Halloween "Trick or Treat" 1960/Indian Summer

The cold mornings continue, but it appears that warm weather is on the way...at least for today. Near 70 they say, then a cool down(upper 50s) for tomorrow, but back at 70 or so for the early part of next week, including Election Day. My guess that will be our "Indian Summer" for the year...it appears by the following weekend we will be back to wet and in the 40s and 50s. November is the ultimate change of seasons month.

As Patricia headed off to school this morning....I looked at the sky and thought that I may have a decent sunrise to photograph...they sky was somewhat red, but as I approached Grand Lake driving the Jeep down West Bank Road, the red sky faded to pinkish yellows...so not waiting for sunrise, I snapped a dozen or so shots, some posted here.


Officially it is Halloween, October 31st....I never remember celebrating or "trick or treat" being on the 31st....In my childhood in Venice, Florida, we usually did our nights out on October 30th. I remember one in particular, one that brings back vivid memories.

It was 1960, a week or so before Kennedy vs Nixon, I was in 6th grade and hung around with Mike Graff(1949-2003) and several other guys in my class and neighborhood of Edgewood Park, located on the east side of Venice. Having mischief in mind, we had hit Republican Headquarters, the place with all the bumper stickers....being kids of GOP parents, our plan was to take these "Nixon in 60" stickers and paste them on store front windows, cars, mail boxes, etc, in addition to our usual candy gathering. I never thought we were bad kids, and really we weren't...but for this night in 1960 me, friend Mike, Jackie Dye, and a couple of other names forgotten friends, went over to the "Dark Side". We plastered Nixon stickers on anything we could get our hands near. Problem was, there were as many Democrat kids that had the same idea....and we ended up trading windows, and pasting Nixon over Kennedy and vice-versa.....it was quite a night, and lucky for us, we didn't get caught. 1960 was my most memorable Halloween indeed. One thing I know, if someone was sticking Obama 08 stickers on my house or car, I would be pissed off, big time! Back in 1960 USA, we didn't have a care.

Now days Halloween is a daytime affair, in Celina for the past 10 years of so, it has been the Sunday before Halloween between the hours of 3 and 5 pm....now that really sucks, I know why they do it, besides "No Fun Allowed", we have to protect the children...what a nation of wimps we have become.

So this weekend, at least locally, the weather looks good, but no "trick or treaters" will be around...High School Football Playoffs begin, the usual suspects are back, local defending State Champs Coldwater and Marion Local are back in the mix, as are other area teams, St. Marys, Anna(playing Marion Local) and Delphos St. Johns. I expect a team or 2 to make it to state, with Coldwater likely to bring home another crown. The winner of this weekends Marion vs Anna rematch will be a favorite as well.

I plan on enjoying the weather....back later>>>>>>>>>>

Photos Described Below>

Top Left-A couple of well carved Jack O' Lanterns stolen from Cyber Space. 3 photos from my early morning lake drive this morning....left, looking at the sun approaches the horizon, middle, Safety Island, and right, my Jeep silhouetted sitting in the park. The Houseworth kids on Trick or Treat 1988, Anissa, Hal, Joe(Sam's buddy) and Sam...then again in 1990, Anissa, Sam, and Hal.

Morning Drive around Grand Lake

This morning dawned clear and cold...no wind to speak of, and that added to the 26 degree temperatures, left a nice hard freeze...It appears though things will warm to the mid 60s tomorrow, then maybe hit 70 sometime next week, for the first week of November. Election day next Tuesday, November 4th, is forecast to be 71 and sunny...November? Must be that damn Global Warming???? I say, the more the better......

After hitting the basement weight room for about a half hour this morning, I decided to take advantage of the cool but sunny weather and take a drive around Grand Lake, and see just how things have changed since we moved to the small berg of Montezuma, located on the lake's south side, 45 years ago November 1st. After moving to Ohio from Venice, Florida, back in the fall of 1962, dad and mom finally got around to buying a house...They still owned the one in Venice, but had that rented, and after a year of being "renters" in Celina, they purchased a home near the Lakefield Airport(a small field on the outskirts of Montezuma). We moved in on the first of November 1963...I was a Freshman at Celina High School.

