New Birds

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As many of you know, Chez Sarge has a koi pond. Something that Virgil Xenophon¹ always took an interest in, though I think he meant to eat the koi, not admire them. There are other things out there who want to eat my fish. Wading birds: herons, egrets, cranes, and other long skinny feathered beings of that ilk.

We took to stringing a net over the deep part of the pond. The fish view that as a sanctuary as that's where they "sleep" in the winter. (I say sleep but they actually enter a semi-dormant state where they don't move much and they don't eat.) That sort of works, but then the flying koi-menace will watch and occasionally nab a fish in the shallow end. The koi like that end as it's sunny and warmer than the other end.

So we expected a bit of predation of our piscine friends. And it did happen, though not as often. Then one day The Missus Herself found these life-size bird statues on Amazon. I was hesitant at first, as they were not cheap. I also remembered the plastic life-sized coyotes my old employer set up around our facilities to keep the geese away. (The geese weren't a danger to life and limb, usually, but they did shit everywhere. And I mean everywhere, see here.)

The problem with the fake coyotes is that someone had to move them periodically, otherwise the geese would eventually be on to the scheme.

One Christmas break, no one moved the coyotes. Guess what? Yup, the geese returned to defecating at will, everywhere.

So I was concerned that the metal birds, not moving at all, wouldn't fool the real birds. Well, it seems, so far, to be working. Over a year and no predation of our aquatic neighbors.

Now one thing about the original pair of metal birds The Missus Herself purchased, seems that they are Black Necked White Canes. Native to the Tibetan plateau, not New England.

So far, the native wildlife hasn't figured that out yet. (You can see the one of the original birds below, closest to the camera. The other is across the pond. No not the Atlantic, my pond.)

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Now the new birds, which I ordered because ...

Well, because I thought they looked cool. And (bonus) they are native to the region. They arrived Wednesday while I was working in the fields cutting the grass. I think they look pretty cool.

I picture the scene above as the new birds (Great White Herons) are telling the Black Necked White Cranes to take a hike, "Y'all ain't even native to this area!" (Yells the one with the outstretched wings.)

The new guys need to be careful though, the non-native birds are a good ten inches taller than the new guys, heavier too. Might be interesting. (As long as they keep the real birds away, I'm happy.)

Yet another reason to enjoy my backyard!

¹ Has anyone seen or heard of Virgil? Haven't seen him around any of the blogs for quite some time. Let me know.

What Mulch?

This is all that remains of ...
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... That
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Okay, so I thought about doing another piece of historical fiction, but ...

Monday was so frigging beautiful, we spent most of the afternoon in the yard, and (drum roll please) we finished mulching the gardens around Chez Sarge. Okay, it ain't Versailles but we like it a lot.

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The Missus Herself has turned our yard into something approximating Paradise. Works for me at any rate. And at the end of the day ...

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Nothing like an adult beverage to wash down the dust from the mulching.

My Mondays are so much better than they used to be. A fellow could get used to this retirement thing. Personally? Five stars, no doubts.

Ciao!

Things to do when you're Retired ...

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Being retired gives me time to seek out and find interesting stuff on the internet. Then spend hours watching things like the offerings from the German YouTube channel PARALIGHTWORX.

I've watched a number of their World War II short films, which are generally very well done using accurate equipment and uniforms. Hollywood should hire these guys! Here's an example of one of their WWII films - 

(Note, turn on CC for subtitles in English.)

It's not just WWII, here's an excellent vignette for a small party of Romans cut off somewhere in the Teutoburger forest¹ -

(Warning, this one is rather bloody.)

If you want more, you should visit their channel's home page here.

They've even done some Napoleonic stuff, I'm just starting to scratch the surface here. If you have an interest in military history, you should check them out.

As I find things like this, I'll share. For now, enjoy!

¹ The Teutoburger forest was the scene of a battle in 9 AD where Germanic tribes under the leadership of Arminius (known as Hermann in German) destroyed three Roman legions. And by destroyed I mean not one Roman survived. Yes, the battle is a big deal in German history.

Be Careful What you Wish For ...

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See that road above? That's part of the route I drove to work for twenty five years. The opposite lane is, obviously I suppose, the route I drove home for work over that same time span.

Twenty five years.

Wow.

It doesn't feel that long, truly, it doesn't.

So, I was listening to music, fiddling around (no, not literally) and the music I was listening to filled me with a deep nostalgia for what had been, but was now no more.

