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Frank Lynn

Congratulations to Brad Seals for his recent election as president of the Austin University Area Rotary Club for the 2020/2021 year. Brad was one of the founding members of the club almost forty-years ago. Rotary International, with a membership of 1.22 million people, is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to “bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Brad continues to practice law here in Austin.”

Teddie Jordan

Thank you for letting us know of this Frank. Bradley, that is quite an honor! I always enjoy catching up with you at our functions Brad!

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Yes, congratulations to Brad on being a leader in that fine organization. I know when one gets to that level, it is quite an accomplishment and a testament to a fine character and work ethic, not to mention super intelligence.    I know of one other of our classmates that is an active Rotarian.   He and his wife invited Diane and I to a luncheon honoring veterans.

       I started to say I cant remember when it was, but now it comes to mind, veterans day of last year. DUH! ! !    There was one WWII vet, and one Korean vet, and I think 2 or three from vietnam, and a few from Afganistan and Iraq, as well as numerous active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.  It was a fine event put on by the Rotary club.   Beautiful surroundings, fine food and finer company. 

     Wish I could remember  more about it, other than the blinding rain storm we drove in to get there,  and the fact I couldnt hear, hearing aids or no.  Sure does get lonesome in the   "cone of silence"    sometimes. To say  my dad was not a social person is putting it mildly,   but when he lost his hearing,  he completely  withdrew from the world altogether. Now I know how he felt.    You want to be a part of things, but the sad part is, you're not, no matter how hard you try.   I guess that's why I really really love "the forum" here on the Waltrip webstie.  I dont have to have ears, just eyes and fingers.  I do love it when others post on it.

    I've never been a leader, except by example.  "Lead, follow, but get the hell out of the way" is I  believe the eloquent  way General George S Patton put it.   I'm not a delegater, just a doer.  I think I was platoon leader, or company comander some 50 60 years ago, but there, you just have to appear fearless and appear to know what you're doing and not get your people in a bad situation.  Dont remember how that turned out.

    I do know how the weather turns out, HOT, DANG HOT.   I think our weather station here at CHIMACS,  has developed a slight glitch of sorts.  It says that the all time high temp of 158 was recorded on July 6th, 2020, and that the all time low was -32 on July 7th.   I know this is Texas, and the old saying of "if you dont like the weather, wait a minute" comes to mind, but even those aforementioned highs and lows are just a touch radical.  Dont hold me to it, and I'm keeping an open mind about it,   but I'm thinking the instrument of temperature measurement is just a tad off.  Time to get out the "fine tune hammer of adjustment" tool.

     All's quiet on the western front here, animals all bonkers, kitty still grumpy about something, dogs running amok and in circles rearanging the throw rugs and runners and generally being obnoxious from time to time.   We had to buy 2 more long runners so Jack could traverse from one place to another in the house without sliding down.  We had some left over from Coopers era and added a couple more for Jack since he's not only lame, he's blind and almost deaf.  He still acts happy, so putting him down is not an immediate solution, yet.   Dr. Phillips will let us know when that sad event will have to take place.  Kills my soul...!!!!!

    The crop report, well, the crop is crap.  Dont have a clue why we cant grow anything up here except older. The corn is from the 7 dwarfs garden, the onions have not grown at all, the jalopeno plant died, all other pepper plants, banana, bell, pimento,etc just sitting there,  butternut squash died, crookneck squash just sitting idle,  cucumbers look like gourds and squash, watermelons kaput, lettuce and carrots didnt come up at all.  We have a climbing spinach, that is climbing, but not putting out many leaves.    Sure thankful we dont have to rely on our garden to eat, but would have loved to at least gotten some use out of all that work and expense.

     The tomatos are of the 7 dwarf variety even though they say they are "gigantic" on the label.  Not many are larger than a pingpong ball.  The sweet 100s are prolific and are suppose to be small and sweet, and they did not disappoint.   We had a wonderful garden when we lived out in Hearthstone, in the city.  Move to the country, and it's kaputsville!   Got a nice crop of weeds though, really proud of those babies fer shure.

