El Diorama

Before Janell and I married, I bought and assembled a kit for a Civil War era Parrot rifle cannon. Sometime later, I purchased a kit for the limber. Along the way, the cannon was damaged and spent about thirty years in a paper bag on our closet shelf. A few months ago, I got the urge to repair the cannon model and put together the limber.

Wanting to keep the model from getting dusty and subject to harm, I decided I'd put it in a case of some sort. Then, in keeping with my propensity for complicating things, I figured that a diorama was in order.

Searching for some reference material after which to model the diorama, I happened to find a picture (Library of Congress, online) that showed four Parrot rifles on a hill. Further investigation provided some interesting information. Now you will be subjected to all that if you read on.

In the Spring of 1862, the Army of the Potomac began the Peninsular Campaign aimed at capturing the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia. In late May, the fighting was centered just east of Richmond known as the battle of Seven Pines (or Fair Oaks). On the night of May 31, several Federal horse artillery batteries were ordered to cross the Chickahominy River so there would be support for the next days fighting. The river was swollen due to heavy rains. The four pieces shown in the original photograph were the only cannon to make it across the river. They were Battery B, 1st Regiment, New York Light Artillery, commanded by Captain Rufus Pettit. For the diorama, this photo is the background, with the model being an addition.

A light, or horse, artillery battery typically consisted of four to six pieces, each with a limber drawn by six horses. The cannon were hooked to the limbers which also carried ammunition and necessary supplies. A single caisson was a horse drawn wagon that accompanied the battery, and it carried extra ammunition, a spare wheel, and other supplies.

A Parrot rifle was a major improvement in artillery. It was named after the designer who conceived the idea of a rifled cannon, giving greater range and lethality. This is particularly interesting to us because of our visit to Savannah, Georgia a few years ago.

We went to Savannah with Sean and Tara when they lived in Athens. We visited Fort Pulaski, which had been occupied by Confederate forces. The fort was besieged by Federal forces which included the first use of rifled cannon. The fort had been designed to withstand bombardment by smooth-bore cannon in the early 1800's. However, the rifled cannon were able to open a hole in the wall of the fort over the course of one night, causing the fort commander to surrender for fear of a round hitting the magazine and blowing up the facility.

All this work rekindled my interest in a book Sean and Tara gave me a couple of years ago. It is a memoir of a Confederate general who commanded the artillery in Longstreet's Corps. Written in 1907, it provided insight into many of the major battles, including the one on which this diorama is based.

It's interesting that we have more ties to that area of the country than I would have thought. First off, I spent three months at Fort Lee, Virginia during 1970-71. It's located in Petersburg, which is just south of Richmond, and was the last major battle of the Civil War. Then, of course, the Jehles lived in Charlottesville, VA for two years. Finally, we found out recently that one of Janell's uncles on her fathers side of the family died in a military plane crash near Richmond in 1945.

A New Post

Okay, I know it's been a few weeks, maybe months, since I've posted anything. We seem to have had so much happening that time whizzed by. We managed to sell Janell's mother's house, which put a major goal behind us. We went to Missoula, MT a couple of times; once for Elsa's first birthday and a second to help babysit while Alex was out of town (good excuse). In October, Janell's mother was in the hospital for over a week. She is home now. And, of course, I participated in two Habitat for Humanity house building projects.

I'll soon post some pictures of some sort.

A Testimony

Nasal infections.
Sinus surgery was good.
Breathing Nirvana.

Apollo

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the start of a journey that marked the end of one. Apollo 11 lifted off on its way to the moon, signaling the culmination of years of effort to land human beings on the lunar surface.

When President Kennedy presented this challenge in 1961, I was in the ninth grade. We lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the time, and, in the mid-1960's, NASA built a test facility near town. Needless to say, our community involved in part of the process to make Apollo successful. Knowing people who were working on the project brought it closer to us.

