My Favorite Places, Part #2 {Life's A Beach}...the new Nikon Camera

Patricia and I headed out to Wally World yesterday afternoon....needing to pick up some plants for mom's place, a few bananas, and to look at cameras, since the kids decided to replace my less than 2 year old Fuji for me.  If you recall the Fuji took a cold stream bath while I was hunting mushrooms back in mid May, and although it still takes decent photos, after the drying out period, it does not work 100% when setting up the action.  Thus there is no play back and some of the indicators are shot.  Granted it still works, but the family or at least my wife decided a new one was needed.  And with the way the technology changes, I was more than happy to go along.

After talking with the expert at the Wally World electronics area(and this guy seemed to know his stuff)...I decided on a Nikon, with 14 MPs and 3.6x Zoom.  I could have went a bit more expensive with a 16MP and as much as a 10x zoom, but the more zoom, IMO, the more unstable the shots can be.  On his advise we opted for the less expensive version, that takes two AA batteries, rather than the Lithium type, which frankly needs recharged when there may not be a place to recharge them...the AAs, you give the heave-ho and put two new ones in.  This weekend at Hal and Lisa's, and the Reds/Toronto game, the new camera should see it's first real action.

Storms are set to move into west Ohio within the next two hours or so...this may cancel Garry and my game up in Kalida....but you never can tell what these crazy fronts will do....Sam and I both got our games in last night, him here in Celina, and me at Parkway(Rockford).  The home teams won both contests.

My Favorite Places part #2______

I sent a certain amount of time yesterday thinking about where I have been in my life, and the places I enjoyed.  Not only if I lived there, but if I just visited a time or two, for a short while.  That got me to thinking...."This is going to take up a lot of time and space, on this blog".  For I have visited a vast number of places in my years, lived in over a handful for at least 6 months or longer, and traveled through, or at least made a stop in 48 of the 57(up yours Obammy), er, 50 States... in short I have seen a lot of places, at least in the states and Canada, not so many 1n the International setting.

So here goes:

Life's a Beach:

Favorite Beach locations:

Venice, Florida

We as a family took our first long vacation back in 1997...the boys were old enough to figure out what was going on and enjoy the trip.  After stopping in Kentucky at Mammoth Cave, for some cave tours, we headed south to Florida and ended up in my old home town of Venice, Florida(see yesterdays blog).  We had no set itinerary, so we stopped for the night at the Inn at The Beach(which if you look at yesterday's post, is located at the exact spot that old photograph was taken), just across the street from Venice Beach "The Shark Tooth Capital of the World", or so it claims...we ended up staying for 3 days.  Ever since that day vacation, nearly 14 years ago, we have stopped at the Inn for at least a couple of nights on our trips through Venice and on the Gulf of Mexico.

Key West, Florida

That same year, 1997, we headed south from Venice, stopping at youngest sister Kelly's place in Naples, so 90 miles to the south....after a day there, we made the trek down the Tamiami Trail,, old US 41, through the Everglades and then south on US 1 down through the Keys and Key West, at the bottom of the United States.  Key West in not the place for the moral values crowd...but if you know what to expect, it's a fun trip.  The freaks of nature plant themselves in Key West, kind of like the San Francisco set, only sunbaked.  Fruits and nuts abound in the Keys...but you can still enjoy the place.

We  stayed for a few days in 1997 and then again the next Summer as well.  The first year we elected to stay at a Hampton Inn, outside of the main drag on Duval Street, in 1998 we went full tilt, and stayed downtown at the purple behemoth called the Pegasus.  The southern most point, the Hemingway House, Captain Tony's Bar, Sloppy Joes, the now burned down KW Cigar Factory, and others were my haunts...usually opting to have a cold one in the confines of Captain Tony's as Patricia and the kids walked around seeing the sites.

Nha Trang, Republic of Vietnam

I arrived at Nha Trang on July 2, 1969...the first of my two stops in Vietnam during the war.  The AB and the town still live vivid in my memories, even some 42 years since I first stepped foot on that base at the beach.  Not sure how many days I would wander down to the beach, located just outside our main gate(which I worked on numerous occasions as an Air Force Security Cop)...but in my six months there, I would venture to say I soak up beer, sand, and sun, at least a couple of times a week.  A clean beach with Shark Nets to protect the swimmers.  I was never into getting into the South China Sea...but did get my feet wet on a number of occasions.

