glebe homie

Ode to spring, or something like that...

2012-02-03T17:17:00.004-05:00

"Hollo blog, how are ya?"

"Long time no write!"

"Yeah, that happens sometimes."

"...it's been a while as you know so bare with me..."

"Oh? So don't expect much?"

"Oh do shut up and let me get on with this!"

A-n-y-w-a-y...

Funny the things that make you write. Most times for me it is sparked by others writings; others shared experience. Today it was while I was reading a friends blog about her public life, public divorce, and guess what: lack of writing!

Funny when the Muse can strike you too. Today it was while defrosting a frozen pizza case! ...not exactly conducive to writing when you're on your knees inside a freezer, hands covered with gloves, spraying water over an ice encrusted coil with a door slamming in your ribs. Then you look up and see a price sticker for "Simply Inspired Pizza" and all you know is: "I have to get outa here and write something!" Anything, something, cause you know you've needed to write, ever since you read your friends blog this morning!

The thing that stuck with me (well, the things that stuck with me) and somehow sparked the muse (and this is why I'm still in the parking lot at work writing this on my iPhone) was how honestly she shared about the difficulties with "Divorce" and how well she's dealing with it. I'm sure it doesn't seem to her that she's dealing with it all that well; but having gone through something myself that was much more acrimonious; I feel I can see this as an outside observer. Personal experience it always more vivid so I deduce based solely from the point of view that she seems to me to be a lot stronger than I was at that stage by her writings. Everyone's experiences are valid to the individual as they say, and well, I'm impressed. There is a strength there that I suppose I had; because after all I transcended it somehow... but "Damn!" I don't remember being that composed!

Poetry and Faith or a combination of the two, coupled with the overwhelming desire to protect my kids were the stuff that kept me going. As much as I tried civility was a tuff go for a long time being the only practitioner of it (or so it seemed) in the relationship. Ugh!

I don't like to write about the bad stuff in my life so maybe that's why I haven't been here in a while. Who wants to hear me whine about this old people's disease. Do you really want to hear about my bile duct? No. That's because it has to do with: "bile" for God's sake!

Ewww!

What REALLY made me want to write today though was her mention of somehow being stranded.

Friends of mine always long for the sea. They feel somehow washed up here. I think I remember having wanderlust in my youth; but never a longing for the sea. I'd been there often, got sunburned almost every time, and wasn't with the right person or something. Strange thing is I married an "Island Girl" from the BWI. She always felt the call of the sea too. Perhaps that dampened my enthusiasm. ...who knows... ?

I'm a freshwater Piscean if you will. I come alive in the creek beds. Walking along the banks, dipping my toes in the ripples, soothed by the sounds of a different surf. So I've never felt landlocked as long as there was a river or stream nearby.

My water runs down to the sea it doesn't come in from it. I always feel I am the beginning; that goes outward from place. I'm content (mostly) where I am watching as it moves to it's destination. It seems somehow constant to me. Comforting. Unlike the arrival of a wave from some far and distant shore. Coming as it were from the unknown and bringing with it the unknown. I know where the creek water starts. I know it as it passes over stones that I see everyday. Let it pass me by. Let it go out from here and find its way...

Like words, that flow when the muse strikes. In the car while reading or from a hose over coil. Freshwater Piscean; I like the sound of that.

obeeduid~

03/Feb/02

11/11/11 Today in our family history! Did I just hear my children yawn???

2011-11-11T16:40:00.005-05:00

Today is a BIG day in our family history! What? What!! Did I just hear my children yawn??? Well, guess what, I'm gunna tell this story anyway and someday you will thank me for it when you can tell your own children.

Who am I kidding? If I know you as well as I think I do you'll look it up on the Internet and hand them the iPad and tell them to read it instead. Hmmm, maybe that's not a bad idea...

Alright, in that case I'll just write directly to them!

Dear future grandkids, this is your Gran-Pappy speaking and I just want you to know that this is a Big day in your family history!

...What? Was that a yawn?? No? No, I couldn't believe that you would find this as boring as your parents did when They were young!!!

NNNEVER! ;)

O.K., enough of this A-typical-Irish-tangent...

~

On this day: November 11th 1859; our forefather Robert Gilmour stepped off of the ship "Empire State" onto the docks at Castle Garden in Manhattan N.Y.C. We assume he was met by his cousins the Glenn's (his mother's family) and began his life as a Cooper in a shop in lower Manhattan in the area known as "Five Points." Ever see that movie "The Gangs of New York"??? Yep; dem's are our people!!!

~

On this day: November 11th 1918; Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, became an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

On this day we remember all our our forefathers who served and/ or fought and died for our country. Most importantly we remember James Gilmour the brother of Robert Gilmour who died in the Battle of Fair Oaks/Seven Pines in 1862 during the Peninsula campaign. If you haven't seen or read his letter's or my transcriptions of them yet: Kick your parents in the A** for me in abstentia!!!!!!

~

Last but not least...

On this day: November 11th 1925; your forefather (Me Da) James Gilmour O'Brien was born in Brooklyn N.Y. and because it was Veterans Day he always had his Birthday off! This was pretty HUGE to me as you might expect 'cause without him there would be no me. No me; no you! :)

~

Every year I try to commemorate this day in some special way. This year I have written a poem for my Dad. I found this picture the other day and the truth is I never thought about him as a young man. We all are at one time, but thats not how I personally knew him: so although I realize he like I and perhaps you; was once young and handsome and maybe even "Cool!" I never imagined him that way. Until now:

Hey Dad, is that you?

I'm almost as old
as you were when you retired.

In this picture
you're as old as I was back then.

That was a different time
and Retirement
is a long way off
for me.

Were you really
this young?
This Cool?
Was I ever cool?

You must have been
lest I would not now
be walking
in your footsteps.

Soon
I will be
the age you were
when you died.

With luck
I'll enter those woods
Where your footprints
stopped

I'll continue
onward
tread those steps
you never walked.

With faith, I will
break new ground
look ahead
and not turn back.

~

Happy 86th Birthday Da! :')

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

A Journal of Hurricane Irene and it's aftermath in Clarksville N.Y.

2011-08-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

I started out the day (yesterday) wondering if the new sump pump was going to last...

Devin came home from a double shift so I let him sleep for a few hours while I monitored things. Then the power went out. The pump has a battery backup so I didn't bother waking him until it looked like the pump was incapable of keeping up. It turns out the battery only runs the first pump and moves a minimal amount of water so I gave in and woke him up.

We jury rigged power to his truck and he went out looking for an alternate power supply.

~

Meanwhile I sat and stewed 'cause I was without Internet or him or Sarah.

When he finally got back we assembled the Generator he bought for a price I will not discuss here. ("...Last one in Albany County...")

While it started to remove water (...which by then was halfway up the water tank and boiler...) we headed out for more gasoline.

As we were crossing the bridge at the end of Sligerlands Ave. Just up the street we saw rescue workers preparing an attempt to help someone who apparently got to close to the overflowing creek. ("...if you weren't with me I would stop and help but I know you would worry about me...")

~

We drove backroads through Onesquethaw and Glenmont to the Walmart's. Devin drives like rescue personal so I spent much of the ride with my eyes closed. We drove through water, around downed trees eventually making it the Walmart's unscathed.

~

We got backup gas cans and filled up across the street and headed back in due time. Along the way back we slowed for some pics and video.

This is the Selkirk Train-yards.

This is along Rt 296

The battery on my good camera died so I had to resort to using my phone. Once back in Clarksville we turned up the street to "Jake Moons" for a look at where the creek crosses Delaware Turnpike. The quality is not much but the damage was nasty. :(

Mill Road, or whats left of it... Across from Jake Moon's Restaurant on Delaware Turnpike (Rt 442)

The same location looking up the hill in the direction of Stovepipe RD.
This Video, 'though poor quality phone video should put these two pics into perspective:

(...as they say: "Dramatic Video!" It was actually worse earlier when I tried to go this way and it was washing across the road. Alas I lacked my brain at that point and forgot I had my phone with me! Duh!

I'm posting these now after sending them to my iMac when I got online finally) I couldn't seem to get the iPad to recognize the phone card. :(

~

I am right now keeping myself busy waiting for the water in the basement to subside while Devin is out "Playing with the Fire Department". (...Doing "Pump-outs" emptying neighbors cellars...)

That is the assembly manual for that new sump pump with a battery backup. ("...Irony...")

I don't have internet now so I will not be posting this for some time. More than likely the net will not be back up till tomorrow but this is keeping me occupied and keeping my mind off the cost of the new Water Heater and Boiler I am going to have to buy. Ugh! :(

~

The wind keeps picking up and the trees are not handling it well. We shall see what the next few hours bring. Hopefully less than the previous hours have wrought.

~

Checked on the basement. Down to about six inches left. I managed to run a power cord to the fridge for the time being so the food in the freezer is safe. I suppose I could light stove with a match for cooking but I'm eating things that require no cooking for the now. We may need the propane later so I'll get by with peanut butter on a roll. As long as we have the Generator there doesn't seem to be a rush.

~

The Generator has been running through the night and there still is no power in the 'Ville. The Cellar is sumped and the pump is keeping up.

We are only using 14% of the Generators power so I plugged in the T.V. to catch the news. It seems that a neighbor drowned on Slingerlands St. near the bridge when she was looking at the flood waters. No word yet on if they managed to recover the body. :(

~

Devin came home around midnight and I slept most of the night on the couch. Sarah stayed in Voorheesville overnight. I managed to contact my siblings before bed and they are all alive and "relatively" unaffected.

I had to live in "The Hinterlands" :')

~

Morning. 30/Aug/11 ...it's a beautiful day! Sunny and in the 70's...

Generator still generating, Pump still running, water still coming in, and no power yet. But my feet are dry!

Devin and I waded in several times between shutting things off, trying to collect floating debris and restating the pumps yesterday.

The plan for today is to trace wires and mark them on the panel which the previous owner never got around to doing. If the power comes on I might never know otherwise as I have shut off the Main Breaker since we are unsure as to what breakers go to the Water Heater and The Boiler.

If I get the chance later I will run down to the store for supplies and try to post this from the parking lot on free wi-fi.

Down into the hole once more!

~

The Power is back on as you can see. I am using my iMac to repost this with video. Needed a break so I figured I would do this and dry out for a bit... Gotta get back to work around here now though! ...and maybe run out to the store. Which road I will take remains to be seen. :')

~

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

Shunpiker.

2011-08-17T03:18:00.002-04:00

Some time back I wrote a blog about Avon N.Y. Which included a poem about my childhood there. It was written in Ullans and featured the Cannons in the village square prominently as a motif entitled "What if the Beave were an Ulster Scot". That blog was reprinted by bIRD in his magazine Rootdrinker. Through that poem and the life it took on I met the Poet John Roche.

bIRD, suggested back then that we should go to Avon and we planned on it. Something came up I can't now remember and he went without me. They did a reading at the Cannons in the village square.

Since then we have had a running joke about how the bIRD sole my childhood...

~

A week or so ago we all piled into the bIRD Mobile and cruised up the Northway to see John as the featured poet at Cafe Lena. We met at the Parting Glass as is our want and then strolled down the streets of Saratoga to the reading. It was a wonderful night of poetry and John was at his best!

I came home with John's collection of poems entitled "On Conesus" which I consumed rather rapidly as it also figures prominently in the mythos of my childhood. Over the course of the immediate ensuing days I conceived another poem sparked by my memories.

The following is the result:

~

*Shunpiker:

I am getting into a car
in my mind

I am getting into a surf green
1962 Impala in my mind

I am driving down route 20
in my mind

I am leaving the home
of adulthood

I am driving down the road
of youth
in my mind

Sitting, not driving actually
in the back seat of my fathers
Surf Green '62 Impala

With my family
all of them
alive and in the bosom
of the retinue of love

We are sharing Neco Wafers
and giving all the licorice ones
to my sister

We are passing
the Tepee Giftshoppe
where we never stop

We are entering
Cherry Valley
my baby brother sleeping

We are coming up
on the first
Burma Shave sign

We take turns reading
each sign
as they arrive
and pass by
the car window:

"Don't lose" my father starts
"your head" my brother reads
"To gain a minute" my other brother says
"You need your head" my sister intones
"You're brains are in it" I blurt from memory
for I cannot yet read

BURMA SHAVE! We all shout
Mom joining in

We are passing
the Petrified Creatures Museum
a tourist attraction my father says:
"...is not worth the money
it would cost
the seven of us to get in."

...all the more change for trinkets
in the amusement park
at long Point
on Conesus lake

I sleep
we nap on and off
Dad leads a round of
"The Bear Went Over
The Mountain."
as the Finger Lakes pass by

We are in Avon now
and the last landmark is sighted!

The White Horse
there it stands
at the gas station
a sentry guarding childhood

Now we pass the Avon Inn
burned down for the 3rd time
since it's historic beginning

Now Lacy Street
where I was born
and just for fun
once around the Village Circle
where the Civil War
Cannons rest
past the Barbershop
around the sleeping dog
in the road

Then back up the hill
and into the Mulvaney's driveway
right across the street
from the old homestead

Hugs, laughter, and the sound
of Mr Mulvaney's laugh
Mrs Mulvaney's smile

Into the car again
That Surf Green
'62 Chevy Impala

Into the car in my mind
Into the car
and we cross the road
driving slowly
under the umbrella
of trees lining Lacy street
past the old home
for old times sake

the end of the road
the school
the football field
a path no longer open

Back
Back out to Rt 20
then backtrack
to Rochester Road
turning south

We have the key
We have the key to Mulvaney's Cottage

the journey over
the summer about to begin!

Down
down memories road
down the road to the lake
onto Pebble Beach Road

We pull in
We pile out

I smell the water
I hear the boats
I feel the pebbles
teasing and arguing
with my feet

I know
I will fall sleep
content
to the sound of
"Skee-ball
Try your luck!
...only 10¢ a ball!"

surrounded
by trinkets,
bubblegum
shells
and odd shaped rocks

I hear the boats
I know I will wake to fog
and the sound of trolling fishermen

the smell of bacon
and mother
drinking coffee

waiting for the men
to return with Perch
fried up for breakfast

we will all be there
alive
and in the bosom
of family.

obeedúid~
07-12/Aug/11

*Shunpiker: one who avoids the turnpikes and highways preferring instead to take the slower backroads for the sheer pleasure and relaxation of it.

~

Then something unexpected happened!

We did a reading at the Pine Hollow Arboretum this past Friday the 12th of august. I opened with the preceding poem. It took on a life of it's own!

A retired couple who are sailing around the world in their yacht came to do the tour of the Arboretum and stayed for the poetry reading as well. Their boat I was told was parked somewhere exotic like the Caribbean and they came to Slingerlands N.Y. to visit by some other form of travel.

After the reading, they came up to me and very enthusiastically told me how much they like my poem! ...it seems they lived in Avon for many years and knew the places I was reminiscing about!

That blew me away, but it doesn't end there... The next day at work I was telling a coworker about it and he stopped me short. "Avon?" he said. "This is the second time this week I ever heard of this place! Just the other day I was talking to a family friend and I asked her where she was. She said she was staying with some family in a place called Avon N.Y.! That's amazing obee!"

~

The plan at this moment is for bIRD and I to attempt another trip this fall. This time I will make it! ...if I don't go sooner before the end of the summer. ...somehow, I feel I am being called. YAH THINK!?!?