All the progress toward manned spaceflight were indeed in their infancy during the early parts of the program. Each step along the way was followed eagerly by everyone. From Mercury to Gemini to Apollo, we were all engaged. Much of that had to do with the times as much as excitement of the challenge.

We feared the Russians. The Cold War was ever present. Nuclear war was not in the forefront of everyones thoughts, but it lurked in the background. Early on, the Russians had tended to be one step ahead in space, and I suppose our fears coupled with a desire to win the space race influenced us all.

The sixties was a particularly tumultuous time for us. The Viet Nam war was ever widening and consuming. Social unrest and upheaval showed up in changing mores, racial tensions, and challenging of authority. By the end of the decade, we were a lot different than we were at the start. But Apollo 11 was a glorious bright spot. When the small spacecraft, perched atop the giant Saturn V rocket, started its journey, the entire nation was galvanized at the moment. I think everyone felt a part of a positive part of American history and accomplishment.

Four days later, as the lunar module began its descent toward the moon's surface, my Dad and I were watching on the television. My father kept a journal for most of his life, and I read his entries for these days in July, 1969. He marveled at being able to watch this event as it happened. Dad, ever the keeper of details, kept a play-by-play as the module descended toward the surface, recording the altitude and time data and snippets of mission control conversation. As it got closer, his words were "Damn-this is awful! Can't write!!" His handwriting was impeccable, but when he wrote " -they're on at 18 min after 2 p.m. My God! It's done! My God! Isn't it wonderful-", his penmanship broke down a little. My father was born eleven years after the Wright brothers made the first powered flight, and he witnessed this.

To me, the space program that began with the charge to put a man on the moon demostrated something else . Usually, technological advances are made under times of great duress, such as wartime. But this was one human effort that produced much that didn't require the precursor of human suffering.

Backyard Nature

Every once in a while, something emerges in the yard that makes one realize that nature has hidden surprises. Janell happened to be looking in the right spot this afternoon and spotted a large walking stick. These things are so weird looking and camoflaged that if it hadn't been in a place to get water, she probably wouldn't have seen it. We have a wire around our pool landscaping to keep the dog out, and the bug was haning from it, getting water from the sprinkler. I guess with all our dry weather, it came out of hiding to rehydrate. The thing looks just like a multipronged twig, and if it was on the ground or a tree, I doubt you could see it. I was pretty impressed with its size; it must be about 8" long. As of this writing, it's gone back to wherever walking sticks hang out down here.

Want to know more (I'm sure you do), then go to http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/stick-insect.html.

A Great June

The past month was a big one for us. We started off by getting Janell's mother's house ready to put on the market. Then, during the latter half, we were blessed to have Stacy, Hutch, and Elsa visit. Putting icing on the cake, Sean and Tara spent Father's Day weekend with us. It was so wonderful having everyone here except Alex (he had to stay in Charlottesville to oversee the packing and loading of their household in preparation for moving to Montana). We had a good time swimming and hanging out.

The weather here has been toasty. As Waylon Jennings put it, "... hotter than nine kinds of Hell...". The one way we have at our disposal to beat the heat, other than central air conditioning, is our swimming pool. I would never build one, but ours was part of the house when we bought it, and it was a big hit with the grandkinder. Hutch talked Sean into doing cannonballs off the diving board, and was impressed with the fallout. Elsa was a bit more circumspect. She's a tough, but cute, sell on things like this.

Hutch and Elsa were happy to do whatever they wanted and have doting adults to help them. Elsa is on the verge of walking, and is a crawling machine. She is a pistol when it comes personality. A happy, active, almost one year old, charmer. She was happy exploring everything. We got a real kick out of her when we went out to eat. She loves people watching and is engaged in what is going on around her. No shrinking violet she.

Hutch had a list of things to do when he got here, and I think he managed to do them all. After a couple of false starts, we finally found the floaties combination that let him have a great time in the pool. We sat on the lawn tractors at Lowe's, rode mine in the driveway, and played endlessly with cars and trucks.

