FUNERALS & FRIENDS

   I attended a funeral today for a long time friend and his family. Of course they say that funerals are held for the person that has passed away, and that may be true. However I know they are also held for the family that is left behind. 
   I talked today to his wife of many, many years and to his children who grew up with my children. We reminised about many things we did together over the years and the fun times we have had and friendships we enjoyed.
   Someone once told me the joy is in the journey and not just the beginning and the end. As I get older I realize that is very, very true.
   When I got home I started rummaging through some of my old "stuff"and found the little note here below.
   I think it is still up to date--------

Wally

             FUNERALS & FRIENDS

My wife and I sat in the funeral that day,

And listened to what people had to say.

They talked about friends in the days of yore.

Some were young and some old, who entered the door.

I thought to myself, “What is a friend to me?”

Is that hard to decide, or easy to see.

Some we call friends are from long days past.

Where we made friendships that would forever last.

Sometimes in our youth, our lifetime friends we pick,

Those that will stay with us through thin and thick.

Some friends we pick as older we grow.

Some will always stick by us and some will go.

Whoever they are, these friends that we choose,

It is a comfort to know that we will not loose

Their friendship and comfort as life goes on

Perhaps even after the resurrection’s dawn?

W.R. Baldwin

April 2005

THE SHACK

                                                                          THE SHACK                

   I am pretty sure that all kids who grew up in small towns around the country in the 1940’s and 1950’s had a place they used to like to go just to “hang out”. Some were places in a park, some were old caves they had found, some were special places in a grove of trees but mine was “The Shack”.

   It was without a doubt the place where I spent the most time other than my home. I also usually had friends with me.

   The house we lived in at the time was in a part of town called “string town” and it was right by the railroad tracks. This is where my Dad and I built “The Shack”. It was a building about 10 x 12 feet. (It seemed a lot bigger when I was young.) However the important thing is that it was ALL MINE. It was like a castle to me. It was a hideaway- even if it was just a few feet from our home, when we were in it we felt like we were isolated from the world.

   Dad and I collected and saved used “Dummy Doors” for about a year. It is hard to explain what a “Dummy Door” is without seeing it. They were used in the box-cars on the railroad to block off the sections of the cars, or to block the doors so that when they were opened the coal would not fall out. When the R/R was finished with them they just left them in the empty cars and when they got to Hiawatha they just threw them out. Dad asked if he could have some of them and they told him yes. So we saved them, split them apart, saved the nails and wood and eventually built the shack with them.

   Dad poured a cement slab in the corner of our lot and that is where “The Shack” was located. It had a sliding glass, window, a full sized door, a pitched roof and the whole building was shingled.

   “The Shack” was a place of seclusion, as well as a gathering place for a lot of the kids in the neighborhood. We slept there all summer and even into the fall until it got so cold that we could not stand it.

   We had a “stash” of about 200 comic books in the shack and a lot of kids just dropped by to see if there were any more new additions to the comic book pile. I remember one of our big jokes was to call them our O.C.S. (officer candidate school) reading material.

   The one big disadvantage to “The Shack” was the power. The power came by way of a long black extension cord that was plugged into the porch of our house and my Mom could control when the light went off and on.

   We were good scouts however and we were prepared, with flashlights and even a Coleman lantern. Sometimes after the “official” lights out we would cover the window with a quilt and read or, shoot the bull, well into the night. I am sure the quilt did not cover up all the light, but we really thought we were pulling a fast one on Mom and Dad.

   I guess, like most (not all) teen age boys, our shack would get pretty dirty and we would get an ultimatum from my Mom that it had to be cleaned up OR ELSE---? At that point we would usually get our sisters to clean it up. We usually bargained with them that they could use the place for a night sleep over for girls if they would clean it. They always kept their part of the bargain; however I am not sure we always kept our part?

   My Sister and her friend did play there occasionally but for the most part it was a “Boys Hangout” and no girls were allowed except by special permission!

