The POW/MIA Flag…

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have almost 4,000 postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

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The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Palm Springs RV Resort in Palm Desert, California. I’m scheduled to depart here December 23rd.

In the day before yesterday’s blog posting about the veterans Christmas party in Indio, California…I posted the below photo. Commander Mike of the local VFW Post #3669 read to us the meaning of the items on the table which can be found in every VFW and American Legion Post across the nation.

Always present at the table is the POW/MIA Flag. Every American citizen should understand the significance of the flag and the freedom they enjoy.

On August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, recognizing the National League of Families POW/MIA Flag and designating it “as a symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation.” Beyond Southeast Asia, it has been a symbol for POW/MIAs from all American Wars.

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

 

 

 

To find out everything you should know about the POW/MIA Flag, click this link…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POW/MIA_flag

 

 

 

I ask you to remember…

There are 1,741 American personnel listed by the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Office as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, as of April 2009.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. 1. Jesus Christ 2. The American G.I. “One died for your soul, the other for your freedom!”

I’m proud to be a life-member of VFW Post #4224 from Baker, Louisiana!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

 Yesterday was mostly sunny and 64 degrees. Forecast for today is sunny and 58 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of California. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2015

Veterans Christmas Party

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have almost 4,000 postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

---

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Palm Springs RV Resort in Palm Desert, California. I’m scheduled to depart here December 23rd.

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

 

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable 3.5 hours at the National Guard Armory in Indio, California. It was the site of the 10th annual free veterans Christmas party…

 

 

The guests of honor were active duty Marines from a base about one hour away. All these fine people are away from their home families during the Christmas season…

 

 

Th VFW District Commander spoke to us as to the organization’s functions…

 

 

An honor guard presented the colors. A 17 year-old local high school student sang the national anthem and God Bless America…

 

 

About 300 people were in attendance…

 

 

Mary Ryser is the president of the VFW Auxiliary and the driving force behind the annual party…

 

 

Commander Mike of the local VFW Post #3669 informed us as to meaning of the empty POW/MIA table to be found at every VFW Post to remind us of our missing comrades…

 

 

A closer view of the POW/MIA table…

 

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve stood in a military chow line. Because the local area is largely Hispanic…the main lunch was rice, beans and tacos…

 

 

I enjoyed sitting across the table from active duty Marine, Lance Corporal Kyle Angove from Panama City Florida. A bright and intelligent young man…

 

 

I also sat next to these members of the California Cadet Corp. They are local high school students being introduced to the military lifestyle. Later they will choose their branch of service. I especially enjoyed talking with these young people who have a sense of country service and patriotism. If I were in charge of the world, I would make the following changes…

• I would re-institute the draft and require a minimum of three-year service to our country. Just because we were born in this great country does not mean anyone should get a free ride. I view it as an insult to the millions who have died for our country…
• No one can be President and hence Commander-in-chief of our armed forces unless they have worn, regardless of rank, the uniform of our country. For the same reason as above…

 

 

After the raffles which gave away more than $1,000 in gifts, the guests of honor and their families stand in front of the Christmas Tree. All the children received gifts. I donated my $25 gift certificate prize to the local VFW post…

 

 

A beautifully painted VFW Van takes local veterans to the VA Hospital at Loma Linda about one hour away…

It was a great, emotional day and I’m proud to be a life-member of VFW Post #4224 from Baker, Louisiana!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos.

 Yesterday was mostly sunny and 68 degrees. Forecast for today is mostly sunny and 68 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of California. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2015

COMMUNITY CLUB AND ROTARY

Last night, I attended the Murphys Community Club Annual Christmas Party. President Jim Creighton started a short speech with a phone number: 728-1948. “That number is significant because it is the number of the Community Club, but also 1948 is the year the club was founded.”

Just prior to that, my table companion, Cindy Neiman asked me,  “What does the Community Club do?” She and her husband are Rotarians from Copperopolis.

