Welcome 2014

Christmas Greeting

The wish for everyone:

Teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving Cruise Pictures

Here are a few more photos from the cruise - modes of transportation seen along the way

This was a school bus given to Dominica. It got squished by a tree in a hurricane before it could ever be put to use. 

 Connie & Ed went for a walk on Dominica - vehicle traffic not allowed.

 Back on mainland, flying over Pompano Beach.

 Fishing boat made from a hollowed tree trunk, on the beach in St. Lucia.

 Watching a plane landing from a famous beach bar in St. Maarten.

 Oasis of the Seas - in port in St. Thomas.  A helluva lot of people.

 MS Noordam - our ship - in port in Dominica.

Connie back from the morning run visiting with our new acquaintances, 

Jerry & Merry from Winnipeg.

Barbados Boats

Here are a few pictures from the harbor/port in Barbados taken November 2013.  It's amazing these vessels all in one spot. Some technical and other information has been downloaded from various sources, I take credit for the pictures - they're originals.  Oh, our ship, the MS Noordam was also in the port.

Tug in harbor @ Bridgetown, Barbados

Star Clipper

Royal Clipper

Inspired by the tall ship Preussen (the fastest sailing ship in the world in 1902), the Royal Clipper has the proud distinction of being the largest and only five-masted full-rigged sailing ship. With her complement of 42 sails, Royal Clipper is a splendid sight to behold.

Royal Clipper boasts state-of-the-art navigation systems and every comfort and luxury one could wish for. For connoisseurs of sail cruising, the 439 foot Royal Clipper offers the ultimate sea-going experience, balancing the grandeur, adventure and tradition of sailing with the superb service, amenities and accommodations of the finest modern yacht. Royal Clipper carries just 227 guests in luxurious style. A full 19,000 square feet of open deck and three swimming pools create a wonderfully spacious and expansive outdoor environment.

Seabourn Spirit

Seabourn Spirit is the second of Seabourn’s intimate, all-suite vessels, It was launched in November, 1989.  Seabourn Spirit has 104 ocean-view suites. Complimentary service of fine wines and spirits contributes to a convivial, club-like atmosphere both here and on the open teak decks, where guests find plenty of comfortable seating both in the sun and shade, and ever-attentive service including full bar service, fresh fruit smoothies and sherbets, mineral water spritzes, frozen towels and even sun lotion and sunglass cleaning. A pair of large whirlpool spas grace the sun deck, and a third one is set all the way forward on Deck 5, perfect for watching the world go by . 

SY Fryderyck Chopin is a fully rigged brig whose two masts tower over 100 feet above the water. She spreads almost 13 thousand square feet of sail in 21 sails. Built in 1992, her home port is Szczecin, Poland.  Well-equipped with modern navigation and safety equipment she meets all applicable SOLAS, flag state, and Polish Registry of shipping standards for unrestricted worldwide trade. Designed specifically for the Class Afloat program, her design represents more than 25 years of Class Afloat's experience in leading sea education programs. The vessel is equipped with classroom facilities and accommodation well-suited to her primary purpose as a floating campus. The professional crew members operating the ship and supervising students at sea are selected on the basis of their experience with sailing vessels and projects like Class Afloat. Class Afloat students sail from the Baltic to Scandinavia, Western Europe to the Mediterranean, from Northern and Western Africa to South America, from the Caribbean to North America, forging new standards in leadership, personal development and academic excellence.

In November 2010 the ship suffered severe damage when it was caught in gale force winds. Both of the masts were destroyed and it had to be towed to a European port for repairs.   



HMS Lancaster is a 'Duke' class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 May 1990 and is known as "The Queen's Frigate", the Duke Of Lancaster being an honorary title of the Sovereign. 

HMS Lancaster called into Bridgetown, Barbados, for a four day visit that also marked the island’s Independence Day.

A squad of 15 sailors were sent along to participate in the 47th Independence Day celebrations; dressed in their tropical ceremonial uniforms they marched alongside the country’s police, fire brigade and defence force.

HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, Commander Peter Laughton MBE, said,

“It has been a great honour and privilege for me to bring Lancaster to Barbados, not only to help mark their 47th Independence Day but also as this marked my first port visit as the Commanding Officer of HMS Lancaster.

“Barbados and the Royal Navy have strong ties that go back centuries and I hope this visit has been able to strengthen those ties and build on new ones, ensuring they go on for many more years to come.”