W.R. Baldwin

24 Oct 2014

EMERY COUNTY ALKALI

EMERY CO. ALKALI

                                             Emery County Alkali
                                  (Maybe a little bit exaggerated)
   First off I need to establish that I know that anyone acquainted with Emery Co. Alkali will know about it's dangers before reading this blog.
   Before my wife and I were married I spent some time in Emery County, Castle Dale to be more specific. In fact I spent A LOT of time there. There seemed to be a little magnetism that kept pulling me there.
   On one trip while we were there visiting we went out to Feno's field to get something. (I can't remember what it was now.) Anyway, as we were going down the dirt road to the field there was an Alkali patch about ten feet long in the middle of the road.
   I pulled up to it and stopped to see if I could judge how deep it was. I decided it was just a surface patch and we could easily drive through it. Donnie suggested that perhaps we should go up and come in on the other road. I told her I was sure there was no problem as we were in a Mercury with a V-8 engine and if we backed up a little and got a run at it I would be through it before she even knew we had hit it.
   I had heard about Emery Co. alkali before. In fact I had hunted pheasants near Deseret Lake (A ghost town) I was aware it was a ghost town mainly because of Emery Co. alkali. I don't mean to presume that all of Emery Co. is covered with it, but only that I knew it was there and it had a reputation for being real "sticky stuff."
   Well we backed up--- I gunned the motor and even before we got to the Alkali, it seemed to jump out and grab all four wheels of the Mighty Mercury. I don't even remember that happening but it must have because in a matter of seconds we were in the middle of the alkali and it was up to the axles of the car with a firm grip on all four wheels. I gunned the big V-8 engine but nothing happened. In fact I may have heard a "sucking noise" as we went down a little more?
   Well no one had ever told me that the "stuff" could reach out and grab you and pull you in. Also no one had ever told me that it was a cousin to quick sand, which just keeps pulling you in deeper and deeper.
   I finally had to admit that I had made a big mistake. I asked Donnie if she could open her door and get out without the "stuff" grabbing her foot and pulling her in.
   She did get out OK. I got out on the drivers side (a little worried that I might get sucked in, because I could not make the leap from the car to dry ground without stepping once in the alkali.
   We stood and looked at the big powerful Mercury V-8 stuck in a little patch of alkali up to it's axles not knowing whether to laugh or kick it.
   With no other alternatives we started walking toward town to see if Feno had any ideas as to what we could do about our situation. We got to the house and explained our situation. I think the only reaction from Feno was to take his hat off---slap it on the table--and tell one of his sons to get the tractor and take it out to the field.
   We all got in the old Farm Truck and headed for the field and the infamous Emery Co. Alkali patch. I think Feno was mumbling quite a bit all the way to the field, but I only caught a few words, dumb, city slickers and "don't they know about alkali."
   At least the story has a good ending. The tractor pulled the Mercury out and we finally got back home to Salt Lake with no damage except my hurt pride and a memory never to mess with EMERY COUNTY  ALKALI.

W.R. Baldwin
18 Oct 2014
 

The Freedom Factor--A Good Read

               The Freedom Factor       

                          by

                  Gerald Lund

Yes it is found in the Fiction Section for good reason

Yes it leaves you with some what if’s—

     What if the Constitution had not been ratified?

     What if evil men had taken over the government?

     What if, What if, What if?-----

It was not profound but it does make you think.

I liked it—It was a good read.

Cantankerous Carl's Beauty Sleep

Betty White once said,"Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep---- nine if you"re ugly." I have been trying to get at least ten or eleven but it does not seem to do any good?

UNINVITED VISITOR

                                      UNINVITED VISITOR

   I have been a little reluctant to put this in my blog because it is a little strange. However, hesitant or not I thought if I did maybe someone else in my neighborhood might have had the same experience and between us we might figure out what is really going on?

   I have always been the kind of person whose motto might have been, “A place for everything and everything in place.” However a few months ago things started things started to change and the only thing I have been able to attribute it to is that    someone is coming into my home at night and doing things to harass me.

   I have never found anything missing. (Even if I cannot find it immediately, it seems to eventually always show up.)

   The first time I noticed it was several months ago. I woke and did my morning things and then went into the kitchen and I noticed my garage door was up. I NEVER leave it up. In fact my kids refer to my place as “Fort Knox” because it is always locked up. Since I knew I ALWAYS shut it I thought one of my kids had been here after I went to bed and when they left, they did not close the garage door. But if that was the case why did they not wake me up? Or perhaps it was an uninvited guest, who had come and left. If it was he must have left the door up all night.

   Well I just forgot about that incident until one morning I went to get my “under clothes” to get dressed and there were only two pair in my drawer. I knew I had just washed and folded a LOT MORE than that just the day before. However since I could not find them I just assumed I did not wash that batch and they were still downstairs. I thought I would go down later and do it, so I did not think about it anymore.

