Presidential Library....

As thoughts turn to the end of the presidential term of George W. Bush, thoughts also turn to the sweepstakes involved in who gets to host his presidential library. The short list of those who the President wishes to see a proposal from have been made public. On the list is our own Midland College. The others are the city of Arlington, Southern Methodist University, the University of Dallas, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas System and Texas A&M.

When the rumors of who would be invited to bid first surfaced and I heard Midland College mentioned, my first thought was....."yeah right, a snowballs chance in hell". However after seeing the entire list I've moderated my view somewhat. Midland may have a chance. The one chance being if Dubya steps up and says, "I want my library in Midland". Otherwise I think we can forget it. I have to think that the selection process involves some degree of ego, the scholarly disposition of the proposed host, money [who can afford to build it] and the President's personal wishes. A strong wish could override the other factors. Dubya could simply say, "Midland is where it's going".

Now I do think that we may be ahead of some of the others on the list. I cannot see the "city" of Arlington being selected. Dubya has no real allegiance to the entertainment capital of Texas except that his former baseball team was located there. Big deal. University of Dallas.....I don't think so, small school with no connection to George. The University of Texas and Texas A&M were good choices for two former presidents but I can't see Dubya located with LBJ and I don't think he wants to follow in Dad's footsteps at A&M.

This leaves three other large universities as the front runners. The "M" in SMU is for Methodist. George and Laura belong to the Methodist Church and coupled with the fact that it is located in a major metropolitan area, one in which George lived, it may have a good chance. As does Baylor. For whatever reason Dubya has become fond of this area of Central Texas and one supposes that George and Laura will retire in Crawford, so having his library close at hand would be a plus. Texas Tech is a large school but, again, George has no connection here except that the school is in West Texas. Texas Tech is an also ran to the first two schools.

SMU and Baylor have to be the odds on favorites, with Midland leading the long shot field. I'm afraid that our remote location works against us as does the small size and depth of a two year college and the perceived trouble in raising the necessary $200 million to build the facility. But Dubya loves Midland and has strong emotional ties here so stranger things have happened.

Cool breeze........

The unusually cool weather has been the buzz of bloggers around town the last several days and I have to add one final thought, one final mention of a blessing bestowed upon us. That blessing is that the air conditioner in our home has not been on for two entire middle of the summer days. That is unheard of in West Texas.

Owning a home that has been in existance almost as long as you have is a trying experience sometimes, but with the tribulations come some decided advangtages, chief of which is to be surrounded by windows that actually open to the clean, pure and cool air outside. We have been communing with nature now since Wednesday and in the main enjoying it. It's good to hear the sound of our feathered friends as we awaken in the morning and calming to me to be able to hear the trains pass by just a little over a mile away. When all is calm late at night and one listens carefully, the click-clack of the wheels on the tracks can even be heard. Coming from a railroad family it is a balm to my soul.

We have one more night of open windows until the weather turns back to a more normal heat and we have to shut the house up once again. The two air conditioning units cooling the home will start to drown out the sound of nature and I'll have visions of dollar bills being sucked out of my wallet by the hour, but for now I'll just enjoy the quiet cool reverie.

Storm........

We had been forewarned that the weather was going to be taking a drastic change on Tuesday, so it was not surprising that when I drove back to the office after lunch I spotted a massive thundercloud over the mountains to the southwest. In West Texas we can see storms a far way distant and this one was over 125 miles away but still looking beautiful and large. It was one of those times that I wished a had carried my camera along.

Later in the afternoon as I left the office there were storms popping up in all directions and at a much closer range. It was strange, though, that with all these storms we barely had a sprinkle by the time I left to go on my 5:15 p.m. walk at Midland Memorial Stadium. The track has unobstructed views in all directions and I was struck by the thought that this looked like some of the pictures of the primordial earth I had seen in geology textbooks. The image of volcanoes spewing ash while thunderstorms streamed lightning down on the still forming earth from all quarters.

There were two massive storms, one to the southwest and the other to the east, that had torrents of rain flooding down while lightning bolts shot to groud every few seconds. Beyond these storms to the southwest I could still see the mountain storm lit a mellow golden hue in the afternoon sun. Still no rain on the Bedford estate after I arrived home. No rain until around 10 p.m. when thunder and lightning announced the arrival of the deluge to follow. There was constant thunder for almost two hours....sounding much like the artillery barrage at the seige of Khe Sanh must have been like in 1968.

I haven't checked the rain gauge, but I don't think that we got the several inches that were predicted as possible, but still a copious amount of needed rain and the temperature has dropped a good 25 degrees from yesterdays steamy heat. Quite a dramatic and beautiful display of natures glory with the added blessing of unheard of cool weather!

Connected....

The Internet is an amazing thing, sometimes allowing for almost instant connections with things that appear in one's life.