Kinda weird, innit?

I mean I sort of looked forward to retirement, but I had finally reached a point in my career where I was a "subject matter expert." Oh, I had been for a long time a "SME" on weapons systems, it's just that no one paid attention.

Once I got onto the right project, it was as if a light had been turned on in the ranks of middle management. Of course, I finally had the right type of middle management. People who wanted to make a difference, not just people chasing metrics and attending all the latest process du jour classes. That really did count in some people's eyes.

But I truly was at the top of my game. Then things began to change.

A new manager was somehow appointed over our project who literally didn't know his ass from his elbow. Within the first few months of his new regime, at least two people, very good people, left the company. Not just the project, but the company. Because of this guy.

After a while I decided that it was time to pull the plug, before this new person's influence screwed things up. So I retired.

Do I miss it? Yes, yes, I do. Especially most of my co-workers, most especially my old boss. After years of getting overlooked by the company's software department, she transferred to systems. She kept the same job in the lab but now she was promoted and paid significantly more than she had been.

Better news followed some months after I retired, that new manager? Fired.

Not just from the project but from the company. Made me smile that did.

Maybe my old company had learned. We shall see.

Would I go back?

I really don't know, I'm enjoying not having to get up early, not having to be at someone else's beck and call. But for my old boss? Yes, I'd go back, for her. She was that good.

But there's an old saying, you can't go home again.

And the place that was home for twenty five years isn't the same anymore.

But my old boss has things well in hand and she has a good team.

I do miss the old job sometimes, I miss working with her all of the time.

Good people she is.

I wish her well.

Kinda wished I'd worked one more year, but ...

Water under the bridge, my friends.

Water under the bridge.

What a Month It Was ...

No those standing cranes are NOT native to this region.
(But they look cool ...)
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Hi, remember me?

Yup, I've been away from the keyboard for about a month, at least it feels that way. Seems I've been down in Maryland rather a lot lately. Which means grandkids, which is a good thing, a very good thing.

Now back in July you might recall me regaling you with tales of LUSH and her progeny visiting and The Nuke with her whole tribe at the same time. Much fun was had though I did catch some vile bug which lingers still. That hasn't been much fun. But it's the vicissitudes of aging, I suppose. (Those of you wishing to offer me advice at this point, here's a tip - write out your comment, then delete it. I'm a big boy now, whatever advice you might give I will ignore, guaranteed. It's just the way I am, set in my ways and all. But thanks for playing.)

Anyhoo.

It all started with a call from The Nuke, due to Tuttle needing to travel for work, and her being needed in Washington DC for a number of late meetings which would preclude her from picking up the boys from camp/day care, someone was needed to provide limo service for the grandsons. I was an obvious candidate.

So multiple trips to Maryland and back later, I get a few weeks respite. I really need them. I ain't as young as I used to be!

But those trips convinced me that we, as Americans, are among the worst drivers on the planet. Don't feel bad now, we're tied for second with a number of countries. There are certain countries in Europe and Asia where the automobile is not something the locals seem all that familiar with. Who are the best drivers on the planet?

Here's a clue, they speak German.

Anyhoo.

Juvat has done a great job keeping the blog going. He's republished a number of his classic tales, most involve his service in the Air Force, most involve flying. All good stories which was the reason I hired him. (He's still bitching about the pay! Hahaha!)

So well done, juvat. Bravo Zulu in Navy-speak and Sierra Hotel in Old AF-speak. Yeah, we actually used to talk like that.

So I'm back. Not sure how long it will be before there's any new fiction, as I mentioned a while back the "Prequel" is in the editing process so I can start writing about WWII from December of 1941 to June of 1944. I miss the old characters from Almost a Lifetime, this is a way of writing about them some more.

Anyhoo, it's off to breakfast with a couple of dear friends from the old days of naval combat systems. I'll have something for Sunday as well, so juvat, you can stand down until Monday.

Be seeing you.

Milites Olim Eramus ... et Iuvenes¹

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So I wasn't always an old fart. Seems hard to believe, but there it is. We were all young at some point in time. (Yes, Roberto, even Grandpa.)

I'm not bemoaning the fact of getting not just older, but getting old. While 70 years old isn't what it was in my grandfather's day (when I was a lad of 13, Gramp was 70 and he seemed very old indeed) it's still "up there."

