Sept: Confederate Ghost Squadron

Next door to Odessa is Midland, TX -- home of the Confederate Ghost Squadron Museum. Renamed several years later, it is now the Commemorative Air Force Museum. Thinking the first name had more panache.

Before you get to the musem, you pass a memorial to those who served in Vietnam with a roll of those Texans who died there.

The museum itself is remarkable with exhibits and library and displays. An incredible amount of work has gone into this place -- highly recommend, well-worth a visit.

There was also a section dedicated to 10th Mountain, which was Alex's division (2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division) One entire section of the museum is devoted to noseplane art. You cannot take photos in that room, but there was an image outside to give you an idea.

Sept: The Trip East -- Odessa, TX

I'd been plodding through G.W.'s book Decision Points. When we decided to drive East, the first logical stop was Odessa -- where George spent his childhood.

It was a heady undertaking for the first day -- some 10 hours worth of driving according to Mapquest. With Molly, the dog, and with our aging bones, we needed to stop every 3 hours. As that was a good break, we would switch drivers then.

Driving across western Texas is a lonely experience. You go through miles of desert, sage and rolling hills before you see town or farmhouse.

And my online maps were a bust. When we arrived in Odessa, they didn't actually recognize where the hotel was but sent us wandering in circles. It was well past 10 pm when we checked in. Too tired to look for food, we snacked on cheese, grapes and crackers -- provisions from the trip.

We were at an old, old, old La Quinta -- one of the chains that allows dogs. They were in process of remodeling, but it hadn't hit our section yet.

At least, it was only one night. And as we traveled, we saw newer La Quintas -- but didn't stay in one again for this trip.

July: Tombstone and the Earps

And where do we take East Coast visitors? Tombstone, of course. Bob and Joan and Steve and I drove over to see an Old West favorite.


We were having lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon when who walked in the door -- but Wyatt himself!


After lunch, we went over to the OK Corral in time for the shootout re-enactment. The Earps and Doc Holliday posed afterwards, as did Ike Clampett.

Joanie caught a picture of Bob at the corral while Steve watched.

July: Prescott -- World's Oldest Rodeo

Friends Bob and Joan drove out from Vermont to stay at a condo in Sedona for the week. We met up in Prescott and went to the Prescott's World's Oldest Rodeo. Saturday morning was the Rodeo Parade -- just a block from our hotel, the Hassyampa Inn.

As we walked into the lobby that morning, it was filled with sheriffs, marshalls, calvary, wanted desperados and shady ladies. Do believe one of these was the Duke, if you look closely.


The parade route was around the Courthouse and Whiskey Row and the audience was 3 - 4 deep. Seems all the regulars brought their folding chairs -- as the parade lasted about 3 hours. We gave up standing before it was over and went back to the hotel for refreshments.

Of Easter and Dancing Lambs

My posts are a bit out of sequence here, but also wanted to post the Dancing Lambs. This was Stevie's present in his Easter basket.

Cooper gets ice

It is July and am in Illinois visiting my sisters. Each year, they have remodeling projects and decorating schemes to be enjoyed. Never a dull moment.

We had tea and drinks on Jan's screened porch, morning coffee with Sam on her patio and evening socials with Judy on her front porch. Plus we shopped, eat, laughed and enjoyed each others' company for the week.

Surprise of the day, tho, was Cooper learning to get his own ice from the refrigerator. Posted on Facebook and U-Tube ... reposted here. And I smile each time I see this.

February - Marana Air Show

Ok, so it is December ... but I am just catching up. Will review highlights of the year 2011 one small blog at a time. :)

Pretend it is February, 2011, and we are now at the yearly Marana Air Show at Marana Airport -- where they bring in the old WWII planes. (Saw one elderly gentleman escorted by his daughter about my age. He was a flyer in the planes on display ... recalling the exploits of his youth.)

Times long past ...