Midland, 1947.....

I'm a lover of old photos, maps and history. As you may recall over the last year or so I've started a website to chronicle some of the photographic history of our hometown, Midland, Texas.

JoJo's cafe in our office building is a hub of old time Midland oil folks and a few not so old but who also have an interest in the way Midland was in the past. While eating at JoJo's on Friday the conversation turned to old buildings and one of the participants, attorney David Lindemood, invited me up to see his collection of maps, plats and photos. He has some great ones and has kindly consented to assist me in bringing these to digital form.

Here is the first photo of David's that I've scanned. Midland, 1947 is an amazing photo showing the town as it was after WWII, just gearing up for the energy boom that followed. It shows some interesting features including the original First Baptist Church and the railroad station, thoughtlessly destroyed in the 1970's. More photos and maps from Davids' collection will be added as well as some really historic images provided by Mr. Wilbur Yeager whose family has resided in Midland from it's earliest days.

Rick Rescorla...

Who is a hero? What makes a hero?

Honestly I can't answer those questions, but I know that sometimes in our day and age the term is too loosely applied. I do know that many of the fire fighters and other emergency personnel at the World Trade Center acted in heroic fashion four years ago. True heroes, some who are with us today but many who perished in the catastrophe.

Another hero at the Trade Center that day was Rick Rescorla, a man who actually had earned hero status to many of us almost exactly four decades earlier, in Vietnam in November of 1965. A man who so exemplified what a leader should be that he was chosen to appear on the cover of the best seller, "We Were Soldiers Once.....and Young". You can read a short synopsis of his amazing life in the this tribute I posted not long after 9/11. In two months we will be attending the 40th anniversary of the battles at LZ XRay and Albany from which the book and film "We Were Soliders" were drawn. Susan Rescorla will be an honored guest and we will remember Rick, talk about Rick, wish Rick was with us still, but most importantly we will remember what kind of a man he was.

And a special thanks to the guys at Powerline who noted Rick's story here and were kind enough to publish my personal note to them [scroll down].

Leadership.......

There has been a dearth of posts here at Streams. Sorry but I've just felt dearthful. In real life I've been busy but also just rather burnt out on the news of disaster and the tasteless rancor it has created.

With the recall of FEMA head Michael Brown and his less than honest resume, a resume that was rather shallow padded or not, I have one piece of advice for future Presidents. Here it is. When filling important positions like FEMA, get a military man. A qualified General Officer, or hell, a good Colonel or Command Sergeant Major. Preferably Army or Marine Corps. Instilled in these people are the principals set forth as, Plan, Organize, Lead and Control. You don't need a bureaucrat, you need a leader.

Even Geraldo realized this. While watching the news last weekend in New Mexico we witnessed Senõr Rivera actually overcome with tears at the sight of the military moving in to take over what had been a cluster jerk. Geraldo summed it up: "The only people who can actually do something have arrived....the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard". For once, he was entirely correct.

Home from the mountain......

We're back from a short vacation to the mountains of New Mexico. Julie's folks are building a house at about 7,800 ft. in elvation in the Alto area of Ruidoso and so we accompanied them to check construction progress and to enjoy the cool mountain air and just to relax. With the day time temps reaching only into the 70's and the 50's at night we had a good break from the late summer heat of West Texas.

Besides checking with the builder, we mainly just bummed around during the days and constructed a monster crossword puzzle at night. A great way to relax. The highlight Saturday was a trip over to the Inn of the Mountain Gods the Apache Indian resort that I have not visited in over 20 years. And what change in those years. The resort is now nothing short of amazing, having grown in scope and quality since my last visit. I think that the Apache's are raking it in.

Sunday was a big race day at the horse track in Ruidoso and so we had to try our luck and just enjoy the race crowd, an interesting crowd to say the least. Somewhat a combination of a NASCAR and State Fair of Texas group but well behaved and fun to be around, except for the cowboy at the end of our row who talked non-stop for the entire 5 hours we were there. I think he used to be a woman. Julie's Dad befriended the young hispanic couple sitting next to him [from Midland no less] and the young woman helped Don plan his betting and come out ahead.

