THE THIRD TARGET

                                      THE THIRD TARGET

                                         A GOOD READ BY JOEL C. ROSENBERG

   If you like Spies, Action and intrigue you will like this book. Once I started reading it I did not want to put it down. I read it in three days and was sorry it came to an end/without really having an ending.

   Although it was a novel, there was so much in it that has really happened that it was scary. I once thought that if I was reading this five years in the future I may have been reading a history book instead of a novel.

   YES I RECOMMEND IT! It is for sure a GOOD READ.

Wally Baldwin

August 2015

OLD GLORY

OLD GLORY

    It seems I have attended a lot of funerals this past year and several have had a flag draped casket at the burial ceremony. I guess over the years I had not thought too much about that and maybe even just took it for granted. Of course I knew that anyone who had served in the Military service and had been honorably discharged was eligible to receive a U.S. Flag to cover the casket and that the Department of military affairs would provide one.

   I guess what I had never really thought about was that the flag ceremony should be properly done by proper military representatives.

   The reason for this blog (and my thoughts) is because I recently attended my Brother in law, Merlin Blackburn’s funeral and they had a flag ceremony. For some reason I was more touched than I had been in the past. It really felt patriotic.

   In addition, when the ceremony was over one of my daughters made the comment, “Dad that was beautiful and very impressive. When the time comes I think we need to do that for you.” I agreed with her and I don’t know if her feelings and my feelings were more in tune because the country seems to be more aware of patriotism or if I was standing right next to one of the two people, who were in full dress uniform, on a hot, hot day taking care of this ceremony to honor one of their own?

   I talked to the young airman after and she explained to me that it is not as simple as going to the store and buying a flag, and then draping it over the casket. It should be an authorized burial flag, draped properly, folded properly and presented to the proper person after the “military honors” are concluded. If possible at least one of the uniformed military people should be from the branch of service that the veteran served in. The flag should never be removed from the casket by a person in civilian clothing. It also should never be buried with the casket.

   As I said before I was touched by the precision of the service and I appreciated the young Airman explaining a little about the ceremony to me.

   When the burial was complete I told my daughter, “Yes when my time comes I would like to have the “military honors” ceremony done for me.”

Wally Baldwin

Aug 2015

CARL'S DREAMS

CARLS DREAMS

I lay on my bed and dreams start to appear.

That they may come to pass causes me much fear!


Contankerous Carl
21 Aug 2015

THE ROAD TRIP

THE ROAD TRIP

   I suppose everyone my age has been on at least one memorable road trip and I am sure most have been on several. In the 1940’s to 1960’s a road trip was a big adventure for many families.

   A road trip was an inexpensive way to take a family on a fun get-away trip during the Summer. Some of them were elaborate and some---not so much.

   As I sat here today meditating, a lot of my trips have come to mind. I decided to combine a few of mine and add then to “my blogs.”

   ------ We had planned for months for our upcoming Road Trip to Yellowstone Park. I had been there before, when I was younger, however neither my wife nor kids had ever been there. It was going to be a trip of memories. We had looked at travel brochures, studied over maps and talked to people who had been there and after all of that we found there was so much to do and see that we had a hard time deciding where to stay each night. However we thought it all through and worked it out and got everything organized and now we were ready to go.

   We were excited and anxious as we went to bed the night before we left. I think each of us were so excited it took a while to finally drop off to sleep and we anticipated our upcoming road trip.

   We got up early Saturday morning (and the kids even got up without much coaxing) and we loaded the car, had a quick bite of breakfast and we were off on out big adventure.

   I should have had some clue as to what we were in for when about five miles up the road from home a little voice came from the back seat. “Dad I am really thirsty.”

   “WHAT?’ “THIRSTY?” I thought to myself how could she be thirsty when we have only been on the road about fifteen minutes? However I very calmly said,”OK we will get you something in a little while.” Of course that only worked for a short time and the voice came again, “Dad I am going to thirst to death if I don’t get something to drink.” I had a remedy for that, which I had used for years, so I said, “watch for a drinking fountain and I will stop when we see one,” At this time in our trip we were traveling in sagebrush and alfalfa fields, with no towns coming up, so there was no chance of her spotting a drinking fountain.

   After no noise from the back seat for a while, my wife looked in the back and smiling at me she informed me they had gone to sleep.

   We traveled several miles and entered the area of northeastern Idaho, where the scenery was magnificent. There was lodgepole pine, rivers and streams and even some deer and a moose. I was relaxed and really enjoying myself. This area had been one of my favorite places to travel for many years.

