My Dad When Young Man

VIDEO #1

The slides BELOW (video#2) are of Dad when in the Army.
Just click on link to view. It is a short slide show.

Gerald Nelson Nulton, b.12-20-06 d.10-30-99. He enlisted in the Reserve Corps of the United States Army at age 18 on December 9,1925 and was honorably discharged on December 19, 1928. 

He was based in Plattsburg, NY 

>>>Dad's Army Days 2nd Video!

Underwater

Encounter

Our daughter, who lives across town and comes here often to swim, visited on Saturday when it was hot and humid. Her plan was to get some sun and exercise. She swam slowly all the way across the lake and rested on the other side for a while. She decided to walk back on the dam road. When she got to the bridge, which is around the bend from the cabin, she was exhausted from the walk, so went back into the lake to swim home to the dock. 

On the way back, she saw an eye by her side under the water. Thinking it was a snake, and we have water snakes here but they don’t bother anyone, she flapped her arms and kicked her legs and yelled, trying to scare it away. The next thing she remembers is that a 3 inch beak appeared near its eye and the realization that it was a snapping turtle hit her. As she then swam away, “freaked out” she noticed it had turned on its side and was still swimming beside her. She saw its entire plastron and was shocked to realize that it was at least two feet in length. The neck and head stuck out and they were as large as her fist and arm! She told me that not only was she scared, it was too!

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The carapace length in adulthood may be nearly 20 in., though 9.8–18.5 in. is more common and usually weighs 9.9–35.3 lb. Common habitats are shallow ponds or streams. Some may inhabit brackish environments, such as estuaries. Common snapping turtles sometimes bask—though rarely observed—by floating on the surface with only their carapaces exposed, though in the northern parts of their range, they also readily bask on fallen logs in early spring. In shallow waters, common snapping turtles may lie beneath a muddy bottom with only their heads exposed, stretching their long necks to the surface for an occasional breath (their nostrils are positioned on the very tip of the snout, effectively functioning as snorkels). Snapping turtles consume both plant and animal matter, and are important aquatic scavengers, but they are also active hunters that prey on anything they can swallow, including many invertebrates, fish, frogs, reptiles (including snakes and smaller turtles), unwary birds, and small mammals. In some areas, adult snapping turtles can be incidentally detrimental to breeding waterfowl, as they will occasionally take ducklings and goslings but their effect on such prey is frequently exaggerated.

source: Wikipedia

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Here are a few surprising facts about snapping turtles that you must know before you take any action against these creatures:

1. If you remove turtles, especially snapping turtles from your lake, you can expect to eventually succumb to some unpleasant illnesses or issues such as jock-itch! This is because turtles, but especially snapping turtles, are the creatures in water that can be considered the best at cleaning the water: They remove dead and decaying bodies of fishes, frogs, and other creatures from the lake. They are like turkey-vultures of the lake. Without turtles in your lake, the bacteria levels will increase.
2. Because turtles prefer dead smelly or fishy meals, you do not smell attractive at all to turtles. They have little interest in biting you, eating you or harming you when they are in the water. We have heard of a few stories of people dangling feet over docks or kicking turtle when swimming, and have heard of a few cases where turtles may then snap at the person, but snapping turtles, while giving a sharp bite CANNOT BITE OFF A DIGIT! This is because snapping turtles in the northern area do not have enough strength in their jaws to break through bone or even ligaments. Alligator snapping turtles in the southern United States grow extremely large and may exert enough pressure, but not those in the north.
3. In fact, snapping turtles especially are actually gentle, shy but also curious creatures when they are in the water. This is because here, they are top predators and can swim very well. Here, they have nothing to fear and they are not vulnerable. In fact, we have heard of and witnessed many individuals swimming next to, standing on, and even petting a snapping turtle in the water and they were not startled or defensive at all.                                            https://www.turtleguardians.com/snapping-turtles-and-your-lake/

In the Meantime...

