First Day At Home ~ May 18, 2002

May 18, 2002

Fall 2002

Fall 2004

Kenai River ~ Spring 2003

March 2008

I have had the advantage in my life time to see the transitional aspect of the "little house outback" to the more lavish bathrooms inside the home or public buildings. For years, my family had an outhouse that did not even have a door, let alone piped in music, automatic hand dryers, and even water. If we were fortunate, an outdated Sears, Roebuck, and Company catalog was placed on the cold wooden seat. The catalog served a dual purpose, one to entertain and the other was a source of toilet tissue. Surprisingly, the ladies lingerie section of the catalog was always the last section to disappear as it also served as a resource center for my brothers and myself.

The "privy" has always been a focal point, most of us have taken children into a restaurant and regardless of whether they have to use the "john" or not, they just have to take look at the bathroom. When water was brought into the house, it opened up so many opportunities, including flush toilets. In the public restrooms, someone decided that we should incorporate elevator music into the restroom, just to soothe our stress level wondering who was sitting on the seat prior to us. They then devised a way to ease our fears of this problem by providing tissues to sit on. This did ease our fears about coming into contact with "germs" that someone else may have left behind, but gave it no consideration as we grab the door handle to exit the facility not realizing that the last person had not washed their hands prior to using the same door knob. With the soothing music, pictures on the wall, carpeting, air fresheners, and there are even those that have an attendant that will hand you a towel and keep the sinks clean.

Now we have taken the next step into the future "public privy", to completely take your mind off of our original intentions, you can spend half the day in the restroom being entertained and looking at the objects of "natural art". I would just as soon see the old catalogs become part of the bathroom inventory, at least the fantasies were your own and you did not have to share them with anyone else.



Now, I know there are some ladies out there that are going to scream sexist remarks about the modern decor of the "men's room", personally, I have a tendency to agree with you! That was until I took a quick peek inside the "ladies room". It seems that we are all equal when it comes to the bathroom.

Today, we got news from our friends, the Bedards from Florida / Illinois that visited with us last fall during the Silver Salmon season. They have always been "dog" people and fell in love with "Dutch" during their stay with us. Since then, they have been on a quest to find a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. They were relentless in their search, filling out the forms and paperwork involved in adopting a puppy from several kennels. It took them several attempts at finding the puppy they wanted. Today they got the news that they will be able to get the puppy that they had chosen from a kennel in Iowa. This is a picture of "Harley", their new puppy and they will pick him up in three weeks on their migration north to Illinois. He is a cutie and has given me a bad case of "puppy" love. We look forward to watching him grow up and perhaps some day, Dutch and Harley will have the opportunity to play together.

Since I missed the King Salmon Derby due to it being on Easter Sunday after being cancelled on Saturday. However, the M/V CPearl did fish the derby with the rest of the derby crew but it was slow fishing as we have found out on our practice runs. Tried fishing today, but once again the marine conditions were a little rough. Snapped these pictures as we trolled past the Anchor Point Lighthouse.

You have to admire a man who is the strongest Commander In Chief of the free world and still believes in Easter Bunny.

Despite his size and rugged features, John Wayne was actually a very sensitive and patriotic American. I was recently reading an article pertaining to his life. The teenage daughter of a friend was in an motorcycle accident and as a result was having to have one of her legs amputated. Hearing about the accident, John Wayne sent her a short note: "Dear Cindy, Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you will be all right. Signed John Wayne"

I can recall what I was doing on March 14, 1973. I was sitting in front on my television in Durango, Colorado. I was assigned to this area with the U.S. Navy. My wife, Terry and I were seated on the couch together, she being pregnant with out youngest daughter. We watched in anticipation as the names were announced of those that had been held as Prisoners of War debarked from the aircraft. That day, I removed a bracelet that I had worn for the previous two years bearing the name of one of those prisoners, he was home, free at last after over two years of being held as a prisoner. Intelligence services of the United States can account for 820 Americans being taken prisoner by North Vietnam, on March 14, 1973 there was 543 prisoners released, the remaining 277 have not been accounted for.