   My wife thought we should wake the kids up so they could enjoy the scenery. She woke them and we started showing them the scenery and talking about the beauty of the area and after only a few minutes all they wanted to know was, ”When are we going to have lunch?”

   Well we stopped for lunch and the kids said, “can’t we go someplace where we can eat in the car?” My response was, “NO WAY.” I had been in that car seat for hours and I wanted a rest and to see if my “posterior muscles” would even move when I got out of the car?

   After lunch we hit the road again. We had only gone a few miles and my daughter started crying (in her fake cry of course) and repeated “He is sitting on my side of the seat and taking all the room.” I am pretty sure the reason he had put his leg on (her side) was to get a reaction out of her and of course he did. So, as the mediator, I yelled back, “Move your leg right now—and don’t make me have to stop the car or there will be big trouble.”

   Everything went fine for a while, my wife and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and just started to relax and our son yelled, ----“Dad she is breathing my air and I am suffocating.” I went into “mediator mode” again and told him to quit acting ridiculous or I would STOP THE CAR.

   Fortunately Mom was calmer than I was and she said, “Why don’t we play the license plate game? Let’s see if we can see a license plate from every state. Thank Heaven for Mothers. Everything was pretty calm for quite a while after that.  

   As we got out of the forest and on a straight stretch of road later in the day it started to get warmer. All at once a noisy—almost scream came from the back seat as the window was being rolled down. My son was screaming, “I am sweating hot and I cannot stand it any longer.” (Of course in those days we did not have Air Conditioners.) After only a few minutes a female voice from the back seat (along with the fake cry). Yelled, roll up your window, you are messing my hair.” “Mom, he will not roll up his window!”

   Again thank Heaven for Mom’s, as she said, “Roll up the window half way and then we will all play the ABC sign game. In fact there is an “A” on that sign right there, see it says AMOCO Gas in 20 miles.” So they played the ABC sign game and everything calmed down again.

   We finally got to our first scheduled stop for the night. We went to dinner, and we set down in a Café to eat and we all talked about the great day it had been. I thought to myself, even with all the turmoil (in my opinion) they actually seemed to enjoy it.

   When we got back to our motel room the kids started complaining about how small the room was and that it was like a jail because it had bars on the windows. When I explained the bars were probably to keep the bears out they decided the room was OK and we all played a couple of games of cards and we were off to bed for the first night of our adventure.

    We got up the next morning and proceeded to make a trip around the loop in Yellowstone. We had gone about 30 miles and my son said, “Dad I left my shoes in the motel.” Me: So what do you suggest we do? Go back and get them-NO. Fortunately, thanks again for Moms; we had an extra pair in the trunk so we just kept heading up the road.

   We made the loop around the Park with only a few diversions and a few unsolicited questionable comments. Such as---while looking at the mud volcanoes—the most repeated comment, not only from my kids but from almost everyone there was, phew that really stinks. And at the hot springs it was the comment—why can’t I wade in it? And on one occasion I had to run after my son as he was off to pet a Moose. After explaining to him he needed to stay away from them because they were wild animals, he wanted to know how come they did not have a fence around them.

   The name Buffalope was coined in Yellowstone because one of our granddaughters could not keep the Antelope and Buffaloes straight. The mud volcanoes will forever be known in our family as The Stinking Mud Pots. For quite a few years we had to keep reminding our kids that just because the bears stood up to the side of the car and looked in the window did not mean you could roll the window down and pet them.     

   On our way home after we had gone through the Park and then Through Teton Park and Jackson Hole I was talking to the kids about the beautiful scenery and all the animals and how lucky we were to be able to see all that and one of them said, “ ya it was beautiful Dad. It is kind of like Joe’s Valley except it has more animals.

   Was it all worthwhile or should we just have went to Joe’s Valley and spent the week Again? I don’t think so; I mean go to Joe’s Valley instead of Yellowstone.

   I guess the thing that that makes it all worthwhile is that even now MANY years later, whenever we get together and talk about it or when our kids talk about it, we usually only remember the good times and how they would like to do it again. They seem to have forgotten about the, he is breathing my air and he is sitting on my side and even the fact they are thirsting to death.

   Yes, kids on a road trip, no matter where you go sometimes come a lot of small problems, but they are well worth it when you get together later and talk, laugh and even shed a few tears about the memories.