Today the Beach and town are tourist traps, at least from what I read and see on you tube and the Internet.  Seriously I have little desire to visit Nha Trang or Vietnam, like many of my fellow vets do...I prefer to remember Nha Trang and it's beach in my memories.  It was after-all, my favorite stopping point in the 4 years of Air Force toil.  War or no war, Nha Trang was then and still is in my memories today, my favorite base and town.

So there you have my favorite salt water beaches....there were others as well, including Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, from my early Air Force days at Dover.  Ormond Beach and nearby Dayton Beach, where mom used to Condo for the decade of the nineties into the early 2000s, and where, along with Venice and Lido Beach(Sarasota), Patricia and I spent our Honeymoon in 1977.  So I've got to admit, sometimes "Life is a Beach".  And finally,  I cannot forget where I spent my 5 days of R&R from Vietnam in April 1970...Waikiki Beach, Hawaii...a few days respite from the sites, sounds, and smells of those days in Vietnam.

On the next blog I will look at Lakes and Streams in my favorite places.

back later>>>>

Photos-top left...A shot I took of a fishing boat off the Key West Pier in August 1997.   The new Nikon Camera, which will be getting a workout this weekend.  The Inn at the Beach on Venice Beach Florida...where we have spent many days and nigbts, enjoying my old home town on the Gulf of Mexico.  The Southern Most Point....we got a couple of "beach guys, looking for a couple bucks in the summer of 97, they needed a couple of beers, and took a great shot of the family...Me with the obligatory Black Label Beer, on Nha Trang Beach, my first week in Vietnam, in July 1969...Nha Trang Beach as it looks today, and finally me in April 1970 standing at the water's edge at Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

More from West Viginia...photos and comments...

The Temperature on AccuWeather says 5 above zero...about the same as when I returned from my basketball officiating at Wapakoneta last night....tonight and by tomorrow morning, down to 5 below, so they say.  I'm not sure I can remember a winter that has been constantly below freezing for these long of stretches, in many years.  Nothing like the winter of 1977-78 in northern Wisconsin to be sure, but long enough to have me sick of it and ready for whatever March might bring.

Tonight, in a rare Wednesday game, I travel back to Elida for the second time this week, for a boys Middle School double header...meaning I will miss my baseball rules meeting in Van Wert.  With last week snowed out, I will be getting a late start, but have plenty of time to get my requirements done.  The state rules meeting is a different story...I need to get one in, but the area ones, except Piqua, have passed or were canceled due to snow...my ace in the hole is I can do it on~line.  But this computer has so many firewalls, I cannot get logged in, so I may have to take it over on mom's computer, when I get the time.

Hal and his new bride Lisa, made it back to Ohio yesterday, after a few days extra in West Virginia...both are back at work.  I am sure the short "Honeymoon" was just that, far too short...but at least both have good paying jobs to return to, as they begin their lives together.....

Saturday____

Saturday was the busy and most important day on the West Virginia trip....after morning coffee, the guys, at least 9 of us, headed south to Ghent, West Virginia, to the Winterplace Ski Hills.  Not enough time for the guys that ski(I gave that up years ago) to do that activity, but plenty of time for a few cigars, a few beers, and "tubing" or snow boarding...I choose the beers, and cigars.

However, with my brother-in-law Pat, and Lisa's dad, Tim...we did take a few shots at the Tubing portion...Tim did great, being somewhat younger, Pat at least got down head first...I made it down, albeit backwards the entire way.  Don't know how I got turned around, and once I did, I had no clue how to get turned back forward.  But What The Hell?  I made in down safe and sound, and the old guys can at least say, we gave it a try.

