Just Visiting

aunt Lee comes to see us!

Center of City

Family Affair

the pointing & scratching
he learned from his dad

when i work, everybody works

Kailani comes over

sept 23,2004

aphasia & history

Lee, don't know how you manage to keep all those bits of information in
your head for our enjoyment, but most, if not all, has some accuracy.

Lydia says: "..it also told me sherwin, then it said its not sherwin at all. my mind thinks hes the guy that fought grant."

I
take an interest in this because we have this large portrait in the
lobby alongside 1 of Grants flags that draped his coffin and I'm the
one whos called upon to tell the story behind the people in the
portrait and the historical event it is portraying.

Henry S. Sherwin did indeed fight in the Civil War.
He was 1 of the original California 100 who volunteered to go fight back east (I think they had too much sunburn).
2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers
(The California 100 and the California Cavalry Battalion)
they
were assigned to Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah, and participated in
the sweep of the Confederates from the Shenandoah Valley during the
fall and winter of 1864. They fought with distinction in the battles of
Winchester, Luray, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. They were part of the
long march from the Shenandoah to Petersburg in February and March of
1865 and later participated in the battles of Dinwiddie Court House,
Five Forks and Sailors Creek. At wars end they were present at the
surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. They took part in the Grand
Review at Washington, D.C. on May 23,
1865.http://www.militarymuseum.org/2ndMassCav.html


So thanks for filling me in on a little more of history.

G'pa G'ma Day

From our babies
to G'paw (&G'ma)

Our new Babies

When it rains, it pours

Ok, I'll do the lamppost. Ok, I'll change the compressor and save you
$3600. Ok, Mr D., I'll do the repairs of your porch for $$$ so the
painter doesn't charge you big bucks. Ok, i'll try to have the room
ready for the evacuees from New Orleans running from Ivan. Ok, Ok, Ok,
geez, what DO I do for fun?

Too much of a good thing

the cafe guy called me at home asking me again if i would put up the
antique street lamp. told him i had thought about it cost &
material wise, and didn't think they wanted to be hit with sticker
shock. (jackhammer rental $75, appropriate lps retrofit light $65-$70,
cement $??? by quantity, re-wiring $, installation $. He says willing
for $5-$6 hundred if thats in the ballpark. Maybe i'll do it because no
one else will...challenges $priceless.

this reproduction is similar to the antique, but the antique is in serveral stacked pieces with no means of self support
http://www.coblemetalworks.com/french_street_lamps.html

The Footprints of God

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author:	Greg Iles

Local Natchez writer. Held my interest, read it in 2 days.
Not so distant future mixing psychiatry, warfare, and computers in a doomsday scenario. Had to flip back to pages to reconnect to some references, (magnetized lead?)and as in some books and movies, author has a hard time finding a good conclusion to the book. Overall, good book for computer guys.

Conquest?

Today I picked up my check for the completion of the fountian. Somehow,
there is no ecstacy in doing so. This is not fully why I take on
seemingly impossible tasks, things that are in the very least daunting
to the ordinary layperson, and quite challenging to the very talented.
I do not know what drives people on the hunt, only to be let down after
the kill. I suppose I love the thrill of the chase, rather than the
final conquest. It is a curse of the well known and infamous. Howard
Hughes and his Flying Boat, Napolean and Prussia, Hitler and Poland,
they all had something in common, they were not satisfied with triumph,
they wanted more. There was hollow victory in winning.

The most dangerous moment comes with victory. Napoleon Bonaparte

Darrells Lawncare

curt & anthony work for darrell

my other venture

Rides

cruzing

lleno circulo

There are inevitable events which cause you to contemplate the very
real purpose in all of the menageries and hodgepodge of life.
I am reminded of these events as I approach my 46th birthday, this year
on Fathers day, and I had the sudden impulse to take the toy dachshund
off the top shelf where it resides in my bedroom, and go and show it to
my Mom, who is visiting for the night. I remind her that I received it
as a gift from her on my 11th birthday and that he will be 35 years old
in a few days. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, for she is
touched by the ravages of time, when years grant you only happier
memories, she recollects and says matter of factly, Yes, I remember that.

I am reminded when she slips as she holds my face in her hands
and says, How is my Daddy?, and when I don't respond, a sadness comes
in her eyes as if she realizes her mistake, and she looks away.
I am thankful that I am here for my children, to watch them grow and mature,
and I know that I will not be here always, as it will be their turn to
teach their children, for this is the circle of life.

I miss my Dad, and wish that he could be here to help me guide my boys as only
Grandpas can do, but it was not his choice to go, so he passed the
mantle to me, and I will do my best to make fine fathers of my young
men, and yet, I regret the loss of some years when I did not fully
understand the responsibility that I was left with.

