God is Faithful...

The Nickel Plate Railroad...

Two-year Cancer Checkup

In late January, Anita and I headed out the door for Florida and a follow-on examination for the Proton Therapy I had back in 2007-08 for my prostate cancer. We'd decided to make a trip of it, so we started by visiting Vince and Legare in Birmingham, Alabama on our way down to Niceville. Was great to see them again, likewise the folks in Niceville amongst whom we'd lived for eight wonderful years. After three days there, we drove over to Daytona Beach and took a condo on the beach for a couple more great days. Then on to Kissimmee for a couple more days, on south to Pompano Beach for three (church and lunch with Chattanooga friends Everett and Gayle there), then back up to Orlando. We were able to spend one evening with some of Anita's cousins David and Stacy (and their four kids, including newly-born triplets) in Lakeland. The next evening we drove to Wildwood for dinner with Steve and Laurie and their beautiful daughters. Finally on February 4th we highballed for Jacksonville and had my checkup. I passed with flying colors so we're very happy about that. We were also glad that friends Gary and Patty from Lewiston, Idaho were there at the same time, so we could enjoy some time catching up. BTW, whenever you go to JAX, try to stop at Clark's Fishcamp; they have the best catfish you'll ever eat ;-) I should add that we stayed at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra - a very nice place for a reasonable price if you use PriceLine.com.

Best wishes...

Awaken, O America

Navy Drill Team in Norway

Hard-Workin' Railroad Man

Lord of the Dance

the Belfast Polka

Celtic Violins

Badgers? We don't need...

You may be familiar with the 1948 movie, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, starring Humphrey Bogart. You may also be familiar with the 1974 movie, Blazing Saddles, made by Mel Brooks.

This particular clip is dedicated to all my friends from Wisconsin. Check the links above for the original and the first parody, then watch this parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic in the 1989 movie UHF.

Best wishes...

Year-and-a-half Cancer Check-up

Anita and I returned Friday from a trip to Jacksonville where we enjoyed the beauty of the Florida Atlantic coast and also spent a few hours at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute for my 18-month checkup. Thanks and praise to God, all is well. My PSA was/is now at 0.4, so I'm a happy camper. We stayed out in Ponta Vedra at the Marriott...a very nice place.

Sudbury Saturday Night

New Residents!

Suspicions Confirmed

Beautiful Saviour

Wintley Phipps -Amazing Grace

Mr Wintley Phipps shares the origin of the famous spiritual, Amazing Grace...

Thanks to friend Curt who had this YouTube video on his blog, Coffee with Curt.

H. Allen Smith, humourist

One of my favourite authors is (was, actually) a guy named H. Allen Smith. This particular Smith was born in Illinois, grew up there and in Ohio, and became a youthful newspaperman in Indiana. He became well-known when he published a book of personal anecdotes called Low Man on a Totem Pole. It was published in 1941, before I was born.

I first heard of Smith when I lived in Texas. Smith had moved from New York to Texas some six years before I did, and wound up in the western climes of that great state. I lived near Austin, and became a habitue of the many used book stores in and around the University of Texas where I found Smith's books in the special editions that were published during WWII.

Smith participated in the first ever Chili cookoff, held in Terlingua, Texas in October of 1967. He was a fanatic in the manufacture of Chili, the National Dish of Texas, and wrote some strong words on the subject. I have to tell you that I have some differences with Mr. Smith in regards to the proper preparation of Chili, but I'm not alone in that regard. And I don't let our culinary differences interfere with my appreciation for the way he had with the written language.

If you, my gentle reader, have a sense of humor and want to laugh yourself silly, visit your local used book store and search out the work of Mr. H. Allen Smith. In his time he was known as 'the Screwball's Boswell' for his ability to turn an interview into a hilareous newspaper column. He was known to write up curious encounters as short articles, store them in a cheesebox until he had enough for a book, and then craft them into a work of art. I commend Smith and his books to your attention.

The Good Old Hockey Game

In honor of the Pittsburgh Penguins tying the series at 2-2, here's Stompin' Tom Connors doing The Good Old Hockey Game and Sudbury Saturday Night.

GO PENGUINS!!

American Pie - Don McLean

Wednesday evening a group of folks got together at First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, to hear a presentation by Ken Campbell about his experience of Proton Therapy at Loma Linda, California. Two of those present had been through treatment at the University of Florida (UFPTI) about fifteen months ago, and two others had just returned from their treatment.

Ken mentioned that someone at Loma Linda had written new lyrics about proton therapy, set to the tune of Don McLean's 1971 Rock-n-Roll hit "American Pie." The video below will remind you of the original tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper...

We're gonna have to learn those new lyrics, eh?

Mississippi Squirrel Revival