Once done at Winterplace, we headed back to Geno's Pizza in Fayetteville, grabbed lunch and watched some basketball.  While we were doing that, the women were getting their hair fixed and nails done...we guys had the better time I am sure.  We arrived back at 3:30 or so, about 2 hours before the ceremony was set to begin.  Since the vows would take place at our cabin, we relaxed(except Tim who was busy getting some frozen concoction ready for the Sunday getaway breakfast), with a beer or 2 and watched some basketball before heading to the showers...meanwhile Hal and Sam were fitting into their Tuxedos....the rest of us were going to dress casual, with a shirt and tie being the "casual" of choice.

The wedding at 5:30 went off without a hitch....and shortly thereafter we headed to the other cabin(cabin in name only, as I described yesterday, these large houses were much more than mere cabins), where the catered dinner and festivities would be held into the late hours.  I must say the meals, throughout the weekend, were more than outstanding, and nothing could compare to what the caterers fixed for the post wedding meal.  Some gift openings, music, dancing, and shooting pool followed.  Some of the guys were ready for another card game...but I was bushed from the early rise, the food, beer, and ski hills...I hit the sack at about 11pm.  The next morning would see a great breakfast, fixed by Tim and wife, Kim, the New River Gorge Bridge, and a winding way back on US 60 towards Charleston...more later on that.

As I mentioned, at Elida tonight, Van Wert tomorrow, here in town Friday, for the JV portion of a key WBL contest, and a JV game at Allen East for Saturday afternoon.  That will end a busy week.  Next week basketball winds down, then we have the reception for the couple on the 19th...one final fling at basketball February 25th, then some down time before Baseball begins with scrimmages in Mid March.

back later

Photos-top/left Hal and Lisa with the "first dance"...Me at the Winterplace Hills in Ghent, WVa, catching up on some "news"...the guys with cigars and a few beers, comptenplating the tubing to come.  One of the tube runs, and Hemmelgarn celebrating his conquering the run...The location of the Ceremony, me and the boys about an hour before the vows were said, Sam the older brother being the best man for Hal, me and Patricia decked out for the first of our kids to get hitched.  Below:  Hal and Patrica as the Mother/Son song played, Patricia picked that out.. Anissa dancing with Hal and "Lamb Chop"...our daughter had a great time...and finally my beer of choice for the weekend, the Yuengling Black and Tan, along with some regular Yuengling Lager.

The Return of Summer

12:55PM

I am not a believer in man caused Global Warming, I spent 20 years in Environmental Health work, and have seem my share of bullcrap spewed out by so called scientists...most are left wing socialist types with an agenda...that agenda is to lay guilt on Americans, and get their own piece of the pie...that pie is the US Taxpayers wallets.

Now even though I don't believe in man made climate change, there is no doubt that the climate is changing...my educated guess is that it is just in the natural cycle of things. When we moved back to Ohio in 1962 from sunny south Florida it was cold, damn cold, lots of snow, and 5 months I didn't enjoy....once moving back to Ohio in 1980(for good, I guess), the winters were pretty much the same...lots of cold temps, and lots of snow....can't say the same today. My wife bought me a good quality snow blower a few years back...I don't think I've used it more than a dozen times in the past 7 winter seasons....which is all right by me, I don't get a thrill out of that at times necessary activity. So I am convinced the weather is warming, take a look no farther than today, October 5th...record high of 90 degrees, with no cool down in sight until the middle of next week.

Last nights 8th Grade football game at Elida was more proof...about 85 degrees at game time(5pm) and I dropped the sweat to prove it...the home team Elida dropped my hometown kids, Celina 42-6...the two schools play tonight in what has been dubbed the WBL Battle for the Basement...the Varsity teams are both 0-6, and this could be the winner's only victory...Celina will probably prevail, only because they have played their opponents closer...and if they win tonight, the local Bulldogs may actually win a couple of games.

Anyway, the heat is back on....and as much as I dislike full blown winter, I am ready for some 65 to 70 degree days, which probably won't happen, we'll probably drop right into winter.