Unknown to me at the time, is that one of those prisoners that deplaned that day would be my Commanding Officer within the next year. Commander "Marty" Lewis, a Navy F-4 pilot flying off the carrier, U.S.S. Coral Sea. A ship that I would serve on in later years. He walked with a limp, but he stood proud because he now realized the definition of "freedom". He was shot down over Vietnam on October 24, 1967 and released on March 14, 1973 after serving 1,968 days as a Prisoner of War.

On this same day, March 14, 1973, another Prisoner of War was released. He was also a Navy pilot, from the carrier U.S.S. Oriskany (CVA34). He was shot down two days following Commander Lewis while on a mission over the City of Hanoi, North Vietnam. He was confined to the "Hanoi Hilton" for the duration, also being released on March 14, 1973 after serving 1,966 days as a prisoner. His name was Commander John S. McCain III, the current presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

Both of these men, despite their wounds and lack of medical attention, would return to active duty until retirement at the rank of Captain, U.S. Navy. Commander McCain would become the Commanding Officer of a Navy Aircraft Squadron prior to his retirement. Commander Lewis served one additional tour of duty prior to his retirement. Since my transfer from his command, I have lost contact with him, but I do wish him and his family well.

Following the retirement of Captain McCain, he would move to Arizona and enter the political arena. While running in his first race as a candidate for the House of Representatives, a heckler in the audience shouted out that he was a "carpet bagger" and that he had not lived in Arizona very long. John S. McCain answered the heckler with this statement, "Listen pal, I spent 22 years in the Navy. My father was in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy. We in the military service tend to move a lot. We have to live in all parts of the country, all parts of the world. I wish I could have had the luxury, like you growing up and living and spending my entire life in a nice place like the First District of Arizona, but I was doing other things. As a matter of fact, when I think about it now, the place that I lived the longest in my life was Hanoi."

These are only the introductions of two men that came home on March 14, 1973, there are still 541 stories to be told of the other survivors. We can only hope that the stories of the other 277 men that did not come home will be known and told someday.


Since, Senator John S. McCain is a current candidate for President of the United States, I am also posting an article of "his roots" that perhaps you will not hear during this campaign season. It will give you a little personal insight into the man as well as history that perhaps you were not aware of. Since these posting will b lengthy, they will be done as a series of three. Thank You for your patience. "One should never take their freedom for granted."

In less than eight months, it is our responsibility to elect a new President of the United States. Currently, we know that Senator John S. McCain will be the candidate of the Republican Party. The Democrat candidate, Senator Clinton or Senator Obama will likely be not known until the party holds their National Convention in mid summer.

His grandfather, John S. McCain graduated from the Naval Academy in 1906 and served in both World War I and World War II. "John McCain's grandfather was a gaunt, hawk faced man known as "Slew" by his fellow officers and affectionately, as "Popeye" by the sailors who served under him." Admiral McCain" played the horses, drank bourbon and water, and rolled his own cigarettes with one hand. More significant, he was one of the Navy's greatest commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the Third Fleet in key battles in World War II". This would include the carrier U.S.S. Shangri-La, in which he raised his pennant on May 18, 1945 (date of my birth) as his flagship (a ship in which I would later serve). Rear Admiral McCain, "who, as Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces controlled all land based and carrier based aircraft in the South Pacific, including those of the U.S. Army Air Forces. As Commander of the forces, he would take the carrier, Shangri-La and her battle task force, into the bombing raids of Tokyo, earning her the nickname of the "Tokyo Express". His forces sank 49 Japanese ships in a single day. Between July 10th and August 14th his forces would destroy 3,000 enemy aircraft on the ground and in the air. He was present to witness the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Four days following the surrendering ceremonies, Vice Admiral John S. McCain would pass away. He was buried with full military honors in Section 3, Grave 4356 at Arlington national Cemetery. Close by is the grave site of his brother, Brigadier General William A. McCain, also a veteran of two World Wars.

