Welcome to Lincoln Municipal Airport

We met our son Verlon at the Lincoln Airport this afternoon and while waiting, admired this Arrow Sport that hangs in the terminal. This particular plane was built in 1929 by the Arrow Aircraft Co. in Havelock (a suburb of Lincoln). It was in the facility now occupied by the Goodyear Tire Co. When we lived in Lincoln in the late '50's, Verlon and I were given a plane ride at Arrow Airport near Havelock. This plane was purchased in 1969 by Dr. Crum of Burwell, NE who restored the plane and sold it to the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1977. I believe it was placed in it's current location at the time the terminal was build several years ago. Here is a picture of the plaque telling the story that is posted on the wall at the balcony level.

This is an example of the many things that we walk past every day and don't take or have time to learn about them. We just waited a few minutes when his flight came in a few minutes ahead of time. He had flown in from Richmond, VA through Chicago and had a good flight. We were home in time for a tour around the back yard looking at some "home maintenance items" that will be tackled while he is here.  We also had a chance to visit the Kiwanis Flag Pole project where we talked with some of the fellows. It is coming along nicely with some of the Flags up already. We might have even contributed to the solution of a problem they were confronted with on how to attach donor names to State poles. It's amazing the ideas that get tossed out when several people feel free to suggest ways of solving problems. Our politicians need to remember that in seeking alternative actions. 

Major League Baseball Playoffs & World Series

Some of us have had difficulty keeping up with the playoffs leading up to the World Series in Major League Baseball. It has become more complicated with the 2 wild card teams and the additional game. Here is my summary of how it stands at 8:00 pm CDT 10/6/14. The Washington National have just won over the San Francisco Giants and their 3 out of 5 series will continue tomorrow. The Cardinals/Dodgers game is about to get underway. My ideal World Series would be between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals with the Royals being the winners.

40 Years Ago

During the 18 years we were  in the Washington D.C. area, we never missed a summer of getting back to visit family in Nebraska. We even came back for Christmas the first few years. This was taken during the summer of '74 when we were back and had a family reunion. All of my folks family were together at Souceks here in Seward. This was after 12 years in D.C. and the kids had moved through school or still in college. As is apparent, these were the days of long hair. I think it bothered Elaine and I more than the Grandparents. Elaine might have been able to go to work dressed as she is in the picture but I would have been sent home to change had I gone to work dressed like I am with the plaid trousers. 

Well Dressed Little Girl

Would you believe that this little girl now has a Granddaughter that is just about this size. With 2 older brothers and a younger one, she was (and still is) a real joy. Elaine enjoyed having a little girl to dress and was fortunate in having a nice array of choices. Elaine's cousin in Casper, WY, was a buyer for children's clothes, and her little girl was just about a year older than Carolyn.  Her "hand-me-downs" were like new and a box usually  came with the changing of the seasons. When Carolyn would "out grow" the dresses, etc. she passed them on to another mother with a little girl. It worked well without the benefit of "Seward Swap" or Et-Cetrea that Mothers enjoy today. 

This is another of the Wyoming dresses that she enjoyed. It is apparent that Carolyn developed a likeness for chickens at an early age. She has friends today that have them on their farms. We have a city ordinance that provides for up to 3 hens ( no roosters). I wouldn't be surprised if someday she has some. Charley Kemper built the archway for us soon after we moved into this house. We planted Paul's Scarlet climbing rose bushes on either side and it was soon covered with roses. We moved the  white "lath" fence down from our little house. We had built it just the year before we moved. Carolyn and Ben now live just  a couple blocks up the same street from where these pictures were taken. That is after our taking her to Lincoln, NE, Arlington, VA, and her going to college and working in North Carolina before coming back to Nebraska. 

NRCS Earth Team

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack presented the NRCS Presidential Volunteer Service Awards to Jerry Hattan, Torrington, Wyoming; and Russell Dorrough of Clarksville, Texas. From left: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, Donna Hattan, Jerry Hattan, Torrington Wyoming; Russell Dorrough, Clarksville, Texas and Chief Jason Weller, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hattan and Dorrough have a combined volunteer effort of 12,000 hours. Both Dorrough and Hatten are part of NRCS’ Earth Team volunteer program, which helps the agency meet conservation needs in communities. Volunteers enable NRCS to stretch available resources and help put additional conservation practices on the ground. “Without the volunteer program, NRCS would not be able to accomplish what is has,” NRCS Associate Chief Leonard Jordan said at an event honoring them Tuesday. 

This is but a quick look at what two of the thousands of NRCS Earth Team Volunteers do each year in providing Agency services to lands users. The volunteer program came about back in the early '70's when my wife worked with the Forest Service,  which had a volunteer program. I worked in SCS/NRCS Personnel and using the FS program as a model. wrote the first draft of the legislation that led to the Earth Team program. It was just part of a days work at the time.  

Hops in Nebraska?

I plan to report  on an article in the Nebraska Farmer at the Magazine Club tonight on a fellow in Nebraska growing hops for craft beer. It has been said that hops are to beer that grapes are to wine. There are some 40,000 acres in commercial hops production in the US and much of it in the Yakima Valley of Washington. A northern latitude is desired for the length of summer sunlight. The popularity of craft beer made with locally produced products is what has prompted a farmer in Hartington, NE to venture into production. 

He is working with Blue Blood Brewing Co. of Lincoln to not only produce hops but is already producing a strain of Barley for brewing. Barley was grown in this area when I was a kid and used primarily for hog feed. It is an annual and grown similarly to Oats. Hops are a perennial and grow as vines. They produce a small "acorn sized fruit" that resembles an Avocado. The Nebraska farmer and his son have built a trellis system with poles from old cedar trees; guy wires at the top for stability and twine draping down for the climbing vines. The first year the plants will get about half way up and to the top by the second year.

Slide Scanner

I have taken 35mm, Kodachrome slides since before our kids were born. We have thousands of them well organized in storage in the basement. We've had many of selected ones put on CD's and DVDs commercially so I could then process them on my computer as I saw fit. There are still many that I would like to have scanned and eventually put on DVDs for each of the kids. In 2009 I ordered this converter which I thought would enable me to convert slides directly to my  computer. But, I wasn't able to get it installed. Occasionally, I'd pull it off the shelf and try again; each time I "gave up" and had a few done at Walmart. However, the cost has gone up to 58 cents per slide. Consequently, I tried again today to "make it work" and was not successful. We all know about "Try, Try Again" but I've also heard it said to, "Try, Try, Try, Again, then Quit, don't make a fool of yourself".

In checking the Hammacher Schlemmer web site I find they now have this pictured, improved version available. It actually works as a "stand along" item with a battery, chip for storage and a viewing screen. Slides can be scanned  to the chip and then uploaded into the computer for further processing, storage, etc. It sounds like a much better and simpler way of operating than the old one. The question is: "Do I want to spend $150.00 for it". We do already have a good collection of pictures that I could use to make up a set for each of the kids. I don't want the big box of slides to become a "burden" for the kids some day. I do get a lot of enjoyment renewing old memories while working with pictures.  The  slides have retained their excellent color and quality and are a more personal item to retain than much of the "stuff" we have.