Of course, my grandfather was a far more serious man than I. That's probably got something to do with the fact that I have never really "grown up." Never saw the point of it, I can be serious when the occasion calls for it. Which having spent nearly fifty years in the service of national defense, that sort of job requires a certain amount of "seriousness." After all, it's a job where the idea is to "blow things up and kill people.

On the gripping hand, a certain amount of levity is also required. The seriousness of the job makes a sense of humor necessary, otherwise the contemplation of the end results of one's labors could drive one mad. Folks in the military have a rather dark sense of humor which doesn't always translate well into the civilian world.

And no, that uniform doesn't fit anymore, seems that it has shrunk whilst hanging in the closet lo these many years.

I find myself slipping more and more into vacation mode. Vacation as in "actually go somewhere" as opposed to "don't have to go to work."

We shall be making our way once again down to Virginia to relax upon the shore of Chesapeake Bay, a favorite place of mine. Same place we went last year.

The Venue
No, I can't wait.
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What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't really expect a lot of content between now and sometime in mid-June. It might happen, but regaling you with tales of me relaxing and discovering "Com'è bello non fare nulla,³" would constitute cruel and unusual punishment. And I love you all too much to make you suffer in that way.

And yes, there are days that it really is beautiful to do nothing.

Go ahead, ask me how I know.

Ciao!

¹ We were soldiers (sic) once ... and young - borrowed from the title of Joe Galloway's brilliant book on the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley.

² I'm sure my friend Liz would make note of my "80s" spectacles, though that style was still "popular" in the mid to late 90s, which is when this photo was taken.

³ How beautiful it is to do nothing. (Italian)

Spring Ahead ...

German infantry assaulting a French position called Le Mort Homme
during the Battle of Verdun, March 1916.
By Hermann Rex
Source

Back when I was gainfully employed, I hated Daylight Saving Time. I would feel as if my body clock was undergoing an attack nearly as violent as that depicted above. Sure, I'm probably exaggerating, but ...

Even the reason we were given as kids "well, it's for the farmers" was absolute bovine excrement. Farmers work when they have to, doesn't matter if the sun is up or down. I knew dairy farmers back in the day, most were up well before sunrise. At least the successful ones were.

Where did it really start? Well, the picture above provides a clue. Yup, Germany and Austria in World War I. Though apparently some areas in Canada were using it prior to 1916. Save on electricity in the factories dontcha know?

Anyhoo ...

This return to Daylight Saving Time is much despised by me. I've heard some say that we should do it the year round. Well, guess what, you want school kids catching the bus an hour before sunrise? It's been tried and it doesn't work.

If you like it, well more power to you. I'll just sit in the cheap seats and bitch about it.

On the bright side, other than Sundays, I don't care what time it is. Hey ...

I'm retired.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Sorry for the short post, I'm a bit out of sorts at the moment. I expect things to improve shortly, until then ...

Ciao.

And We're Back ...

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The trip back from Maryland on Sunday was, for the most part, uneventful. I've discovered that traveling on Sunday means a lot less traffic. Usually.

Four cars managed to careen into each other on the Cross Bronx "Expressway" which led to a half hour delay in that metropolitan area. Fun. You're on a roadway which is sunken beneath the surrounding terrain so you can't see anything.

We also had a large tractor-type truck to our front which meant we couldn't see what the delay was. On the upside, no one wanted to cut in front of me because then they would be behind the big truck.

The opening photo are The Nuke's boys, Finnegan (left) and Roberto (right). Those two guys are a blast to be around. Of course as they are two and four (respectively) they do tend to "get in a mood" from time to time. But for 75% of the time they pay attention, love to play and wrestle with Grandpa (I have the bruises to show for it), and harrass Grandma to spoil them. Which she does.

Last week saw the arrival of the Year of the Snake, Lunar New Year having arrived on the 29th of January. The grandkids learned a new tradition, the one where they bow to their grandmother (I don't count apparently as I'm not Korean, ain't no thang) in a rather formal way.

Roberto pulled it off as if he were to the manor bred. Finnegan didn't quite get what was going on but when he saw his brother receive cash money from his grandmother, he was bowing as if he'd grown up in the old Korean court. The kids are fast learners.

I daresay it will be a few days before Mom and Dad get the boys back to normal. I'm not saying that we spoil them ...

Oh wait, that's exactly what I'm saying. That's what grandparents do.

