Where are we Now?

                                           

                                                  WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Believe it or not, COVID-19 is still going on World Wide, so I'm not saying anything new. Grant County Washington is now in Phase 2.  I am giving you a copy of our two phases of five that describe the phases of COVID-19.

This should give you an idea of the stringent restrictions we are living under.  However, we are in much better circumstances than we were in Phase 1.  We still have restrictions on having guests and being in restaurants.

We have traveled to our families in the Pacific Northwest, spending time with my son, Jim, visiting my granddaughter, Ara.  We visit Beverly and our older grandchildren in a cozy place she has set up on her deck.  It has heaters, lights and comfortable chairs for entertainment. 

A Ho Hum Day

 

                                             

                                                 A Ho Humm Day

                    I started out the day with plans.  John was working counting fish, and I decided 

       to cancel my activity to just stay home.  I wanted to do chores (yes, CHORES!) such as washing

      sheets and ironing, and later, having lunch on the deck.  Our house is getting new floors, so

     can't yet invite people over, but soon, I plan to.  I haven't yet done much entertaining,  But

    when our house is ready, I intend to--really!

             Lately, I have been eating cottage cheese and 1 peach.  I haven't found any cottage cheese that 

    I have liked in all local stores.  Finally, when John and I went to a large store (the name has 

escaped me at the moment)  and I found my favorite kind. It isn't watery, and the small curd is

Just right.  

As I look over this blog, it not only a Ho Hum Day, but it is a Ho Hum Blog.  (Oh well.  Some

days are like that!).

On the news front, President Trump and the First Lady have Covid (the illness I wrote about in my last

blog).  They encountered it at a gathering, where several others also became ill.  So far, the Congress

hasn't done anything about it.  Trump is still in charge, (as he weakly croaks orders from his hospital 

bed).  He insists that he will return in a timely matter. We will see.  The only time in my "short" life

(except Kennedy's assassination) have I seen a U.S. President disabled, even for a moment.  This

Covid 19 disease has been spread through-out the whole world.  Scientists and Health professionals

are scrambling for a vaccine.  How can they will find one, when they have no idea where it came from?

We, as a "People"  must abide by the precautions ordered.by our Leaders, who are following orders of 

the finest minds in the world,   We as a human race will find a cure for this.

During COVID

                                        DURING COVID

We are in an Historic Time.  We (as a civilization) have been hit with a deadly virus hat has not yet been discovered the modern highly developed Medical History.  It has killed many, first starting with
the elderly, and now extending to our children.

It is called the Corona Virus (Disease) or COVID.   All of us are extremely vulnerable.  Schools &
Businesses, parks & recreation areas, of all countries, are closed.  My husband John and my dreams
of our European travel have been postponed.

But. just for the near future, .We, as an intelligent Civilization, are now bonding together to gather all of our highly trained Medical. Scientific and Leaders of all  Nations  to find a solution to our present state of panic.  We must safe, wear protective masks,  have temperatures taken,  and practically a full
examination for health, now. 

Happy Memorial Day to all of my friends!  I am now writing my blog on my deck, which is lovely.  It is overlooking the Columbia River.  The Columbia River is approx. 1,200 miles long, originating from Canal Flats (in British Columbia,) and travelling downhill, spilling into the Pacific Ocean at Ilwaco, Washington.

In order to get set up writing on my deck, I needed to bring out my laptop (chek), my phone (in order to get messages, and look up anything of interest ),chek, and my husband, for updated information  (chek).

I really am continuing to describe how I am going about my days during the Coronavirus pandemic,
which has the governments (not only ours, but others in our civilization.) ordering everyone to stay home.  In the meantime, I have received several adorable outfits, hats and dresses, and a tube of .0.5 oz.of Medihoney.  (I had waited for this for weeks, to use on my wound, because I am allergic to zinc and Medihoney does not contain zinc. Birthday presents, and also for Mother's Day!  I really feel spoiled this year!

It is sad that we must remain home at this timesent because of orders from the international governments.  They are hoping that we won't make another horrendous mistake, and save us from
losing thousands of children from the Polio virus epidemic, or others from the onset of AIDS, and now, even more from the pandemic of the Coronavirus.

