Proud of His Lungs

As a child I was proud of my Daddy's lungs. They were special, extraordinary. I was certain that no other children's fathers had lungs like my Daddy's. I told you how we would walk out into the ocean. He would also take me underwater on his back and swim about until my lungs felt they would explode for want of fresh air then at my signal he would take me up to the surface... but sometimes he would not even come up for a breath and down we'd go again!

Most impressive though... what I was most proud of was a special feat he could do better than any of the other sailors and submariners in his unit. While we were on base in Hawaii, we would drive by or walk by this huge tower that looked like a grain silo I would look up to the top of it squinting into the bright sky with my child's eyes and be amazed at how tall it was. The first time we passed it he pointed it out and told me what the dive tower was for. Inside the tower which was more than a hundred feet high was water. Outside there were stairs and special doors - air locks) that could let a person enter the water at a certain depth. The Navy used this to train sailors to make an ascent from the deep. He would go in there and take a bunch of deep breaths then an assistant would release him from way down at the bottom of that tower and he'd have to hold his breath patiently and swim and float his way all the way to the surface. Wow! What a magical thing... and he did it better than any of the other sailors. He told me how you had to do this thing with your nose to equalize pressure in your ears on the way to the surface. A scuba diver would be going along side just for safety to offer air or other assistance but my Daddy and his amazing lungs never needed help.

I thought about this at the end when his amazing lungs fought so hard... just would not stop - kept working. I can't tell you the bitter irony I felt as I watched my Dad drown in his bed. Because I think that is what killed him in the very end. His remaining lung filled up with fluid - you could hear it. I think that fact as much as any other just galled me in his time of dying. I was so proud of my Daddy's lungs - and I know he was too.

He was a man of great spirit. Inspiration. Did you know that one of the definitions of "inspiration" is essentially to take air (spirit) into ones lungs? I guess if we continue to be inspired about the best of Ray's character my Daddy's lungs will still be working.

Dad's new favorite radio station...

Well most of you know that Dad was a big fan of the likes of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristopherson, John Denver, etc. Country music, folk music, songs and ballads on a human scale. Oh yeah.. Harry Chapen too.. ah the old cat's in the cradle song.
But a new favorite?
Well I'm going out on a limb here.
Psychology folks like to say that as we get older we get in touch with the other side of our gender... and you can't get much older than dead I reckon so maybe Dad would start to appreciate female vocalists more now. That and as I watched one of Dad's all time favorite movies (O' Brother where for art thou) with him I remember that one thing he enjoyed about it was the music. And that featured Alison Kraus among a talented cast of other musicians.
I can't help but think he'd like this custom radio station I've made. Click on 'er and see what you think.


Maybe I'll have to make a Johnny Cash etc radio station for him too. I dearly miss him, wish I could be driving down the road listening to tunes with him or singing harmony with he and his brother Paul.
Listen to your heart's content or for your heart's contents..

water melon

I got a water melon for Adems graduation on Thursday .It was small more like a Honey due than a watter melon but still it reminded me of dad.His belly was as cool as it got water melon belly is what I thought. He was all ways a produce snob we not paying more then 5cents a ld for the very best as we would drive east to west from stand to stand . He could pick em cant remember a bad melon dad picked,then came the spiting and pitching for distance with the seeds. Ive got to be more fun for my kids

dads visit

when we went down to D C two years ago dad came over to visit with his latest grandson me and Melissa. Well of course we had to do alot of walking and one day on the mall a robin was following us from dirt patch to dirt patch as we walked the sidewalk.  I smiled and told dad I had gotten that male robin worked up and he was trying to call me out.  Dad insisted the robin was just on a worm hunt and it had nothing to do with me.  Well the bird kept flying to the next dirt patch clawing the dirt up and staring me down chirping away (about 16 years back I went down to show dad his first grandchild Adem and we discoverd a white robin in his back yard to debate about)this went on for about 10 minutes and was a lot of fun watching and debating the birds behavior.

Well are Aunt Joehanna was telling me of how she gets a visit from time to time from her dad in the form of a blue bird and to be on the look out because Raymound will be able to drop in and say hi from time to time to me .

there I was four days ago on the computer wasting time kind of looking up new wood boilers when I hear a knock on the window, I look and no one is around.  I go back to wasting time a thump a louder knock. Well I know it's a bird and I open the window to see if it will fly in the room. The next thing I know there's the sound of a landing bird.  I look it's gone.  I go back to wasting time here he comes again this time he starts chirping callin me out, stop wasting time, I look and he's gone before I can set an eye on him.

I got up and turn off the computer and went for a walk with my new friend the robin flying just ahead of me along are road chirping and a scratch'n,  telling me what's what.

Brother from a different mother

The Year was 1961 I was in my 13th year when I met Ray Boeckmann.
My sister Colleen had called the local Navel Base Mare Island and asked to speak to a submariner? ( Well thats the story I was told) When Ray showed up at our house the first thing that struck me was his smile it was radiant! So began many years of friendship with the man that would marry my sister and become a profound influence in my life. He was 19 and just starting out on what turned out to be an incredible Naval Career. For those who don't know it Ray was Admiral Hyman Rickover's ( Father of Nuclear Submarine Navy) right hand man. But in those days he was just a brilliant young man who was in love with my sister. Ray had many talents my favorite was he played guitar and sang. I loved to sing with him I still remember all the lyrics to " They called it that old mountain dew" For a few years Ray filled a great emptiness in my life. It was because of him that I joined the submarine service. He also helped me buy my first car. A 1954 Cadillac that we purchased for $140.00. It was a real Beauty and a great Buy. Ray was a shrewd wheeler dealer! Although Ray was just a few years older than me he influenced me more than my Father ever did and I had a sort of hero worship for him. I know even with my many faults I am better man because of the time I spent with him. I was so overjoyed to see him at Rachael's wedding! He still exuded so much charm and an amazing inner strength to say nothing of his stamina in the work that needed to be done. I will always be grateful for the time we had together. The world has lost something truly precious in his passing. But he will always live on in the wonderful memories we all hold in our hearts! I can close my eye's and still see him dancing and singing and making all those around just a little happier for having known him. "Well they called it that good old mountain dew and them that refused it are few, I'll shut up my mug if you'll fill up my jug with that good old mountain dew" God Bless and Good Journey Your Brother Tom