Dec 182024
There are two possibilities. Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying!
( Arthur C. Clarke )
Dec 172024
The Crescent City Connection Bridge in New Orleans
Dec 162024
Dec 162024
Fellow Pilots will understand
Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ
The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,
In hopes that — come morning — they all would be there.
The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I’d have sworn that the call sign he used was “St. Nick.”
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.
He called his position, no room for denial.
“St. Nicholas One, turnin’ left onto final.”
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he takin?
While controllers were sittin’ and scrathin’ their heads,
They phoned to my office and I heard it with dread,
The messae they left was both urgent and dour:
“When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.”
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard, “Left at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.”
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh,
And stopped on the ramp with a “Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!”
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost,
And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhuast.
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His boots were as black as a cropduster’s belly.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked me to “fill it, with hundred low lead.”
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
I knew he was anxious for drainin’ the sump.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These Reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, “Clear!”
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
“Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
Turn right three-two-zero at pilot’s discretion.”
He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
“Your traffic’s a Grumman, inbound from the west.”
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,
“Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight.
Research indicates this was first published in 2002 and, sadly, the author is unknown.
Dec 102024
(Shoutout to my Brother who sent me this one )
Dec 092024
Remember our Veterans and those deployed this Christmas.
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
in a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
And to see just who in this home did live.
I looked all about a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.
I heard stories about them, I had to see more
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping silent alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home.
His face so gentle, his room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight.
Soon `round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of soldiers like this one lying here.
I couldn´t help wonder how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa don´t cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don´t ask for more,
my life is my God, my country, my Corps.”
With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,
I couldn´t control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night´s chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head.
And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.
I didn´t want to leave him on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice so clean and pure,
“Carry on Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all is secure.”
One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night!
LTC Bruce Lovely, USAF wrote this poem for Christmas Eve 1993 while assigned to US Forces Korea
Dec 032024
Nov 292024
Here is something that has become a tradition in our house. Sausage Cheese Balls! I make them on Thanksgiving and Christmas Morning. This is the original recipe from the Bisquick Cookbook. There are many recipes out there but this will get you started
Ingredients
- 1 Pound uncooked bulk pork sausage (Jimmy Dean ® Premium Pork Roll Sausage You can use hot, or mild, your choice Or use your favorite instead of Jimmy Dean.)
- 3 cup all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick ® )
- 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients in large bowl just until blended. Shape into (1-inch) balls.
- Place in lightly greased baking pans.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until done (160°F). ( I find 18 minutes is perfect but ovens do vary
- Enjoy!
Nov 162024
The Holidays are coming, and Santa is firing up his ham radio! Santa Net is back on 3.916 MHz for the 19th year! Starting Friday, November 29th, good girls and boys can talk to Santa Claus, via amateur radio, nightly starting at 7:00 PM (Central). The Santa Net will run every night through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024.
Pete Thomson (KE5GGY), of The 3916 Nets, commented on The Santa Net. He said, “Santa Net and Christmastime is our favorite time of the year on 3916. The band is quiet and we love connecting kids to Santa at the North Pole!”
Youngsters can talk to “Santa at The North Pole” via strategically placed operators (Santa Net Relay Stations) who relay the voice of Santa. Thomson credited the dedication of 3916 net members as the reason for the net’s growth and longevity. He said, “What started with several children talking to Santa on 3916 back in 2005 has truly blossomed into an amazing group effort. Santa Net is only possible because of the net members who volunteer their time and talents as relay stations and in other support roles.”
In addition to connecting kids with Santa, Thomson said that Santa Net also brings young people into amateur radio. He added, “Santa Net is often the first time many of these kids experience the magic of amateur radio. Every year we hear from parents and sometimes even the kids who go onto get their amateur license after taking part in Santa Net.”
Prior to each night’s Santa Net, pre-net check-ins can be made at https://www.cqsanta.com/ Third party rules and regulations apply.
The Santa Net is presented by The 3916 Nets. The Rag Chew Crew, The Tailgaters, 3916 Trivia and The Freewheelers are all amateur radio nets that meet on 3.916 MHz nightly. For more information on The 3916 Nets, go to http://www.3916nets.com For more information on The Santa Net go to https://www.cqsanta.com/or email KE5GGY at Gmail dot com.
Oct 192024
((NOTE: This may have happened on Christmas Eve of 2018 and this is the first telling of the story)) 1 I am Serenity from Alien Dreams and for those of
you that remember, Bell-Gab. I have had a few nicknames in the course of my life but mostly called Snoopy or Spooky to close friends and fellow warriors. I am retired from the United States Army. I was placed on the Army’s Retired list in October of 2013 after 38 years of Active, Reserve and a bit of IRR service.2 Retirement from the Service was a very proud moment for me. I have my flag and retired pin as well as the other benefits that come with military retirement. I have been in the military most of my adult life and thinking about it even before I graduated high school.