However, I know that I can sneak over to my loved ones' homes, not physically, but virtually,
and they show me that they are only fine, but they are frantically making sure that I am fine.

I was so happy, and touched at how dynamic our love was instantly sent to one another.  Despite the climate of our times, I still can tell about my experiences duri g this time.

.

Spread a Little Kindness

I  haven't got a title for this post yet!  Just  some random thoughts--perhaps comments on ideas for activities from Stay-at-Homers.

One darling friend posted that she had received a May Day basket.  It was exactly what we used to do as kids. We would make  baskets out of colored paper,  fill them with wild flowers, hang them on all of the neighbors' door knobs, ring the doorbell and run of sight.  It was such a delightful thing to do during these times, and perfectly safe, because they kept out of sight!  They were such a hit, like a Drive-by-Pouring out of Friendship and Comradery! A loving memory from childhood!

In our Desert Aire community, a beautiful friend from our church, Drove by our homes with palms for Palm Sunday.  Another had made masks, and dropped them by our homes, having called first, we got to wave from our windows as they frantically escaped from the porch unnoticed.

Because we always wore corsages on Easter Sunday, I made corsages out one pastel carnation and a pretty bow for my part in our Easter celebration from inside our homes.  Our pastor youtubes our Sunday sermons, continuing to do so now, as we speak!  I am now working on another long-term project, something I can do to continue to spread-a little- kindness, which is the title of this blog!

Coronians

We have entered into a very scary time in 2020.  I have reopened my blog because a disease which has doctors, scientists.and global researchers at a loss for a cure.  COVID-19 has been spreading worldwide.  Out of desperation, Coronavirus, (as dubbed by the media) an epidemic that is a deadly killer, has us, as a people without national boundaries, coming to a halt.  We have closed down schools, all businesses that are determined to be non-essential, parks, even movie theaters.  COVID-19 is thought to have come from China, and has taken off, without anything to stop it, globally.

Schools have closed -- children of all ages, are safely home.  Their education, being temporarily halted, will continue by their brave, diligent teachers with the help of technology, are getting their lessons online.

My grandson, Parker, is graduating from high school this June, and has also completed all of his requirements online. As a proud grandmother, I will make sure to celebrate, in person.  There is no other option.  Our technology is so advanced that we could even watch the ceremony virtually if necessary.


With all of our geniuses in the world, we will soon find a solution to this overwhelming disease that has truly halted the world as we know it.  Rather than a global WWIII, we have a pandemic, an event so insurmountable that it has us all in our homes, cut off from everyone close to us, nuclear
weapons cannot help.  We have only our own scientists to be our weapon.  For once, we are all globally united to fight a disease bigger than ourselves that threatens our lives.  I am going to retrace us with a summary of all of the main events of our time:

WWIIers:  As the war ended the joie de vivre was everywhere.  They celebrated and The Greatest Generation emerged.  In 1946,  the year of my birth, was the beginning of the Baby      
Boomers.  We were loved and indulged, and I think the 1950s was idealic, until a horrible epidemic emerged:  POLIO.  Children were the target of this awful disease, and Iron Lungs kept those afflicted breathing.  The Salk Vaccine arrived to save the day.  I and my classmates became Polio Pioneers.

Mourning Willard

People of all ages morn the loss of a beloved pet.  This most recent acquisition of two new kittens was my way of avoiding the complete void of the death our first kitty, Celeste.  About 20 years ago, Son Jeff, knowing that we were looking for a kitten, brought us one that came from a litter his co-worker was giving away.  I had been so deprived, that the moment I hugged her, she purred.  Her face was calico on one side, and striped on the other and the same with her body, they had named her "Half-n-Half".  I  redubbed her Celeste and we had an instant bond.  After 16 years with her, she died of natural causes.  I didn't think I could love a pet as much.

I  eventually replaced her with Lily.  She was a mischievous kitten and absolutely adorable.  She thought it was really funny to perch on our headboard of the bed, and bonk sleeping Husband John on the head.  It made him angry, which she loved.