    I took down the rabbit proof fence, thought maybe the rabbits could profit from what we couldnt, but heck far, the rabbits wont even go in the garden.  What does that  tell you?   Musta put the garden on an old indian burial ground or somethign.  Maybe old aliens from the planet remulac are buried there, who knows?  The shadow knows, and he aint sayin ! ! !

   Well, shucky darn,  times a wastin, I'm burnin daylight, so time to deplane, depart, desist and get the heck outta heah...Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride, the shade replied, if you seek for Eldorado."

Your frien and resident horticulturist, Cephus R no green thumb esq.   

Pat Brantley (Ross)

It is illegal to feed the deer inside the city limits.  I know feeding them just helps create more of them, but it is hot and the construction crews just keep clearing more of their habitat to build more roads, etc.  I have a fence but the poor deer still come up to our side patio and eat my plants.  Last night there were two staring at the cat through our window.  I put deer corn and water out for them.  No one can see into this part of the yard.  I have never been a law breaker, but these poor critters are dying from the heat and lack of food.  Am I creating a bigger problem?  I really want to know.  We have red foxes and everyone leaves food for them.  
beau i think your weather station needs a little tlc.  It is too hot for plants to grow without lots of water.  I even got a sun shade to help my plants.  Right now it is just guarding the hibiscus from the deer.
what did you decide to do about your tooth?  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Pat,  I dont think you are adding to the deer population problem at all.  Might get some argument from a wild life manager or game warden, but I see no reason for not feeding and watering whichever aminal is out there, cept maybe skunks and snakes and TI rantulas.   I put out a couple hundred pounds of feed, soy, milo, sunflower seeds and roasted corn and a mineral block for the deer or which ever critter will benefit. Also have a 50 gallon water trough, ( why isnt it spelled troff?)  Mrs Simpson never covered that, and if she did, I was busy looking out the winder (east texas for window) wishing I was outside among the trees and wildlife.  Teddy told me that 75% of all deer, dont make it, and we still have a huge deer population.

    We also have wild sunflowers growing that the deer meander through and eat the seeds.  Cant grow sunflower from package seeds, but will take what we can get.   We are only a mile or so from the river as the crow flies, and our creek goes down to the river so the deer should have plenty of water even though I put some out just in case the river drys up.  Boy, hope that never happens.  We've had a doe and fawns come by just about every day.  The fawns are so tiny, looks like they are just a couple days old, or a week at best. also have a large deer herd that frequents downtown Chappell Hill almost everyday. 

    Come fall, I'll plant austrian winter peas and rye.  Already have perenial rye out, it comes back every year.  Deer love the aforementioned.   Diane says some of the ladies in the CHgarden club complain about the deer eating their roses and such.  We have plenty of roses, and so far, no deer in the rose garden. Of course if they were to jump the fence, Izzy and Dixie would have a fit and chase them away.  They dont like any other critters on their property.  Today they chased away a murder of crows.  Dont know what that many crows were doing on our hill, cept maybe eating grasshoppers and cricckets.  They werent bothering the corn or anything in the garden.  Guess it's just one of lifes little mysteries.

     I've not seen any red foxes, but have a/some beautiful grey ones that come through from time to time.  Their tails are so bushy, but you gotta be careful about them and skunks, because they are the most prone to be carrying rabies.   The wildlife folks have flown around in their twin engine planes with the orange tail and dropped food laced with anti-rabies vaccine.   Probably just a couple hundred feet off the ground.

    One thing I have seen plenty of, in fact too many, are copperheads and other snakes.  Killed three Copperheads the last 3 weeks, one up on the back porch under my rocking chair.  Saw several black snakes out behind the waltrip banquet and daince hall up here on the hill just last night.  I didnt have my glasses on or I woulda blasted em.   It's a good thing I carry a small snub nose 38spl  loaded with snake shot.  You dont really need to be a good shot with that ammo, it spreads out the moment it leaves the barrel.  I did have to shoot twice at one of the copperheads, guess he was a tough old son of a gun.  I dont enjoy having to kill anything, but I'd rather it be them than me or mine.

