Karen drives a Ford

 

Ever wonder what "Karen" drives?  You are looking at it.  Karen loves his Ford F-150 Pick-em Up Truck.  Karen also enjoys cutting people off, break-checking, and then yelling at people for not following their rules of the road, as well as frightening little girls with his own personal brand of crazy and profanity.  If you see Karen, stay away.  He is considered armed with a head full of lunatic and dangerous.  His mother should be proud that he is such a good Christian.

Another Fourth of Arkansas

 

It probably comes as no surprise that we again returned to Arkansas for this fourth of July.  It is becoming quite habitual in nature.   The crew of a few grew to a crew of seven on this particular expedition south in the north central area of the state.

The journey offered up a few new intrigues by way of Boliver, Springfield, and the Peel Ferry.  Our ongoing investigation into the location included visits to the usual haunts along the Mossy Bluff and the Sugar Loaf.

The fourth of July exploded all around, fitting with the regular expectations.  Heber Springs stood apart this year, holding its return fire until Saturday the 5th.  That seemed to work well for folks further south, enabling them to stick around in Little Rock for the main event, and arrive the following down for the closer.

The return trip was nothing to write home about but did give up a story idea and some new scenery.  Otherwise, we put our effort into avoiding lake traffic, of which there turned out to be very little.  One can never be too cautious though, especially with boat-trucks unable to maintain their lane.

Second Grade Zoo Field Trip

 

An invitation to join in a field trip to the zoo, only charged with leading a couple around the massive complete, led to capturing a few new aspects of this particular location. The new aquarium is an intriguing new addition and left my second-grade troupe amazed.  It was definitely their top pick for the day.

My Easter Prayer

 

Whatever else is going on in the universe, this, right here, is good.

That is all that I offered, which is 1000% more than I usually do.  That part is always left to someone else.  I am not sure how many heard or even understood, since  a couple were busy interrupting and clowning.  It is what it is.

Whatever else is going on in the universe, this, right here, is good.

Dog Bites

Out on the usual morning walk, I got jumped by some old hound dog a little old lady was walking.  It was really more of a sneak attack.  He got ahold of my shirt and pulled away, ruining a one of my long-time favorites.  This shirt has been holding on for more than 20 years.

Caught in the Rain

Got a good soaking half way through the evening one-mile trek walking the dog turned.  It was not so bad though, warm enough rain and just warm enough temperature enabled a clean and fresh sort of feeling.  The dog did not seem to care, though she never does.

Firefly Attack Dog

On the hunt for the elusive firefly.  They shine only briefly, and if you are vigilant and a little hungry, they will only shine once.

Houston, we have a Leak

Under the house is awful, but you have to check on things every so often.  We had the A/C tune-up and I was under there peaking around and found a drip.  We don't need this one getting as bad as the last, which was not awful, but was one drip per 15 seconds.  This one is one drip about every 30 minutes.  Might be condensation.  Who knows.  The plumber will, for a price.

Rescue Puppy

Meet the new latest addition to the pack that we busted out of jail about 3 weeks ago for her 4-month birthday. She is a Pure-Bred Tennessee Brindle Labrador Catahoula Shepherd Chow Hound, more commonly known as a Super Mutt.  The photo above is before we had the opportunity to meet, when KC Pet Project found her in the woods struggling to survive.  She is growing fast and there is no telling how big she is going to turn out.  We are prepared for whatever happens.

This more recent photo shows her deep infatuation with ice. No frozen treat is safe around her.  We discovered this when it hailed only a couple of days after she arrived.  She ran into the yard and immediately began to gobble up all the hail stones she could crunch.  It may have more to do with water, in general.  She is in love with this form of liquid, jumping in it, attempting to gobble it all, launching herself into the lake, or just running as fast as she can through it.

As with any child her age, she is curious and playful, easily hurt and offended but not for long, and desperately wants to know her boundaries and is constantly testing them.  This one is definitely a quick learner but obstinate in her own way, coming when is called, when she feels like it.

Water games are not her only pastime, so is fetch, running in circles, chasing her tail, jumping on people, chewing on everything, sniffing and eating everything in her world, hiking with me, and hunting rabbits and squirrels. 