Montezuma was a cliquish little German Catholic town that I really never warmed to, and never considered it "home". By the time I returned from Vietnam, the folks had moved to Celina. I did meet classmates and life long friends, Bob and Jerry Jones during my time living in Montezuma. The Jones' family were our next door neighbors...we would hang around together for the rest of high school and beyond. Bob still lives in the area, Jerry in southern California...funerals are what usually gets us together, sad to say.

Montezuma, located on the south shore of Grand Lake, has not changed much since the mid 60s...the same cannot be said for the surrounding lake shore area. What was once shacks and trailers, with adjoining "out houses", along the shoreline, has now turned into expensive Lake Front Properties, with houses and gated communities to match. The lake itself, which was once teaming with pan fish and catfish of all varieties, is now not much of a fishing lake at all....I gave up tossing in and wasting time and bait in it years ago. It is now almost exclusively a boat, and ski lake, still dotted with a couple dozen bars and clubs, making it a good party body of water as well, if you are so inclined.

The area, especially around Grand Lake, continues to grow. Property values and taxes continue to soar, I doubt however, the coming Depression(aka Deep Recession for those that hate the "D" word), may not be kind to the yuppies and others living along the lake. Properties not anywhere near in value what has been paid for them over the past 2 decades, cannot be good.

As for the lake itself, I seldom venture out on it....maybe once or twice a year on Nick's pontoon boat(The Bar Stool Open being the most memorable occasion), is about it.....I would much rather fish off the Venice Jetties in south Florida, or head north to Michigan, where the fish are actually worth working, and drinking beer, for.

5 Days left until D-Day-- will it be O-Day, and even bigger disaster?

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Description of photos below:

Top Left-A small inlet off the Windy Point area, back in the mid 1970s, I would take my 2 Airedales, Rags and Max out here to swim...in those days there was a small beach rather than the rip rapped shoreline. Rag and Max treeing a back yard squirrel in the early 1980s.-- The bottom photos top left to right--The resident Sea Gulls(rats with wings) sitting on the spillway catching some sun....A small group of cabins sitting on the Montezuma Inlet, about the only thing still standing on the shore line from my High School days, all else is gone in the name of progress--Although the fishing is lousy these days, the waterfowl hunters have plenty of Canadian Geese and Mallards, hunting season is underway on the lake.

Far bottom, left to right--Windy Point, spent many hours fishing off this jetty, a few boats and some lives lost when alcohol met these rocks at night--Safety Island, just off Windy Point, a rat infested haven for boats caught out during storms--and finally the house on State Route 219, I spent my High School years living at....much the same 40+ years later, except a new garage has been added, Chuck Jones, the 3rd of the brothers lives next door today.

Changes in Seasons

As fall moves towards winter, I have had time to reflect on not only the changes in seasons, weather, and sports officiating, but the changes in life in general and the shift of the political winds. From the get-go, some 15 months ago, when I started this blog it was meant to be basically a look back and a daily diary of my life and times. I didn't want it to get overly political, especially on a personal level. Sometimes though, you have to let your feelings out, and as the 2008 Presidential Election nears it's conclusion, I see many disturbing trends and changes coming our way as a people and a nation.

One advantage of being retired, semi-retired, layed off, out of work, etc, and having Internet access, is searching the billion miles of cyberspace for history, ideas, opinions, and plain junk. There is no shortage of the latter two. I have to say, I've never seen more hate filled garbage than the stuff coming from the Liberal and Left Wing nutjobs of the nation, who slime the Internet. From the high end trash at the Daily Kos and Huffington Post, to minor league bloggers that visit me on occasion....utterly mindless morons spewing their hate for anything Christian, Conservative, or American. Now to be fair, let's face it, there are some hard core Right Wing sites as well{some can be found on the links on the left side of this blog}, but far and away, nothing like the filth and hate that comes a calling from the Marxist trash, and the Liberal Elite.

The trash that trolls the Internet comes in all forms....and by some comments you find on every new blogs, most of that trash slimes around cyberspace 24/7. These people have no lives or jobs, and this is their revenge.