~

P.S.:
Just in case you think I'm making this up, while I was checking the spelling for Mulvaney I googled the name. Guess what! There is a book available on google books Written by the eldest Mulvaney a contemporary of my eldest brother containing their family tree compete with pictures of their parents whom I mention in the poem. I have found more photos from those summers on the lake not included here with both families swimming and picnicking at the lake. If I ever manage to get in contact with the family I'll have to share those too.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

I saw the face of God today!

2011-06-10T18:49:00.004-04:00

Say what you will. Some things you just have to take on faith alone. This story is one of them. I am not making this up but I have no proof. Well, there was at least one witness to the initial moments of what transpired; but the "ah-ha" was between me a God alone.

~

I was feeling down. Not my normally "life-is-always-good-self" if you will. All the crazy *#@! going down with the Re-model at work has been weighing heavy. I have been telling my subordinates at work that when all is said and done we are going to be "SO MUCH BETTER!" when everything is finished. Well, to put it as plainly as I can, we are not even on the blueprints; we never were. The Maintenance Department is only a necessary evil. We don't make $$$ and we are a loss from the get go. So: "We don't get nothing."

...I was beginning to feel I had outright lied to them.

Don't get me wrong; things are better: but only marginally. We used to work in a hallway and had to deal with people walking through us and our workspace like we were not even there. Now... We have been pushed into a corner. Literally. There is no place for us or our equipment and sometimes it feels like no-one cares.

Alright; there it is. This is how I got there. Why I was discouraged. You get the picture and I need not whine any more than I already have.

Now for that moment with the universe...

~

I was in the new entranceway earlier in the day and noticed a distressed Darning-needle fly in through the open doors.

(Call it a Dragonfly if you like, but my Nana always referred to to them as Darning-needles. ...after Hans Christian Anderson perhaps; for that would be my guess anyway.)

So there I was; when a bug fearing female employee from another department saw it as well and said: "Kill that bug before it gets in the store!"

(Obviously she doesn't know me very well!)

...I shooed it outside instead and went back to work.

~

Later, an hour or so, I was on my rounds again when my manager pointed to the very same creature, fluttering about the front-end near the cash registers; bouncing off the big plate glass windows.

I followed her slowly, cupped my hands, gently scooped her up and walked outside. She peeked between my thumb and forefinger but did not seem to mind my protective confinement.

Soon I was rounding the edge of the storefronts and walking along the building towards the woods.

As I approached the trees I slowly opened my palms. She just sat there and didn't move! Then for some reason only the universe knows; I began stroking her wings with my index finger. She sat down in my palm and relaxed! I stroked her again and said "Hello." in a whisper of amazement....

She tilted her head to the right and peered at me knowingly. If I didn't know any better I would swear she winked! Then she arose ever so slowly, until about my eye level; turned: and flew off into the wood.

I watched as she went, a little stunned: but suddenly at peace with my world.

Evil knows evil. Goodness recognizes itself. Can you look into the face of God? Obviously I think so... (It helps of course to at least be open to the possibility...)

Oh, and when he/she looks at you, you might want to be looking back.

Life IS good!

Sometimes you simply have to look into the face of God; know what you're looking at: and remember!

;')

obeedúid~
10/Jun/11

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

Why Adults do the Pee Pee Dance sometimes too....

2010-11-20T17:06:00.002-05:00

...terminus ad quem?

One of the few things I miss about where we used to live was the proximity to work. We were 1/8 of a mile away and were able to sleep in until the very last minute and still make it to work if we wanted to.

Being miles away and close to half an hour ride from home has forced us to readjust to a number of things. Like making a list and planning a route to save gas, setting the second alarm, NOT hitting the snooze button, and remembering to make a pit-stop before leaving to or from work!

So it was on Thursday when I was working feverishly to whittle down the to-do list, and managing to get everything but the outdoor stuff that I should have done first, that I came to installing the new front door lock.

My mind was fried; the Tub and the many many trips to and from the Hardware Store for various parts had taken it's toll. Well, despite my male propensity to NOT READ THE INSTRUCTIONS unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY DAMNIT! I completed the final assembly around 9:30-10:00.

Then, in a moment of lucidity I took the old colored key cover that is supposed to remind you that that is the key you are looking for and placed it on the new key for my own benefit intending to make things easy for myself.

~

Fast forward to Friday afternoon now. I have been drinking coffee and soda all day to stay awake because as exhausted as I was when I went to bed I stayed up long into the night reading "The Steward of Christendom" by Sebastian Berry.

As I approached the house I realized that I had forgotten to take my own advice about making a pit-stop before leaving from work.

BAM! I whipped the car into the driveway, slammed the shift into park, grabbed all my garb and groceries, hopped out of the door flipping it closed with the back of my leg, blew through the porch door dropping everything on the floor and fumbled for my keys doing the Pee-Pee dance!!!

What!? Where's the key? What did I do with it? How could I have left it in the house! Maybe it's at work!? Why isn't Sarah home yet?!!! Oh Crap! Why do I do these things to myself!

Maybe I can get in through a window on the back porch! Sh*t! Open the door, run across the yard, stumble up the back steps, NOPE! The door is locked like it should be. Push up the window, getting it started with my car key, (BRILLIANT!) ...fall through the window cracking the the sill on the way in... Across the distance in a blink I realize I also remembered to put the hook & eye on AND lock the other two locks!

Pee-Pee dance is now Prancing with the **STARS** as I fly out the back door, down the steps and RUN FOR THE WOODS whipping my head back and forth to see if the neighbors are watching???

Twenty feet into the now bare and leafless woods I find a suitably large enough tree to hide me from at least three posable pairs of prying eyes and form icicles on a large oak tree that Deut frequents.

... Ahhhhhhh....

~

Strolling back to the house as nonchalantly as I can so as to appear to have a "meant to do that" air about me I pull out my keys one last time muttering to myself: "Whatever did I do with that key? If I didn't drop my phone in the woods maybe I can call Sarah and wait for her on the porch while I listen to the dog wine from the other side of the door..."

WHAT! Wait a minute! THAT'S NOT THE OLD KEY ON MY RING! It's the new one I put on with the old cover so I wouldn't sabotage myself!!!

DAH!

Yup... Sometimes Adults do the the Pee-Pee Dance too.

~

Yeah, I just wrote this in the parking lot after work...

The mOOn is FULL...

Maybe I better make a pit-stop... Ya think???

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

Location: 5 Maple Road,Voorheesville,United States

Bennett Hill Envisioning

2010-11-14T13:29:00.006-05:00

On November 11th; a day of much importance in my mythology, (Veterans Day, My Dads Birthday and the day on which my progenitors progenitor arrived in this country 150 years ago) we hiked Bennett's Hill.

Every night on the way home as I round corners I can see it coming closer as I pursue home.

It has been calling to me since we moved in...

Meadowbrook Farm Dairy at the base of the trail.

It was a lovely sunny fall day, bIRD and I hadn't been out hiking in some time, and I needed break from worrying the house.

Trailhead leading up the Southern face.

I couldn't find my blue Hiking pack as it is in a box among boxes still and subsequently I had no camera. bIRD loaned me his so I could take a few views along the way...

~

When we attained the summit plateau I pulled out my iPad to see what things looked like in Hybrid & Terrain mode on Googlemaps. We were having trouble locating the wetland indicated on the map from Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy.

Terrain view. Highest point is measured 1135 ft.+/-

We took what we thought was a trail that lead there but in fact it was a deer trail. I turned back to the main trail and bIRD traipsed on into the brush with a general direction. I found it easily enough using the iPad and soon I was alone in stand of pine trees.

Hybrid View.

I called out to bIRD that I had found it and began moving in his direction based on the sound of his voice. Looking up into the sun through the trees and towards him I thought I spied a small 6" American flag in a tree waving with the wind. Keeping my eyes steady I began to walk towards it. Checking my footing; I glanced down and when I looked up again it was gone.

DAMN!

I walked to where I thought I had seen it.

NOTHING...

IT WAS THERE I SWARE!

Then, in the quiet of the forest I realized it may have been a vision. iPad in hand; I quickly brought up my writing program and began to type...

~

Hilltop Visionation:

I saw your colors America
Waving from a treetop
On Bennett's Hill

As I stood alone
In a grove of white-pines
Searching for wetland
Blinded by your sunlight

Crashing through the trees

We walked a false trail America
Circling the summit of our dreams
Taking pictures along the way

Listen to your trains
Blowing the distance
Calling us home to yesterdays

Shaman with treemask speaks
Through wood

"Lost one
Follow the oak
Don't forget to tie your shoe"

Switchback
down your spine

Into shade
your shalier side

Birch
Littering your cliff
Sloping
Down
Sharply

To moss
Covered lowlands of my America

Here

The trail less clearly marked

We search

Make our way to the
indefinite future
Drink
then onwards

Find our own sacred springs

Encourage flow

Drink

Say prayer of rest.

obeedúid~
11/nov/10

~

bIRDS vision happen thusly:

Portrait of the bIRD facing west.

LOGGERHEAD RISES FROM A SWAMP

hollow log fits neatly over my head
tube view of mountain brush
chill leaf fall clean sky
red-tailed hawk makes one sweep, not interested,
drifts towards escarpment uplift
visions not solutions
keep hitting small branches
legs abandoned to willywaw
grounded sense of terrain
swing turn small circle view
loggerhead mask separates me from any path
only shows ahead, steps toward familiar
shadow-side of the mountain
shadows hide secrets just don’t know them yet
under the floor the child was pleased the father said earth
inside tunnel dark come lighter
not estranged from outside
there is no future, there is no past, there is only now
tribal dancers, generations, all pick up shared rhythm
dance in uneven light, rattles reflect fire
from a sacred spring: roots, broad leaf, tall stem, full blossom flower…
water worn patterns on stone are also life forms
dead oak leaves over deep humus my foot sinks in
mushrooms climb stairs on hill-facing side of old stump
crow caws constant all the way across farm fields to another hill
make moan mock googa-booga noise to attract attention

Logger-headed.
Alan Casline
November 11, 2010
morning hike of Bennett Hill

~

WARNING! No Kinnikinnick was inhaled or consumed in the creation of this chronicle of what transpired in poetical form. Some poetic license and minor revisions have taken place since the event.

~

BUT SERIOUSLY NOW:

Here is a map obtained from the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy site at: http://www.mohawkhudson.org/preserves/Bennett.htm

We took the Green trail up to the Yellow. There are more switchbacks than indicated and I would rate this part of the trail at 2.5 to 3 Geezers. The loop around the top plateau is fairly flat with enjoyable views. The best views being from the northernmost part of the loop. Then we took the Red trail where it breaks off of the yellow and drops sharply down in a Northeasterly direction. The steep grade here is rated at 5 Geezers. Slippery and smooth going up or down. We went down slowly and carefully.

Having attained the base of the Red trail at it's most northernly point; the trail became poorly marked. We wandered around for a bit until we found a downed Birch with a marker on it. (...A poor choice of tree to mark as they fall frequently and rot quickly...) With no real marker, and rather than resort to the iPad, we simply relied on common sense and followed the base of the Mountain. As it it possible to hike the trail and avoid going on the Red trail my overall Geezer Rating is 3.5 Somewhere between Hard and Difficult. 3 if you avoid the Red trail, 4 if you take the Red trail down and 5 perhaps if you scale the Red trail up.

Overall Geezer Rating 3.5

There are a number of springs on the southern face and that is what lead us to seek out the wetland on the top. When we found it we were a bit disappointed as it was choked with scrub. We identified a number of species of Pine. White and Pitch being the most prevalent.

Views from the Northern edge gave us spectacular sights of the Valley looking directly towards my new home and beyond to my old home.
Hence the poetic reference. We did actually hear trains but they could very well have come from Selkirk which is also visible from the Northeast side through the treeline.

This trail is popular, I can only assume that this comes from it's easy accessibility and the range of terrain for hikers of differing skill levels. Many people brought along their dogs. They seemed to have the most fun jumping in the water and bounding threw the underbrush. From my experience this is a jewel right under your nose. Check it out with the family or perhaps a second date for a good day hike!

~

Having written this as a poetic experiment; I am also attempting another. As the content seems to contain elements of more than one of my blogs I have decided to test out a new feature with the Updated version of this App and post it simultaneously to "Glebe Homie" and "Helder~Hiking Adventures!"

I can't say that I will ever have need of this feature in the future but it's nice to know I can do it if I want.

:&)

~

11/11/10- 11/14/10

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obeedúid~

At what point do I Freakout?

2010-10-20T11:32:00.001-04:00

This new house has been serendipitous to the weird from the start.
(see previous Blogposts/FB notes)

From the feeling I first had when I walked in the door to recently finding out that there was a Honey Factory on or about where my house now stands. (...Devin's hobby and pastime...)

To today at work when I found out from a previous employee, who used to work in the Deli and lives in Clarksville, that NOT ONLY is my neighbors wife named Sarah (the same as my daughter!) but their oldest son is named Devin!!! (the same as my son!)

Cue the creepy music AGAIN!

Am I the only person this kind of stuff happens to? Or do I pay attention to things others in their ordinary everyday quest for normalcy miss???

~

If, when I finally find out the original owners name, it turns out to be O'Brien... (as there was a Smith O'Brien who once lived in Clarksville) ...well, that's when I'm gonna really flip!

Until then I'll just have to continue living in the "Twilight Zone".

Do-do-do-do do-do-do-do... Dah dah dah da DUNT!

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obeedúid~

Location:Coventry Ct,Voorheesville,United States

Looking before you leap!

2010-09-19T13:18:00.002-04:00

One of the things I have started to do is clear away all the brush that has built up along the foundation so I can repoint the stonework before winter sets in.

There is a nice garden in the front of the house that is mostly filled with perennials I will keep. The rest of the house was overgrown with every kind of weed that grows in Northern New York State and they have had the entire year to grow and cultivate.
~
Devin went out last week and bought a Gas Powered Weed-Waker to help do the job. Of course he bought one like he bought his T.V.... Devin Sized! This thing looks quit normal in his hands, but it is longer than I am tall... In other words, in his hands it almost looks like a toy; in my hands: I look like the toy!!! ;)
~
So there I was, whacking and hacking, hacking and whacking; desperately trying to cut my way through six feet of brush and rocks along the side of the house... (by now my arms have gone from fatigued to numb) I was moving like a robot hoping to finish up before it got dark or rained simply because I was doing yard work.

Then, as I'm buzzing hard into some stubborn tree/weed; I see EYE's pEEking back at me!

BARRRRAP! OH NO!!! It's a baby Rabbit!

I LEAPED back and stumbled over the brush dropping the Waker on the ground...

Crap! I killed it!

What? ...it's still there staring at me just the way it was before and it hasn't moved?

Oh Man! It's Plastic! The eye's are glass!
~
I stopped for the night. No need to worry about the rain as it was getting dark by then anyway.

When you stop in to see us say "Hello!" to my new friend waiting for you at the front door.

I think I'm gonna name him "Gleebie". He is Homie after all!

:)

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obeedúid~

You can't make this up... AGAIN!

2010-09-16T00:11:00.001-04:00

Well... We decided to turn the Pantry into The Laundry Room. (Having worked every day and night running the V'ville Laundromat for the past umpteen years I never wanna have to go back once we leave!)

