Well, it's been 'a few' years since my last post ...

We're getting ready to move to the hills. This is the side yard

 Here's the view from our backyard

And ... the other side

We have just under 5 acres in Bruceton Mills, WV. Sits at an elevation of 2850' and gets quite a bit of 'Winter'. These pics are from August 2017







It should be interesting. We'll be 25 miles from Morgantown and a world from civilization if we want to be.

Veteran's Day

What is a Vet?

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,

Who salutes the flag,
Serves under the flag and
Whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.

Father Denis Edward O'Brien

USMC

Family History



Mom & Dad about 1947

 

Me, Donnie, Chip. Mike 1955



Ida Rinis ... 1927??







Pop Rinis (Rear center), Ben & Adelaide (Front)



 






November 1962



Mike, Donnie, Me, Chip



Rinis Clan: Harry, Ida, Rosalie & Ben I'm guessing .... 1939



The Case for Higher Education (beyond 4th grade)

Where these pictures came from doesn't really matter. I suppose these people used school time as nap time.

Enlarge this first picture and read the label. I've never seen a light that turns on when it gets dirty and turns off at dawn ... but then again, maybe it's the newest thing.



I guess Wal Mart is saying "We were here to serve you, now we're not"


Blow this up and check out the white horizontal box just to the right of the water heater. It's a soap dispenser. Nuff said.... 



What are these "Ordes" that she's taking?






I can't decide if this guy slept through spelling or anatomy class



                                                             

The children of spring

Guess it was a slow day at the local high school today

The Other Woman

My 1987 FXRS (Low Rider) (top left) which had 125,000 miles on it was replaced in April '07 by this 2001 FLHTC (Electra Glide) (top row center) from http://www.zepka.com/ . When I mushed the FLH in July 2009 I went back to a Low Rider. The picture on the top row right is my 2002 FXDL (Dyna Low Rider) that replaced the FLH. Just never got used to the weight of the front end and the top heavy feel of the FLH so I went back to a Low Rider (I do however, really miss the fairing's radio and wind protection). This bike definitely has an attitude. It also came from Brad at Zepka's HD. Go see them, they'll treat you right. Well it's April 2011 and time to trade in my other woman again. After riding the Low Rider for a year and a half I've decided the heavy feel of the dresser is a small price to pay for the wind & rain protection, radio, CB, intercom, fuel injection, cruise control and all around cusheyness of the FLH. So .... here's the newest. It's an 06 FLHTCUI (also from Zepkas), I'm telling you, go see them, they have your bike.

I guess I'm old now.  I just can't handle the 800+ lbs of the dresser anymore.  This is the newest. I will certainly miss the stereo, cruise control and weather protection but this is a lot easier to handle.  Feels like a mini bike.

Springtime in the WV mountains

Well it's April again and time to go to the hills . This is Big Bear Lake in Bruceton Mills where we become trailer trash on the week-ends (and we do our best to live up to the title).

Hero's Transcend All

Don't know who this is? Read the story (click this post's title) or watch the movie "Schindler's List"

December 7, 1941

I feel sorry for the people in Japan and I wish them the best as they deal with the tsunami damage, but don't ask me to help.

Another of the world's dumbest people

Can't wait to hear how he tells this story to his grandkids someday.
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?ID=83462

What an idiot

Click the title and read this article. This man chose to keep his dog over having homeowner insurance. Why should the state be obligated to help him? He didn't loose his insurance because he's unemployed, he never got insurance because he wanted a dog instead. Good plan Bud. It may sound calloused but that's life. If you're that stupid ... deal with it and don't ask for taxpayer money. This guy is receiving Red Cross assistance, great. The Red Cross will help anybody without regard for race, color, religion etc but it should make a policy change when it comes to people like this and tell this guy to sleep in the bed he made. (Maybe he can share a room with the guy in my 10/17/09 post, they seem to have similar mental capacity).
As a side note ... since when does owning a pit bull automatically disqualify you from getting insurance? I can't believe that every pitbull owner in WV has no homeowners insurance. I wonder what this guy's not telling us? There's guaranteed to be more to this story.
Another case for the redneck mentality of some people. Hell, we can't even make a comment like "typical WV hillbilly", this mentality is everywhere these days.

And , yes, I got poison ivy from this venture

Here we are in Lexington, VA using multimillion dollar satellites to find tupperware in the woods. AKA geocaching. The stick (hand carved from the neighbor's black walnut tree) is for the native wildlife that tends to crawl around in these same woods (or to keep the wife in line).

Look closely








Me with the plaque from my Alma Mater

You might be a redneck ...

If your fingernails are polished in the WV state colors .....



Now if your toenails are also done, there's no doubt (but we love her anyway)

Isn't life grand

It's been snowing off and on for a few days now. We have about 30 - 32 inches and we're supposed to get 10 - 20 more tonight. Well this is West Virginia but come on, this is the yuppie section not the hills. My yard looks like a giant ant farm with all the paths I cut. And look who's staying at work for 5 days. That's her on the left in the meeting with Gov Joe (He's the tall guy in the jeans).

Perhaps this guy should have paid more attention in science class

Took me 43 years but I finally did it

Oh well, just a minor glitch in life. This is what falling down at 55 will do for you. It also comes complete with a bit of road rash. No other injuries but the bike is toast. Even the frame is bent. $10k damage. My new "Other Woman" is a 2002 Low Rider (it's the last picture in this post); I'll pick it up in 2 weeks when the road rash heals enough to ride. Currently it's waiting for me at Zepka's HD in Johnstown, PA. Go see them, they're good people http://www.zepka.com/. Yes, my wife thinks I'm an idiot; Yes there's a bit of rash where the hole below the pocket is located (but I spared you the displeasure of looking at my scraped butt) & yes, this is the first time I've been down since June 1966 when I got on a bike for the first time ... I did hit a deer once but didn't go down so that doesn't count.