Tom Browning, Goodbye Mr Perfect...and other loses near Christmas

 

As I've probably mentioned over the past 15 1/2 years on this blog, many births, death, weddings, and events, happen in the PRH family and circles during December...so I won't go ranting about each...

However this past Monday my youngest son called and informed me that an old acquaintance of mine had passed...Tom Browning, of the Cincinnati Reds, age 62, passed in his northern Kentucky home on December 19th...

Browning at the time in 1988 was only the 12th pitcher in MLB History and the only Cincinnati Red to ever toss a perfect game...that being no runs, no hits, nobody reaching base in any fashion, 27 batters  27 outs...But Browning was so much more than that...

Tom Browning Stats   

I first met him in 1985 at a Media Caravan in Dayton, Ohio, I believe, January of 85, I think, although with the passage of time, who knows the date?  Over the next few years, during my part time broadcasting gig {I slaved in that business fulltime for a few years, 1978-83, then for another 25 part time for the fun of it}, I had the pleasure of interviewing him, usually along with Joe Nuxhall, who before he became a Reds Broadcaster, was the youngest player ever to don a MLB Uniform, at age 15 back in 1944...both of these guys were the real deal and both were great men and characters ... I was lucky enough to toss back a few beers with both men over a short period of a decade or so...

RIP Tom Browning, hopefully you and Joe are connected and tossing down a few in the afterlife...

After Tom's death, today we found out that Franco "Immaculate Reception" Harris had passed during the night...now I'll admit I hated the Pittsburgh Steelers, and still do {probably because of their success and my Cincinnati Bengals lack of same over the years, although that is changing}...however I had nothing personal against Harris.  He died just 2 days before the 50th anniversary of the bounced catch in the AFC Playoffs to defeat the Oakland Raiders on December 23rd, 1972...the next day while I was spending Christmas in upstate Rome, New York, my dad, Stan, passed away of a sudden Heart Attack, on Christmas Eve 1972...we will note that date this year, the 50 years have flown by like a thief in the night...

The Immaculate Reception   

So RIP Tom Browning, Franco Harris, and Stan Houseworth...We celebrate the birth of Christ, but also remember those who passed on or close to the day we remember his birth...

If I don't get back before Christmas or New Years Day...Have a Great Holiday Season and stay safe...

Wayne National Forest Dual Sport Riding

 

At 73 years and 7 months I'm never sure when I will give up Dual Sport/Off Road Motorcycle riding...but my old friends, both 72, and I, gave it a go down in SE Ohio in the Wayne National Forest this past week...it was IMO too damn cold both Wednesday and Thursday, but improved some on Friday...we should have waited, Saturday thru tomorrow have been and will be perfect riding weather...O' Well, what you get is what you get, it was at least dry...

Nick and I ride the smaller Yamaha TW200s, sort of Jeep Wranglers with 2 wheels...Bob the much heavier and taller Royal Enfield Himalayan...it turned out that the TWs are much better suited for this kind of riding...

Bob laid down his RE twice, first time some semi major damage to the fairing and electronics up front, second lay down on Friday to his left leg, thus ending his riding for the duration...the TWs?  Nary a scratch, although Nicks' 2015 did receive some tank damage while in transport to Logan from Grand Lake...my 2014 fell into his and dented that tank...Oops...

Anyway despite the riding not going quite as expected it was good to get down to SE Ohio where Nick and I hung out in our college days at Hocking College in Nelsonville...Nelsonville?, while still Red Neck Villa, has changed since they bypassed 33 around that city...it was our first ride there since 2015 around Halloween, we lived in the Nelsonville/Athens/Ohio U area back in the mid 1970s...time flies.

Regardless, we got some decent food in us, plenty of beers, and had a good stay at the Baymont Motel in Logan...I would like to get back down there in warm and dry weather with 3 equally set up bikes, that way the riding skills, or lack of, would be front and center, and no tires to set ups to blame for accidents....


Photos:  Bob and I before entering day #1 and it's trail, the entrance to the trail it would be steeper and leave covered/wet later on ...Bob and Nick checking out the damage to fairing and electronic package of the Himalayan, and me near New Straighsville, Ohio, at the site of the Underground Railroad and Cemetery @ Payne's Crossing

Time to GAB

Finally there is a real social media site for right wing types, like me...

You know GAB is doing something, well, many things correct...because it pisses off the not so Right {Wing} people...leftists, radical fake Amercian Jews, racist Blacks, the media, etc, all despise it and want it shut down....

 GAB Home Page    

Sure, there are enough anti Semites, hard core Racists, and other misfits, Nazi types, and others to go around...but you know what?  It's called "Free Speech" something Fakebook and the real Nazi Clowns at Twitter and it's Twits don't allow anybody right of Atilla the Hun to have...

So forget the pretenders...at least for now, GAB is my home to rant...

Oh, did I mention that Wikipedia HATES GAB?  Another reason to know they are doing something right...