     I've decided not to to have the transplanted teeth,  I like soft food anyhow.  Speaking of food, I was in the library perusing one of the magazines we get and the best foods you can eat are from the G-BOMB variety.  Forgot what that acronym means, but it contains greens as in green beans, broccoli etc, and the B are other varieties of beans, O is onions, and M is mushrooms and dont recollect what the last B means, but all those vegies ward off a plethora of problems with the heart, colon, and most everything else.  And as luck would have it,  those are all the things I generally eat everyday.   It didnt mention yellow veggies such as squash, but I love it.  It's almost like a dessert for me.  

     It's G-BOMBS, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds/nuts, ha, see I did remember.

     Speaking of good health, just had my "medicare wellness exam last week, and I'm the picture of good health.  All numbers are good, colesterol good and bad, heart rate 120/70  pulse 55 bpm,  just lots of pain, which I now rather enjoy.  Well, not enjoy so much, but when I dont hurt, which is rare,  I start to thinking, "ok, what's wrong now?"

        The questions they ask like, "do you feel safe at home", "are people afraid to ride with you" " are you afraid of falling down"?   among other questions.  I always crack some joke,  being me, you can well imagine that I might.   I always tell them what they dont want to hear, "im probably safer in my home than anyone", "people have ALWAYS been afraid to ride with me", "and I'm not afraid of falling down as much as I am of when I hit the ground".   I keep my doc in stitches, no pun intended.  He is the best doc I have ever encountered, even bettern Dr Gould, rest his soul.

    Rode my harley to college station for an oil change.  Man, are they ever busy. took em 2 hrs and 45 minutes.  Dont mind waiting at the Harley dealership, lots of doodads to peruse and get to talk to other bikers etc.  Lots of new bikes and products out there since I bought mine 15 years ago.  Diane met our grandaughter up there to have lucnh and go "girlie shopping".   I think girls have more fun than guys, because yall make many friends and generally keep em throguhout life.  Guys not so much, at least this guy anyway.  It's not something I wanted, anti- social distancing, just somehow worked out that way.  But I'm blessed beyond all belief anyway.

     Saw a great documentary on  Annie Oakley on PBS last night.  Said it was made in naught 6.  I'd always been an admirer of hers, and learned a lot of things I didnt know.  She wasnt this rough and tumble character that is portrayed in movies, but remained a "respectible Lady" her entire life even thought the really very evil randolp hearst tried to ruin her.  She sued him and 55 other newspapers that didnt retract the false story, and won.  I'm going to be looking for the biography of her  in book form if it exists, and the 3 books that Libby Custer wrote about her husband George A Custer.  Just have to get round tuit.

    Here's something else just in case any of youse youtes are interested, having nothing to do but stay at home,,,,, get on youtube, and type in "moonlight sonata 3rd movement" or just Moonlight sonata.  Anyway, there are a plethora of soloists, and orchestras, and evne a choir that play it.  I watched one played by Anastasia H on the piano, and then another piano that runs the actuall written music across the screen whilst the pianist is playing.  I can site read, but not anywhere close to how fast that is played.  Looked like Bethoven was trying to outdo Paganini and his 5th caprice and whoever wrote the "William Tell Overture". I use to know, but for the life of me caqnt remember just who it was.  I'll think of it later maybe...Rossini, that's who.

     Anyway, watch and listen to it on piano, then type in Tina S, and it will bring up a young lady from france that plays it on the guitar, and it will blow your mind.  She's 17 there!  I first saw her play Paganinis 5th caprice when she was 13, you know the tune, the one where Ralph Machio defeats the devils guitar player (steve vai), in the movie Crossroads, . OMG...Prodigy, genius, master, wizard, I dont know what word would accurately discribe her, but she was voted best Female guitarist on earth.  Dont know who votes on these things, but I'd have to vote her best guitarist, male or female.   She just turned 21 !  

    There's another piano player from Australia that at 16 made it to the finals of australias got talent, but didnt win.  He made up the music on the spot every time it was his time to compete.  Mozart comes to mind when watching Chooka Parker.  Just something to do when it's so hot outside and youre not suppose to go out and mingle among the masses. 

