Sunday, February 12, 2023

Misc. writings and stuff

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I worked on the engines of ten (10) these magnificent aircraft (F6F Hellcats) while stationed at Barber’s Point, Hawaii, several wooden deck aircraft carriers and at Moffett Naval Air Station. 

 
















 

Oops! No fly-over

One day, after my wife dropped me off at the Moffett Naval Station in California, she stopped at a red light and was rear-ended by another driver.  Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Then, the next day, after she dropped me off, a Lieutenant JG (junior grade) walked up to me and said, “I hear your wife was in an accident.”

I said, “Yes, Sir.  Some idiot rear-ended her.”

He kind of smiled and said, “Yeah.  That idiot was me.”

I didn’t know what to say.  Enlisted men don’t insult officers.

But he said, “Let me explain.  We had just come off night maneuvers (Flying at night in close formation), and I was bone-tired.  As I was coming up on the car ahead of me, I knew I was going too fast to stop in time.  So, I pulled back on the steering wheel and tried to fly over her.”

 


 

 

 

 Hazards of the deck

 

Although there were many hazards working on the decks of aircraft carriers, there were also dangers on the ground.  An example happened one day while a small group us were watching men servicing some jet aircraft.  They were using a small trailer called a “bowser,” which was a round, fiberglass tank (about 40 inches in diameter) filled with hi-pressure air.

As we were watching, there was a tremendous explosion.  When I looked over, I saw a man flying over the top of the plane.  The bowser had exploded and propelled the man to his death.  We took that kind of accident in stride and continued our day. 

 

Night-time: Flapping in the breeze.

  

If you ever want a little excitement in your life, work on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night during takeoff/landing operations.

It was pitch-black, cold and loud (we wore attenuators, earmuff-like headgear that blocked out much of the noise.)  The jets (Phantoms) were on the front of the deck, and our           F6F Hellcats (prop-driven) planes were parked on the fantail (rear of the deck.)  The jets were up front because they needed a short warm-up time.  Our prop-driven planes needed more time to warm up. 

Having the jets and the F6Fs warming up at the same time created a windstorm that could (and did) blow men overboard (That’s why they have a steel net on the stern of the ship. I had one man go over and break a leg.)  All we could do was wrap our arms around a wheel strut and hang on tight.

Only after the jets finally took off could we remove the chocks and tie-downs from our planes so they could taxi forward and take off.  Our concern, then, was to stay away from the revolving propellers that were almost invisible in the dark. 

Then, by the time we got our planes off, it was time for the jets to return.  They would either “touch and go” or go forward to tie-down.  Then our Hellcats would do the same thing.  This would go on for hours without breaks. 

By the time night operations were over, we didn’t go to our bunks and lie down: we flopped down and passed out.

Then, the operations would begin all over again the next day and into the night. 

 

 

Turn this ship around.

  

Not all ship operations went smoothly.  On one shakedown cruise, our aircraft carrier had its share of mishaps.

On the second day out to sea, a twin-engine mail plane crashed at sea during taking-off.  All hands and cargo were lost.

On the fifth day, the ship was venting its gas tanks overboard (To keep the fumes from accumulating, thereby creating an explosion hazard.)  However, someone threw a lit cigar over the side, which cause a fire, which burned the whole side of the ship.

On the ninth day, the catapult broke down and would need several days to repair.

On the tenth day, the Admiral ordered the ship back to port.

Now, you would think it would be a time of rest and relaxation for us.  Nope, back to cleaning and servicing our Hellcats.  Or cleaning the flight deck or painting bulkheads or…you get the idea.

 

Where are those critters?

 

Although life was generally grueling aboard ship, there were lighthearted moments.

One such occasion was looking for Wombats, the elusive critters that follow ships and expose themselves only during moonlit nights.

Every new crewmember would be told the story.  Some believed, some didn’t.  Those that did might spend several nights on the fantail in the freezing cold, looking for the critters.  It was all taking in good humor and helped to bond the men together as a team.

  

                                           THANK YOU ALL FOR VISITING MY PAGE

 

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Monday, June 29, 2020

Stupid Cow jokes

Stupid Cow Jokes

What do you call a cow that lives at the north pole?  An Eskimoo.