Wikipedia Hates GAB    

I should mention GAB is not exactly new, it's been around since 2016, but it has really started to take off over the past 2+ years since the fake Pandemic of COVID...and that fact really worries and pissed the leftist loon types off.

Welcome to September 2022 and the coming Fall Season, back later>>>

{More} Grand Lake Ohio Photos...

 

Thought I should get one more August post out...so here goes:
 

I have been getting up early and out to the lake more often of late.  After a year or so of seldom getting my lazy, aging, ass out of the sack, I finally figured "Use it or Lose it"...so with 2 or 3 cameras in hand, including the new Canon Rebel T7i, a lightweight camera that I'm sure the "Professionals" would shun...but hey, I'm not a professional in anything these 98% personal retired times, so "What the Hell"?...it's lightweight and easy to use, even more so than the Nikon.

The photo on the top I took yesterday and it was a hit on the right wing social media site, getting several hundred "Likes" and even posted by the admins of the GAB site, so I thought it should be posted here and on a couple of other places as well....

My wildlife photos of late have not been that great, for the most part but I have managed a few decent shots...No descriptions given on needed, IMO...just sharing, but all have been taken in the past week.  Next up, talk about the new Generator, which might be needed in case of a weather or Biden fuck up...and let's be honest, that Demented Son of a Bitch, is as fucked as it gets...Offended?  If you are, you're in the wrong blog...

Back Later>>> 

Summer Check In/Up part #2

 I would be remiss after yesterday's post if I didn't mention Grandson #1 in addition to his younger brother and their sport exploits this summer...just a reminder however, both of these boys {that also have a younger Grandson #3 Brother who is not quite 17 months old} are also excellent students and well above where they should be on that scale...why?  Well because they are home schooled 3 days a week and go to a solid, not phony, Christian School, the other 2 school days a week...so, in addition to improving in the sports world, they are not Public School Indoctrinated...any parent with the means to send their kids to a good private school, or home school them should do so...even my wife, a public school teacher for 35 years agrees with that...OK on to the sports redux.

K~Man turns 11 in November and although I think he could be a great baseball player, for some reason, probably a less than satisfying experience the first couple of years in coach pitch, has moved on to soccer and swimming, the latter he is quickly becoming a top gun at...Winning multiple events at the Dayton Area Championships,  including the 25 meter Breast by a finger nail in the photo at the top{he is in the middle with blue skull cap, all photos by PRH}.

Kasyn aka:  "K~Man" was also top scorer on his rec soccer team...scoring 18 out of his team's 25 or so goals.

Meanwhile "Kam" {Kamdyn} in addition to being, at this point turning 8 on August 15th, an excellent baseball player, is also doing well at swimming, but not yet on the level of his older brother, but time will see improvement, I am sure.  

In addition to the top photo we have Kruz posing for me on our front porch in July. Kasyn heading towards the goal, Kam in the 25 meter Free Style, Kasyn showing off his first place finishes, and Kam in baseball action.

Back later...hopefully with some good Brown County wildlife photos...>>>>

Summer Check Up/In

 I don't post much these days...politics is boring, nothing is going to change, not for the better at least, regardless of who sits in the White House...although few could be worse that that Demented Son of a Bitch who is hiding in the Basement of our WH with his 3rd case of the phony COVID in the past couple of weeks...

Anyway Summer moves along, Patricia and I will head down to Brown County, Indiana, to our cabin retreat next week, we missed out last year, the first time in nearly a decade, so we will spend an extra day or two to make up this time around..

Grandson #2, Kam, was rewarded for his Baseball Skills this week at the Reds Camp he attended earlier this Summer...Kam won the 7/8 year old division at the Centerville Regional, then had to wait till early this week to see if he finished in the top 10 overall out of 17 camps and about 350 first and second graders...he did, coming in 10th place overall to slide into the Champions Competition at Great American Ball Park, following the Brewers/Reds game in Cincinnati on September 25th...needless to say he, his dad, my youngest son, and Old Grandpa are pretty happy...it's been a great summer for both the older grandsons ...in baseball, soccer, and swimming.

Other than those items, I have a few things in store, perhaps a Motorcycle Dual Sport run with Nick, we just have not decided where we will ride, perhaps the Ozarks, this time around. Buckeye Football at Northwestern with oldest son, Sam in early November, and a trip to Florida, to see a couple old friends, and perhaps do some fall fishing...although I have not set up a date or even month, for that.  And there is always the Kokomo Vietnam Reunion in Mid September...not sure how many days, I will stay, weather will tell me alot....

Speaking of Vietnam and old buddies...I've got to say a prayer for my old Dover AFB/Vietnam Buddy, Howie "Pritch"...seems his Agent Orange related cancer is getting worse and he will have to get more done, hopefully the VA will help out and give him the upgrade he needs...

Pritch, my and Patricia's Prayers are with you...

