It Figures!

    TUESDAY, APRIL 7TH


     We started planning our trip in
January. You remember January.
Right?
      Clouds, snow, freezing winds,
jackets, gloves, and boots.
      Then February showed up. It
turned out to be a shorter version
of January!
      March came in like a Lion and
left the same way!
       Some sections of our area even
saw snow flurries on our April
Easter Sunday!
        And now?
        As we were packing our bags
the crocus bulbs were popping up
turning into flowers while the
thermometer was showing off its
first 70 degree reading!
       And we, by the time many of
you read this, will be leaving on a
jet plane on our way to Hawaii!
       It figures!
       Just be happy we aren't going
to Alaska. You'd be getting more
snow!
       Oh well. At least the grandson
gave us a head start on our lawn
by spreading some fresh dirt. Maybe
we'll  actually see some grass (remember
that?) when we get back.
      A special thanks to Uncle Karl who
has moved in to our place to watch
over things here while we're checking
out the Kilauea volcano! I think I
heard my wife say something about a
sacrifice.
      I'll be posting my Blogs when
Wifi, the 6-hour-time difference, and
my energy level allows. Hope you'll
bear with me and that all your News
is good!

  

Easter Fallout!

    Easter is a time for tradition.
    In our case a huge Easter dinner with
family followed our Sunday morning
church service.
    Judging from the quantity of food
someone must have been under the
impression the entire congregation had
been invited!
    Easter eating is a big tradition with
our family. But there were enough left
overs to provide lunch for the 109th
Field Artillery or feed a small town in
Mexico!
    And this year there was a new
tradition. At least it was new to us!
It may have come from Mexico.
     A number of colored eggs are
hidden around the back yard. The
kids are sent out to find the eggs.
     That may sound familiar. But
there's a difference. These eggs are
filled with confetti. After they're
found you break them like a small
piñata and the confetti is scattered
about.
      I decided to take some pictures.
      Bad move!
      I should have seen it coming.
But I didn't and, seconds later, I
learned how the eggs can easily
be cracked over one's head!
      I suddenly found myself
showered in tradition. That is,
confetti!
       I'm just thankful they used
the right eggs! Chocolate would
have been such a waste!
       Hope you had a great Easter
and that all your NEWS is good!

Easter Honesty

    Happy Easter everybody.
    It's time to see how you did with
yesterday's "Tell A Lie Day" challenge.
    For those of you who just came in, I
wrote down 5 "facts" about myself and
challenged the readers to determine
which one was a lie.
    Here are those "facts" again.
  (1) I've piloted an airplane.
  (2) I have a gold record.
  (3) I've interviewed two Presidents
  (4) I've been in a Submarine.
  (5) I sang with the Lennon Sisters.
    OK. Time to own up.
    Let's take the airplane first.
    I actually have one hour of flight
training logged as part of a story I did
with the Aircraft Owners & Pilot's
Association. And, yes, I did fly the
plane from takeoff to landing.
    How about the Sub? Well, while
visiting Cleveland a couple years ago
my wife and I toured the USS COD
which is on display right next door
to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
     All too many of you knew that
I "sang" with the Lennon Sisters
backstage at the Bloomsburg Fair in
1963 as part of a radio program I was
doing at that time. I never said I
sounded good. Just that I sang with
them!
     Gold record? Me? Yep! I helped
Penndot by doing a cartoon-like voice
for a character called "Safety Sam" and
the department gave me a gold record
of my recording as a way of saying
Thanks!
      Now to be honest, I did interview
two Presidents. But neither was in office
a the time. Gerald Ford was a former
President when I got to speak with him
and Barack Obama was only campaigning
for the office when he came to Scranton.
     I have never interviewed a sitting
President.........yet.
     Hope you passed the test, enjoyed
the holiday, and that all your NEWS is
good

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

   Honesty is the best policy. But today
you're free to fib!
   April 4th is National Tell A Lie Day!
   Some politicians, of course, have
extended this holiday substantially.
   Last year I told you about a game we
play when hosting trips for Thompson
Tours in Scranton.
   It's called 4 truths and a lie. Each of
us draw up a list of things we've done,
or claimed to have done. Four of the
items are true. But one is a lie.
   Since I challenged you to play along
with me last year I'm hoping you'll
either forget the outcome or will try to
come up with some new offerings.
   Tomorrow, we'll see who picked
correctly. Family members ..please
don't participate.
   OK?  Here we go.
  (1) I've piloted an airplane.
  (2) I have a gold record.
  (3) I've interviewed two Presidents
  (4) I've been in a Submarine.
  (5) I sang with the Lennon Sisters.
      I know you're all shocked that any of
those claims can be untrue. But one of them
is.
      You can write your guess in the column
section! Hope you can guess correctly and
that all your NEWS is good!