If you live in or around Midland, perhaps you read the story in the "Lifestyles" section of Sundays Midland Reporter-Telegram about the WWII veteran who has his photographs of life in post war Germany on display at the Allied War Museum in Berlin. I was interested in Mr. Carl F. McDaniel and his story because he is a long time photographer and for the historical context of his remembrances, so I followed up the newpaper story with a visit to the websites referred to in the article. While browsing through his pictures I came across a "Guestbook" for the site where I left a note commenting on how I'd found his information and what a pleasure it was to see his historical record being preserved. I thought this was the end of the story.

It wasn't. Not more than an hour later I received an email from "Mac" thanking me for my comments and expressing, it seemed to me, some degree of surprise that his story had been printed in a newspaper far distant from his Pennsylvania home. He asked if I might send him a copy of the paper for his archives....something I did this afternoon. Apparently the Associated Press picked up Mac's story and it appeared around the country.

Mac and I exchanged further emails Sunday evening and I caught a glimpse of a very interesting man. Mac is 81 years old now, but his interest in photography has not waned and he has, like many of us, learned what a good vehicle the Internet is for displaying our work. Mac does his own websites and expressed to me his interest in moving from Minolta 35mm cameras into the digital camera realm, something I hope he gets to do. For now, Mac is doing 35mm camera work and then scanning the photos for posting on his websites. Sites like the Williamsport Market Street Bridge

Laugh out Loud....

I received an inquiry this morning from blogosphere buddy Justin T. concerning residential living at the Petroleum Building in downtown Midland. I office in that building and sometimes forget just how much people who read blogs know about their authors one way or the other. I try not to post anything that I wouldn't want anyone to know, it's just a reminder to be on my best behavior.

Anywho....Justin wanted to know if there is residential living space in the Petroleum Building. It seems that Justin is a performer in the Summer Mummers and as he is exiting the Yucca Theater after performances he has seen what looks like the light from a TV screen coming from the office space above. I had to give Justin the news that, no there is no residential space in the building. I suspect he is seeing someones computer monitor reflecting light on the windows.

What interested me about Justins e-note was the link he provided with the mail. Justin is a member of The Venue a comedy improv group that is available for bookings now. Sounds like an interesting idea for your next party or group meeting. I thought I'd give Justin's group a little plug.......

Louis H. "Mike" Michaelson
1919-2005

Having been in Odessa most of the day, I hadn't had the chance to read the paper before I checked my emails this evening. I was saddened beyond words to read my Mother's short mail message telling me that Louis Michaelson had passed away on Sunday.

Louis H. "Mike" Michaelson was the head scoutmaster of my old unit, Troop 85, of the First Presbyterian Church, Midland, Texas. It's hard to imagine in this modern world how a man could have such an impact on me and most of the boys he came into contact with during those growing up years. Many men I know today owe much of what we are to Mike Michaelson and the other leaders of that troop. People like Bill Bosworth, Gene Thomas, Wilmont Hunt and my dad, Wally Craig.

The time and effort they put into our scouting education was enormous. Activities like the 50 mile hike along the old Butterfield stage route near Sheffield, visiting all the old cavalry forts like Lancaster and McKavett. Camping on the Devil's River, at Horsehead Crossing, Camp Pegasus and of course a week every summer at the splendid Davis Mountain Boy Scout Ranch. Mike Michaelson planned, organized and led one of the great treks that I've ever heard about in scouting, taking 40 boys on a Greyhound Bus from Midland up through Canada, to the New York Worlds Fair of 1964, capped off by a week at the Scout National Jamboree at Valley Forge....a monumental three week excursion. When I asked him, later in life, how he and the other adult leaders managed to stay sane during the trip he told me his secret. "After you boys went to bed, we drank a lot of Scotch".

Mike and the other leaders had grown up during the depression and had all served their country in the military during WW II, most in combat situations. The lessons they had learned during these difficult times they passed on to us scouts. The Scout oath and motto were not just slogans to them, but the way they lived their lives. They expected us to do the same. Mike Michaelson was not an easy scoutmaster to please. He expected you to do your best. His expressions are legendary and still talked about whenever Troop 85 alumni get together. "You knothead". "I didn't ask for any chit-chat". "Get moving you yardbirds"! My neighbor and fellow Troop 85 scout, Scott Davis, and I always have a laugh over these. I usually remark that I did so well in the Army Airborne because of my scout training. Scouts was tougher.

I'll miss Mike Michaelson and the thought that he is no longer around, I used to stop in and see him at his office until just a few years ago. I wish I would have stopped in one more time.

Mike is pictured above in this shaky 1962 photo I took on the 50 mile historic hike on the Butterfield Stage route. He is the man on the far left on the road in the white shirt and pack watching scouts rest. In an example of history repeating itself, I have a picture of me in the army 10 years later standing on the road with a pack while my platoon rests on the side of the road.