To that end; I ripped off the mishmash clapboard/plywood/anything that you can find to fill a hole wall and removed the tarpaper in preparation for rolled insulation last week. Then I took up the piecemeal faux indian rug linoleum and then the black & white pattern you see here down to the oil paper base.

Lifting up the oilpaper I found that the original wood floor was lined with newspapers; dating the extension onto the original house to sometime in the fall of 1942.

Then up comes a perfectly preserved copy of the Sunday News Comics Pages from the week of September 27th, 1942!!!

~
...It is here that I must aside...

I have been a fan of Dick Tracy ever since I can remember. I used to read it every Sunday with my Dad. I will always remember "The Pouch"; one of Chester Gould's weirdest Villains was all wrinkly and covered with lose skin. He was a Jewel Thief by trade and would hide his ill-gotten goods in the folds of skin under his chin; to which he had somehow attached a snap style button that could hold the skin closed so no one would be the wiser that he had stolen goods hidden in the "pouch" in his neck. On my 13th Birthday Dick caught The Pouch and I was hooked for life!
~

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to see Tracy on the cover of the Sunday News just like it was during my 60's wannabe Childhood!

...and this is where things get WEIRD...

There I was reading away when "The Story within The Story" SMACKED ME in the face! (...This is an old school writing technique that even Poe used...)

Keeping in mind how this all started; take a close look at what happens in one of the center panels:

...cue the eeeerie music...

My sentiments EXCTLY Junior!

YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!

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obeedúid~

The Gulf of Maine Bookstore & Chimney Farm.

2010-08-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

Visited poet Gary Lawless at Chimney Farm today. Enjoyable conversation with bIRD, Gary and his wife Beth! ...headed home with some fresh garlic, some interesting books and a messa pictures!

bIRD chasing Butterflies @ Chimney Farm.

Gary and Beth's Bookstore in Brunswick Maine. Nice place, they even sell books of poetry by obscure poets from upstate N.Y...

...hmmmm, I wonder who they might be....

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obeedúid~

Location:Maine Turnpike,Saco,United States

Crabcakes and Chowder for Dinner!

2010-08-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

MMMMMM, you know you're jealous!

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obeedúid~

A Poem for the ride.... Off to Maine this a.m. W/ the bIRD for the Sardine Fest

2010-08-20T08:09:00.001-04:00

...into a small dark place:

I'm thinking of sardines again
How the world changes
How things get lost from our lexicon

Like Herring in a Barrel
Becomes
Like Sardines in a Can

They stopped using Barrels
Now
They no longer Can Sardines

In my hometown
At the local Methodist Church
Every Sunday night

We've been playing a version
Of Hide & Seek called "Sardines"
For as long as they've packed Fish in a Can

This year we had to explain what a Sardine is
Why when you pile into a small dark place
In some dusty hideaway where no one goes

It is like Fish packed tightly in a Can

When the thought occurred to me
What would we call this game
Without a reference point?

Can we find something new
That recovers our loss?

I'm thinking of sardines again
How the world changes
How things get lost from our lexicon.

obeeduid~
12/aug/10

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obeedúid~

Location:County Road 201,Voorheesville,United States

Simultaneous epiphanies....

2010-08-02T15:45:00.001-04:00

If you haven't heard yet, we found a House. With luck we will be taking the "Last Train To Clarksville" and moving in mid September! :)

~

So, I'm waking up the other day, into that sleeping lucid dream state... I was placing stones in the future back yard, building a fence for the dog etc...

And I am going through the hatch in the floor of the back porch down to where the Bilco door enters the cellar, and now I'm under the porch looking at the foundation to my right underneath the pantry....

And I am thinking that if there is a trapdoor here, maybe there is a trapdoor there under the Pantry?!!! ...perhaps to a Root Cellar ?

The alarm goes off and I get up and get dressed and head for the door to leave... And I meet Devin coming in from his job so I say "Hey! I just had this dream about the house, and I was under the porch and I am going through the hatch in the floor of the back porch down to where the Bilco door enters the cellar, blah, blah, blah, and now I'm under the porch looking at the foundation to my right underneath the pantry blah, blah, blah.... I'm thinking that if there is a trapdoor here, maybe there is a trapdoor there under the Pantry?!!! ...perhaps to a Root Cellar ?"

And Devin replies: "Yeeeah! That's where we can make the Beeer!"

To which I reply: "Yeeeah! That's where we can make the Beeer!"

My Son is a Genius!

obeedúid~
02/aug/10

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obeedúid~

Location:S Main St,Voorheesville,United States

U

2010-05-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

UGH! The title field took that U in and now won't let me type anything else in there!

Yeah, until the bugs get worked out or I find something that works better I will not be risking any other postings from the road.

The Facebook App's server went down too so unless we stop and I load things through Devo' Laptop it's a no go there too.

This is what I get for being ahead of the curve. NextGen next year may-haps things will be worked out better. Too bad. This thing is so promising! Driving and navigating (although those programs crash as well; and sometimes at the worst of times...) on the fly was overall invaluable!

Well, better post and log out before this thing crashes and I loose this too...

Taking a photo record as I go so I will blog our travels as James traveled from home. TTFN!

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obeedúid~

Location:New Market Ct,Manassas,United States

Out of synced....

2010-05-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

The iPad has not been synced since we left last week and I think this my be causing problems here. I tried several times to post photos yesterday, here and on Facebook but it only resulted in fail messages.... Hope today goes better!
~
ARGH! Now BlogPress is failing to create new documents so I have had to do an end around by opening an old draft and modifying that!!! Oh well, here I goes again!!!!
~

Put your nose to the grindstone Mark, work harder!

Crossing the Shannondoah River watershed the hard way ....

What, you didn't think I could do it???

This is only a tree, no really, well actually it looks like a root taking a drink!

Hurry up! Take the picture before the guard sees you!

Maybe if you push hard enough you'll actually brt somewhere...
NOT!

27/may10

Location:E Market St,Leesburg,United States

C&O part two...

2010-05-26T09:01:00.001-04:00

We decided to forgo crossing today and followed James' route along the Potomac.
~
The next stop was Manocacy Aqueduct. James and Francis were stationed here before being sent to Edwards Ferry for theBattle of Balls Bluff. He was very impressed with the structure and I can see why. It was something of the 8th wonder in his day for construction and achievement.

We broke for lunch as soon as we arrived and this guy decided we might be on the menu! Devin was sitting where his head is and he only noticed him when he was about where his tail is!!!

In my estimation when he was fully stretched out he was somewhere between 5 and a half ft. and 6 ft. In length!!!
~
When lunch was over and we managed to remove ourselves from the menu we took in the site.

View from a distance as we approached.

From the Momocacy Riverbank looking Northwest.

Devin on the beginning of the Catwalk.

The Catwalk where Devin was standing.

Devin on the Catwalk above the River looking at something...

What Devin was looking at... Duh!

The Waterway, looking back the in the direction we came across.

If it were 1861 I would be up to my neck and treading water!
~
If you have been paying attention to the locations in the postings you will have noticed that we are now in Harpers Ferry. today we walk the streets of the town and vista the Arsenal. If we have time we should end up in Leesburg tomorrow night.
~
I'll try not to take so many pictures... NOT!

obeedúid~
26/may/10

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obeedúid~

Location:KOA Campgrounds Rd,Harpers Ferry,United States

The C&O Canal Route.

2010-05-26T07:15:00.001-04:00

We started the day in Poolsville where James wrote the majority of his letters during the fall and winter of1861 into the early months of spring.

This is the Poolsville Town Hall. Just across the street was a Gift Shop where I purchased a number of local history items. The owner Reva O. Hoewing reminded me of my "Little 'Ol Lady Fanclub" at Church; guess what, she is an elder in the Poolsville Methodist Church and they are looking for a Youth Pastor... It's not me really it isn't, they see me coming and just know! :)
~

Alright, this is just weird! AND Twilight Zone in a cool sorta way... Sometime along the way while I was transcribing the letters and decided to write a novel based on them, I was drawn to name the novel "A Westerly Gale." James was speaking to me again and I was obviously receiving!!!!
~

Our next stop was Edwards Ferry just south along the Potomac. James and Francis did Picket duty here during the month of December and James and Francis were a part of the "Union Unit" mentioned here on the sign. For the record: that "Unit" was "Units" and the 2nd New York State Militia was one of them. From what I know from James' letters they were the faint to distract the enemy, so the sign is wrong.

A Harpers Weekly Illustration of General Stones Division (including the 2nd NYSM) in October of 1861. According to James' letter the Division was engaged and took some minor casualties.

The view from shore looking South west towards Leesburg.

View from Edwards Ferry looking South across the Potomac River.

Devin in front of the Tender's House at Edwards Ferry with his feet in what would have been water in 1861.

The Towpath along the Canal. James and Francis walked this 35 miles along this route on the way home from a Christmas Leave to N.Y. In winter weather because they were tired of waiting for a Canal Bout to take them. they apparently made it back in 2 days and before the boat with their rucksacks arrived.

~

Next up, Whites Ferry; where James' cousin Jacob Glenn crossed during the Battle of Balls Bluff. More on this later when we cross over ourselves to the Battlefield....

obeedúid~
25/may/10

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obeedúid~

Location:KOA Campgrounds Rd,Harpers Ferry,United States

Starting at the beginning: Castle Garden here we come!

2010-05-24T09:20:00.001-04:00

As previously posted here; my Gilmour ancestors entered this country at Castle Garden. Some by way of Liverpool England and the rest via Moville, in Donegol, Ireland.

This is the Dock at Moville, the steps on the left hand side of the painting are where the majority of my Ancestors would have taken their last steps from Ireland onto a ship that would carry them to to America.

This is Castle Garden in it's heyday (later renamed Castle Clinton) where they took their first steps into America.
This was us yesterday at starting point the first leg of our journey:

Devin and Dad at the Gates! (Castle Garden/Clinton) Not only is this where our ancestors entered America, it is also where James and Francis were camped before going of to "'Ol Virginie".
~
We were intending to leave early yesterday; Around 3 a.m. but we weren't done packing until some time about 1:30a.m. so we slept in until 7:30. After a last stop at the V'ville Hannaford for some last minute snacks and Coffee we kissed Sarah goodbye gave her a couple of "quarters for laundry" and pulled out onto the road about 8:30.
~
On the road we found an app called "Trapster". In honor of our "departure for the South" we plugged in the "Hillbilly" voice. "dats won dem speed traps up dare yahear!"
~
Of the 50 some letters and documents I have inherited there was only one envelope. The address appeared to have been written to William Pollock 765 Florida street. On closer inspection it looked as if someone had corrected it to read 764. In the process of researching that portion of my GG-Grandmother's family I found that the number was really 769.

If you look closely you can see someone wrote in graphite "Old Script 4+4 pence. In it I found Revolutionary War Script issued in Philadelphia.

I had a pretty rough time finding first the location of the letter address and then the Church as well. It seems that Philadelphia changed it's street names twice during the later part of century 19th century. My former manager and fellow Civil War Buff Bill Hamm was very helpful in locating a site that let me find the renamed location @ this site: http://www.phillyhistory.org/HistoricStreets/default.aspx

By using this site I was able to determine that what was 769 Florida Street in 1861 is now 769 South 4th Street. And this is what it looks like today:

It's for sale and I'm in the market but I think it would be one heck of a commute. ...and somehow I don't think I would be able to walk home from Smitty's after a few Guinness' either!
~
The first document in chronological order is my GG Grand Parents Marraige Certificate.

The ceremony was preformed at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Phila-delphia by Reverend Robert Watts. Watts was quite an interesting historical character and I will be working him into the novel.
~
Then Bill reconnected me with an old GoogleBook that I had downloaded but forgotten about and had not yet read: "The Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia." It was in PDF format so I searched it and this is what I found:

When I first Googled this location I noticed that there was an empty lot with a small side street running along side it named "Watts" Street named after ...you guessed it: the very same Rev. Robert Watts.

As I drove down it in "Street-View" Something strange happened! Things got all FUZZY-WEIRD but I kept on going where the arrow lead me... ("Go towards the light! Go towards the light!") all of a sudden: "POP!" I was back out of the Street again. So I scrolled around and "BLIP!" A building appeared where there wasn't one before!!!!
"Whoe whata virtual trip man!"

This is what things look like today:

This is what is left of Watts Street.

This is where the building was built over me...

The former location of The Westminster Presbyterian Church.
~
Off to Baltimore to walk the Riot Trail!
24/may/10
~
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obeedúid~

Location:S Main St,Voorheesville,United States

Blog Press messes with my formatting, so I wanted to see what it would do to a traditionally formatted poem... HERE GOES NOTHIN' !!!

2010-05-21T23:46:00.001-04:00

Matthew 5:13 (New International Version)

13 "You are the salt of the earth,
but if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again?"

~

Song of my Seasoning:

Oh salt of earth
That gave me birth
And taught my mind to see;

You have returned
Unto the sod
And left me out at sea!

Although I yearn
To meet my God
I ache to hear your voice!

And when at last
It comes to pass
I hope I have the choice;

To sit with you
And reminisce
To speak of days gone bye!

Before we came
To this abyss
When You were young and spry!

You held my hands
We walked along
I rode your shoulders high!

Oh salt of earth
I sing your song
Beneath the azure sky!

Oh salt of earth
I sing your song
And softly wave goodbye....

obeedúid~
15/may/10

~

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from my iPad.

Making heads for tails....

2010-05-21T00:27:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to sort out the differing and contradicting information having to do with how James Gilmour and his Comrade Francis Perry came to enlist and make their way to Washington. Depending on the report, newspaper article or the dates on James' letters there appears to be a number of anomalies that I will now try to sort out in an order that makes chronological sense to me.

First: On Sunday, April 12, 1861 after decades of growing strife between North and South The Confederate Army opened fire on the Federal Army at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor South Carolina. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later on April 13th.

Sargent Hart reattaches the Flag.

According to the Official Unit Roster of the 2nd NYSM/82nd Infantry available on the New York Military Museums website James Gilmour and Francis Perry enlisted on April 17th,at New York City to serve 3 years.

On Saturday April 20th, 1861 a "Mass Meeting" was held in Union Square, New York in protest of the taking of Fort Sumpter sponsored by the New York City Camber of Commerce in support of the Union. The news of the attack on the Sixth Massachusetts in Baltimore, reached the city causing alarm over the city's Seventh Regiment on its way to Baltimore.

First Blood -- The Sixth Massachusetts Regiment

fighting their way through Baltimore, April 19, 1861.

As the time for the meeting drew nearer, merchants closed their shops and encouraged attendance at the meeting. Union Square was packed with 100,000-200,000 citizens wearing symbols of the national flag. Even the actual flag that was flown at Fort Sumter was there tacked to a tree by Metropolitan Police Officer Sargent Hart (much the same as he did at Fort Sumter after the original mast had been shot away by the Confederates.) He had been sent to Fort Sumter to collect and escort Mrs. Anderson; the wife of the commanding officer Major Robert Anderson.

Buildings and houses flew the national flag and red, white, blue bunting hung from every window. They were five speaker stands and the crowd cheered the appearance of Major Robert Anderson, Captains Abner Doubleday, J.G. Foster, Lieutenant Hall and Surgeon Samuel W. Crawford and the garrison of Fort Sumter, who had arrived on the steamer Baltic on Thursday, April 18th, from Charleston, South Carolina. The square was flooded with people and the overflow spilled out into other parts of the city. (1)

The "Union" Mass Meeting held in Union Square,

New York on the 20th of April. (1861)

I am going to assume with some sense of certainty that James and Francis were present at this meeting as well as James' brother Robert Gilmour and his Wife Mary (Pollock) Gilmour. They lived and worked only blocks away and I think it is reasonable to surmise as much.

