Merry Christmas...

...from Maine, in the far eastern reaches,
where I reside, and nature teaches;
that Christmas is here, seen in the snow,
but it's warmer than eighteen below.

The trees are all up, decorations are done,
they are just waiting for the fresh morning sun,
examples of living in the natural world,
are all around us their glory unfurled.

Here's wishing you and your families too,
Merry Christmas from me and my family too.


Nubble Light, York Maine




A lobster trap tree in Cape Porpoise (Kennebunk) Maine




Potato barrel tree in Wallagrass, Aroostook County, Maine



Wether it's...

...here in our country or Norway by chance,
all of the world gets a good Christmas dance;
it's the same message, everywhere you may be,
Merry Christmas to you, for an old guy like me.

The traditions are different, the language is too,
but they'd like to see us, me and you;
they would accept us as one of their own,
you're always at home, wherever you roam.

God Jul means Merry Christmas in Norway

Christmas Eve in Norway



Store window decoration



The Christmas market in Trondheim, Norway

It's getting...

...close to Christmas, and I'm out of ideas,
maybe Santa will bring me, or I'm hoping he hears...
..my requests for material, or a whole new brain,
so I can keep going, or stop my brain drain.

So, here's what I offer for you today,
Christmas in Japan, on that I can say...
..I spent two there, in that eastern land,
where Christmas is different, break out the band.

Please understand that there aren't many Christians,
who celebrate the way we do here,
and trees then were rare, but you see them now,
45 years ago they'd just meet and bow.

The cards that I used to send folks back home,
featured bamboo drawn with ink with a pen (of bone?),
maybe a photo of Mt. Fuji for view,
but, as you'll see, Christmas there is now new.

メリークリスマス (Merīkurisumasu) - they do say Merry Christmas.
I think my good friend "Wilbur" spent a Christmas or two in Japan also.

A Christmas card



A display in Tokyo



Yours truly, on the roof of the building where I worked,
Navy Supply Depot, Yokosuka, Japan - 1963

One more...

...day of cars, then we'll try something new,
but today - take a look at what I offer you;
advertising loves to look good on cars,
and I have selected three of the stars.

Some of old, and one still lives on,
It's kind of sad the others are gone.
I can imagine a good many more,
of course, then again, my choices are poor.


Moxie! The drivers sat in the saddle.  This one is still around
it appears in Moxie Days Parade in Livermore Falls Maine.
Click on the photo, for a good look




I don't need to add anything to Mr. Peanut




Oscar Mayer, this one is still active. Thanks Darlene.



Now we.....

...arrive at the proud letter "Z",
and just how many cars can there be?
Not to many and only one recent one,
but that's not the story, of how this is done.

Schuyler Zent, way out in Ohio,
Bellfontaine was the place, where Z wasn't zero;
he made the Zent for a whole two years,
then made the Traveler, but ended in tears.


The only one left...




An ad in the paper



A Ford truck makes a delivery

Before...

...John Hertz put you in the drivers seat...
..he put you in the back, that's how he thought he could beat...
...the costs of buying cars.  In 1921 he started to make..
...his own for Yellow Taxi, in 1925 it's when he sold his stake...
..to General Motors, then they made them just for him...
...so know we know the margins made, weren't all that slim.


1931 Yellow cab




1936, taxi!



..and in 1941, this was the cab.

It was...

...kind of hard, to find cars that start with X,
not too many of them, maybe it was a hex;
but, whatever caused the lapse, never may be known,
but now that I found one, it's one I'd like to own.

These were called "cyclecars", and they were small,
two people in a row, or tandem, if that's your call;
sporty little buggys, chain drive and all that,
and a nice windscreen so you wouldn't lose your hat!


1914 Xenia



An early Xenia ad



You'd like one of these, admit it.