Gill, the grill chipmunk, in our back yard.

My selfie

Dr. Curtis Young, MD, MS, FACS of Midland Hospital performed an operation on my right hand to relieve Dupuytren's Contracture, an hereditary problem of those of northern European extraction, that shrinks the tendons on the hand. As you can see, the procedure went well.

Future use of the A-10

July 18, 2014

Dear Senator Levin:

I am a retired USAF officer and am concerned about the crisis in Ukraine and the Russian threat to Eastern Europe.

 I am also concerned about the Air Force decision to scrap its A10 close-support aircraft. While assigned to the Pentagon, I became familiar with the A10’s capabilities. It is a cost-effective platform for protecting frontline forces, and attacking opposing armor, personnel, and caches of ammunition and supplies. It has proven itself in combat and is able to carry out its mission despite heavy damage.

 Rather than scrap such a weapon system, I believe it would be better to sell or loan it to European nations at risk from invasion. Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland could use this capability in their defense.

 I know you are extremely busy in these last days of your service to the people of Michigan and the United States. If you could share my concerns with those making the final decision regarding the A-10 Thunderbolt II, I would truly appreciate it.

 Thank you for your many years as our senator.

 Sincerely,

Edward J. Fisher

Lt. Col., USAF, (retired)

Clare High School Students Art Show

2014 Art Reach Chair AffaIR

7th Annual Art Reach Chair Affair, downtown Mt. Pleasant.

A summer bloom from our yard to yours.

The wee folk and their trees

The wee folk had cut down a stand of their magic trees.
Crafty strangers had been watching from the undergrowth with great interest.
Their leader approached the wees, “Will you sell us the remainder of those trees?” he said with a smile.
“Why do you want these stumpy things?” asked the Groft of the wees.
“We —have need for many things,” replied the Stroug of the strangers, “We can offer you—gold?” The deal was struck and both seemed satisfied.
The wees hid their gold at the end of rainbows.
The strangers turned the slices of the magic wood into coins.
For them all went well for awhile. As the supply ran out, they were using stems, then tearing up pieces they ripped from the soil. It was all valuable to them. Near the end a few died. Then more and more. Soon all the strangers were gone.

Thus, it seems: That roots are the evil of all money.