Chapter 85 - Memory Lane and other Adventures

We start this Chapter on a nostalgic note, or should I say, notes.

I met Mary in Salem and picked up three boxes she had of more junk I had at the house in El Paso. Old Stuff making Old Memories. What I consider my Little Treasures, those memories.

And surprises!! Like these. I had completely forgotten about these. I worked at Montwood Middle School, Home of the Mighty Moose and so I collected, evidently, Moose thingies. I do not remember any of these. I'm pretty sure the Bart came into my possession because Tom and I would watch the show EVERY Sunday. I think the Gumby was Joe's thing but, hahahaha, I ended up with it.

Hahaha, the things we collect. And, yeah, I admit I am a huge packrat. It pains me, physically and emotionally to throw out these old keepsakes. When I was cleaning out the garage in Washington after Kristi brought back a lot of my stuff from El Paso, I threw away a LOT of memories from Germany and the Army. I was encouraged to and I understood it was better to do it sooner than later but, still.

When my Dad passed, I went back and for my Mom, I went through all of his personal things and, because she couldn't, disposed of them. I remember feeling, very strongly, that I was, in effect, erasing my Dad. It was an ugly and painful feeling.

I saw where I had to do it. Mom couldn't. Someone had to but...it really hurt. I put some in the pile for Good Will and some in the pile for the trash and some in the pile for keepsakes. And I felt like I was erasing my Dad's existence.

I felt the same way in that garage. I didn't want to have my kids feel like I did and that's what motivated me to be ruthless and throw away so many of my memories. I didn't want one of my children to carry around that burden in their heart the way I've carried it.

And I threw away a lot of stuff that was valueless to anyone else but it mattered to me. That was tough.

And now I get to, in a minor way, do it again. So the majority of these little stuffed animals will be going to a program run by Operation Gratitude that collects them to send them to troops overseas so they can pass them out to, "save lives when troops befriend Afghan and Iraqi children by giving them small toys." So maybe they'll be useful elsewhere.

Eh, what the Hell!?! Ain't doing me any good anymore. I have no classroom to display them in, not desk to jolly up with crap like this.

Now this brought back some huge memories.

My Yashica TL Super. Wow!!

I bought this camera in Vietnam. This was the second camera I had ever bought and the first SLR. When I was going overseas, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what unit I was being assigned to or what I would be doing. It was all a great adventure and I was finally getting the opportunity to prove myself as a man. I felt like I was walking in the footprints of the heroes that had gone before me. I was risking it all.

While I was in Oki, I wanted to start getting pictures but I thought I'd be out in the bush and didn't want to carry a heavy (and believe me, these old cameras were heavy!! Just pick up this TL Super and you'll be surprised!!). I went to the PX there in Oki and found a little camera, I thought of it as my "Spy" camera, that would be great for me. 

It was light and small so it would easily fit into my pocket and still be available whenever I saw something I wanted to shoot. And I guess, even back then, I wanted to 'document' my journey, my adventure. Hah!! It was a small 16mm camera. You'd buy the film and it came in a small plastic canister like roll. You'd just put it in the camera and wind it up. After you exposed, you just had to open the camera and pull out the film thingie and then get it developed. 

It was cheap and easy, like me. There was a little dial that you used to set the controls. It had Sun, Cloudy, Shade and so on. Little pictures to give you an idea of what you should choose with the light you had available.

Anyway, it is what I had. I shot in B&W (hahaha, even back then!!). I evidently wasn't happy with it. Life happens and I was assigned to the 5th Comm Bn and then, after NCO School, (yeah, they sent me to NCO School right after I arrived. Go figure!) I was sent to III MAF. I was only supposed to be there for a short period to allow myself to acclimatize to the weather in Vietnam. Yeah, that didn't work out.

Anyway, I guess I got tired of the crappy pictures with the little, and I had the name Minolta, flash across my mind, camera. Oh rare occasions I was able to get over to the big PX at the air base and saw this camera and, on a whim, bought it.

I didn't use it much in Vietnam. I mostly just worked and, when I could, drank. But this camera would become more important to me when I got to Panama and had a family to get pictures of.

And here it was. 

WOW!! 

Big memories.

And this. I had forgotten about this. I obviously felt it momentous enough that I had to commemorate the date I arrived in-country on a lighter.

What a pleasant surprise this was. There's my Service Number...back when the Marines still issued Service Numbers. And they went numerically, so if I met someone who's service number was, say, 2052749 then I knew they'd been in the Corps longer than me.

At the Club you'd meet a new guy and challenge with "What's your Service Number?" and the Boot would have to buy the first round. 

And it works. Still.

