Mother and child make their way down Congress Street in Portland, Maine during a winter afternoon in 1968. Mother seems to be contemplating an early retirement in Florida.
Out In The Snow
Month: January 2017
Creation Isn’t Random Because Monkey Orchids
And I’m pretty certain they don’t evolve into human orchids.
New Hollywood “It Boy” Or Soldier Born 175 Years Ago?
SHORPY: Ca. 1863. “Unidentified soldier in Union uniform with forage cap carrying a bone handle knife in breast pocket.” Sixth-plate tintype, hand-colored. Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Library of Congress.
Per wikipedia, the Civil War the M1858 forage cap, based on the French kepi, was the most common headgear worn by union troops, even though it was described by one soldier as “Shapeless as a feedbag”. What do you think? Pretty slouchy?
So often, we see pictures of Civil War soldiers, and they look creepy/eerie/stiff, nothing like a man in 2017. But this one is different. Maybe it’s the goatee or the penetrating gaze. He reminds me of someone I’ve seen. Just to put this in perspective, let’s remember that Civil War facial hair often looked more like that of Major General Alpheus Williams.
Not that this beard isn’t AMAZING. Because it is.
Different Old White Guy In A Red Baseball Cap
2PM: New Harbor, Maine menfolk swap stories and play checkers on a winter afternoon at Lester Russell’s barbershop. The horn-rimmed glasses, calendar, radio, and cans of Barbasol all make for an authentic portrait. But what’s the young man wearing? Shin guards? Rubber waders? I don’t get it.
Speaking of barber shops, today is Howard McNear’s birthday. Born in 1905, he played barber Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show. After a stroke paralyzed the left side of his body, he left the series for over a year to recover. Andy encouraged him to return to his role, but he could not walk or stand. Audiences noticed his speech was slower, as well as his movements. If you click on any post-stroke youtube videos, it’s obvious. The show’s crew accommodated his disability, filming McNear seated or standing with support. Many scenes were shot with him sitting on a bench outside the barber shop, as opposed to actively trimming hair as before. In most of his post-stroke scenes, McNear’s left hand would hold a newspaper or rest in his lap, while he moved his right arm and hand as he spoke his lines.* Well, I’ll be.
*(per wikipedia)
Getting The 411
One hunches and one cranes as neighbors exchange news in the Viennese Inner City of Griechengasse (Street of the Greeks).
Let Me Show You The Door
I found this little nugget in a new-to-me yearbook (that reeks of cigarette smoke and has little torn football ticket halves inside) this morning. Every bit of it makes me smile. The dark-bearded fellow in the floral shirt evokes the (not-then-yet released) movie Urban Cowboy. The fellow in crimson and cream is clearly the aggressor, perhaps Bud-induced, and his failure to don a belt makes me cringe. Beltless jeans make me crazy.
The towheaded guy in orange reminds me of a younger (perhaps more Appalachian) Terry Bradshaw.
Bradshaw Fun Fact: Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker “Hollywood Henderson” infamously said Bradshaw “couldn’t spell ‘cat’ if you spotted him the ‘c’ and the ‘t.'” OUCH.
Patch
Cuba Scuba Dive, Part III
In addition to scuba diving, my aunt and uncle also snorkeled in mangroves with crocodiles.
What do you think of these teeth? Would you get anywhere near them?
Cuba Scuba Dive, Part II
I couldn’t begin to tell you what this is. Something down deep in the sea with little feelers. This next one I was told was a brain coral with a bristle worm on it.
What a Creator we have indeed! Look at all the colors undersea.
And how about this for a profile?
Cuba Scuba Dive, Part I
My aunt and her scuba-dive-loving husband visited Cuba late last year and were able to schedule a series of dives. Among them–swimming with the sharks. Clearly they are both more fearless than I. But the pictures my uncle captured with his camera were amazing.
January In Texas
Skillet Lickers Bilin’ Cabbage Down
These here fellas were known as The Skillet Lickers way back in the 1920s. Now before you go thinking one of them licked too much skillet, the one with the hair like a dead man’s curve was legally blind, but Riley Puckett was quite the vocalist. Haven’t heard of of this hillbilly band from Georgia? Well, that’s probably because they were selling singles before you were born. “Down Yonder” was their biggest hit on RCA Victor, but others included “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane” and “Bile Them Cabbage Down.” They disbanded in 1931. Andy Griffith performed his more grammatically-correct version of “Boil Them Cabbbage Down” on his hit show. As an added bonus, a verse is sung by Bob Denver, aka Maynard G. Krebs and Gilligan.
I Don't Get It 