Many men at the time belonged to Fire Companies and Militias for Social reasons much like they do today. Thier first Captain Capt. Thomas M. Reid was commissioned on May 21st 1858 with rank from April 21st 1858.

By Thursday April 25th, 1861; James and Francis were ready and waiting to go with the Militia to defend Washington from the Secesh.

This is the inscription in the front-piece
of the Bible James Gilmour

carried with him until his death in the Peninsula Campaign.

"His Sister Mary" was his sister in-law Mary Pollock Gilmour.

James Gilmour's Bible from the family archives of the author.

The 2nd Regiment Militia failing to be ordered to the front under the first call, organized in New York City as a regiment of volunteers in the rear of Thompson's Market which appears to have served as their Armory.

I believe that James James Gilmour and Francis/Frank Perry worked in some capacity at Tompkins Market. (Tompkins Market is the building on the right hand side of the picture flying the Stars and Strips.) I surmise from a letter sent to them by their coworkers as a congratulatory "Testimownial" after the Battle of Bull Run signed by the men that they had previously worked with. ...but I will get to that in a later posting sometime next week.

~
From a Newspaper Article (source unsighted) posted on the New York State Military Museums Website:

PARADE OF THE SECOND REGIMENT.

The Second regiment, New York State Militia, Colonel Tompkins, paraded yesterday, previous to their encampment on the Battery today. The special order announcing the parade provided that the officers and members of the regiment should assemble in their respective company drill rooms yesterday morning, at nine o'clock, for regimental drill, the field and staff officers mounted, to report to the Colonel in the Armory at the same time; and the commandants, with their companies, together with the non-commissioned staff and drum corps, to report to the Adjutant, at Tompkins square, at a later hour—all to be there at ten o'clock A. M. The officers reported to the Colonel in accordance with the requirements of the special order; but, in consequence of the unfavorable condition of the weather, the regimental parade was postponed until the afternoon. At one o'clock P. M. the regiment, by companies, proceeded in front of the armory, in Seventh street, to Tompkins square, where the line was formed. The men appeared in fatigue dress, without knapsacks or overcoats. A large crowd collected around the square, and witnessed, apparently with unusual interest, every movement of the regiment. Several showers fell during the course of the afternoon, on account of which various field maneuvres were dispensed with--so that the entire tactics embraced in a full regimental drill were not completed. After executing a number of evolutions, the regimental line was formed inside the square, and the battalion took up the line of march. Preceded by a pioneer corps, five in number, came the twenty drummers, in their scarlet coats, followed by the engineer corps, numbering twenty-five members, under command of Captain Sage and Lieutenant Vanderpoel, bearing a beautiful banner, which had been presented to them on the previous evening. Next marched the howitzer corps, also numbering twenty-five, with some of their guns, followed by the staff and field officers and men, in all to the number of a thousand. In this order the regiment marched through St. Mark's place to and up Broadway to Fourteenth street, to Fifth avenue, down to Eighth street, and thence back to the armory. All along the line of march the regiment, completely uniformed and equipped, and manifesting unmistakeable evidences of the incessant labors of the officers in its discipline, elicited universal admiration. After returning to the armory, where the regiment is quartered, and where certain orders were issued for the morrow, the line was dismissed. The following is the special order concerning the encampment on the Battery to-day:—

SPECIAL ORDER NO. 22.
HEADUQARTERS FIRST DIVISION, N. Y. S. M.,
NEW YORK, May 1, 1861.

Pursuant to directions from the Commander-in-Chief, the Second regiment New York State Militia, under the command of Colonel Tompkins, is hereby directed to go into camp upon the Battery, relieving the Fifty-fifth regiment, and will remain in camp until further orders from headquarters. The Second regiment will relieve the Fifty-fifth at three o'clock P. M. tomorrow.

By order of Major General Charles W. Sandford.
GEORGE W. MORELL, Division Inspector.

At Camp on the Battery.

On Saturday, May 18th, 1861; the Second New York State Militia paraded out of Battery Park, and boarded the Jersey City Ferry. From there they proceeded by train to Camden New Jersey via the Camden/Amboy Railway. Having arrived at the Camdon/Amboy Station the Regiment disembarked and marched a short distance to the Delaware River Ferry. The Ferry then took them across the Delaware to the City of Philadelphia, where they were docked at the foot of Washington Avenue, and Marched across the city to a waiting train on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. To the best of my knowledge the Philadelphia Union Volunteer Saloon was not as yet open to receive and relieve regiments in transit at this time.

Once on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad they proceed to Baltimore and proceeded through that city without incident. There they boarded B&O Train bound for Washington.

The Following is an excerpt from a letter from James Gilmour to his brother Robert Gilmour and his wife Mary:

Wasington May 23rd 1861 [Thursday]
Dear Brother and Sister I now
write to let you know
how I have faired since I left~
we arived in Phila~ at 8 o clock on monday night [May 20th]
and marched to the B and O R.R. Depot
where we left for Baltimore. we arived there
all safe at 8 o clock tuesday morning [May 21st] and
formed at the R.R. Depot. and marched
through the City where we were recieved
with hearty chearing from the foundry
Boys and a few of the citycens but the greater
part of them looked dagers at us but there
was no hissing at all we were there about
3 hours marching through the streets and
then left for wastning* where we arived
at 12 oclock p.m. we wer quartered in
Pa's. Ave. corner of 4th St. We are all well
and in good spirits.

As you can see according to James' Official Muster Record,

he Enlisted in on May 21st upon his arrival in Washington,

sometime after 12 p.m.; as a Private in Company B.

A carte de visite of Mary (Pollock) Gilmour

from the family archives of the author.

A carte de visite of Robert Gilmour, Brother of James Gilmour;

from the family archives of the author.

~
I possess no image of James Gilmour in my archives; I do however for my own sake go by this image I found of an anonymous Federal Recruit:

He is similar in features and stature to Robert Gilmour and many of the men in my family. In desperation I glommed it from an old book some years back. I believe it was a Time/Life book but I' not sure... at one time I thought that I might someday come across an image of him in a box somewhere, but alas that has yet to come to pass. Unless some miracle happens this will have to do. Maybe it's him, maybe it's not. Either way, I like to think it is. It solves a little bit of the mystery.

Mark~

Friday, May 21st, 149 years to the day
James Gilmour was mustered in at
Washington D.C. as a Private.

*Except where otherwise noted images were downloaded from the New York Public Library Online Digital Collection.
(1) some source material is based on: "Union Defense Committee New York City's Repsonse to the Civil War" by William O'Neill at Suite101.com

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
obeedúid~

Location:County Road 201,Voorheesville,United States

The Pebbles Prep. for our trip to Virginia; May 23rd through June 2nd 2010.

2010-05-16T16:35:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday March 23rd Devin and I had the privilege of viewing the only existing flag from James Gilmour's Regiment: The Second New York State Militia (later redesigned the 82nd). Because the original 90 day Regiment did not have any notable members with pull, after the original enlistment ended and they were transformed into a 3-year Volunteer Force; they were redesiqnated with the next available number: 82.

This image was obtained from the New York State Museums Website. It is 27 1/4” Hoist X 27 3/4”. The funds for conservation of these flags have been cut due to N.Y. State's financial crisis. It was fortunate that this flag (A Flank Marker; intended to allow the regiment to visually see where the right or left of the unit was located.) was small and easy to conserve.

There are still a vast number of flags that may never be saved!

Private and corporate donations can be made to:
“The Natural Heritage Trust —
DMNA Donation Fund”
and sent to: Director, Natural Heritage Trust
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation
Agency Building 1, Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12238.

~

I had gone to the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga with my friend Steve on Saint Patricks Day to see the flag; but found that it was being housed at the Peebles Island Facility. While we were there I made arraignments with Chris Morton an Assistant Curator to view the flag.

Later, at Peebles Island, I found out from conversation with Chris that it was very likely captured by Beauregard's Confederate forces, possibly at Bull Run, Virginia, July 21, 1861. This is not "the Standard" that James Gilmour and his comrade Francis Perry rescued; but I would imagine that it was captured during the same incident he describes in his letters to his brother Robert, on his return to Washington, after the disastrous Battle of Bull Run.

We arrived (met in the parking lot after work and connecting in Cohoes) at 3:00 p.m.

I had heard of this location somewhere in my research but I had never been there. It was quite the experience seeing the flag in person and I was speechless (yeah, me speechless... can you imagine?) for the first few minutes (and on the brink of tears as well) but eventually I opened up...

Long story short: Chris is sent me everything he has on the unit for my research!!!! (THANKS CHRIS IT WILL BE INVALUABLE!!!)

I think he must have thought that if he sent me everything he had, eventually I would shut-up...

He doesn't know me very well now does he?!!!

~

They let us pose for a picture but I had to promise not to publish it. Something about being in a Government Facility blah, blah, blah....

It is for personal use only they said. I printed it out and it will take a prominent place on my wall soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.

obeedúid~
16/may/10

Location:S Main St,Voorheesville,United States

Ireland: Digitally Entranced.

2010-04-09T16:57:00.001-04:00

During the entire month of April there will be a showing of Digital Paintings from Mark O’Brien’s travels through Ireland at the Voorheesville Public Library. The Paintings are framed and reasonably priced for sale. All proceeds of painting sales will go to support the F.U.M.C.V. Youth Group. On Thursday April 15th there will be an opening reception at the library from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mark will also donate matching funds to the F.U.M.C.V. Audio Visual Campaign. Everyone is invited to attend and support these causes that are near and dear to his heart.

obeedúid~
09/april/10

Some people are not my friends....

2010-01-20T16:21:00.009-05:00

Well, on Facebook anyways...

Perhaps because they haven't acquiesced to "The-group-think-social-networking-in-the-21st-century-phenomenon "...

I happen to think its just fun and I am perfectly fine with anyone who choses to limit their exposure to things of mass appeal. That having been said, I am posting this video here as well as on my Youtube Channel for those of my "Friends" who would like to see me do something silly and still be a "Rebel-without-a-facebook-account..."

(You know who you are!...and I still respect you for you're bohemian-post-hippie-way-of-life too! )

:{D

Check another one off "The Bucket List"!!!!
Come-on-in-the-phenomenon-is-fine!

`·.,, ><(((º>

obeedúid~
20/jan/09

You're Invited!

2010-01-18T10:01:00.001-05:00

This coming weekend,

on Sunday January 24,

I am the featured poet

on home turf!

I will be pulling readings from the vaults, some of which have not seen the light of day since the light was lit! I'm combing through my long-hair stuff, and intending to mix things up!

There will be poems about Home, poems about Poems, poems about ol' Lovers, maybe even Mothers!

There will be VideO'ems and Harp Music too! Then afterwards we'll repair to the Pub for some brew!

(oh man, I have to get out more I'm beginning to sound like Dr. Suess!)

obeedúid~
18/jan/09

A Video-poem that is part of a quartet I wrote based on a poem by Yeats.

2009-11-13T15:59:00.001-05:00

I have been holding back on posts here as I feel that I don't want to post any more of the Novel before I finish it and send it off for publication; when ever that time comes. This is what I did this past week when I was actually home for a change and feeling creative:

The last line was the first line of the WB Yeats poem "There." It is my intention to write 3 more poems that end in the next 3 lines of the same poem. The object being to write towards a predetermined conclusion rather that from a starting point. An exercise to test myself if you will. :`)

`·.,, ><(((º>

obeedúid~

11/Nov/09

The Lord just saved my butt again...

2009-09-01T22:38:00.006-04:00

I should have known when I spilled my coffee @ Church Council!

When I got home tonight I let the dog and cat play in the stairwell, so they wouldn't get up at the window and pull down my clean curtains looking for me; out the front window while I was in the Laundromat cleaning and closing up for the night.

I could hear them running up and down the stairs having a ball as I mopped. When I finished up, I turned off the lights and headed for the front door. The front door that wouldn't open!

It seems the "boys" knocked down the snow shovel which is just the right size to fit between the door and the bottom stair! I thought maybe it was my vacuum but at that point I didn't know.

In my younger days I would have simply scaled the side of the building and pulled myself up over the back deck. I have a bit of a paunch these days so I was thinking that I had better find another way in. So I knocked on the tenant’s door and asked if I could use his deck...

He “stirruped” me up onto the roof from his side of the building. I then walked across the top of the building in the dark along the edge 2 stories up. :0)

When I reached my side of the store I grabbed onto an exhaust pipe and swung down over the roof above my deck... :O

...ripped up my left arm, fell on my BUTT, rolled across the deck up against the rail and dropped my pride over the edge!

I am SOOO out of shape and gettin' OLD!

Just goes to show you the LORD still has a plan for me!

That and I still have DUMB LUCK!

:')

obeedúid~

01/sept/09

(...oh Mr. Bushmills... Can you say: "Medicinal Purposes" ?)

Things I have absorbed from my "Learning experiences..."

2009-08-30T21:59:00.012-04:00

I am an inherently happy person.

Being 99% happy can be undermined by 1% negativity.

I can spend an entire weekend listing my blessings.

I don't blend well with negative people even though I empathize with them.

An addict will never recover if he/she persists in surrounding him/her self with addicts.

Even if you love/empathize with an addict they have to heal themselves.

You can be addicted to a person/idea/concept/ideal/dream.

The first step to health may be abandoning the ones that you love to their own negativity/addictions.

Well-being can be lonely way of life.

Healthy laughter can be a joyous release!

Love for my fellow man and a few hours of good conversation with friends who really love you for what/who you are and not what they think you should be can begin to heal the deepest wounds.

Faith and positive outlook is everything.

"Learning experiences" are in the eye of the beholder.

obeedúid~

30/aug/09

We knew this must happen but when did It transpire?

2009-08-16T21:01:00.005-04:00

I've been told I'm too young to feel this way:

Go on with you then:

Never quite comfortable

with bodily furniture as one ages

when the soul tires of its garment,

we cling to the trash and tinsel of our hides.

Wondering why we left our hormones alone

inside the bedded night

first blinding cupid with our dreams

then allowing him the freedom to guide.

Grown old we think:

We knew this must happen but when did It transpire?

Was it simply wild youth?

…or reckless middle age stalking hearts desire?

We knew it must happen this growing old,

we watched it from the choir!

What If we had sought truth through-out our middle age?

What then of desire?

Perhaps that’s why we stood here fast to the floor

our garments crinkled on the armature.

Perhaps that’s why we stand here still

and rearrange the furniture.

You do realize don’t you?

…the key is turning in the door….

I don't know, maybe its because of what I've been through lately, maybe its because of what I've been reading, maybe I'm just an old soul sometimes... anyway, whether I'm speaking to myself, or the ages, I've had a lot to think about these past few weeks.

Yeats said: "The Art often expresses what the man lacks." I know what I currently lack, and as much as I desire it I also know that I am doing quite well without it at the moment thank you very much!

Life will change in the next year... drastically: and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with any of it. As much as I know that "The only thing constant is change." I have been mostly happy in my chosen bohemian lifestyle.