With the election now just 6 days away the movement in the polls doesn't appear to be enough to sway the election away from Barack Hussain Obama. On a more ominous note, it also appears that the Congress will be solidly controlled by Democrats, lead by Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco drag queer, and Harry Reid, whose parents lost the bet in Vegas, when he was hatched...a scary thought? Well probably, but approaching 60 years on this planet, not much worries me these days...especially political hacks like those mentioned above. That's not to say there is not real danger headed our way with a Obama Presidency. If you thought this country was divided when Billy Bob Clinton and Hillzilla was in office, and now with Bush as a lame duck, wait until Barry, his sock puppet VP Joe Biden, and the ever so lovely Michelle "Black Power" Obama come a calling for your guns and your freedom of speech. Don't think that will happen? Guess again!

The damage these assclowns will do to this country and the Republic is going to be like a Tsunami hitting a tiny desert island in the Pacific Ocean.....some of us can see it coming, some are oblivious to what is coming our way, but I'm not sure we can do a Hell of a lot about it.

One blogger who can see exactly what is in store for those of us who don't act and think like a Chicago Street Thug, is the V-Daddy:

http://www.velociworld.com/

Drop by and read his October 23rd post, and enjoy the comments he received. The paranoid, the fans, and the hate oozes from the comment section. They all come out of the woodwork. If you read and heed nothing else today...check this one out.

Anyone who has read my blog on a regular basis knows I am hardly a John McCain fan...I do however, like his running mate, Alaska Governor Palin. Palin is one reason the rabid dogs on the left are so vile these days.....she doesn't happen to be a dyke, doesn't support unrestricted, doesn't drink cocktails with the New York elite and the media...in short she is everything the left is not, and those scum of the earth types can't handle the fact. 6 days away, 6 days, whether McCain pulls an upset{not likely} or not, we are in for hard times....if Obama wins, we Americans who hate Socialism and Marxism, and love freedom of speech are gonna be tested, TESTED BIG TIME! Hang on to your hats, hang on to your guns and wallets, it's gonna be a challenge.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

One Week To Go

Just catching up from the trip north and back, Listening and watching the "talking heads" in the In-the-tank-for-Obama media...I ask myself.."Why"????

Suffice to say, with Obama likely to win the presidency, the nut cases, including some left leaning nitwits, who think they have the right to post here, will be coming out of the woodwork.....Can you say "Good-Bye 1st Amendment, Good-Bye 2nd Amendment, Hello Fairness Doctrine, Hello The United Socialist States of Amerika"?

It's not all doom and gloom if the Half Assed Messiah gets in....much like with Jimmy Carter, sometimes you need a total idiot to tear down the system and then us real Americans can start all over again. ;)







back later>>>>>>>>>>
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Barack Hussain Obama with his "game
face" on and BHO with his Delaware "Sock Puppet" Joe "The Plagiarist" Biden.

Back from the AuSable River

Early Friday we finally decided to head north rather than south. The weather forecast was looking a bit better, and even if we went south we were headed for a rain event, so it was north up US 127 towards the AuSable River mouth of Lake Huron in northeast Michigan. The towns we focused on were Tawas, Oscoda/Au Sable, and north to Harrisville. All located at the various mouth branches of the river at Lake Huron.

The last time we were in this location(1984), we took Nick's dad and camped out at the river mouth in the small town of Au Sable....we slept in the van and spent almost the entire time fishing from the shore. We had planned on doing something like that this time around...just the 2 now old farts retracing our steps from a quarter century ago....as luck would have it, things were a little different this time around...Gabe, Nick's dad has been passed for a decade, and our backs and legs are not what they used to be. The parking area we stayed last time, is now $70,000 lots that trailers stuff themselves up against the river and lake. So we changed plans, just a little.

Forget sleeping in 40 degree temperatures with sleeping bags, in the back of a capped pick-up truck. We priced a small motel called the Aurora "Resort" on the Lake Huron shore, about 2 miles south of the river. For off season rates we talked them down to $30 a night with cable, sowhy would we rough it? We wouldn't, not this time for sure.

From Friday night thru Saturday afternoon, we rotated between the towns and locations along the lake and river...from Harrisville to the north, to the Foote Dam 7 miles east of Oscoda, down the river to town where we dropped a line back of a Halloween Costume store. The AuSable flows behind the store and through Oscoda, to the mouth at the town of Au Sable. The weather wasn't bad, temps in the 50s, with a little rain now and then. We ate at a small mom style restaurant, talked with the guy and his wife at the Marina and Gun Store about the coming election, as we purchased lures, bait, and locations to drop same. Bottom line was....The Steelheads were still far up the river, but Chinook were in the shallows for the taking, Brown Trout fishing was best down the road at the bay at Tawas City.

