Trudy and Ed...

[David Flick]

[William Thornton]

I’m about 45 minutes from the edge of totality so I had a strategy for prime viewing. Rather than get mixed up in a million or so of America’s worst and most aggressive drivers, the metro Atlanta crowd, I took some familiar secondary roads to make a push deep into the totality zone, at least deep enough to get two or more minutes viewing of totality. This is serious business and one shouldn’t be too casual about the natural event of a lifetime.

My support staff included my wonderful wife and daughter – who understood that this was likely to be similar to airline flights we have taken over the years which was to get to the airport ridiculously early, embarrassingly early, because old Dad insists on planning for contingencies – along with a brother and sister who wanted to go along. We were well stocked with eclipse food – Moon Pies, Sun Chips, Milky Way candy bars, Capri Sun juice and some homemade pimiento cheese as token regular food.

The traffic was just slightly above normal on our route east. When we hit Royston, GA, home of Ty Cobb, and were in the totality zone, I was more relaxed. At one of the big Corps of Engineers reservoirs on the Savannah River, we passed what was obviously a planned eclipse viewing event where there were hundreds of people, tents, and the like who were setting up on the reservoir’s dam. We went just a little farther to a small park below the dam, a very nice grassy spot by the river, where there were only three people present. We were two hours before totality and a dozen or so others arrived before peak viewing.

There is an electrical generating plant below the dam and when the Corps starts the water flowing it comes from the bottom of the lake, very cool which made for some very nice cool breezes off the river. Perfect.

We all were prepared with eclipse viewers. I got several for free at a July 4th celebration in my town. My brother had a pair that he had picked up somewhere. His came with, no joke, eight standard-sized pages of instructions. “Don’t put the glasses on pets” it read, as if any dog anywhere looked directly at the sun.

Viewing advice included watching for unusual animal behavior. There were two kids present, one eight years old and five years old. They behaved normally, annoyingly. Years of training and discipline enabled me to avoid difficulty with them. It helped that one of our group tossed them a couple of bags of Sun Chips to distract them. About a minute before totality an armidillo, one of the world’s ugliest animals, slunk out of a small patch of trees and brush between our picnic area and the river. Nocturnal animals, guess the eclipse fooled it.

Totality, about two and one half minutes where we were, was spectacular in the clear blue sky around the sun. Viewing without the glasses, seeing the sun’s corona and the deep twilight over the river was remarkable. I had binoculars which made the corona much more visible along with Mercury which was close by. Baily’s beads were barely visible with the naked eye, much more so with binoculars and the viewing glasses. The diamond ring effect was striking. The entire experience was splendid, dazzling, and unforgettable.

The last week or so has been difficult. God is in the timing here, I think. The heavens, indeed, declare the glory of God. Maybe I’ll make the next one in 2024 but I don’t plan that far ahead.

For now it’s back to life as usual…someone has to take the trash out, in my household that’s me, and I’ve also got grass to cut, the refrigerator's broke and a water leak last week soaked some insulation around the duct work, so I've got to fix all that.

[Haruo]

From what I read in the Internet, it was a sign from God that we should impeach Trump. I already knew that, so I didn't pay it much attention.

[Haruo]

Besides, there'll be another one in 2024, this time with totality running across Niagara Falls. I'm sure traffic conditions for that one will be much better.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Back home again In Indiana. Crossed the Land of Lincoln in two days. The corn crop is plentiful. Stopped overnight in Pittsfield, A nice quiet
park in two parts, short timers and seasonal. We had the short time section to our-self, in the Morning Trudy did see a couple deer nibbling on the leaves of a nearby tree .

The next stop was a delight fo any old time RVer. In the park at Crawfordsville (Home of Wabash College and Ben Hurr) they where hosting a retro RV rally of small Tag-a longs (small units mostly 12 to 20Ft., and nothing newer than 1975). My favorite was a 1967 a Scotty 15 ft Highlander, like my first RV, in which my oldest two kids, their mother and a dog & I, traveled to Oregon and California with in 1972. In other years we pulled it to Minneapolis and New Orleans with a 70 Plymouth Fury.

School does not start in northern Indiana until after labor day so this week end and next are a big ones for Family camping, therefore opening in Parks up here are very scarce. We are in a beautiful park( Honey Bear Hollow) just north of Peru Indiana for this week end. Their big thing is an 18 "hole" Frisbee "golf" tournament. We look forward to being introduced to this sport.

This time of year fairs and festivals fill the things to do list of small town news papers. Today we will take the car and back track to Delphi for the Bacon Festival, http://www.indianabaconfestival.com/

[JE Pettibone]

ED: Sunday we had a good visit with my cousin went to Hall's Triangle one of several restaurants in a local (Fort Wayne and Allen County) chain . Each location has a unique setting and different menu specialties. After dinner we went back to Jim and Sally's house for desert with their Son Jimmy and Daughter Tara, her Husband Mario and and their 13 year daughter old Sophia.

Jim retired a few years ago, which really made me feel old because I remember well when he was born and I was in the forth grade.

When I was in Junior High and High school we lived well in the years that Don Hall opened a new eatery, my dad sold restaurant and hotel equipment and Mr. Hall was one of his best customers.