Noteworthy....

The Bride and I decided to step out for a bite and a bit of browsing at Barnes and Nobles tonight. An interesting and out of the ordinary experience from our usual B&N visits as it was just hours before the release of the new Harry Potter book. Some strange and different folks were habituating the store. As I told Julie, it seemed more like we were in California than West Texas.

Ever since I found some great golden retriever note cards at B&N years ago, I always check the card selection. It's usually good, diverse and eclectic.......like me! Anyway, I did spy a whole rack of very interesting cards all with a Texas theme. The company that makes these has the regional market in mind, and I'm sure produces cards oriented towards each state's areas of interest. I bought four different cards and as you can see from the scan above these are geared towards the West Texas oil business. These are first rate folding note cards with quality art work, not post cards, although some of the cards were probably taken from old post cards such as the nostalgic "Vist Marfa" and "Jackalope" cards. The caption on the card at left says, "Instead of a gusher, Fire! Oil well explosion in West Texas". On the right the card reads, "One of the new gushers in the Odessa Oil Field".

If you're in Barnes and Nobles check these out....they're not cheap but you may find one that you can't live without. To view the huge array of Texas cards go to Found Image click on "Image Catalogue" and then select "Texas".

Musings......

Sometimes I just wonder about different and strange things.

Before adding an RSS feed and thence signing on with a news aggregator service I was vaguely aware of the posting patterns of the bloggers that I regularly read. With the aggregator, which I check several times daily, I am now more in tune with how often people post new material. So I am always amazed that when I check updates Powerline always seems to have at least 6 or 7 new stories posted since the last time I checked, just hours previously. Don't these guys work? Don't they have families that require some attention when they're not working?

I know there are multiple contributors to Powerline, but really, these guys are attorneys. If I had hired them to do legal work for me and then saw them posting international news stories on their personal website every hour or so, I'd begin to wonder where my fees were going. Of course, I enjoy their work and they're free to do whatever they want...I was just wondering.

I've also been wondering what bottled Blueberry Juice tastes like. Grapes and most dark berries are very good anti-oxidants and I've been drinking much more grape juice lately in respect for my cardiac system. I recently spotted blueberry juice at the store.......I love blueberries. The price for the juice is rather high though, so I've passed it by. Until today. I saw that pomegranate-blueberry juice was half priced so I bought some. The verdict is.....it's wonderful. Not overpowering in the pomegranate department [as if I'd now what pomegranate juice tastes like anyway] and very sweet and mild. I'd recommend it. Make sure you get the sort that is mostly juice and not sugar and fillers. Bon appetite.

Where I've been.....

Once again Eric at The FireAnt Gazette has introduced me to an interesting little excercise, this time asking which states I've been to or resided in. I've been waiting for this one!

For purposes of "residing in" I have qualified this by locales in which I had an address for 2 months or over. Visiting, in all cases means actually boots on the ground....not just passing through an airport in that state.

bold The states I've been to, underline The states I've lived in and italicize the state I'm now in....physically not metaphorically!

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Happy Independence Day.....

We hope you are having a great July 4th. What better way to celebrate the meaning of America than by attending a Little League baseball game which we did this afternoon. Unfortunately Jack's All Star team did not play one of their better games and so now they were eliminated from the tournament, but a good time and great season was had by all.

Chaparral Update....

It's always exciting for me to visit the Chaparral Racing garages on the southside of town. I took my partner Del Sloan out today for his first visit and he, like me, was in hog heaven. The purpose of my visit was to see my friend Jim Edwards who runs Chaparral Racing for Jim Hall and who tends to the cars. Since I posted my Chaparral Racing website last year I receive a fairly constant flow of emails wanting to know more about the cars....or like the mail I received last week, wanting to know about visiting the offices and garages. I needed to ask Jim about a tour group from Dallas who wanted an upclose tour of the shops.

Most of the famous Chaparral's are in the Petroleum Museum's exhibit, but as you can see from the photo above there are still some significant cars from Hall's personal collection that reside in the garage area at Rattlesnake Raceway. The yellow Pennzoil Indy car was the one that Gil de Ferran drove for Chaparral, while the green car in front of it is an early 60's Lotus Formula I racer. Jim Edwards is leaning on the blue prototype that was developed by Chevrolet to be tested by Hall at Chaparral. Jim also has many what I would term, antique, vehicles as seen in the rear.

As we visited, Jim Edwards told me the interesting news that Jim Hall was developing a reproduction Chaparral 2E to be sold to the public....price to be determined. Now you too can race a little piece of history. And more news about a new Indy League racing team is brewing with Jim he may be looking for partners if you are interested!