September 2024 - Gathering Ground Report; South Africa Photos from Deb Shapiro

 GATHERING GROUND REPORT - September 12, 2024

Norm, Roger, Bart, Chet, Bill - in no particular order
(Editor's Note: Once again, no picture was taken at the GG meeting, so I had to resort to near approximations found on the Internet

Greetings from Windsor Locks

This month Norm and his son Roger, Bart Nixon, Chet Bernat, and Bill Wills were present.

As usual, there were discussions regarding every ones  health.

I asked Chet how he was doing. He said he's 'slowing down'.  His new knee is working OK. and he'll be 81 this month. We all said, 81 was a reason for slowing down, don't worry about it.

Jo-Ann (not present) and I keep reminding Chet bring his cell phone with him each month, so we can give him a lesson on how to use it. He really needs help in that area.

Bart said his new knees were working as advertised. No pain, but he lacks the strength he was hoping for. I asked him if he was doing all the prescribed exercises, and he replied – 'Mostly'. 

He also mentioned he's been a snowbird for 15 years.  Florida lends itself to do more walking, swimming and exercising . He leaves for Florida in late October, well before the first snowfall.

I talked about my week in New Hampshire with Judy. We rented a beautiful cottage on a lake. That was the good news, the bad news was that we were at least an hour+ from civilization. Day trips were mostly driving.

In order to get there I had to rent a mini van. My car was (and still is ) in the shop. (again.)  I really think I'm paying the college  tuition for my mechanic's son.

The rental had a lot of electronics that I'm not used to. Fortunately there was a thick user manual in the glove box. I needed it to decipher the icons on some of the dials and switches on the dash. All I all, it was a very good van after the learning curve.

Norm's son is a mechanical engineer working for a company formerly known as Chandler Evans. They were a direct competitor to HSD in the Fuel control area. I worked there designing Fuel Controls for three years before being drafted and coming to  HSD. (1972) Roger knew of many of my peers from back then. What a small world.

That's it for this month.

Your temporary scribe,

 Bill Wills

                                                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 SOUTH AFRICA PHOTOS

I received this email from Deb (Shapiro) Hansche a couple of weeks ago:

" My husband and I recently spent 10 days in South Africa.  It was my second time there and just as amazing as the first.  I thought I'd share a few (I have a couple hundred) pictures.  I've attached pictures of a herd of Cape Buffalo, sunset, White Rhinos, and a Giraffe.  All beautiful.  

The lodge we stayed at was 5+ hours out of Johannesburg and about 5 miles or so off the main road.  No noise or traffic.  The nights were dark and peaceful.

I hope you're doing well. 

Deb Shapiro Hansche"

....and here are the pictures....!