After she was about a year old, I decided that she needed a companion, and happened into a pet store.
There, I found a tiny little white kitten.  1 was told it was a she, and named her Violet.  She quickly gained weight, so I went to get her neutered, and much to my surprise, she was a he.  We changed her name to Willard, and he grew quickly into a beautiful white, long haired cat with green eyes that looked at you lovingly.  While I adored Lily, Willy, as he was nicknamed, stole my heart.  He was very athletic and joined Lily as great hunters.  They regularly brought home some poor victim.  Once, Willard came home with a live mouse, which he let go inside the house.  I freaked out, and literally stood on chairs until Mickey was finally cornered by Willard in our family room, as I breathed a sigh of relief, and we captured Mickey and threw him out.

A month ago, Willard became ill with Feline Diabetes,  Unable to respond to treatment, he passed away.

Yes, we have a lot of pleasure with our Kitties, and Lily is still with us.  We will always have pets, and will love and mourn each one with their passing.

Agates, and Pretty Rocks to polish and Beaches to Visit

I love the beach, the hotter the better as long as I am in the water!  As a child I would even try to swim in the sewers around our house, making sure I didn't get my clothes wet, until my mother raced to get my naked 2 year old body home quickly before I even could get in.

Me, under a smaller waterfall inside the grand Palouse falls, which was formally made into the state falls of Washington.

As I was growing up, we lived in the in the Puget Sound area, and our family took trips to Birch Bay, where I found beautiful agates and rocks, which I polished with my trusty  rock polisher.  (as an adult, I have been collecting rocks everywhere we travel to and then polish them.

The pure joy I feel at the beach, whether it is on Puget Sound, or the Columbia is only replace by my love for my  grandchildren, children, friends, and of course, my John

 A swimming pool will do, (me on my floater in our above the ground pool in Everett, )

 I am overlooking the Columbia River from our deck in Desert Aire

John & Me

John and I travel from our new home in Eastern Washington on the Columbia River, to the Pacific Ocean on the Washington coast, to Puget Sound, a channel, fed by the Pacific Ocean, that divides the Coast of Washington from Seattle, and surrounded cities on our other coastline  We love to travel by car, and visit as many places with wonderful water spots from Washington state, down the Oregon and California waterfronts.  After much travel, we find many other attractions inland, brimming with water activities.  I absolutely adore Oregon's  Crater Lake!  One really can't swim there, however it is magnificent

Ferry on Puget Sound, WA

At the ocean on the Oregon Coast

I could go on for hours about our great United States of America gifts for all of our tastes of activities, but only focused on my choices as those for a water baby.

Time Marches On

It it great to get back to blogging.  Because my eyes are getting dim, I am switching to large print.  

As I get older, time flies by.  When I was a child, a whole summer
seemed to be a grand and long season.

 We lived across the street from Elizabeth Park, which was my joyous playground, with swings, a slide, tennis court, and even a
pond.  I went back there as an adult, and they filled in the place where I caught polliwogs,  and every other swimming creature
you could imagine. I met my best friend there.  Her older sister spotted me, and took me home to meet Vicki.  We were exactly the same age.   I learned to ride my bike there, and made braided necklaces and ran all day long, except when my mother called me in for lunch, and then, for the day.  Mother's voice 
could be heard for miles.  Like an opera singer!  In those days,
We would go out, and the door would close, and not open again
until we were called in.  Moms could never do that now!

The school year was a lifetime, year by year, yet I was very happy at school.  We had a huge Maple Tree in the middle of the playground.  We played  on it for years, and it sort of separated the girls and boys.  The girls were on the paved part of the playground, where we could play jump rope, hop scotch, square ball, etc.

The boys mostly were on the play field,  for football and baseball, etc.  But the bars were behind their field, closer to the back fence, so we (the girls) would gingerly walk on the edge of the field to play on the Bars.  I would take my jacket off to put under my knee as I turned round and round on them.

So this is the aging of Linda right before your eyes:

                                   Infant Me

                                  2 year old me

                               Adult Me

Aging Me  (present)

 

Even as a young mother, time began to speed up, and soon your child is in school, and then you blink, they are grown.  By the time one is a grandmother, a year is like a week, and my first grand baby
is suddenly a senior in High School.
I now hang on to every moment, for time now is cherished!

