall if my left lung. It is the little  thing on the lung wall on the right and is just beginning to grow.

Poor little guy only lived for three or four months before we took him out with radiation. In that time he nearly took me out. He grew and nearly filled the entry to the upper lobe of my left lung. And the upper lobe of my left lung. That growth really hurt my breathing. I was really miserable.

On August 7, 2020 the first of five radiation treatments was done. Carefully aimed.

After the first treatment I immediately could breath better. And I have continued to improve. Today (August 27) after two weeks of rehab I will be going home next week. Almost back to normal.

It has been an interesting experience. I do not recommend it. I can almost name the period of most growth of the cancer. Every day for five weeks it got harder to breath. I was so breathless. Three ER visits and check in to hospital in the middle of the night. I can breathe good now but I run out of wind fast. Any extended exertion can lay me up resting for hours before I feel normal. 

A Breathless 95th Birthday.

Well tomorrow is the big day. July 20, 2020. I will be 95. Bread was a nickel and gasoline was eleven cents when I was born.

My big birthday party was held yesterday. Grand daughter Joy and two boys drove four hours. Grand daughter Katie and daughter stayed for the night. Katie's husband Justin drove the jet ski. We had a nice group of nine. I got all kinds of attention and love. I was made to feel important. Bless them all! I have attached some photos below to give you an idea of party day. It was a wonderful day.

My heartfelt thanks to all for the cards and the Facebook happy birthday wishes. I love you all. Thanks to my daughter Kerry and her husband John for planning and hosting my birthday party.

Just a word about my breathlessness. I can only take a dozen steps before I am winded and have to stop for a moment and catch my wind. I suspect one of my new meds (recently prescribed might be a cause) but I am sure that the tumor in my left lung is a cause. I had no idea that being breathless could be so uncomfortable.  Back to the drawing board.

I do not know these people!