Treasures kept. Forever?

Black squares are the original parks.  Click to enlarge, easier to read.  www.wikipedia.org

  August 25, 1916, 96 years ago today, Congress did something right.  History right there.  They created the National Park Service and established to first nine parks.
  The National Park Service now has oversight of 397 units 58 of which are designated National Parks.  Run on a budget of about 3 trillion dollars with about 19,000 employees it's one of the best deals us taxpayers get for our money.  Even if we never visit any of the parks, or other monuments or place of historic interest, at least we preserve important landmarks and sights that otherwise we have been broken apart and developed.
  The scenic wonders preserved as parks are so numerous I had a difficult choice to choose even one of my favorites scenes.  My choice was Lamar Valley reflections, from Yellowstone NP.
  Go visit your parks, they belong to all of us.

Reflections, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone NP - you must click!

A good idea or what?

This one is legit. www.theskinnerbarn.com - expand

  I was thinking; maybe we could open an old barn for a wedding business.  Since couples, when they get married, work together to make things a go like a pair of oxen, we could call it "The Yokes on You".
  It would start with the ring from our Roundup Ring Shop.  There would be a Flower Stall (is stall a good name in a wedding place?), a Clothes Rack and last but not least The Hitching Post.
  Of course as a full service place the wedding supper and reception would be at The Feeding Trough.  Rooms for the Bride and Groom would be available too in the Honeymoon Loft.  There would be a second floor deck, out back, with two matching bathtubs facing west.
  What do you think?

All ready for our guest.  www.wikipedia.org

Flying light weight.

The Gossamer Condor now in the Smithsonian. www.wikipedia.org - click to enlarge

  On August 23, 1977 the Kremer Prize was captured by the flight of the Gossamer Condor.  The first, successful, human powered flight.  Piloted by Bryan Allen, the craft by Dr. Paul MacCready flew a figure eight around markers one and a half miles apart at ten feet off the ground.  The 50,000 Pound (British) was claimed.  It was the conclusion to many efforts.
  Two years later improvements made it possible to fly across the English Channel to win another Kremer Prize.
  The 30 foot long craft has a wingspan of 96 feet.  Made of aluminum spars covered with a light weight plastic material, with a crew of one.  A flying bicycle might be an apt description.  It's quite a rig, we up here in Maine would say.

In flight. http://claesjohnsonmathscience.wordpress.com - click to enlarge

Time to take a ride

President Theodore Roosevelt in his ride. www.potus-geeks.livejournal.com

  On this date, August 22, 1902 Theodore Roosevelt became the first sitting United States President to ride in an automobile.
  The auto a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton was the chosen vehicle.  He was visiting Hartford, Connecticut and the auto was made in the same city.
  Interesting that the President is standing in the back seat.  Based on horse drawn wagons the driver sat in the rear, while to riders took the front seat; there were two windshields.
  The Secret Service bought two cars in 1907 to ferry the President, and in 1909 Taft rode in a Pierce Arrow to and from his Inaugural Ball.
  So go fire up the automobile in your driveway and take a ride today!

Riding up front.  The Policemen were riding electric bicycles.
www.kcstudios.com -click to enlarge

Blimp L-8 Story, at last.

L-8 approaches USS Hornet CV8 with delivery of parts
www.history.navy.mil  - click to enlarge

  On August 16, 1942, the L-8 left Treasure Island in San Fransisco Bay to first deliver 300 pounds of parts to the Hornet steaming offshore and loaded with B-25 aircraft for the "Doolittle Raid" on Japan.
The airship was to continue to monitor shipping offshore for a number of hours.  It carried a crew of two; Lieutenant Ernest DeWitt Cody age 27 a graduate of the Naval Academy and Ensign Charles Adams 37 years old, a "mustang" he had been commissioned only the day before, the former enlisted Aviation Boatswain Mate had nearly 20 years experience with blimps.  Another crewman, the enlisted member, James Riley Hill, a third class Aviation Machinist Mate; left behind because the early morning fog made the fabric surface of the airship wet and heavy.  The L-8 was assigned to ZP-32, at Moffett Field near Sunnyvale and south of San Francisco.
  About an hour and a half into the mission Cody radioed that an oil slick had been spotted and they were going lower to investigate.  That was the last transmission anyone ever heard.  The men were never seen again.
  The L-8 apparently drifted to near some cliffs on the coast and the fabric tore, it drifted about and finally came to rest in Daly City, near South San Fransisco.  The crewmen were never found, even after an exhaustive search - not a sign of them.