I have watched the Last Great Race developed this season at a higher intensity than any of the other races. This was due in part to the GPS tracking system that was developed this year that gave the viewers an opportunity to track the race on an minute by minute basis and the strategy used by each of the mushers. This race has some of the top racers in the world, Mackey, King, Busher, Jonrowe, and Swenson as well as others that have made this race and beat the odds by winning.

After tracking the race throughout, although Mackey and King are out in the lead, you can never rule out that Busher can break into this group of the front two. There is no doubt that King most likely has the fastest team and he has been letting Mackey beak trail the entire trip, just dogging behind him by a few minutes. But, Mackey is a veteran as well and may be also dogging his team, slowing them down and racing his own race letting King think he is moving at full speed.

Looking at their times and averages miles per hour between check points, I am ready to make my prediction as the race will be over sometime tomorrow morning.

Lance Mackey has lead this race throughout the majority of the check points, he has something to prove to himself and the world that last year was not luck when he won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditirod. I will project that between White Mountain and Nome, Mackey will increase his speed from his average of 5 - 6 mile per hour that he has maintained throughout the race. He has held his team in reserve enough that he will increase his speed to 7 - 8 miles per hour for the final push to Nome. Despite the fact that King has more dogs pulling than Mackey, by increasing his speed he will build a margin of safety to win the race. If he can achieve this goal and average between 7.0 and 7.5 miles, he will win the 2008 Iditirod by at least one hour. If he is able to achieve this speed and maintain it, I will predict that he will cross the finish line in Nome at 0244 on Wednesday, March 12th. "Git er" Done, Lance!

Went out to dinner to celebrate the last day of winter this past evening. Had one of the better Prime Rib dinners that I have had in a long time at the Anchor River Inn in beautiful downtown Anchor Point. It is good to have the last of the winter behind us and into spring. Although, it is snowing lightly and the wind is gusting at about 40 mph, but they told me "spring forward" so this must be spring!

After a big dinner and returning home, before I settled in for a nap I set my alarm clock for 1:30 a.m. so I could get up and have all my clocks set to forward one hour at the stroke of 2:00 a.m. All of the digital clocks, wall clocks, DVD players, VCR players, microwave, stove, oven, coffee pot, two cars, and three wrist watches were synchronized. At 1:57 a.m., I move rapidly from one clock to the next, tapping the set switch one each. The clocks on the two cars were the tough ones, similar to running the marathon, especially after forgetting to put on my shoes or my clothes. At 2:02, I had completed my run, although two minutes late, if the government wants it done any quicker, they can send help next year. Completing, I checked out blog land, everyone was asleep so I hope all of you wake up late. The computers do it automatically as does the cell phone, but I just remembered, I forgot to set the clocks forward on the three digital cameras. Now all our photos and videos are going to be an hour later than we actually take them, we will classify it as time lapse photography.

Do you know why we have daylight savings time? The old wives tale is that originally it was done so the farmers could get into the fields and hour earlier. Yeah, like that is really important to Alaska farmers when they still have snow covered fields. In 2006, Daylight Saving Time was mandated by law. I guess all of you who did not move your clocks up at 2:00 a.m. are law violators, I am going to turn all of you in. It became law in order that it would save energy by making the daylight last an additional hour. However, typical of the professor profession, a couple of them did some research and discovered that it actually wastes energy. The two professors found that by moving the clocks forward, it actually increases electricity usage. Do you know what the cost is each year to businesses to set clocks forward one hour. Again, two professors did the research and it was on the news last night. Employees spend 20 seconds to two minutes setting clocks forward in their workplace. Taking into consideration, the average wage scale, it costs 1.7 billion dollars! Next year, I am going to contract out my services to set clocks forward for the local businesses, I figure I can do it cheaper than their employees.

Actually, "daylight" saving time is something of a misnomer. We do not really save any daylight because the relationship of the Sun and the Earth does not change, no matter what our clocks say. Here I sit, the only person that I know who is actually observing daylight savings time. If you are wondering, it is not working, it is just as dark this morning at 4:32 a.m. as it was yesterday at 4:32 a.m.

