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.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Sunday, August 25, 2019

On the way to Maine.

As Mark puts it.


Mark will soon be out of Washington. Soon be in Glacier Park. I think some of the most gorgeous views I have seen in my life are in Glacier Park.

Mark was hit by a logging truck. His bike needed extensive repairs. He needed to heal some bruises. Here are some pics of his bike. The first pic shows the damage to the rim on his rear tire.

Next shows the damage to his bags.


Here is his refurbished bike. Do you refurbish a bike?


Mark was so fortunate to escape the accident with just bruices. We are all so thankful.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Rosa has a trip to rehab.

In addition to Alzheimer Rosa is having severe pains in hips and back. The pain medicine for this problem interferes with the Alzheimer treatment. She is in rehab while the doctors try to solve the problem.


She is comfortable.


Yesterday she had nails clipped.


They were clipped by a special clipper! Her daughter Tina Rogers.


Monday, August 19, 2019

Mark and bike hit by logging truck!

Thank God Mark was not seriously hurt. Badly bruised. Bike needs new back wheel. Mark was a day or two on the way to Maine. Got hit in NW Washington. Bike and Mark will soon be well and on their way!







Thursday, August 15, 2019

Big excitement in my Genealogy Department!

Donna Sue my niece in Ventura sent me a family bible. Thank you so much Donna Sue! It is the Knowlton Family Bible. It was a 1870 Christmas present to my Mom's Grandfather. It is almost 150 years old. It its surely the oldest thing in my trailer. It has been well used. The three pictures below indicate some of the data that is contained in the Bible. I have to get the old photos in my tree. Also the data that I do not have.



My ordinary sized Bible is shown with the Knowlton Bible. It is 10 by 12 by 3 inches and weighs 9.4 pounds.


This photo may give a better impression of the size of the Bible.


Sunday, August 11, 2019

Mark reaches Canada. To head for Maine!

Hope the snow holds off.






 to



Thursday, August 8, 2019

Salt pork 4 1/2 cents per pound.

I remember a very poor time (during the great depression in the 1930s) in my life when salt pork was 4 1/2 cents per pound. I have coffee on Wednesdays after lunch at Cranford's Northside.  I noticed this item for sale.


It was salt pork for $8.99 per pound. That is an increase in price of 2000 per cent! That is in roughly 80 years.

My Dad and I were living in a room adjacent to an apartment where my oldest sister Nita and family (spouse and seven children) were living. Dad and I ate with Nita's family. The place was an old empty store just off the railroad tracks.

Nita fried the salt pork (no meat in it) and made salt pork gravy and lots of biscuits. The gravy and biscuits were our meals for three times a day. Sometimes we had potato soup. (thin with just potatoes and tomatoes)

This is the last place that my Dad and I lived together. This time ended sadly. My Dad had a bad stroke that left him paralyzed on one side for the last 17 years of his life and I went to George Junior Republic in Chino. A semi reform school for boys. (Really was and is a good place)

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Mark past Mt St Helens. Near Mt Rainer.

Moving along. Some recent Mark photos.

Upstream bridge into Washington.



2000 miles of the 2500.

Mt St Helens.


Sasquatch country!


Saturday, August 3, 2019

Down the Columbia River Gorge and into Washington.

Yeah! Mark has only one state between him and Canada. Mark has ran across another Quilt Barn Trail.



This friendly dog guarded Mark's bike while he was at lunch.



Thursday, August 1, 2019

94 years and one week old party.

My family gave me a wonderful party in honor of my 94th. It was a week after my birthday. I was in Wichita on my birthday. Had a sorta birthday party there. My94th has been well recognized.

Here is my grandson in law David Newberry cooking,


At my request I had a wonderful kraut dog.



Hostess was my granddaughter Joy Newberry. I rocked her as an infant.


Here are all the men at my party. Ross, David, Prunepicker, Ethan, Christian, and son in law John.


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