Sledding at Tyler Park

We went sledding at Tyler Park yesterday. The girls LOVED it! Mary Lynn and I wonderered beforehand if Jill would go down the hill. Well, Erin would only go down the hill with Mark, but Daredevil Jill went down with Daddy and then by herself 3 times, giggling all the way down to the bottom! After about 10 total trips down the hill the sled broke apart, ending all the fun and causing the girls to be a little upset. But, back to Mimi and Grandpa's for Hot Chocolate and marshmallows and everything was OK.

A battle of wits in the Battleship game...I was unarmed

I played Jillian a game of 'Battleship'. I had my strategy all mapped out. She didn't stand a chance. My ships were placed where she would never be able to find them. I didn't know she had a pretty good strategy herself. Her plan was to put pegs across the top of the board, and the first one with them all the way across the top wins. She caught me napping. The cry of "I win" caught me by surprise. I should have known I could never beat this shrewd game player at any game that involves skill.

Did you feel much safer 45 years ago?

Well, 45 years ago today I joined the Navy. Yep, the U. S. Navy. I left Louisville and Landed in Chicago and it was 19 below zero, snowing, and I was wearing my Flaget High School Letter jacket. I spent 3 months in Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center and didn't see any ground free of snow until about 2 weeks before I left there. From there I went to Naval Training Center, Millington, TN, near Memphis. After 4 months there, on to Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA., near Fresno, CA. I spent 2 years there, in a Jet Fighter Training Squadron. While there I got to know many Navy Pilots as they came thru there for training. Thus, I knew many who were killed, or taken prisoner when shot down over North Vietnam. Also, the last six months there I married my sweetheart backhome, Mary Lynn. We lived in Fresno for six months before I left for Vietnam. My last year in the Navy was spent in Vietnam, where I arrived 3 months before the 1968 Tet Offensive, which changed the course of the War forever. That was an exciting time. While in a War Zone, you try not to think about it much, but always in the back of your mind is the fact that you may never see your family and friends again. During the Tet Offensive, it seemed to be on your mind a little more than normal. But, I made it home. If you've never been through that, you don't know the feeling you get when that plane touches down back in the good ol' USA! When the wheels of the plane touched down there was an unrehearsed, simultaneous cheer that went up from all aboard. What a feeling! We made it back alive! After a couple of days processing in Memphis, the closest base to my hometown, I was out of the Navy and a civilian again. Only 3 years and 9 months later from my joining up date. What did I do when I got home? Well, Mark was born 9 months later.

Back to the Fields with the Metal Detector

I metal detected today at Chance School Field with Mark and Brian. I was a little disappointed in the findings. Mark found a set of car keys and 1 penny. Brian found 30 some odd cents. I found what is pictured. The only 'old' coin found was the 1930 penny pictured at the bottom. I felt sure we'd find a silver coin or two. The wheel in the center has me baffled as to what it is. It feels like it's made of lead. Anybody have an idea?

Tyler Park Changes in the Works

Many changes are being planned for Tyler Park. I know many of my faithful readers will be interested in this if they don't already know. The plans have been approved and funding provided for the changes. They will have a public meeting to formally present the Master Plan.
The basketball court will be taken out and a half court for basketball will be put where the volleyball court is now. The Tennis Courts on the NW side of the park will be removed and the playground and Sprayground moved there from the west side of the park. A new entrance will be added from the corner of Castlewood and Baxter to enter the West side of the Park. As I understand it, the steps under the bridge will be removed and a made in to a gradual slope down to the west side of the park. This I don't understand. It would seem to me that just framing off and pouring a concrete ramp on either end of the steps would be better. But, you may not believe this, not once during the planning did they call me and ask my opinion. Otherwise, I think what they are doing will improve the Park.

It was cold, but we played!

We played Iroquois GC today. we teed off on the back nine first and I shot a 45 - 43 = 88. The back nine was much better than the front nine. It was cold! It was 32 degrees when we teed off at 10:30 and it got up to 35 degrees by the time we finished. The cloud cover kept the temperature down. Luckily there was no wind to speak of. Some areas were still quiet frozen but other areas were very muddy. Sometimes your drives would get a little roll and other times it would 'plug'! Sometimes on your shot to the green your ball would bounce off and sometimes it would sit down. You never knew what to expect. The only constant was that it was COLD! Oh well, round 1 for year 2010 is under my belt. We're supposed to play again tomorrow at Shawnee GC and again Thursday at Iroquois. We'll see if I make it.

DISASTER STRIKES METAL DETECTING EXPEDITION!

While metal detecting at Cherokee Park on 'Dog Hill', a sudden and disastrous event occured. Metal detecting, backing down the hill, when all of a sudden my feet slipped in the mud and I fell forward on my detector and broke the upper stem in half. This immediately put me out of action. It would have been less disastrous if I'd broken my arm instead. But for those of you who would care, I was completely un-injured.
I called KellyCo to get a replacement part and they referred me to Garrett, as they have few replacement parts. I'm having the new part shipped to me and should have it soon. It cost about $11. I was just getting ready to quit detecting when I fell. The ground was still frozen about 1/2" down and frozen to a depth of at least 3". And frozen dirt is VERY hard to dig. I was planning on going metal detecting with Mark tomorrow, but we've called it off. I think it needs about a week of 50 degree weather and sunshine to thaw the ground enough to detect. I guess I jumped the gun a little bit. As you can tell by looking at the picture I can use this DOWN time to clean my detector a little.

What is going on here?

What is going on in this world. Pigs have been flying, reports of Hell freezing over, and Bob is getting a cell phone.......

BLIZZARD HITS GODDARD AVENUE!

The first major snow storm of the year has hit Goddard Avenue. The 'Official' total from this weather station is 2 and 5/8 inches! (As shown on our new Scientific weather measuring device pictured) .The snow started falling around 6:00 this morning and increased in intensity as the morning wore on. Those of us in the weather game were busy taking reports from our on-the-spot reporters from around town making sure you knew when the first snowflake fell on each street in the metro area. We made sure you had up-to-the-minute reports on how traffic was moving on all major thoroughfares throughout the Falls Cities. We showed you snow falling in Floyds Knobs, Shively, I-64 at Mellwood and many other locations to numerous to mention. I know it all looked the same, but we showed you anyway. If a snowflake fell, we were there! This has been Buck Holmstead reporting.

January is the worst month of the year!

My apologies to all those who have Birthdays in January, but it is the worst month of the year. After the Christmas Holidays you go back to work with a 5 month wait before the next Holiday. It's always frigid cold. Nobody wants to be outside. You run from the car into work to get out of the cold, run from work to the car, from the car into the house. Everything you have to do outside you do as fast as you can to get back inside to the warmth. If it snows, it stays around for weeks, roads all black, dirty, causing the cars to be the same way. You can't spray your car off because it's too cold! If you have a weak battery in your car, January is when you find it out! Heating bills are high. Your skin gets dry. You start getting cabin fever. I usually feel bad the whole month. Either with a cold or some type of flu symptoms. January. You can keep it!

Whew....I'm better now

I feel better today. I sure was sick yesterday. I guess it was some kind of 24 hour bug, but I was down for the count. Mary Lynn played nurse all day, making sure I had what I needed. All I did all day was lay in bed. I still feel a little tired and queasy, but another day of rest and relaxation and I'll be as good as new.
It was the last day of our fantasy football league and I never watched a minute of football all day. I lost my game and I'm sure if I could've watched and cheered for my players I would have won. I feel cheated. Oh well....I'm reading my book and will be ready for next year.