Now headed home to Portsmouth, HMS Lancaster, has been on drug smuggling and law enforcement details for several months.      Edited from navaltoday.com.

Selling Taos Ski Valley

Okay, it's one of those...I remember when...moments!

This memory sparked by the news that the Blake family and other investors in Taos Ski Valley have sold to a billionaire.  Here's hoping it's good for all.

While growing up in Taos and attending the Taos Municipal Schools - if the grades were good - we could take off on a Wednesday afternoon for a ski trip - it was either Taos, Red River, or SiPaPu.

SiPaPu was more of my ability.  The Texans had invaded Red River.  So that left Taos as our cherished "ski area".

Our instructor, I think, was Ernie Blake - the founder of the area. We were taking lessons only four or five years after the area opened.

Those were the days, my friend, when ski wear, bindings, shoes and skis as we know it today didn't exist.

The trip to ski on Wednesday meant, to me, an afternoon of standing and falling in the snow.  And those Levi's we wore got wet, and froze.  Oh, what fun!  My skiing "career" ended on those slopes, in those days.

And, in those days, Ernie Blake personally called all the radio stations to report the skiing conditions.   To this day, I can hear his Austrian accent - which was much more pronounced during the winter on the radio (marketing) than it was during the summer just talking to him -

"This is Ernie Blake calling from Taos Ski Valley - the snow today is beautiful - however getting here will be kind of difficult because the roads haven't been cleared by the highway department."

Ernie did that for years and then finally the road up Hondo Canyon was paved and getting there is no problem.

There was a time when TSV didn't welcome the daily skiers from Albuquerque. TSV wanted people to come from Chicago on the train to Lamy or Raton and stay for a week (be held captive) in the few hotels that existed.

Those times changed as the family recognized the money to be made by the day skiers.   Then there were the snowboarders. The Blake's resisted for a long time, but recognized the financial gain from boarders, so they are now welcome.

With new owners, I'm confident TSV will grow and prosper - meeting the dreams of the Blake family - and helping New Mexico's ski industry grow.

That means more folks will get there, stand at the base - look at Al's Run - and not know the history behind the name.

Dr. Al Rosen was one of the few doc's in Taos - he was our family doctor - and he used to ski with an oxygen tank on his back.

Ah, the memories  -

Cruisin' Barbados -

 Here's a map of the cruise from which we just returned:

While on Barbados we went by Mick Jagger's place.  He must not have gotten the message we were coming.  The gate was open, but nobody around.

More in the coming days

Christmas in Florida

How many Lauderdale-By-The-Beach workers does it take to set up Christmas lights?

Here's the answer:

Any other questions?

Have a Happy

Sniper Kills Kennedy - Albuquerque Journal

JFK SLAIN HEADLINE

Remembering JFK Breaking News

November 22, 1963

‘Hey Rodger, did you hear, the President’s been shot and the Governor’s been killed.”

I was in Albuquerque heading back to my dormitory room at UNM when a buddy delivered those words.   I wondered, why would anyone want to shoot UNM’s President Popejoy or New Mexico’s Governor Campbell?

It did not take but a few minutes for me to figure out what was really happening. In the lobby of Coronado Hall folks were gathered around a radio and the black & white TV. 

Not knowing what to do, I headed for the Anthropology Lecture Hall for 1:30 Sociology class.  

Dr. David Varley came in the side door, walked up to the green chalkboard, picked up a piece of chalk and wrote “No Class” turned and walked out the door. 

He didn’t say a word. 

He didn’t have to.

                                                ###

In those days, reporting news as a bit different that it is today.  First word of the shooting came from radio stations across the country who heard clanging bells on news wire teletype machines.

UPI’s Merriman Smith, dean of the White House Press Corp, was in a vehicle provided by the phone company that was used for the pool reporters.  Pool reporters are those trusted to tell their colleagues what happens - because there's not room for everyone in one car (or bus or plane).   Smith, sitting in the front seat, had first access to the radiophone. He recognized the sound of gunshots, grabbed for the phone and had the operator call the local UPI Dallas Bureau.  

As a side note, in those days there were two very competitive wire services, UPI and AP.  UPI has since gone away.  AP, a cooperative of member media outlets, continues.

Here’s what the UPI teletype was doing at the time, and how UPI broke the news.  UPI’s wire was being used by another bureau when the New York headquarters broke in with the bulletin.