     It reached 107 here today ! ! !  I'm thinking of moving to either the north pole or south pole whichever is furtherest from the heat.  It's brutal out there! ! !   duh,  right?

Well, sorry for being so "wann winded", but yall are my only friends and outlet for conversation.  So I'll deplane and degoaway...keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

your frien and resident chatty charlie, Cephus R sleepy esq because its 12:20 AM   

Bennie Schielack

Beau, Good to know you are healthy and enjoying the pain, or at least used to it . . . . . Just this past week, I've begun to reread Marine Sniper, and it is such an interesting view of activity in Viet Nam.  I spent 6 years working on C 119's and C 130's in Ellington, Texas.  

Just potted up some t maters in 5 gal buckets, and neighbor gave me a run down avacodo tree, about 6 feet tall and wilting badly.  Hope TLC and Superthrive can bring it thru the heat.  Turned up a small section of a flower bed early this AM, before the sun came out and things heated up.  Washed the car as the sun was breaking thru and yes, the temp seemed to jump.  Worked on the rent house a bit, painted first coat on 2 doors and door sills, tightened up some loose shelving, cleaned some so they will be ready for paint tomorrow, then went to Sarah's mom's house and mowed her 2 acre lot.  

I have a '95 Chevy PU 350 that does not want to run all the time.  Changed the fuel filter and the pump is doing it's job.  (brings to mind an old joke about generators, carborators and pistons).  Throttle body seems to not be receiving fuel.  It works sometimes, and not at others.  I'm beginning to think it might be electrical.  I don't know electrical and I don't want to.

Hope you were not offened by my "Wann winded" joke.  Knowing you are a Gemini also, I felt you would see the humor in it.  Also hope you continue to use it.

Curious . . . . . does Chicken Fried Steak always come with gravy?  Today, mine came without and the best restaurant in town was also out of Sweet n low.  Fortunately, I carry extra in all of my vehicles, along with Tabasco, just in case. 

I'll be seeing the dental genius tomorrow.  One cavity to be filled, one cap to be super glued and one tooth to be removed. 

Another curiosity . . . . . is WW contageous ? ? ? ? ? 

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Beau, we all have our fears.  Mine are roaches and rats.  By roaches I mean those tree roaches that fly!  I have killed copperheads with a machete.  Snakes don't really scare me.  I guess if it was a coral snake I would run.  Spiders are usually afraid.  I did see a brown recluse bite once at the clinic.  My younger daughter got bitten by an asp in our backyard.  Not the snake - the black caterpillar.  She was in quite a bit of pain.  She was about 5.  She had no more good sense than me.  We considered ourselves fearless (except the roaches).  She took it to the next level of stupid when she tried to save the life of a bat.  Her dog had it cornered in her apartment.  She had left the patio door open.  She was bitten and had to go through the rabies shots.  I told her that the dog had a rabies vaccination and she didn't.  She reminded me of one of her childhood favorites 'Stella Luna' about a bat.  
i tried to kill the copperheads when they were still young.  We lived in an inexpensive duplex when ron was in school in Utah.  It had a fireplace.  The people who lived in the place upstairs had heat and air conditioning.  We didn't but it was Utah on the side of a hill.  They were having their fireplace cleaned and sent the guy downstairs to do ours too.  Very nice people.  The man told me to take my baby and dog outside so I did.  He came out in 10 minutes to tell me I had the biggest nests of black widow spiders he had ever seen.  He fumigated the entire place.  I never saw a live one, but I saw lots of dead ones that day.  Should have had a cat.  
I am sorry about your pain.  I think the heat makes our joints swell even more.  It was 107 here today.  Friday it is supposed to get below 100.  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bennie and Pat, thank you for responding.  I love to hear what others are doing, I know what I'm doing, so dont need to hear it.  Bennie, sounds like your solenoid on the side of the starter, if that's where they still put them.  Had a 64 malibu super sport convertible that had the same problem.  When it gets hot, the center pole on the solenoid separates from the rest of the corntraption, then stop running and wont start.  When it cools off, it will start and run.  Probably needs a new one.   Also check your center wire from the distributor to the other corntraption that I cant remember the name of.  Some times they vibrate loose and no fire.    Had a volkswagon that did that.  Just got a longer wire. 