Photos-Pritch and me in 2012 meeting for the first time since we departed Dover Delaware AFB for Vietnam in 1969...the Brown County, Indiana, Cabin, Kam, the Grandson Swinging for the fences at 7 years old....and bottom photo {above} Jack Gates, Howie Pritchard, and PRH, at the Dayton Wright Patterson Reunion in 2016...the first time all 3 of us had been together since 1969, although I had seen Jack in Vietnam, in Saigon back in 1970, and Pritch at the aforementioned 2012 meeting when visiting my oldest son outside Chicago in 2012...

Back later >>>>

15 Years ago, July 2007

 

Minus 2 weeks it has now been 15 years ago I started this Blog...now mind you I only post a couple of dozen times a year these days, but in the beginning it was well over 200 times each full 12 month period...I cannot imagine doing that now.

It was easy then, I had retired as Environmental Health Director at Van Wert County, was 58 years old, and in between officiating gigs, traveling the nation and Canada delivering motorized RVs, and working security for a large corporation at times {when I felt like it}.  I had time on my hands, so "Blogging" as was popular back then, was something I gave a shot...and I had a pretty good sized following...pissing off more than a few with my comments and observations, nothing I will ever make apology for.  Did it cost me? A bit, but nothing I regret at all...

I was booted from my Life Time Membership at the Vietnam Security Police Ass~ociation, got my license to officiate High School thru the OHSAA Sports yanked by some Snowflakes that were more interested in being WOKE Leftists before it was even a phrase...but all in all the first few years of this blog were fun, albeit, the older you get there is only so much "reminiscing" you can do...and frankly, "Blogging" is pretty much ho~hum with the youngsters and for us old farts these days...the younger set just isn't into it...but for now I will post a few times per year when I feel the urge, or something stirs my right leaning brain up.

But for now, let's look back at the very first post on this Blog...July 27, 2007

First Blog Post July 27, 2007    

Pretty pedestrian stuff it was...by late 2007 my photo placement and old time Radio News style, which I perfected in the 1970s, helped me through it all.

I'll be back later...God Willing!

Water Water Everywhere

Here in the Heartland of West Central Ohio we went about 3 weeks with very little rain, normally not bad, but the sun and heat dried things up and the lawns started to wilt...I actually had to water my growing Sunflower Plant population a few times...that all came to an end on July 5th morning.  In the past 32 hours or so, the Grand Lake area has received anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain, and it looks to continue for another couple of days...it, IMO, can stop anytime.   

The Sunflowers, which don't have deep roots, are now struggling to stay rooted in the ground, and with anymore rain, I will be doing some major propping up, already had to do some...

Water "Shots" 

The main focus of this post today {only my 7th or so this 2022 year}was to showoff some of my "Water Related Photo' work...weather it be around Grand Lake, or Florida trips, the Atlantic, or the Gulf of Mexico, where I grew up in the 50s and early 1960s. And other locations too...I will have more on the next installment, when I get around to it.

So here goes...Some are "pure", others are "fixed", and some have my personal "touch" and edits...Descriptions at the bottom.  As always, click to see the large, and IMO, better views.

Shots are from various water haunts...except top photo of one of my "Chocolate" Sunflowers...not sure it I will get any of those this season, planted some seeds that frankly are looking to be a mystery, along with the large yellow usual flowers.

The Water Shots?  An American Eagle Flying into the Sunrise at Grand Lake, a Schooner at the Gulf at Venice, spit screen work...a related Sunset at the Gulf shortly after a Thunderstorm in October of 2019.  The Naples, Florida, City Pier...a passing Thunderstorm in 2021, October as well, off Venice Beach, FL.  Room with a View from October 2019 at my Islamorda, Florida {Keys} Motel, Spring Sunrise at Lakeshore Drive, Celina, in 2012, I think March of that year.  Sunrise over the Atlantic, from the Balcony of the Beach Front Motel on A1A at Flagler Beach, Florida.  Cloudy Sunrise from Lakeshore Drive, Grand Lake.  A 13 foot or so Gator at the corner of US 41 {Tamiami Trail} at Loop Road in the Everglades, in February 2006.  Sunset at my buddy Rick Pearson's pond near LaOtto, Indiana, on New Year's Day, 2018. Large White Pelican landing at Grand Lake, Fall 2021. Sunrise over Windy Point Grand Lake @ Montezuma, Ohio.  A Windy Point Sunset on July 4th 2018...Blue Heron, Boat, and Clouds approaching from the west...The Upper Michigan on Route US 2 on a Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride in early August 2015, a lone White Pelican on Grand Lake, fall of 2020 in the Gloam...a Windy Point/Grand Lake Sunset in the winter of 2017.  A Sloop sans the sails, October 2021 off the South Jetty at Venice, Florida...waves crashing the rocks at the South Jetty, also October 2021...and finally in the spring of 2016 a hazy purple sunrise at Windy Point on Grand Lake...

More of these types to come in Part #2 of Water, Water...