Coming back on Monday we, or rather I, had to stop at La Rinconada, which is the Ranch and gallery of artist Peter Hurd. Since I had taken three cameras on the trip I thought I had better be getting some photo shooting accomplished and my fellow travelers were kind enough to allow me this stop. The photo above is of the Hurds polo field in front of their old house, which is now the gallery.

A pleasant long weekend with family and some great vistas. Additionally we got to see the gamut in wildlife along the way including antelope between Hobbs and Artesia New Mexico, mule deer camped out right below our balacony in Alto and most interestingly several groups of wild turkey, one of which almost flew into our car while driving very high up in the mountains.

New Orleans...Update

Thanks to Jimmy Patterson of the Midland Reporter-Telegram for asking me to expound upon my thoughts about my childhood home in New Orleans. The story online can be found here at My West Texas. Also I received an email from my brother Mark who used to live in Slidell, La. and Picayune, Mississippi while Deputy Director of NASA's Stennis facility. He relates that his old home in Slidell was probably destroyed but that his antique home in Mississippi survived.

We, the Bride and I, will be in New Mexico for the Labor Day weekend to enjoy the 70 degree temps and mountain scenery. Not to sound self centered but I hope that we don't see a TV while we're gone. The news is exceedingly depressing.


New Orleans..
It's hard to fathom the magnitude of the disaster in New Orleans. Can you image every single structure in your hometown affected to some degree, large or small, by floodwaters? It is incomprehensible to me and thus very hard to watch the news reports from New Orleans.

Very hard since I spent over three years of my childhood there. We lived at 6017 Perlita St. which is pinpointed on the map above. As you will notice the house is located between two canals and just south of the lake. Our house used to flood with 1-2 inches of water covering the floor with only heavy rains as the cause. I would suspect now that it is mostly under water. The waterway to the left of our old home is the Bayou St. John where I would fish almost everyday I could. I recall having to climb a 15 or 20 ft. levee, up and down, to reach the water. The canal pictured to the right of our house had levees as well and it is one of these that failed, probably not more than a mile from 6017 Perlita.

I pray for the best for all those in distress in New Orleans.

Banner Photos....

I look at the photos in the top banner logo on this site daily. It occurs to me occasionally that perhaps some readers wonder who the folks are in the pictures. Perhaps you can't see them clearly or just don't know. So let me tell you.......

From the left the pictures are 1] Julie and me with Gen. Tommy Franks taken a year of so ago in Midland. We were presenting him with one of the photos that Joe Galloway and I sell online. 2] Me with Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway at a book signing at Ft. Hood 3 years ago. Hal was played by Mel Gibson in the film "We Were Soldiers", Joe was portrayed by Barry Pepper. Hal and Joe wrote the book the movie is based upon. 3] Julie and me with Bruce Crandall and wife Arlene in Midland 2 years ago. Bruce was the helicopter pilot in "We Were Soldiers" and was played by Greg Kinnear. 4] Me with Chuck Yeager at the CAF. Chuck was, as you know, the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. 5] Me with actor Sam Elliott in Washington D.C. 4 years ago. Sam starred in "We Were Soldiers" playing the role of SGM Plumely. 6] Julie and me with Pat Simmons, founder and lead guitarist of The Doobie Brothers. Taken in Odessa last summer. 7] Finally, me with Mike Hossack, drummer for The Doobie Brothers.

And the Picture of the Day is a breathtaking shot of a bridge over the Mississippi River near, I believe, Natchez Mississippi taken in 1964. Note the paddle wheel steamer under the bridge. Even as a young photographer I had a knack for the good shot!

Duchess.....

In mentioning my dog companions of the 1960's I would be remiss in not noting as the picture of the day, our other dog, Duchess. Duchess was our first golden retriever and the pet that gave my Dad a fondness for dogs that had not been there previously. Duchess was, like most golden's, a sweet dog and one summer she stayed at home with Dad while the rest of the family was on vacation in Missouri. Apparently she followed him around everywhere he went endearing herself to the lonely father.

We had Duchess during some of the same years as we had Frisky, mostly because my little sister, Susan, felt that since I, her older brother, had a dog that so should she. Duchess had one litter of jet black pups before she was "fixed" which must have been a big deal to me as I have a multitude of pictures of them from all angles and poses. They were extremely cute.