How do cows pay their way?  With moola.

Where do cows go when they get married?  On honeymoooons.

What do they call a cow that lives off other without giving anything in return?  A mooocher.

Where do cows stay when they travel?  At moootels.

Where do cows go for entertainment?  To the mooovies.

What do they call a call a cow that's overly affectionate?  A smoooocher.

What do you call cows that make illegal booze?  Moooonshiners.

What do cows wear in Hawaii?   Moomoos.



















Wednesday, January 8, 2020

"The Seeding Chronicles" by A. E. Lawrence


COMING SOON






The Seeding Chronicles
by
A. E. Lawrence

      Genesis

     It came from a time and space incomprehensible to the human mind.  The object hadn’t come from any specific place, and it wasn’t going anyplace in particular.  It was about a yard long and looked like an oblong capsule.  Light from the stars reflected from its crinkled surface as it raced along at a speed rivaling light, itself.  In its timeless odyssey among the stars, the entity came like a pinball; pulled, pushed and slung about by the gravitational influences of solar masses and other celestial bodies.  It would have continued on its way through the galaxy except that something got in its way: The Big Blue Marble.
     It came in on a shallow trajectory and almost skipped back into space.  But there was just enough drag in the upper atmosphere to draw it down and pull it in.  It didn’t blaze or glow like a meteor because its interior was gaseous and slowed too quickly for heat to build on its surface.  Its outer covering withstood the ravages of the entry until it reached atmosphere, then the outer shell began to slough off in the nighttime sky. 
     The entity entered oxygenated atmosphere over Huron, Ohio, and continued toward Cleveland.  It didn’t break apart in its decent: rather, it shed its layers until it was reduced to a small waft of warm air that was quickly dissipated by the winds aloft.  The dusty material scattered along a path thirty miles wide and almost sixty miles long.  It landed on vegetation, animals and people.  But nothing was damaged, and no one got sick.
     Because of the gaseous nature of the entity, it came undetected by Earth’s elaborate sensing systems.  And no one took notice of the slight dusting on their cars and property the next morning as they got ready for another day’s travails.  They would not know for years to come that something beyond their understanding had been introduced into their society.
     The children had arrived.


The Gathering 
by 
A. E. Lawrence

(The second book of the "Seeding" trilogy)



The Seeding Chronicles begins when an object speeds in from deep space and dissipates in Earth’s upper atmosphere.  Undetected by the most sophisticated tracking systems because of its gaseous nature, the entity spreads a wide swath of dust-like matter between Huron and Cleveland, Ohio without anyone noticing.  Although there are no adverse effects on plants, animals or humans, it introduces into society something beyond their understanding.
In June of 1957, ten children are born who have extraordinary abilities.  This is a chronicle of six families who are compelled to raise these children, whether in a loving or adversarial manner.



Destiny
by 
A. E. Lawrence

(The third book of the "Seeding" trilogy)

                


      After an entity from space dissipates in Earth's upper atmosphere, ten telepathic children are born to six families that either accept their extraordinary abilities or hate and fear them.  
          When identical twins, Amy and Mandy, are born, their mother, Jan Cornell, discovers their secret and is determined to force them to become normal.  The girls become the troublemakers of the group and are determined to kill Molly, the leader of the Children.
    When Genny Merriweather learns that her triplets, Timmy, Tommy and Shirley, are telepaths, she accepts her "freaks" and begins to teach them to keep their secret.
      Darly Blackburne finds out that her son, Sam, is a telekinetic after the four-year-old boy forces his father to kill himself as he was about to shoot her.  When she fully realizes his ability to move things with his mind, she coaches him how to "jimmy" slot machines and takes him to Las Vegas to steal a fortune from the mob's casinos.
      Baby Olivia Elizebeth "Doe" was abandoned on an old woman's porch and became a ward of the state.  Even though the child was blind, Erlene Echendorf, a girl who volunteered at the hospital, is determined to adopt Olly.  It was only after the old woman, Adel Turvey, promised to pay for the child's upkeep, that the court granted the adoption.  Everything seemed normal until Erlie discovered that Olly could see through her eyes.  Although Erlie had mixed emotions about sharing her eyesight with her child, she soon accepted the situation, and it became a part of their lives.
      As Jeffery Turnbull is born, he kills his twin brother in the womb.  His mother, Harriet, doesn't learn of his ability to absorb a person's energy, thereby killing them, or that he is a telepath, until the boy is summoned by, Molly, the leader of the group.  
       Toby Creston is concerned when her twins, Harold and Molly, seem to cater to each other, which she thought was unusual for such young children.  Her suspicions are confirmed, later, when the children announce that they are telepathic, and that Molly, a Down's syndrome child, is the "boss" of nine other telepathic children.  Ace, her father, is stunned, at first, but eventually accepts Molly as another step in evolution.