I’ve been a member for 30 years and I realized that I didn’t know how a Community Club functioned when I first joined either. Unique among small towns like ours, community clubs supply, as volunteers, the basic functions of government. They own and maintain the local community park; provide public restrooms, clean and stock those restrooms, place garbage cans and recycling bins around town, pay for street lighting, rent the park for weddings and other functions, mow the grass, maintain a stable playground and river bank, paved walkways,  and…well, everything a city should do. The area is high on volunteerism and people who visit have no clue that all is accomplished through the hard work of local citizens. And it has always been so.

The annual party was a combination of two area Rotary Clubs and the Community Club. Jay and Clayre Quick have been long time Rotarians, both having served as President at one time. They were given a special award from Rotarians for the many years of work they’ve provided to their club. But, Clayre and Jay have given years of service to the Community Club as well.

Jim and Peggy Lucas, active volunteers, were singled out for their efforts to Community Club.

As were the Friedmans. Bill Friedman solved a very knotty problem in an old fashioned way. The park was troubled with vandalism and Bill decided not to call the cops. Instead, he got them aside and talked with them about what they were doing, and taught them about the function of the park and what the local volunteers accomplish there. It solved the problem.

Tammie Lundin is a Rotarian who makes it a point to get to know everyone in the room. The Rotarians also have this reputation for doing good works in their communities. Just a great bunch of public spirited people who make volunteering worthy and fun at the same time.

There are more pictures if you’d like to click on my link below. The dinner dance was held at Kautz Winery.

http://picasaweb.google.com/1579penn/121110ComClubRotaryPrty#

CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR ARTISTIC SOULS

In yesterday’s blog,  I mentioned the Red Hats. Joellyn Gano, left,  is also a member of the Calaveras Arts Council and enjoyed both parties on the same evening at the Murphys Hotel.  Her husband Dave is a painter. Joellyn plays a mean accordion, just one of her many talents. Penny West, served as director  of the Calaveras County Arts Council and kept that organization growing and strong,  nurturing all of us since 1981.  She now shares that position with Mary Jane Genochio.

Judi Caine Papais, left, has a marvelous studio with wonderful north light and teaches as well as paints. She is a well known artists along with  many others too numerous to name. Judi belongs to another arts group in the county. Murphys may have the most galleries of all the small towns in Calaveras, but there are many others if you wish to spend a day perusing the awesome talents of this community. If you are looking for culture,  music, dance, visual arts, sculpture, or pottery, you will find it here.

Good friends, Dave Self and Pastor Meg Self attended. Dave, with talents previously hidden from view. He drew illustrations for Glen Wasson’s book and will be coming out with a book of his own poetry soon. He amazed me.

Glen with his wife Joan, a talented photographer. Glen provided the entertainment for the night and kept us laughing with renditions from his current book, Tales Mark Twain Would Have Loved To Steal.
Glen is well known for his doggerel. He writes on the spot and read a poem he composed just for the evening. But, I mentioned the Red Hats. Glen wrote “A Gentleman’s Response To The Red Hat Ladies” and kept us laughing at his indelicate response to the repression of men’s natural tendencies.

When I am old I will not care
About the kind of clothes I wear
They may be tattered, old or ripped
And I won’t care if my fly’s not zipped.

In crowded elevators I may break wind
And look as though I’m quite chagrined
At some innocent person standing there
Whom I’ll indict with a reproachful stare.

And I don’t care if the ladies mind
That I pinch them hard on the behind
I’ve always longed to play such sports,
Especially those with bulging shorts.

I’ll go to church in my overalls
Wear polyester plaid to formal balls
I’ll watch TV in my under wear
And scatter beer cans everywhere.

I’ll scratch myself in private places
Just to see the look on people’s faces.
In mixed compay I’ll tell lewd jokes
To scandalize those proper folks.

At dinner time I will pick my nose
And wipe the boogers on my clothes.
And to me it really doesn’t matter
If I grab the last thing from the platter.

Until I’m old I’ll still behave,
It isn’t nice to be a knave.
But, I can’t wait for that joyful day
When I’m old enough to act that way.