Drove our car on Leap Day, 2020

It was a clear, sunny day in Seward today and with the temperature at 66 degrees, we got the car out of the garage and went for a car ride. We didn't really expect to do all of that when we went out there but when the starter kinda drug when I went to start it, I decided that it needed a bit of recharge We drove down to Walmart, John and Julies neighborhood and up to Waverly Road. We didn't get out of the car during the entire drive. I knew it had been some time since we got the car out of the garage so checked on it after getting home and found it was on October 25, 1919. I had taken Marv Taylor and a Flag out to Ray Bieber who lives southeast of Garland. Up until that time we had driven it more frequently. I had no problem driving today but was aware of having new lenses in my glasses since last fall. I wouldn't expect to do a lot of driving in the future but it does help to know that I can still do it.

Billings trip in 1987

This blog page included many points of interest on our way to Billings, MT to attend the 1987 Annual Meeting of the SWCS. (Soil and Water Conservation Society). It is a continuation of yesterday's blog sheet where I wrote about towing our VW behind our Motor Home. Elaine and I left early on the 25th of July and headed out west. We spent the first night at a City Park Campground in Guernsey, WY. After supper we drove the VW over to Register Rock. The names dating back to 1850 were still in good shape. We also went to the Guernsey Reservoir and State Park and then to the Oregon Trail Ruts which were up to 5 foot deep in sandstone. We got to a KOA Campground ahead of Moran Junction  and drove the VW down to the Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson Lake Lodge and Coulter Bay Visitors Center. After another night in the KOA campground we shopped in Jackson but things were very expensive. At Teton Village we rode a tram up Rendezvous Mountain going from 6,311 to 10,450 elevation. It was 40 degrees when we got up on the 28th so we started the furnace. We got away early and into Madison Junction in Yellowstone NP. We drove down to Fire Hole falls, Fountain Paint Pots, the Geyser Basin and Old Faithful. We went out of the park to West Yellowstone and north to Ennis where we visited Paul and Joan Huff. On Saturday August 1st we drove the VW up to Red Lodge for their "Festival of Nations" celebration. We bought a piece of petrified wood in an Antique shop for Carolyn. Then drove up to Bear Tooth Pass. We got to the Sheraton Hotel in Billings on August 2 for the SCSA meeting. That will be a story in it's own right at a future date.We did get home in time to wish Mother a Happy 87th Birthday on August 7th. We had driven the Motor Home 1,991 miles and the VW 864.

Our VW Beetle

With the Stock Market down again today and loses continuing to build (even though they are coming out of previous gains) I went through the VW folder to divert my mind to Happier Days. This was certainly one of those after having the VW restored and towing it behind the Motor Home out in the mountains. We bought it new as a 1969 model in the late fall of 1968. It cost $1,897. and was most convenient for us to have in DC where traffic was heavy. When Jon and Mary got married we passed it on to them which they utilized for a number of years. After we bought the Motor Home in 1993 and Jon's had bought a newer car, we brought it home and had it completely renovated including an expensive paint job at Keller's here in Seward. I never added up what all of the renovation cost but we sold it for $3,500. It's the only vehicle we ever had that cost less when we bought it than what we sold it for.

Antelope Park in Lincoln, NE

Here is a copy of an Antelope Park post card from Lincoln, NE. The card is one of several that I inherited from my Aunt Dorothy Walker after her death some years ago. She was one of my Mother's sister and lived during her elderly years with her Uncle Fred Turner. My Walker Grand Mother was one of the older of the Turner family and Fred was among the younger. Fred and Tom neither married and spent many years in Sioux City, IA. The family kept in touch with the Penney Post Cards and many of them were put in the Album that I inherited.

I sent this card to Jim McKee who has written a weekly historic column in the Lincoln Journal Star. He tinted the picture and wrote a detailed historic story on the park. My card was mailed to Uncle Fred Turner from Lincoln, NE on May 21, 1915. In his story, McKee writes that this 1905 picture shows one of the early views of the Park which was given to the City in 1867. During the late 50's and early 60's when we lived in Lincoln with our four youngsters, we got out to the park quite frequently. It had a big slope for sledding in the winter that was quite an attraction. An "Open air" theater has been a summer attraction for the many years of its existence where notable plays have been presented. The Sunken Gardens on south 27th street are a very popular place for a wide variety of plants and bushes. It is a good example of taking a rather worthless site and with good planning and a lot of volunteer help, has been converted to one of the City's "Beauty spots". I remember visiting the Sunken Gardens as a little kid when we would get down to Lincoln occasionally to visit relatives.