Its what I have come to be accustomed to after all!

Judging by the poetic themes I have been gravitating to over the last year what I lack is a constant called Love. ...I am finally at a stage where I am no longer going to settle for companionship for companionship sake though ~

It took me half a century but I'm finally there believe it or not.

I know what I'm lacking, I know the key is in the door, and I know its time to rearrange the furniture in earnest this time...

This may get messy, but I can't watch from the Choir any more.

"Look out world, time's a wastin' and here I come!"

obeedúid~

16/aug/09

Mary of the Gaul's....

2009-08-07T17:07:00.006-04:00

At the last meeting of the EOTNP, or maybe it was the meeting before that, we decided to each bring in an object and distribute them around the table to see how it would affect a poem. I was given to choose a broach of "Saint Brigid's Cross".

Brigid, was also known as Mary of the Gaul’s.

As my Mom was a collector of Crosses from around the world; I am quite familiar with this one. In fact I think Mom may have even had her own version of this broach. This is the poem that the broach affected:

There is a sight I must have looked:

I was thinking now

of how you asked us each

to hold you

tiny in our arms

as I reach for the phone

to call you

holding St. Brigid’s cross

tiny in my hand.

obeedúid~

07/aug/09

"...Last night I dreamed a dream..."

2009-07-28T19:44:00.007-04:00

As I was waking this morning I had this dream: The Adult me was walking with the child me, The Adult me was holding a bunch of balloons. The child me asked the adult me: "Can I use those Balloons to visit my Mom in heaven?" "No." I said to myself "You weigh too much to be lifted off the ground by a bunch of Balloons..." "Oh." I said, "Then can I use the Balloons to send my prayers to heaven so God knows that she's coming?" "No." said I, "The Balloons would be bad for the environment when they burst and fell back down to earth." "Then how will God know that she's coming I asked myself?" "Don't you worry," I said to me, "It will all work out somehow."

Then I rolled over and yawned. As I sat there musing and I slowly came to conscious me, I realized several things. The adult me was the me of my mature faith. The child me was the one who still believes in happily ever after.

And the Balloons? Well, the Balloons are my posts, the Balloons are my poems, and the Balloons are you too!

If you are reading this, and you think a thought, feel a feeling, say a prayer: then God will know that Mom is on her way.

"Don't you worry," I said to me, "It will all work out somehow."

obeedúid~

29/july/09

In memory of my Mom:

2009-07-26T04:56:00.004-04:00

Looking at the table to keep the memory of it living:

There being no hedge or fence round time

you can go back, have what you like

you can be the child that was

dipping at the well of remembrance

you can still feel how it felt

as though you were still small

smell the soup

watch it ladled

taste the mutton with your nostrils now

all those people are still alive

some leaning back with their eyes shut

smiling

some speaking with their mouths full

laughing

and you are sitting in your mothers lap.

obeedúid~

26/july/09

YARR! The Anatomy of a search.

2009-07-08T20:57:00.005-04:00

I was working on this blog some time back but I got sidetracked and never finished it. When we went to Ireland one of my favorite places that we visited was Ballyarr wood. The reason we went there is contained here. I have been intending to post some of my pictures from Ballyarr that relate that part of our trip so this will should serve as a prelude of sorts:

In a pile of Obituaries and Newspaper clippings I found this clue:

Sarah Harvey nae Diver was my Great Great Great Grandmother and the Mother of My Great Great Grandfather's (James Alexander Gilmour) wife: Sarah Harvey Gilmour.

A Post of Moville, County Donegal,
Embarkation point north of Londonderry.

County Donegal is west of, and very near to where the Gilmour's came from at Killaloo Glebe. Armed with this clue I searched Donegal for the Townland of Ballyor mentioned in this Obituary.

~~~

Guess what... No such location. So I brought up Google maps, zoomed in and crept slowly across the entire county inch by inch. Just North of Letterkenny I came upon Ballyare and Ballyarr, Ballyarr Glebe and Glenview Ballyare.

This must be the place.

~~~

Next, I searched The Origins Network for maps of Ballyarr, Donegal. and this is what I found:

A Map of the Townland of Ballyarr, Parish of Tullyfern,
County of Donegal and its environs.

The original scan was a very poor high contrast xerox. I enhanced it as best I could in a imaging program but it is still quite lacking.

The results for the Griffiths data was a bit better:

Click to enlarge.

If you look closely you will notice a Henry and James Diver listed with map references , which unfortunately do not have the corresponding references numbers 13a&b and numbers 14 a&b on the map. It does however indicate that they were evaluated as having: "Houses, offices, land" that they were expected to pay local tax on to their Landowner/leaseholder: Thomas Petterson.

~
When we got to Ireland I tried to find a corresponding map to actually locate them. It unfortunately didn't happen. (more on this later...)
~

So, what did I know now that I didn't know when I started. The correct name and probable place, of the birthplace of my ancestor Sarah (Diver) Harvey in 1849 at the height of the famine.

From here I moved onto passenger lists on Ancestry.com:

I found a Dever family entering Philadelphia PA. on the ship Jan Anderson in 1853. John, Catherine and Sarah was 4 years of age at the time.

Diver or Dever? It all comes down to what the person writing the name down though was the right way to spell what they were hearing. What is important here is age and the emigration point Londonderry , Ireland.