Our daughter will have to repeat her story about her lake swim yesterday so I can get more details. Then I'll tell you her story. In the meantime a few more, and I promise to be the last, of my old writings.

Maybe this one was about people dumping stuff, NO???

Contamination - Complete Piece

Litter in our fields, litter in our streams,
Litter in our hearts, litter in our dreams.
Litter in our homes, litter in our skies,
Litter in our souls, litter in our eyes.
Litter in our stores, litter in our pines,
Litter in our lives, litter in our minds.
Litter in our books, litter in our schools,
Litter in our church, litter makes us fools.

How does litter start? How does litter grow?
People make the litter. People let it show.
There’s a place for litter, there’s a place, I’m sure…
Clean up all your litter, don’t allow it to endure.

By Geraldine, August 1976

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The beginning of an angry time of life. Why? I don't remember.....REALLY.  Menopause??

Mankind - Complete Piece

Who says all birds have wings?
Not the ones I know.
They’re creepy, crawly, poison things,
Their names are Gin and Joe.
The stars delight in fine array,
They think they rule above.
The beasts will stalk and maim and slay
The ones they claim to love.
They push and shove and neck in neck
They hasten on their way.
They don’t know where they’re going
But they know they cannot stay.
I wonder if the subtle sound
My anguished heart perceives
Is promise of a future time
When everyone believes.

By Geraldine, 1976
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I have no idea of what motivated me to write this.

Progress - Complete Piece

Once there was a man
Who lived within the wood,
He’d hunt and fish and sing,
And knew his life was good.
And then they found the man
And took him far away…
“To a better land,” they said,
“He’d have to learn to stay.”
But soon the man grew sad,
His body wracked with grief.
They killed the lonely man
Because of their belief.
Why did people try to change
His happy way of life?
Did they know he left behind
His baby and his wife?
Now the child is grown,
His mother died today,
So deeper in the woods he’ll move
To live his father’s way.

By Geraldine, 1976

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Accumulation of Words

Patriotism ruled in those days. Entire families waited on the train station platform for this special happening in our small town.

The Freedom Train - Complete Piece

Oh Freedom Train we’re glad to say,
you’re like the flag we use today.
With royal colors, red and blue,
Inside we’ll go to look at you,

Oh, papers rare, and very old,
Are precious more than mints of gold.
With rights secured will always be,
So safe and pure for you and me.

Slogan: The Freedom Train is a symbol of freedom.

By Geraldine, 1947

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The words of a horse-crazy child who is fantasizing.

The Young Horsewoman - Complete Piece

She climbs astride her fiery steed,
(her pigtails just a-bobbin’)

She thinks he is the grandest mount,
(of course, it’s only Dobbin)

Around the great arena,
(the pasture fence, you know)

She shows him off and hugs his neck,
(her face is all aglow)

One day this massive beast will reach a ripe old age,
and then the little girl will begin another stage.

The mare and she blend into one,
(her pigtails are all gone!)

The Judge has marked her up for blue,
(her legs are long, her pants are new)

With gentle hands she rides and jumps into another life,

My little daughter soon will be a tender, patient wife.

By Geraldine, 1946 

Mom, I don’t know how to properly punctuate this.

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Finally, the young girl has a horse. An old, old one, but a real living animal. She is beside herself with joy and thankfulness. 

The Red Mare - Complete Piece

With flashing hoofs and flying mane,
That mare of mine is such a pain.
She bucks, she rears, she kicks about,
She turns herself right inside out!

Her shining coat and stockings white,
Are to me a charmful sight.
With head and tail held very high,
I thrill to watch her trotting by.

I’ll never own a horse like she;
Again, I know, because you see--
She’s proved to me, the best mare known,
Because she is my very own.

By Geraldine, 1948

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As a child I was always "with cat" and sometimes many.

