Making It Home

A-26 Invader attack aircraft dropping bombs on the Siegfried Line.
(U.S. Air Force photo)

A comment on a recent post from my Camarade de Blogging LL (over at Virtual Mirage, a daily must read) made me think. In truth, most of the comments from my readers make me think, but this one more than most -

I viewed the film on your recommendation and you didn't steer me wrong. The Wilderness Campaign, and perhaps Shiloh, which had the same sort of terrain, were among the most bitter of the war, if for no other reason than much of it was small units in heavy cover. The Civil War/War of Northern Aggression was one of those horrible situations where Americans fought each other and the weapons far outstripped the tactics. Thus I always think of these sorts of films as particularly sad. The mechanics of moving from concept to script to shooting script to casting and set development make it interesting because making a movie is a lot of moving parts. But the experiential side of it reminded me of more modern conflicts. Particularly Laos, pulling a downed F-101 crew out of a triple canopy situation on the wrong side of a border that was not clearly defined. Hand to hand with Chinese, Hand to hand with Pathet Lao, because we ran out of ammo and they didn't. No it was not the Civil War, but wars have a way of being uncomfortably similar in many ways, and killing an enemy when he coughs out his last breath in your face (even if it smells like fish shit) is still killing. And years past, it was worth it to get the USAF guys out, but there were a lot of Chinese and Lao who never made it home.

Because making it home is really all that matters.

That last line really struck me to the core of my being.

All too often we who love our military history books tend to forget that history is made by real people, people just like us for the most part. They are born, they grow up, they love, they sometimes hate, they get tired, they get hungry, in short - they are human beings.

Yes, yes, some are fanatic bastards who deserve nothing more than a quick death, but in reality (if we are truly honest) that group is a small minority. For the most part, the folks who are "out there" - on the ground, on (and under) the seas, and in the air - are the ones who are often more or less unwilling participants in the grand scheme of things.

Would anyone of sound mind desire to be in battle, where one moment's indecision or lapse of concentration can lead to disastrous results? Instant or lingering painful death, or perhaps a lifetime of being an invalid, in either or both mind and body are far too often the result of battle. Even those who survive physically unscathed are marked for life by the event.

A good historian will remind us of the common people who actually fight the wars, who do the suffering and the dying. It isn't all about generals and admirals making the big decisions that determine the outcome of a war. The best plan, the best flag officers a nation can produce are meaningless if the soldiery are not up to the task at hand. 

Why does a soldier fight? The goal is to end the war, to go home and continue life as it was before the conflict began. I have seen (somewhere) a quote to the effect that "if it takes killing everyone of those bastards on the other side for me to go home, I'll do it." That's usually what stands between a soldier and going home again, a soldier wearing a different uniform who no doubt feels much the same way.

With that being said, I have just started reading a new book, Snow and Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45 by Peter Caddick-Adams. A friend of mine (one of those friends I've never met that Lex often wrote of, no coincidence that I know him through Lex's old blog, Neptunus Lex) sent me an email recommending the book to me.

As he is a friend (and a retired Armor officer, he knows his stuff) I did a quick bit of research here, then immediately ordered the book. I mean, I did the "look inside" thing and was hooked. Last night I read the introduction and was enthralled.

In the introduction Dr. Caddick-Adams mentions no generals (though Churchill gets a nod), rather he writes about the American GIs, the British Tommies, and the German Landsers* who fought and all too often died in that bitter winter of 1944-45. But he also writes of the Belgian civilians who tried to carry on with everyday life while war raged around them, many of them died as well.

So if the posts for the next few days seem a bit short, let's just say, "That book ain't gonna read itself."

Stay frosty...






* Landser is a German colloquialism for a soldier, typically applying to the enlisted ranks.

The HooDoo that You do....So Well

 A tough week here at Rancho Juvat.  Earlier in the week, we had "Snowmaggedon" Texas style.

Notice the heavy snow drift that threatened to burry my truck. 

This blizzard (shown in its full extent in the photo above), of course, sent drivers into a flurry (heh!) as there seemed to be that one car that insisted on driving at 30 (in a 70) because....Snow.  There wasn't enough on the ground to make it wet, much less icy or slippery.  But....Snow = 30MPH.  Until they got to a passing zone where, evidently, the road was much safer, as they rapidly accelerated to 75 (in a 70 zone because....safety).  

