What the Walrus said . . .

I wanted to get this out so you did not start to think I had fallen off the face of the earth. My laptop is still having issues with the Lightroom catalog, but I am fairly confident that I will have this issue corrected soon . . . maybe . . . possibly . . .LOL

In the interim, I do have one photo for you. When I saw this wall art, I could not help but laugh. There are some incredibly creative, albeit slightly bent, people in the world that see things just a tad bit differently than the rest of us! This is from the Men’s Bathroom at Camp Taylor, Columbia, NJ. No, I do not know who the artist is, but I am certain his art will live in infamy!

I stayed overnight with my brother-in-law, Scott, and his wife, Darla, in Saratoga Springs, NY. We had a wonderful time catching up after not seeing each other for 6 1/2 years. It was wonderful to see them and share laughter and memories. Thank you both for letting me crash at your home . . . let’s work on possibly getting together in July when I swing back through, even if it means finding you on Cape Cod!!

Speaking of Cape Cod . . . that is where I am now, freezing in unseasonal cold and windy weather. After leaving Saratoga Springs, NY, I made the drive to New London, CT, to visit the U.S. Naval Submarine School there. I had not been back since I graduated and headed out to my first boat in early 1975. I can still remember that it was winter when I started school, and the barracks were at the top of the hill above the school. I did not understand why no one was using the stairs to get to class on the first day, until I hit the iced over top step and ass bounced down two flights of stairs. Everyone had a good laugh . . . and I never did that again!!

The school and most of the entire base has grown up and changed . . . I almost did not recognize the waterfront now that the old escape tower has been removed. Yet, nothing can exist without change and forty-seven years is a very long time1 Two changes I did note . . . female submariners and some butt ugly camo uniforms. I will steer clear of my opinion of female submariners. This is a fairly recent change to the Fleet and I will wait and give it time to see how it works. But what the Hell!! Sailors don’t even look like sailors any more! What in the world did SecNav, the CNO and MCPON think when they authorized this change to the crap camos. What was wrong with dungarees as a work uniform and Cracker Jacks as the dress uniform?? Why do all ranks now look alike? Personally, if I was still a CPO, I’d be pissed that Seaman Recruits look just like me!! Sailors have always stood tall and different from the other branches of the Armed Services, and we took pride in that difference. Now sailors look like some ugly cross between marines and soldiers . . . and it is just not a good look. Since when did grey ships need sailors in camo. Camo sure as hell isn’t going to help hide you at sea!! I am SOooooo glad that I am not in the “NEW” Navy . . . I would not have survived!!

Today I started in New York, then drove into Massachusetts, then into Connecticut, then Rhode Island (where I was born!) and then back into Massachusetts. It is absolutely beautiful country with rolling hills, freshly tilled acres of farmland, farms with red barns and shiny silos, woods full of deer (they just need to keep them off the roads better!) and toll roads everywhere! Having now spent three weeks driving a lot of very different roads so far, I am going to state my opinion of which State has the worst highways . . . and we all know that opinions are like a**holes . . . everybody has one! To date, I have to say that Pennsylvania has the worst roads and the worst road signs yet. Maybe it is just that Pennsylvania had a bad winter and the roads got chewed up . . . but my shocks and springs were definitely being tested every mile. Plus . . . and I hate this . . . when asphalt is laid on top of old concrete slab highways, the slabs shift and crack the asphalt. The highway crews then come along and fill in the cracks with mounds of cold press asphalt that is ALWAYS higher than the existing roadbed. So as you drive down the road, all you hear and feel is your tires hitting these ridges and you have endless miles of this ta-clak – ta-clak – ta-clak noise, until you go crazy!! But do not fret Pennsylvania, I have a bunch more states to visit, and I have heard that Labrador has a new asphalt highway deep into the Canadian interior. Maybe one of these locales will steal your title of “Worst Roads” . . . maybe!!

I am going to go work on my computer to see if I can correct the photo catalog issue. With luck I will be posting some of the Lakota Wolf Preserve photos next.