She also developed a crush for the friendly and old pit bull across the street and absolutely loves to romp around with him, testing her strength and agility.  She usually ends up on her back in submission though.  If he is not in sight and she is out front, she will sit and stare at his house waiting for a glimpse of her heartthrob.

There is another too right next door, but she does not get to see that old girl much.  That Staffordshire comes around to visit occasionally though, having her own crush on our pup.

It will be interesting to see how she grows and evolves.

The g-kids are still taking stock.  The oldest rolls on the floor with her giggling while her face is licked incessantly.  The other older two are still a little shy though but love to help walk her and keep her in line.  The youngers are still too young but will probably enjoy her company.

Time will tell.

Barn Movie Season

It is barn movie season!  The first flick of the year was The Flintstones, which we had never bothered to watch before now.  

Family Treasure Chest

The old trunk lurked patiently in the garage for years, after the original owner passed on without direct heirs. Various relatives left to coordinate the disposition of property, quickly liquidated a crumbling house and withered remains within.

It might have been just as easy to drop the trunk at some thrift store or another and be done with it. However, one of the relatives had inherited their name from the original owner and ultimately, became somewhat of an adopted child and finally, heir to the trunk.

The new owner understood the content within, somewhat. Relocating the trunk from the residence of its original owner, the trunk sat relegated to an out of the way space until the moment someone could invest time towards investigating the contents.

. . .

The expedition associated with that trunk began in coordination with a similar project, though it was many years after acquisition by the current owner.

Working through the attic one afternoon found a collection of photos and negatives that had missed their intended storage target within the neatly categorized family albums. The onset of digital technology had caused these images to land in various folders and shoeboxes in the attic, mostly neglected and forgotten.

This small discovery set in motion a chain of events that would consume innumerable hours reviewing, categorizing, and scanning thousands of family photos over approximately five years or so. Indeed, the project continues sporadically today as new relics surface.

The initial findings took very little time to organize into a sincere effort at preserving the personal cache of family photos and storing into a more shareable space. They were familiar and fond memories, after all.

Thoughts soon turned to a relatively familiar layer that existed at the parents’ house. It only made sense to expand the project scope to include that content. That seemed more pressing though, considering the age and source, and work began immediately and in parallel. Time is often limited for those with the knowledge and capacity to perform the required facial recognition and work began immediately.

As part of that situation, the trunk emerged.

. . .

Cracking the lid, one cold winter morning, the myriad of artifacts within the old trunk begged immediate cataloging. However, excess fascination with the contents of the sarcophagus prohibited any regimented effort at the time. A deeper dive into the trunk at a later date carefully documented each little treasure and the relationship to the whole and proved no less intriguing than the first review.

The greater part of the treasure consisted of family photographs down through the years, quite a few of whom were identified through notes scrawled across the back or at the bottom. Those would prove crucial in helping to match others unidentified. Unfortunately, a good portion of them remain lost forever to the memories of those already passed.

An odd array of artifacts made up the remainder of the treasure in this little time capsule. Items included stock certificates from companies that had failed in the crash just before the Great Depression, hair pins that could have been weapons (we later found they sometimes were), hand-beaded purses that were apparently all the rage in the 1920s, telegrams, railroad time tables, postcards, auto service manuals, 45 rpm records, musical scores, maps, company letterhead, product designs, remnants of shopping bags from departments stores long gone, tiny military manuals designed to aid the serviceman abroad, and a few little news clippings, mostly related to the aforementioned trunk owner. Some included other family, as well.

A good chunk of this paraphernalia included a cache of photos and other memorabilia associated with a journey the original owner of the trunk made to Washington, D.C. with his comrades from Battery D. They had enjoyed the trip of a lifetime, witnessing the inauguration of friend and former commander, President Harry S. Truman.

All of this required great care in documenting, due to age, state of decay, and the manner in which pictures had been mounted within some of the photo albums the trunk contained. Glued directly to the black pages, more often than not, photographing entire pages turned out the best that could be done. After documenting each, photo albums and other artifacts were sealed away from the torments of oxygen in giant plastic zipper bags. While likely not the most ideal means of securing the information permanently, it is something more than nothing.