   I am MUCH, MUCH older now than I was during our Road Trip years, but as I recall them I sure wish I could pick up and go on one tomorrow!

W.R. Baldwin 

August 2015

(As I said in the beginning this is a compilation of several trips to Yellowstone and may even be a little embellished in places?????) 

THE DEER HUNTER

                                      THE DEER HUNTER

   He had hiked in the area all summer and into the fall looking for deer in the area that were supposed to be bigger than anywhere else in the state. And planned on being back there in the Fall when the special hunt was on.

   He had hunted all his life but now he was just a trophy hunter and only looked for animals with a trophy rack. He looked for six pointers, but would settle for a five if it was spectacular in some way.

   Twice during the Summer and Fall he had seen a buck with a giant six point rack, in a grove of pine and aspen trees, just a short distance below a ridge line and decided that looked like a good place to watch. There were always a lot of deer sign when he walked through that grove of trees. He saw beds, antler rubbings and of course droppings. Just the week before when he was there it had snowed just enough to make a light covering of snow and yes, there were hoof prints on the trail leading in and out of the grove of trees.

   So today he had got up early and hiked to an outcropping of rock that were just below the ridge line, where he could watch the ridge and the grove of trees.

   As the sun broke over the horizon he felt a light tingle go through him as he had many times before. He had positioned himself between two large rocks, in the snow, which was no longer a sprinkling but was about ten inches deep. He could see the trail well but the rocks hid him somewhat from the deer’s vision on the trail.

   Just after the sun had broken the horizon he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He tried to look more in that direction, without turning his head. He saw a Bull Elk with massive antlers coming slowly up the trail toward him. What To Do?

   He realized if he did something to scare the elk, he would also scare any deer in the area and all his preparations would be for naught. Then he almost gave a big sigh of relief as the big Bull left the trail and headed up toward the ridge.

   He settled back in the snow, growing more cold and damp (not wet, because of the water repellant pants and coat he wore), but never the less, every minute was more cold and uncomfortable.

   A short while later he caught a glimpse of movement right at the edge of the trees. YES, YES it was his magnificent six point Buck. He had just stepped out of the grove of trees and had stopped to look around and smell the air.

   The hunter tried to push himself down deeper in the snow but of course he was already as close to the ground as he could get.

   He was wet, but now he actually felt warm just from the excitement, or perhaps at this point he was not thinking about wet and cold? He made sure his scope was positioned where he could use it with almost no movement.

   He watched as the Buck started very slowly, up the trail towards him. He would take a few steps, and then stop and look and listen, then do the same thing again. When he was about fifty yards away, the hunter gently put his finger on the trigger, but he thought perhaps he should wait a little longer. Just then he saw two Does coming up the trail. When they caught up with the big Buck, they all three stopped and looked up the trail, which gave the hunter the feeling they were looking straight at him.

   What a sight! The green pines, the white aspen trunks, the white snow and there right in the middle of it all was the family of deer. He looked through his spotting scope and right in the center, was the deer. It was a sight to behold.

   He put his finger gently back on the trigger and gently pressed. The click on the shutter of his 35 mm camera seemed as loud as a rifle shot to him. (Of course it was not.)

   The deer become nervous but they did not break and run. He took a couple of more shots just to make sure he got at least one good one.

   He could not stand laying in that one position any longer. He was wet and cold and his joints ached. He just stood up and of course the deer covered the distance back to the grove of trees in just a few bounds and disappeared.

   Well that was the end of another successful adventure for THE DEER HUNTER.

W.R. Baldwin

August 2015

(The picture on this blog came off the internet at (flicker.com)

THE COWGIRL AND THE MINER

THE COWGIRL AND THE MINER

I wonder at times, how did we meet?

How did we accomplish such a wonderful feat?

He was a miner, who lived in the hills.

She was a cowgirl, to ride her horse gave her thrills.

He met her a couple of times when he was a teen.

But to be with a girl, he did not want to be seen.

Jerry was a friend and we had our bikes ready to go,

And we peddled from the coal camp to the valley below.

We wanted to tell the girls of the great deed we had done,

But whenever they saw us, away they would run.

Jerry said I will get their attention, just wait and see,

And he “hucked” green apples at them from up in the tree.

I did not see her again for a long time it seems.

I had joined the Air Force, to fulfill my dreams.

I went off to Germany to help keep world peace,

And she went to College her knowledge to increase.

I had decided coal mining was just not for me,

And she was looking for someone to marry eternally.