Spell Czechs

Financial Advisors tell you not to check daily on how your investments are doing. I know better but have still kept a daily record of our major account for the past few years. It takes some time to condition yourself to the changes that occur but what has happened with the DOW index these past four market days is beyond my ability to easily accept. To keep myself busy with other activities this afternoon, I did some filing and came across a "Tim" file. This picture came from the file and tells of a spelling contest having been held in Columbus, IN where Tim serves as a private Social Security Attorney. Tim established his own office some years ago and has successfully briefed and orally argued  cases before the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Indiana Supreme Court, the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He now limits his practice to Social Security disability cases which he handles at both the administrative and federal court levels. He started writing a "Community  Comment Column" some years ago and has sent copies of many of them. He usually wrote a letter as well and they are all in this thick file. It was almost a coincidence that I spent a couple hours going through his file. I don't know what else that I could have done to help me cope with the market losses. Elaine said something about this being a long day so I've got her going through the file. This picture even helps, and Tim's team for that Spelling Contest was called "The Spell Czechs". 

Soil and Water Conservation Steward

 Here is Dayle Williamson pinning a Soil & Water Stewardship pin on Harold Anderson, Editor of the Omaha World Herald at a National Meeting of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout the US. It was held in Reno, NV in early February 1987. Gene Phillips had been detailed to the Nebraska Natural Resourses Commission office to assist me in preparing a Soil and Water Conservation Strategy for the State. I also designed a small Lapel Pin which we made available to all of the Nebraska NRDs to award to deserving people in their district. The cost of the pins and certificates were covered by contributions and several hundred of them were awarded across the State. I was real proud to award one to my Dad when he and Mother attended my retirement party from the NRC. 

Cultivating Milo in 1983

This was taken of me in the spring of 1983 cultivating Milo with my JD 720 Diesel and 4-row cultivator. It's difficult to realize just how much pleasure I got out of being out there on the tractor "tilling the soil" after having spent the number of years (33) that I did working for the Soil Conservation Service in USDA. I was still working with the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission but was really enjoying the Nebraska Good Life of enjoying my work as well as my pleasure time. We had bought our house in Seward by this time and enjoyed our association with City friends as well as Country folks. On at least one occasion, I remember of stopping to visit with Willard Kilzer who owned the land adjacent to ours at the far end of these rows. Willard and I grew us as next door neighbors north of Garland and we were literally "life long friends". Pictures like this help in cooping with the aging process. It helps to know that if the picture had included just a bit more to the right it would have shown the Garland Tower. Where I'm at in the field is at the divide between the Upper Big Blue and the Lower Platte South Watersheds. The run-off water that flows to the right becomes part of Oak Creek and flows into the Missouri River south of Omaha. That run-off that goes to the left becomes a part of the Big Blue River  which flows into the Kansas River and into the Missouri River near Kansas City, MO

Rev. T.J. Fraser Memorial Painting

This was lifted from a blog page of 7/13/2016. It is being repeated since Virginia recently told of seeing my blog page frequently and I wondered if she ever got a copy of this original. I'm pretty sure that she could go back to the above date and recover it. It was certainly a commendable gift that the Fraser family, made in honor of Rev. Fraser. At  the time of the unveiling of the painting, a schedule of such paintings were to be displayed around the State during the Susqui-Centennial and then returned to the home location for permanent display. This picture was to be returned to the Seward Memorial Library. I wonder where we are on that schedule.

Baseball and Soil, Water Conservation

Several people have had an opportunity to thumb through my Baseball book in which I tell of my efforts to see Major League Baseball games in all 30 Major League parks. The challenge has been exacerbated by the continual tendency to build new parks. I have actually achieved the status on a couple occasions only to see the "current" changed. One general question new viewers ask is "how we did it". This picture taken in Cincinnati in the spring of 1985 when Julie went along with Elaine and I as we went back to visit our boys and others in Virginia, etc. Our best answer of how we did it is really that we just took advantage of every opportunity. The trip was a real learning opportunity for Julie who was so impressed with a "snowball" bush that she liked at Mount Vernon that we bought one to have out at the farm when we got home.
I had an enjoyable discussion with Jon this morning and tied down the dates of their visit next month. I forwarded a message from local NRCS Consevationist  Doug Garrison to him who is working with others throughout the state in bringing to light, past history of Soil and Water Conservation. A lot of "History" took place right here in Nebraska, the only question is, "How much of it was saved"?