(Destiny is about 90% finished and the trilogy should be available sometime in 2023)


Copyright © 2020 A. E. Lawrence






"Destiny" by A. E. Lawrence



COMING SOON




Destiny
(The third book of "The Seeding Chronicles" trilogy)
by 
A. E. Lawrence

        After an entity from space dissipates in Earth's upper atmosphere, ten telepathic children are born to six families that either accept their extraordinary abilities or hate and fear them.  
       When identical twins, Amy and Mandy, are born, their mother, Jan Cornell, discovers their secret and is determined to force them to become normal.  The girls become the troublemakers of the group and are determined to kill Molly, the leader of the Children.
    When Genny Merriweather learns that her triplets, Timmy, Tommy and Shirley, are telepaths, she accepts her "freaks" and begins to teach them to keep their secret.
      Darly Blackburne finds out that her son, Sam, is a telekinetic after the four-year-old boy forces his father to kill himself as he was about to shoot her.  When she fully realizes his ability to move things with his mind, she coaches him how to "jimmy" slot machines and takes him to Las Vegas to steal a fortune from the mob's casinos.
      Baby Olivia Elizebeth "Doe" was abandoned on an old woman's porch and became a ward of the state.  Even though the child was blind, Erlene Echendorf, a girl who volunteered at the hospital, is determined to adopt Olly.  It was only after the old woman, Adel Turvey, promised to pay for the child's upkeep, that the court granted the adoption.  Everything seemed normal until Erlie discovered that Olly could see through her eyes.  Although Erlie had mixed emotions about sharing her eyesight with her child, she soon accepted the situation, and it became a part of their lives.
      As Jeffery Turnbull is born, he kills his twin brother in the womb.  His mother, Harriet, doesn't learn of his ability to absorb a person's energy, thereby killing them, or that he is a telepath, until the boy is summoned by, Molly, the leader of the group.  
       Toby Creston is concerned when her twins, Harold and Molly, seem to cater to each other, which she thought was unusual for such young children.  Her suspicions are confirmed, later, when the children announce that they are telepathic, and that Molly is the "boss" of nine other telepathic children.  Ace, their father, is stunned, at first, but eventually accepts his children as another step in evolution.




 
Copyright © 2020 A. E. Lawrence


 


 COMING SOON





notice                   notice                 notice

   The policy of this site to remain free of political discourse/opinions of any kind.  The goal of this author is to display and promote poetry, short stories, novels, art, music and any other form of pure entertainment.  The animosity generated by opposing political agendas is not conducive to the pleasant diversions that are offered by authors and creators and will not be posted here.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                        A. E. Lawrence   

Copyright © 2020 A. E. Lawrence


 

"The Gathering" by A. E. Lawrence


COMING SOON



The Gathering
(The second book of "The Seeding Chronicles" trilogy)
by 
A. E. Lawrence


The Seeding Chronicles begins when an object speeds in from deep space and dissipates in Earth’s upper atmosphere.  Undetected by the most sophisticated tracking systems because of its gaseous nature, the entity spreads a wide swath of dust-like matter between Huron and Cleveland, Ohio without anyone noticing.  Although there are no adverse effects on plants, animals or humans, it introduces into society something beyond their understanding.
In June of 1957, ten children are born who have extraordinary abilities.  This is a chronicle of six families who are compelled to raise these children, whether in a loving or adversarial manner.


                                     COMING SOON



                       Copyright © 2020 A. E. Lawrence