But I discovered that, for some unknown reason, I replaced the original innards with ... something. It's not the original innards. I am going to buy a Zippo and put those innards in and see if the cover works again.

And this!! Oh, the crap I save.

I got this in 1970. It was a Spiro Agnew Watch back when Spiro was still the VP for President Nixon. Hahaha, I thought I was hip and groovy. 

And, sadly, this is all that is left. The back and the crystal and the band are long, long, long ago gone.

Wow, there really was a lot of old crap in those boxes.

Alright, staying in the camera mode here's the camera I used to make movies of my babies...until I bought the VHS Camera. No, this one was a Super 8 Movie Camera. It had zoom and was pretty fast, too. A real modern marvel...and I got movies of my kids.

Now, the neat thing is that, right next to it, is the movie camera my Dad bought to take pictures of his kids. Yeah, that's the one he used. I can still see him holding it up and moving around for the best movie pictures.

How cool is that!?!

And it was heavy duty, too. Solid metal here. No plastic casing at all. This camera hit the market in 1953 but I'm sure my Dad didn't have it before '55.

Simple to use. Once it was loaded, you'd wind it up with the crank handle and then push the little metal band down to shoot. When it wore down, you'd rewind it and shoot again. 

To load it, well, that was a bit complicated. First you had to get to a low-light area. Even if it's just the shade of a tree. Wind it up, take off the side and pull out the empty spool. Then insert the new spool and pull out a bit and run it through the sprockets in front of the lens. Once it is through then you advance the film to make sure it is seated properly (this is why you wind it up before you load it) and to give you enough of a lead to put it onto the empty spool and reseat that to take up the exposed film. Run it again just a bit to make sure the film is being taken up by the spool then put the cover back on.

Simple, eh?

This was a lot easier. The film was in a cassette and you just opened the back end so you could slide in the cassette. Close it and start shooting. Oh, and no winding. It had a motor but it ran through the batteries.

And it zoomed, too.

I don't know where this thing came from. It's mine now and has been in storage for several decades. A SAVOY 620mm camera. A semi-large format. No motor. No battery. No hassles. Load it (in the dark) and then turn the knob until the number '1' appeared in the little window and you knew the film was lined up and you were ready to shoot.

Bam!!

Then you'd wind the knob until the number '2' appeared. 

You just had to get the right film and then shoot away.

Oh, look. The things on the right are boot blouses. You'd hook this around your leg just above the boot top and then you'd roll up the trousers up into itself, blousing the trousers, and these stretch bands would hold them in place. I don't think they use these anymore. They'd leave a groove around my leg at the end of each day.

Some stripes and a name tag.

Stupidest thing I ever did was to retire when I did. Stupid.

This is a piece of the flatware one of my Grandmothers had. I think it was Grandma Seagrove but I'm not sure. I know Mom had a set and we used it through our childhood. And this is all that's left.

Kinda sad, eh?

This was a pleasant surprise. Actually, I also found the set I was issued by the Army but they used my SSN as my Service Number so I don't take pictures of those.

But here's my Marine Tags.

Last Name

Initials

Service Number and Blood Type

Branch and Sex

Religion

Hahaha, I was a young pup when I first got these tags.

OK, I was 17 when I joined the Marines. I didn't register for the Draft because, well, when I turned 18 I was already in and so it was kind of a moot point, right!?!

One of the things I learned as I was processing out was that I was still required to register for the Draft because I had not yet done so. I got out of the Corps on the 26th of June and had my Draft Card by the 7th of August. Here it is, front and back.

I was "IV-A" whatever that meant. I guess it meant I had served and was just letting them know that if it got real desperate, I was still available.

At least I didn't burn it.

Yeah, I keep everything. Well, I would if I could.

In 1975 the Lions Club gave out these little doo-dads for your key chain. That was my License Plate Number in the Canal Zone. I had it on for a while and then I saved it. 

Same year Amy was born.

Ah, great times!! We all had a blast in Germany. It was great. And one of the fun things we got to do were the Volksmarches. Essentially an organized walk through the countryside and, sometimes, parts of a city. 

What was really neat was that each one had a unique award, a medal, a mug, a plaque, whatever. Oh, and they had a beer tent with Brats and so much more.

Here's one of the few medals left. The only one I have. It's from 1985, the year Allie was born, a Volksmarch in K-Town, where we lived.

Ah, good times. 

Whoa!! I thought these were lost for eternity!!

Football letters!! The blue ones are from Arroyo High. I lettered two years Varsity Track and Football. The smaller letter is for B or C Football. It's the one I had on my Letterman's Sweater. Ah, I wish I still had that sweater...and it still fit. I wish I had the Varsity Jacket, too. Lost on the Road to Now.