The motel provided our respite where we enjoyed a few cigars and a case or so of beer over the weekend.... We watched Ohio State lose to Penn State on Saturday night{Way to go Tressel, how's that switch to The Messiah of a Freshman QB working out?, not so good, is it?} ...loaded our coolers with our 10 Chinook on Sunday morning, and headed south...arriving home in the late afternoon. We then make steak, and fillets, out of our gains, and cleaned up the mess.

It will take me a day or 3 to recover from the latest trip.....but I plan on making a full recovery.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>below the posted photos are described:

Photos-A stretch of the AuSable River in Michigan, about 5 miles from the mouth of the River on Lake Huron at the Town of Au Sable. Me with a couple of our 10 Chinook all between 9 and 12 pounds. The sign out front of our "Resort" on Lake Huron near Au Sable. Nick and me at the shore...probably pretty nice in July, windy and cold make it not ready for dipping in late October. The Foote Dam on the AuSable about 7 miles east of Oscoda, Michigan...this is where the "snaggers" try their luck, a poor way to fish.....but regular fisherman also try for Chinooks and Steelheads here, but only a few to be seen this past Saturday. Nick trying his luck at the Harrisville Harbor on Lake Huron. A 12 pounder getting ready to be iced for the trip home. Nick works on the Steak and Fillets. All bagged up and ready for the freezer. And the Sepia photo is the river as it winds it's way through the town of Oscoda towards Au Sable.

Gone Fishin'

As I mentioned in the Gun Rights posts this week, I don't hunt anymore, and don't fish as much as the old days. Our "Grand" Lake is pretty well a boat, ski, pontoon, and party lake these days, so I haven't drowned a worm in it for the past decade or so. Still fish when I get to Florida, off the Venice Pier or Jetties, and on occasion my buddy Nick and I get out....that is the plan this weekend, or rather it was.

Late October and early November are Salmon run time on the Au Sable River in Michigan. Au Sable runs from central lower Michigan east towards and drains into Lake Huron...it's been awhile since I have been there, but we enjoyed it last time, and decided this weekend was the time to do it. Nick took tomorrow and Monday off, giving us time to search out a good spot, drop some egg bags into the river mouth and hope for a "big one".

Checking out the weather situation we talked last night about changing our plans and going south to Dale Hollow on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, down in Mushy's haunts:

http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/

But as of this afternoon, it's all up in the air...we are heading out tomorrow morning, guess we will make up our minds "weather" or not it will be north or south....my guess is, we, despite it all, will go north to Salmon fish.....anyway, will let you all know where, and how well or bad we did, with photos too, come Monday.

Have a great weekend....back later>>>>>

Photos from Fishing Past: 1984 showing a average size Walleye from Nick's boat on Lake Erie between Ohio and Canada shores. Dad and me in the summer of 1962 fishing from a bridge wall on the Auglaize River in Defiance County, Ohio. And finally me, with a cod or Red Snapper caught off the Manasota Bridge near Venice, Florida, in 1956.

More on the 2nd Amendment

I know I just keep beating that "Dead Horse". I sincerely believe part of the Obama agenda, if and once{which appears almost certain}, he gets elected and puts his hands in the White House, is to quash free speech via the "Fairness Doctrine", and the usurping of the 2nd Amendment via outright gun bans and/or high prices on same and ammunition.

Rocker and 2nd Amendment advocate Ted Nugent, says it much better than me, here is his take on why the right to bear arms is important:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_QjEL0uUgo&feature=related

Thanks Ted, keep on Rockin'

Then on to a more serious reason for all of us to Lock and Load.

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp is a former Texas State Representative, years ago, along with her parents she was sitting in a restaurant in Killeen, Texas, when a crazed gun toting driver crashed through the building and began shooting to kill anybody in site....her parents both died, along with 21 others...here in 2003 she tells the yellow bellied anti-gun liberals in Congress who she really fears:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675&hl=en

She was elected 5 straight times as a Republican in a large Democratic District...she choose not to run for a 6th term in 2007.

