The Flower Child

Good Day!!!  Several months ago I posted an image here that revealed the Flower Child.  I had a back drop of Confederate Jasamine surrounding my head.

Today, as my annual Part Time Job at the Georgia National Fair commenced I noted a painting on the wall that would make a great backdrop for a picture of the Flower Child.  I had a coworker take this picture and stated that it would be on my Blog this evening.

From my point of view this picture is far more exciting and has greater impact.  Of course red always makes a picture snap.

Concert by the Mississippi River

 During my recent Holiday in Iowa I was able to attend the 312 Army Band Concert in Guttenberg, Iowa.  The venue for this event was the Bandshell located on the bank of the Mississippi River.  You can see a portion of the Pilotwheel on the facade of the Bandstand.

 This Band is headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas and they were completing their 2011 Summer Tour.

 As you can tell, the event was casual, but also high energy.  This concert was a very fitting way to complete a Wonderful Fourth of July Week in Guttenberg, Iowa.  All of the performers appeared to be having "much" fun as they played their respective instruments.  Their interaction with the crowd was outstanding. 

 I appreciated the "Never Quit" logo on the back of the Band Members Shirts.  They certainly displayed the Army work ethic in an excellent manner.  The 412 Army Band certainly represented our U. S. Army well. 

Thank You for a wonderful evening.  I would estimate that the crowd that attended this event which was promoted as "Music in the Park" was at least 250 people.

A Sibling Outing

In the Holy Land

 During a recent visit to the Holy Land (a.k.a. Iowa) My Youngest Sibling and I enjoyed a wonderful day of bonding.  The first stop was this Shower/Viewing Platform alongside the Mississippi River.  It was constructed so that Boaters could take a break and refresh as they traveled the River and also took time to Tour the Town of Guttenberg.  This facility is about 50 feet from the shore of the River.

 This was a Pearl Button Factory in earlier times.  As you can ascertain it has now been fitted to serve as a Bed and Breakfast Facility.  It also is on the banks of the Mississippi River.

 For those who enjoyed the movie "Field of Dreams" in the early 1990s you will recognize this dwelling.

 A view of the baseball field at the Field of Dreams.  This movie site is still popular today.  It is but about 30 miles from my Birth Place.  It is located in Dubuque County, Iowa.

 Of course I had to have my picture taken here at the entrance to the "Field of Dreams."  For those who viewed this epic film you may recall the cars that had their headlights on in the late evening.  The road on the right end of this picture was where that shot was filmed.

 After a delightful Lunch provided by my Wonderful Sibling Brother we visited this Basilica in Dyersville, Iowa. 

The interior of the Basilica in Dyersville, Iowa.  This House of Worship has seating for over 1200 Saints.

I posted an exterior view of this Basilica in an earlier Blog Entry.  This Basilica has twin steeples which soar over 212 feet tall.  It is the landmark of the West Prairie of Dubuque County, Iowa.

Guttenberg, Iowa

Buildings from the 1800s

Shown here are but two examples of the buildings that were constructed by the Citizens of Guttenberg in the late 1800s.  To learn more about this Mississippi River Town please visit:

http://www.cityofguttenberg.com/

As you can tell, I am quite proud of my Iowa Heritage.  My siblings still enjoy living in the Midwest.  I always tell my Middle Georgia Friends that I am going to visit the "Holy Land" when I  visit my Siblings and other relatives.



Guttenberg, Iowa, U.S.A.

The Flower Child's Hometown

 This marker is on the South End of Guttenberg on U. S. Highway 52 which runs from Dubuque, Iowa to the Twin Cities.  Guttenberg is a Mississippi River town in Clayton County.  Click on the Marker image to be able read the History.

 This view is from the Road Side Park which features the Marker in the previous picture.  You cannot see the Town of Guttenberg because it is behind the trees in the upper left corner of this picture.