OK, the second letter, the RH one. The year I played for Rio Hondo, we won the Southern California Conference Championship. So, instead of putting the letter on the jacket, the Coaches had them stitch in our Championship.

You see, Rio had been the doormat for the 4 or 5 years of its existence. And our team in 1970 wasn't expected to be any different. First off, there weren't that many of us and we weren't too big, either.

Somehow, after a loss to Cypress, we won and kept on winning. I remember our most exciting game against LACC. Fourth Quarter and we scored to lead 28-27. They had the ball and the meanest, roughest, strongest running back we'd ever played. But, somehow, our defense held and we won. Wow.

We were so short of personnel that I started as a second-string LB. The second game the left Defensive Tackle injured his neck and the coaches needed a warm body to fill in. They tried out a bunch of guys and I was the best choice (talk about desperate). And so I was the starting Left Defensive Tackle for the rest of the season and into the Play-offs.

We beat Cypress in the first-round of State Play-Offs and the lost to Fullerton CC in the second, semi-final, game. Fullerton went and lost the State Championship to Bakersfield CC. I remember hearing that Fullerton blamed part of their loss to BCC on how many of their starters were injured and hurting from the game with us. It was a great game. I think the score was 13-7 FCC. We played our hearts out and it was a hard-hitting game.

And we got the First Ever Championship for Rio Hondo CC. And those nifty Letterman Jackets with the stitching in them. 

I hope the kids still have them. I gave the Letterman Sweater to Allie and asked her not to give it away. I think Tom got the jacket. I hope he has held onto it. I'm afraid to ask.

That was both fun and sad; melancholy with a purpose.

OK, let's move on!!

Sunsets!! They're BACKKKKK!!!!

With a vengeance. OK, doesn't this look like one of the scenes from GWTW? Seriously, I expect to see Scarlett come up and stand, silhouetted, against the evening sun.

I deliberately chose to frame using the bluff and the Hardy Boys Mystery House. It worked.

It was another colorful sunset. There haven't been many this year. I'm looking forward to more this coming Autumn.

And I played around with some of the other features and got different results with the same subject.

And I do love me some ZOOM. 

And the panoramic effect.

It was a field ripe with opportunity and I grabbed every one I could. 

And, no, they are NOT all represented here. A goodly number of them but not all. 

Day is done...gone the sun...

Panoramic AND sunset.

Winnah, Winnah! Chicken Dinnah!!

Just a few more.

Oh, quit cher bitchin'!!

Annnnnnnnnd, we are done.

You're welcome.

Kind of a let down to go from Spectacular Sunsets and go to, yawn, puzzles but, there you are.

Hahaha, walkin' on the Wild Side with Ol' Smilin' Jack.

And again I celebrate, in my very small life, the pleasure, the sense of completing something that comes with placing the very last piece into a puzzle.

Mission accomplished.

It was a puzzle about Dogs In the Park.

And there you are, plenty of dogs in this park. The hard part was the trees and the buildings. That was a wee bit frustrating, y'all.

But it was brainless, mind-numbing fun. 

Right up my alley!!

Oh, they all look so happy. No dog shit in sight in this world!!

Ah, if only.

Then back to pure nostalgia for another world that never existed. But my Mom loved it. I do, too.

In this mythical land there's Dad helping Little Jackie with the pumpkin. And even the Crows get in on the fun and help out.

While Mom sweeps the front walk, bakes pies and makes breakfast for her man. 

That's a real fantasy!!

OK, I have another, large and challenging, puzzle waiting for me. You'll see it if I ever get it done.

In the meantime, I went out for a walk!!

WHOA!! What the...!?!

What evil sorcery is this!?!

Yeah, I do that every-so-often. And I always bring a camera. This time I was feeling a little lazy and so I brought the Elph only. And, you know, you can tell. The pictures are good enough but not as clear or sharp as with the G3 X.

Here's one of the architectural gems of LCO - The Dorchester House (DH). It is the pinnacle of architecture here in this small Burg.

And this is the road along the North side of the DH. A straight shot down to the ocean. How cool is that, eh?

And, from the same position, looking North up The 101. Ugly and busy. That's the thing about this city that could be a cute, coastal crown along The 101. No one ever gave it any thought and this is the result. Modern small town American blight.

Ugh. In all this beauty there's this hodgepodge of this-and-that buildings. Nothing is in sync. Nothing is coordinated. It's an ugly pastiche of some of the beautiful cities of the world. Business and money and screw all the rest.

Katie, the Ace Cub Reporter of the Weekly Metropolitan Newspaper, The News Guard, (TNG) was asking about Spike Nasmyth, the Navy Pilot who was held in North Vietnam for 2,355 days. She wants to do an article on him for TNG.