I remember the 4th of July that we kids were throwing "cracker balls" on the patio. Cracker balls were the little colored balls with a small amount of black powder inside that exploded when thrown against hard surfaces...like patio cement. They looked amazingly similar to Trix cereal. That's probably what Duchess thought the day she tried to eat one and had it explode in her mouth, a muffled pop. She was OK, but I don't believe that she ever ate anything off the ground again.

We had Duchess through my high school years and when I went away to college in 1967 little did I know that when I left that would be the last time I would see sweet Duchess. She developed a terminal illness and had to be released from her pain while I was away. I think even my Dad cried at her passing.

Frisky......

As I may have mentioned, my Mother was recently cleaning out the office in their home and came upon a box of my old mementoes which contained news clippings about me, letters to and from them, but mainly a treasure trove of old photos. Some of these photos I had not seen in probably 30 years, some perhaps longer.

Of special interest were photos taken on my first Kodak Brownie camera which used the old 140 type film that produced smallish, square black and white snapshots. I was 11 or 12 years old when I snapped these images of dogs past, trips to New Mexico, and the backyard on Douglas Ave. as it was when we first moved to Midland in 1960. Sometimes when I stare at these old remembrances I really almost go into a trance thinking of the way things were then. Sometimes I almost want to cry.

I will share some of these memories with you and for my Picture of the Day this Wednesday I present you with my dog and boon companion Frisky. We got Frisky when we lived in New Orleans in 1957. In those simpler times kids and dogs could and did roam freely in the extended neighborhood and so Frisky was with me everywhere. I remember riding my bike daily to the Bayou St. John with Fisky running right at my side while my friend Mike Lancaster and his dog Rex followed along.

In the 1950's dogs were let out front to roam and somehow always seemed to come home. Usually there were no problems but when I saw Frisky's picture once again after all those years I was reminded that once he did get hit by a car while out. He managed to make it home and then spent a week under my parents bed. When he came out he was fully recovered from the collision.

Frisky moved with us to Midland and seemed to love it here in West Texas, espcially after he learned to scale the cinderblock wall encircling the backyard. He could walk on the top of the wall like a trapeze artist and soon learned that if he walked all the way around the fence he could access the roof of the house. Thus, Frisky spent many a happy hour perched on the top of the house surveying his neighborhood domain.

Frisky was with us a long time, but I'm ashamed to say I can't remember exactly how long....when it was that he passed away. As I grew into my teenaged years I probably spent less and less time with him and thinking about that makes me very sad. I try to do better with my dogs as an adult.

Down at the FUMC...

Things were hopping down at the First United Methodist Church [the FUMC] this morning. By the way it's the 120th anniversary of the FUMC this year which may not seem like a long time if you live in England but in West Texas anything that's been around for 120 years is a big deal. Those Methodists ranchers were a devout lot and led the pack in setting up a church. The Presbyterian sheep herders weren't far behind.

People make a church and I had to laugh at several comments made to the person seated in front of us this morning. We were seated far to the rear in order that Julie could make an early exit in order to go home and start dinner for our parents who were coming over at noon. The older gentlemen in the next pew was by himself, but apparently he was not without a bevy of good buddies. One man passed him by, stopped, and then came back and said, "hey Bill good to see you......when did you get out of jail"? Shortly thereafter another older man strolled by and casually said to Bill, "you know you'd get a lot more out of this if you'd move to a pew near the front". Good natured banter which just struck me as humorous.....

And now a feature not seen in a long time, the "picture of the day". Or, perhaps better titled, "the picture of whenever I feel like putting a new one up". The POD can be found at: Stream Views

School Daze..... It's back to class time at St. Ann's Catholic School. Starting one day before the public schools, it does seem like the summer vacation was very short and had just started. It went quickly. Julie and Jack were off to England for two weeks right out of the chute, then Jack and I made an effort to play tennis in the mornings, followed by Jack's visit at his Dad's for two weeks and then with a little piddling around time, vacation is over. Being of the "old school" it does seem to me that ending summer vacation in the middle of August is a tad too early. Of course being "old school" means I went to an old school, one without air-conditioning which made it all but impossible to attend classes in August.

