New Year's Eve - 25 Years Ago

New Year’s Eve 25 years ago my beautiful wife Becky and I were busy decorating the nursery in our home. We had been married two and a half years and were expecting our first child on or about January 15. 

As the clock struck midnight and 1987 arrived, we celebrated with a kiss and decided we should get to bed. We were hosting a New Year’s Day party at our home for several friends and had to get up early to prepare the snacks.

About 5 A.M. Becky tried to wake me saying she thought we needed to get to the hospital. In my usual fashion of not getting too excited, I told her to wake me when she was certain, and rolled over and went back to sleep. About 6 A.M. she woke me and said she was sure. That woke me. 

We arrived at Holzer Hospital and the nurse who greeted us said “You’re too late.” That took me by surprise and I responded, “Huh?” She explained that the first child of 1987 for Gallia County had already been born so we wouldn’t be getting all the freebies for having the first-born of the year. Believe me, that was the farthest thing from my mind!

About 12 hours later we welcomed Jesse Dale Lear, 19 inches long and 6 lbs 2 ozs. Jesse is visiting with us tonight and it is great to have him here. Here’s the brief version: he’s been a great kid, homeschooled K through 12 and graduated from Cedarville University with a Business degree, and is currently living in Columbus. He is co-owner of a recycling business and stays very busy as the business is growing rapidly.

I, my wife Becky, Jesse, and my daughters Lacey and Lani wish you all the Best and Happiest New Year ever!

Ernest Hemingway Home - Key West

A few days ago I wrote about the view from the Key West Lighthouse. At the center of the photo above you can see the Ernest Hemingway home. The home was built by Asa Tift in 1851 and became Hemingway’s home in 1931. At 16 feet above sea level, it is the second highest point in Key West. The home is one of very few of the island homes with a basement.

Above is a photograph of the pool which was completed in 1938. Ernest was traveling and left the details of construction of the pool to his wife Pauline. The pool is 24 by 60 and 10 feet deep at one end, and 5 feet deep at the other. The cost of construction was $20,000 in 1938. At the time, it was the only pool within 100 miles. Ernest complained that Pauline had spent all but his last penny and she might as well have that too. He placed a penny in wet concrete at the end of the pool. The penny is still there, covered with Plexiglas for protection and to be sure it will remain there for future visitors. See the photo below.

When visiting the Hemingway home, be sure to notice the cats – not that you could miss the 40-50 cats on the property. Most of these cats have 6 toes on their front feet and are descendants of a six-toed cat given to Hemingway by a sea captain. Six-toed cats are known as polydactyl. Below is a photo I took of one of the unusual cats on the Hemingway estate.  When I was growing up in Rodney Ohio we had a couple of the six-toed cats. We called the feature “mitten paws.”

There are many more interesting facts and stories about the Hemingway home, but I’ll let you find these on your own. When visiting Key West, it’s a stop you’ll want to make.

The Mad Drummer

For many years I’ve been the official photographer for the Gallia County Junior Fair. A couple of years ago one of the fairboard members told me that Rick K and the Allnighters were playing that night. He asked me to get photographs of them playing and to be sure to watch the drummer.  

When I was young, I was a drummer and a member of a country band, a gospel band, and for a short time a rock band. We had a lot of fun, but after a while my interests took me down a different path. My youngest daughter Lani has been interested in drums for several years and a few years ago we bought her a drum kit for Christmas.

I met the band backstage before the performance and they were all very friendly and we chatted for quite a while. When they began playing I was pleasantly surprised. They played a collection of hits that began in the 50s and took us to current hits. They did a good job.

The drummer, Steve Moore, was the highlight of the band. He was a wild man on the drums. He would drum with one hand, twirl the stick in the other hand, and throw the sticks up in the air and never miss a beat. At one point, the band leader took a bundle of drumsticks to the front of the stage, and throw them one at a time over his back toward the drummer. The drummer would put the stick he was holding under his arm and catch the thrown stick without missing a beat.

The drummer’s arms would flail about, sometimes making huge circles as he drummed. I’d never seen anything like it. Part of Steve’s act was to look like he was dim-witted, but he never missed a trick. While the band members were all talented musicians, Steve was the highlight of the show. 

A week or so after the show I did an Internet search and found that Steve Moore was quite popular. He had a website and someone had posted a YouTube video entitled “This Drummer is at the Wrong Gig” and it had gone viral with more than 7 million hits. Last I checked, it was approaching 15 million. 

For more information, check out The Mad Drummer on Facebook, YouTube, and look for Steve’s website: www.themaddrummer.com. Below is a photograph of my daughter Lani with Steve after he autographed a pair of drumsticks for her. 

Buying a Yacht in Key West

Some people have summer homes, some have cottages on the lake, and some have motorhomes that they pack up and hit the road. All of these are great, but I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a yacht. I love the ocean and the gulf, the warm breezes, the fresh air, and the gentle lapping of the waves. 

I’m no great swimmer and certainly no fisherman, but I think it would be fun to have a yacht docked some place like Key West. The weather is great, the atmosphere is laid-back, and I have an interest in art and writing, for which Key West is famous. It is the ideal place to spend my winter and spring breaks.

After a careful review of my financial status, I decided to take a tour of watercraft I could afford. Fortunately, I was told that they were all docked in a row. Below is the photograph I took. Not exactly what I had in mind…maybe next year.

A Photograph of Santa Claus

 

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas. I just have a couple of minutes so I thought I’d show you a picture I’ve been attempting to catch for years.

Finally, I was able to catch Santa Claus in action. This should be proof enough for you doubters!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!