The oldest identified in the collection is a hand-written letter written home in 1863 from Suffolk and the 164th Regiment, otherwise known as the Irish Legion. In the most fluid and neatly flowing cursive, the note tells of a few of their trials and a meeting with group of southern troops numbering 10k more than themselves, which forced their group to pursue a hasty retreat.

Later in the year, the same individual writes from Sangster’s Station about scouting and skirmishes taking place near Centerville and the Fairfax courthouse in Virginia. Another just a few months later hopes for an end to the Civil War “for the good of the country.” Deeper research uncovered the individual passed on only abpout a month later after injury and capture during the Appomattox confrontation.

The owner of the trunk first appears after a gap of about 40 years and piles of unidentifiable people in tintypes. He stands with another unnamed individual on one of his first assignments on border patrol in or near Mexico during the Mexican Revolution noting on the back of the photo, “This isn’t Villa, but a typical Mexican.”

He joined the American Expeditionary Force in Europe shortly thereafter. Involvement with balloon reconnaissance with the 8th Aero Squadron and 6th Army Corps Observation Group, he was also connected with the infamous Battery D, 129th Field Artillery, 35th Division, commanded by lifelong friend and President of the United States of America, Harry S. Truman.

After The Great War ended, he took a little bit time to enjoy and explore the nation he had defended. Peace did not last long though, as things often go. He returned to service once again as adjutant of the pre-flight school in San Antonio, Texas. This would be later known as Lackland Air Force Base, the initial training center for all Air Force personnel.

An entire scrapbook of glued photos represented that part of the life of the owner of the trunk. It includes a wide array of personal photographs on military assignment, random training materials from the Heavy Bomb Group, and other assorted and amusing military artifacts. Some of the photos were recognizable from contemporary peers in circulation. It was somewhat breathtaking to actually hold the originals.

Others bit and pieces of family began to blend in from there, offering their own unique contributions to the trunk. Multiple, sometimes crumbling, scrapbooks documented the life and times of family throughout the 1940's.

The owner of the trunk made more sporadic, though more high-profile appearances in the trunk too. In addition to attending the inauguration of President Truman, the boys from Battery D would continue to meet on numerous occasions at the Muehlbach Hotel in Kansas City. One instance in which Mr. Truman made an appearance, is fully documented and bound in 8x10 glossy black and white.

These volumes and artifacts offered a unique view into lives not entirely different from our own and a few welcome surprises. It offered us a first glimpse at great grandparents and even a couple of their parents, siblings and cousins. They smiled back at us across a century or more, posing in front of homes long gone, with friends long passed, or while on some great adventure to various parts of the country, some changed and some still the same.

Again, a good portion of the folks were easily identified. Someone along the way had written names and places above or below most of the photos. Funny little notes were included occasionally, too. This all proved to be a stroke of luck, helping to identify various individuals. Loading the digital copies into an online photo service later, facial recognition further identified photos that would have remained unidentified otherwise.

A satisfying project that continues today, the first group of artifacts are now stored in a Google Photos album. Not everything is included. Some things are too personal to share in public just now. Descriptions are added to those we know a little something about.

There is more too; or, rather, will be more. Another trunk recently surfaced from another side of the family. This development promises an equally entertaining trip through the previous century, to include glimpses into the Aleutian front of World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam confrontations. There is also rumor of another trunk.

This may never end but will certainly enable a certain level of fascination for years to come for those of us documenting this cache, as well as our descendants and theirs. Everyone should be as lucky to have such encounters and probably are but probably do not know it yet. The whole thing has us planning our own little treasure chest.

Goodbye to a Good Friend

A traveling companion and good friend passed on today, after 15 years of loyal service.  One could not have asked for a better partner on the road and through life.

Born in abandoned house in the Ozarks, she anxiously made every trip back to the shores of the Lake, enjoying the no boundaries opportunity for exploration.

Her surrogate momma raised her well, teaching her to play hard, fight for what was hers, and enjoy every lazy dog day opportunity.

Later in life, she played surrogate to another pup, but never quite understood what to do with the noisy and hyper little monster.

A faithful protector always and to the very end, her vigilant protection of home and land enabled a sense of safety and well-being for all.

This very best friend ever will be missed this Christmas.

Kiko

2005 - 2020