Leo Lonnie Piitz & LeRoy

Leo "Lonnie" Piitz played his accordion and entertained this afternoon at the Brookdale facility here in Seward. He has a general farming operation in the Brainard area. His wife works in David Ciry and they have 4 daughters. He has a Polka band & always seems to enjoy telling us of what is going on in their family.  The girls are all involved with music lessons and the oldest, a Junior in HS is thinking of college courses that would prepare her to be a music teacher and band director in schools.

One of the highlights of his program is giving LeRoy a chance to sing Praha with the accordion. I ask that he play the "Saddle Horse Polka" which Le Roy also sang. He likes to end his program with everyone singing, "You are My Sunshine" which is always popular. There was a large crowd there today and all seemed to enjoy it

Crew Cuts and Baseball

This is a 1963 picture taken back in DC during our 2nd year of the 18 that we spent there. I did use it on a 2017 blog sheet in which I told of how "living within our means" was not easy during our early years back there. Utilizing the Barber College down at Alexandria for the 3 boys and my "crew cut" helped. As I noted in the earlier blog, the Beatles had more influence on the boys hair styles than old Dad as they got a little older.

We continue to receive congratulations on having been selected as the Seward Brookdale Facilities Valentine  Day King and Queen. Our picture was on the front page of the Seward County weekly newspaper today.

I was pleased to have provided my baseball book to Gene Faszholz today. Gene was recently inducted. into the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame and was most appreciative of all my references to the players. I mentioned seeing Major League Baseball games in all 30 of Major League Stadiums. I achieved that goal a couple times but continue to get out of date as new parks are built.

Men's 10:30 Coffee at Brookdale

We had our 10:30 Men's Coffee this morning at Brookdale. I had taken in my Baseball Book that has information and pictures of my efforts to see Major League games in all 30 of the stadiums. It also has information on the 25-30 stadiums that have been replaced by newer ones. We also went through a variety of other subjects. We were pleased to have Dennis back with us who lives in the area. He is the one to the farthest left in the picture. Going on around the table is Tony, John, Marc, Bill, Carl, and Larry. This event is becoming a regular to several of us who enjoy sharing a cup of coffee with friends and an opportunity to learn a bit more about them than you knew before.

Verlon at Cape Cod

I don't have a date handy for this picture but it was taken of son Verlon up on Cape Cod during the 1970's. He had gone down to Richmond, VA after HS and joined the National Guard. He was later transferred up to a unit in the Cape Cod area and that is how he got up there. He not only had this Pyramid but also  a Wigwam that he lined in. We got up to visit him and his friends on a couple occasions before eventually his coming back down to Richmond. He was the Chief carpenter in our building a large deck on the backside of our Mantua house in Fairfax, Co, VA in the late 70's. He also helped us move back to the Farm in Nebraska in 1980 and did some remodeling of the house. We bought a house in Seward soon after realizing that with Elaine and I both working in Lincoln, and a daughter and Grand-daughter coming to live with us, we needed a better place to live. It was a small house but had a full finished basement which was very handy for guest and relatives. While we sold the farm after a few years, we continued to keep the house until moving to Brookdale a couple years ago. Verlon has always been our "handy man" to do any home improvements that needed to be done.

Instruction Book Air Guide

Carolyn dropped off this instruction book for my new little Apple Laptop. I'm in the opening phase of getting into the instructions but have a problem with the Apple password. I have taken it to be what I use to "bring it to life" when I first open the computer and what Carolyn had labeled as "Apple ID password". However it wasn't accepted as such when I entered it. I will continue to become familiar with the book but will hold off on making changes until Carolyn can be involved. She is a pretty busy lady with all she does for us along with her housewife activities, Grandmotherly duties and social life. We certainly appreciate everything she does for us.

We did have a beautiful sunny day today with the high temperature in the 50's. It will be cooler tomorrow but still pretty nice. The Seward United Methodist Church Minister was up here for our 2:30 Church Service this afternoon. He brought a good message and we had a good turnout. Elaine and I continued to receive recognition for our status as King and Queen of the Brookdale Valentine Party.