 This is an image of the Mississippi River below Lock and Dam Number 10 which is one of many dams on the Mississippi River which allows barges loaded with grain, sand and coal to be transported on the River.  The Lock and Dam system was constructed in the 1930 and I have fond memories of the stories my Dad shared about this project.  After he graduated from High School he obtained employment with the Army Corps of Engineers as they constructed this Lock and Dam.

I have a Sibling and a Nephew who are employed by the Corps and they both work at Lock and Dam Number 10.

 A Close-Up View of the Lock and Dam.  Note the sea wall in the foreground.  This view was taken from River Park Drive in downtown Guttenberg, Iowa. 

 This is a view from the North end of Guttenberg, taken from the Rest Area on U. S. Highway 52.  You can see the marina which brings boat owners from throughout Iowa to enjoy the beautiful Mississippi River each Spring, Summer and Fall.

 This a view of the Island just North of Guttenberg, Iowa.  This island is the site of many cottages which are used by tourist in the Summer Months.  Of course many local citizens enjoy Island Living year round.

This is a view from the North Side of Lock and Dam Number 10 from the overlook area on the bluff alongside U. S. Highway 52.  It is the view that tourist enjoy as they approach Guttenberg, Iowa from the North.

Garnavillo, Iowa

Industries

 As you can tell by reading the sign, this is the Garnavillo Mill.  It it the headquarters for a giant Corn storage operation.  In addition to having corn storage on their own farms, many local farmers rent storage space for their corn so it can be held for future sale in the futures market.

 The Double LL Group (tm) is farm supply firm that manufactures the structures that cattle farmers use to keep their cattle from trampling the large round bales of hay into the ground before they consume it.  This firm was established by a cousin of mine.

The green objects you see here are ready for shipping and additional assembly to make the guards that surround the round bales in cattle feeding operations.

Flower Child's Birth Place

Clayton Ridge

 This house was constructed in the late 1910s at a total cost of $3600.00.   It featured four bedrooms upstairs and a bathroom.  This is the house that was home for my Dad.  He was the youngest of six children and grew up here on a 160 acre farm.  It also featured central steam heat and included a full basement.  I was born in this house.  My parents rented this farm for one year after they married.  They then purchased an 80 acre farm near Ceres, which was featured in an earlier entry today.  This structure is no longer in use.  I took this picture on July 6, 2011 during a visit to my home state.

 This is a picture of the one room elementary country school that my Dad attended.  It is now a museum maintained by the family that owns the farm where it sits.  This school was about a mile from the home where my Dad was a kid.

 This is a picture of Garnavillo School, later known as Garnavillo Community School.  I attended Junior High, Seventh and Eighth Grades in this building as well as High School.

This is a former Church in the town of Garnavillo, Iowa.  When I attended High School, this structure housed the Study Hall and the Typing Classroom.  At the current time this building houses the local Museum for the Garnavillo Area.



The Religious Heritage

of

The Flower Child

 This plaque is on the wall of the Church pictured next.  This Church is within a mile of the Farm on Kale Avenue where I spend my childhood from age one to 18.  This church was in the village of Ceres and My Parents are buried in the Cemetery behind this Church.

 This is the Church I attended in my youth.  I was confirmed here.  My Brother, John and our Nephew Eric are members here.  Eric's Dad, David passed away in 2006.  He is buried in the same Cemetery behind the Ceres Church as My Parents.

 This Church, Trinity Lutheran Church is just across the street from the Guttenberg Area Military Memorial which you have viewed in an earlier entry on this site.  The original Church was built for the sum of $6,000.00.  It has been expanded twice.  The entrance area and the side office area were constructed since I left Guttenberg in 1961.

 This is Saint John's Lutheran Church.  This structure was constructed while I was young.  Saint John's is the oldest Lutheran Congregation in Guttenberg, Iowa.

A visit of Houses of Worship in Guttenberg would not be complete without showing Saint Mary's Catholic Church.  This Church is the most impressive structure in the Guttenberg Skyline.

