ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

Thanks to all. Much appreciated.

Answering two questions.

1. Yes. I have some red,white, and bluebell in the porch freezer.
2. No she did not put candles on my pumpkin pie. Had she; then that many - like a blow torch, would have melted it in short order.

btw. Just something in passing. Went down the mountain to get some bread, etc. and on the way back, in the corner of a farmers field, along the road was a stack of pumpkins.

Priced good and with a mason jar full of paper money. Sign said "Honor system" Large pumpkins $4.00, Regular pumpkins $2.00

I got one, took it to the cabin, and told my wife it was a thank you for the pie she made me. (and would two pies not be even better?)

On the side: Wonder which would last longest in a city like South-S**tago. The pumpkins on the corner, or the jar filled with bills...? Eat, or steal, that would be their quandary. Now, perhaps if they were not pumpkins, but watermelon..

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Like a blow torch....ya don't say!! :roll: :mrgreen:

Pumpkins....somebody's gotta cook 'em....and "younger" folks these days...I have noticed are clueless unless it includes a microwave or a trip to their mama's!! Pumpkins, pretty safe to say, they would still be there. My market...also works on the honor system, but only part of the time....as in when I'm chasing around after llamas or the weather is really ugly. People are SO honest, respectful, or something that I find money tucked into tomato flats, between baskets of cookies, and once a note that said "I just know Ms. L is watching me, THINKING I'm stealing, and well, she would be wrong. I'm NOT. Here is a list of what I took and I'm sure Ms. L must have binoculars and will confirm. I'll come back tomorrow and pay you. I just didn't want to leave money laying around." I love my customers, yes I do. :wink:

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

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Well you gotta realize. My new wife is forty five years my junior, and she thinks the pumpkin pies should come from Kroger or nowhere. {wink}

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Ahhhh, but she MADE you a pie for your birthday, true love that is. She sounds like a keeper to me.:wink: Should she be giving you a thump on the Inoggin' for that crack? :roll: :!: :P Oh, and BTW, now I know for sure which of the taller two guys you are in that picture you posted....and I did notice that "neither" of you looked like you were in danger of wasting away. Yes, the devil's in the details.... :wink:

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

Ha, Ha.

Actually I fibbed just a bit. I have been married to the woman for over forty years and she is only one year younger than me. Much nicer too.

I was hoping to d**g you girls into a feminist rant, but alas, once again, my knowledge of the thinking of women fails me..... (sigh)

As to the subject of which of those handsome men were me. I will give you another hint. Think of my moniker and find the ghost. I am in plain sight. I am looking right at you and yet you (hopefully) will not notice me.... (grin)...

I will go find that photo and post something so it gets somewhere near the front of the list. Just for you...

Oh, check out the below photo and see if you can spot me. I really am hard to miss. Ps. And thanks for being curious. Yes I really am that ugly.

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Ahh ghost, besides the fact that you are a s**mp, and I momentarily went "oops" before reminding myself that you seem to enjoy a good joke, I know when I am being baited, indeed I do. :lol: Besides, having worked in a mental health outpatient clinic, where you "always" watch your words (sometimes your life depends on it) and you're always having to look behind words for their "real" meaning...kinda gives me an advantage, donchaknow...and that pic you just posted...given the fact that I do believe I "only" saw women in that pool...and there's only "one guy" standing out of the pool....yep.....I look forward to that other picture...but it will have to wait, because I am now most late being at the market. However, before I left yesterday, I left everything where any and all could, with just a glance, pick out what they needed, except those pumpkins I have to offload this morning. Maybe, that's why I'm d**gging me feet this morning. Well, off to start what looks to be a beautiful day. You try and behave now, hear?

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

Welll it was a beautiful Saturday here as well. Cool and crisp, yet sunny and warm on the skin.

I hope you had a great day selling those pumpkins. Might I suggest you consider a daily pumpkin pie rack to add even more customers. Heck I might even drop in for one for myself.

Speaking of dropping in. Take a good look at that eye, looking back at you in this scrapbook photo, imagine the sly smile behind it, and see if you can match it to the other photo. I know you can, I do indeed know you can....

Just think of this as a fun type scavenger hunt.... (grin)

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

Just for the fun of it..

Here is a little (high tech) gadget for you to think about. If you look real close at the photos. Each member of the team has a little ear bud stuck in his left ear. Look for the little black dot.

H*****g around our neck is a blue tooth receiver/t***smitter... They work together and allow us to .............. So how observant were you, and what are they used for?

If you watch "person of interest" on TV you can get a quick hint....