   The next day I went to get a clean towel and “low & behold” all of my under clothes were in a neat pile – in the towel closet. I was sure THAT GUY had come and moved them. I tried to figure out why anyone would do that but I just went about my business and forgot about it.

   The next time something happened it really shook me up. I got up--- got dressed and went to get my wallet off the dresser to put in my pants pocket. It was GONE. I thought OH NO--- How could that be. I looked every place I could think of and could not find it. I decided to go to the bank and cancel my credit cards. When I got in the car there was my wallet, starring at me from the little shelf on the consol, between the seats. HE had been there again. But why did he never take anything?

   A few weeks ago I was going to breakfast with some friends. I got dressed and went to get my shoes. I have always kept them beside the bed at night. They were not there. I thought well a few times I have put them in the closet so I must have done that last night. I opened the closet, fully expecting to see them there—they were not. Rather than be late for breakfast I put on another pair. When I got back from breakfast I went to sit in my lounger to read my newspaper. Guess what? There they were sitting neatly as could be at the side of my lounger. I almost yelled, “No HE has been here again!

   That same afternoon I decided to make me a peanut butter and jam sandwich for a snack. I had a big breakfast so I thought I did not need a big lunch. I went to the cupboard to get the peanut butter and there was none. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF—“No not again, not twice in the same day.” And the other times had always been at night, so was he getting bolder? Since I could not find the peanut butter I decided to make a ham and cheese. I went to the “fridge” and get it and guess what? As I opened the door there was the Peanut butter starring at me. Who puts peanut butter in the “fridge?” Well for sure not me. For 60 years I have always put it in the cupboard. So I am sure HE had been there again.

   I talked to one of my daughters and to my sister about this and they just laughed and gave me “THAT LOOK”. I thought they did not think it was very serious and in fact my sister said, “Ya I think he has been here a couple of times also.” Perhaps I should forget about filing the police report that I was going to draw up?

   Well it has not happened lately but in thinking back over the last year I think HE may have been involved in some of these strange happenings--- I intend to keep watching for HIM.

1.     I have a favorite pair of everyday pants. I ALWAYS hang them in the front of my closet. I went to get them a while back and they had been moved into a different closet where I hang my suits.

2.     I got up one morning and went to take my allotment of pills. My toothbrush was lying on the pill box. I never put it on the medicine cabinet. I always hang it on the toothpaste rack. Was HE there?

3.     My last one I will mention could have many answers, but I will mention it because it was probably HIM. I have a shelf of memorabilia of my wife, in my computer room. It has a lot of things on it that are reminders of her. Anyone who knew Donnie will remember her desire for chocolate. So one of the things on the shelf (front & center) is a candy bowl that is always full of candy. One night I stayed up late doing genealogy. I actually stayed up until about 2:00 AM. I finally quit and went to bed because I was very, very tired. Imagine my surprise when I woke up the next day and the candy jar was completely empty? This was before HE had started visiting but now I wonder it perhaps it was HIM.

   Now of course another answer to all of this could be that I am getting a little forgetful but I refuse to accept that “fairy tale.”

   Also some of them could be embellished but I really wonder????

W.R. Baldwin

9 October 2014

NIGHT and DAY

Sunset at the cabin August 2002

                    NIGHT & DAY

The sun slowly slips behind the mountain

And the night birds start to sing.

I sit on my deck and wonder

What will the next morning bring?

In the distance I hear a coyote start to wail,

And a deer runs past the cabin woodpile.

And I think to myself what a wonderful tale

I could tell, with a great big smile.

Soon all the light was gone and the sky was black as ink,

With hundreds of stars peeking out above.

And I smiled to myself as I started to think

Our Father created this for us, with his love.

What is out there in the dark, I thought to myself?

The aspens that shimmered are now still.

Is that noise in the dark a bear or a deer?

Is it something to love or something to fear?

I thought to myself what a difference there is

Between the day and the inky black night.

What is out in the dark that we can hear

That causes us to tremble with fright?

So I shut all the doors and turn out the lights

And pull up the covers for another night.

I dream of the beauty that the morning will bring,

And in just a short time the birds start to sing.

And the cycle from evening to morning is over.

I look out the window at bees on the clover,

And see a beautiful hawk sitting there in a tree

Perhaps just to give joy to you and to me.