I have gleaned much from my Dad, taking little pieces of his life, and applying it in
my own, whether consciously or not. The man I first feared, then loved,
then later learned to admire his talents and his wisdom, which even
now, seem beyond his years. If only, as my children take small pieces
of my life, they will be as applicable for them. These pieces I give
freely in hopes that they may live. The strain in my back that keeps
recurring since I climbed a tree to help my oldest earn a few dollars
on a limb removal job which was more challenging than he first
perceived. The concern in my mind when I acknowledge that my middle
child is not as mechanically inclined as his brothers, yet I take
comfort in his passion for the outdoors and landscaping and his love of
animals. The ache in my forearm which sometimes wakes me in the night
comes from throwing fastballs to my youngest, to help him become a more
confident player. These pieces of myself I give freely and will give
many more until I must reluctantly pass the mantle on, for this is my circle.
 
I can again recall my Dad in his last months as he painted
my 'new' house and as he came to dine with me at my job because I
seemed so proud of my endeavors. I later found out that he was unable
to digest the meal without much pain due to the damages from the
radiation therapy he was receiving. And, as my Mama goes with us to the
ballpark to watch her grandson play, and to share in our enjoyment, her
discomfort with the bleachers and the insects are sometimes visible,
yet she is happy, she is giving.

I can see my brothers and sisters and their children in my minds eye,
as they give out little pieces of themselves, unselfishly, and I smile.

I have been left to assist my Mama and I am standing outside of the unlatched and slightly
ajar door to the ladies room because the lock is tricky and may lock her in.
There are people with stares, there are funny looks, and just as an
official comes back for a second time to look at me, my Mama rescues me
by latching her elbow in mine, she is ready to go.
And now, you see, we have come full circle. byron c

labor day

Just took it for granted up untill i was asked what it was about.
"..Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or
nation." said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the
American Federation of Labor.
I guess i could have never learned that and not missed anything.

Checked on the new outdoor restaurant where i will be installing my newest
fountain thursday and the guy wants me to erect an antique streetlamp
in another area of the courtyard. Needs re-wire, retro-fit light,
paint, and mostly just make it stand up, weighs about 300lbs and top
heavy. Told him i'd think about it. sounds like work.

Why does today seem to be plodding along? must be because i left work early.
Thought I'd give you all one of my cheesier poems, cause i know you guys are starving for the arts:

          The Artist

I am an artist, tis plain to see,
everything is a must to me.
I can plunge toilets with both art and style,
I'm most times willing, for that extra mile.
I challenge anyone, to walk in my shoes,
for they would beg God, to take what they choose.
For no one in a right frame of mind,
would choose to walk, in this state of mine.
I walk it alone, and I'm proud to say,
I would do it again, any old day!
The Plumbers Prayer
by byron c.

i penned this one when my bosses fiance asked me if I were an artist
(I was finishing up the touchups to the ceiling mural at the time).

Baby Kailani

baby pics

Flaming water fountains

Status:	CLOSED
Category:	Collectibles
Price:	negotiated & up

Opposing forces combine in these one of a kind outdoor fire and water fountain conversions handmade and custom built for your existing garden, patio, or landscape fountain.
Each design is unique and will bring you many hours of enjoyment for social events or personal relaxation.
photos

Night owl

It is saturday morning 4:15 am and I have awakened as I sometimes do in
the middle of the nite and can't go back to sleep. I am having one of
those Daddy moments where sleep is elusive and thoughts are many. Mine
and Kays 28th anniversary is over, we are starting out on our our 28th
honeymoon. This year there are additions to the family, as my oldest
baby boy juggles his new life with a live in girlfriend, a toddler who
just turned 2 this past Sunday, and a precious little girl who makes so
many faces it is hard to keep up with her changing emotions. She smiles
and then pouts, then smiles again, and can go from a frown to a full
blown crying fit all in less than 10 seconds. Then she looks around
like shes wondering what all the fuss is about.I wonder if all babies do this.
I am thinking of Dolly and how she is coping. I am thinking of my Mom.
I am thinking of Petes wedding, and of Charles. I am thinking about our
little sister Lydia, and hope she is well. I am still bothered by the
way Darrells traffic court was handled, and if there is anything I can
do about it, or should I just let it go. (see Silence!)
I have to work again this weekend, with cutbacks at work there will be no new
hiring to replace the guy I lost. I guess I am just thinking, going
nowhere.... I think I will go back to bed for a little while.

Silence!

My Darrell,
I am sorry. I am saddened and embarrassed that I built
up your confidence and faith in me that I would properly handle your
case in court and then I completely failed to do that at all.
You
handled yourself quite well in spite of being in an uncomfortable place
and in an unfamiliar setting, and there is nothing to feel badly for.
I
should have listened more openly to what you were telling me about
pleading guilty and avoiding the trail instead of being stubborn, and
you would probably have asked for a lawyer had I kept my mouth shut
also. It is not that you didn't have a good case with a very good shot
at winning, but it failed because you needed the extra help that I
could not provide.
We can learn from this lesson. I did not do any
better or any differently when I plead not guilty and went to court and
lost 20 years ago, but for some reason, the officer never stopped me
again. We can only hope that that we have shown them our willingness to
stand up for ourselves, and that they have learned from us as well.
Life
is not a series of failures, it's just a series of attempts at
successes. Sometimes we trip, but we try again and we always end up
successful in the long run.
I love you son, your proud Dad.
(written
to my boy after the Judge told me I couldn't practice law in his court,
and stopped him mid-sentence when he attempted to ask the officer a
question)