Yep, then back to 30 when the road went to 2 lanes.  ARRRGGGGHHHH.  Where's my roof-mounted Vulcan when I need it?

Then Thursday morning, early, I awaken to the sound of everything in the house shutting off.  That happens.  So I lie there for a second waiting for everything to start back up.  Nothing.  So I get up and walk to the back door to see if it's just us or everyone.  A couple of miles away is a new development, lovingly referred to by locals as "California Hill".  Because....

This House was built by a lawyer from "The City by the Bay".  All glass front, because beautiful sunsets in TCBTB.  Unfortunately, sunsets in Texas aren't cooled by off shore breezes.  Rumors say he's not happy with the ambient temperature in his $10M home.

Anyhow, I look out the back door to see absolute darkness.  Evidently, an electric line had touched something it shouldn't have out at LBJ's Ranch and shorted out the electrical grid for the whole county. I could just here the resident's on California hill..."Buffy...I thought that Texas has loads of energy....."  Not a gas powered generator up there evidently.

Somethings, like electricity, you can live with out.  Coffee, however, is not one of them.  

Power was finally restored about 8:30 AM.  Our Guests in the Guest House were not happy.

C'est La Vie

Given all that drama, .Mrs J and I felt adventurous and decided to tempt fate and depart on another "Day Trip". Target this time was the thriving metroplex of Mason, Texas (pop 2114).  We also decided we'd forego US-87 for much of the ingress, saving that for a quick egress after a successful mission in the target area.

Therefore, we ingressed via RR2093 from Morris Ranch to Harper. 

Morris Ranch Guest Hotel

Morris Ranch was a huge horse ranch in the late 1800's and early 1900's, but has been broken up and sold in parcels over time, essentially ceasing to exist as a single entity ~1950. We own a small (very small) portion of it.  It, like most ranches of the time, was almost entirely self sufficient, even sporting its own school.

Once past the Ranch, we turned left on RR2093 and headed west to the little town of Harper, Texas.

Harper ISD on the other side of US290

 Safely transited US290 at a right angle and joined RR783 North (ish).

BTW, a RR in Texas is a Ranch Road, a feeder two lane (usually...There are RR's in big cities that are multi-lane.) that connects to a larger highway.  State built, they allow access to ranches/farms and very small communities so they can transport goods and commodities to larger markets.  Sometimes they are delineated FM (Farm to Market) or RM (Ranch to Market).

Anyhow...This led us on a beautiful journey north through the town of Doss, renowned for it's annual Fish Fry which funds its Volunteer Fire Department.

Doss is on the horizon.  Small town, Neh?  Yes, that is a Cedar Fever symptom reliever in the lower left.

Shortly thereafter, we encountered the town of Hilda Texas.  Now this town makes even Doss look like NYC.  However, we decided we'd pull off the highway and investigate a bit.  

Main St. Hilda.

The church is a very well maintained Methodist Church.  The Steeple is very bright white against the sky.  Somebody obviously invests some effort in the town.

Ranch House

This is the Ranch House, and apparently the only house, in Hilda.  There was a historical marker saying that this Ranch had been owned by the same family for a hundred years.  The Marker didn't have a date on it saying when it was awarded, but even if it was just presented this year...1919 was a long time ago.  A lot of things have changed.

Others?  Not so much.

Next stop was Mason.  Now, Mason is famous for 3 things.  A Movie Theater, Fort Mason, and a War.

We intended to investigate all these things, but first, Lunch.

I'm a sucker for Chicken Fried Steak and am always trying it when I get to one of "those" places that might just do it right.  STxAR will know what I'm talking about.  It's not a chain, it's not got linen napkins or a wine list.  The waitress is named Betty Lou and is chewing gum as she takes your order.  Ice Tea is the expected beverage and you'd better say unsweetened if you don't have a shot of quick acting insulin handy.

Amirite?

In any case, We found a place, The Willow Creek Cafe & Club .  If you recall our discussion of Texas Liqour Laws,  we have some Dry counties.  Mason county is partially dry, in that you can have a "club" where you can buy beer or wine for a "membership" fee.  This was one of those establishments.  Hence, the "Club" in the name.

I elected to order Chicken Fried Steak with unsweetened tea.

Yes, I had a bite, or two, before I remembered to take the picture.  BTW, the dimensions of the roll, as measured by my smart phone?  2" thick, 3" wide, 3" tall.  

No, I didn't finish it.

