Be aware, the "Message Forum" is NOT password protected.  Unlike profiles that are password protected, anybody who gets to this webpage can see what is written here.  Nobody can contact you directly based on this forum unless you reveal your personal contact information.  Use the "Message Center" for sharing personal contact information with another classmate.

This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Garry Sellers

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Not to worry. Garry. We aren't so thin-skinned that we can't laugh at ourselves. Besides, your AI generated reconstructions of us look better than some of our old photos. Carry on!

Having a very lazy day here, after a couple of overly-busy and exhausting ones. Spent the last half hour watching a squirrel trying to get to the bird feeder. I think I've finally outsmarted him! Good thing - he was getting expensive. 

Resting up for another busy day tomorrow at the lightkeeper's house. Our grand daughter has been coming with me for volunteer shifts there, and after a few days she's feeling more confident and really getting into it. She's a great help when we have a glut of visitors all at once, and she's learning not only some maritime history, but also about how varied and weird the public can be. Besides that, the experience will look good on her college applications in three years. Wow - getting into college certainly wasn't as difficult when we were at it!

Summer finally arrived here, after a cold and windy spring. So far, we haven't hit eighty degrees, but getting there. It's hard to imagine being in the triple digits, as it must be truly miserable. We hope everyone is enjoying summer, sunscreening and hydrating like mad.

Jim Cejka

Garry,

No problem with the AI pics, although, if you use Artificial Intelligence, does that mean that you have none of your own? (A HA). Besides, those pictures you post of me are better than the ones posted in the Post Offices. Maybe you could add a little more hair though. 

Nancy,

I'm jealous. I love lighthouses! Been trying to find something like model kits of lighthouses I could build and clutter up the house with. Which one do you work at so I can look it up? 

Marian Schopp (Bringe)

Where can I find the AI generated pictures?  I so rarely check in on my high school friends.  I hope to change that now that I am a widow.  I never really new my classmates but AI generated pictures sounds like fun to see.  

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Hi Jim,

We have two, and they're about a mile apart. The last keeper at the 1840's light was appointed by Lincoln, and became the first one at the new light. He had six children, and five of them were involved in lightkeeping. We had 74 years of "wickies" from that family in our area! 

I volunteer at the lightkeeper's home for the 1870, or the "New" lighthouse. It took volunteers six years to bring it into shape, and I play mah jongg with one of the original restorers. Several of them are already dead, sadly. Keeping it in shape and open for the public is a labor of love. Look up Presque Isle Township Museum Society. I'm no longer on the board, but still stay active, and it's a great group. 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Garry, I can't remember when I laughed so hard! That homepage is priceless. I wouldn't have minded even if you did put one of my photos up there.  Nancy, I can't imagine many things more enjoyable than minding a lighthouse. Although I would need Wi-Fi For those times when nothing exciting was happening outside the window. We are lucky here in the city of LA to be somewhat protected by proximity to the ocean from the triple digits. However, we hear that hot humid Wisconsin weather is headed our way, with even thunderstorms possible. Should be interesting and bring back memories.

Jim Cejka

Oh Wow Nancy, WOW

Those places are so neat!. Such a history. The pictures are beautiful. Now I'm really jealous. 

Enjoy!

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

 Thanks. I hope you find a model kit (we don't have one)

Jim Cejka

Had my cataract surgery and got my first set of hearing aids last week. I can see and hear so much better now. And now, after a week, I realize that I haven't been missing anything, and there's nothing to look forward to. 

Garry Sellers

It's funny how a simple video can catch you off guard. As I watched these artists meet older versions of themselves, I couldn't help wondering what a conversation between my younger self and the person I am today would sound like. Maybe you'll find yourself wondering the same thing.  

Jim Cejka

Garry,

Larry and Bill weren't the only ones who missed out on HD motorcycles. My wife's great-grandfather was a German bred machinist who made the parts for the first Harley Davidson cycles. They asked him to join them in starting their company, but his wife said it was too risky and he turned them down. 

And you're right too - with my age now and retro-senility, I might have walked down Villard back then, I don't remember. 