And the day starts anew and I yawn and I sneeze,

And the wind ruffles the leaves on the aspen trees.

A deer runs on past the cabin woodpile

And I start a new day with a great big old smile.

W.R. Baldwin

While at the cabin in August 2002

WHAT AM I?

This item is laying on top of a small square table. The table is not part of the item. It was used almost every day by people in the late 1800's and early 1900's. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS?

THE CEMETERY

THE CEMETERY

It seems the last month or so I have spent an inordinate amount of time at one cemetery or another. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is because my wife's Birthday is in August and the other is because my youngest grand daughter, Bailey Grace, was born in October and was only with us for two days. She would be six years old this year.

When I go out to visit Donnie I have found a meditation bench with the name SHAW on it. I am sure they do not mind me using it. It is only a few steps from Donnie's grave and it is under a big tree which provides shade in the summer, so I have taken to using it when I visit.

Sometimes I just sit and think, sometimes I take the newspaper and read it and there have been a couple of occasions when I take my lunch and eat while I talk to her and reminisce. Of course the conversation is a one way one and I sure wish it was not.

A couple of times when I have been sitting there I just started watching the people that come and go. It was interesting and it started me to thinking---- Why do people come to visit cemeteries? I am sure that there are many reasons and they are not all the same for all people. The more I sit and meditated the more I wondered.

First almost everyone brings flowers. Some are cut flowers, some are potted flowers and some are silk flowers. I wondered if they do it as a remembrance of the person? Of course there are other decorations left at other times of the year. There are small child toys on children's graves. There are flags (especially on the 4th of July), There are small Christmas Trees, Fall decorations and of course Birthday Flowers with a date on them.

One day as I sit and watched for a hour or so I observed---- An older man and woman drove up and stopped. They struggled to get out of the car. He took her hand and she put her arm around his waist and they walked a few steps to a grave where they just stopped and stood quietly looking for some time. After they left I went and looked at the headstone and it was the grave of a young man 21 years old who had been dead for 38 years. I presume it was their son and they still had a desire to visit him.---A group of four teens (I think) pulled up in a bright blue convertible. They were laughing, smiling and enjoying each others company. They stopped and jumped out, each grabbed a bunch of cut flowers from the back seat and walked to the grave and lay them on the grave. They did not use a vase, they did not try to stand them up, they just lay them side by side in the grave and still smiling and laughing went back to their car and left. I thought to myself, "I'll bet that was their Grandpa and Grandma and very likely they were standing right by their side and enjoying the smiles, vigor and happiness of youth while they were there visiting."--- Not to long after I arrived, a group of four cars arrived at a site nearby and about 20 Polynesian people got out. They brought numerous beautiful flower arrangements  and flowers in planters. They also brought two coolers and water. There were people all over and of all ages. It was obvious they were enjoying a family get to gather. A couple of toddlers ended up sitting on the graves and I could imagine them sitting on their Grandma and Grandpa's lap. I am sure the Grandparents were enjoying it. I wondered if the family picnic thing was a tradition with this family or was it a culture thing for the Polynesian People?

Another interesting thing that happened another day when I was at the cemetery was two cars pulled up and six people got out. It was obvious they had not been there for a long time or they just had a vague idea where the grave was. As soon as they got out they all fanned out and started going up and down the graves trying to find a certain one. After a short time one yelled and waved her arms and the rest swarmed to her like  bees to a hive. They stood by the grave and talked about five minutes and got back in their cars and left. I could not help but wonder if they had come because they felt an obligation. was it a yearly tradition or was there some other reason for getting together at the cemetery?

Of course the main reason I visit the cemetery is because I feel a special relationship with my wife, my eternal companion. I also know that is not her in the grave, but who knows, maybe she is sitting on my meditation bench with me. It also helps that my Mother and Father's graves are just a few steps away.

The other place I visit frequently is my youngest grand daughter, Bailey Grace. She was only with us for two days but I think everyone in the family is drawn to her for one reason or another.

Whenever I visit I leave a child's toy or a flower or some remembrance that I have. Often when I return to the grave they have been stolen. I am certain that people who steal from a child's grave (or any other grave for that matter) will for sure get their REWARD in HEAVEN!

Well enough of this "musing." I just thought it was fun "people watching" at the cemetery. As my family probably knows by now I am a certified "People Watcher."

WALLY