More memories...

More memories ... from mom's photo collection...

This one really dredges up some old, old memories – likely from the very first time I ever visited my family's cabin on Long Pond outside of North Lincoln, Maine.  The photo, unfortunately, is undated.  I'm going to guess it was taken in the late '40s or very early '50s.  The back, in my mom's handwriting (with a fountain pen, again!) says “Sliver & Irene Sturgeon, Lincoln Maine”.  I remember both of them, though most of my memories are of them appearing older than this photo shows them.  I especially remember Irene, because she would let me sip her beer.  :)  Apparently I used to like the stuff, though now I detest it.  Both of them were full of good cheer, mischief, jokes, and happy conversation.  Many a card game was played with two of the chairs occupied by that couple.  Sliver was a great friend of my grandfather, my mother's father, Donald MacLaughlin.  Seeing this photo transported me back into that happy “camp” atmosphere that my mom so loved.

Here's another one of my grandfather, again undated.  In my mom's handwriting on back, it says “Dad + ?”.  Well, if my mom had no idea who those two rather severe-looking ladies were, I sure as heck don't! I don't see any clues that would let me place the scene, either – could easily have been either New Jersey or Maine (the two most likely locales).  My grandfather's face looks about as my earliest memories of him, in the mid-'50s.

Below are a couple photos of my brother Scott.  The first one is a studio portrait, probably from school.  It's undated; on the back in my mom's handwriting (with a fountain pen), it simply says “Scott”.  His teeth look big, don't they?  And his head looks too big for those shoulders.  I remember those thick plastic frames – I had them, too.  We still managed to break them regularly, despite their impressive massiveness.  I'm guessing he's 8 or 9 in that photo, so 1961 or 1962 or thereabouts.  The second photo is dated (by the lab) February 1959.  I'm guessing it was actually taken late in the preceding fall – the leaves are down in the background trees, but the grass still looks alive.  In my mom's handwriting it says “Scott” on the back.  This photo I can place, though.  It's taken in the field that was northeast of our home, looking to the south.  In the background you can make out the ends of a couple of tanks, like large barrels, and the end of a small building.  That was a shed that our field hand Chalky had to the west of his home.  His home would have been directly behind the holly that Scott is standing next to.  The kennels and dog runs for his collection of hunting hounds was just left (east) of that shed.

Finally here are three more photos of me.  The first is also dated February 1959, like the one of Scott above.  This appears to be from a different location in the same field, but I don't have any visual clues to prove that (except that one of the bare trees in the background appears to be the same one showing in Scott's photo).  The second one is undated, but in my mom's handwriting (with a fountain pen) it says “Tommy 4½ mos.”.  That would put it in January 1953.  I'm not sure why I have my shoes tied together and wrapped around my neck. :)  The last photo is a studio portrait, and undated; presumably it's a school portrait.  I'm guessing I was 7, so 1959 or thereabouts.

This is CNN...

This is CNN...  Remy, of course.

Curiosity...

Curiosity ... is traversing some wild Martian scenery!

Rosetta is just 30 days...

Rosetta is just 30 days ... from attempting a soft landing on Comet 67P.  At right is a recent photo, showing just how close it's getting to the comet's surface.  Hi res.