Guttenberg, Iowa Monument

to

U. S. Military Veterans

During a recent visit to my hometown, Guttenberg, Iowa I once again visited the Monument that Honors the Guttenberg Area Veterans.



 I, Alan was the first of our family to join our U. S. Navy in 1961. 

I was a YNC when I retired in 1981.

 My Brother David was a Veteran of the Tonkin Gulf Attack

in 1964.  He was an FTG 2 when he was discharged.

 My Brother John was an FTM2 when he was discharged.

David's Son, Eric was a GMG2 (Selectee) when he was discharged.

Corporal Stephen Daniel Shannon

Clayton Ridge Eagles

Sports Complex

Guttenberg, Iowa

 This Sports Complex stands as a Memorial to Corporal Stephen Daniel Shannon who gave his life in defense of our Country on January 31, 2007 in Iraq.

This Sports Complex is in Guttenberg, Iowa, a town of about 2000 citizens.  The Clayton Ridge High School is located in Guttenberg and this complex was made possible by an an outpouring of gratitude in the form of financial memorials at the time that Corporal Shannon was returned to Iowa.

2011 Ocmulgee Indian Festival

The 2011 Indian Festival will be held on September 17th and 18th at the Ocmulgee Indian Monument off of Emery Highway in East Macon.  I am sure that the local media will soon have more information available about the times of the shows.  I have enjoyed this event and plan on attending again this year.

Night Blooming Cereus

If you have never viewed this lovely flower you have certainly missed a pleasant experience.  Not only does it have a lovely smell, but you can almost watch it open up.  This flower is capable of going from a bud to an open flower in about four hours.  It blooms for only one night.  By the next morning it is very droopy.

"The Palace of the South"

The Hay House

Macon, Georgia

U.S.A..

I took this picture yesterday, September 4th just a few minutes before the wonderful rains first fell in Macon, Georgia.

Anyone who has ever visited Macon, Georgia since the mid 1860s has seen this magnificant home.

I understand that it was constructed at a cost of about $100,000.00 by Craftsmen from Europe.
I suspect that it would take several million dollars to construct this nice home today.

As we travel around performing our daily task and errands I would encourage everyone to take the time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us all.

In all of my travels during the past years of my life I have visited many cities and towns.  We here in Macon are indeed well blessed. 

Bedrock

I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to our President speak the good people of Detroit today.

Briefly stated he was addressing the good people of Detroit about our U.S.A.  He gave a hint of his economic message which he will deliver later this week to a joint session of Congress.

I was unable to comprehend one portion of his talk when he informed the crowd that "Unions are the Bedrock of America."

If I recall my History correctly, our great country was settled by peoples from all lands seeking freedom. 

As our Commander in Chief of the U. S. Military, I would think that our Preident would refer to the U. S. Military as the Bedrock, which allows us all to enjoy the freedoms that caused peoples to seek out a life in the U. S. A.

Without the U. S. Military defending the principles on which our Nation was founded I suspect that we could now be speaking German. 

Prior to composing this post I looked up the word "Bedrock" and ascertained that the term meant:  "The fundamental principles on which womething is based."  This certainly fits the situation as regarding the freedoms that we all enjoy since our Country was established and so well defended by our Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Coast Guard Personnel.

Or, maybe our President was saying that our Unions are our  "Lowest Point," which was the second definition I found for this term.

No matter which definition you apply to the word, I am confident even General George Washington would have not agreed with our current President's assessment.  I suspect that a majority of our former Presidents would also be alarmed by the use of the word bedrock and the word union in the same sentence.

Now, before anyone comments that the Flower Child is out of touch with today's modern times, let me remind you that our great Nation was founded on the principle of freedom for all peoples.  Yes, we did engage in a War in the 1800th Century to reaffirm that principle.  For me it is all about Freedom.

WHY?

I recently overheard a peer comment that many young couples today live together versus getting married because of the high cost.  The logic to this statement is that with a high divorce rate, why waste the money to get married!!!