If you are wondering, at 4:33 a.m. (DST) Macky and King are on the trail to Unakleet. Mackey is either taking a nap or shut off his GPS according to GPS map he is not moving. If he is not moving, he should be because King is trailing in behind him by 22 miles and traveling at 5 mph. Hopefully they set their clocks forward, would hate to see them get to Nome an hour late.

There are many things in our daily lives that we take for granted. Besides our own families, perhaps the the thing that most of us take for granted is the freedom that we enjoy in the United States of America. Unless you have seen the alternative, freedom and our life in the United States can easily be considered normal. Unless you have seen a starving child walking the sidewalks in Sicily, picking up cigarette butts which they will then salvage the tobacco and sell it to a tobacco shop for a few cents. Unless you have seen a young boy working the streets in Naples, Italy by "pimping out" his younger sister or mother in order that their family can buy food, it is easy for us as Americans to complain about the price of milk. Unless you have seen children of all ages in Alongapo City, Philippines diving from dug out boats into a river filled with human waste to retrieve a peso that is tossed into the river by passer by. The few pesos they can retrieve will buy food for thier families, in America we will not stoop to pick up a coin.

Some Americans feel that they have the freedom to desecrate our flag, protest our military servicemen and women, demonstrating to the world everything that is wrong with America, at least in their eyes. Their voices, regardless of how many Americans it may hurt, are heard because that is the freedom that we enjoy.

To my own grandchildren and great grandchildren, love your America and stand up for it, even if it is against your "cool" friends or even teachers. America will protect you in the same manner as your loving parents protect you. Do not take your freedoms for granted, you enjoy the same freedoms as every American. Additional freedoms come with age, protect them because they are priceless and they have been paid for in blood. Although, they are unknown by you, many men and women have went to war to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today. Each of you have an expanded family, however, just on the Harrington side of the family you have had relatives involved in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Koren War, Vietnam War, and currently in Iraq. They have fought for your freedoms, don't take them for granted and protect them. They are gifts to you from your ancestors.

Today, the President of the United States met with a gentleman by the name of Buckles. He is one of those unknown hero's that protected your freedoms. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1917 and defended the United States in World War I. He was not a General or a war hero, he was a survivor, following the war he was discharged as a Corporal. Today, he met with the President to celebrate his 107 birthday, he is the last of the known World War I veterans. Today, an average of 2,000 World War II veterans are dying on a daily basis. In my family, I had several uncles and great uncles that went to war in World War II and the Korean War, unfortunately I only met two of them and I regret for not telling them "Thank You".

Although you may have relatives on the other sides of your family which I do not know their history, you still have the opportunity to say "Thank You". Your Great Grandfather Jack Epperson was a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theatre in World War II. Perhaps, after you have watched the following video, you will see the importance of saying "Thank You" and in your own way continue to stand up for America, with time it will be your inheritance.

For the family on the go, a quick and easy main entree. The most time consuming is catching the neighbors dog. Roasted "dog paws" marinated in Soy Sauce and Tabasco. Considered a delicacy in Bangkok. Suggest being served with steamed bamboo shoots, fried rice, and a nice Merlot.

POLITICS

Senator Dennis Kucinich, Democrat candidate for President and his wife Elizabeth. Gave up seeking the office early into the campaign season but has announced his bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate. If you recall, he is the Senator that visited Syria and bad-mouth the United States. Reportedly, he has signed a contract to do commercials for Viagra.

Senator Barrack Hussein Obama visiting the homeland of his father. Senator Obama is the current leader in the primary elections for the Democrat nominee for President of the United States.


Senator Hilary Rodman-Clinton, Democrat candidate for President of the United States shortly after being notified that she had just picked up two Super Delegates, both women, but past President Bill Clinton did not disclose how he got them to change their minds.

NEW ELECTRONICS


The local cell phone company just announced a new line of "water proof" cell phones that are now available. A great looking pair.

WORLD CRUSADES

The PETA girls are once again protesting, this time the rights of the "bull". It is reported that these girls are so dedicated to the cause of PETA they took time off from work to protest. They work at the local Hooters, but will serve no food other than veggies.