Being readied for a flight.  www.check-six.com

A map of the area, Treasure Island is near the I-80 sign between
San Francisco and Oakland.  www.google.com maps.

Well, well, well.  It took four days, or was it three, but I was able to find a workaround to get the photos on the blog, it takes a couple of extra steps through Picasa photo sharing.

Is it Monday already?

  That's a question that used to frequently pass my lips; now at my age it really doesn't matter.  I do keep loose track of what day it is, but mostly they're all the same.
  I have one gripe today, it's another spelling thing.  I read a newspaper article the other day written by a reporter who is said to have a college degree in Journalism.  While describing a crime with a police chase he wrote .."he turned into Cottage Street"..My thought was how horrible!  The man became a street and people were driving over him.  Can anyone turn into a street?  No.  The man turned in to Cottage Street (notice the separation of in and to).  As one word into means to become part of as in ...the cream turned into butter.  Okay?
  Now to my dream last night, which wasn't much different than any other night.  I always 'work' in an office that seem to be populated with a variety of people I've worked with in the past.  Gene Rice, North Dakota Wilbur, people from the City of Brewer and once in a while someone from other duty stations/squadron I've been attached to.  It's always a large and complicated building, 3 or 4 floors tall, no elevators (guess) but front and back stairways.  There are offices, an auditorium/theater, hospital rooms, empty rooms and the dreaded drop offs and dead ends.
  The building is located in a city which looks to be part Oakland, California, Seattle, Washington and Cincinnati, Ohio.  There is a waterfront, a river, and broad streets and narrow streets which all look kind of like places I've been.
  The dreams involve me going up or down stairs, using the wrong stairs (usually a drop off or dead end), turning the wrong way (back of building or front) at the auditorium or hospital.  Sidewalks that are in places that look like I've been there before but can identify, coffee shops and things like that.
  Frequently there is some criminal or spooky part which doesn't involve me directly, but there are people that think I am involved.
  Some times, last night, involved me talking to a very pretty and younger Linda (my wife) about the proper way to cook spareribs (partial boil vs. oven), we weren't married, I was attracted, we were in an empty room with a coffee shop upstairs, it wasn't in the "office" but I had been there.
  The End.

PS.  My left leg is better, no burning, the joints feel "okay" and I won't walk as far today, maybe three miles.

Here's something......

...I haven't mentioned in a couple of days:  go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com and look for the "bar" near the top, you'll see things like; breast cancer, autism, veterans, animals and things like that.  Click on each category and then click on the big button and make a donation - - - FREE.  How easy is that?
  I cannot believe that the Red Sox won a game.  They played against the team with the best AL record, Yankees, and won!  Hard to imagine especially since Jon Lester was pitching.
  I am going to try walking today, I have a sore left knee and left hip, I also have shingles in the left leg, or on the left leg.  It was kind of hard sleeping with the "sunburn" sensation last night.  Yes!  I realize it's still night, I got up at 1:20AM, not too unusual for me.
  Finally got around to tracing a new project yesterday.  Too bad, or too good, for you because it won't be shared.  The whole picture/photo thing you know.  Grumble!!
  And now I'm really outraged!  I can't use any of the photos in "My pictures" in my own Webshots screensaver.  I'm ticked for sure, it's a good thing I agreed not to have adult content or I'd let loose.
*%$#@@!