O.K., so Diver is spelled Dever. There is one that's listed as and transcribed as Dever but when you look at the original it is actually Diver, but her birth year listed is 1844. The embarkation point was Londonderry, Ireland as well, so I decided to go with the info in my Obituary. I'm going to have to say that even though the spelling varies, the correct birth date is more often more reliable in the Obit even though they got the location spelling wrong. I have found that the possibility that someone misspelled the last name is most probably the case on average also.

~~~

More on this later....

obeedúid~
07/08/09

No posts recently...

2009-07-06T20:42:00.002-04:00

This is what I have been up to:

That and messin with Facebook....
(see sidebar.)

obeedúid~

06/july/09

Redemption.

2009-06-24T23:16:00.002-04:00

Well, the thing I learned from "Shannon" that stuck with me was this: As a Shell-shock victim recovers he/she gets better faster as he/she recovers. So without going into the details of what transpired at Church and my process of dealing with old wounds reopened; the act of creating this weeks worship-video was over the course of 8 or 10 revisions just what I needed to come out of my spiritual funk.

(By nature this public blog is ambiguous and details are intentionally poetical and obscure in their specifics.)

Somehow I don't think Steve knew consciously when he selected the text and asked me to do the video but it was just the thing I required to connect me again. Funny how things work that way sometimes. My healing process is far from done but presently healthy.

This Video is a "Sneak-peek" preview of this Sunday and version number ??? I may still tweak it if needs be but I'm comfortable with it as is. My older "Yoot Goopies" will be happy I think.

Gotta love it when you can get away with playing the Foo Fighters in Church...

:)

obeedúid~

24/june/09

What I got for Fathers Day...

2009-06-23T17:56:00.006-04:00

Drunk... On Cupcakes! Well not actually drunk. Actually I got "Baked" after I had Black and Tan on an empty stomach with 2 of my daughter's "Irish-Car-Bomb-Cupcakes" as chasers.

(...mmmmm...The last one...)

Cupcake made with "Guinness" + Chocolate Gnash "Bushmills" filling topped with "Baily's Irish Cream" icing =

My daughter can bake!

obeedúid~
23/june/09

"Shannon." by Frank Delany

2009-06-14T13:42:00.007-04:00

I loved this book. It tells the story of a shell shocked priest who has lost his vocation and therefore his soul. His search follows the Shannon River up one side and down the other. Literary and figuratively.

Unfortunately along the way I realized that I have lost my way as well. I realized this when I read this exchange in chapter 10 on page 110:

Michael the Lion had more stains on his clothes than Robert had ever seen. And the more Robert stared, the more some of them began to look like Lion's heads. Michael started to speak again.
"I have serious things to say about people tracing their family. The reason we want to discover our ancestors is a strong thing. 'Tis as strong in certain ways, if you'll forgive me, Father, as prayer. Here's what I'm saying. If I said you're forty years of age, and all you know about yourself is that you were born, say, over the hill there, in some old bit of a house, you've nothing to go on. You've, like, no bank account. I mean, what was there before you, your father and maybe your grandfather? Thats as far as you can go, God help you, for you're a poor man.
He had caught Roberts attention, as much with his passion as with his ideas. Robert leaned forward, trying hard as he had ever done to concentrate and retain.
"A poor man." he repeated.
"Yes, Father, a poor man. A very poor man."
The Lion hit his arm of his chair with a thump- and Robert did not start in fright.
"A very poor man, because supposing you did not know who you were in the long-term backwards- and suppose you knew that in the long-term backwards there was a wonderful sportsman or artist or a woman famous for her piano playing in your family- well, you'd go forward in a different mood, wouldn't you? And you'd want to know, were you any small bit like them, wouldn't you? And if you were- well, wouldn't that lift your spirits? Those are the benefits of the past."
The Lion grabbed his glass and sat forward.
"Father, if we don't come from somebody, we're nobody. If we don't come from somewhere, we come from nowhere. And if we don't know where we came from, how do we know where to go."

This pretty much sums up what I have been after these past years. I now know that I am a rich man, with a rich past, but I lost my vocation along the way and I'm not sure which way to go. Kinda counter to what is being said here. Maybe that's why I feel so lost.

obeedúid~
14/june/09

Want to learn more about Frank Delaney? Click on the thumbnail of his book in this blog and you will be taken to his official site.

Train wreck. Turn or look away?

2009-06-10T18:23:00.003-04:00

Humans love to watch. We tune in every night at 8 religiously. We buy the Tabloids. Some get the DVD on Tuesday at Wally World or catch Jerry Springer on lunch in the Break-room.

As long as its not our own train wreck its great!

~

What is privacy in today's world? Is it your SSI Number or your intimate feelings? Everyone defines this one differently.

When dose honesty preclude private? Especially if your private is not mine?

You can try to gauge someone Else's feelings but the odds are you're going to be wrong sometimes.

~

With love comes curtain obligations that come with the territory. When someone dose something unpleasant, it can affect you more than you realize. Particularly if you love them!

Timing is everything.

It can be extremely difficult to forgive someones actions if they are unaware of the offense or transgression. They may continue to offend without knowing.

Integrity is everything too.

~

What ever your position, you can at least learn from it.

"Just because you're a Republican doesn't mean I don't love you!"

"Just because you're a Liberal doesn't mean I think you're a jerk!"

~

The way I see it:

"You make love; you die. Hopefully you make love more than you die."

obeedúid~
10/june/09

The Roller-coaster ride gets weirder....

2009-06-07T18:55:00.004-04:00

Friday night, Mom was so bad the Nurse made a special run to St. Peters for Morphine. My brother woke us all up at around 4 a.m.

On Saturday My sister in-law came in from Syracuse, her Mom came over from next door, My sister flew in from Florida shortly after Noon.

We were all there. It was not looking good.

~

Then my sister took charge. Saturday afternoon and night she managed to get Mom to stabilize; and admit that she was not sure that she had been taking all the Meds that she needs.

Today, Sunday, Mom is taking meals and sitting up again. She is doing the Nebulizer again and looks 100% better.

This is a process. It will not stop, but it seems to not be as far along as My brother and the Nurse thought. As long as Mom dose what she is supposed to do.

So now we go from a part time aid to a full time aid. Someone who can make sure Mom is taking things when she is supposed to all the time.

Admittedly some of this is confusion. (Did I take it? I did didn't I?) Not unheard of in these circumstances.

~

We went from the brink and back in a wink. Things will only continue to progress. The long road continues. I am relieved as are we all that what we anticipated did not come to pass, but I never cared for Roller-coasters like some people do.

I have to admit my capacity for empathy makes this harder. I cant stand to see anyone I love suffer, least of all my Mom.

I don't think she ever cared for Roller-coasters either. I do however seem to remember My Nana doing something similar to my Mom. Mom did the same thing with her that my sister did: put her foot down and laid down the law.

We none of us ever fall far from the tree.

~

When my time comes, I am going to wander off into the woods, climb a mountain, lay down and go to sleep.

Send out the Saint Bernard dogs and Fill them up with Guinness if you want me to co-operate, 'cause I can be a "Stubborn Thick Mick" too.

~

Thank-you all for your notes and prayers. Dont stop prayin' though, it ain't over yet....

"Markle-Farkle"
07/june/09

What hope becomes.

2009-06-05T17:21:00.011-04:00

The Keening:

“Try to breath, just a little bit deeper…”

The extravagance of your breath when lost
to a notepad on the bedstead of a lifetime
of dreams lived vicariously reduced to nebulization
makes every moment scream and cry
from the cavern of the mind.

Around you images of 84 years
the passion
of an inherited fragrant mind.

What remains unchanged
but the beauty of one's soul ?
I count myself decked and altered
knowing that decline must lead to rest
for your aching heart.

As Christ bids you leave us your legacy behind
to weep & wail the Banshee
you find mid-air between sunshine and wind.

Leaving us men and women here
knowing all will pass heaven’s flutter
behind you bereft of dotage
lives to live and courses to run
the road at door opening

“Don’t leave without a jacket; you’ll catch your death…”

obeedúid~
05/june/09

As I age I have come to realize that there is a fine line between optimism and masochism.

2009-06-04T18:24:00.002-04:00

When does devotion become obsession?

Is it enough to know what might make you happy and never attain it?

Can that be consolation enough?

Just when does hope become pathetic?

When does the passage of time make patience a hindrance?

There's a poem in here somewhere.

obeedúid~
04/june/09

Do you ever sleep?!?!***

2009-06-01T10:47:00.006-04:00

Not much.

I am a creative being and statistically I have lived more than two-thirds of my life already. I have allot to do and accomplish. The way I see it, the rest of my life rest will consist of creating and being creative. For my children, their children and to the glory of God.

~

Today is the day of Alan's big W.W.Christman Shindig! Activities at the preserve and a Gathering/Reading at Smitties around 8 o'clock. Christman's preserve is limited to family and invited guests. The Gathering/Reading has been advertised and is open to the public.

That may be you!

~

I finally managed to finish a few pieces for our show that are up to my standards. I glommed one piece that Barb loved from a previous show; and I created a piece I will someday post about my Grandmother and her REAL story; and after some techie-wrangling with Tom Carrado's help I was able to complete a slide show of a poem that appears in the previous posting with a soundtrack that will not be heard anywhere else but on my sites.

~

I didn't do a mass mailing the last posting because...

I am aware that because I post so frequently many of you treat my links as spam. So from this post forward I will be sending links out infrequently. You can follow this blog if you prefer by doing so in the new link in my sidebar. If you blog yourself you can follow by a Feeder. Otherwise copying the address into your bookmarks or adding a link to your toolbar will do too.

If you prefer to continue to receive links I will set up a list for those of you who wish to continue to receive updates as I have always sent them out before.

I just don't want to bombard anyone. The site will remain current, I will continue to evolve, but there are enough hits and services that I am listed on so that traffic will continue to this site.

This is an effort to please.

obeedúid~
01/june/09

(***Bill Hamm to me after I posted once after 11pm and again around 7am indicating I was more than likely awake past 12 re-editing and up before 5 or 6 writing a new post....)

The gift of the my faith.

2009-05-31T11:27:00.007-04:00

"The gift of faith is being able to trust God and encourage others to trust God, no matter the circumstances."

I admit it, I don't always do this. I try, but allot of times this can lead me into just going along living life and figuring God has the wheel and I don't have to worry about it.

Well, that ain't always true. Sometimes you gotta lift your head up and watch where you're goin'. Especially if you don't know the road you're on or you're sittin' in the passenger seat.

Sometimes it don't matter if you're lookin' or not; but you gotta look anyways.

That's what I've been told anyway.

~

The gift of my faith is the thing that keeps me goin'.

When I've had a week like I just went through it is tempting to get depressed and withdraw.

Because I have the gift of my faith I persevere. I do things that keep me from sitting on the couch watching "The Biggest Whatever is BIG this week." Some people find it helpful to watch others, make fun of them and in some way feel superior to them in doing so.

Doesn't work for me.

If one thing isn't working I try another. The Pneumatic Thoughtform Project was a bust last week, but I won't abandon it entirely. I'll come back to it in time 'till I get it right.

In the meantime, when the Gift and the Spirit move me... I gotta share:

I wish I had a better voice that was more suited to narration, but alas, I cannot speak in tongues...

Maybe this isn't my best work either, but I'm sure it will lead me there...

I gotta gift see; it's called Faith.

~

There is a great site called "All About God" that I like. Here is a link to their page about the gifts of the Spirit based on 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 : http://www.allaboutgod.com/gifts-of-the-spirit.htm

Maybe you'll find something there too. A gift, that you can share.

obeedúid~
31/may/09

With the morning comes resolution.

2009-05-30T08:20:00.005-04:00

The only things that has felt right lately are Yeats, Church and an Ol' flame I thought had had enough water pored on it to stop smoldering.

What do I know.

I'm going with plan B. The Pneumatic Thoughtform Project is just not ready to go public. I can't put it out there just to put it out there. It has to be right.

So I'm off to Wally-world to pick-up a portable DVD player. My contribution to the Art Show for the moment will be as Dennis suggested: VideO'ems.

The Glass will go back into the darkroom for now and I intend to focus on what feels right.

;)

Markle.

Having Pneumatic Second-Thoughtforms....

2009-05-30T00:35:00.006-04:00

Today was abysmal. Nothing worked. I wasted most of the day resurrecting my computer. Silly me, I thought I might like to have a background behind my blog. Little did I know that the free program that said it could do it for me had built-in Keystroke Shadow tracking that I had no control over. When my Virus program quarantined it it also quarantined Microsoft Explorer. Now I don't use Explorer and I never will; but you can't run a Windows computer without Explorer at least running in the background. That's just the way those sneaky bums at Microsoft set things up. Either you do as you are told or your Computer is D.O.A.

Devo and I had to remove the Hard-drive, plug it into his Computer as a stand-alone harddrive, copy off what I could save and REFORMAT back to 2004 from scratch. I have spent the past few hours trying to reconstruct what I could of my Firefox set-up. All of my Bookmarks and saved Links are permanently gone. FUN!

While I was stewing about doing this when Devo got home to help I tried to focus on the Glass Etching. It is not going well either. I am now convinced that this technique is flawed. I have enough knowledge of this sort of thing to be able to make it work, and I followed the provided instructions to a "T" but the results were unsatisfactory.

I still intend to show the piece but I am not as pleased as I thought I was going to be with the end result. O.K., I have HIGH expectations but in my opinion this was a basic starter project. I stuck to words and avoided complex graphics on purpose. I figured I would work up to that.

What I think I will work up to is a different system.

ARGHHHH!
( 'xcuse me...)

Not-so-obeedúid~
29/May/09

Sometimes experience can be a encumbrance.

2009-05-28T23:21:00.006-04:00

I spent most of Tuesday night Wednesday morning battling my own preconceptions. My extensive knowledge of old-school Graphic-Arts techniques proved to be a problem. I made some assumptions based on years of working with similar materials that caused frustrating sidetracks and waste.

Part of the problem was the result of unspecific directions, some of the hindrance was because I read the instructions, realized there was information missing and assumed incorrectly what the solution would be.

Fortunately, knowing what the expected result was supposed to be allowed me to persevere. If I was unfamiliar with the process I might have had an easier time of things, but I am convinced that without my background I wouldn't have been able to work my way out of things.

At any rate, after spending the first night determining exposure times through means of stepping out a test strip, then doing the work repeatedly until I was satisfied with the results; I have arrived at a midway point.

The process having involved darkroom techniques I did not attempt to take pictures of that part of the project.

As you can see I am now at the stage where I am readying myself to begin aligning the stencils to the transparencies that I have positioned on the glass. The next day or so will be busy and intense. Working vacation don't you know.

I started by attaching the spacer/bumpers by aligning them and stacking the sheets of glass until I had enough surface for the text of the poem. I ended up with 10 layers but I may add a layer on the top or more than likely the bottom for effect.

Once I had them in position I spaced them by shifting the circle about 1/2 an inch around the diameter of the circle. The effect as you can steps up and down the perimeter. The poem steps down through the interior in the opposite direction of the spacer/bumpers.

I intended to create a piece specific pedestal but time may not allow for this with Sundays deadline looming.

We shall see what I come up with under pressure. I really haven't eaten well during the process until I had a burger with the bIRD tonight at Smitty's after Poetry. I really have to finish this soon or I may starve physically while I am nourishing myself spiritually and artistically. I cant help myself. When I get into something like this I go into a creative trance and the house could fall down around me. Saturday night or Sunday morning I expect I will come out of this thing drained and with a completed sculpture. Hopefully it will be something I am satisfied with.

I have to keep in mind that this is the beginning of a new direction and this is the first effort. Future works will become more polished/crystallized/honed.

obeedúid~
28/may/09

"The Pneumatic Thoughtforms Project" has moved into production!!!

2009-05-26T19:09:00.006-04:00

I'm locked down. The shades are drawn. You may not enter the room while the red light is on.

I'm starting the first Pneumatic Thoughtform Poem stencil today.

I discarded my old Photography Darkroom equipment some time back so I had to make do by purchasing a red party light from the hardware store.

I'm not so sure what the temperature of the room is going to be like tonight, when I reach the point of exposing the transparencies.

The Air conditioning is based in the kitchen and circulated by ceiling fans.

Exposures are being made with the door closed.

Maybe I'll loose some of this love handle I've been cultivating

;)

obeedúid~
26/may/09

Memorial Day and I'm just hangin' out....

2009-05-25T10:11:00.012-04:00

My trip to Washington and walk along the Potomac had to be postponed due to scheduling factors at Devin's work places. The year 2012 will mark 150 years from the time that the Gilmour letters were written and James fought and died during the civil war. I still have time to follow a chronological walking in his footsteps and thankfully the time to plan it well enough to enjoy the walk also.

This blog has veered from its from its original focus over the past few months and become more of a traditional blog in that I am posting random things that interest me and keep me busy emotionally and creatively.

I will continue to post on The Gilmours/O'Brien's as well, but in November of this year I intend to start a related blog that will contain the Gilmour letters and documents posted 150 years to the day of their original creation. Complete with ephemera that I have collected along the way having to do with each letter and the location of its writing.

I also have letters from my Dad to his parents during WWII that I intend to treat similarly. There may be some love letters around to my mother as well... ;)

~

I don't want to abandon this blog or create a new separate one for my other pursuits. I've become accustomed to being a "Glebe Homie". This space is my place. Where I think, grow and contemplate the world. I'll try to mix things up more for the sake of the different audiences I have cultivated from around the world, but I gotta be me.

Not perfect, hopefully genuine.

I went out to the family grave-site today for a prayer and some pictures. I imagine we will be revisiting here as a family soon. When my sister spoke with the folksy curator /caretaker the last time she was up and she had to push for a map that indicated the exact location of all our plots. There were some discrepancies but we seem to finally have an accurate map. There is a row of plots behind this one on the other side of what is designated as a walking path.

I have visited enough of my ancestors plots to realize ours is not the same as the larger cemeteries as far as organization and professionalism. The other thing I have come to see is the importance of headstones and the information on them. I can't tell you what a letdown it can be when you approach a family plot and find no stone or stones.

There is something to be said about no headstone. It can be a valid philosophical point of view; but headstones like funerals are not for the living.

