A SURPRISING EVENING IN THE PARK!!!!!!!


It was unseasonably cool when we took two grand kids to Francis park for them to play and the grandparents to enjoy the Compton Heights Concert Band. It turned surprising when we discovered a civil war reenactment going on and some sculptors along the way. The civil war actors participated in the final song "The 1812 overture" by actually firing the civil war cannons. Loud but very interesting

The sculptors for the boys to enjoy and grandpa to take pictures.

James at play!!!!

The weather was perfect,the boys were good, the music beautiful, and we stayed till the end.

A GRANDSON SPENDS THE NIGHT!!!!
Paul gives us a glimpse into his showmanship traits as he cools off with the sprinkler.
It was his idea to spend the night without the little guy. He wanted his grandparents without having to share them with James.
Tomorrow night they are both going to stay. Should be a fun time.!!!!

YOU NEVER KNOW!!!

WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND!!!!!!

This is a 1963 or 1964 wedding photo. We are not the bride and groom.

I am the second man from the groom and my friend since high school Bob is the second man from the end.

The groom is Fred who was my" best man" and we can not remember the bride's name.

The really startling thing is that neither Nancy are I ever remember having this photo. We are one month into an estimated two year project of getting rid of fifty years of "STUFF"

We have lots of good memories of our friend Fred.

1---- The three of us stayed up till about 3:00 AM on election night of 1959 watching to see if the first Catholic had been elected president.

2--- One night after our marriage we stayed up again till maybe 3:00 AM trying to talk Fred into proposing to a different girl.He did not take our advice.

3___ Before our marriage on a day trip to visit Fred at Fort Leonard Wood with our friends Bob and Peggy I drove a 1949 ford 100 miles per hour for my first and only time.

AMAZING!!! what young people will try to do.

A FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUER?

The next Randy Johnson?


Are maybe Jim Edmonds?

Stan Musial batted left handed!!!

Guess What?

Albert plays first base!!!!!!

Sunday in the heat grandma and I watched James play a three inning game!!!!!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!!

My father gave me his half of the birth process but unfortunately he played only a minor role in my life. First he and my mother divorced when I was four,then he served in WWII for the next two years. He returned from the war in early 1946 and he died in June 1948 when I was ten.

The Clintons had it right when they said "it took a village to raise a child".

I was blessed to have five men participate in being a major part of raising me from childhood to manhood.





My grandfather Ramsey was the number one most powerful influence for good in my life.{notice the streetcar tracks behind grandpa}


Right before he died he looked right at Nancy and told her "he always treated me as his son."

On the left is my dad and next to him is his brother and my uncle Wib. Somehow they met up in Luzon,Philippines. Uncle Wib tried hard to be in my life after my fathers death.

Nancy's dad Jim McCoy led me by good example from the day I met him in 1956 until his death in 1996.

My uncle Bob was like a father to me as he taught me to drive, helped me buy my first car, took me to more sporting events than any kid I know. One year I almost died from pneumonia and when I began to recover he bought me a big birthday cake with lots of flowers but it was not my birthday.

One of many lessons I learned was you did not have to be the birth father to be a kind loving father.

Somehow I forgot to post a picture of my stepfather Razz. We did not have a good father/son relationship but it was primarily my fault.I am sure today you would have sent me to CFS for lots of counseling. I was simply full of blame,and resentment.Yet he had a big role in my development as I had a personal goal that I would be a better husband and father.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!!

BOOK REPORT!!!!!

I know I am way behind in my reading goal for 2009. In my defense I have been a little busy with a trip to the ocean, a 50TH wedding anniversary, A slide show of our fifty years, and looking at and organizing over 300 photos from our party.

Today I finished reading "CITIZEN SOLDIER" by Stephen E. Ambrose. I enjoy reading Ambrose and the manner in which he uses real interviews of real people to tell a story.

Citizen Soldier is a narrative history of the European campaign of WWII from D-Day June 7, 1944 till the surrender of the Germans June 1945. It was an interesting historical read and even thought there were weeks I did not read a page it was easy to pick up and within a few paragraphs be right back into the story.