After I overhead that comment I gave the statement some serious thought.  Yes, the cost of a wedding is high. 

A recent review of the wedding cost on a website gave me this information:

"On average, couples that live in Macon, GA spend between $16,832 and $28,053 total for Market Summary

The totals above are based on the average number of guests estimated between 117 and 131. A single guest could add between $163 and $199 to the overall cost of your wedding."

Based on this information it just may be correct that many are ignoring the need for a wedding!! 

Have we as a Society become so engaged in the "Dream Wedding" which are often promoted in the media that it is really too expensive to get married?

I would suggest that a serious dose of critical thinking be applied by all couples who are in love.  Does a couple and/or their parents need to expend this level of funds to insure a happy marriage?

I would suggest that reality, when considering the divorce rate; would prove that the amount of money expended on a "Dream Wedding" does not insure a successful marriage.

I post this Blog Entry as a recycled Male and I can assure you that at no time did I ever participate in a "Dream Wedding" involving myself; which allows me to suggest that the committment to a marriage is more important than the funds expended.

Now, before you suggest that I write an advice column, please be aware that the purpose of this Blog is to educate and to provide an article that hopefully cause readers here to think.



Marriage

vs

Single Parent Families

Recently we have all heard many discussions concerning what is incorrect in our Society.  Too many young people are starting families without the benefit of Marriage and attempting to raise children outside of the norm of two parents to raise these Wonderful Gifts from God.



The above picture is of the Bibb County Court House.  This is where a couple who desires to be married must obtain their license. 

I have done some research and ascertained the following information which I will quote from the Bibb County Web Site:

"Fees: The fee for a marriage license is $56.00, which includes the application fee of $40.00 [O.C.G.A. §15-9-60(k)(14)], a fee of $15.00 paid to the State Children’s Trust Fund [O.C.G.A. §15-9-60.1], and a fee of $1.00 for recording the marriage with the Department of Human Resources, Vital Records Division [O.C.G.A. §31-10-21(f)]. In addition, there is a $10.00 charge for the certified copy of the marriage license, which is mailed to the applicants after recording, and a $10.00 fee for the certified copy of the license application for the Social Security Administration. The total for these services is $77.00 payable at the time the application is made."

Therefore, depending on the circumstances regarding the couple who desires to be married the fees can be reduced if they have received appropriate pre-marriage counselling.

I then checked with the Georgia Department of Human Services Web Site to ascertain if anyone requesting assistance from the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) needed to pay a fee.  I could not see where any fees are required.  The picture above is the DFCS Headquarters for Bibb County, Georgia.  It is located at 456 Oglethorpe Street in Macon, Georgia.

Maybe we are doing this all wrong.  Instead of requiring the payment of a "fee" to be married; maybe we should ascess a fee for those desiring assistance for shelter and food for their children.  I know that some who read this post will consider this incorrect, but I would submit that charging a fee to get a marriage license is also incorrect. 

I believe that the purpose of our Government at any level is to serve the people.  Are we really serving the couples who desire to become married by charging them a "fee?"

I would submit that this situation should be carefully studied and consideration be given to eliminating the marriage license fee.  If, we as a Society support marriage and a two parent family to stablize the family unit we should certainly give my suggestion serious thought.

I do not feel that it is proper to charge citizens who desire to do what is considered correct by the majority of society while allowing the Government to render assistance to those, who in far too many cases, ignore the mores of our Society.

I certainly believe that it takes two parents to raise a child and I also realize that in some situations this is not possible; however we as a Society have ignored this mantra.  The current crime crisis our Society faces is in many regards the result of our not doing what is considered right.  This is not a Macon, Georgia problem, nor a Bibb County, Georgia problem.  I suspect that this is a problem that is U.S.A. wide in scope.