We cherish our time with our children and their families. It's not often that we are able to get everyone together, so Father's Day was special. Getting to strengthen bonds with our grandchildren is important to us, so this visit was a great joy. We can only thank God for the blessings of our wonderful children, spouses, and their children.

The House

We have been busy the past few weeks, working as feverishly as possible, to clean out the house that Janell's mother owns in Bryan, TX. We have been doing this off and on for the past year, but have hit it hard this past month. It has been difficult for Janell as she lived here for many years. Her parents bought the house around 1960. Needless to say, we had forty seven years of accumulation to go through. Lots of papers, books, photographs, and miscellanea to decide on. Janell's mother hasn't said much, but I'm sure that it's been hard for her to know what is happening. Don't ask, don't tell. Much has hit the landfill because we just can't absorb everything.

Janell will get the house put on the market tomorrow, and we will enter a new chapter. Once it's sold, we will complete the process by selling off the remaining furniture and household items.

Janell and I were talking about the process of life. You think about the stability your parents and their home provided for so much of your life as their child. Now, we are standing in a nearly empty house, knowing that it will no longer be there to come home to. Parents are almost all gone, and we are caring for her mother at our house. Change is always with us.

One thing that has made this effort easier, both emotionally and physically, is that Sean and Tara have been so welcoming to us. We have stayed with them during our visits, and they have provided a welcome haven for us. It's just so wonderful to have them. And, I must say, their dog, Scooby, seems to like having us there, too. He's a hoot.

The Birthday Dog

Ollie is thirteen today. He came to live with us in August of 1996. Now, normally I don't make much of a deal about a dog's birthday since they don't really care. But this time I feel a little different because we're growing older together.

Ollie is one dog that seems as cute today as he was when he was a mere pup. Always curious, up for anything, and living large. Now he's a bit slower, can't hear very well, doesn't carry two tennis balls as often, and doesn't race through the house at breakneck speed. He's just content with life and enjoys his days with us. He still looks forward to a walk and works very hard to get one. When asked his name, I've taken more to telling folks it's Oliver because it sounds more distinguished for a boy of his age.

Happy Birthday, Ollie. To you, your special day will mean as much to you as all the other days of your life. You have everything you need in your family, a tennis ball, and maybe something to eat. Life is good.

Virginia Visit

A couple of weeks ago now I visited Stacy and her family in Virginia. Janell had gone out this past January. We don't take these extended trips together much right now because of her mother's health. That's another tale.

This visit was, as usual, eventful. The grandchildren exhibit such changes from month to month, and we get to take it all in. This visit, I flew into the Charlottesville airport. As I entered the main terminal near baggage claim, I saw Stacy and Hutch sitting on a bench. Hutch got down and ran over to greet me, which was really a neat, first time experience. It was marred a tad by the fact that, at his height, there are a lot of legs to negotiate and it's easy to lose one's bearings. No hill for a stepper, though.

Upon arriving at their house, and my first face-to-face encounter with Elsa in several months, it was apparent that I would have to win her over. No spontaneous smiles for this relative stranger. After about a day and a half, we became pretty tight, and grins abounded. We had the opportunity to spend a lot of time together, and it was most enjoyable. I was a bit pouty when we went out to eat breakfast one day and Elsa flashed a smile at the server whom she had never seen before in her life.

Hutch is still a boy with a mission in life, which keeps him busy. His interest in all things mechanical is quite amusing. From airplanes to lawn mowers, it's all to be enjoyed.

We were able to work in a visit to Montecello, and a great time was had by all. I'm sure most of the people in our tour group were skeptical when we showed up with a toddler and a baby. But the kids enjoyed the trip through the house (translated to adultspeak: they were quiet). Hutch mainly liked riding the bus from the visitor center to the house and back. Elsa likes to people watch.