Welcome Stray - Complete Piece

The woman lived alone,
Her days were long and sad.
She had no kin to care for her,
No friend to make her glad.
And then one night the cat appeared.
It crept up on the sill,
It edged itself in past the door,
And crouched there very still.
The woman saw the timid thing,
And beckoned it to stay.
So now her hours have purpose
As they pass from night to day.
Do you know this sly old cat
Has lived there all this while?
The only thing for years and years
To make the woman smile.

By Geraldine, 1976

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One time, long ago, there were over 50 ‘mouses’in my 'houses.'

My middle daughter bred and raised them in her genetic experiments for her 4-H project. She was Grand Champion in the project for a couple of years, then gave them all away at the fair one year, in baby food jars with holes punched in lids.

Pet Mouse - Complete Piece

With paws curled tight and head tucked in, his tail all wrapped around,

My little mouse is fast asleep, he surely can't be found!

Then all at once his whiskers twitch, his beady eyes peer up,

I've come with seeds and bits to fill his little cup.

By Geraldine, August 1976

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Sometimes I'm still overwhelmed by so many wonderful memories of my Grandparents! 

Memories of the Visit - Complete Piece

Grandma baked a cake for me, a chocolate one, I think.
She put it in the oven but it soon began to sink.
She baked a batch of cookies…the kind for which I yearn.
She put them in the oven, too, but they commenced to burn.
“A pie!” she said, “I’ll roll the crust, you go and gather berries.”
But birds had done their natural thing…they even ate the cherries.
“Now go find Gramps, he’s in the den, he’ll show you what to do.
He’ll build a toy with nails and wood and lots of paint and glue.”
But Grandpa banged his thumb, and gosh it really hurt!
He spilled the paint on Grandma’s rug and down his brand new shirt!
The cake won’t rise, the cookies smell, the pie is from the can.
And Grandpa’s thumb is wrapped in white, the rug and shirt are tan.
I went and sat beside the door, for Mom was coming soon.
I read a book and sat quite still…perhaps I hummed a tune.
“I had a lovely time!” I said, when Mother came that day.
“I didn’t touch a single thing! I wasn’t in the way!
My tummy’s full, and I’m sure tired; I think I’ll go to bed.”
I took the dog that Grandpa made, and it was painted RED.

By Geraldine, September 1976

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Older Writings...

Someone once said that writing is a great outlet. I am occasionally surprised at how my brain works. These days, I wake up in the morning or after my afternoon nap and words seem to flow. I feel a need to put them down.

Before blogging, I loved assignments in grade school when we were encouraged to write poems and stories. I  wrote a few short stories and poems and my mother saved them in a folder. I do remember when it started up again. When I was working in a cabinet manufacturing plant and using a knee operated chopper to cut wood in different lengths, words would form in my “other” mind and I would have to repeat them to myself until I arrived home to quickly put them on paper. That was in 1973 through 1980.

Now they are pushing at me again! I think the words just hide and dance in my head until I’m forced to recognize that they are there and then they must be expressed so I put them together and release them. It doesn’t seem to be a thinking process but it’s a delivery. I can go years without the words flowing, but when they do, well…

Probably this doesn’t make sense to anyone except me. 

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Survival or defeat? 

 Wish I could remember what prompted this one!

Finale - Complete Piece

In tattered sweater with holes and pins, she hobbles from her bed,
The fire is low, she must get coal, it’s out there in the shed.
Her eyes peep through the crusty glass, they see their distant goal…
It once was near but now it’s far, offends her weary soul.
Her man is gone, a fine man too, he used to gather wood.
She does her best to carry on, for once, her life was good.
The milk was sweet, the sun was warm, her children--how they grew!
They’ve left her now, the fondest things, she’s bid them all adieu.
But back to now--with daily chores to wear her strength away,
She must get coal to warm her bones, to live another day.
With strong determination to reach her destination,
The woman struggles on with legs of lead
Through ice and snow, Oh! Lord! the coal is gone!
Her muddled mind can’t comprehend that the final hour’s near.
It just can’t be! She’s ready though…
She’s waited all this year.