Hanging of The Sower

Here is a picture taken from the February issue of the Nebraskaland Magazine. The picture is dated April 24, 1934 and shows "The Sower" being hosted to the top of the  Nebraska State Capitol. I have passed the Magazine on to Vivian, a fellow resident here at Brookdale. Her Father, Henry Westerhoff was able to acquire the cupola from the earlier Capitol building and had it placed on the barn at the farm the family owned. Vivian was familiar with the story and like me, remembered seeing it. She has no idea of what may have happened to the old cupola when the barn was demolished. I remember  the Seward Independent ran a story on it back in the 1930's and of Dad pointing it out to me on our way to Seward. The farm was located a mile west of Garland and a bit north.
I had hoped to also include a picture of the Walker family that was taken in Lincoln during the Capitol construction but unable to get it moved to this computer. I've still got a lot to learn about this new one. The picture I had hoped to add was taken when my sister Vivian was a baby so I assume it was taken in 1925. I will see about adding it after I get the instruction book or my old laptop brought back up to speed. Some of these decisions will wait until Jon gets here next month.

King & Queen of Brookdale

Elaine and I were chosen as King and Queen at Brookdale here in Seward by the nearly 200 residents. It was a gala Valentine's party this afternoon for the residents and guests. Our family was well represented with Carolyn, Julie and Jack there. The election of "Royalty" has become a tradition at Brookdale over the past several years but this is the first time that TV Channel 10/11 from Lincoln sent a reporter out to cover it. It was shown on the 6:00pm news and announced to be on the 10:00pm version. The young lady reporter/photographer had received a degree from Concordia. She did a great job covering our 70 years of marriage and of it being a year ago on Valentines Day that I was "life flighted" to Bryan Hospital by Helicopter with a collapsed lung. She also got some good pictures of Great Grandson, Jack. He is not the least bit bashful about visiting with strangers. My guess is that Jack will have many chances to wear a leadership symbol as he advances through school and beyond. (These pictures of Jack came off the 6:00 news program.)

Kevin and Heidi / King and Queen

      Kevin and Heidi entertained in the TV room on Tuesday PM. I was able to listen to them as I rode the NU-Step in the open area next door. He is a Classic pianist and she plays the violin and does a narrative to tell about their music. He was a foreign exchange student, they met in college, were married and perform professionally. Their music on Tuesday was related to their becoming acquainted, becoming engaged , and the wedding. She was able to tell about each phase with very appropriate music. They appear for entertainment here at Brookdale on a regular basis and we enjoy them very much.

      Tomorrow will be Saint Valentines Day and the Royalty will be announced. The top three candidates for the Brookdale King and Queen have already been announced with the residents given the opportunity to vote for King and Queen. We were among the top three and told that it was OK to vote for ourselves but we didn't do so. The other two couples are both good candidates whom we could be proud to join as a part of the Royal Family. Pictures were posted this evening of the past several winners and all appeared to be good choices.

Johnny Ray Gomez and Annual Survey

Johnny Ray Gomez entertained this afternoon at Brookdale here in Seward. He is from Omaha and came up here after performing down at the Senior Center this noon. It was his 1st time here and Rose Ellen indicated that he will be back, He told of growing up in South Omaha and learning to play an accordion when he as 6 years old; and, having his own band when he was 12. He played and sang a wide variety of '50's, Country and Patriotic music. He worked harder at being an entertainer than being a Musician and capitalized on audience participation. 

All of us residents were given copies of an "Annual Interest Survey" to be filled out within the next few days. It includes. 3 pages and I haven't been able to get past the first question yet. It is: "What are your talents and passions?". Having kept a Daily Diary and Journal since my 15th birthday, I should probably list that as a talent. What I have to admit is that my penmanship isn't nearly as good as it once was but I still have the passion to make daily entries. I also continue to utilize my computer skills in writing a daily blog page. I started this back in the late 2010's and have over 3,800 pages listed on Google and on my personal Flash Drives. I have written a "Life Story" which requires an annual update. "My Career in SCS" has not been revised since having written it soon after retiring from Federal Service in 1980. Brookdale is very sensitive about personal information on residents. As a former Personnel Officer, it would be interesting to interview residents and help them with a "Life Story" but don't believe that possible

Our National Parks

Men's coffee at 10:30 this morning here at Bookdale. Participants were (l-r) Alan, Larry, Tony, Dennis, William, Marvin and Carl. This was the first meeting for Dennis, a retired Seward County, Extension Service Agent who lives near by with his wife. It was the first time some of the "old timers" had met him. He and his wife have both retired a few years ago and have been working for the National Park Service during the summers as Volunteer Campground Directors. They are furnished a camp site with utilities but receive no reimbursement. They spent this past summer in Maine at the "Acadia National Park". They actually each log some 50 hours/week but still have time to visit local areas of interest. This past summer that included a summer home of President and Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor. Dennis made a most enjoyable presentation of their experience in a number of National and State Parks.