This year Jack is starting the 6th grade at St. Ann's. A time of some reflection for me, since my family moved to Midland between my 5th and 6th grade years and I started school for the first time here at Bowie Elementary which was, and still is, just down the street from my house. I have returned to the old neighborhood and so still get to see the children strolling down the same sidewalks as did I all those years ago. But Jack is a St. Ann's kid and proud of it. This year he gets more choices in his uniform attire, between red, green or blue shirts. The younger kids have to wear yellow. A choice in colors is a newly acquired status symbol for a young man growing up. And he has grown just this summer looking noticeably taller and more, dare I say, teenager like. Even my Mother mentioned his growth spurt. Tonight we will stand him up against the back of the door in his room, mark his height and compare it to last years altitude. I'm thinking the gain will be an inch or more.

I hope Jack's year in the 6th grade will be as memorable as mine, I came away with many blessings. We still talk about my teacher Ms. Lucia Pearl Penny, a professional old maid school teacher who loved her kids. In those days we said the pledge of allegiance with no qualms and the last thing we did before going to lunch was to listen to Paul Harvey News on the radio. We knew the rest of the story. I met two of my lifelong best friends that 6th grade year at Bowie Elementary and learned my love of art there too. I was on the committee charged with drawing a full length mural on the wall [OK, on paper on the wall] depicting the history of Midland. I learned perspective on the project. No, not philosophical perspective, but how to draw using perspective to correctly show distance.

Oh to be back in those simpler times. Enjoy yourself Jack!

When it rains, it....deluges!

Mid to late August in West Texas is normally the driest time of the year. The dog days where during many years one is lucky to see a cloud. It has been that way for the last 8 or so years accentuated by the drought we had been in.

I say had because as I sit here on a Sunday afternoon it has just rained almost 1.5 inches at the Bedford Dr. estate. This in the last hour or so, on top of the half an inch we had accumulated since the early morning hours. Fire crews are out rescuing inattentive drivers, the draw is overflowing and more rain is expected.

Normally I would rejoice in the deluge and the goodness it brings to the land, but the Bride and son are driving back from New Mexico in the yellow bug and I fret about their well being. At least her Dad and Mom are on the road with them in another larger vehicle, but the flat lands are notorious for flooding even in remote stretches. I pray that the Good Lord watches over them.....more later.

5:30 update: The bride just phoned and she and Jack are safely back inside the city limits of Midland. Thank you Lord, and now the rain gauge out back reads, 2.5 inches!

Miss Ellie....

Barbara Bel Geddes, Miss Ellie, is gone. Barbara died Monday at the age of 82. Miss Ellie was the only consistantly good hearted soul on "Dallas", only losing her cool when one of her family members got completely out of control...which come to think of it was at least once an episode.

Dallas was a smarmy soap opera and now days I would probably not watch something of it's ilk. But when it originally aired I was a resident of Dallas [the city not the show] and the filming occured at many locales I was very familiar with including the First International Building which was where the Ewing Oil empire was based. I was based there too. In fact the real estate company that I worked for leased the building and so, many times, we could get great viewing opportunities of the filming when the general public was excluded. I don't think I ever saw Miss Ellie [she wasn't usually invited to the Ewing offices!] but I did see J.R. [Larry Hagman] and Bobby [Patrick Duffy] and Cliff Barnes [Ken Kercheval] on many occasions when they were filming street scenes in front of the building.

I once ran into Larry Hagman at a country and western bar on the Greenville Ave. strip. The name of the bar escapes me though I remember it was at the corner of Greenville and Lovers Lane. Larry was in rare form making the rounds of the tables handing out "J.R. Bucks", fake one dollar bills with his picture in place of Washington's. Fun times though I, and I think Larry, have given up that wilder side of life. It's interesting to catch "Dallas" reruns sometimes today and remember my life in Big D in the early 80's. Miss Ellie was a part of that and Barbara Bel Geddes seemed like such a nice woman among a pack of thieves. Thanks for the memories.

