What is so rare, Classmates?
That rare day in June that we have been waiting for has arrived and the Grapevine is bursting.
What is better than bird-watching? This note arrived from Sharon Kiernan Maggard.
You don't have to look at all these photos, but I wanted to share this site with you. I've been walking in the Las Vegas Wetlands with Pat, a lady I met in our mobile home park. The Wetlands is located between our park and Sam Boyd Stadium. We met Ed Sivon, the photographer, a couple of times on our walks. Today he was taking pictures of a hummingbird on her nest. Her nest is about the size of the bowl on a man's smoking pipe. It's a tiny little thing. Las Vegas isn't all desert. I see lots of beautiful wildlife in the Wetlands. It makes it so much fun to walk and get exercise. I sure need all the motivation I can get. LOL ;-) Enjoy looking. Sharon
These are wonderful photos. I watched the slideshow for about ten minutes and there didn't seem to be an end. The man has made some beautiful shots, mostly birds, but occasionally other works of nature catch his eye.
Speaking of photos
In a stroke of pure coincidence, Dennis Jackson sent a photo taken by his daughter Heather.
See if you can guess what kind of newborn birds these are. You're right! Hummingbirds. Mom made a nest at Heather's back patio and the babies arrived over the weekend. All are doing well, with mom doing food runs about every 15 minutes. Heather advises the babies are the size of raisins. Her family is foregoing the use of the pool so they don't upset their new guests. We'll all go to the cabin and allow them the run of Heather and Greg's property. No, I don't have any idea which end is up. Again, these chicks are actually the size of a raisin.
Dennis has been experimenting.
Went to the cabin this weekend to get away from the heat...bad when you start thinking that 98 degrees is hot...used to have to be 105 before it was uncomfortable. Anyway, it was cool and clear in the tall pines of the high country. The stars were incredible, so I took a couple of star trail photos. I located Polaris above the cabin and set up the camera. If you center Polaris in the shot, you get circular star trails...at least that is what I had read...and it appears to be true. Started this exposure at 10 pm for one hour at f:5.6, manual focus at infinity. Camera software set for long exposure noise reduction to clean up the image. A little tweaking with Photoshop. Very pleased with the results. Will play with light painting using a flashlight in the future to open up the foreground to add drama and detail. Anyway it's a start.
One Cool Dude
Mason James Wilson, aka MJ, is stylin'. He is a big hit with the ladies, and Grandpa Brent, too.
Fred Oehler -- Always Time to Volunteer
Fred Oehler started volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program when it was run by Norma Hudson at Grady Memorial Hospital. He has been delivering meals since 1991. When Fred started, there were only four county routes, and the routes were divided by US 36 and US 23. At the time food stamps were accepted as payment for the meals. Fred's route used to cover close to 70 miles and took about two hours. Fred said he likes the fact that the Council for Older Adults seems to listen to the opinions of its volunteers.
Fred also has volunteered for the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, and he has volunteered for the Delaware County AIDS Taskforce for more than 19 years. He was active as a 4-H adviser for more than 10 years, when his daughters were involved with 4-H. His daughters have shown more than 60 lambs during the Delaware County Fair, and Fred has been a member of the fair's Lamb Sale Committee for 20-plus years. He also served as a trustee at the William Street United Methodist Church.
Fred said one of the things he loves about volunteering is getting to know the clients and spending time with them. Many of his clients look forward to seeing him and often ask, "What have you brought me good today?" He said he tends to get close to his clients and often worries about them. Fred likes the county routes the best and has enjoyed making friends with many of the other COA volunteers over the years.
Fred has four daughters and four grandsons and enjoys spending time with them. He is a history buff and a member of the Delaware County Historical Society. He enjoys talking about local history and remembers when there were grocery stores on every corner and downtown was vibrant. Now the only shops he remembers that are still downtown are Bargar Jewelry, Hamburger Inn and Nectar.
Fred worked at the US Store in downtown Delaware for more than 20 years; after that, he worked for PPG for more than 24 years. He still does farming on the side. He lost his hand in a corn-picker accident in 1971, but he doesn't let that slow him down one bit.
The Council appreciates Fred and all of his service to our organization and to the Delaware County community.
Article originally published in the Council Communicator, May/June 2010 issue.
Linda Lawson Miller is excited!
Still pinching myself...all of these sold to a local health care facility. Some originals...some prints! Maybe there is a market for art. It seems like you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
See Linda's album of artwork here. You can also see the artist in her natural habitat. She gardens as well as she paints.
Good wishes
Send some prayers and good thoughts to Janet Dever Moore who is recovering from a recent stroke.
Delaware Gazette files for Chapter 11
Posted Saturday, May 1, 2010 5:40 pm
Newspaper publishers Brown Media Holdings Co. and Brown Publishing Co. have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief and plan to sell their assets to a bidder chosen by the companies. The Cincinnati-based, family-owned companies filed Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. They say the unnamed bidder will assume most liabilities. The sale involves all the companies' assets in Ohio, New York, Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Wyoming. The companies operate 18 daily newspapers, 27 weekly newspapers and other publications in those states. Chief Executive Roy Brown says the decision was made to help ensure the businesses are "best positioned to prosper in the years ahead."
Heads up
A new threat has emerged -- bottle bombs. If you see a partially filled pop bottle lying around, be very wary of moving it. The explosion is capable of blowing off fingers and causing blindness. Since the simple instructions for creating these bombs have been videotaped and posted online, this threat could show up any time, any place. Click here to read the reports and watch the short video.
Music and humor
Tim Hawkins sings songs that famous rock stars will be singing in their old age. Click here.
June birthdays
Sharon Stearns Hunter
Melissa Blair Wyss
Roger Ross
Sally Jo Scott Scott
John Rapp
These birthdays were listed in the class directory. If I have overlooked anyone, please let me know.