"The Help"

This afternoon My Bride invited me to a Movie Date.  We very seldom watch movies on the big screen; however she had heard so much about this movie "The Help" based on the book by Kathryn Stockell that we ventured to the local cinema.

This movie is based on the racial situation in this Country, the South and specifically the State of Mississippi in the early 1960s.

Although I did not reside in the South during that era, I have completed extensive reading about the situation and viewed the movie through the eyes of John Lewis who wrote the book entitled:   "Walking with the Wind" which is a memoir of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

I would suggest that every high school and college student view this movie.  It it entertaining, but more important, it is very educational and very emotional.  From my limited background it is a very factual representation of how it really was.  Maybe that is why there is so much buzz about this movie.

Thank You Kathryn Stockell for writing this book and Thank You Hollywood for making this movie.

I appreciate the Movie very much.

"Call Before You Dig"

Dial 811

Because I am involved in a project that involves digging in an area that may have buried electric lines, buried telephone lines, cable television lines as well as gas and water lines I called the 811 number to request a marking.

I dialed 811 and listened to the wonderful messages concerning the need to have a telephone number, the project location, city, county and sub-division as well as other non-related messages regarding emergencies for a total of about 45 minutes.  Finally I acquired a real live person who received my phone number and asked several questions.

Everything proceeded well until the question about when the digging would be conducted.  When I told her the date I was informed that a ticket, which must be a work order for the marker, could not be issued because the project was not within the next few days.

I then asked why this information could not have been included in the plethora of recorded messages I "enjoyed" during my 45 minutes of holding.  She quickly informed me that it was her job to tell me.  Again I questioned the value of my 45 minutes of holding and how nice it would have been if the recording had informed me that I should place my "Call Before You Dig" within a certain number of days of when the digging was to commence.

She quickly accused me of being indignant.  I realize that the "Dial 811" is a non-profit organization set up to serve the public and to avoid undesirable consequences of digging in the wrong places; but for anyone to hold 45 minutes to be told they called too early is not quite what I would regard as excellent customer service.  It would have been so simple for the pre-recorded messages to inform me of the window of time I needed to adhere to to make my request.

Instead, I wasted 45 minutes and an employee of a non-profit had to waste her time listening to my displeasure after being told that I had called at the incorrect time.  I did not appreciate the time wasted and I am confident that the Dial 811 person did not appreciate my recommendation concerning effective communication via the pre-recorded messages while on hold.

If her only job was to tell people that they called too early I would suggest that this non-profit, Dial 811 could do better by eliminating her job and placing that valuable message in the loop of other messages I listened to during my 45 minutes of hold time.

I cannot comprehend how a contractor can accomplish much by wasting time on a redundant system that requires long holds only to be told that they called too early.  Of course "her" job to tell callers they called to early could be eliminated. 

Sometimes things happen that are difficult to believe.  My call to the Dial 811 system today was an example of a system that does not value "excellent customer relations."

"Federal Family"

I understand that we now have a "Federal Family."  I am certainly glad that this concept is now being promoted. 

Perhaps we can now conduct an intervention for Grandpa Barack and Grandma Nancy.  They appear to be addicted to power and are establishing Laws that to not promote the welfare of the Citizens of the United States of America.

I recall that Grandma Nancy, in calling for the vote on the "new" Health Care Laws telling us that we needed to pass it and then we could see what was in it.  From what I understand, the what is in it is not too popular with those who have funds ready to invest in the future of the United States of America.  Unfortunately Grandpa Barack signed this "new" Health Care into Law.

We all know that in order to resolve addict behavior that often concerned family members conduct an intervention so that the addicts will realize they need treatment.  I think that Grandpa John could help us all in this matter.  I also have about 535 cousins who could assist.  I realize that some of the cousins may think that we do not have a set of addicted Grandparents, however I think that after they review the facts such as the recent "roller coaster ride of the Stock Market" that they will also see the need for an intervention.

I think that most Citizens of the United States of America know that we need jobs and appropriate Laws that will allow our Family to prosper.