This was kind of a bittersweet visit because the Jehles will be moving to Missoula, Montana this summer. Alex has completed his fellowship and has a position with a cardiology group there. We have enjoyed visiting them in Virginia as it is a beautiful area rich in history. However, we will certainly look forward to touring about Montana as well. It's sort of a full circle kind of thing since I spent the bulk of my childhood years in Dillon, MT, about 100 or so miles from Missoula.

My flight home from Charlottesville was uneventful, which is the best kind. There was one thing that gave me something on which to reflect. My connecting flight was in Atlanta. The plane's cabin was very warm during the time on the ground. As the plane lifted off the runway, everyone started adjusting the vents as cool air began to flow. A flight attendant announced over the PA system that we should trim back on these so the plane could reach altitude faster. I've never heard that before. I know my little truck is somewhat underpowered when I have to go up steep inclines, but I guess I would have thought the plane manufacturer would have a better power to weight ratio than a '97 Ford Ranger.

Rocketman

Okay, you have to admit that we haven't overdone anything to do with grandchildren. But, during my recent visit, I recorded this little video clip of Hutch on his three-wheeled scooter. The little guy enjoys swooshing down the neighbor's driveway.

Tour de Houston

This all started about six weeks ago when I decided I needed to get serious about riding my bicycle for more exercise. In addition, my rheumatologist said biking was good for strengthing the muscles that surround the knee, lessening the pain I have from time to time.

As if it were fate, I heard about the Tour de Houston bike ride which benefits the Houston park system. They had ride lengths of 20, 40, and 70 miles. Being that I have what's now called a "lifestyle" bicycle, which is really a "comfortable-bike-for-older-people-who-don't-look-good-in-Spandex", and not a real fanatic, I opted for the 20-mile tour. I figured I could do this since I had ridden 16 miles once, although I felt like I had been sitting on the narrow side of a 2x4 after finishing it. Having made the decision and paying my money, I was off to my version of training.

I did ride more and had three 15-mile rides along with some shorter ones, so I was feeling pumped. I even bought some cargo shorts with a padded insert for more comfort when riding. With weather and other obligations, I couldn't do as much as I had hoped, but I did more than I had in several months.

Janell and I went into Houston on Friday before the race to pick up the registration packet. Bribing her with sushi for lunch always works.

Sunday morning, at 5:00 am, I got up and was on the road to Houston by 5:30. There was lots of fog and that didn't make for a leisurely drive. I found a free parking spot and was unloading my bike by 6:45-ish. The ride started off in downtown Houston and went through various parts of town. My ride was to go through some of the older sections, ones I really had never seen. Anyway, it was pretty neat riding over to the staging area. No real traffic, lots of folks on bicycles, and a really nice venue. The picture above is of the 40 and 70 mile riders lined up for their respective starts. There was something like 2,000 people doing this.


One thing I've felt is that there is no cycling accessory that makes you look cool. However, when you are in a group of this magnitude, everyone looks goofy so it doesn't matter. I felt relatively normal with my helmet and glasses-mounted rear view mirror.

The ride began at 7:15 for the 70 mile folks, and my group set off at 8:00 am. We were much smaller than the others, with several families, groups of friends, and we individuals who couldn't talk anyone else into this. Anyway, off we went, wobbling at slow speeds until everyone could spread out across the width of the street and avoid each other.

The first thing that impressed me was that the intersections were controlled by the Houston Police Department, and we could go along without stopping or worrying about traffic. With this many cyclists, the safety in numbers maxim was very true. The second thing I noted was that having a lot of gears is a good thing when you have to go up overpasses in a headwind and you are getting tired. Very helpful.


The ride itself was very enjoyable. I liked being with all those folks even though I didn't know a single person. The weather was nice, and seeing some of the old, majestic houses from Houston's early days was interesting. While it was stressed that this was a ride, not a race, I was only determined that no eight year old was going to make it back before I did. I managed to keep a respectable speed for the whole tour. At one point, a group of about ten guys blew by us and disappeared into the distance. Showoffs.