      Sounds like your're busier than I am busy.  If you run out of things to do, just head on down to the Wanndarosa in chappellhillsville.  Got a cold drink or two with your name on it.  Got cold drinks with everyones name on it, so come on down.   

     Got a dentist appt in Bellville Wednesday at hah noon to put a permanent cap on my tooth.   I'vve had numerous root canals, and the dentist never told me to come back to have em capped. I thought he was through.  They eventually shattered and I lost the teeth, the bozo idjified moron.  I mean, howm I suppose to know if they dont tell me?

     Hey Pat, I hate spiders and snakes and pretty much all them kind of crittervarmits.   I got stung by an asp over on DuBarry under one of the oak trees next to our driveway.  Stung me on the inner thigh and man it burned like fire.   Had to keep ice on it for a hunert years seems like.  I think I was 7 ro 8.

     Another time I was running amok, as I was want to do, I was running barefoot playing cowboys and idnians,( oh my gosh, you probably cant do that anymore, or even say it)  Ok, I didnt !   Anyway yall remember the wooden fence that the builder attached to the houses back then, and made it look like it was part of the house because it matched in wood and paint.

    Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I valuted over it and caught a splinter under my big toenail on my right foot.  Went all the way to the quick.  I limped around for a few days till finally I was asked why I was limping.   "Me Limping?  Nah, just your imagaination"  I knew it was a trip to Dr Gould, and sho nuf wound up there.   I cried cause he cut my toenail and toe to pull that log out of my toe, I think I was 6.  I even bled.  I think that office visit cost 2 dollars or one chicken.

     Visited the good Dr Gould many times over the years.  Before he retired, he saw 4 generations of my family.  Great bedside manor he had.  He never took insurance, so an office visit right b efore he retired cost 35 dollars.  broke my arm back in 59 and he xrayed it, set t, put a cast on it, all for 7 dollars or bushel of corn.  Ruff and tumble idjit for sure was I.   Mostly just an idjit.

    My mom and sisters all sewed and my oldest was using the old singer when she ran the needle through her right index finger at the first joint from the end.  Off to Dr Goulds she and my dad went.  Dont know what that cost, probably a lamb or side of beef.

    Speaking of injuries, got a new one for youse youtes,  Torn bicep muscle.  Yup, tore my right bicep tendon loose from where it joins at the inside of the elbow.  Dont know how I did it, but woke up and bicep was black, like a hamstring pull.  Had a plethora of those playing softball.  I always got one when I stretched before a game.  and generally pulled it rounding third headin for home.   I quit stretching, didnt get another.

    Bak to the bicep problem, I cant pick up my cat without major discomfort. My doc Dr Frahnkensteen, says it will heal eventually, but never be back to normal, oh that's just great, that' all I need.   Cant wind my mantel clock, or use the can opener, which is another thing.  Why do we still have a manual can opener?   We've never had an electric can opener.  I asked the brains of the outfit, my beloved, and she didnt know .   

    I feel depraved ! ! !   No, that's deprived.  Well, depraved, deprived, tomato tomahto, potato patahto...I may have to get an electric can opener because I cant use the manual one  with my right hand, and my left hand is pretty useless.  I guess it's just there for balance, and for talking!  When I try to do it left ahnded, I can get it started sort of, but then the can falls all over the place depositing whaatever liquid there WAS in the can.  And of course that's not good ! ! !   What does an electrical can opener cost these days?   Which one is a good one? 

     Have switched watering to in the evening.  We had 109 today with a heat index of 133, I kid you knot.   You can water something in the morning, and it's bone dry in 30 minutes.   Richard said he had s107 on his patio over on carleen street.  He has lots of trees, being in Oak Forest, and it was still 107, jeese loueese that's just mean!

     Well, guess I'll deplane, getting late.  Little Miss is in my lap trying to get on the keyboard to play "kitten on the keys" .  Wish yall could meet her, she is so sweet, cept when she's grumpy.  That makes sense doesnt it?  Nah, she really isnt grumpy, she just wants to be in my arms all the time.  Cant blame her for that now can we!  I am one lovable and cuddlely dude.  Well, maybe that's a stretch, but my cat loves me.