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Well, hey, slow day at the market, everyone home watching a football game, my husband included, for that matter!! Those pies, already got that one covered, and at Christmas, "unofficial" selling of egg nog that's good a year later, and fruitcake (which I normally don't like), actually I make a "Wild Turkey" cake, alcohol fumes enough to make it practically unwise to drive. Well, okay....not "that" strong, but cut a slice, and you know, it didn't come from a church bazaar!! ;) One of the Amish makes regular fruitcakes for me, but insists that she is happy to ply those fruitcakes with booze if I will supply the booze. Fruitcakes need booze....how else could you manage to eat it!!

Observant, I would like to think so. Yes, that eye...twinkle in that single eye was absent in the other photo. Not sure I want to ask why so many of you seemed to be accompanying that little fellow. Oh, and doing due diligence to observations....I did notice those infrared? night binoculars perched on everyone's head. Maybe, you didn't need them necessarily at the beginning of that mission, but it would seem that this flight out ended as a "night" maneuver....Ahhh, had to put my glasses on to see the ear bud. (That's what happens when you get older, in years any way.) Having seen enough of those (an early version) in ears of Secret Service dudes when I worked in D.C. close to the White House, am an avid watcher of Person of Interest, and NCIS, up to how many people can communicate off one hub? For "normal" use...up to six or seven people, I believe, but I'm guessing y'all must, for your purposes, have the latest-not-yet-available to the public version, which either accommodates more users or multiple hubs are connected, yes? I'm not a techy by even the wildest stretch of the imagination, but most of the time I can make practical assessments and I'm "generally" known to be observant. :wink:

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

One of the hardest things to handle (believe it or not) is the sitting in the aircraft waiting to find out if the mission will be a hot one, or just another sit-a-round (staged) one.

Imagine. You are sent out to the airport where a (eg 130) is waiting for you, the ramp is down, you have your combat load (except for the ammo) which you find sitting in the plane.

You ramp up inside and then it is announced that your mission (you don't have a choice if you want to accept it or not) will be on the other side of the world in some God forsaken piece of land which no one really wants (or needs) in the first place.

So, anyway. You start a minimum of a three day lock down inside with the shades pulled and the lights being controlled so your internal clock will come somewhat close to the clocks where you will land. (Jumping with a bad case of Jet lag can get you k**led in a nano-second)

Often you can do at least one day in t***sit and the feel and sound of flight helps rock you to sleep when your eyes tell you it is time..

Now.... All of a sudden, the ramp drops. The mission has been canceled and you are shoved out into the sunlight, in the same spot you boarded the flight (most times-sometimes you are half way around, and will catch another bird home).. which your internal clock says should be the dead of night. No sympathy, no understanding. Not one pretty stewardess to fluff your ego.

What miss out on the fun of real combat and cry myself to sleep? Not on a bet. I will take the ride home, any day - or night - or err... wh**ever/whenever, time it really is. I have seen enough of the worlds sandbox and the little wannabe twits who run it.

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

I'm betting you have a tolerance of about a -3 when it comes to those wannabe twits, for whom I also bet you have much stronger, descriptive names. Talk about the twilight zone...the way you describe the events leading up to a mission makes me know it surely wouldn't be a career for someone without undivided attention to detail!! Waiting for the other shoe to drop, and not even sure whether it's actually a steel-toed construction boot or a spit-shined dress shoe is surely not for those who aren't solid as a rock and then some.

The mental health clinic was a "tiny" bit like your three days of being in suspended animation and occasionally the end result at the clinic could have the same end result, not pretty. I just never knew how my day was going to start nor how it was going to end.

Of course, unlike your day, mine always ended, and I could always, well, almost always, dump my situations with a client where they belonged.....on a therapist or a shrink. You were then and are now where the buck stops and many lives depend on the decisions you and your comrades in arms made/make, and for that I thank you.

I truly appreciate, as others who read this will, what three days of waiting for the other shoe looks like. I had no idea.

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

Thank you very much. Realize two things.

1. I am out and intend to stay out. Both the VA and the DOD would not let me go back, even if I wanted to. You and they have invested way to much on my tomorrows as it is.

2. I am no hero. I am just lucky as hell.

ps. I 'am' a type A... Ask my poor wife if you doubt me.

But then again; as the song lyrics go.

"Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind

Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine

Quiet thoughts come floating down and settle softly to the ground
"

I am so very fortunate... I am an American. I have seen almost every hell hole on this planet and I know that I am truly blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America.

God bless us, one and all.

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Amen.