The Minneapolis bureau wanted to correct something they had said, and New York told all bureaus to "UPHOLD"… New York (NX) told Dallas (DA) to take over the wire "IT YRS".  Atlanta’s bureau then started filing a correction to an earlier story. Again all bureaus were told again by headquarters to "UPHOLD".

The Associated Press reporter, Jack Bell, Smith’s biggest rival, was in the back seat of the same vehicle along with Bob Clark from ABC News.  Bell pounded on Merriman Smith’s back, demanding to have the phone, but Smith did not relinquish until arriving in the parking lot at Parkland Hospital. 

First word on the Associated Press wires came via information phoned in to the AP’s Dallas Bureau from one of their staff members, Ike Altgens, who on that day was taking pictures for the AP photo service.  As recalled in an AP book on the assassination, "The Torch is Passed..." Bob Johnson answered the phone.

Johnson moved up the AP ladder, becoming Managing Editor for the worldwide operation. He moved to New Mexico years later and was a guiding force for freedom of the press and open government for many years.

Travel - TWA, Continental, America West, Continental Trailways

So…merger mania continues in our transportation world…and it doesn’t bode well for Albuquerque and other small-medium population centers.

Remember  TWA, gobbled up by American Airlines.  They flew one of these jumbojets to ABQ.

Remember Continental Airlines, the proud bird with the golden tail, gobbled up by United Airlines.

Remember America West Airlines, gobbled up by US Airways, soon to be gobbled up again. 

Remember Continental Trailways...

Remember Greyhound –  and leave the driving to us!

And now comes word that AMTRAK may realign their service to New Mexico, dropping Raton, Las Vegas, Lamy.   The day may come when we'll say, "Remember The Super Chief?"

Remember?

Veteran's Day

What Veteran's Day is all about!

Daylight Time

Got some time to waste, check out this clock!

Halloween Count

Candy Count:

2013 - 89  (biggest push between 7:30 and 8)

2012 - 67 (biggest push between 8 and 8:30)

2011 - 90 (biggest push between 8:30 and 9)

This information will be forwarded to experts and talking heads for further analysis.

Deer Hunting

I was inspired to tell a story after seeing reports of game wardens in search of poachers.  Well, its deer season after all.

There was a time when this time of year brought about, for me, bright orange vests and the promise of a few hours with Dad and his friends.   It’s deer hunting season.

A few stories –

A group of “elders” (I say elders, they seemed that way to my young eyes) in the community of Taos would gather each year at the D-H Lawrence ranch near San Cristobal.  Some of the participants were there to drink fine whiskey, eat steak and play poker until the wee hours of the morning.  Us “serious” hunters – I was really just a kid - would go to sleep early and head out before daybreak, sneaking along the edges of fields of feed – waiting to fire a shot at a poor unsuspecting deer.  Quite often we scored.  By the time we got back to camp the poker players had long departed for home.  The rest of us stayed around for another day.

When we weren’t successful on the “big hunts,” Dad and I (and maybe a couple others) would take off about mid-afternoon and head over to Tres Piedras in search of ol’ Stag.  We’d fire at least one shot each year – just to make us feel good.

Another time a bunch of folks trekked from Taos over to an old schoolhouse somewhere around Roy.  My mother and her brothers had grown up in those parts – and some of her brothers (my uncles) and a bunch of other Taoseňos headed over year one year on a deer hunting expedition.

I can tell you it was a successful time.  There were a bunch of hunters, all with the appropriate license.  Some of us could actually shoot.  I recall that trip specifically.  We were going through the game and fish checkpoint at Cimarron and had so many deer feet sticking up from the back of the pickups, the game wardens just looked at all of us and waved us through.  Good thing – I think we had one too many – but the statute of limitations has long expired and most of those on that hunting trip have gone to the happy hunting grounds.

I’ll post another hunting story that involves a life and death chase (really) through mountain roads in the dark of night in northern New Mexico.

In the meantime, here’s a picture of what I believe to be a pheasant or a grouse release along a creek in Taos.  

In this photograph are – as best I can tell – from left to right:

Tom Holder, NM Game & Fish Warden; Jack Brandenburg a prominent banker and business leader (notice he’s wearing a suit); the gentleman standing in the “curly” hat is Tom Tarleton, and kneeling at the pheasant stand are Dow Bond (white hat) and Sam Beimer (dark sweater and dark hat).  Notice the famous Taos Mountain in the background.  I’m guessing about 1960.