Properly resuscitated, we walked around the main square and saw the Odeon Theater.

Mason is the home of Fred Gipson, the author of "Ol Yeller"   (Who cried when Ol Yeller Died?)

Walt Disney, in his honor, debuted the Movie in this theater.  So...They got that going for them.

We also saw the Seaquist house, a beautiful late 1800's cattleman's home, that is being renovated. According to the Historical Marker out front, the Third Floor is a ballroom.

Next stop was Fort Mason. As we're driving over there, Mrs J yells for me to stop.  As I asked her why, she pointed to this.

 Not many towns have cannons in their housing areas.


Fort Mason is one of several contained in the Texas Fort's Trail.  These forts started life as a string of forts running from the Red River down to the Rio Grande.  They were built about 20 miles apart (one day's horse ride) and intended to protect settlers from Comanche attacks.

While only one original building on Fort Mason's grounds remains intact, a replica of the Officer's quarters was built in the mid '70s and serves as a small museum.  

I'm not an expert on prime terrain for ground operations.  I did recognize it when I got to the top of Little Round Top at Gettysburg.  Placement of this fort was almost as good. One could "See 'em coming" for several miles.

The fort was only in operation intermittently from 1851 through 1861.  In his last position as an Officer in the United States Army, Robert E. Lee commanded the fort.

There were several other officers who served here who reached the rank of General in the War between the States.  I recognized quite a few of their names.

For a place in the middle of nowhwere 150+ years ago, the quarters seemed livable.

Bedroom with a bath.

Office with fireplace.

 Second bedroom

Dining Room

The various exhibits contained some interesting information about the inhabitents, including one about one of the commanders who convinced the local Indian tribe that he had magical powers and could even revive the dead.  When questioned about that, he brought in a "dead" dog that had been cloroformed, then took it back into his office where he worked his magic and brought it back to life.

Whatever works, I guess.  Better to hoodwink them than have to fight them.

There also was a passage from a letter General Lee wrote his son in January 1861 which I thought was interesting.  Unfortunately the picture I took didn't turn out.  However, it can be found here.

Failure to learn from history, means we have to relearn its lessons.

As we headed back down to the town, we encountered the only intact building from the original fort, the stables.

It now serves as a shed for one of the local residents.

But what's this about a "War"?  Well, after the War between the States, things weren't all "hunky dory".  There was a conflict within the Texas Hill Country called the Mason County War or the "HooDoo" War.  "Hoodoo" is an old term for "Bad Luck.

While this clip was from a very funny movie, the actions he sends them on were not, and that was essentially what was going on in Mason at the time.  He's inciting violence to improve his power and position. 

The German's who had settled the region were not generally supporters of the Southern cause.  That did not sit well with the returning veterans.  Additionally, the German settlers were primarily farmers, while the Texans were coming back and starting over.  Cattle ranching was becoming a big business in the region and ranching appealed to them..  However, the "rules" were still being worked out.

Who owned a cow was a big, yet problematic question.  Most of the land was not owned by anyone specifically, fencing was sporadic at best and branding was not scientific.  So there were lots of arguments over cattle rustling with everyone accusing everyone else of doing it.  The Germans, typically raised minimal cattle specifically for their needs, so theft of one of those had a disparate impact on them.  That, coupled with a desire for revenge, often made them targets. 

Additionally, law enforcement wasn't pure and clean either.  Pay wasn't good, so many lawmen were cattlemen also.  When cattle were rustled and tempers flared, people got killed.  When someone was arrested for that murder,  they sometimes, somehow managed to escape from jail.  When a different group of people "arrested" them again, well...sometimes they didn't make it back to jail...alive.

All that is contained in this article by the Texas State History Association, but you need a roster to keep track of who shot whom.  This is complicated by the fact that the Courthouse burned down during that time and the records were destroyed.

A longer, but better explanation can be found here and is worth reading.  It does a very good job of putting together all the causal factors but the lesson I took from reading about the HooDoo Wars reinforces passages from General Lee's letter.

"...But I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice every-thing but honor for its preservation. I hope, therefore, that all constitutional means will be exhausted before there is a resortto force. Secession is nothing but revolution.

... Still, a Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets, and in which strife and civil war are to take the place of brotherly love and kindness,has no charm for me. I shall mourn for my country and for the welfare and progress of mankind. If the Union is dissolved, and the Government disrupted, I shall return to my native State and share the miseries of my people, and save in defense will draw my sword on none."

