NATTY NED the Cavalry Man

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

THINKING...

maybe I should have taken that job with the circus. I'd have been in Poughkeepsie by now.

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

The VETERANS AMONG US

These are the men we celebrate on Veterans Day. These are the men we celebrate on Memorial Day. The truth is that we have no idea how many of these young men never returned to their homes to share meals with their families, thus no idea which holiday is appropriate for each of them.


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I have no information about this photo, but can surmise it was taken of US troops during World War II in the Pacific theater. After having seen so many war movies it almost looks like a still from a Hollywood production. It could have been taken from the miniseries The Pacific.

Nearly hidden among all of these men, waiting for their rations, is one fellow who looks like every GI you've ever seen in a World War II movie. But these guys aren't in costume. These guys didn't have fancy trailers to go to between takes. These guys were walking in the mud, swatting the mosquitos, complaining about the food, and unsure what their futures held.

We remember this weekend, November 11th, those who have served our country in too many wars.

This is my submission for this weeks Sepia Saturday. The theme photo showed women working as telephone operators, part of a machine. I went with men working as part of a war machine.

SENIOR MOMENTS going up in smoke and the empty chair

I always find it sad to see an elderly person smoking. Actually I find it sad to see anybody smoking, but an old woman is just about the worst. They have the puckered lip wrinkles from long years of dragging on the damn coffin nail with their lipstick seeking higher ground through the wrinkles.

Now, although I don't see a cig between this woman's fingers I'm guessing there might be one. The fellow in the back seated on the ground does have a cig dangling from his lips.


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So what of the empty chair? Is this where the photographer had been seated? Or was this someone who disliked the smoke wafting from the woman and just decided to leave? It is odd that the chair is facing the lens and not the direction all of the people are facing. Perhaps the photographer had an imaginary friend seated in the chair. Perhaps the photographer was smoking something other than cigarettes.

For something completely different...
Ruth, from Artifact Collectors, asked me to do a guest post on my corner of the universe. I blather on about what I do giving others outside my small realm the chance to be bored by me. Thank you Ruth. It was a pleasure. And folks, visit the site, www.artifactcollectors.com, to actually read some posts by people who actually know what they're talking about.

ERNIE with his daughter

My time continues to be consumed with caring for my father. A week spent driving back and forth, back and forth each day to the hospital wore me out. The stress of his illness and uncertainty of the future has me thinking back on my childhood and better times.

My father has always been a loving man and my champion.

Here is another photo of Ernie with his daughter. I hope they shared an enduring bond.

Click on the label "Ernie" below to see more posts about Ernie.

Sittin' In the Weeds SMOKIN' SOME WEED

Now, was it the photographer's choice or the subject's choice to sit in the weeds? Was he being humorous or had he just smoked a little too much of whatever it is he's smokin'? We'll never know.

No information is given on the back so he'll always just be Weed Smokin' Guy.

Actually, I believe I could make this a category. People sitting in chairs in odd places. Photos that somehow just don't look quite right. Such as this one from the past, Odd Family Grouping. Or perhaps the category should be Stubborn Men in Chairs. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Another from Bert's fabulous collection.