Category: Life’s Triumphs

Solar Eclipse – Monday August 21, 2017

We went to the Solar Eclipse today at latitude 44°26.1009′ just north of Redmond, Oregon.  As many have said before a total solar eclipse can not be explained in words.
I wanted to show the difference between the way things looked before the eclipse and then during, however I was not prepared for the change in light levels.  I took this before picture with ISO 125 and shutter speed 200.  This is the back yard of the truly great people who offered up their beautiful home so we could see 1 minute 38 seconds of the total eclipse.
This is the same picture with the same camera settings during the total eclipse.

Here are the pictures I got of the sun during the total eclipse.

If you’d like the original picture you can click on these thumbnails.

This is what an eclipse can do to a rabbit, this one now has three ears.

Truly a great moment and impossible to explain.

Spring Training – Friday March 17, 2017 Weather

It was warm today.

90 degrees in the shade under the motor home, 100 under the awning and 119 in the sun.

No game today however the weather is warm, 9:15 and it is 77 here and 38 at the big house, think I’ll spend the day here.  

Big day’s: 

       six years ago today was Brian’s last chemotherapy 

       Yesterday was our 43rd wedding anniversary, married for 43 years means our children are getting old.

 

Tucson, NM – Navy Reunion – Monday November 6, 2016

During my time in the Navy I spent a year in Danang Vietnam (71-72) with a unique group of sailors and marines.   We had a large reunion in October of 2013 in Tampa Florida which was an amazing time.

Several months ago I was in contact with Jim Inks who lived in Norwalk Ohio and was in the process of beginning the fulltime RV life style.  I told him we would be in the southwest during September to November and to let me know if he gets into the southwest.  Last week we discovered we would be camping within 10 miles of each other.    We got together for dinner, the first time Jim and I have had an opportunity to talk in 44 year.  We were both in Danang from October 1971 to November 1972.
Here are a couple from years gone by:
That is Jim on the left and Mike Farmer on the right.

Jim is in the middle with the handlebar mustache.

Ok, I showed some pictures of Jim 44 years ago, here is a couple of me.

 

Retirement One Year – Friday July 3, 2015

Today is one year of retirement for me and a year and a week for Jean.

It is truly amazing that a year has gone by.   Here are some of our accomplishments:

Participated in Tanya and Mike’s wedding

Don’t wear a watch anymore, took it off on the afternoon of July 3, 2014
Hiked into a number of places in Crystal Mountain Valley several times.
Fitbit says
Last year 3,075,341 steps
1,435.53 miles
This week 37.9 miles 81.802 steps

Turned 65, got medicare

Two long trips:  August to November – May and June
149 nights in the motor home
9720 miles driven in the motor home
Oregon
Nevada
California
Arizona
New Mexico ( over a month )
Utah
Idaho

Purchased 2010 Ford Ranger 4X4 (retirement goal was to replace my pickup)
Boat, Dad and I purchased in 1977 is back up and fishing, set in the garage from about 1979 to retirement.

Wrote 122 blog posts

weight:
231 to 214
Then 226 to 219

I don’t yawn all the time. For at least the last 20 years I would yawn a lot during the day. I don’t yawn at all during the day and very seldom in the evenings. I say 20 year because it was a problem while at Walt’s Radiator and Muffler, folks thought I was bored during the afternoon staff meetings. I think it might be because I actually get to sleep all night and not worrying about the next day etc. Don’t know for sure why, I just know I don’t yawn much anymore.

Jean has read over 70 books

 

Home: Wednesday – April 29, 2015 – Retirement Goal Achieved

One of my retirement goals was to start doing some lowland lakes trout fishing.  Today was my first day out on Lake Wilderness.  I got to the lake a little after 7:00 a.m. and had my five trout by 11:15 a.m.
They range from 8 to 12 inches.
This is an aerial view of the lake’s location.

Here is a road map view of the lake’s location.

In 1976 Dad and I built two boats for fishing and sailing.  My boat has been in the garage since probably 1979 or so.  We moved to Enumclaw in 1977 and Tanya was born in 1979, I don’t think I have used this boat since Tanya was born.
My boat is the yellow one sitting in the lake.
Here are a couple of pictures of truck I recently purchased and by fishing/sail boat.  It has actually taken a while to get the boat cleaned and to rebuild the trailer.  It needed new tires, lights and hitch coupler.
It was a good day and I’ll be out again tomorrow morning.  Tanya is giving me her BBQ now that she is moving to Poulsbo and I think I have figured out how to use it to smoke trout.

 

Home – Saturday July 4, 2014

First – Happy Birthday to Tanya

According to Tanya she is reaching her mid-thirty’s today.  We are having great weather here so she decided to spend her birthday in Uganda.  Left last Saturday and hopefully she will have her luggage today.

This is the first day for sandals in 2014.  I usually start wearing sandals on the Thursday before Memorial Day when we are heading south for our two week vacation at Zion and southern Utah/Nevada/Arizona etc.

This year sandals days started yesterday July 3rd the first day of my retirement.  The official retirement countdown is Jean 0 – Harry 0.

Here we go ——-