Once again, two powerful reason to fear the Government and especially to fear Barack Hussain Obama and his coming administration.

Sorry Obama, I stopped being afraid of mortal man{and you aren't the Messiah asshole, no matter what your followers and you might think}, and nearing 60 I sure the Hell don't plan on it now. Do I have concern about my family and my country under an Obama{or even a a McCain} Administration? Hell yes! Do I fear this Marxist as far as for myself? No way GI, you gutless SOB and your Legion of Doom followers, one piss ant politician and some brain dead followers don't have that power.

back later>>>>>>>>>>

The Coming Gun Grab

As you can see by the photos posted today, I grew up around guns. My dad his Grandad and the rest of the family were hunters, trappers, and fisherman.....they did it to put meat on the table. I never remember them considering it a "sport" to kill game. Brother Mike and a few cousins also loved to hunt and fish. I hunted for awhile, but never really had the mindset to kill animals to put food on the table...Hell, it was much easier to drop by the grocery store or deli. I fished in my youth but even as an adult, I was basically a 'catch and release' type of guy...I remain one today.

My lack of love for hunting however, never stopped my support for our Second Amendment....I always have, and will to my dying day, support the right to own whatever weapon needed to protect life, family, and property. That right is still being challenged by every left wing nutjob, Marxist, and panty waist male that comes down the pike. Barack Hussain Obama is just the latest, and it looks like this sonofabitch will make a gun grab as soon as he gets his Marxist hands on the White House keys....and Barry has plenty of support from the loons in the press, and far left halls of Congress to try to get it done....if he can't make a direct grab, he will go the Clinton route and make ammo and guns so damn expensive, most won't be able to find or if found, afford the shotgun shells, or handgun and rifle ammunition, required to keep ones self and family stocked up.

Being born is western Ohio a place back in the late 1940s and early 50s where Pheasant were plentiful, and rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons abundant, I remember dad, even in my earliest years was a hunter and fisherman first, a hard working mechanic second...I know mom felt the same way....the Old Man would much rather be in the field or at the lake fishing{or playing cards} than working....Since he didn't drink, I guess he felt that was a better way to spend one's time....not that we were ever neglected by his being "gone fishin". Even after moving to Florida in 1954, dad would always drag us boys with him when he went fishing, usually at the South Jetties in Venice, or on the North Jetties, in Nokomis, Florida.

We always had a supply of knives and guns around the house...back then. I never thought much about it...dad traded guns, sold guns, and bought guns and rifles at will. There were no restrictions....we never needed any. Guns were for hunting, folks just didn't often break into someones home back in 1950 Scott, Ohio, or 1955 Venice, Florida. Things are not that way today....I may not hunt, but even in small town America, you better damn well know how to load and shoot a gun....for whatever I forgot about weapons and firearms from my youth, I still remember from my 4 years as an Air Force Cop....I hated the AF for the most part, but am thankful for the arms training it gave me....I may be rusty at times, but I still can hit a bullseye.

Back to the "Messiah", and we aren't talking Jesus Christ. We are talking about the Chicago one...the one that thinks we are all fools, and will wilt with his coming changes, and the "Brown Shirts" that will follow him. Bring it on Barry, you may fool some of these hapless, guilt ridden Americans, but there are a whole lot of other folks that don't buy into your BS, and we won't stand by while you make your gun grab. When pushed into a corner, I have a feeling you are your henchman are going to get a surprise, one you never expected in your Utopia Dreams.

Barack Barry Soetoro Obama.....He has the First Amendment and Second Amendment in his sights, are you ready?

back later>>>>>>>>>

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photos: Me around 1952 in Scott, Ohio,

with the fox my dad dispatched, and his 12 gauge shotgun, that is still with the family today.--Mike(l) and me with our bow and arrow and hunting knives, practicing at Manasota Beach, on the Gulf in early 1956--and me with our old Beagle "Nick" in our bedroom in Venice in 1960, with the family "collection"..damn, wish I

still had all of those these days.

Finally a photo of "The Judge" a handy little

handgun that fires both .410 shotgun shells or

.45 bullets....sweet!

