“The maximum is not the optimum.” — Garrett Hardin
“If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time, do not drag your feet. ” — A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Wings Of Fire
“The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of.” — Leonardo da Vinci
“I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and say to myself well, that’s not going to happen.” — Rita Rudner
When I first heard of the book, A Higher Call by Adam Makos, Larry Alexander, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book. War time stories don’t appeal to me too much, but I did enjoy the book Unbroken, the WW II story of Louis Zamperini, another WW II pilot risking his life in Japan written by Laura Hillenbrand.
After realizing that this book was quite a hit on the NY Times Best Seller List, I thought I would give it a try and I am so glad that I did. Franz Stigler, the German ace pilot, exhibited a humanity beyond belief. This book is a tribute to him and to all acts of chivalry and heroism during times of war. There are undoubtedly many stories that will never get to be told so let’s celebrate this one and recognize the glory of true courage and conviction.
The title and subtitle of the book: A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II says it all.
The videos below will give you a sense of the book, but cannot not replace it.
If you want a slightly different take on the story, you can watch the next video below with many different photos and clips.
While these videos provide some of the story, as usual, the book is much, much better! If you like history or stories with heroes, this book is a very good read. I can recommend it without reservation. Read some reviews and more about the book at the goodreads website.
“Time is the one loan that no one can repay.” — Unknown
“We all want a bargain, but none of us wants to BE the bargain.” — Scott Bourne
“I think it is important to realize that you can miss something, but not want it back.” — Paulo Coelho
“We pay for the mistakes of our ancestors, and it seems only fair that they should leave us the money to pay with.” — Don Marquis
We continue our series of personalized (vanity) license plates in Arizona. To maintain individual privacy, we try to show as little information about particular cars as possible as long as we can reveal the license plate.
NOTE – License plate photos may have been archived for quite some time. The years indicated on the registration stickers DO NOT necessarily reflect the current status of any given plate!
We hope you enjoy these PL8ATUDES!
“We are always the same age inside.” — Gertrude Stein
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” — John Muir
“You cannot let go of anything if you cannot notice that you are holding it.” — Neale Donald Walsch
“There’s something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she’s only measured water in it.” — Erma Bombeck
I have mentioned Mark Renneson and his Third Shot Sports in the past and I guess if you live in Canada, it may become difficult to find a place to play pickleball during the colder months. Perhaps this is one solution although for the warmer climate denizens, I wouldn’t recommend trying this unless you have very good hockey and/or ice skating skills.
Great fun Mark and the gang!
As quoted from the YouTube website:
“We all know that you can play pickleball outside. But how about in winter? On ice? With skates! Third Shot Sports presents a unique look at how some crazy Canadians play the sports they love no matter what the conditions. Featuring Bill Furse, Ingrid Schuster, Chuck Burgoyne, Mark Renneson and Cecily the Baby. thirdshotsports.com”
To See Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here
Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos!
“Love and dignity cannot share the same abode.” — Ovid
“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” — Oprah Winfrey
“If I cut you off, chances are, you handed me the scissors.” — Unknown
“You don’t have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you.” — Meryl Streep
Picture courtesy of a screen capture from REI’s video linked below
REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), as part of the ->->Every-Trail-Connects<-<- series presents the video below about the Appalachian Trail and Ponytail Paul (Paul Stiffler) known to those he meets hiking through the woods as the Trail Angel. We all know how special the trail is, but his efforts make it that much more of a gift. Watch the video to find out why!
Quoted from the YouTube video website:
“Many people look to the outdoors to find peace of mind. For Paul Stiffler, better known as Ponytail Paul, the Appalachian Trail and its thru-hikers have been the therapeutic force needed to turn his life around. Paul has taken on a role as “Trail Angel” to help thru-hikers on their 2,186-mile journey and help himself find a new sense of purpose in the process.”
“The greatest dreams are always unrealistic.” — Will Smith
“What would be ugly in a garden constitutes beauty in a mountain.” — Victor Hugo
“People at war with themselves will always cause collateral damage in the lives of those around them.” — John Mark Green
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” — Charles Wadsworth
Whenever I travel, I have a packing list to make sure I bring everything that I need to have a safe, comfortable trip. I actually have two lists; one for long trips and one for short trips.
It only makes sense to have a packing list for a photography gear and supplies whenever you are preparing to take pictures. Christian Holberg got me thinking about this in his article A Helpful Checklist to Use Before Photographing Anything.
Picture Courtesy of Amazon.com
The items below are mentioned in his article and are important, but I do not think the list is complete. For one thing, every photographer has their own preferences and special gizmos and gadgets that they might like to bring. I make sure to always have my Giotto Rocket Air Blower with me to keep dust of my lens and I use it a couple of times a day on some occasions. My suggestion would be to use this article as a starting point to create your own list.
ALSO…read the comments below the article which include more good ideas for your photo shoot. The “we is smarter than the me!”
Before you leave
In the field – Target Subject
Back at the Ranch