When I find a long lost relative, and their final resting place, it completes a part of me. It makes me more whole. I know where I came from and therefore who I am.

So spread your ashes on a mountaintop, but leave a stone if possible. Not for you, for your children's children.

obeedúid~
25/may/09

Glitches? We don't need no stinking glitches!

2009-05-24T12:25:00.005-04:00

The Church parade float that Steve, Lynn and I were painting most of last week came out great! The parade came off without a hitch. Thanks to the rest of our impromptu committee as well!

The Donut Sales crew netted 100.00 profit for the general church fund. YEE-HAA!

(...the exception on the glitch front was me trying to blo bubbles from the back of the float while I hung on to the banners so they didn't rip in the wind, I INHALED more bubbles than I managed to blo!)

GULP! :0

Someone, (who has chosen to remain anonymous) rang the bell as we passed the church and it was awesome! I got all choked up and thats pretty cool!

~

I have been trying to re-devote myself to my spiritual disciplines of late. As I clean out my body of the addiction to Cigarettes I find I need prayer of some kind to help me on my journey towards healthfulness. I was asked to join the Worship Team again and I said yes. After prayer and soul searching I decided that I would best serve the congregation by creating devotional videos. We have long sought to find some way to bring multimedia into our old-school worship and I have wanted to move in this direction for longer than I can remember. Some road blocks have been removed recently and this week was my first chance at taking the leap.

Here is what I came up with:

~

There was a commotion with a young man drinking and driving out front last night which involved a Tow-truck under my bedroom window at 1:30 in the morning.

Mid-night glitch!

No rest for the bleary-eyed!

~

When I finally got up this A.M. and I realized that I hadn't calculated the planned running out of my Nicotine-Tabs correctly. I was going to sweat the nicotine out this week while I'm on "Vay-cay" but I didn't want to start this morning when I was under pressure to pull off something for the first time.

There wasnt any coffee in the house either. No nicotine, no caffine... I just gotta get rid of both of these monkeys THIS WEEK!

I stumbled around half dressed and half-witted. Finally I got in the car and ran to the store but the Nicotine-safe was locked and no-one had the key. I drove to Guilderland! On the way back I stopped and grabbed a Coffee at the Stewarts Shop.

I changed my shirt, combed my hair and figured all the glitches were glitched.

RIGHT!

~

This morning in church, after spending much of last evening after the parade thinking I had worked as many glitches as I could between the projector and the laptop, I had unforeseen problems anyway....

First the monitors wouldn't size right to the wall space. (this is one of the things I thought I had already worked through....) Then the choir director wasn't clued to my cue. Not a problem. Pastor handled it with a separate transition.

Now here is where the final reading from (The Message) Ephesians 23 echoed what happened during my reading from John:

"He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."

I forgot to plug in my peripheral! There was no sound at first! I maxed the Laptop, held it up in the air and started fumbling with the wires....

Finally about half way through I realized I had not plugged in the speakers....

Oh well, we can't bring the Congregation into the 21st Century without a few stumbles along the way.

I think the Lord will bare with us.

After all: "He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything."

~

Off to Sunday Four Poetry Reading. Glitches or no Glitches!

(I wonder if Yeats ever had glitches?)

obeedúid~
24/may/09

I had a flashback today....

2009-05-20T22:31:00.004-04:00

I have been thinking allot about my Mom lately. On Mothers Day we spent the time hanging out at the house and eating dinner. Everyone was there. I was going to do a post then but I hadn't put together enough pictures that I had scanned, touched-up and edited to be happy with anything.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis is progressing pretty much like we figured it was going to. Its scary for her. Its scary for my brother Richard who lives with her. Its scary for all of us.

This Morning I was standing in the Parking Lot outside the Store doing my morning entranceway clean-up, when I looked up at the horizon and flashed back to my childhood. Suddenly I remembered walking down the stairs in my parents house before school, smelling bacon, hearing WROW and Ray Falconer doing the Weather and Farm report. Just as I used to reach the kitchen every morning , or it seemed like every morning, they would play "Oh what a beautiful morning!" or something similar.

So when I heard that song in my head this morning I knew what I would do.

Love you Mom!

obeedúid~
20/may/09

In memory of my metabolism....

2009-05-18T17:27:00.004-04:00

"Waste"-line...

The events that were soon on top of him:

He somehow finds contentment

among the neo-Lethean foliage

for all his purchased pains

by every woman's temperament

in a cistern of hearts

The chill in his bones

is matched only by the love

handle around his waist

that waited half a century

for his metabolism to slow

If he no longer reaches

the topmost bough

this is yet to show

whether or not he has

thirty years to go

and maxims to meditate

while walking barefoot

through the marble dew

as he will never have enough

of women's love

so must settle

while the body settles

for children's gratitude

a burgeoning belly

and the extravagance of breath.

obeedúid~

18/may/09

Reports of my arrest have been greatly exaggerated....

2009-05-15T20:45:00.002-04:00

Last night we were watching the 6 o'clock News. A report came on that "Mark O'Brien" had been arrested for raping a 13 year-old mentally handicapped girl.

Heres a link to the article: http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/queensbury-1263366-raping-girl.html

This guy has been the bane of my existence for years! When I went to buy a house he had bashed my credit all-up big time!

Now here he is doing the thing I most abhor. Taking advantage of the undefended. The least, the last and the lost.

This is what happens when you have a common Irish name. This is why I go by "obeedúid~". Can you blame me?

When I first went to buy a home I found that I had defaulted on a 30 mortgage when I was 11 years old!

Once, a co-worker handed me and obituary from the daily newspaper with my name on it. If I hadn't known better I would have believed I were dead!

If it can be said that some do good and others do otherwise, perhaps I am working the good side while he is doing otherwise. I hope this guy gets the worst punishment if its true. If they can prove he did this horrific thing then string him up by his thing.

I am compassionate as is possible in todays world, but one thing I can't forgive is the abuse of an indefensible child.

Just because I share the same name with this guy I somehow feel guilty. Don't joke with me about this one folks. I'm not gunna find it funny. It's sick and it makes me want to retch!

obeedúid~
15/may/09

I bought the ultimate Man-Tool yesterday!

2009-05-08T18:59:00.009-04:00

An Infinity NV29 Vacuum.

The tag line says: "No Loss of Suction..."

"It has 24 Cyclones to trap dust and dirt so Infinity never loses suction..."

The literature states: "Other vacuums claim to maintain powerful suction, but after just a few rooms they lose suction. Year after year Infinity never loses suction."

In other words: Infinity Vacuums Suck! They suck so good that as I was passing the couch I engulfed the throw right off the couch and into the NV29 before I realized what was going on....

This of course broke the brand new Motor Belt. Fortunately, they supplied me with a spare. Replacing the belt was surprisingly easy though! The bottom of the machine is made to be opened easily so fixing it was finished in 5 minutes. No problem!

Both the Dog and the Cat have bought into the marketing magic. They are convinced that it sucks too!

It sucks SOOO GOOOOD I think if I'm not careful I will be pulling pictures off the wall!!!

ARRRRUE! AR-AR-AR!

(Tim the Toolman Taylor would be proud!)

...and I don't have to be embarrassed by the fact that I am in love with my new Vacuum! After all, its a Man Vac!

...honest...

I think the two of us will be very happy together. I look forward to a long relationship with little or no arguing and plenty of long walks in the rain....

;)

obeedúid~
08/may/09

The boy with a crack in his heart.

2009-05-07T21:55:00.007-04:00

I continue to be heavily influenced by Yeats. The original to this poem is actually much longer than the VideO'em. I post them both here so you may contrast the two. Obviously the self imposed style and length of my videos which the bIRD has labeled "future primitive aesthetic" forces me to work with a finite quantity of words. This then necessitates creating two almost completely different poems. "Variations on a theme" if you will.

How the poet was hit in the head by the rock he threw:

How could he be so ignorant

of the old stone cross he bares

How could he live so innocent

of the world asleep unawares

Loam rises up while

arbutus tumbles down

the ever-changing surface

the loosening of the ground

The boy with a crack in his heart

the man looking back at the start

the wane of love having besot them

their weary souls must part

The naive years

of youth that come to naught

awaken old memories

fierce and lofty calling to the mind

old words

like children who've strayed

If we blame love

we may as well blame the wind

for the infinite shape

of words.

I have stayed away from Yeats for most of my life. To begin with, I have been told many times that we look similar. Over the years I have been told that my poetry resembled Yeats's as well. At this point [age] in my life I am no longer intimidated by the idea of influence. I am convinced that I will absorb and continue to metamorphose as a Poet. I can't be separated from "The Collected Poems" at this point. I carry it everywhere. If at 51 Yeats had 30 years of love and productivity ahead of him then perhaps I will also.

My favorite poem at the moment is # 93 "Words". It speaks to me as if I had written it myself. In fact I have. In many other poems with many other "Words".

obeedúid~

07/may/09

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

2009-05-06T18:41:00.001-04:00

Just found this feature and I'm trying it out...

AHHH! Satire at it's finest.

obeedúid~
06/may/09

I stuck it to the Pharaoh today!

2009-05-04T23:12:00.007-04:00

I called up my Credit Card Company, payed off my balance in full and canceled my account.

They asked me why? I said I had no need to pay them the percentage rate they told me I had to pay because they screwed up.

They said they would lower my rate.

I said "No, thats alright, even if you did I would still have to pay you a fee each month just for the privilege of having your leach in my pocket.

They said they would not charge me a fee for three months if I didn't cancel my account.

I said "NO THANK YOU."

They said they would not make me pay a fee for six months!

I said "STILL NO!"

They started to offer me a year....

I said "NO,NO,NO!" AND LAUGHED OUT LOUD INTO THE PHONE!

I haven't felt so empowered in years!!!

Render that Pharaoh!

I just left Egypt and I'm on the way to the promised land!!!

Milk and honey anyone?

obeedúid~
04/may/09

Eulogizing my habit.

2009-05-01T19:45:00.008-04:00

I was sitting on the front steps tonight watching the sun go down and enjoying the mild weather.

Rodger offered me cigarette and I tried a puff.

YUCK!

Pahtooweee!

(I was curious to see if I had any desire anymore.)

Balech!

I had to RUN upstairs and brush my teeth!

(Ick!)

5 months on the 5th!

obeedúid~
01/May/09

Moving right along...

2009-04-30T21:07:00.005-04:00

THE MARK 1000 CAME TODAY!!!!

I haven't set it up yet, and I still need to get a Red Light, but I checked everything out and I am reading the manual. I still have to procure the clear rubber feet I will use to separate the panes of glass. I intend to stack the sheets and line up the clear rubber feet as I stack them.

36 pieces of glass may not be enough!

obeedúid~
30/apr/09

"See past my surface. See what is valuable. See me."

2009-04-30T09:18:00.011-04:00

I hang with Theologians and PHDs. I am secure in my identity and have enough self-esteem to take a joke. Even when its a mean spirited and derogatory put-down. I consider the source. I've been through a lot in my life and witnessed enough, observed enough, and had enough of human nature to know how the petty dynamics of unhappy people can become group-think.

Rumors and gossip hurt the perpetrators as much as the perpetrated. A jokes a joke until someone gets hurt. If I deluded myself into thinking that people don't talk behind my back, or that when they do it actually reflects what I am under the surface, I would hide in my room for the rest of my life. Human nature sucks most of the time.

For the most part I consciously choose not to participate. Sometimes though, even the basest of my humanness surfaces and I find myself condoning by silence. Sometimes out of some inmost frustration I chime in with my own two cents. Difference is, (I fool myself into thinking) that I am mostly penitent upon reflection afterwards and will more than likely be moved to apologize depending on the egregiousness of my transgression. Even when the person to whom I have felt such feelings is unaware.

The healthy way for all concerned leads me to apologize to my God; rather than cause hurt by making the instrument of gossip conscious of the offense they were unaware of. Would that others felt this way as well.

I do what I do for a living because it affords me luxuries that most people do not consider luxuries. I have a roof over my head, people I love, and intellectual and spiritual fulfillment. That is what I require to get up in the morning and go to work. I don't measure myself by my toys.

When someone who doesn't comprehend the big picture the way I do states what they perceive to be a truism about me to build their own self esteem I normally don't give a rats-arse. I can take it.

I know that at this point in my life if I want to be a jerk I can. I try not to be but if thats how people perceive me I don't care. Life goes on. If being a jerk is what is required of me to protect the ones I love; my priorities are always with the ones I love and not with other peoples opinions.

When someone I love gets upset because I am being made fun of or put-down, I guess I have to do something about it. Not for me but for them.

You know who you are. You have to live with you. I can live with myself because I know whats under my hat. I also know what is under yours.

Take a good look at the photograph in this post. That hat is your size....

:O)

obeedúid~
30/apr/09

"When you're finished here, you can come over to my place..."

2009-04-28T16:12:00.003-04:00

I can't count the number of times, when a woman has seen me pushing a broom or a vacuum at the store and jokingly said: "When you're finished here you can come over to my place and do my house too..."

It happens alltha-time...

At this point I normally stutter something unintelligible and smile. Later, I find myself mumbling under my breath about another wasted opportunity gone awry.

Lately, the new me (Post Ireland) has been attempting a solution. When the situation arises, (...and it does frequently because most people think it is original and witty...) I now reply with: "Well, perhaps if you take me to dinner and a movie first; maybe we can work something out..."

The older women (mostly my little 'ol lady fan club from Church) giggle and grab my arm as if they're making for the door right then and there!

Women at or near my age smile and flirt back; but as yet no-one has taken me up on the offer....

They can't really complain obviously because they initiate the conversation in the first place. Even married women. I just love turning things back to them the most. It puts them on their heals and if they have any moral character at all they back peddle at light speed.

No worries here of course, because I do have moral character and would never agree to a situation like that going any further. I'm sure I could save us both by stuttering myself out of it with a blush at any rate.

The guys in the back room are going to start a pool to see which happens first: Someone makes a date with me; or someone slaps me. The odds seem to be in favor of me getting slapped.

Hopefully, the right woman will walk in someday and I'll take on another cleaning job gratis.

Until then I'm working on getting my kids to let me date again. Oh Yeah, didn't I tell you? I'm on probation. It seems I'm easier to live with, when I'm not in one of the emotion-sucking-vortexes which I tend to tumble into.

Remember those black and white spinning circles at the beginning of the twilight zone? I don't, honest I don't. I'm just doin' my job here. Pushin' my broom. Vacuumin' this here rug.

When I'm finished here....

obeedúid~
28/apr/09

Poetry for Brunch. Mmmmm!

2009-04-25T20:44:00.004-04:00

If you don't have technical difficulties that is. Today I had glitches. I got zapped when I plugged in. All of my settings were changed. The new settings were incompatible with Tom's projector. We messed around for quite a while and then the Reference Librarian came to the rescue! She hooked us up with a Library Laptop and plugged us into the built-in projection system on site. Very Cool! Next time, I'll show up a few days ahead of time and practice with the system. It was a little weird moving around on a giant screen 20ft away and at an extreme side angle.

I played the "Yeats/Gonne" VideO'em but I still feel it is unfinished so I will save posting it for when it's "Ready."

Last night I sat up working on this one. Until 3 a.m. I also made it to work on-time at 7a.m. The things I won't do for my Art....

I feel it approaches most closely where I want to go with this form. Low-High-Tech. Short. Painterly.

I am very happy with it!

obeedúid~
25/apr/09

GREAT NEWS!!! I'm selfish with my Germs!

2009-04-24T16:48:00.012-04:00

I decided that my germs were too awesome to share last night. I just had to be selfish and keep them to myself! I stayed home and rented a romantic comedy and vegged on the couch. It was quirky, independent and YEAH, I admit it. I loved it. I'm gonna make someone a great girlfriend someday. I'm a real man and I even like quiche. Well, sometimes. (...the sensitive type don't you know....)

I decided to go with what I have come up with for the Brunch tomorrow as far as my latest VidO'em. Nothing a little tweaking can't fix. Debut at the Brunch, I'll Post it here sometime in the future.

I couldn't stand to stay home from work for one more day so I did go to work. (Covered my hands with rubber gloves at all times and Alcohol wipes every time I touched something.) S.O.P. anyway.

I am really glad I went to work actually, I love the first few warm days of the summer when all of the BEAUTIFUL Women come into the store in their almost clothes. (...you know what mean.)

;)

I have yet to find my voice again, but I'm on the trail.

HEY! GUESS WHAT! The Taxes POPPED! I JUST ORDERED MY GLASS ETCHING EQUIPMENT! It should be here the beginning of next week! I am SO PSYCHED!

Special kudos to all my "The Pneumatic Thoughtforms Future's Project" subscribers. YOU'RE THE BESTIST! (See the Top of the sidebar>) Updates, documentation of the creation of works and the results to appear here SOON.

If things turn out even half as cool as they are in my head this should be ground breaking and maybe even profitable. Whoe! ...Making money from my Art without selling out! What a concept....

obeedúid~
24/apr/09

My mouth fell off!

2009-04-23T15:52:00.007-04:00

I've been sick for the past few days. I lost my voice on Tuesday. I still haven't found it yet. I don't know where it went to but I can't narrate my latest video without it. Maybe its trying to tell me something. An Irishman without his voice is certainly lost.

I've decided I'll make a silent film then. Based on the relationship between Yeats and Maud Gonne. The poem is in the works but needs some tweaking. I can type without speaking I think...

(...insert joke here about the Irishman who cant drive and talk at the same time... Go ahead, I dare you!)

If I'm lucky it will be done by the Poetry Brunch at the Library this Saturday. Hopefully my Poetry Bums can help me find my voice again tonight.

;(

obeedúid~
23/apr/09

"The Holy Fool" takes a vacation part one....

2009-04-18T12:50:00.003-04:00

I separated my vacation by my passions. The first part was devoted to Art. Viewing, absorbing, creating, and preforming. I drove over the Taconic Mountians to Massachusetts along Rte 2 out of Troy N.Y. into Williamstown via the scenic.

As I went I stopped when I felt like it, climbed when I felt like it, and I took pictures everywhere. I listened to "The Boss" most of the time "Working on a Dream" and sometimes I just listened to the radio.

It turns out the "Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris" show at the Clark was not the reason to visit Williamstown though. There is always something unique and and at times disturbing at the Williams Collage Museum. Disturbing was a photographic documentary of the ordinary and absurd.

I was relieved and elated when I entered the next room to find short, minimalistic videos. Videos that told small poignant story's. I was enwrapped and raptured! By the time I got to the Travelodge I had words and pictures running through my mind at Warp-speed. I never even got into my sleeping bag until 3 a.m.