Finally...A Shot Of Spring!

     I actually took my jacket off yesterday!
     After so many weeks of below normal
temperatures, with occasional snow thrown
in for good measure, we finally got a shot
of Spring!
      The sun was shining through most of
the day and I saw one of those Time/
Temperature signs flashing 65 degrees!
       I even spotted two convertibles with
their soft tops folded down! Impressive.
But I'd be willing to bet the drivers still
had their heaters turned on!
      A top down cruise may be a shot of
Spring, but mine is still covered waiting for
those 70 degree readings.
      There are signs, in my backyard, that
blossoms are beginning to show up.
      You don't actually have to see them.
      My watering eyes and occasional
cough are sure indications that the old
allergies are acting up.
      That's why I stopped by the doctor's
office and got my personal "shot of Spring."
It's delivered "in the end" and I'm not
referring to the end of Winter!
       Guess I'll be standing to watch the season
show up!
      Hope there's more to come, Spring that is,
and that all your News is good!

Once Upon A Time

 Most of you have probably come
to depend on my writing for details
on exciting news stories over the
years. Or, perhaps, for the insightful
information on unusual holidays or
details of personal incidents I relate
to you each day in this very Blog.
   Right?
   But today, on this "International
Children's Book Day", I thought it
was time to confess that I have also
been involved with writing several
children's stories.
   To be honest I have never
published or made any attempt to
turn my tales into a book although
several people have encouraged me
to do so.
   My stories feature a character I
call "Prince Claude."  His name
sort of tells the story before you
have to read much further!
   He was born in my van one
afternoon when my grand daughter
asked me to tell her a story.
   Having no book at hand I made
up a tale about a young princess
who fell into a well only to have
the misfortune of having a very
"clumsy" prince come to her aid.
He did more harm than good.
    For instance, my noble prince
tossed rocks into the well to give
the princess something that might
help her climb out. If only he had
had told her he was about to toss
those boulders!
    About a week later the same
grand daughter asked to retell
"The Princess In The Well."
    I remembered the theme. But
not the specifics. Thankfully she
remembered virtually all of my
adlibbed fable and was able to
refresh my memory.
    Since then I've written it down,
along with about a half dozen
other stories about my mishap
prone prince.
    My grand daughter even
drew up some illustrations to
brighten the stories.
    I should really do more with
him. The stories come rather
easy. Since they're about a
character that tends to run into
trouble with nearly everything he
does,all I have to do is keep a
daily diary! Just ask my wife!
     Hope you live happily ever
after and that all your NEWS is
good!


    

The Wild, Wild West!

   My recent Blog and photos of the old
team at WILK holding up an area tourist
train got a lot of response! In fact a man
who is in the process of writing a book
about the former Carroll Park & Western
Railroad near Bloomsburg plans to use
the pictures in his publication.
   But our publicity stunt wasn't the only
time I was involved in a "crime" at the
railroad tourist attraction.
   Guess the "old west" setting just
brought out the bandit in me!
   Yesterday I pulled out an old home
movie I shot at same place back in 1969.
It wasn't quite a 20th Century or
Paramount production. After all, I only
had an 8mm movie camera and one roll
of film.
    I did have a cast filled with stars! It
included my wife, my two nieces, Betty
and Patty, and me.
    In the story, I kidnapped my wife,
and tied her to the railroad tracks.
Although I wanted realism my wife
refused to let me use the active rail
line.
    One of my nieces played the hero,
pulling my wife off the tracks just
before the train came by.
    My other niece confronted, or
rather ambushed, me at High Noon,
so that justice would triumph in our
exciting adventure.
     Unfortunately the little railroad
is gone now. That's too bad for a
lot of reasons including the fact I'm
"retired" now and have a lot more
time to hold up trains and have shoot
outs with the Sheriff!
      Hope the new book brings back
great memories and that all your
NEWS is good!