 We live in scary times.

P.S.  Yes, we made it home, with windows and wallets intact.  Our successful day trip record has been reset to...one. 

Wicked Spring

(Source)

Another Saturday night, searching Amazon Prime for something to watch. What I found was an independent film by the name of Wicked Spring.

Set during the Civil War, it takes place in what came to be known as The Wilderness, near Chancellorsville, Virginia, in the spring of 1864. While the war will rage for another year, for some men, it will end that spring.

Two men, one from the South, one from the North. We meet them first in 1861 as the war begins. Both men have a bittersweet parting from their loved ones as they go off to war. Three years later we meet them again in the Hell that was The Wilderness. They also meet each other...

I don't think I've ever seen a more authentic Civil War film at this level, the human level. No grand armies fighting across sweeping battlefields, this is the story of men caught up in the Hell of war.

Kinda left me speechless.

I highly recommend this film.

A short post for a Sunday, I know, but the film left me at a loss for words.

Brilliant.

Gray Ladies

An aerial view of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard looking west/northwest on 30 October 1995. The shipyard closed on 30 September 1995, but the Navy Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) continued to store decommissioned and mothballed ships. Vessels visible, left to right: the battleships USS Iowa (BB-61), and USS Wisconsin (BB-64) at the DD wharf; naval auxiliaries USS Sylvania (AFS-2), USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) and USS Savannah (AOR-4) at pier 5; the aircraft carriers USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS Saratoga (CV-60); at pier 4; the amphibious assault ships USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) and USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7) at pier 2. In the back pool is the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134) and numerous destroyers and frigates. (Source)

One of drjim's comments yesterday brought back some old memories, so I had to go digging, then (of course) had to write a post about it. Now that opening photo is one of the things I discovered while wandering the Internet. In that photo are USS Forrestal (CV-59), USS Saratoga (CV-60), and USS Iowa (BB-61). Yes, there are other ships in that photo (including ScottTheBadger's Big Badger Boat, USS Wisconsin (BB-64)).

Now the three ships I mentioned were, for a time, tied up at Pier 2 at Naval Station Newport, where I first saw them in August of 1999.

Big Mamie (USS Massachusetts (BB-59)) on the way to the Boston Drydock in 1998. She is passing the USS Iowa (BB-61),
USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS Saratoga (CV-60) at Pier two Newport, Naval Station, RI.
(Source)

One evening shortly after our arrival here in Little Rhody, we decided to go exploring our new surroundings. I'd been retired from the Air Force for a few months and had finally found a job to my liking. (As I'm still there over nineteen years later I guess I made a good choice!) We were staying in one of the very few Howard Johnson's motor inns still remaining. (Didn't have a restaurant of that name, there was an Applebee's instead.)

So we piled into the family car and headed out onto Aquidneck Island. Which the locals simply call "The Island" and which is officially Rhode Island. I think we've covered this before but I'll tell you again, Little Rhody is officially "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations," Rhode Island is "The Island," where I work, everything else is Providence Plantations, including the part where I live, but yes, I digress.

We drove past the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, which sits atop a ridge, headed towards Narragansett Bay (the other side of The Island is washed by the Sakonnet River, which is a tidal strait and not really a fresh water river, it's as salty as the Bay). As we crested the ridge, there before us lay the Bay, and  two aircraft carriers and a battleship, shown above, and again below.

There they are again, looks like the tugs were pushing USS Iowa into the nest. So this might have been the 24th of September, 1998. (She left on 8 March 2001.)
(Source)

Another view after USS Iowa had departed to become a museum ship in California (where drjim was instrumental in making repairs to her radios).

Most of the buildings in the foreground belong to NUWC, Pier 2 is where the carriers are tied up. The pier to the right was where I had the opportunity to tour USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) and USS McFaul (DDG-74), the latter twice. The second time was when The Nuke was her Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer (ASWO). Some of the crew began referring to me as "ASWO's Dad" during the week USS McFaul was in town. I spent the better part of five days aboard her escorting tours for my work colleagues. Which kind of gives you an idea what I do these days to make a living. (Source)

USS Iowa left, as I mentioned, to become a museum ship, USS Forrestal and USS Saratoga left to meet a different fate, both to be scrapped at Brownsville, Texas, a sad fate for any warship. Some folks around here wanted one of them to remain and become a museum ship, possibly across the Bay at Quonset Point. The cost to move one of them, do the necessary repairs to turn her into a museum, and keep her maintained would have been prohibitive, no group could come up with that sort of cash. So off the two ships went.