Marian Schopp (Bringe)

Thank you Garry.  I wish the music had been another five minutes!  🥰

Jim Cejka

Hey Packer Fans,

After last weeks exciting (?) game, if you're looking for something fun to watch instead, try watching The Bears.

Not Da Bears, but real bears. Fat Bear Week starts on the 22nd, and the cameras are posted already. 

Fat Bear Week is an annual event up in Alaska, where they show live action of the big Alaskan Brown Bears gorging themselves on salmon, which are running upstream, and storing up fat for hibernating over the winter. The bears are just starting to come down to the river to feed now, the cameras are in place, and there's already some bears to watch. The Park Service gives them "names" and on the 29th (I think), people can start voting for the one they think is the "fattest" (or whatever one they like). 

To watch them, go to https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-the-riffles. There are multiple cameras at different places so there are lots of good views, and watching them is facinating. At the peak next week, there may be as many as 10-12 bears in view, especially around the falls. This year too, the Park Service is counting a larger number of cubs, so it'll be fun to watch them. Alaskan Brown Bears may be 7+ feet tall and 900-1000 lbs, and those "cubs" around 250-400 lbs. 

Cue the grandkids. The scenery is beautiful and the bears and real nature are a blast to watch. 

Jim Cejka

Is it true? 

They're going to change the name from the Green Bay Packers, to the Green Bay "Titanic?"

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

I think I am back in

Barb

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

Planning Committee did a great job!!  Thank you.  Good to see all the old - but familiar - faces!

Barb

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I loved the photos from the Fall event! I missed talking with you all and hope to make the next one!

Garry Sellers

Go Brew Crew (that's the Milwaukee Brewers for those not paying attention)!  My favorite baseball team is anybody beating the Dodgers!!!  I still haven't figured out how one team can pay one player $700 MILLION and not have it count as part of their payroll.  Not only that, it's going to be paid in Japan so he pays no U.S, taxes.  And we call the guys in D.C. crooks!  Speaking of which, it will be unconstitutional if they take away Front Row Amy's seats to make luxury box seats.  For those of you who don't know, Amy is a nice born-again Christian lady who sits in the front row of most Brewer games to display her ... umm ... team spirit!  You can Google "Front Row Amy" if you're curious.

Jim Cejka

Garry,

And those guys making $700M only do good at their job about 28% of the time, and are considered elite. 

If they'd had such a "vocational training course" like that at Custer I might have taken that, instead of college prep (another discussion sometime).

BTW, the Packers didn't do too bad over the weekend either. They beat Da Bears. Someone beating Seattle, MEH.

Jim Cejka

"The Brewers win the pennant. The Brewers win the pennant. Oh my God, the Brewers win the pennant." 

~ALA Harry Doyle

(aka Bob Uecker, Major League, 1989)

Garry Sellers

I'm kinda fond of the image similar to the one that Jeanne Zinser Gottschalk sent me:  The Brew Crew had some help from an angel.  Ueck is finanlly in the front row!!!

(What's especially gratifying is that the Brewers beat them in L.A.!  Take your $700 million player and see what he's doing this week!  Thank you Milwaukee!!!)

Jim Cejka

Garry,

Your observation about pay disparity in baseball got me thinking - 

An entertainer who throws or hits a ball pretty good 28% of the time is "great" and gets $700M. 

How good or relieved would a person feel if, in an emergency, the paramedic who showed up was only good 28% of the time? (And, paramedics don't make that much money, even for being 99%).

Garry Sellers

I chose Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews on our homepage to represent the 1957 Braves. But do you remember who was the MVP of the 1957 World Series?Pitcher Lew Burdette! He won three complete games against a Yankees lineup featuring Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra—including two shutouts, one in Game 7!  Were any of you at that Series? I was, but I can’t remember which game. I followed every game closely on our black-and-white TV with aluminum foil wrapped around the rabbit ear antenna!

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

WOO Hoo - Brewers win!!!  What a great team!

Jim Cejka

I remember being in Ms Kapp's English class at Edison when the Braves won. They turned the game on over the PA and we just sat and listened. When they did win, the whole school erupted. Lots of jumping around and yelling, spilled out into the halls. Even Ms Kapp was screaming and dancing around. Fun. As much as I'm happy for the Brewers, I don't think I could do that celebrating any more.