Alrighty then … this post is for Herk over at Herk’s view on Life. I was commenting on a post he just made about recon planes, specifically ones that qualify for COIN (counter insurgency) missions, as he posted a bit about the OV-10. That was a model I built waaay back in my days … and I remember to this day.

As I was commenting, I remembered Herk is “herk” ’cause he worked on C-130s - as did I. Well, since I know that he’s climbed around on a few, and I suspect under like I (Doppler Nav radome is in the belly just behind the nose wheel well - well, sorta, and no pun intended there). So, Herk, name this item:

And, for those of you that are curious and have never seen me post this before, you may guess as well! It’s funny, I almost had a contractor who has been working on our house throw this away! All the trouble I went through to get this HOME says, that guy was gonna get an upside the head!

So, Herk, here’s to the good old bird!

But, 47 days is long enough.

I have been trying to test when my overall traffic would fall off based on inactivity on my part. I noticed that no matter how hard I worked on my posts, I kept a steady state of 12-18 hits per day. That’s OK, but I was losing a ton of sleep - and with a new job that requires travel, well, blogging was getting tough for the return.

Then, a few family things happened, and I had to stop blogging.

I began to watch the numbers day to day.

Of course, hits per day fell to about 10-12 … hmmm … they started to climb. Huh … ???

I have been averaging 30-35 hits per day the last 30 days. I have not posted - been itchin’ to post, but, had to stick to my guns and watch traffic. Kept growing from 10-12 -to- 30-35 … no ’splain’in … as Desi used to say to Lucy!

Also, TTLB and Technorati weren’t sufferin’ too bad either. What on earth is goin’ on …

More to come, I think. Maybe this post will make my numbers … fall … ???

Nothin’ says California like the tail of a C-17 from California’s USAF Reserve at March AFB:

[DVIDS - USAF photo by A1C Nathan Doza]

I saw this over at DVIDS and just HAD to post it!

We decided to take a short trip to SoCal and left yesterday! There is nothing like a last minute trip to a climate that is warmer than the one you currently are experiencing.

I’ll be adding a few snaps once we return. The one thing on our trip I really wish I snapped a photo of was when we were “buzzed” by a C-17 out on HWY 395, just outside of Adelanto! The crew was practicing TAGs, and they were on their last one.

The girls were rapt - as was my wife!

Gotta ask ya, what possessed Fox News to run this show … ???

Does anyone remember their first time, the first time they heard “War of the Worlds” on the radio? I heard it one sleepy night many years ago while trying to stay awake at a friends house. My friends Dad wanted us to experience SciFi, and he knew this would give us a wonderful experience. I was maybe 12 years old (this really was a long time ago - Creature Features was on TV then, too), and we all tried to stay awake, and failed. I snapped out of it to hear the show in progress - it was ethereal. I listened in astonishment, slowly realizing that this was a story, fantasy, SciFi …

I was dozing after Greta’s show was winding down. I awoke to “Red Eye” on Fox News - ugh! I truly tried to survive through two commercial breaks. I really wish it was something else blaring out of my TV … wow, if this show makes it, then I really do not understand my fellow Fox News watchers.

I cannot wish this show on you. If you must, either choose to take a sharp stick in the eye, share a kleenex with anyone suffering from pink eye, or just flat out jump! Your life would truly be better than to suffer through “Red Eye”.

OK, so, Damsel has an armory of wonderful pics of California (not leaving ya out, Cap’n, just deferring to the Lady!). Far more than I, I am sure. But, since she mentioned California Dreamin’ on her sorta counter-pic-post, I figured I’d one-up and show a couple of Caifornia Dreamers!!!

This pic is from 2003, Northern California coast near Santa Cruz, CA. There is a Monarch Butterfly sanctuary, and this beach is attached to the sanctuary. We were in the park to see the butterflies, and then ya just can’t not see the beach, ya know?!

Well, I know that right from the start, Cap’n Bob and Damsel will recognize this photo immediately! Not just ’cause they are fellow Californians, but because they take short trips all over their area and enjoy the sites. I am sure that they are very familiar with this site:

And, for you early Eagles lovers, this site has some grand significance for you as well. The most memorable of all is that wonderful song, from the album of the same name, Hotel California. Ahhh, yes, this is the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island in San Diego. If you have ever visited this resort, you would burn through as much film as I did that day!

I was there speaking at a conference of computer nerd-types. And, this band of merry nuts are focused in quality and automation - we’re a funny sort.

Anyway, enjoy the nice eye-candy!

Remember when you could get matchbooks of all kinds on base or post? There were some colorful, some olive drab (not like we didn’t have enough of that to wear), and some said what you were all about.

My Mom loved to collect matchbooks. A very good friend of the family, a US Marine Colonel, loved to collect all kinds of bottles - mostly ones holding alcohol. A trade started that lasted a life time.

I remember stories of what Colonel Benedict went through during WWII. I remember his HUGE bushy eyebrows! And I remember how kind he was and how much he and his wife cared about my Mom and Dad, and our whole family. Their conversations would go on for hours when they came over for dinner.

Colonel Benedict passed many years ago. I remember going with my Dad to their house in “The City” to help his wife get the old Impala running so she could sell it. And, we walked through his old study, and I saw all the bottles and trains he collected. I could still hear his booming voice and his soft grip when he’d shake my hand - he didn’t want to crush my hand ya know!

Here’s a little something from a box my Mom left me after she passed this year. So, in memory of Colonel Benedict, and my Mom, a little USMC Officers’ Training Corps matchbook:

I’ve got TONS of these. I’m gonna drop them on ya, every so often. If any of these “strike” a memory, or make you think of someone you know, drop me a note!

Alright, in the comments of a previous post, Amy Proctor asked:

Can you post a photo of something you did on the pad? I’d be interested to see what it looks like. A mouse is impossible to use as a pen.

Now, everyone needs to cut this major techno-geek a little slack. It has been about 10 years since the last time I’ve done some Wacom drawing pad sketching. This was about 3 hours of work, and a few, “Hey, Dad, why is her hair just a few or so lines?” Yup, I told them it’s just the frame, I’ll fill it in soon.

So, here’s the final result:

Sheesh … that took a while … slower than the old days … but just as dang fun!

I’ve added a link to the Graphire4 in my sidebar. I am not sure what it costs in your local stores - have fun!