I had the privilege to hear him speak at the Kiwanis Club and then bought his book. Since I had the book I offered to let Katie borrow it and so, on this fine morning (and there have been an unusual number of fine mornings lately) I walked over to the DH, collected up Carol and we headed to the office of TNG to drop off the book.

While we were there, batting the breeze, Katie mentioned she was going over to the Casino to cover the Dog Show later. Oh. What dog show?

And, BAM, we were off. Well, sorta.

I walked Carol back and then went back to the shed for a nap. Hahaha, old guys needs them some naps. And, later, refreshed and ready to go, I picked up Carol and we headed to the Dog Show.

And found this!!

It was all St. Bernards!!

The whole thing was just for this one breed.

Quite an impressive set-up. Each pup got a tent. (Did you catch that? Pup,,,tent!! Hahaha, a Puptent!! I crack myself up!! I really do!!)

I digress. OK, back on track. Each entrant had their own area, their own tent, to prepare their pooch for parading around.

This was really interesting to see all the effort and seriousness these folks had for and put into this event. There's a whole sub-culture here. A St. Bernard culture. They know each other and speak a similar language I'll call Bernardese. Hell, they even have their own souvenirs.

Waiting with Nana for the next event. 

Meanwhile, as we walked around, these doggies were being put through their paces. 

And it was all happening on a gloriously beautiful day right there on the beach. 

Lotsa sun and just a little wind. A great combination!! And a great view!!

A glance up the coast to Cascade Head. Y'see what I mean!?! To continue my 101 rant, here's all this beauty, this natural beauty and then you have to drive on The 101 through ugly LCO. A real disconnect.

OK, back to the puppies. I mentioned earlier about the Bernard sub-culture. It's real. And they take it seriously...look at her left ankle. What do you see?

Yeah, she's got a tattoo of a St. Bernard there...on her ankle...forever and ever.

Wow!!

They had a Pro Photographer there who had this set up all ready to go. The signboard was changeable with just a folded piece of paper to announce the correct award.

The Photog would stand to my left in this picture, by the remote flash. Meanwhile the camera was to my right on a tripod..already focused and ready to go. The Photog would squeeze a toy or call to the dog, she knew them all, too, and then take the shot using a remote shutter release.

Wham, Bam, thank you, Ma'am. Now get your dog outta here.

Here she is getting the next pooch in position.

And, yeah, she knew the people AND the dogs. A closed world, a real sub-culture operating in our midst and we don't even know about it. All with its own language, customs, mores and traditions.

The (slightly off angle because I was several feet to the left of the Pro's camera) final picture.

I'm a Winnah!!

Another round and more pooches. The woman to the right was displaying her dog again. Don't ask my why, I don't know.

And the run-around. There's the judge, to the far right.

I mentioned they had their own souvenirs. Here they are. Books, pillows, footstools, signs and on and on and on.

And clothing, too.

Artwork and all kinds of stuff.

And a shirt from the event here. Pretty nice, eh?

Hahahaha, and you can top it all off with a nifty hat.

They loves them some Bernards.

These dogs are nice but they're way too big for me. I can't even imagine feeding them or following them and picking up after these huge dogs.

When we left, we walked through the Casino. 

I am still fascinated by the intensity with which people come here and spend their money. I mean, what is the freakin' attraction!?! It eludes me!!

I could see playing the slots but I was spoiled over forty years ago when I visited Las Vegas and got to feed nickels into the slot machine and pull the lever. This modern, flashy crap does not look like my idea of fun. You push buttons and then feed in another dollar bill for credits. 

Dull.

And I'd much rather play some poker, etc., around a table at somebody's house. Small talk, cold beer, good chips and no drama. These folks are spending way too much money on those tables to be having fun in my world.

Like our modern world. All flash and little substance.

As shallow as a puddle on a sidewalk. Glitz for no purpose except to take your money.

And my last picture before the security guy came over and politely informed me that taking pictures inside the Casino is NOT allowed. Apparently, what happens in the Chinook Winds Casino (CWC) is supposed to stay in the Chinook Winds Casino.

Well, the Casino does a lot for the community. Like this. They're hosting, this week, a Celebration of Veterans. They do it every year.

Thanks, CWC.

And that brings me to the end of this Chapter. 

It's been interesting. Seems like life is rolling along with not a lot happening and then I try to put together a Chapter and, WOW!! No wonder I'm pooped.

still, I am enjoying myself. I get into some doldrums on occasion. Fall into the pit and have a tough time climbing out but, and here's the pay-off, I usually do climb out. 

Hills and valleys, folks. Hill and valleys.

Life is good.

Hooah!!