It was sad when USS Iowa was towed away, but at least she would remain afloat. Sadder still when USS Forrestal and USS Saratoga headed down Narragansett Bay, under the Newport Bridge and out to sea for the very last time.

The end of an era...

Pier 2 sits empty now, but I remember the days when I drove by that pier and could see two aircraft carriers and a battleship.

Now we have no active battleships, and I wonder why.

Kermit

P-51C - Aviation warplane collector and pilot Kermit Weeks restored and flies this P-51C fighter painted in tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer's aircraft, "Ina the Macon Belle."
(Source)

What, you thought I meant Kermit the Frog? Uh, no. Though I am a fan of that Kermit, the fellow I'm talking about in this post is Kermit Weeks who owns and operates a pretty sweet museum down Florida way, which you can read more about here. Mr. Weeks also has a very nice YouTube channel featuring lots and lots of cool flying videos. (Where I will no doubt "waste" a lot of time!) With lots and lots of really cool aircraft. (I'm sorry, but I'm a sucker for dang near anything that flies.)

Now y'all know my love for the Supermarine Spitfire, but coming in a very close second (and yes, sometimes she steals my heart) is the P-51 Mustang. A sweet bird and one of the prettiest flying machines ever built.

Anyhoo, I ran across these three videos where Mr. Weeks gives us a pre-flight, a quick overview of the cockpit, then he fires up that sweet sounding Merlin engine, then takes us up in the air for a quick circuit of the airfield. I have to tell you this had me on the edge of my seat and turning my head to see what was going on. It was a bit of a let down to land so soon. I wanted more, much more. You'll see for yourself in a moment, but first a brief look at the man who flew the first "Ina, The Macon Belle."

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer, Jr. (right)
(Source)

On October 12, 1944, Archer was a part of a group of six members of the 332nd Fighter Group that shot down a total of nine enemy aircraft while on a strafing mission from Budapest to Bratislava. Archer, flying Ina the Macon Bell, shot down three German Me-109s, and Capt Wendall Pruitt, flying Alice-Jo, show down an He-111 and Me-109. The combined aerial victories earned the duo the nickname “The Gruesome Twosome.”

He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts, and a spot in the history books. After another victory, he became one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to achieve four aerial victories. During his military career he also received special citations from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, along with the Director of the CIA. (Source)

Archer is considered by some as the first and—as of 2010—only black U.S. pilot to earn an "ace" designation, for shooting down at least five enemy aircraft. Archer was acknowledged to have shot down four planes, and he and another pilot both claimed victory for shooting down a fifth aircraft. An investigation revealed Archer had inflicted the damage that destroyed the aircraft, and the Air Force eventually proclaimed him an ace pilot. He also destroyed six aircraft on the ground during a strafing mission in August 1944, as well as several locomotives, motor transports and barges. (Source) 

Now that's one hell of a pilot if you ask me! Lt Col Archer is buried at Arlington, I need to pay him a visit one of these days. Yup, I'll be throwing a nickel on the grass for him.

Now how about those videos Sarge? Well, alrighty then, here ya go!

Sweet!

In Olden Times

(Source)

When I was nobbut a lad, toy stores and hobby shops were common. Not, of course, in the sleepy wee New England town of my birth and upbringing, had to cross the river and go to the nearest "city". Which for us was Claremont over in the Granite State. (In 2010 Claremont's population was only about 5,000 more than my hometown. Both numbers are under 15,000. Small town New England right there.) At any rate, Claremont had a combination toy store/hobby shop. Up on a hill it was, Toy Castle was its name and , as you can see, it was aptly named.

(Source)

I bought my first Avalon Hill board game there, Afrika Korps, which I still have. Over the few years between discovering this place and then moving on to be a semi-adult in the Air Force, I'm sure I spent a lot of money in there. Worth every penny it was.

On Okinawa there at least one hobby shop as I recall, they stocked model aircraft, tanks, figures, cars, motorcycles, ships, and the like. The opening photo of the Tam Tam Hobby Shop in Tokyo reminded me of what you used to see in hobby shops. The picture below is another example of the things I used to spend my hard earned shekels on, but as you can see by the price tag on the box, times (and prices) have changed.