I also feel that it's incumbent upon Grandpa to tell the boys the legends of their ancestors. Though I think Roberto suspects Grandpa is pulling his leg when I tell him of my school days, where in the winter the walk to school was uphill, both ways, and one had to watch that the wolves didn't carry off any stragglers.

"Did that really happen, Grandpa?" he ask with a look of healthy skepticism upon his handsome visage.

"Sure it did. Ask your mother."

Who had this to say, "Grandpa sometimes exaggerates. There were no wolves in southern Vermont in the '60s."

Next time I shall regale them with tales of sweltering in a New England summer, "working¹" in their great-great grandmother's garden and fighting off sharks in the waters of Maine.

And no, Roberto, the dinosaurs were long dead when I was born. Don't believe everything your mother says.

Sigh ...

Back down in March for the kids' spring break, might involve a trip to Gettysburg as well. To stay in a haunted inn, maybe. I was rather excited at the prospect, Roberto wasn't sure what to believe.

Ah, to be young again.

¹ Work consisted of eating whatever we could get away with, fresh green beans, carrots straight from the earth, and making sure Grandpa didn't see us!

Arrived

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Roughly seven and a half hours from Little Rhody to Annapolis. Right into the glare of the winter sun. Had to hose down the optical sensors a couple of times, they dry out a lot in the sun. But thanks to modern medicine, they are okay.

Traffic was moderate, there were, aber natürlich, a few idiots on the road, but fewer than I expected.

Thank the Lord for small favors.

Anyhoo, we're in place for Finnegan's birthday celebration, none the worse for wear.

However, Roberto has been beating on me like a rented mule.

He enjoys it and I'll heal.

Love those lads.

More later, maybe.

After all ...

I am retired.

Can I Get That With Extra Freedom?

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On the left is "Work Sarge," on the right is "Retired Sarge." While they are both old photos, not taken on the same day or even in the same place (though I am wearing the same shirt in both ...), both represent certain aspects of my personality.

Sort of ...

Though I could get intense at work (just ask Liz, though she might say that "intense" is just a different spelling of "asshole" - and she wouldn't be wrong) I am, underneath it all, a cuddly old teddy bear. (In the photo on the left, in the background over my left shoulder, is a panda. I've had him since I was nobbut a sprout, a very long time indeed!) The photo on the right, that's closest to my "real" personality. For whatever that's worth.

I've been having trouble forcing myself to sit down and write. Couldn't figure it out at first, then I realized what it was.

I was free.

Free to do whatever I want. (Within reason, of course.)

But I can write, or not write, I'm on my schedule now.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing and I'll be getting back to it soon.

But I've been out of harness for a few weeks now, the first few, well, that was just an extended Christmas vacation. Now I'm just free, free as the wind.

That will take some getting used to.

But I'm getting there.

Believe me, that picture on the right, well, that's how I'm feeling these days.

Happy and ready for whatever lies ahead.

Can't believe I waited this long.

Man, I Really Am Lazy ...

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Had snow Sunday night, three to four inches was my estimate. (Don't look at the deck railings, the wind normally cuts that down by an inch or so.) It was warm, then it got cold, it was raining, then it was snowing.

Luckily enough, our house has a southern exposure so I didn't need to shovel the driveway, the good Lord cleaned that out for me with the rays of the sun. It stayed in the 20s all day but the sun plus the underlying blacktop in the driveway was enough to clean that out.

All I had to do was shovel the deck off (mostly to make a path for the oilman) and clean the cars off. The sun had done a lot of work on the cars but the north-facing portions still had a good four inches in place.

The snow came off fairly easily, only the bit closest to the skin of the vehicles was icy. But once the outer layer was brushed away, the sun helped melt that.

As I was traipsing about cleaning off the vehicles, I noticed that my right foot felt cold. Which seemed odd, until I looked down and saw that the outer layer (a plastic/rubber mix) had cracked and about two square inches of material was gone. The liner was still intact, but the snow directly on that made my foot notice.

That sucked. I've had those boots for 12 years or more, so one might think I got some good use out of them. Considering that I've only worn them maybe five or six times though, I didn't really. Oh well, time to get new ones. (One of the things I dislike about synthetic materials is that they seem to deteriorate over time. Maybe I'll get some old school boots this time.)