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for more on The Judge:

http://www.taurususa.com/

World Series Match Up/ Media In the Tank for Obama

Sports and politics, together on the same post? Might as well kill 2 birds with one thread...got to go for the entertainment first.

Rays vs Phillies in the World Series nobody wanted________starting Wednesday Night on FOX.

Well at least nobody outside hard core fans of these two teams....fans like my Uncle Jack, a life long Phillie Fanatic who lives in the tiny berg of Antwerp, Ohio, but grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, not far from Philadelphia, PA. Myself, I really don't have a dog in this show...I kind of like the underdogs Tampa Bay....not much of a fan base, but having never won more than 70 games in a season, until now....they are quite the success story of 2008. In 1999 before we headed to Venice, Florida, on our family vacation...I checked out the Devil Rays(now just Rays) schedule and saw that the Cleveland Indians would be in town during our trip....as luck would have it Wade Boggs of Tampa Bay was approaching 3000 hits....so I ordered 5 tickets for August 7, 1999, a Saturday night, and the day we would make our drive towards home. We arrived at the stadium that afternoon, Boggs needed 3 hits to get #3000....we brought along our video camera, and recorded each Boggs' at bat....a strike out, then a couple of singles brought Wade to the plate late in the game....a lifetime singles hitter, Boggs fooled us all, by slamming a Home Run for #3000....we got it all on camera, bought the newspapers, and got our 3000 comemrative post cards....that was a special day we will all remember in this household.

The Phils meanwhile are a blue collar team, led by superstar outfielder Ryan Howard. I could live with either team winning, I like the Rays in 6 games, but if Philly comes out on top, that's good news for my Uncle...being the union Democrat he is, a Philadelphia win along with Obama being elected would make his day....needless to say Jack and I do not agree on politics.

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Speaking of Elections and Obama_______

Unlike my Uncle and a few other family members from mom's side(although she is a Republican) and one of my sisters who are hard core Democritters, I can't stand anything left of Attila the Hun.

Barry aka Barack Soetoro Obama is the evil coming down the track. Social programs out of control, weak economy, high taxes, the "Fairness Doctrine" for broadcasting, and brown shirt youth in the streets, are just a few things coming our way if this son of a bitch gets elected to office. The media has been in the tank for this clown since day 1, even throwing one of their darling Clintons off the bridge in support of the American Marxist. Then we add Colin Powell, the so called Republican, former General. Now, IMO, Powell was never much of a General, not enough guts to fight wars, he left that to folks like "Storming Normal" Swartzkopf. Powell, every the social liberal, stood to the back of the meeting room when the passed out guts and soul. And of course, never let race be an issue....right! The media has loved Powell(except when he became Bush IIs Secretary of State. Now that he has come out for one of his own, Barry Obama, the media is back in love with him.....by all means, let's have the GOP and Democrats all think alike...Powell is a perfect example.

In a new survey release today, 44% of Americans(69% of Democrats) think that Obama and his spread the wealth around views{Socialism) is the way to go, there is how far we have went off the path that our forefathers layed out.

Obama is probably going to be elected President, the USA as we know it will be the lesser for it. As I've said before...stock up on goods, food, ammo, and guns....."It" is coming. The brainwashed youth and lower middle class, the media, the university elite, will have their man in the White House, I wonder what they will think when he turns out to be Lenin in an empty suit.

If you have the time{if you don't take it}, pull out your Bible{and I am hardly a "thumper"} and flip to the Old Testament and the Book of Ezekiel...it's a long repetitive book, but if you read and drink it in, place America in place of Jerusalem, and you get a window into what is happening to America today.

Believe, don't believe, it's your choice....don't say when{not if} it comes our way, somebody didn't tell you that, it was coming.

On to more pleasant thoughts....the weather remains fall like locally, 60s for highs, 40s for lows, sunny days, starlit nights. One final JV football game, Celina hosting Ottawa-Glandorf tonight, and basketball classes to follow.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>

Another week by the boards

Finished off the week Friday, when 2 old friend stopped by for a visit before they head to Florida for the winter.