     Keep the sun at your six or behind a mountain of trees, and "ride boldly ride..."

    Your frien and resident one armed man,  Cephus R long winded fer shure...esq

Post script:  yes WW is contagious, mask or no mask, so dont fight it. No known cure.

Bennie Schielack

Beau, back from our dentist.  I call him "hands" after a dude that drove a '55 chevy back in the day.  He was called "hands" also, because he could cover the steering wheel with one open hand.  Had an old filling removed and enlarged . . . . . I will enjoy more pain from mesquito bites on the golf course later today.  

Your adventures reminded me of two times I really wanted to avoid, but did not.  Once upon a time, along about '56 or '57, I was ordered to mow the grass.  Our old mower was always difficult, so I asked my dad to help start it.  He did just that, (remember in those days, barefoot was standard issue), then he pushed down on the handle, moved it over my foot and set it down.  Cut the end of my big toe off.  After many youthful and colorful words, I was in the front seat of our '49 Plymouth with my foot wrapped in a bloody towel on the way to Spring Branch hospital.  Doctor Nearsight checked the toe, viewed the end of the bone and proceeded to inject some pain killer.  Then he took a turn on my upper, inner thigh.  Back to the toe, he pushed it with a needle and ask if I could feel it.  I told him yes and he said I was lying.  I was not.  Then he took to slicing skin from close to the area he deadened on my thigh.  I shared some colorful language with the Doc, too.  Since that time, when I went to measure for shoes, I've always had to measure the left foot because my right one is just a tad shorter.

A year or so later, or sometime thereabouts, my twin neighbors and I spent many hours each summer @ the Oak Forest pool.  One day, I forgot my towel or something @ the pool, and I was in a hurry to get back and rescue it before someone liberated it.  I must have been distracted by something, because I hit the curb on DuBarry and Woodcrest, flipped off my bike and inflicted road rash on my unclothed upper body.  Fore head, left shoulder and left chest area were eaten by the old asphalt street.  Not one of my more enjoyable adventures.  

Thanks to your previous post, these memories have come screaming back to me.  Sure do miss the "good ol' days" . . . . . 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bennie, so, idjification wassnt just relagated to ME !   Or bad luck with ones body!  Man, just reading your maladies made me hurt and cringe. 

    The young mans name known as "HANDS",  was August Hartkopf.  He was 22 at the time I saw him down at the Gay Pontica drag strip in Dickenson.  He could pick up a 15 inch drag slick across the treads with one hand. They, whoever they is, also say a silver dollar could pass through his ring size. He also wore a ponytail, and granny glasses, and for some reason back in the 60s, it didnt look out of place on him.    He was a wizard at carburation/fuel injection.  Once again, they say, he could tune a carburator or FI with his fingernail rather than using a screwdrivber.  He drove a white 55 chevy with just the iron maltese cross symbol of Schneider Cams on the left front quarter panel of his fender.

    He had some childhood malady that made him that large, and supposedly wasnt long for this world.  Hope they were wrong.  Of course he would be in his 80s today.

Johnny Sheffield

Good morning to all my waltrip classmates this morning. 
just wanted to let you all know that allen geiser no 34 pass away 
last night in Kingwood Texas. Prayers go out to betty and 

family  no other details at this time  

johnny

Teddie Jordan

Thank you for letting us know Johnny, but so sorry to hear that sad news. 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Thanks Johnny.  Distressing news that is.  Seems like I was just talking to him. He seemed the picture of health.  The passing of another good man from the class of 64.     Condolences to the Geiser family.  

    Hey Teddy,  Nathan Winkleman, of Nathans BBQ has retired and sold his BBQ joint.  Dont know who bought it, I was hoping it was Kevin of Lindemans, but we'll wait and see.  No other news from this part of the whirld cept it's hot.  Had 100 or over everyday so far this summer.  It was 72 this morning at 5:30, reville for the us, thanks to a sweet wittle wabbit hunter, Izzydorable.    It's been normaly 100 by 10 AM, but today it was just 84.  Maybe better things are yet to come...nah, we still got August and Sep and Oct to go as well as the rest of July.  Still no rain! ! ! !