FedEx, 910, Albuquerque Sunport

From our international sunport, a couple of interesting sights these days:

A Boeing 727-200F aircraft from FedEx Express, N485FE, sits astride what used to be runway 17-35. (The runway has been closed to use, but the pavement still exists.)

Since 2000, FedEx has donated 67 of its Boeing 727 aircraft to aviation schools, municipal and airport fire departments, colleges and museums for training and education. 

It is one of the original “workhorse freighters” a FedEx official said, having flown for 20 years all across the country. 

A city of Albuquerque news release said it’s expected the ol’ workhorse will be used for emergency preparedness training (as reported in the local paper recently) and eventually, an interpretive and learning center for the children of our community."

  

And, on the other side near the area where freight planes load and unload every day is this:

This DC-10 Air Tanker is one of two converted McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliners.  The plane carries up to 12,000 US gallons of water or fire retardant in an exterior belly-mounted tank, the contents of which can be released in eight seconds.  Call-sign Tanker 910.  The aircraft is capable of applying a line of retardant or water 300 ft wide by 1 mile long.

Albuquerque may be in fact a new headquarters for the plane which at one time was stationed in Victorville, CA and has been rumored to be “living” in Wyoming or Montana.

At least one of these two airplanes will "fly on" someday.

El Paso Chihuahua Dogs

El Paso has gone through a great experience to bring AAA baseball to town - much like Albuquerque's model of 10 years ago.

We have our Isotopes (the ball players, not those things they study at the national labs) and the El Pasoans are going to have their Chihuahuas:

They'll sell a lot of merchandise.

The question remaining is from the hot-dog world  (ohhh all the puns)... There are Dodger Dogs, and there used to be Duke Dogs in Albuquerque (pre-Isotopes)...now when you order a hot dog at the El Paso stadium next year, will you have a "Dog Dog" or a "Chihuahua Dog"?

Hmmmmm!!!

Bourbon, Catsup and Golf

So, the story of the trip through the midwest continues.

Here Connie and I stand, somewhat drenched in rain in front of a mock President's Cup.  We'd been to the Jack Nicklaus designed Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio to watch The President's Cup. 

Exciting. 

After seeing acres and acres of soybeans and corn, we came upon quite a sight.  The world's largest catsup bottle, in a small town just east of St. Louis. 

The Buffalo Trace distillery was also subject to a drop by.  And then, about a week after we had visited, roughly 65 cases of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon was reported missing. 

The Wall Street Journal said in July,  “the bourbon (is) so popular even billionaires can’t find it.”  Some call it the finest bourbon whisky in the world.

Pappy is aged 20 years and bottled at 90.4 proof. It retails for about $130 but the price can skyrocket on the secondary market — generally $300-$400 a bottle, or more. One California liquor store with two bottles of 20-year-old Pappy in stock Thursday was asking about $1,200 each in its online store.  (That's not Pappy in those barrels. We heard folks talking about it, but didn't get to see it.)

We didn’t take it.  We didn’t even get to sample it.  But, I can tell you the stuff we sampled was pretty tasty! 

My Old Kentucky Home

So, driving down the avenue along the Kentucky/Tennessee border a while back curious about the land and the landscape in the area where some of my kinfolk once lived I came across the Jefferson Davis Memorial - a Kentucky State Park - commemorating the famous Kentuckian who became the first (and only) President of the Confederate States of America.  Davis was born in the vicinity on June 3, 1808.

Does it look at all familiar?

At 351 feet tall, it is said to be the world's tallest concrete obelisk.  The walls are seven feet thick at the base, two feet thick at the top.  An elevator runs to an observation room on top.  It is eerily similar to the Washington Monument, the world's largest stone monument.  The Washington Monument was begun in 1848 but not completed until 1884.  Construction on the Jefferson David Monument wasn’t started until 1917. 

"Kentucky, my own, my native land. God grant that peace and plenty may ever run throughout your borders. God grant that your sons and daughters may ever rise to illustrate the fame of their dead fathers and that wherever the name of Kentucky is mentioned, every hand shall be lifted and every head bowed for all that is grand, all that is glorious, all that is virtuous, all that is honorable and manly."

All of the above were in Fairview, Kentucky.  Then just a little ways down the road, in Russellville, another plaque:

I wonder if kinfolk were part of that?  Some of them lived in these parts about then!