TRAGIC LOSS

 We are sad and sorrowful right now, My wife has lost one of her Family,    Her Cousin John Passed away!

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This was John and I when we met up a few months ago in a Restaurant..

John Astafan was 69, still working full time, he felt sick and went to the ER and they told him to take some antibiotics and then sent him home !

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2 days later her went back to the Hospital, they admitted him, said he had Covid-19 and as he was having trouble breathing they put him on a Ventilator and put him out with sedatives. 

He was on the Ventilator for over 3 weeks and the Covid ravaged and damaged his Lungs that he could not breathe on his own,  his wife agreed along with his 3 daughters he was to be Taken off the Ventilator and he was with just his wife with him, he passed away 10 minutes later,  His wife was beside him, he never spoke after he went on the Ventilator.

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John and I worked on the Police Department together, we were hired in a group of 9 Men, we were and still are the Biggest Class they ever Hired and trained !

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The whole 9 in the front Row were the Class of 74 !  4 in the front row seated are gone, back left Richards is gone, 3rd from right, Loomis just passed away from heart Attack, 5th from right back row has passed, 4th from the left also has passed away,  

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We lost Vanbrocklin first from Cancer,  We lost Reff from a punctured lung that happened in the Hospital due to Negligent Surgery !  We lost Cummings last Fall from Cancer and now Astafan from this Dam Covid !

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Above was at a get together when we had 5 of the 9 together for dinner a few years back,  I am the second Oldest of the group, Scott is the Oldest at 79 now.   Sad that out our class so many have passed away.

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This is me and Sgt McGraw who taught me Flight Lessons, I loved flying, But never did get enough Money to buy that Plane !  LOL !!!    Sarge  is in a Nursing Home just sitting there staring out the window, doesn't talk or know anyone !    SAD !

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My Partner, Best Friend and co-hort and keeper of all 10-7 secrets when we worked together, Fuhrken,  He went on the Force 2 years ahead of me, we worked same shifts, same days off, and were partners in Patrol on Nights for years and years or Walked Beats together !      Sadly Pancreatic Cancer got the best of him !!!

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On or Off Duty we were never too far from each other !

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On the Job we made a lot of Good Arrests and enjoyed the work, hours and Crap !

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He came home from Texas to Visit me, we were 2 peas in a pod,  He was one of my few closest friends !

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Mark and his wife and my Honey and I joined them when they rented a cottage (Castle) on an Island in the Thousand Islands, Mark was in the last stages of Pancreatic Cancer, they flew Home from Texas to visit family and Friends, Mark passed away when they got back to Texas a few month's later, We flew out to Texas and brought him back home an I did his Funeral Service.

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Memory Lakeport Fl

 While sitting here quietly looking at Pictures after getting my second Covid - 19 Shot today I find these ones I must have missed seeing for some time now. When we were "Snobirding" we would set up a Base Camp and travel around !   We sure have seen a lot of Florida and some other States.

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In 2012 We traveled from Okeechobee down to Lakeport for the Sour Orange Festival !  Awesome place and nice scenery on the way down !

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Oranges are when you break one open and bite into it "Sweet",  Well you Bite into one of these Oranges in Lakeport be prepared for an awful "Sour" taste !    Yes they are Sour Oranges.    Each Tree we saw had a Plastic Tag on it and was Numbered.

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There were a lot of People there and this is the back of the stage where they were "Cloggers" and great Hoedown Music !

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These "Cloggers could really move and we enjoyed the show !

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They had buildings full of History on Lakeport and the area and a History of the Sour Oranges !

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I found this Beauty parked over under the Shade, The man drove it down from Kentucky and didn't want to be in the Photo !

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We ate BBQ Ribs, Coleslaw, Salt Potatoes and Hush Puppies and it was delicious !    AND desert was??????  Yup,  Sour Orange Pie and was it good !!!!

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I made a beeline for the Booth that was selling Pies and I was lucky as I bought the Last Sour Orange Pie they had, they had other pies but I wanted to take this back with us !

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It was February and was a little cool, must have been in the low 70's !!!!!!  we did enjoy our adventure !!!!

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Repair Work an Wood work

I went into making Wooden Figures years ago when I had too much free time and needed to stay busy !  I first made small wooden Birds,  Loons and kept busy !

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These figures above I made years ago when we lived next door at 33 Wilna Ave,  , The Sailor in the center I gave to the owner of the House we now live in.  I made a complete set for the Fort Drum Military Base of all Branches and they are still on display !

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I made sets for the VFW and also the American Legion Post but they have came up Missing. 

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A close up of some of the ones done and going out !  I have been asked to start making them again but have to think about it !

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These were some of the ones I made when we lived in the Village of Carthage on South Washington Street,  The Sailor in the "Crackerjack" went to a Friend of Mine at the American Legion , 1 of the Gunney Sgts. went to a Lady for her Husbands Grave, I lasted a long time as she lived across the street and watched it, she took it in during the winter and put it back out in spring !