In the course of 38 years of service and some of the positions I was assigned I have developed some habits both good and bad. Some of which are still with me to this day. One of those habits is a quirk of my hyper vigilance. Every night I will walk the perimeter of the compound down here on the Bayou for security and/or unwanted activity. The walk also lets me commune with the Commander in 
Chief. All in all, it quiets me and eases the stresses of the day. In short, I feel better when I’m done and back under cover.
Having re-connected through social media with people I knew throughout my time in service, I began thinking of some of my old brothers that have passed to that big parade field in the sky. Some through missions and some after service. Some of those I was close to and as I get older I find myself thinking about them more often. Mostly those that left us on missions we were on. Not to the point of sadness. Just a bit of melancholy now and again. No, no survivors guilt. Just missing the chess games or the beer at the O-Club. And the BBQ’s! Good times.
So it’s Christmas eve. In addition to my security check, I do as I always do on Christmas Eve, I search the sky for that old man in the red suit and 8 reindeer.3 As I was going around the east side of the house I thought I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. But then I saw headlights and knew it was just a car coming down the road. Thinking nothing more about it I grabbed a cup of deer corn that I throw out for the small animals and of course the deer and continued down the east side of the fence. I finished up that side of the fence, checked the batteries on the game camera, poured the corn on the ground and started back.
As I was coming to the end of the fence I heard the unmistakable sound of a slide being racked back on what sounded like a large caliber handgun. I closed quickly with the house and drew my own sidearm. I saw a brief flash of light and smelled cigarette smoke. I peaked around 
the corner and that’s when I saw him. Kneeling on the ground near my flag pole was a figure. He seemed to be dressed in fatigues and had a beret on his head. I could almost see through him and there was a faint glow surrounding him. He looked vaguely familiar but couldn’t quite make out who he was. I left the cover of the side of the house and started to creep towards him. He was crouched on one knee and his head was slowly scanning up and down the road, swirls of smoke drifting off on the breeze. “Hey Chief, nice night huh?” He seemed to know who I was. ” Come sit by me a bit” Not knowing what else to do I stood up straight and walked slowly over to him and sat on the grass. “Do I know you” I asked. I still couldn’t make out his face.”Oh, we may have met once or twice.” he said. ” The others are busy tonight. I was by myself with nothing going on so I asked if I could watch over you and your family”. He was looking at me with a smile on his face. “HE thought it was a great idea. I hope you don’t mind” he said.”No not at all. ” I said. Not sure about what was going on and I wasn’t sure what else to say except “Thank you”.
He took another drag and threw the butt towards the street. It was gone before it reached the sidewalk. “With everything you and others have done and go through every day “HE” wants to give you and those like you and your loved ones some relief and a feeling of safety at least on this one night.” At that he stood up and started to walk towards the fence. “Well, back to work. You and your family sleep easy tonight. I have your 6.” He started to dim and the last that I saw him before he faded from sight he was turning the corner by the fence. “Merry Christmas Chief. and your brothers that went before send their best. ” And he was gone.
Calm washed over me and I felt a sense of ease I haven’t felt in years. I knew then that he was like me, maybe a fellow warrior I had walked 
with in the past in some far off land and at least for tonight I could relax. As I walked towards the house I could still smell the smoke from his cigarette as I thought of those Heroes that I served with. A small rabbit ran in front of me, stopping and looking up at me for a second before he resumed his run towards where I threw the grain. As I opened the front door I thought I heard a voice saying “Hey little guy, Merry Christmas. Come eat there’s plenty and no hunters”. I looked to the sky once more, whispered “Thank you” and threw a salute as I went inside.
I often wonder who he was, how he died. Was I there, could I have done something to help him? Is there anything I can do now? Is he at peace? Questions I may never be able to answer I suppose. I was given a gift. One I shall never forget. Christmas day was wonderful. Filled with laughter, food, family and fellowship. As the children left and went back to their own lives that night I waved goodnight and before going inside I looked to the sky with a smile and a new sense of awe and an abundance of gratitude .4 I hope other warriors both serving and in civilian life can have at least 1 day of peace away from whatever demons they carry. Bless you all! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah my friends. May you all be blessed and remember the true reason for the season.
Serenity (Spooky CW4 USA Retired)
NSDQ
- NOTE: I had a complete computer meltdown before Christmas in 2022 and was able to recover this and a few other stories from my database backup. Whew!! NOTE #3 This is 2024. A lot has happened since this first came out. 3 Hurricanes that hit this homestead and right now the Sgt Maj is in Hospital. It has been a lone and arduous rode. The bright spot is that she is in the rehab wing doing PT so she can come home. Hopefully by the 30th. Just in time for Halloween! [↩]
- Individual Ready Reserve. Not active but on standby for call up at any time. No pay unless I was called but still ready and willing. [↩]
- An old saying I heard somewhere. May you never be so old that you don’t search the sky on Christmas Eve [↩]
- Was Christmas Eve a dream or did it really happen? I may never know. It could just be a story from the fertile mind of an old warrior. [↩]