Junk to the Dump with "Bo".

This picture was taken nearly 40 years ago during the fall of 1980 after our moving back to Nebraska during that summer. We were roughing it out at the farm. Bill Hartmann had dug us a hole out in the corral that we used as a dump. That is where I was headed  with the garbage barrel loaded on the carrier with other "junk".  Don had bought the Ford tractor for us at one of his auctions and delivered it to us. Mother and Dad spent a lot of time out at the farm watering the newly seeded grass, trimming trees and Dad even did some field work. Carolyn and Julie went over near Staplehurst and got "Bo" for us. We probably didn't appreciate all the help we had in making the transition back to Nebraska and the farm. Elaine and I were both working full-time in Lincoln and didn't have time to realize what all we had undertaken. Our transition up here to Brookdale has been rather mild in comparison to our moving to the farm. Fortunately, once Carolyn and Julie moved in with us and we bought the first street house, did things begin to level out. 

Jack's Nature Collection

Carolyn brought up some things, filled our pillboxes and brought along her sketch book. It contained sketches going back to her time this summer up in Red Lodge, MT. Sketches add a dimension beyond pictures in reflecting the Artist personality. This one is of "Jack's Nature Collection" includes some of the things that Grandson Jack has picked up while out on their walks. He puts them in her pant pockets to "save" for him. I can almost hear him explain just what each of the items are; and then go on from there.

Tony with his New MacBook Air

Carolyn was down today helping me get started on my new computer and took this picture of me with it. John, Julie and the kids were here too and John got it set-up to print remotely. He will need to come back to transfer material from the old computer to the new.The thought occurs to me as I write this that my flash-drives may help in that procedure. The new computer doesn't have USB ports so I had to buy a little converter with a USB port on one end and a "plug in" on the other that fits into the new computer. It would seem that we could move things in this manner. I won't mess with it until talking with John. He has been looking for ways to do it remotely. There were times during these past couple days that I thought no one over 94 years of age should ever buy a "new computer" but my justification is in having support available to assist in the adaption. It will be interesting to see what Jon has to say about this new MacBook Air when he gets here early in March. He is a HP user not very familiar with Apple machines. We have a number of problems with our HP to keep him busy for a few days.

New Computer

I am doing this on a new Mac Book Air computer. Carolyn and I went down to Computer World this morning and after talking about repair of my old laptop, we decided on this one. She helped get it set up this afternoon but I still have a lot to learn. This picture of the Folks seemed appropriate after being "off-line" for a week. I don't know the date of the picture but assume it was an anniversary with all the flowers. We are hoping that we may be able to get some help over the weekend to do a few other things. I'm certainly appreciative of Carolyn's help in getting me this far along. Also hope that some of my regular readers will find that my blog page is back on line. 

60th Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 60th

Wedding Anniversary

Back in Washington, DC. It had been 29 years since we left the area to move back to Nebraska. While we had been back several times over the years, this was the first time that we saw the New Baseball park and many other points of interest. Including our old house on Ridge Road and the Mantua House. Both had been delightfully improved by 2 or 3 owners. At one time we talked about all of our immediate family going on up to New York to see the new stadiums for the Yankees and Mets but decided against it. Just Carolyn and I went back to New York City later to visit Julie and see games in both new parks. The Superbowl score is tied at 10-10 at the half and  I didn't see anything in commercials that was very impressive.                                    

Cattle Bank

I don't have the date this picture was taken but the little , 1 story bld'g under construction was Cattle Nation Bank. It opened on July 14, 1951 after moving from the north side of the square. The new bank building replaced The Evans and Hagemoser Grocery store on the corner. Siedel Jewelry store had the white front next to the Hinky Dinky Grocery store managed by Mo Moravec. Our SCS office was located on the 1st floor in the NE corner of the Courthouse. My '41Chevy is shown parked on the east side .

Cattle Bank made several additions to this small beginning on the east side of the square. It culminated in the late 1990's when the current facility was built. The bank had acqired all the property on the east side of the square up to the Feary (Duerr) and Helmick buildings.