I would recommend to anyone with interest in WWII.

I have begun the next book on my list "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN"

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES

The first photo is from the fall of either 1970 or 1971 on the Lake of the Ozarks. We are riding on a cabin cruiser that slept six to eight people. It was a wonderful day with our kids and family friends that had use of the boat.







In 1997 we visited New york City from 4:00 PM Friday till Sunday at 4:45 PM. We were with our friends Neil and Glenda and here is a sampling of what we did. We saw the musical "TITANTIC" on Broadway, A Yankee game at the house that Ruth built, A surrey ride in Central Park, Saturday night dinner at "Tavern on the Green",went to the top of the "Empire State Building, A grey line bus tour, A boat ride on the Staten Island Ferry and topped the visit off by renting a limo for a three hour driving tour of Manhattan and a drop off at Laguadia. Anyone for a weekend trip with Nancy and Ed?








In 1992 we visited Nova Scotia and "PEGG's COVE" was found by accident and has become one of our top ten favorite places.

I love being underwater "snorkeling or diving" and photographing life underwater.


In 2002 we reached a lifetime goal by riding one of those air boats through the Florida Everglades.

FIRST CLOUD FAMILY REUNION

Yesterday Nancy and I drove to Sikeston Mo. for the first Cloud family Reunion that she remembers. Nancy represented the Laverne Cloud McCoy side and Katie Ruth represented the Willie Cloud side of the family. All the rest represented the Claud Cloud side of the family.

Pictured in the first photo from left to right is Johnny, Peggy, Jack, Patsy, and Lois. Their father was Nancy's mother's brother, Claud.

Left to Right Lois, Cecil &Katie Ruth,Nancy , Jeff and Donna






Katie and Johnny

Fourth photo standing is Lois's daughter, Rose and she did most of the planning. Ed met her husband

Skeets Seaton, a Rockabilly Hall of

Fame drummer. You can read about Skeets at the attached link
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/SkeetSeaton.html

Katie Ruth,Cecil,Nancy,Jeff, and Lois

LOUISVILLE PART TWO
I simply cannot go through Louisville without a stop to see the famous Churchill Downs home of the Kentucky Derby. Nancy and I were there less than forty eight hours after Mine That Bird had won this years Kentucky Derby as a 50-1 underdog. I had wanted to take a tour of the race track but they were not giving tours till later in the week. I guess I will have to go through Louisville again. Before Nancy came into my life my step father had trained me in the art of picking horses to win from studying the Racing Form sheet. One time I picked a 118 to 1 shot and Natural Gas loss by a nose at Fairmount racetrack.
draft

A SPECIAL TOUR OF BUSCH
Last March at Camp Ne O Tez annual dinner Jimmy was the high bidder on a tour of Busch stadium by Ed and Mary. Jimmy had some friends coming in for a special weekend of fun. Even thought all of the friends were not Cardinal fans they were baseball fans.
Donovan tagged along with grandpa and Jason was invited to come along by Jimmy.

Jimmy and three of his friends.

A group photo from the Redbird club.

It was a fun tour surrounded by baseball fans and good friends.

A STOP IN LOUISVILLE KY.
On the way back from the Outer Banks I had to stop at the Louisville Slugger factory and museum for a tour.



The reason for the white gloves is I am swinging Babe Ruth's actual bat.



This swing is with Joe Dimaggio's actual bat.

I had to pose for the Obama picture in honor of a good friend who happens to have a few political opinions.

Here I am posed with Ted Williams.

The one and only Babe Ruth

I took ten swings against forty five mile per. hour fastballs. I let the first one go by "Way to fast" The second one I missed. Then I at least made contact with the next eight swings. In my opinion not bad for a seventy one year old. I am using a replica of Ted Williams bat.

If you look close you can see the ball coming off the bat.

If you are ever in Louisville and are at least a casual fan you will enjoy a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory and museum.