It took me an 1-1/2 hours to ride the 20 miles, not including a 15 minute rest stop. No aches or pains. There was free food and goodies, too. After eating something and resting for a while, I packed up and drove home. Overall, this was enough fun to try some more rides. There's lots around, and next year maybe I'll try for something more. We'll see.

Hamburgers and Beer, anyone?

Among the casualties from hurricane Ike was Kitty's Purple Cow, a grill and bar in Surfside. Their food is a heart attack on a platter. Anyway, after the storm and the havoc it wreaked on the restaurant, Kitty had decided to give it up and move back to Wisconsin. Apparently, by her own admission, this was a bad idea after winter set in. She moved back to Surfside and rebuilt her place. The Grand Opening was today at noon, and since we were working down there today, we decided to eat lunch at Kitty's. We and about 100 other folks. However, the food was free and pretty good. I must admit that I felt somewhat guilty because I had only been there one other time in my life. We used to favor Jeff's on the Jetties until it closed down a couple of years ago. It has it's own unique story (Jeff killed his roommate and was sent to prison. A nephew ran it until it had to close). Anyway, you can't miss the purple building near the highway, and it is interesting. I personally liked the grand opening sign propped up by a discarded toilet. Whatever works. I learned today that as well as Kitty's, another popular place for the resident Surfsiders is the Jetty Shack. I didn't know that even existed. Another thing to try, maybe. If any of you non-residents get down this way and want some real local color, I think we can fix you up.

The Americorps Volunteers

In January, a group of Americorps volunteers arrived in Brazoria County to assist in the ongoing recovery efforts from hurricane Ike. They focused their efforts on locating people who needed help as well as participating in cleanup and repair. They were an energetic group of young people. While here, they stayed in a house supplied by the Presbyterian Church of Freeport, TX.

Having been participating in some of the Ike recovery work, I was privileged to work with these volunteers on several occasions. They were most enthusiastic, wanting to do what needed to be done. I was impressed by their involvement and desire. They are idealistic, I'm sure, but that is definitely not a bad thing. In the past few years, it has become evident that we have, in this country, a lot of young people who feel the need to give something of themselves to others. These Americorps volunteers are an example of that ethic. If any of you are aware of them in your area, please support them. They are good young people doing good things.

Last Wednesday, they had a goodbye party for those people in the community with whom they had worked. It was well attended and enjoyed by all. I felt honored to be invited.

As a sidenote, there are about 10,000 college students who are scheduled to work in Galveston over their Spring breaks. We will have many here locally as well. I think that is incredible. God works in wondrous ways, even though we may not see or feel it.

Flix For Young Viewers

When I got to the mulch site in LJ today to unload some yard waste, the site was buzzing with activity. They were busy grinding up the large chunks in a giant mulcher. I shot these clips with my cell phone, so they aren't the best. However, certain two year olds will find them interesting.

The Predators

A friend of ours lives on the edge of town where there are lots of woods and lakes. He has been trapping feral hogs and butchering some. He had been leaving some of the bones, etc. out overnight and they were disappearing. A neighbor of his had all the camera equipment to set up surveillance of the front yard.

What you see in this picture taken after sunset are two Red Wolves. I didn't know anything like that existed here, but they used to be numerous. They apparently died out a number of years ago and have not been sighted often. The man who got these pictures, a retired forestry service supervisor, said some may have inbred with coyotes, but he felt these looked like the real deal.

The one is kind of neat. Notice the opossum; it doesn't look like it's planning on giving any ground. Don't know what happened to it. They estimated these wolves are around 60-70 lbs., so about the size of a normal Labrador Retreiver.

The Airplane

One of Hutch's Christmas gifts was a wooden airplane. I couldn't resist the urge to make this high quality video to send beforehand. I know this is a bit out of date, but what the heck.

Sunrise, January 13, 2009