Tank birthday, 55+ years

[Paul B]

I would give a lot to listen again to just one of the WWII stories my dad used to tell.

When I went on the "Honor Flight" a month ago, at the WW2 Memorial (below) There was a guy with us about 92 years old. He was there at D Day. Around the monument there are about 20 or more large bronze plaques that depicted the entire war in sequence. Much of it is about D Day.

He explained it to us as it happened in detail and told what each plaque depicted very succinctly.



This Sargent's job was staying at the Viet Nam Memorial and instructing visitors about the place, history and give directions. She outranked me by 2 ranks. I think she was an E 7 and I was E 5. She looks very young to have achieved that rank. Must be smart. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Paul B]

I found this gorgeous tree stump root on the beach of the Hudson River at my daughters house. It was in the water so long it had barnacles and mussels growing on it. Now it is sterilized and power washed so no more bark or barnacles. It will become a beautiful table base.

 

[Minifoot77]

I found this gorgeous tree stump root on the beach of the Hudson River at my daughters house. It was in the water so long it had barnacles and mussels growing on it. Now it is sterilized and power washed so no more bark or barnacles. It will become a beautiful table base.

My grandfather made a living in northern California making redwood burl clocks tables jewelry boxes salt and pepper shakers and slabs I used to go help as a teen... mostly cause I liked driving his huge Yale forklift

 

[ryany25]

That will make a lovely table base. I just drove by Bayonne, NJ. What a dump.

 

[Paul B]

I just came back from my favorite LFS across the street from my wife's doctor. He was almost sold out of livestock but not to waste the trip I got 3 small fish just for kicks even though I have way to many fish.

The woman who wrote me the letter in Nam who I was on TV with called me and her Veteran group are going to interview me soon. I also have two fish interviews. My main issue is that I take my wife to doctors a few times a week and it will never end as MS doesn't get better so we try all these treatments none of which do anything but I am sure someone is making a lot of money on them.

My wife wants me to write another book. Not about fish but memoirs of Viet Nam. I was thinking, of making a novel "based" on real events but sort of like in my fish book if that is even possible. I would stretch the truth a lot to make it more interesting although the truth may be interesting enough. I will see if I want to do it.

My Grand Daughter acting cool on a trip to Montana

 

[Paul B]

Power washing my tree stump table base. I like to show off my great legs in my shop apron.

 

[Reefer911]

That stump looks great and will make an awesome piece of furniture.

Thank you for your service Paul.

 

[Paul B]

Last night we went out with friends to a really nice restaurant that we occasionally go to about 15 minutes from my home. It is almost impossible to get in so we made reservations for 4:30. It was a Wednesday so we didn't think the place would get crowded.

We ate in the garden which is really cool because you sit right in the beautiful garden right in the vegetables so I could have turned around and pick fresh figs, tomatoes, basil, parsley etc, growing right next to me.

The place is a little pricy ($180.00 a couple) but it was worth it. By the time we left, the place was mobbed with a 45 minute wait just to be put on the waiting list.

 

[Paul B]

Today I am staining my wood root table base. Here it is before the stain dried. It will lighten up when it's dry. I think. I just wanted to bring out the grain and not necessarily darken it. It used a lot of stain because it's rough and has a lot of limbs coming off of it.

I still have to spray it with a clear coat.

In between I am also writing my new book and am up to chapter 3. It's about my time in the army and Viet Nam. Very little combat will be in it until the last chapter because I'm trying to keep it light and keep it to the fun or interesting that happened. Squeamish people can forego the last chapter.

 

[Paul B]

 

[Paul B]

This red sponge is what I used to feed my Idol. He would practically jump out of the tank for this stuff. I took this yesterday off my friends floating wooden dock on Long Island New York. It only grows near the surface and I could never keep it alive in a tank but it freezes well. I would collect a lot and freeze it for the winter. I sold my boat so I don't get to a dock very often so I can't really get it to often and you can only collect a little bit at a time unless you find a really big dock.

 

[Paul B]

I gave the first two chapters to one of our neighbors to get her opinion. She texted to say that her and her husband were rolling on the floor laughing so I guess it's OK so far. That was the type of review I was hoping for.

 

[Paul B]

Maybe my Grand Son, Teddy will be a pig farmer......I hope not. :anguished-face:

 

[Nano_Man]

Maybe my Grand Son, Teddy will be a pig farmer......I hope not. :anguished-face:

There’s money in pigs the problem is you end up smelling like them and as many times you wash you still stink of them. I had two when I was about 13 until they became bacon

 

[Paul B]

There’s money in pigs the problem is you end up smelling like them and as many times you wash you still stink of them. I had two when I was about 13 until they became bacon

Yes, but the biggest problem is that he lives in Manhattan where the only wildlife, besides the weirdoes on the streets are pigeons.

 

[Paul B]

Tomorrow they invited me to a reunion of the Honor Flight that I went on a couple of months ago. It's in an air museum not far from here. I am not sure what will happen there.

 

[Nano_Man]

Tomorrow they invited me to a reunion of the Honor Flight that I went on a couple of months ago. It's in an air museum not far from here. I am not sure what will happen there.

Have a good day Paul
Respect to you

 

[Paul B]

I hope they don't make me do push-ups. :anguished-face:

 

[Paul B]

I love this crab but I rarely can find him, so I took a picture on one of his rare forays in front of the tank.

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday the "Honor Flight" organization invited me along with 50 other Veterans who came on the flight to Washington DC with me to a reunion where they honored us again with a big presentation and band. They read my Army Bio. as they did with everyone else. I didn't realize it but it was televised. We went to a diner this morning and someone pointed out that I was on TV which was playing while we were there.

(Only about 35 Vets showed up.) It was in an air museum where they have about 30 working WW2 air craft including Japanese Zero's and German planes. They even flew a Bi-plane.