What follows is what sprang from the mind. I still haven't fully comprehended the portent of how "less is more" will work in my overall Artist Vision but I am REALLY EXCITED!

(I am Irish after all and I know my "Less is more" can be hard to control...)

Also availabe for viewing on my Youtube Channel: Videobeedude!

It bothers me that Youtube doesn't offer more choices and controls over the thumbnails that end up being displayed on the videos. The one on this one is not what I would have preferred. The other two choices gave away to much so I was forced to settle for what you see here. Maybe I will splurge and by a Mac with my Tax-money.

I do however find the unpolished quality of the videos to be more painterly, less slick and more characterized by the color rather than line, shapes and structure. This should get interesting....

~

I gathered a ton of Genealogical data on the O'Brien's during the second half of my visit. Not enough to nail things to the floor, but enough to get some dirt between my fingernails. "The Holy Fool" walked through some closed doors with a smile and knocked on some he probably shouldn't have, but thats a story for the next post....

(...Maps and documents included...)

obeedúid~
18/apr/09

3 Virtual Posts for the price of 1 !!!

2009-04-17T09:28:00.011-04:00

Looking back towards N.Y. State
from the Taconic Mountains.

I woke up to find this greeting in my In-box! I was on-line in Pittsfield Mass., on Friday morning; checking my mail:

MICHAEL BURKE 6:32 AM (2 hours ago)

Good day from China, Obeedude.

Just think, someone is reading your very fine Blog in Shanghai...
Where is Clark Museum? Sounds interesting, as does MASSMOCA...
I used to work there when it was Sprague Electric.
Maybe we can get a little road trip up if you haven't gone before I get back.

See ya for the Poetry Brunch.

Mike.

(What didn't Mike do during his youth?)

I send this Virtual Post from Mike wedged in between two from me!

The Fields behind the Clark Museum 15/apr/09

(Found the locations I was looking for and I will write about my adventures when I return home.)

...off the the National Archives next...

See you all soon....

(:Markle:)
17/apr/09

What I meant to do this week....

2009-04-15T17:37:00.005-04:00

The Taxes were done yesterday.

I meant to get up this morning and GO GO GO!

I meant to grab my gear, get in the car, head for Massachusetts for a couple of days to visit some stuff... (National Archives, Clark Museum, Williams College Museum and MASSMOCA.)

I really want to see the "Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris" show at the Clark. It will be my present to myself.

~

I planned to track down my Father's cousins. I know that they are his cousins (I have stories and proof to some degree) but I cant make the connection through Census data. I have managed to build a complete family tree back to 1870 but I can't connect them in this country. Its that whole Famine thing mixed up with less specific data the farther you go back.

I know where they lived so I can at least take some pictures and visit the Saint Josephs Cemetery gravestones. Maybe I'll even get a phone book and try making some phone calls if I feel brave.

~

Any way...

I overslept.

I couldn't find my sleeping bag 'cause it was in Devin's truck.

(There are no Campgrounds open yet and I won't sleep on a Hotel Bed since I saw that "Dateline" thing with the infrared pictures of Body-fluids and the Bedbugs...)

Instead, I got up late and read a book on the couch.

It's my vacation after all.

Then I realized that I was meant to spend the day hanging out with my daughter.

Everything else can wait until tomorrow...

:)

obeedúid~
15/apr/09

The year the Easter Bunny learned Manners...

2009-04-12T11:14:00.011-04:00

When Devin and Sarah were young; I was working late at Grand Union. A customer came in at the last minute in a rush and bought a box of Baking Soda.

"Oh thank God!" she said, "I'm so glad I caught you before you closed, I use this Baking Soda to make Bunny Tracks for my kids so they can find their way to their Easter Baskets...."

"What a great I idea!" I said, and that year I began the tradition of waiting for the kids to go to sleep before "Making Bunny-Tracks!"

I would dip my thumb in a bowl of water, press it into another bowl filled with baking soda and press tracks around the house; leaving trails for my kids to follow in the morning. After breakfast we vacuumed up the baking soda, freshening the carpet and the vacuum at the same time!

I made tracks everywhere... tracks to nests... tracks to baskets... even tracks to dead ends... Sarah always says Devin found everything and she found the dead ends. I don't remember it quite that way, but I was the grown-up I think....

Then one year I came home after a double shift and I was too tired to be enthused about "making Bunny Tracks!"

"It's your tradition" said my ex-wife "I'm going to bed..."

So there I sat. Staring at the baskets, baking soda and water. "ugh." I said to myself. "What am I going to do?!!!" "I'm just to beat to beat the carpet this year..."

Then, I had an epiphany! I knew what I had to do, so I did it and went upstairs to bed.

In the morning, Devin and Sarah came out of their rooms, and in unison they chimed: "Hey! Theres no Bunny Tracks!" "The Easter Bunny didn't come this year!"

"What?" I said in disbelieving tones... "...are you sure? I don't think he would skip our house, he's too nice to do that to two good kids like you... Lets have a look around..."

We walked around the room until we came to the Front Door. Then, as sincerely as I could muster without a giggle I said: "LOOK! The Easter Bunny wiped his feet on the mat before he came into the house! What a good Easter Bunny!"

...they looked at me in disbelief. I don't think they bought it. I don't think he ceased to exist that year, but I know he wasn't as cool as he was before. Its just a guess mind you, but an "Easter Bunny with manners" lost mad props that day!

All I know is, it was a stroke of genius that gave me a good nights rest!

Hippity-Hoppity!

obeedúid~
12/apr/09

"Maundy Thursday"; ...time for a few good cries...

2009-04-09T21:05:00.008-04:00

Joyce Roe, friend and mentor died yesterday. She was the wife of my mentor in Boy Scouts and Youth Ministry: Tom Roe. (I've written about him here before.)

Joyce was always there for me and my kids. (She was always there or everyone...) Nothing made her happier than to have you sit down in her kitchen and let her whip something up for you. She made us homemade treats like fresh applesauce created right before our very eyes!

She never failed to send a card with a note for every holiday. When I found out yesterday I had to sit down where I was. (That happened to be in a chair at the coffee bar at work.) Joyce died of complications due to pneumonia. Her heart failed. (particularly poignant for me as Mom has suffered from both...) Cry number one.

I've been reading "Lion of Ireland" and as it happens, Brian (according to Llewellyn's account) died on Holy Friday. I had just finished reading about his death and having cry number two when Sarah brought in the mail. Todays mail contained an Easter Card with a letter and an invitation from Joyce to come and visit. I have next week off and had already planned to stop in as a surprise.... Cry number three.

Tonight I went to "Maundy Thursday" service. Every year (Cheryl H.) a former member of the Youth Ministries Team sings "Were you there?" at the end of the Upper-room Service and we leave in silence.

...after crying mind you. Cheryl gets me every time. A good cry! ...number four.

We will miss you Joyce. Save us a spot at the kitchen table. We promise we'll have a seat and "bring our healthy appetites" along with us!

LOVE YOU!!!

obeedúid~
09/apr/09

Incurable romantic and eternal optimist; thats me!

2009-04-08T16:32:00.014-04:00

bRAINdrop bOOkbENDERs goes way back. Back to the early 80s when I made my first chapbook on a copier at collage. Before I ever heard of pagination even though I had been doing it for some time. Before "Desk-Top-Publishing" had a desktop.

Since we were our own publishers we figured we needed a name. Friends began using "Zirlinson" an amalgamation of their three names. I printed up Biz cards and we were legit. People sent us stuff in the mail like we were bigtime. (...little did they know...)

Then we all got Macs and the rest mystery....

My own Logo has served its propose over the years, and it was fun to do the "Python" treatment on it, but I feel its not quite appropriate for some of the Videoms I am currently working on.

Last night I came up with something I think is fitting with the new direction and with the exception of certain things that bRAINdrop bOOkENDERs would be suited to I will be henceforth using the following clip at the end of all my Videoms.

So this is the Roll-out. The Premier! Dut-tah-da-da!

(...I posted straight to Blogger so it won't show on my Youtube channel.
You will have to use the controls at the bottom of this player to get it to work . It may be only 14 seconds long but it was a lot of work.
Thats how we learn after all...)

I know I should have searched the net to see if someone already has the name but the Artwork/photo of my Grandmother Sarah Gilmour O'Brien is definatly mine and mine alone I'm sure. There is a website name available for sale and it might even be copyrighted already but HEY! ...If thats a problem I'll just have to create a new one.

I spent much of the last night dubbing and overdubbing my voice and I like the results. I almost sound like I could sing if I hadn't smoked during the formative years of my voice.

...well... I looked and this may be the only time I get to use this so enjoy it while you can for what its worth.

...Guess I'll just have to be more creative!

"I can do that!"

obeedúid~
08/apr/09

Then the adrenaline wore off...

2009-04-06T15:57:00.007-04:00

When I got home from my walk the sun came out. I opened up the curtains and sat down on the couch. Then the adrenaline wore off... WHOMP! ...the next thing I knew it was dark out....

The O'Brien Crest.
(My older brother's made this shield for a Cub Scout project in the 50's)

Before I feel asleep I was reading "Lion of Ireland" by Morgan Llewellyn. I drifted off when "Brien Boru" was involved in a conversation with his Spear Carrier Padriac:

"...I have no kingdom to give my heirs, so I must give them something else; something of more value, perhaps."

"...so that my children will remember me, not only as their sire, but as a source of pride to be handed down to their children's children."

"...The books I study, the lessons I set for myself to learn--they are part of something I am building piece by piece. Each bit of it must fit perfectly with the others."

"How will you know when it does?" Padraic asked.

"...In the same way a singer knows he has sung the right note, or a harper knows to touch the strings that create a chord that feeds his soul. I know thats all."

Yeah, that struck a chord all right! Brian was talking about an empire of course; I didn't take it that way. Nevertheless, it went straight to my creative soul! ...and It made for some crazy creative building dreams!

I love it when that happens!

obeedúid~
06/apr/09

...every incline and decline...

2009-04-05T15:06:00.003-04:00

I was tired. Wiped out. I was thinking I was not in the good shape I thought I was at first. I took the BIG SPEED WALK around the Ville. Its one I laid out a few years ago, incorporating every incline and decline I could fit in, within close proximity to the house. The object being to get the heartbeats up and work my legs as much as possible. I try to climb hills at the same pace I do flats. Fortunately the adrenaline-rush kicks in just as I reach the steepest hill. Like I said I was tired and wiped out.

But I have recovered well and I am now experiencing the rush of a good workout. I should be able to add weight to my back soon.

I feel so good I'm going to take a shower and go for a nap!

(...after all, I have to rest up to couch-potato the NCCA Championship on Monday night...)

speedwalkin' dúid~
05/apr/09

Pratt's Rocks: "A little Mountain Top Experience."

2009-04-02T18:28:00.051-04:00

The Schoharie River from the lower Pratts Rock Trail.

I was originally going to post this yesterday on the 2nd, but I had to watch the final episode of "ER". (...Its dated the 2nd in the header but believe me today is the 3rd. Honest!)

I just had to see if "Carter" was going sort things out with his women or continue to tread water... As I have always identified with Carter of all the characters on the show, the fact that he was left still rudderless and unresolved, when all was said and done, does not look good for your's truly... :0

~

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday and the forecast for the next few days was, and still is: for rain. One of the things I noticed was the brown all about me even if it was sunny. We need it to rain, if it's ever going to get green!

So I took advantage of the day! Here is what I wrote yesterday:

~

The thing about having Thursdays off is sometimes there is no-one around to do things with. It was SO NICE today I just couldn't stay home so I went for a drive through the "Irish Catskills". Durham, Cairo, and the vicinity.... I wandered through Conesville, Gilboa and even did a pass through "Potter Hallow".

I'm not really averse to going on Hiking trips alone but my kids are strongly disinclined. We compromise by my telling them when I do go, and leaving a printed Google Map on the Comp. before I leave.

My eventual sorta destination was Prattsville and Pratt's Rock.

Pratt's Rock and Prattsville has a very interesting history which you can read about by checking out the above link. Prattsville is also connected to the 20th NY State- Ulster Guard .

I don't want to get into a detailed trip log here so I am only going to put up a few of my best Pics. I took more than 100 shots and there are only 30 here so this is considerably winnowed down.

One of the reasons my kids would rather I don't hike by myself is they know me very well. Another reason is Devo has to deal with hikers like me on a regular basis. I do go prepared. I bring food, extra clothing and a first-aid kit most of the time. (sometimes I just forget 'cause I'm old...)

...Then theres that other thing I sometimes do....

Pratt's Rocks:

Picnic area from the Parking Lot.

This is a monument at the trail head in memory of the
Horses and Dogs who died during the creation of the carvings

The first Carved Bench with a Tree carved into it.

The Trail up to the Rocks.
At the first switchback.

Bench at the first Switchback.

An unintentional self portrait along the trail.

Looking up towards Pratt's Rocks.

Second Switchback.

Getting closer!

Third Switchback, almost there...

There! ...and another Stone Bench!

One of the famous carvings painted white
to protect them from the elements.

The 20th NY State- Ulster Guard emblem.
"This Hand is for My Country."

Pratt's Profile.

The Moon came out!

~

Oh yeah, that other thing:

I never made it to Pratt's Tomb...
...because I noticed this above the Carvings.

Rock strata as I climbed.

Part way up the climb.
(this is where my kids would begin to worry...)

More strata.

A close-up.

And another.

Are you worried yet?

A convenient place to build a nest.

A more convenient place apparently.

At the top looking back down.

"Take it from the top"
(650 ft. up from the base of the trail)

There is carved Graffiti everywhere,
some dating back a hundred years or more.
This one is along the edge at the top.

This is why I do it!

The best shot of the day!
(The Schoharie River Valley looking towards Catskill State Park.)

obeedúid~
03/Apr/09

It's all a matter of perception...

2009-04-01T16:23:00.005-04:00

You don't know me. No really, you don't. We may have been friends for a number of years, but you don't know me.

My co-worker Colin and I at work 01/apr/09

If you really knew me, you would have noticed what was wrong in the above photo. Were you even looking closely the first time?

O.K., let me give you a closer look:

Now you see it right?

We have been friends for so long that you come to our relationship with a preconceived picture of me in your mind as well as preconceived notions about who I am. When was the last time you looked at me? When was the last time I looked at you? You have baggage with me and I have baggage with you too.

When was the last time we actually talked and heard each other? The last time I remember running into you, you gave me a sound bite in the hallway and I threw one back at you as we went on our way....

How come we never went out for a beer on Saturday night and just talked?

~

This all started out as an "April Fools Joke", then it became something more. I learned something from you today. I learned that sometimes we all have to be prompted to look past what we think each other looks and feels like before we begin to understand each other. I'm as guilty as you are.

After all, I sent that sound-bite right back at you didn't I?

"Mia culpa."

~

When Colin and I decided to do this yesterday, I had no idea it would have this affect on people. I had no idea how it would affect me. I was standing there in front of the mirror thinking to myself:

"I am taking a chance here I might not want to take; what if something goes wrong? What if my feelings get hurt?"

Of the 500 or so people I came into contact with during the course of my day, only 7 people noticed without being prompted. 3 of them had been warned the day before, 2 were Colin and I , and only 2 people actually noticed on their own!!! Several people were warned the day before and completely missed it! If you read my "New Years Resolutions I could live with." and forgot --

...you missed it double !!!!

At one point, one of the department managers walked up to Colin and asked him: "...how long did it took you to notice that Mark O'Brien had only half a mustache...?" Colin just smiled and waited... I was standing on the other side of the stockroom. After a ten-count, the manager burst into laughter, pointed at him and said: "You were in on it too!!!!" It was beautiful! (I wish I had it on video!!!)

~

So what have I learned today? What have I learned this "April Fools Day" during Lent just a week before Easter? Have I learned anything I can drag along with me through the dust on my walk to Calvary?

I learned that I have been neglecting to really pay attention to you. I learned that I need to try to hear you and feel what you are saying to me.

Who knows... I could be your favorite flavor of Gummy Bear and you might be my Lindt Lindor Truffle with white chocolate shell, cocoa pieces and smooth white filling!

How would we ever know? How will we ever find out?

We need to put down the baggage and try to get to know each other, or we may miss each other completely....

Really.

(:Markle:)
01/apr/09

glebe homie

Ode to spring, or something like that...

11/11/11 Today in our family history! Did I just hear my children yawn???

A Journal of Hurricane Irene and it's aftermath in Clarksville N.Y.

Shunpiker.

I saw the face of God today!

Why Adults do the Pee Pee Dance sometimes too....

Bennett Hill Envisioning

At what point do I Freakout?

Looking before you leap!

You can't make this up... AGAIN!

The Gulf of Maine Bookstore & Chimney Farm.

Crabcakes and Chowder for Dinner!

A Poem for the ride.... Off to Maine this a.m. W/ the bIRD for the Sardine Fest

Simultaneous epiphanies....

U

Out of synced....

C&O part two...

The C&O Canal Route.

Starting at the beginning: Castle Garden here we come!

Blog Press messes with my formatting, so I wanted to see what it would do to a traditionally formatted poem... HERE GOES NOTHIN' !!!

Making heads for tails....

The Pebbles Prep. for our trip to Virginia; May 23rd through June 2nd 2010.

Ireland: Digitally Entranced.

Some people are not my friends....

You're Invited!

A Video-poem that is part of a quartet I wrote based on a poem by Yeats.

The Lord just saved my butt again...

Things I have absorbed from my "Learning experiences..."

We knew this must happen but when did It transpire?

Mary of the Gaul's....

"...Last night I dreamed a dream..."

In memory of my Mom:

YARR! The Anatomy of a search.

No posts recently...

Redemption.

What I got for Fathers Day...

"Shannon." by Frank Delany

Train wreck. Turn or look away?

The Roller-coaster ride gets weirder....

What hope becomes.

As I age I have come to realize that there is a fine line between optimism and masochism.

Do you ever sleep?!?!***

The gift of the my faith.

With the morning comes resolution.

Having Pneumatic Second-Thoughtforms....

Sometimes experience can be a encumbrance.

"The Pneumatic Thoughtforms Project" has moved into production!!!

Memorial Day and I'm just hangin' out....

Glitches? We don't need no stinking glitches!

I had a flashback today....

In memory of my metabolism....

Reports of my arrest have been greatly exaggerated....

I bought the ultimate Man-Tool yesterday!

The boy with a crack in his heart.

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

I stuck it to the Pharaoh today!

Eulogizing my habit.

Moving right along...

"See past my surface. See what is valuable. See me."

"When you're finished here, you can come over to my place..."

Poetry for Brunch. Mmmmm!

GREAT NEWS!!! I'm selfish with my Germs!

My mouth fell off!

"The Holy Fool" takes a vacation part one....

3 Virtual Posts for the price of 1 !!!

What I meant to do this week....

The year the Easter Bunny learned Manners...

More Post Cards from my Great Aunt Anne Gilmour; and "A little Easter Story"...

"Maundy Thursday"; ...time for a few good cries...

Incurable romantic and eternal optimist; thats me!

Then the adrenaline wore off...

...every incline and decline...

Pratt's Rocks: "A little Mountain Top Experience."

It's all a matter of perception...