So I left the coal mines and she left the ranch,

And what happened after that, we both left to chance.

I left for the city to chase after my dreams,

And she left the ranch about the same time it seems.

The buildings we procured jobs in, were next door to each other.

I got a job selling chemicals in one state or another.

The cowgirl from the valley and the miner from the hills,

Decided to marry and acquire, happiness and bills.

The longer we were married, the more we found love,

And we also found out things about Heaven above.

We had four children to bless us, as we went on with life.

Then all at once--- fifty years we had been husband and wife.

As we got a little older our bodies did ache,

And I thought when I walked my knees surely would break.

Even though we had left the ranch and the hills,

We loved the earth’s mountains and it’s beautiful thrills.

Then the light of my life, my companion and wife,

Left me alone here on earth, to deal with my strife.

The secret to being alone, is to love everyone you know.

Be kind to everyone, and your love will still grow.

And back to your cowgirl surely you will go.

When will that happen?—well NO ONE does know.

It is my wife's B-Day in a few days. Actually on the 26th of August so I thought I would put some of my feelings in my blog. So all of you who knew her tell her Happy B-Day. I am sure she would love it.    Wally

14 August 2015

                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Carl's Hearing

"Huh, Huh what did you say?? "For crying out loud quit whispering and speak up a little." 

A GENEALOGY LETTER

A GENEALOGY LETTER

4 August 2015

  

What if you received a letter like this----------

Dear Wally,

You do not know me personally but you and I are related. I live in a peculiar place. The picture of my humble abode is shown above. It is a granite mountain some 20 or 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. We are a fairly large family. Actually there are about seven million families, which make up more than a billion of us. I have been waiting since 1776 for someone like you to find me. I have only lived in my present location a short while comparably speaking. If you were to find me and add me to your Data Base a lot of great things could happen to my family and I. It is not really a difficult thing for you to do, because I am trying to help you find me. It is just something I cannot do myself. It is just a matter of gathering up my vital statistics and putting them in your Data Base or giving the info to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many times you have started working on what you call “my line” but something always seems to get in the way. I have learned that “Families are Forever” while I have been studying here, while I wait for someone like you to find me. All I need is a little help from you. Of course some people think of a family as just the people living with us, but you and I know that family means ALL of our relatives, all the way back------. Well Wally you know I need your help and I am ready, so I urge you to do this as soon as possible. I am sure that you are aware that there are hundreds, or even thousands of people on mine & your family line waiting here for you to find them.

I sincerely Thank You for your help!

William John Baldwin

Born 12 Dec 1722

Died 17 Jun 1776

(this is not a real person)

If you got a letter like this would it motivate you? I would hope we could all imagine one of our relatives sending us a letter from the Little Cottonwood Storage Vaults. I would hope a letter like this would motivate all of us to do something about connecting with our Ancestors. I am almost positive that none of us are finished with the task of finding the lost ones.

Our immediate family has a little joke about me and my Quest. Comments such as, “well Grandpa did you find any dead ones today?"  Or they ask where I am and someone answers, “He is in his computer room looking for dead people."

Genealogy or Family History does not have to be all seriousness and hard work. There are light times and things that really make you laugh. Here are a few comments out of letters, or things people have said to me over the years as they ask for help with genealogy---------..      

      
     We do not know what to do with them, so we are sending you these five children..   

            
          In this family the Father and five Daughters were never born..    

      
      I guess I got so excited over finding my Great Grandmother that I have now lost her. Will you            send a  copy of her to me?

     

      For the running down of the four Hamilton’s I will charge $10.00 more.

   

             Further research will be necessary for us to eliminate one of your parents.

     

      Enclosed please find my Grandmother. I have worked on her for 50 years without any good 
      results. Please see what you can do.

    

            And now I send you my husband. He died a year ago so now he can be worked on in your      

      Temple

Contrary to popular opinion, Genealogy or Family History as it is now being called in most circles is not boring. Yes it is time consuming and repetitive but definitely not boring.

I have been working on this project now for 50 or 60 years (off and on) and as I was thinking tonight--- what do I and my family know about our ancestors? Were they involved in early U.S. History? Were they immigrants? Have they been in the many Wars in the last several decades? Were they first generation Latter Day Saints, French Huguenots, Greeks looking for a better life, Starving Irishmen or, Handcart Pioneers to Utah. Were they Gray or Blue in the Civil War?

Well as the old saying goes—“TRY IT YOU MIGHT LIKE IT!”