By Geraldine, November 1977

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Death and dying thoughts........

Exit - Complete Piece

He doesn’t know the time of day, the season or the year.
His kin have done the kindest thing--that’s why they put him here.
With inner anger, outer calm, he’ll show them all--you’ll see!
The plan is buzzing in his head, he ponders it with glee.
What matters when the meal is served, what hour he goes to sleep?
What matters if his socks don’t match, or if the snow is deep?
He soars above these lowly points to witness from afar,
His body crumpled, all askew, the doors are left ajar.

By Geraldine, November 1977

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A woman's right to change her mind.

Contradiction - Complete Piece

Don’t enter my castle! Don’t tread on my land!
Don’t breath my fresh air! Don’t reach out your hand!

Don’t bother to trouble! Don’t take time to care!
Just leave me alone! Stranger, beware!

Now see what you’ve done! Now look how you’ve meddled!
Now go along home! Now I’m unsettled!

Now where did he go? Now why did he leave?
Stranger, come back! I need a reprieve.

By Geraldine, August 1976

!!!!!!!!!!and there are more, MANY more............

Feeling "Artsy"

My original camera shot - only added dark vignette.

Then I played...

Yesterday I played with my crystal ball! Not easy!

This is the original scene...

And, if you remember seeing these yesterday I flipped the image of the ball shot.

These are the originals...

I do like a challenge and definitely need more practice!

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Neglect

Written in 1977 - GMR 

(Grant from National Endowment for the Arts; and The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.) 

My poem was published in three different volumes.

Note: This poem is about neglected PEOPLE, attending to their care and needs, and experiencing revitalization.

Neglect

The fields were left unshorn, the house was bleak and worn.
The barn forgot its life and warmth and litters that were born.
The apples grew and fell, became a rotting smell.
The rust attacked the tools and wheels which knew their jobs so well.
With helping hands they came, to sow and tend and reap.
To save the farm from certain death, to wake it from its sleep.
And now petunias grow, along the chicken wire,
The piglets root and squeal with joy, in moss and grass and mire.
The sight of birds and bees, of cows and streams and trees,
Should soften all the hardest souls and bring them to their knees.
How many farms lay waste?
How many die each day?
Who will bring them back to life?
Hurry! Don’t delay!

This is MY Country

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Baked!