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I had to fix the Arm on this Swabby my Oldest Bother made for me over 30 years ago !  The other Sailor the one that sat in my Office at the American Legion for 15 years.

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"CORPSMAN, CORPSMAN" !   "Man Down",  My PO 1 tipped over and broke his right arm off!!  This Old Swabby has been with me for over 30 years, had to fix him !

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Lucky this MA had some HM training,  Drilled a small dowel hole, Elmers Wood Glue, 1/1/2 sheetrock screw and grafted his Arm back on !    

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He should be back at his Duty Station tomorrow by the Fire Place !!

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February Storm

 Well, went to Bed last night to a Star filled Sky and cooler Temps,  Woke up this morning to about a foot of new snow, blowing and drifting and 28 degrees !

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This is looking out the Window down the street to the Neighbors Cedar Tree !

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We had Breakfast and My Honey went outside and used the "SnoJoe" and cleaned the Deck off as it had a half a foot of Snow on it !

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The Cardinal was waiting for My Honey to fill the Feeder this Morning !

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Everyone coming in during the Storm for Food for Energy !!!!!

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My Man Wade showed up to Clean walks and driveway, we had about a foot and a half of Snow and still coming down at 4PM!  

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The Snow stopped for about 1/2 hour, Sun Came out and neighbor came out and did his driveway !

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You can the FEET of Snow on the Houses across the Street during a lull in the Snow Storm !

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Me an the Cat looking out at the Storm and it has come back around and really snowing and Blowing now at 4PM,  You can almost not tell where the Sidewalks and Driveway were cleared of Snow !

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Well, I got Hungry sitting here watching it Snow, running downstairs checking on the Fire Place, running from window to window to watch it Snow an Blow !  Enjoying some "Buffalo Chicken Wing" Dip,  Its just a little Spicy but not too bad ! 

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The Fire Place down Stairs is still working nicely and Heating up the rooms,,   The Snow has almost covered the Window over the Fire Place outside !   Outside the Window is the General Electric Generator, it is set to come on and run 10 minutes every Saturday at 11 AM, When it fires up in Shuts Down the Gas Fired Fire Place so need to make sure Fire Place is Shut Down before Generator start up !

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Well, Its still coming down hard an will probably get More Snow,  I hope it's not too bad as I am doing Part of the ZOOM Church Service Tomorrow at 11AM !

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Every one Stay Safe, Wear Your Mask !!!!

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Winter Prep Roof

 Well, Today is Sunny and bright, not too cold, 27 degrees an NO wind !!   SO,  I called my new Handy Man Wade to see if he could clear off the Roof,  There is quite a bit of snow up there, (over 2 feet) so down he came with his ladder and shovel,

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Wade up on the Roof,  This side of the house had T Lock Shingles on the upper side and on lower side where he is standing is rolled Half Lap and the pitch is slightly under what I would like !  He pushs his shovel into the snow in 3 places and grabs a 2+ square foot of Snow and chunks it off the roof.

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All the Snow shoveled off as we are supposed to get hammered again starting tomorrow with a lot of Snow. This picture shows the Ice accumulation on the edge of the Roof and in the Eves trough,  Wade hammered several exit paths for melting water to run off the rood so it does not "Back Up" and leak into the house.    Next year this edge will be "Pop Up"       Metal panels,  2 foot X  2 Foot square so when Ice builds up it pops off. 

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Front sidewalks in our area are cleared out but here in Deferiet most people walk in the Street,  they do not have or do not want to enforce a Sidewalk Law on having to shovel your walk !!!

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Inside to eat, Nice Fresh Air, Sunshine and Cold,   so we had  Shrimp cooked in Bacon Fat then Onions and Garlic added,  Grits with white American cheese melted an cooked into it and fresh cooked Bacon crumbled on it all topped with Orange slices !!    Delicious !  I Love Grits with Butter an dash of Salt !

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Break Time SO:  Down to the Basement, Fire up the Fire Place and sit back and relax, can't take a nap in this chair because it would be  rough on the neck !!!

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Winter Continues

 Well the Ground Hog, Punxsutawney Phil saw his "Shadow" during the Snow Storm up on Gobbler's Knob !!

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Looks like Phil put up a Fight by the digs and scratches and blood on this handlers hand !!

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Thus, We are going to get "6 More weeks" of Winter !  So from today of February 2nd  in 6 weeks it will be March 9th and that's it,  BUT it does not work that way up here in Northern New York !    Maybe around Gobblers Knob it does End but up here we have had Snow on Mothers Day in May !

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This is my Honey filling the Bird Feeders so we can sit and while away the hours "Bird Watching" !

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My Honey cleaning of the back deck with the SnoJoe "Snow Thrower" !

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I after lunch went down stairs to the Basement and sat and listened to music  in front of the Fire Place which was nice !

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Doctors appointment tomorrow for follow up with Cardioligist to my stay in Syracuse so other than that gonna hopefully be quiet for a while !

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