   Not much else to talk about after hearing the distressing news about Allen. 

Don Ellisor

  Allen passed away in the night. He was a good teammate and friend. When we went to Black Allen was one of the few people that I knew in our class. We had attended the same church, West 14th Baptist until my family moved to the end of North Shepard. I was zoned to  Hohl and most of my class went to Burbank and Sam Houston. Allen knew everyone in our class it seemed and I was lost at reunions with out him. I will miss #34 immensely. I talked to him on the phone a couple of hours before he passed and I pray that God abated the fear that I sensed in his voice at that time

Scotty Croom

so sad to read about allen...he is my birthday twin..both have 09/24 birthday...friends since black jr high

Lynn Gregory (Ferraro)

So sorry to hear of Allen Clark Geiser's passing. I remember once after Guard practice, when I somehow didn't have a ride home in the rain and trying desperately to keep my bugle case dry, Allen stopped and picked me up and took me safely home. I'll never forget that kindness. 

Donald May

I am definitely sorry to hear about Allen.  He was an excellent friend to me at Black Jr. Hi playing football and then at Waltrip as a great member of the Industrial Arts Club.  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Our lives touch so many and are touched by many.   I remember one night, when that night was is lost somewhere in my hard drive, but the "word" went out, how and by who, is unclear, but the word was "party", or "rumble" or some such woid my pea brain grabbed ahold of, and "it" was to be at Candlelight Park, that much I do remember. At least I got the "where" right.

    Anyway, to make a long story even longer, when I got there, and I must have ridden with someone, but again, my memory fails me as to whom I rode there with, there was a zillion people in that park.  Looked like spring break down at galveston.  Anyway, I was standing around, probably looking my usual goofy lost self, when a whole raft of folks started moving around me and then we all started running, to where and to what I couldnt say, have no clue.

    As the crowd of folks was running, it was run or get trampled, so out of self preservation, I picked the former.  Then all of a sudden my idiot self stopped in midair!  That was sort of cool, going from a full run (12 or 14 seconds in the 100yd dash fast), to not going anywhere atall.  

    I noticed an arm around my waist, and the smell of pipe smoke and I was staring right smack dab into Allen Geisers face.  He was grinnin and just standing still and holding my 125 pound idjit body like I was a potato chip, with one arm, and holding his pipe in the other hand.    Allen was a very strong young man.   That's all I remember other than I didnt get into any trouble that evening, thanks to Allen.

    He and I talked about that not too long ago, and for the life of me, dont remember what was said.  I guess it was like a big brother keeping his younger idiot brother out of trouble.  To say he was a standup guy is putting it mildly.

    To me, he and all his team mates and our classmates just exuded "confidence", the confidence I tried to copy, but failed miserably.  He had that same confidence at every reunion and party on the hill that he and Betty attended.  I sure enjoyed being in his company as well as the rest of our class, he will be missed. 

Wayne Lake

Who am I?

As an individual, I used to think I was pretty much just a regular guy, but I was born

white, into a two-parent, two gender household which now, whether I like it or not,

apparently makes me "Privileged", a racist and somehow responsible for slavery although

none of my family arrived here until after the Civil War ended.  

.

I am fiscal and moral (well sort of), which by today's standards, makes me a fascist

because I plan, budget and support myself.

Since I am white and a flag waving (US and TX) nationalist so I guess I fall into the

designated group called ‘White Nationalist’ which I understand to be politically unacceptable.

After avoiding the draft a few years and breaking the law way too many few times,

I joined the Navy and when I got out went to school on the GI Bill. I have worked  

continuously from the time I was about 10 years old (paper route) until I was nearly 74

(just invoiced client for the last time, I hope). But I now find out that I am not where I am 

because I earned it, but because I was "advantaged”.

I am heterosexual, which according to LBGT folks, now makes me homophobic.

I am not a Muslim, which now labels me as an infidel.