Instead of Tom, Dick, and Harry, we had Tom, Dick, Ross, and me. Tom and Dick, me, and a few dozen others, used to be called the "Ho House Lounge" gang out at the Racquet Club south of Celina. The Racquet Club(now called something stupid, like Break Away Sheethole Rec Plex) was our hangout in the late 80s through the early part of the 2000s. Dick, Tom, Me, and the others spent way too much time in the bar there, and not enough in the weight room or exercise center...in my case, I spent 4 or 5 days a week, a couple hours a day lifting weights and working out, but "balanced" that out by spending 4 or 5 hours sitting on my arse in the bar, drinking Miller Lite. Now that was a balancing act.

The Racquet Club's bar, nicknamed, "the Ho House" by us, was a nightly meeting spot, where we ran up our bar bills, thus killing our future retirements, for a dozen or more years. The old gang is now spread far and wide. Few remained members, once a new management took over in 2002. They(the female managers) hated us, guess we were too loud, and drank too much...so they tried turning the bar into a Latte' and Muffin joint...that didn't work, but they did manage to get us to stop coming to the place....and Breakaway has never measured up. We are gone, but so is most of their business, and all of the fun. Patricia is still a member, as is Ross, Dick's son. Ross was a workout specialist from his high school days, and is still at it in his early 30s, and is a local lawyer as well.

Dick now lives in St. Petersburg most of the time. Tom gave up farming once his dad died and moved on this his first love...horses. He works with and trains, pacers and trotters, half the year in Florida, and the rest in the Midwest. Yesterday, as luck would have it, Tom was on his way up to visit before heading to Indiana to stay with his sister and her husband for a few days, he hit town just as Ross and Dick were to stop by for lunch and a beer. We headed out to the Moose for a few beers and sandwiches, then topped it off by hitting Smedley's Irish Pub for some Oktoberfest brews...lamenting about the past. All agreeing that being either retired or working jobs we loved, wasn't all that bad. It was a good get together, Dick heads back to Florida with his lady friend today, Tom will stop by to watch the Buckeyes take on Michigan State before heading to Indiana for a couple of days...then he will head to the Horse Farm near DeLand for the winter.

Thanks guys for stopping by, and thanks to Ross for being our Driver for the afternoon.

Enjoy the weekend all.....

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

photo-Ross, Dick, Tom, and Me, looking better than we should after our "lunch".

The Coming Obama Nation

Watching last night's debate{switching between innings of the World Series}, it became clear to me that we are very, very, close to the coming Obama Nation. Barry Soetoro is about to be elected President of these United States, and unless something radical happens, this Marxist will be in charge. Add a rubber faced Nancy Pelosi, and "Dingy" Harry Reid, we will be walking hand-in-hand with "The Ebony Messiah" towards the destruction of Republic.

John McCain has ran a PC Campaign, and although he hit Obama harder last night that he did in past debates, it appears it was a little late. I see in early trading the Dow is down 200+ points...that will go up and down over the next few weeks, once Obama is elected, I suspect the bottom will drop out....the tax burden and socialist policies that this guy will propose, will send us to the year 1933 in a flash.

Was never a McCain fan... still not now. But compared to this coming anti-gun, pro-tax, pro Islam, Messiah from Hell, Ol' Juan looks pretty good. Well, all you can do is cast your 1 vote{unless you were signed up by ACORN, then you get up to 73 votes}, sit back and watch the "fun" over the next few years. If there was ever a time for a Constitutional friendly 3rd Party, that time is now.

What would Washington and Jefferson do?

I suspect if these early American Patriots were still around, the Oak Trees around D.C. would be filled with ropes, and the rotting corpses of the traitors from both parties.

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Phillie's Win National League Pennant. _____________________________
The Philadelphia Phils have captured the NL Crown...defeating the LA Dodgers 4 games to 1. My interest was two fold. My last surviving Uncle is a life long Phillie fan, Mom and her siblings were born outside Philadelphia{Chester}, so both uncles, Jack and my late Uncle Bill were Phillie fans from birth. The other reason for my interest was last night's starting pitcher for the Dodgers was 24 year old Chad Billingsley....Chad is from Defiance High School, about 60 miles north of here, and out of the same league{Western Buckeye League}, as Celina. Billingsley graduated the same year as my youngest son Hal, and the teams match up in both league and tournament action on many occasions. I also umpired a couple of games with CB on the mound....he was impressive in High School{threw over 90 mph even back then}, and had a good season this year as well. Too bad for him, his 2 outings were less than stellar against Philadelphia. Regardless, he is the real deal, and baring injury will have a great career.