Nope, not me! Banana walnut bread. It's not too hot to bake, IF you do it early in the morning. I was all finished cleanup and slicing before 11:30am.  Now I'll just package and freeze what we don't eat at lunchtime! I think I bake because it gives me a real sense of accomplishment and it's ALWAYS nice to have home baked items on hand. The recipe I used today is one that a favorite fellow blogger posted quite a few years ago. Her name was Beth Marie and she lived in Peoria, IL. Unfortunately she died in 2015, but her memories and recipes live on! "Day by Day With Beth Marie"

~~~~Recipe~~~~

Banana Bread - Beth Marie

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

3 ripe bananas

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2.  Grease a 9x4 inch loaf pan.

3.  Mash bananas in a bowl.

4.  Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl.

5.  Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer or spatula in a large bowl until smooth.

6.  Stir in mashed bananas.

7.  Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, fully blending in each egg before adding the next.

8.  Stir in vanilla extract and milk.

9.  Stir in chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and flour mixture until just incorporated.

10.  Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap pan on the counter to release any air pockets.

11.  Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.

12.  Let the bread rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan. Slice and serve.

Scissors

The Mister sometimes talks in his sleep. The other night he said, “Where are the scissors?” Well, that question prompted me to thinking about just where the scissors are. So this story is about my many scissors. 

First, there is a heavy duty pair on the hot water heater console by the back door. These are used for both outdoor and indoor kitchen jobs. They are also handy to open boxes and containers. There is a scissor hanging on the wall over the kitchen sink that I use mostly for cutting foods and parchment paper.

The pair that is kept in the golf car are ones I grab when I see a wildflower or something interesting on a roundabout ride. They are actually electrician's wire cutters!

There is a barber-type scissor in the living room sewing cabinet along with pinking shears and an antique buttonhole pair.

The “Fibber Magee” closet has a pair in my wire crafting toolbox. They cut but maybe not to be considered as scissors. oh well...

The chest in the dining room has two in the top drawer for just about any use. Sometimes I just use the little ones to poke holes.

The bathroom cabinet contains two tiny scissors which are handy to nip hang nails or long hairs found where they don’t belong.

In my bedroom, I have a small tabletop cabinet where I keep my crafting and computer supplies and tools. You can imagine that these get plenty of use!

How many scissors do you have in your home? I count at least 17!

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Fruits of the Soil

Today we took a ride out to our favorite home farm market because it was announced on their web page that fresh batches of corn are now being picked and dumped into the bin daily. We took home green beans and tomatoes and three ears of corn. They expect melons to be ready in about ten days!

We'll have to visit several other times in the upcoming weeks because we sure do like their corn! On to the other colorful and fresh items on display; there were cucumbers, squash, onions, red potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and so much more!

I washed and snapped the beans and then they went in for a couple of minutes in a bowling water bath, then immediately plunged into ice water and bagged. They are in the freezer.

 At the bottom of this post is a link to a short video I made in 2011 from my nephew's images when he was canning dilly beans.

Tomorrow I plan to have my first tomato sandwich of this year. I'm patiently waiting for the Oxheart ones that my daughters grow annually from seeds I save every year. I prefer Oxhearts over any other as they are meaty, have few seeds and are extremely flavorful.

The farm just posted this image of the garlic that was all pulled this morning. It is neatly stacked, don't you think?

Photo by La Rue's Farm Market

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Green Beans Video Link

~~~~~~~MY GREAT Dilly Bean Recipe~~~~~~~

Sweet Dilly Beans   (Makes 4 pts)

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs green beans

4 large carrots

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons coarse salt

1 head fresh dill

DIRECTIONS

1. If necessary, trim ends of beans so they will just fit into pint jars when inserted lengthwise.
   
2. Pare carrots and cut into sticks that are about the size of the beans.
   
3. Into a large saucepan, turn the beans and the carrots; add enough boiling water so it comes up about 2 inches; bring to a boil; boil just until vegetables are tender--about 15 minutes; drain.
   
4. Into a medium saucepan, put the sugar, vinegar, 2 cups water, and the dill; bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves; simmer for 5 minutes.
   
5. Pack the beans and carrots lengthwise in 4 pint jars; cover with the hot sugar-vinegar mixture, leaving 1/2-inch head space.
   
6. Place jars on a rack in a large pan, add hot water to cover jars by at least 1 inch.
   
7. Bring water to a boil, then keep at a gentle, steady boil 20 minutes.
   
8. Remove to cool.

Assorted Mix

I don't know which is prettier or more interesting than fishes and flowers! What do you think? Animal pets are also delightful!

My 18 year old Great Nephew

Just for fun, look at a Granddaughter's tiny velociraptor. Pretty little thing isn't it? It is hanging on to her finger!

..... and how about a neighbor's newly adopted dog!

 please click on image to view larger and feel the love...

Colorful Short Rideabout

Yellow, orange, red and pretty, they’re everywhere! Down the road, up the road, around the corner, they’re everywhere! In the woods, in the fields, in the yards, they’re everywhere! By the ponds, by the lake, by the ditches, they’re everywhere! Newly opened, dying off, drooping over, standing straight, they’re everywhere!

It’s the time of the lily.

Oh! and Momma duck with her 5 ducklings hiding in a roadside ditch. When they saw me they swam right into a pipe that is under a driveway. They didn't come out! My new golf car is noisy!

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