OPTIMISM

 My previous subject was intended to be followed by my next posting: Optimism.  To me, this is the flip side of Procrastination.   There are so many things to be missed by putting things off.  When I
have done that, I miss out on my favorite activities.  Most things in my community start early, so I have learned that I must get myself on an earlier schedule.  instead of being lazy, and sleeping in until 9AM,

By then, everything has already started.  It is a bit late to begin my household chores, because in the summer,  it gets too hot to work outside by 11AM.   I have decided to begin golfing, which is also an early morning activity.  Most people I know that golf are on the course by 8AM, getting up long before 9AM.

Another thing I want to do is learn to fly an airplane.  I have taken a few lessons, but decided to wait until we got over here in Eastern Washington.  No trees or other planes at Paine Field, where we used to live by, to worry about.  So, I have lots of things I want to do,

We live in a retirement community called Desert Aire, and when we first arrived, my only desire was to jump in the Columbia River,  in front of our home.  And I have done that, and have been content to do this for several hours per day.  The  hotter the temperature, the better!  I still do it, but as I have met some lovely friends, I want to do other things, also.  I am still young, and have many years ahead to accomplish more dreams, like flying.  I may leave golf for after flying. lessons.  So, there is a lot more to do here than play in the water!

                                         Me, playing in the water

                                           Playing in pool

                                        on deck at Desert Aire.

PROCRASTINATION

My blog is titled Thoughts for the Day.  Meaning that it is not done everyday, however, once a month is a little longer than I had started out thinking.  I certainly have a thought provoking spark come into my brain everyday, but some days, I just sit in my chair and stare.   Or read, but not think.

I think it started when I was working.  I was either teaching, or flower designing,  which required a lot of thought and creativity,  so when I retired, my brain did too.
After I begin to forget what I was going to get when I got there, I decided I had better begin to stoke up my brain a little.  After all, I have a new baby granddaughter to give wisdom to, besides my other wonderful 2.  I am so amazed that they are so bright and beautiful.  And I never thought we'd have a third baby girl (neither did Son James, probably)

                                         Me, Willard the cat, and my beloved flowers

                                         Grandson Parker, Granddaughter Cailin, and boyfriendl

.                                        Baby Ara Mae

I don't know how fortunate I am to have such beautiful grandchildren, but I do.  And they are such nice kids.

I also have a nice home my husband John and I chose, in our retirement resort of Desert Aire.  So I guess I tend to get reticent about doing anything, and begin not to notice the glorious life I have.   My days of sitting and staring are just my days of procrastination.  I know that now that I am retired, I don't have to do a smidge, but now

days. I do not feel that I should waste my days, any of them. @ Desert Aire with my family.

The Days of Wine and Restaurants

RESTAURANTS:

I remember when we were growing up in Bellingham, WA, we only had one restaurant -- the Royal Cafe.  And fancy dining was at the BellinghamYacht Club (for yachtsmen), Elk's Club (Elks) & the Bellingham Country Club (for golfers) by fancy people.  Then, suddenly, as women began working "outside the home" a few more restaurants cropped up, like The Black Angus, then Herfy's and then MacDonald's.  (My Baby Jimmy loved the Herfy's Wacky Burger Box), until I would eat a french fry from it!

Then, in the '80s, it became the decade of the Restaurants.  More and more eateries cropped up --Mexican, Italian, Asian food from many countries, etc.  Everyone began enjoying sampling many different foods, and fast foods and slow, elegant dining.

WINE:

Soon, many men & women, whom were newly single, began to sample wine, and so the light went on in entrepreneurs to start some wineries in Washington, because wine consumption was increasing here.  And we were in the same latitude and climate in France.  BINGO!  People began to sample wines from the fancy Winery Mansions in droves.  Wineries cropped up all over the state, and so did wine tasting.  To keep their places open, wineries began to sell multiple wine tools like openers, stoppers , wine corks and different paraphernalia for their participants to use as a symbol of their sophistication of this lovely beverage.  And a New Era

Although California had wineries in the '60s and earlier, we, in our state, had just begun.  I didn't even like it, and begun to search for trinkets for my wine drinking friends, who were considered quite sophisticated.  Soon, wine glasses were decorated according to personalities.  There were wine stoppers, fancy decanters, and total wine drinking restaurants.

