Dial up Internet? Still?

Home again, home again, jiggity jog.

It's always good to go, but so much better to come home. Florida was lovely, with only 2 lousy weather days.

Biblical rain has followed us these past few weeks.  We brought New Orleans torrential rains. I'd never been wetter.  It stormed the week between trips in Mayberry as well, with weather warning blowing as we left on our drive down south. No point sticking around to watch bad weather.

My parents rarely travelled for recreation, but when they did my father was in full comand.  The order of the day was to leave before sun up, drive several hours then stop for breakfast.  After we ate, the only stops were for gas, until mid afternoon.  Then we stop for the night at a highway motel, swim, eat and crash.

I inherited my father's predilection for leaving early, it likely made sense in pre-a/c equppied cars, but Mrs. T dsabused of that notion.  Now, we leave whenever it's convenient, usually mid afternoon.  Stopping as necessary so we  hit Atlanta in time for rush hour and enjoy the ride.  I like our way better.

We drove to Captiva, Florida which lies slightly west of Ft. Myers arriving just in time to pick up Mrs. T's 2 sons at the local airport. We did little while there other than eat (at home), lie in the sun and recover from a long winter. I won't bore you with "we had more fun than you" because we didn't. None the less it was a glorious and sorely needed vacation.

I'm glad to be home though.  It's snowing as I write this, but surrounded by the dogs, my toys and the comforts of home I don't care.  It's good to go, it's better to return.  I think I'll curl up with the Odyssey. 

PS:  Driving 2500 miles dependant upon local radio stations made me recall the days when FM radio was a radical idea.  Where else could you hear Janis Joplin or The Chambers Brothers on the radio.  Like too much else the money boys FU'ed fm radio too, turning into the AM goo FM was meant to subvert. Having to endure 4+ days of mindless 3 minute pop, my head is about to explode.  Next time I hear Happy someone may get hurt.

I am glad you're here.  Many thanks

Toad

President Lincoln dead

At the end of a war that took the lives of almost 750,000 American's it is hard to say that one death mattered more than another.  However, the death of Abraham Lincoln, on this day in 1865, may have had greater impact than that of any of the combatants.  Lincoln alive and healthy meant no reconstruction.  Lincoln dead brought devastation to the south.

Toad

b-52 introduced

Remember the Rock Hudson 1963 classic A Gathering of Eagles?  The film was a cold war propaganda piece about the role of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command in warding off the red menace.  Rock was a B-52 Wing Commander sent to make certain his wing passed their operational readiness inspection.  Close your eyes tightly and  you visualize the film, even if you never saw it.

I saw that film on a hot night in the back of the family station wagon at a drive in near Kansas City, and knew from immediately I someday wanted to join the Air Force just to be around B-52s.  As close as I got was watching them land at nearby Kelly AFB while fighting the battle of Lackland AFB.

Military jets weren't introduced until the end of WWII, and saw limited service.  The XB-52 Stratofortress's first flight was April 15, 1952, a mere 3 weeks after my birth, and officially joined the Air Force fleet 3 years later.  Sixty one years on, extensively modified and updated the B-52 continues to be the backbone of the US bomber fleet.  Current plans anticipate the B-52's retirement in 2040.

Toad