Friends....update

This morning I received a personal call from the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the honorable Gordon Mansfield. Gordon and I had a very nice conversation and I could tell that Gordon is as sincere as they come about doing the right things for veterans. He promised to personally look into my case. I cannot ask for more. I hope to have the privelage of meeting Gordon at the Ia Drang reunion in Washington over the upcoming Veterans Day weekend.

Friends.....

Posting to the journal this week has been non existant due to....well, reality. Sometimes when things seem to be sailing on a smooth course, unhappy reality reaches up and just smacks you in the face.

I learned this week from Midland Memorial Hospital that the Veteran's Administration was balking at paying the extensive costs for my heart rebuild late last year. I have had no reason to doubt over the years that the Veteran's Administration would be there as my major medical provider. The reason for the "problem" is a long and involved story, but basically is rooted in the fine print of recent changes in the VA system mandated by congress. Changes designed to save money by shortchanging veterans including changes that affect the payment of "fee based" services. That is....emergency services performed outside of a VA hospital, which is what my case involves. And I have to add that I do not blame the Veteran's Administration where my care at their hospitals has always been superb. The problem is the trough swilling politicians who control the purse strings and who never miss an opportunity to raise their own salaries and benefits packages while violating promises made to veterans.

I have to say that when I learned of this "problem", it sent me into the grandest of funks. But as I've learned, one can either do little or nothing and feel sorry for himself, or one can go into action. Personally, action makes me feel a little better anyway so.....the day after learning of the "problem" I went to the VA Regional Hospital in Big Spring to learn the details for myself. The "problem", in simple terms, is a grand government Catch-22. If you have had no medical problems and haven't used the hospital services within two years, then when you do need services you are not entitled to them. In other words, in a time of VA austerity, the idea is that all registered veterans should visit the hospital once a year whether needed or not. The staff in Big Spring wanted to help but said they are locked in by "law" on this concept.

I left thinking that I would visit my congressman's office about the situation. I still might, however for the time being fate intervened. I happened to get a call from my good friend Joe Galloway in Washington. As we talked the thought occured to me that with all his conections Joe might know someone within the VA heirarchy that I might speak to. And in fact he did...the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs who just happens to be the Chief Operating Officer of the entire VA Medical System.

Joe provided the Deputy Secretary's personal office email address and I composed a respectful email letter outlining my "problem" which I sent this afternoon. I sometimes forget what "going to the top" through a personal recommendation will do for a situation. Within 30 minutes I had an email reply from the Dep. Secretary's personal assistant saying that he was out of town but that she had asked one of the senior staff members to look into my "problem". Literally 30 mintues later the staff member called me asking for all the details of the "problem" and promising all the help they could provide. Additionally Joe tells me that he has written a personal note to his friend, the Deputy Secretary.

Truthfully I was reluctant to write this narrative as the outcome of the "problem" is still in doubt and the reality is that it may not yet be solved to my liking. But, I had to say that this has reminded me that even when things look dark, if one has friends and family on his side and a willingness to take action, there is hope.

Presidential Library....

As thoughts turn to the end of the presidential term of George W. Bush, thoughts also turn to the sweepstakes involved in who gets to host his presidential library. The short list of those who the President wishes to see a proposal from have been made public. On the list is our own Midland College. The others are the city of Arlington, Southern Methodist University, the University of Dallas, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas System and Texas A&M.

When the rumors of who would be invited to bid first surfaced and I heard Midland College mentioned, my first thought was....."yeah right, a snowballs chance in hell". However after seeing the entire list I've moderated my view somewhat. Midland may have a chance. The one chance being if Dubya steps up and says, "I want my library in Midland". Otherwise I think we can forget it. I have to think that the selection process involves some degree of ego, the scholarly disposition of the proposed host, money [who can afford to build it] and the President's personal wishes. A strong wish could override the other factors. Dubya could simply say, "Midland is where it's going".

Now I do think that we may be ahead of some of the others on the list. I cannot see the "city" of Arlington being selected. Dubya has no real allegiance to the entertainment capital of Texas except that his former baseball team was located there. Big deal. University of Dallas.....I don't think so, small school with no connection to George. The University of Texas and Texas A&M were good choices for two former presidents but I can't see Dubya located with LBJ and I don't think he wants to follow in Dad's footsteps at A&M.