VOILA!  Our wineries!

WINE ERA!                           Chris, from L'Ecole No. 41 Winery

FACEBOOK

What a concept!  It even replaced Email as a way of communicating so amazing that I have been  reacquainted with many old friends as well as new.  Of course, with something like this, there
is bound to be problems.
  Now, after being inundated with massive amounts of  SPAM all over
all of my writings, and photos meant for friends and family, it is hard to sift through everything
to find new messages, and not knowing if they are for me, or for everyone on your lists.  I will be writing away and BLING!  see Sally Field's claim that she is no longer acting. and then her mug displaying before and after views of having miraculous changes by using only someone's miracle cream.  Suddenly, she has many jobs, and her wrinkles and jowls have disappeared.

I wonder if these stars are even aware of their image plastered in facebook ads.  Many pop up with wigs of many colors.  I really want a blonde one like Jane Fonda's.  It would really show you how you would look with hair of many hues.  Humm.

And the games like BINGO and one that you have to search for images hidden in pictures.  I was happily playing one when, suddenly you are locked out until someone asks for you, or you pay some amount .  I refuse to pay like $1.00 a line, or something.  If it's free, I'll do it!  At that rate, I would spend $100 dollars a day on games.  Some people do spend money on online games.
I suppose it is no different than going to a Casino.  You really spend all day on facebook, unless you are playing with your Cell phone., or writing on you Blog.  I am starting on my 3rd hour on my computer, and I will stop now until I figure out how to put  Facebook pictures on my blog, or blog pictures on facebook

Crow vs blackbird

Crow Vs. Blackbird
We were driving  along the road in Desert Aire, and I saw a black bird, that didn't look as obnoxious as a crow.  I didn't see much difference in these birds when I lived on the Northwest Coast.  In fact,

I found their Cawing very annoying.  Of course, the beautiful blue Stellar Jay squaks also.  They all are like gorgeous people with terrible voices.  

When we moved to our wonderful home in Desert Aire, on the Colombia River, I began to notoce birds with red on their wings, blue birds that were crow-like, and Black Birds, daintier than crows, or Ravens, so I looked them up in my bird book, and found that there were many kinds of "crows" and some of them were quite pretty.  You. whom do not live in this area, don't know that we can see many more creatures, because of lack of luscious cedar anCCd fir trees, and greenery.  So I was quite in awe of the markings on black and blue birds.  Even the "not so attractive" blackbirds have yellow beaks , or blue ones.   I became quite interested in them.

While in a Waiting Room in a Doctors office, (where seniors spend a lot of their time, as their bodies become in need of the medications that they  can't afford), I came upon an Audubon magazine about, guess what!  "Crows' Feats".  I know that our Good Lord does bring these amazing creatures to my attention, because I thought they were so ugly and annoying.
When I began to become more of a bird watcher, I saw beautiful blackbirds with bright red markings.  I found out, after studying my Sibley Bird book, that it was a kind of crow!

The members of the Crow family, known as the Corvids, are known as some of the most intelligent birds in the world.  This is scary, but the are known to use tools, playing tricks on each other,

and even bury their dead.  And blackbirds are darker shades of blue, and when the light hits them juat

 right, their yellow beaks and slight color changes are amazing. . The amazing behavior of Corvids has fascinated scientists for a  great group of birThe Hyds to study,  There are plenty of them, and their brains are large compared to the rest of their bodies,  The Hippocampus of aPinyon Jay, or a nutcracker gives them amazing memories.--Crows and Ravens large areas in their brains make them closer to primates in their abilities to analyse problems and come to solutions for a variety ot things., and higher levels of sensory processing and sensory behaviors. 

An experiment marked a Raven, gave it information , and it remembered it 10 years later.  I could go on, but I am afraid of quoting the Audubon Information on crows and hawks Feats.  If only they had singing lessons for them.  Their voices are so annoying, even the Stellar Jay!

Celebrate the Small Things: Holidays (a little late!)

Holidays for our family was a busy time for us.  As divorced grandparents, we are a "modern family", our children are all we care about, and we are madly going from family to family to celebrate with everyone!