We will be in this area for another week. I have discovered that I have an opportunity to strike off another item on my long time bucket list.
as this is Annual Antique Auto Auction at Auburn, Indiana. This Auction draws buyers and sellers from all over the world for some very rare cars. Some Buyers do not come to the Auction rather they employ representatives to inspect the cars and make bids for them and either buy or pull out of the bidding if the price goes higher than their predetermined maximum price. They hire these reps because they do not trust them selves to quit on a machine they would really like to have in their stable. I have not registered to bid, BUT if I see one of about three Studebaker models going too cheep I might have to talk to one of these reps. My choice would be any well kept or restored Avanti, a 53 Starlite Coupe or a 48 Convertible.

Sunday we will probably attend the FBC of Peru (ABC). It is two blocks west of the FBC SBC.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Here is where Trudy and I Spent a large part of today http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/o ... eCode=AF17 I was disappointed that I found NO Studebaker cars , There where two Studebaker Pick up trucks , both on great shape. The best busy of the day where two Roles Royce's that sold for around $57,000 each. One was a 62 and the other a 68.

When we first arrived at the Auction park we visited a tent filled with several cars that sold yesterday. The sale price was posted on the windshield. Prices ran from $4,500 to $90,000. The ones we saw on the block to-day went for $8.500 to $119.OOO All of the cars had A price range that the Auction company felt could take them. Some where cars has a minimum reserve which was the least the seller would take some had no reserve and where sold to the highest bidder. Cars with a reserve that did not draw a bid in the range of the reserve where removed from the block
with the highest bid posted, some of the owners entertained individual offers if they where near what they had expected.

The highest range that we saw on any car was on a Dusenberg (sp) at $950,000 to $1,250,000. That car was in a line waiting to be auctioned,as we where leaving.. I am somewhat sorry I didn't go back just to see what was offered.

We thought we had our car pretty well spotted in the field where it was parked but when we got back to the field there where probably 250 more cars than the 200 or so that where there when we parked. Trudy set out to find it and I could see her for a while , but after I lost site
of her I pushsed the panic button on thesStarter fob in my pocket. She heard the horn and followed the sound to the car, and drove up to where she had left me. Neither of us had realized how tired we where until we had been in the comfort of our car for a while and we survived the 90 min drive back here to the park where we have had our RV parked for just over a week. We will stay here until after Labor Day. We both have our alarms set to get up for church tomorrow

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: We are on the east side of Indianapolis at the S&H Campground that I helped to get started in 1968. The S&H originally stood for Shaw and Hines, they where a pair of coaches from a local high school. Both are no deceased, Hines Son now owns and operates it. Their adds now say S&H Campground (Shade and Happiness) . They have expanded greatly in 49 years. One of the nicest swimming pools we have seen on this whole trip. They also added
A miniature golf course. Also their are a dozen rustic cabins available plus a large Lodge great playground for children. They also have a large activitie building in case of inclement weather. They are one of the few RV Parks that also permit and even encourage tent camping.

Yesterday we visited the Childhood Home of James Whtcomb Riley (the Hosier Poet) in Greenfield, we wanted to also visit his adult life Mansion in the Lockerbie area of Indy. http://lockerbiesquare.org/ Unfortunately it was scheduled to close just a half hour after we got there, so we put it off for another day.

[Haruo]

Not green stamps....

[JE Pettibone]

[Haruo]

No, S&H Green Stamps never did really gain any traction here in Washington, but when I see those initials, it's always the first thing I think of. Smyth & Helwys comes in at number 2.

[Haruo]

Since we drove across the country at least as far as Wisconsin almost every year of my pre-Japan childhood, I was heavily exposed to a lot of things that never gained traction in Washington.

[JE Pettibone]

[Haruo]

I think it usually took us a week or more, but then we usually spent a day in Spokane (Grandma and Aunt Margie), a day or two in Yellowstone, and several days in the Black Hills. We were usually gone from Seattle for the better part of a month.

[JE Pettibone]

We had an Interesting day yesterday as we attended an auxiliary session of the combined National Baptist and Progressive National Baptist Conventions & CBF Billed as the ANGELA PROJECT !7, Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African Slave on this continent. The stated purpose was "to advance public Policy toward Preventing Blacks from becoming America's permanent underclass".

I believe they are off to a great start.

Suzii Paynter and several members of the CBF Executive Council where present and Suzii had prominent role in the program. Judge Wendell Griffen was one of the featured speakers as was Rev George Mason.

This Meeting was convened by Dr. Kevin Cosby President of Simmons College of Kentucky and Pastor of St. Stephens Baptist Church, both in Louisville.

[KeithE]

[Jim]

[JE Pettibone]

[Jim]

Of course not. Celebrating the anniversary of the entry of slavery into any society seems utterly ridiculous. Even if the event was by way of mourning instead of celebration, it would still be ridiculous. Trying to re-live (translated atone in this case) for something that happened 400 years ago and instituted mega-generations of people having nothing to do with it smacks of a self-flagellation (by white folks) that's unseemly.

[JE Pettibone]

[Jim]

[JE Pettibone]

[JE Pettibone]

[Jim]

[Haruo]