I am older than 60, making me a useless person who doesn't understand Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

I have not played video games since Pac-Man, have never seen Game of Thrones and

don’t recognize anybody’s picture in People magazine so that probably makes me totally

un-aware of current events and should probably exclude me from voting or serving as a juror.   

I think and I reason, and I doubt much of what the "mainstream" media tells me, which makes me a

"Right-wing conspiracy nut”.

I am proud of my heritage and our inclusive culture, making me a xenophobe.

I believe in hard work, fair play, helping others when needed and fair compensation according to each

individual's merits, which today makes me an anti-socialist.

I believe our system guarantees freedom of effort - not freedom of outcome or subsidies which must

make me a borderline sociopath.

I believe in the defense and protection of the US for and by all citizens, now making me a militant.

I am proud of our flag, what it stands for and the many who died to let it fly, so I proudly stand

during our National Anthem and therefore, I must be a racist.

Please help me come to terms with the new me because I'm just not sure who I am anymore.

If all this nonsense wasn't enough to deal with, now I don't even know which restroom to use… and

I have to go more FREQUENTLY than ever.

Lost and confused, 'suffering  in place' up in the North country, 

Wayne

Wayne Lake

I felt remiss in posting without  mentioning the loss of Allen Geiser. He is one of many in our Waltrip 64 class that I have had the honor to know and respect. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, both blood and football.

RIP #34    

Wayne Lake

Read’n, See’n & Hear’n

Bennie, have you ever heard of Doc or his son Mike Blakely, both live in Wharton? Doc was a vet turned Humorist/Writer/Speaker and Mike is a singer/songwriter/novelist who has released several albums with songs who mostly plays small venues but not really two-step’n music aka George Strait.

Teddie, have you read the Barney Farley book and if so, did you enjoy it?

Pat, you recently mentioned reading WWII books. I have been reading some great ones about the war in the Pacific:

Hugh Ambrose (son of Steven Ambrose): The Pacific and the HBO Series by the same name by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, probably the best war movie ever.

E.B. Sledge PFC Combat Veteran USMC: ‘With the Old Breed’. His writing is very detailed about the how a young Marine deals with the intense emotional and physical hardships in the two amphibious assaults he was part of; Pelilu and Okinawa (numerous sets and stories are included in the book and series above).

Robert Leckie PFC Combat Veteran USMC: ‘Helmut for a Pillow’. Again, great insights into a young Marine’s life in early assaults at Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester.

The extended (30 straight days at Pelilu and 50 days on Okinawa) suffering from battle fatigue that these Marines went through due to weather, terrain, artillery short rounds (friendly fire), lack of sleep, food, water and ammo was horrendous, yet alone the constant battles with the ruthless Japanese forces. I simply had no idea how this war was prosecuted at ground level and thankfully, never will.

Beau, Teddie, James King and any others interested in Texas stories, a book that I am currently reading (source; Jimmy Hilsher), is ‘One Ranger’ by Joaquin Jackson which is a true life story about a contemporary Texas Ranger, maybe some of you have already read it.   

Stay Safe,

wtl            

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Barbara Raines spoke to Allen's son, Kevin, and obtained some updated information for us. There will be a private service, due to the current Covid crisis,  and per Allen's wishes, he will be cremated.  A gathering in honor of Allen will be announced later.

Please continue to keep Betty and the entire Geiser family in your prayers.

Teddie Jordan

Wayne I certainly did enjoy the Barney book you recommended. What a man he was, and his awareness of and knowledge about Tarpon behavior was enlightening. And the story of his long fight with the six foot tarpon only to have it jump into the old wooden boat as it was gaffed, then driving the Gaff hook into Barney's leg as it flopped around and knocked one of the planks loose From the bottom of the boat! What a predicament, what a man! No wonder President FDR always hired him when he came down to fish. 

James King '65

Wayne, I read One Ranger last month. A retired HPD officer loaned the book to me. The retired police officer worked with Joaquin Jackson on a few cases and the loaned book was signed by Jackson. Entertaining stories of police work. 

Sandi Schlesinger (Stark)

Wayne, good job expressing your thoughts on "Who am I?"  I suspect that many of us can relate to your frustration. It does seem that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't these days.