(Source)

For those of you who don't have a handy yen to dollars conversion tool at hand, ¥5880 converts to roughly $52.99. Back in the day a kit like that would go for maybe ten bucks, less in some shops. Now you almost need to be independently wealthy to build model kits, or so it seems to this grognard*.

Not that long ago I was in the mood to build a model of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. I managed to track one down in a (now defunct) hobby shop in the local area. It was in 1/35 scale and was very nice. With a price tag of eighty-five simoleons, it went back on the shelf. While I could afford the kit, I doubted that The Missus Herself would be that understanding. While we're not poor, we're not exactly stinking filthy rich. So I passed, I still regret it.

But I am not looking at the not-that-long-ago, I need to go further back in time, when hobby shops had games, figures, models, radio-controlled stuff, trains, and all sorts of accessories for those. (Think paints, putty, glue, etc., etc.) While in college there was an awesome hobby shop not that far from where I lived. As Uncle Sam was paying for college and giving me my regular paycheck, I went to that hobby shop nearly every other week. Didn't always buy something, got to know the folks who worked there though and did spend more than my fair share of my scarcely earned pay therein.

While at Offutt AFB, found an even better hobby shop in nearby Papillion. I went there quite a bit as well. Bought a lot of HO scale Napoleonic figures, which I still have and swear to paint and mount on stands someday for to play war games with miniatures. We didn't use our garage that much in Omaha, that's where I held my battles. The Missus Herself wouldn't go in there, too many "toys" as she called them laying around.

One day I went off to work on a Monday, leaving the battle in progress. I returned home to discover that the neighbor kid, The Missus Herself was the "emergency" babysitter for the little guy, his Mom was Korean, his Dad was American, like us, so she would help them out when they needed to be someplace of an afternoon without the progeny tagging along.

Well, little Nathan (for such was his name) managed to find the garage whilst TMH wasn't looking. She found him quick enough but not before he had gone on a rampage across the battlefield and scattered the troops of both sides to the four corners of the garage. It was like Godzilla had wandered onto the field of Waterloo and sent the forces of the Emperor and the Duke reeling.

Yes, I was a bit miffed. But in my angst at this occurrence, TMH decided that that would be a good time to cease all "gaming" (playing with toys more like) activities in the family garage. For she needed to use that space for other things, like parking the car. What a concept!

In 1992 we were off to Germany, and while the Germans did have hobby shops, finding World War II models therein was not to be done. Seems die Deutscher have no fond memories of the period 1933 to 1945. Can't say I blame them completely, not what you'd call "good times." Also the prices they were charging would've made a Rockefeller choke! (Didn't stop me from buying a few things, trinkets really, don't tell TMH.)

When we returned to the States the whole hobby shop concept seemed to be on the wane. There was one nice place in Keene, New Hampshire, where I would always stop on my way to visit my parents. One day we parked, The Missus Herself sighed at the thought of the funds I would no doubt expend in that place, and in I went. Arriving at an empty store front.

It was an ex-hobby shop, bereft of models, figures, games, and toys, it was pushing up the daisies, the business had joined the choir invisible. Leaving me to pine for the days of the hobby shop.

There are a couple in Little Rhody which aren't too bad, based on what they have in stock, the prices, and the dearth of clientele, I cannot imagine how they stay in business. Perhaps they have rich parents who gave the kid "something to do" to keep him out of trouble.

But many businesses of that type are no longer around, I mean it's kind of a specialty thing, your average Walmart customer isn't in to that sort of thing. I know, I know, I can get whatever I want online, if I'm willing to pay, and often I am, but it ain't the same.

I miss going to one of those places, nothing in mind to buy, just wanted to see what there was to see. I was a frequent browser and often I would buy something. Didn't have any one thing in mind, just wanted to look.

I'm the same way with book stores. I often go there with no firm commitment to buy something in particular. I want to see what they have, usually I walk away with at least one book, often four or more.

Yes, I do Amazon, just bought a book from them which a friend recommended. Bought it because he recommended it, the subject matter is near and dear to my heart, and the wee blurb on Amazon looked good. So I ordered it, had it in two days.

But I like the physical brick and mortar locations. You can't smell the new books online, and let me tell you, the smell of a new book is, to me, better than the smell of a new car.

A lot cheaper too!

Ah well, I guess I'm just an old coot who is set in his ways. But I miss those olden times, at least certain aspects of them.

Sigh...








* grognard - French slang for an old soldier, literally "grumbler."