I am posting this for those of us Boomers who do have complicated lives.  And those in my age group are the first of them.  I am on the "fence" of the "old and the new" lifestyles.  I still believe in Family, and adore my "merged" family.  My only child is divorced, so this requires 2 more "Families" to visit.  My grandchildren's mother will always be my Daughter-in-Law.  My new Daughter-in Law to be is also loved.  Due to their culture, she will soon give birth to my new granddaughter.  I love my 2 grandchildren now so much, that I don't know how my heart can hold another.

But that is what I LOVE about my heart.  It grows and grows bigger with LOVE.  I can't wait for Ara to be born.  I will hold her, and love her and as she grows, she will be amazing, like Cailin and Parker.

Son Jeff, Daughter-in-Law Susan & Papa John

. Son James and Marussa.

.Our Pets L. Willard, R. Lily

.Grand-daughter Cailin

.Daughter-in law Bev, Parker, & Cailin

Is Our Nation Changing from its original Constitutional Meaning?

Is our Nation changing from it's Original Constitutional Meaning? Our suspicious concept of other nations entering our country is becoming real. Ever since 9/11, our open arms greeting other nations is part of the United States of America's Creed.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

― Emma Lazarus

quote-on-the-statue-of-liberty

I get that the United States is "full", however we need to develop a new "Creed" that is inclusive, but also knows that we are a Christian Nation, and just because we have religious freedom does not mean that Christianity should take the back burner on our Government properties, or in the Government school districts. If we want to salute the flag, and have prayer in these places, we are guaranteed to have the freedom to celebrate our beliefs, as well as the religious groups have the right to not have those beliefs. I cannot possibly express my feelings better than the following item:


AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT SPEAKS HIS MIND No name calling, no hatred, no political agenda.

A CANADIAN COMMENT APPEARS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE AND IS MEANINGFUL. THERE ARE ALSO SOME RECENTLY ADDED BRITISH & AUSTRALIAN COMMENTS.

[This pilot hits the nail right on the head in his open letter]

A newspaper stated that a Muslim Doctor is saying we are profiling him because he has been checked three times while getting on an airplane. The following is a letter from a pilot. This well – spoken man, who is a pilot with American Airlines, says what is in his heart and says it beautifully:

YOU WORRY ME!

By Captain John Maniscalco, American Airlines Pilot I've been trying to say this since 911, ..... You worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands, professing to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our friends for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and hate, but I know that nothing can justify the inhumanity of their attacks. On September 11, ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death others, hacking their necks, over and over, with box cutters. They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings, killing thousands of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best friends, favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers. The Palestinians celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed as was most of the Arab world. So, I notice you now. I don't want to be worried. I don't want to be consumed by the same rage, hate and prejudice that has destroyed the soul of these terrorists. But I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist. How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim Americans and the Arab/Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter MORE of the same good neighbors and children?

The events of September 11 changed the answer. It is not MY responsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me.

I want to know, I DEMAND to know and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America ...... Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation; that He will protect it and let it prosper? Or do you pray that Allah will destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots, who have through our history, who given their lives for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America ?? If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it.

Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions YOU are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America . Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent, because I worry about who you regard as innocent....

No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks, because I worry about what is unprovoked to you. I am not interested in any more sympathy; I am interested only in action. What will you do for America - our great country - at this time of continuing crisis, at this time of war?

I want to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting 'Allah Bless America '. I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to our returning wounded and to this nation as a whole.

The FBI has had a long list of people they’ve wanted to interact with regarding the threats that they believe to be ongoing. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Give the FBI a heads up as to where they may be. Better yet, hand them over to us, NOW! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from reprisals.

The very few Arab/Muslim representatives, like CARE, that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating. They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States apologize and take responsibility for actions defending our own people. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing 'leaders' like the late Khadafy, the late Hussein, Farrakhan, and the late Arafat.

If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, pure, and true, when your 'leaders' ARE teaching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again.

A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at airport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam.

We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take away that which is so precious to us -- our rights under the greatest constitution in the world. I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to DEMAND it. A right paid for by the blood of thousands of my brothers and sisters who die protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family.

