9 Apr
Yes, I used the plural. I only possess one backyard legally, but there are so many beaytiful spots nearby, where I can usually count on being the only human in the area…..
This series was taken at the wastewater reclamation pond for the city of Lynn Haven
Looking across North st. Andrews bay, from the Lynn Haven Ball Park
The Florida Trail follows a portion of the Econfina River in north Bay County
April is the prettiest month, as that is when the Mountain Laurel blooms….
19 Mar
Pilots and crew members, even smaller cargoes, are transferred onto or off a moving ship by means of these small craft
An old seafood processing plant on the Harvey Canal, just east of…
..The Harvey Lock, in operation since 1898
Don’t worry, he is just as afraid of you. I’ve had them land on my face and run down my shirt, but never have they seen fit to bite me
Elevated walkway at Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge, east of New Orleans
Just a piece of driftwood. I think my camera snapped this one
18 Mar
The Bulk Terminal never made any money for the Port of New Orleans, and it was already shut down when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the conveyor and the dock.
For more pictures of the Bulk Terminal, click here
18 Mar
I don’t miss working even a little bit, but the photo ops were plentiful and awesome
16 Mar
September 1991- As Saddam’s troops retreated from Kuwait in the first Gulf War, they set fires in the Kuwaiti oil fields that threatened massive environmental and economic damage. Coalition leaders put out an emergency call for firefighters, and many countries and groups responded. One of these groups was the Volunteer Fire department of New Iberia, Louisiana, under the direction of Fire Chief Antoine Landry. “$50,000 per man”, he told his crew, “and dere are 7 of us. So how many dollars do that make it, Sgt. Cheramie?” On being told the amount, Chief Landry got on the phone and offered his unit’s services. At first, their offer was refused, as their equipment was not modern enough, But he was so insistent that the head of the task force in Kuwait told him okay, but they would have to make their own way to the Gulf. “Dat’s no problem, deah. My cousin Minor, he got him’s self a supply boat. We put da truck on da deck, an’ we get dere in no time. Dese fires, dey gon’ wait some on us”.
Two weeks later, the Crew Supervisor was looking at Chief Landry and his six-man crew of ill-equipped, seasick, grungy Coon-asses in a 1948 Ford truck, with a hand-pump watergun mounted on it, two buckets of baking soda in the bed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Well, I made a deal, and I will put you to work. Just over that hill, Chief? There is a fire that we have contained, but is still smoking a bit. Go stand watch over that, make sure that it does not flare up again, while we deploy in the valley below and work out how to douse that huge flame-out that we call the Lake Of Fire. Landry saluted, got back into the Ford, and Sgt. Cheramie took off in the direction his chief indicated, all but one of the truck’s cylinders firing in near-perfect order. Shaking his head, the Supervisor walked back in his office to plan the fight on the Lake of Fire.
No sooner had he sat down, and his assistant came in with a worried look. “Sir”, he said, “They went right past that smoldering rig, and they are going downhill towards our staging area”. Furious at being disobeyed, the Super went up in his tower to see for himself. He focused his binoculars just in time to see the old truck disappear into the swirling smoke of the biggest fire in all of Kuwait. “Ohmigod, I should never have let them go. Those crazy fools are doomed!”
But through the shifting smoke, he saw the men jump out of the truck, grabbing axes and baking soda, Landry shouting orders, the men rushing to and fro, as the smoke again blocked the view. The next time he could see them, three of the fellows were manning the hose, misting the very heart of the flame, while the others maniacally shoveled sand onto the conflagration surrounding them. The super felt a thrill in spite of himself, watching this brave foolhardy crew battle insurmountable odds. Painful minutes passed, and the smoke cleared for the last time. The fire was out. They had done it! While hundreds of the best firefighters in the world stood by, these bayou boys had done the impossible. Filled with a love and admiration for these heroes, he drove himself at breakneck speed down to the site of the former inferno.
Landry was leaning against the old truck, face blackened, firesuit still smoking. The crew was laying about, exhausted and sooty, but unharmed. The supervisor jumped out of his car, rushed over to Landry, and shook his hand and slapped him on the back. “Chief, that was the single greatest firefighting effort I have ever seen or heard of! I am sorry that I harbored any doubts about you and your guys. You are heroes’ heroes! ” Whipping out his checkbook, he said “You and your men are getting paid on the spot, with a bonus for your fire department!” Landry took the check, whistling softly. “Shar, dat dere is a lot of zeroes, yah!’
“You earned it, Chief, you and your men”. “I bet you got lots of plans for that money. You could build a new fire station, get modern equipment, start fire-education courses….” . “Oh yeah,” Landry interrupted. “We gon’ get to all dat, dere. But first t’ing we gon’ do, is we gon’ get some new brake shoes put on dis ‘ol truck, yah!”
15 Mar
This a few years old, but still irrelevant…
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello At The Tea Party
Lou-Welcome aboard the Tea Party Express. Your job will be to place these ads in certain markets so that they are seen in the proper order. Very important that we get this right, so as to slowly bring the public around to our anti-Obama way of thinking..
Bud-Okay, I understand. What’s the proper order?
Lou-Where was Obama’s birthplace is on first, what’re his politics is second, we don’t know his religion is third.
Bud-Okay, so where’s his birthplace?
Lou-Correct.
Bud-What’s correct?
Lou-Where is correct
Bud-What?
Lou-No, what’s his politics
Bud-I don’t know
Lou-That’s his religion.
Bud-What’s his religion?
Lou-What’s his politics.
Bud-I don’t know
Lou-That’s his religion, what’s his politics.
Bud-You tell me
Lou-I am telling you
Bud-Telling me what?
Lou-What’s his politics
Bud-So tell me
Lou-I just did tell you
Bud-when?
Lou-No, I said what
Bud-I don’t know!
Lou-That’s third, first is his birthplace
Bud-I thought I was getting this, now I’m confused
Lou-About what? It’s simple, first we say, where’s his birthplace, then we ask…..
Bud-What? His politics?
Lou-Right
Bud-What’s right?
Lou-His politics are what
Bud-Okay, so I pitch the first ad, which is where…
Lou-Then second is the ’what’ ads
Bud-I don’t know
Lou-You got it!
Bud-I got nothing! First, where…
Lou-Then what
Bud-You tell me
Lou-I am telling you; what! Don’t you understand English?
Bud-I used to. Now, I don’t know
Lou-That’s third.
Bud-What’s third?
Lou-I don’t know
Bud-Well then, who..?
Lou-Who is on fourth, that’s the ads about his race
Bud-And we run those when?
Lou-Don’t ask