Watched professional playoff games Saturday and Sunday, two of the games were played in snowy weather (Philadelphia mostly, some in Buffalo) which I enjoy. After all, football should be played out in the elements. I've played in mud, snow, and rain. Sometimes a mixture of all three. Sigh, I get domed stadiums, people like to be comfortable. But it leads to weakness. At least I think so.

College playoff game Monday night, I have no dog in that hunt but as I've always had to work the next day, I've never watched one. That changes this year.

Do I miss working?

Seriously?

Not a bit.

See you soon.

Breakfast With Tom

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The prediction for tonight is snow, Saturday evening it was rain, lots of rain. It's New England, who knows what the weather will do?

It's been bone cold for a few days, the precipitation usually brings warmer temps along the coast. Usually, sometimes it doesn't and we get the white stuff.

We shall see.

Before I retired, a good buddy of mine and I swore to get together for breakfast at least once a month. That happened Saturday morning and it was great.

My buddy, I'll call him Tom (for that's his name), and I have known each other for a few years, we work in different fields at my old company, but our paths crossed for quite a while over the last couple. Great guy, we have a lot in common, particularly music.

Though I had to break stride and get up early on Saturday, it was worth it. Great breakfast, great conversation, and a lot of laughs.

There are other former colleagues who have expressed an interest in joining us for breakfast and I really hope they do. I don't miss the work all that much (okay, maybe a little on some days) but there are people I worked with that I miss, a lot in some cases.

We'll see how that goes.

I'm working on a few things. First priority (when I'm not doing whatever I want, which I enjoy) is looking at publishing Almost a Lifetime. I'm looking at both Barnes & Noble and Amazon for the moment. Beans mentioned Raconteur Press the other day, thing is, they don't publish novels, yet. Apparently they want to start that this year. We shall see.

I'm also going through the Prequel/Prelude Part I to bring myself up to speed to write Part II, which you've been getting a taste of, there will be more. In order to write Part II, I need to refresh my memory from Part I. It's slow, because I like re-reading large chunks when all I really need to do is read a couple of paragraphs.

That's why I'd make a terrible baker, I'd sample everything I baked and wind up with no product. I mean YMMV, but I like what I wrote. (If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing this.)

The NFL playoffs continue, so I continue to watch. Speaking of playoffs (Jim Mora echoes in my mind) this year I will actually watch the NCAA football championship game as I don't have to work the next day. This will be a first. Looking forward to it.

Until then, stay frosty.

Back to the game, er, the book, I mean the book.

Retirement, Day 16

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That opening photo was taken last Saturday, the 11th of January. It wasn't a lot of snow, but so far this year I've seen more snow than last winter. Which I don't mind, seeing as how I don't need to go out in it if I choose not to.

I'm enjoying this retirement thing, probably way more than I should. But heck, I've always been kind of lazy, I'm a "work smarter, not harder" kind of guy. And if you can afford it, why work at all?

I know, I know, gotta stay busy somehow otherwise the mind rots and the body weakens to the point that staying alive isn't really worth it any more.

I've become rather domesticated as of late. Doing laundry, doing dishes, helping out around the house where I can. I mean, I've got the time, don't I?

Wednesday morning (yup, I'm starting to notice that the days tend to blur together, good thing my watch tells me what day it is) The Missus Herself made us a nice breakfast - pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Which gave me another opportunity to try this ...

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I tried a dollop on a small bit of pancake (last time I tried it on a small bit of bacon), let's just say, it got my attention. Perhaps a bit much all by itself, so I put regular maple syrup on my pancakes.

The first bite was good, but it was missing something. So I put the Maple Mayhem on with the regular maple syrup, not a lot, just enough to notice. It was good, damn good.

When we finished eating, there was a mess of dishes, pots, pans, and the like, and me having nothing on my calendar thanked The Missus Herself for breakfast and pitched in to clean up without being prompted, without being asked, nope, I just did it.

I mean why should I get to lay about all day? She's earned the right to kick back as well. Heck, if it wasn't for her I don't know where I'd be now. Probably not as well off as I am, provided I was still alive. (I can be pretty stupid on my own, I need what ya might call "adult supervision" from time to time.)

All that being said, I am working on Part 2 of the prequel/prelude to Almost a Lifetime and I'm weighing my publishing options on the latter. Seems Barnes & Noble has a self-publishing thing as does Amazon. Other options might be in play as well. But you'll know when I do which one I go with.

For now I'm enjoying being retired. Doing what I want, when I want.

It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.