I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American...... But there can be no grey areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance, and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then, " YOU WORRY ME!"

CANADIAN COMMENTS:

We Canadians totally agree with this sentiment. I hope you will forget all about the 'political correctness' mandate we've had rammed down our throats by so many on the left, and see if this doesn't ring true in your heart and mind.

For Canada , with all the multiculturalism we've been told is so important.... why should we not, as Canadians, expect that the millions of new people immigrating to our country will show their love for our country, their allegiance to our country, their willingness to obey the laws of our country, and acceptance that we are a Christian country?

Just because they are able to enjoy exercising their own religion, they should NOT expect us to be ashamed of ours.

They knew Canada was a Christian country when they came here. Why are we erasing Christianity because immigrants who are unwilling to adopt our way of life expect us to? There is just too much insanity in the world, and we have to start taking a stand.

I hope you will forward this, so that others will feel they are not alone if they are starting to feel the same.

BRITISH COMMENTS:

At last a clear non - racist example of the concerns that the vast majority of our Nations population probably share. The pilot's letter encapsulates all that is fair and just about national pride and protection of one's national culture. I fear it may be too late here in UK , BUT we too want our country back in the form that attracted all these different cultures to come here in the first place!! In all our conversations with a wide range of friends and acquaintances we have not met one that disagrees with our own views.

If only we all had the courage of our convictions to pass this on, it is a statement that should be accepted as the heart-felt feelings of someone with honest commendable national pride.

Not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists to date have been Muslims.

Stand up and be counted!

Australian Comment :

Best email I have had in years it needs to be in every paper every day until we get some answers.

McMinnville Flight Museum, Part II

Besides the huge building that houses the Spruce Goose, their are 2 other buildings, dedicated to

1)  History of Planes

The entrance to the History of War Planes, and heroes,  The last 2 buildings housed the Astronaut

memorabilia , and the History of War Planes, and development of early flight.  I have intermingled 

the pictures from both buildings.

Astronaut suited up in his space vehicle

The 1st building was the displays of both War planes, up to Space memorabilia.  2nd was Spurce goose, and the 3rd was the theater.  

An actual space suit used by the astronauts

A training capsule used by the Astronauts 

Blackbird SR 71 in as much of its entirety that I could get.  This reconnaissance plane was designed in the 1950's and would still be the most advanced spy plane in the present time if it had not been discontinued!

u

Part of tbe Blackbird, SR 71

 Sikorsky war helicopter c the time of the Korean war, and Viet Nam.  Although I have many more picture from McMinnville, I think this is plenty.  I was so excited about these planes, that I got carried away!               PS. a Drone.

Spruce Goose and I

I always imagined the Spruce as a boxy, wooden plane.  Sort of a massive, enclosed soap box with wings.   Much to my amazement. it was sleek, and shiny, the largest plane to ever fly.  And it was in 1947.

                                         Me in front of the Spruce Goose

'

The Spruce Goose In it's entirety

The Spruce Goose was actually a slang term penned by the press.  The plane was really the Hughes H-4 Hercules and was designed and partially funded by Howard Hughes.  In 1942 when the War 

Department needed to transport men and material to Britain  to aid in the war effort.  The original design for this gigantic H4 Hercules plane  was created by Henry J Kaiser, and, with help from Howard Hughes. formed the Hughes-Kaiser partnership.  Long after Kaiser and then the Senate left the project, Hughes continued to finish the H-4 Hercules with his own funds. Designed to float, also, Hughes built a huge hangar, and the massive plane had its maiden voyage taxied through the,harbor and flew 70 feet above the water, and went 135  mph, remaining airborne for 1 mi, 2 years after war ended!

America the Beautiful

We were driving home from a one of our jaunts around our newly found home in Eastern Washington.

The time was just late afternoon, and the beginning of our Autumn sun color, and the harvests had begun early.  As we drove, I saw "O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain"

                                   

                                           For purple mountains Majesty . . . Above the fruited plains....

                                          America,

                                                     America!   God shed His Grace on thee...

                                                     And crown thy good with brotherhood,
                                                     From sea to shining sea