The Phils now await the finish of the Tampa Bay Rays vs Red Sox series, with TB leading 3 games-1 game, never count out the defending champions however.

A cool front blew through last night, a spot of rain and temperatures 20 degrees less that yesterday afternoon...highs however, will still be around 60 with some sunshine....but it looks like fall is here, at least for the next week, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s and 40s.
A cool breeze is accompanying the temperature drop.

back later

photos>>>>>

Top--2 Classics from the Great Depression....are we headed down this path once again? In the coming Obama Nation, anything is possible. What would the Great George Washington do? Phillie's Cap, and 24 year old Ohio native Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers.

Towns of my Forefathers part #2

Headed north about 35 miles yesterday for a Jr High Football Game at Wayne Trace(Haviland) High School. Wayne Trace was back in the day called Blue Creek High School, before that Scott-Haviland High School, and further back in the early 20th century, Scott School.

Blue Creek Township is located in southern Paulding County, Ohio. My great-grandfather and mother, Nelson and Mary Ann Houseworth moved there after the Civil War, about 1870. My Grandfather Sam Houseworth was the 10th of 11 children and was born in Blue Creek...the first 7 were born in Waldo or Delaware, 4 more in Paulding County.

I'm not certain why Nelson and Mary Ann, along with a few cousins, moved by horse and wagon from Waldo the 120 or so miles northwest to the desolate Black Swamp area of Blue Creek Township...but my best guess is, it was for the free land. Land you had to work by hand to clear...a bug, wildlife infested area, full of mosquitoes, typhoid fever, and death. The Houseworth family faced both. Nelson died from Typhoid in 1887, son William Nelson died at age 3 in 1879, from Scarlet Fever. The rest lived to adulthood, including my Grandfather Samuel Lawrence Houseworth, who died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1928, at age 50.

Blue Creek today has several small towns, and a couple Ghost Towns located in it....it is a flat, well tiled, and the farm land is rich. Towns include the north portion of Scott, Haviland, and Tipton. Blue Creek, has a total population of 804 folks. The only Houseworths left in Blue Creek are those buried in the Blue Creek Township Cemetery.

Scott, Ohio

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Scott today has 322 people living there, about even distribution between Van Wert County on the south, and Paulding County on the north. When founded back in the 1880s, Scott was actually 2 towns. Lewellen on the Paulding side, Scott on the Van Wert south side. The Lewellen families and Scott families founded the town, after a few years, the town of then 1000 souls, voted to merge and named the town Scott.

My Grandmother, Wilda Waldron married, Sam Houseworth in 1906, and set up shop in Scott, until they separated in the 1920s. Wilda Houseworth lived in Scott for the rest of her life, dying at the ripe old age of 91, in 1975. Mom moved from Wilmington, Delaware, and married dad in 1946...we lived in Scott until 1954, when we moved to Venice, Florida.

Both Blue Creek and Scott look today, much like they did 100 years ago.

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Photos-from top(1) The Scott School around 1925, my dad, Stan Houseworth(1917-1972) seated 5th from left(the kid leaning) (2) Blue Creek Cemetery...Civil War Veteran Nelson Houseworth(1837-1887) is buried here along with other family members...Grave Stone of Nelson S. Houseworth..Blue Creek from where the Township took it's name, as it looked yesterday after the dry summer. Downtown Scott, Ohio, not much has changed in 125 years. Military plate at my dad's grave, located in the Scott Cemetery. The Scott Elevator as it looks today, sitting at the same spot as it did almost 100 years ago in this 1915 era postcard....the old Elevator has been destroyed by fire on at least 2 occasions, the last being in 1962 while the family was on summer vacation in Scott, something we explored and talked about for the rest of the vacation.

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Today is Bloggers Poverty Awareness Day...all bloggers are supposed to talk about what can be done to fight poverty. Here is my little opinion, at least for America's poverty:

GET OFF YOUR DEAD ASSES, PICK YOURSELF UP, AND GET A JOB!

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back later>>>>>>>>>>>>