10 years ago

____________Actually it was 10 years ago in August... in 1997(but since it feels like August why not?), that the family first went to that "Freak Show" called Key West....always a spot for writers and so-called artists, Key West these days has become a dropping off spot for the world's freaks of nature...but we still enjoyed it. After spending a few days in my old home of Venice, we headed south to the Keys...I actually want to show the boys, at that time, 15 and 13 years old what a show Gay Old Key West was. They got their eyes opened to a different culture, and had a good time...The heat in August in Florida is always something to behold, especially in south Florida. We stayed a couple of days, got some good photos, bought some quality cigars at the now burnt down Key West Cigar Factory. The family had a great time for a couple of days...we then headed up I-95 to Daytona Beach and then Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame...all-in-all, with stops at Monmouth Cave(Kentucky), Venice, Key West and Daytona(Florida) the Chesapeake Bay Bridge(Maryland), and finally Cooperstown, it was our first long family vacation, and still(at least for me) ranks up with the best.

{photos-the family at the "southern most point"....sunset at the docks of Key West....and sign shots of the tourist bar Sloppy Joe's, and my favorite bar in KW, Captain Tony's...the last I heard the Captain Tony Taransco(sp?) was still alive and kicking at 93 years old.}

If you've ever or never been to Captain Tony's.....Jimmy Buffet sings about it in his "Last Mango in Paris"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT-2P031WJA

prh

Nick at Nick's...The Twin Cities

12 Noon

Back from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area from the weekend. Took in part of the Indians/Twins series, Minnesota appears to be making another late season run, as Cleveland and Detroit slump. We arrived Friday late rush hour, and really not much traffic despite the I35W Bridge disaster. We got out yesterday(Sunday) around 8:30 Central AM time.

Observations.....we walked around Sunday AM before the game started, heading towards the bridge area, the local cops had things under control, and nobody was getting close to the area. The only notable thing was a few idiot war protesters with their phony signs "Build Bridges Not Bombs" typical ass clown left wing solution for everything...buy hey! It's all Bush's fault, isn't it? Anyway, I ignored these burnt out hippies of my generation, Nick was not as kind...he pretty much insulted them all....and being the manly liberals they were, they pretty much looked away....you know, if you look away from your antagonists, they can't see you??? LOL!

Anyway, enough of the lefties, it wasn't about those clowns. The weekend was our usual...drink beer, smoke cigars, watch baseball, drink beer, smoke cigars, drink a glass of Drambuie on the rocks...you know the routine. Olson still inhales those nasty machine made stogies...how, I'll never know...if it isn't a fine hand rolled smoke, well, it just isn't a smoke.

The sunny drive up, by-passing Chicago, was pretty non-eventful, the drive back, highlighted by clouds and some rain(cool temps too) through Wisconsin was OK...then came Chicago, I decided to take 94 through the city, usually quicker than the toll road(294)..big mistake, Sunday traffic, along with the large construction project was a mess....2 hours to go the 29 miles. We picked up Sam's car in Nappanee on the way back, Nick drove that, and make it back to Celina last night just after 9...about 12 1/2 hours total. Anyway, we agreed no more taking the Minnesota trip, unless we go through Michigan and the Upper P.....a little longer, but taking a trip anywhere near Chicago, is out of the question.....it is the worst traffic around, beats LA, Orlando, and Atlanta, and they are bad enough.

10 years ago
______________Took our first family vacation to Florida in 1997. Even though I grew up there, the family as a whole had not been there. Mom has been wintering there since 1989, Mike lived off and on for years at Homosassa, and youngest sister Kelly and her Dane husband Michael moved to Naples from St Croix, USVI, in 2002 or so.

We really had no plans on exactly what we were going to do...15 year old Sam was given some freedom to map out the 9 days. We started off heading to Manmouth Caves in Kentucky, after a day and night there we headed south to Florida. We arrived in my old hometown of Venice, and grabbed a large room at the Inn at the Beach. We really had no plans from there, but the place was so darn nice, and right next to the beach, we ended up staying for 3 days just relaxing. We then headed south once again to Key West...the freak show as I call it. Couple of days there watching the goings of another beach city changed forever, not in a good way, by the freaks of nature, we headed up Florida's east coast to Daytona Beach, mom's winter home at the time(actually she lived in Ormond Beach, just to the north). Then on to Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and on to Cooperstown, NY. The first ever long vacation to multiple locations was deemed a success, and we made variations of that theme until the boys one at a time finished high school.

prh