This leaves three other large universities as the front runners. The "M" in SMU is for Methodist. George and Laura belong to the Methodist Church and coupled with the fact that it is located in a major metropolitan area, one in which George lived, it may have a good chance. As does Baylor. For whatever reason Dubya has become fond of this area of Central Texas and one supposes that George and Laura will retire in Crawford, so having his library close at hand would be a plus. Texas Tech is a large school but, again, George has no connection here except that the school is in West Texas. Texas Tech is an also ran to the first two schools.

SMU and Baylor have to be the odds on favorites, with Midland leading the long shot field. I'm afraid that our remote location works against us as does the small size and depth of a two year college and the perceived trouble in raising the necessary $200 million to build the facility. But Dubya loves Midland and has strong emotional ties here so stranger things have happened.

Cool breeze........

The unusually cool weather has been the buzz of bloggers around town the last several days and I have to add one final thought, one final mention of a blessing bestowed upon us. That blessing is that the air conditioner in our home has not been on for two entire middle of the summer days. That is unheard of in West Texas.

Owning a home that has been in existance almost as long as you have is a trying experience sometimes, but with the tribulations come some decided advangtages, chief of which is to be surrounded by windows that actually open to the clean, pure and cool air outside. We have been communing with nature now since Wednesday and in the main enjoying it. It's good to hear the sound of our feathered friends as we awaken in the morning and calming to me to be able to hear the trains pass by just a little over a mile away. When all is calm late at night and one listens carefully, the click-clack of the wheels on the tracks can even be heard. Coming from a railroad family it is a balm to my soul.

We have one more night of open windows until the weather turns back to a more normal heat and we have to shut the house up once again. The two air conditioning units cooling the home will start to drown out the sound of nature and I'll have visions of dollar bills being sucked out of my wallet by the hour, but for now I'll just enjoy the quiet cool reverie.

Storm........

We had been forewarned that the weather was going to be taking a drastic change on Tuesday, so it was not surprising that when I drove back to the office after lunch I spotted a massive thundercloud over the mountains to the southwest. In West Texas we can see storms a far way distant and this one was over 125 miles away but still looking beautiful and large. It was one of those times that I wished a had carried my camera along.

Later in the afternoon as I left the office there were storms popping up in all directions and at a much closer range. It was strange, though, that with all these storms we barely had a sprinkle by the time I left to go on my 5:15 p.m. walk at Midland Memorial Stadium. The track has unobstructed views in all directions and I was struck by the thought that this looked like some of the pictures of the primordial earth I had seen in geology textbooks. The image of volcanoes spewing ash while thunderstorms streamed lightning down on the still forming earth from all quarters.

There were two massive storms, one to the southwest and the other to the east, that had torrents of rain flooding down while lightning bolts shot to groud every few seconds. Beyond these storms to the southwest I could still see the mountain storm lit a mellow golden hue in the afternoon sun. Still no rain on the Bedford estate after I arrived home. No rain until around 10 p.m. when thunder and lightning announced the arrival of the deluge to follow. There was constant thunder for almost two hours....sounding much like the artillery barrage at the seige of Khe Sanh must have been like in 1968.

I haven't checked the rain gauge, but I don't think that we got the several inches that were predicted as possible, but still a copious amount of needed rain and the temperature has dropped a good 25 degrees from yesterdays steamy heat. Quite a dramatic and beautiful display of natures glory with the added blessing of unheard of cool weather!

Connected....

The Internet is an amazing thing, sometimes allowing for almost instant connections with things that appear in one's life.

If you live in or around Midland, perhaps you read the story in the "Lifestyles" section of Sundays Midland Reporter-Telegram about the WWII veteran who has his photographs of life in post war Germany on display at the Allied War Museum in Berlin. I was interested in Mr. Carl F. McDaniel and his story because he is a long time photographer and for the historical context of his remembrances, so I followed up the newpaper story with a visit to the websites referred to in the article. While browsing through his pictures I came across a "Guestbook" for the site where I left a note commenting on how I'd found his information and what a pleasure it was to see his historical record being preserved. I thought this was the end of the story.

It wasn't. Not more than an hour later I received an email from "Mac" thanking me for my comments and expressing, it seemed to me, some degree of surprise that his story had been printed in a newspaper far distant from his Pennsylvania home. He asked if I might send him a copy of the paper for his archives....something I did this afternoon. Apparently the Associated Press picked up Mac's story and it appeared around the country.

Mac and I exchanged further emails Sunday evening and I caught a glimpse of a very interesting man. Mac is 81 years old now, but his interest in photography has not waned and he has, like many of us, learned what a good vehicle the Internet is for displaying our work. Mac does his own websites and expressed to me his interest in moving from Minolta 35mm cameras into the digital camera realm, something I hope he gets to do. For now, Mac is doing 35mm camera work and then scanning the photos for posting on his websites. Sites like the Williamsport Market Street Bridge

Laugh out Loud....

I received an inquiry this morning from blogosphere buddy Justin T. concerning residential living at the Petroleum Building in downtown Midland. I office in that building and sometimes forget just how much people who read blogs know about their authors one way or the other. I try not to post anything that I wouldn't want anyone to know, it's just a reminder to be on my best behavior.

Anywho....Justin wanted to know if there is residential living space in the Petroleum Building. It seems that Justin is a performer in the Summer Mummers and as he is exiting the Yucca Theater after performances he has seen what looks like the light from a TV screen coming from the office space above. I had to give Justin the news that, no there is no residential space in the building. I suspect he is seeing someones computer monitor reflecting light on the windows.

What interested me about Justins e-note was the link he provided with the mail. Justin is a member of The Venue a comedy improv group that is available for bookings now. Sounds like an interesting idea for your next party or group meeting. I thought I'd give Justin's group a little plug.......

Louis H. "Mike" Michaelson
1919-2005

Having been in Odessa most of the day, I hadn't had the chance to read the paper before I checked my emails this evening. I was saddened beyond words to read my Mother's short mail message telling me that Louis Michaelson had passed away on Sunday.

Louis H. "Mike" Michaelson was the head scoutmaster of my old unit, Troop 85, of the First Presbyterian Church, Midland, Texas. It's hard to imagine in this modern world how a man could have such an impact on me and most of the boys he came into contact with during those growing up years. Many men I know today owe much of what we are to Mike Michaelson and the other leaders of that troop. People like Bill Bosworth, Gene Thomas, Wilmont Hunt and my dad, Wally Craig.

The time and effort they put into our scouting education was enormous. Activities like the 50 mile hike along the old Butterfield stage route near Sheffield, visiting all the old cavalry forts like Lancaster and McKavett. Camping on the Devil's River, at Horsehead Crossing, Camp Pegasus and of course a week every summer at the splendid Davis Mountain Boy Scout Ranch. Mike Michaelson planned, organized and led one of the great treks that I've ever heard about in scouting, taking 40 boys on a Greyhound Bus from Midland up through Canada, to the New York Worlds Fair of 1964, capped off by a week at the Scout National Jamboree at Valley Forge....a monumental three week excursion. When I asked him, later in life, how he and the other adult leaders managed to stay sane during the trip he told me his secret. "After you boys went to bed, we drank a lot of Scotch".

Mike and the other leaders had grown up during the depression and had all served their country in the military during WW II, most in combat situations. The lessons they had learned during these difficult times they passed on to us scouts. The Scout oath and motto were not just slogans to them, but the way they lived their lives. They expected us to do the same. Mike Michaelson was not an easy scoutmaster to please. He expected you to do your best. His expressions are legendary and still talked about whenever Troop 85 alumni get together. "You knothead". "I didn't ask for any chit-chat". "Get moving you yardbirds"! My neighbor and fellow Troop 85 scout, Scott Davis, and I always have a laugh over these. I usually remark that I did so well in the Army Airborne because of my scout training. Scouts was tougher.

I'll miss Mike Michaelson and the thought that he is no longer around, I used to stop in and see him at his office until just a few years ago. I wish I would have stopped in one more time.

Mike is pictured above in this shaky 1962 photo I took on the 50 mile historic hike on the Butterfield Stage route. He is the man on the far left on the road in the white shirt and pack watching scouts rest. In an example of history repeating itself, I have a picture of me in the army 10 years later standing on the road with a pack while my platoon rests on the side of the road.