Sunday, December 25, 2011

MaGoo moves In...

A few months ago Margie found an ad in the paper telling about a cat looking for a good home...This cat has a disabling affliction which won't allow him to walk normally...He has to drag himself whereever he's going...And Margie fell in love with him...So he now shares our home with Margie ...Cocoa (Margie's long haired dachshund)...and me...Here are a few candid shots we took of him...

How could you not love that face...We've named him..."Mr. Magoo!"






Friday, December 9, 2011

ETV Old Timers Meet Again

The ETV Old Timers like to eat...so we meet to eat...at the Brooklyn Cacye Baptist Convention Center every 3 months...This is our Christmas Luncheon group...Not a bad looking group!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My Neighbors on Charlie Rast Rd.

This family must have moved in recently...I hadn't seen them before...



My friend Ray up in Vacouver got a kick out of this pix
and decided to add a few captions...See below...










Some people just can't leave things alone....he-he

Saturday, November 5, 2011

The Last Rose of Summer


This rose was the only... and last rose in my daughter,Sandra's front yard (They were having a Yard Sale last Saturday)...My son-in-law, Mike cut it and I asked him to hold it so I could photograph it with my phone-camera...After viewing it on my computer later I realized just how beautiful it is...A lucky shot!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Play It Again Uncle Sam (1973 Movie)

Back 1973 I was asked by a young director (Larry Lancit) at the SCETV Network to come over and try out for a part in a musical show starring Gloria Loring...At that time she was starring in a daytime soap opera called,"Days of Our Lives".Her husband then was Alan Thicke and he and Larry were co-directors of a new show which was called "Play It Again Uncle Sam"...Well I was very skeptical about applying for a roll in this show since I had never aspired to be an actor or singer...Larry said they were looking for someone to portray an old sea dog who sings with his crew while they haul the lines of the ship...

So I walked into the studio at ETV and introduced myself...Back then  I was 37 years old with a full head of hair down to my shoulders and a full beard and I weighed a little over 210 pounds...Alan looked at me and said to no one in particular..."Well he looks the part...Can he sing?"...I was ready for him and I started to sing in my best deep falsetto voice..."Poor Judd is dead.... poor Judd Fry is dead..."

I heard Alan say..."Well maybe he can lip sync it!"

And I was hired...

The show was about the history of America using the songs and music from way back then...Most of it was shot down in Charleston SC at the Charlestowne Landing Park...They had a large vessel moored in small creek...It was an old bark that had seen its last days...Large enough for someone to walk the deck and swing on the yard arm rigging...I became that someone...

I had to learn a new song...New for me...but old for all the seamen who sailed around Cape Horn and braved the treacherous seas of our Blue Planet...It was called,"Blood Red Roses" and it was sung by the first mate and the crew whenever they had to haul up the mainsail or haul in the anchor...it was a great experience for me...

Since I had worked for the SCETV for over ten years (as an artist and set designer/builder)and had left to become an art director for a local advertising agency the year previously...I knew most of the crew who worked on the show...They had many a good laugh when I did my thing...Back then they didn't have portable mikes like they do today and there was a long audio line which came out the bottom of my britches...That was a no-no...So what did they do? They had me lip sync it...It's a good thing I had learned the lines...So...If you click on the link below you can enjoy an old video from 1973 starring Gloria Loring, Bob Hope, Tommy Smothers, Taj mahal, Henry Mancinni, Sammy Kahn and yours truly...

Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUDVQIubLm8

(The movie had been put on You Tube by a banjo picker Johnny Fenlayson (banjovi1953) who also had a part in the movie...he looked a lot younger then too)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Stand back and take a good look - On the Scene - TheState.com

Click on the link below and read about my friend and fellow artist Kirkland Smith... 

She is without a doubt one of the most innovative a brilliant artists in the USA today...












You can find out more about Kirkland by going to her web page:

http://www.kirklandsmith.com/

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Health is the Wealth of Old Age

I was writing to a friend this morning and I penned this quote,"Health is the wealth of old age". I said to myself, "That sounds pretty good...I don't think I have ever heard that line before".  So I tried to look it up on the inter net  and I could not find it...So...you folks who have ventured to my blog can say..."I read it here".

Monday, August 8, 2011

Old Pix I found yesterday

These were taken back in January 2011 after our big snowfall...

















 Maybe they will cool you off....hehe


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Ron's blogging again

My friend in Vancouver likes to show flower portraits on his blog (Ray's blogging again)...So I thought I'd start blogging again with a flower portrait I took a day or so ago...What kind of flower is it?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Blue Sky and Hokusai...




Years past I read a novel by James Mitchner which had to do with the South Pacific...Since he wrote several about that area in the world , I can't remember the exact one...but...In it he talks about a famous artist (Hokusai) who wanted to advertise his artistic abilities by painting a portrait of  Budda or some other famous religious figure on a canvas that was 600 feet long...and he used brooms as brushes and when it was completed he attached logs at one end and had it hung up on the side of a very tall building...This portrait brought his artistic abilities to the local shogun...Who then asked him to enter a competition with other local artists which he won...and the way he won is by dipping a chicken's feet into some red paint and letting it run across his canvas (rice paper,etc.) which he had painted a blue line onto... He explained to the shogun that it was fallen maple leafs on a river...If you don't believe me ...look him up in Wikipedia...

Now what has that got to do with Blue Sky?  Well back in the 70's...Not many people knew of Blue's abilities...But...Blue decided to paint this wonderful mural he called Tunnelvision...And it was big...

Get the picture?

Well my complements go out to him...He is a terrific artist and has proved it time and time again...Why have I got a picture of a somewhat broken or bent fire hydrant?  Because it reminds me of one of the world's finest muralist...Blue Sky



Here is a photo of Blue's Fire Hydrant Sculpture in front of his mural "Tunnelvision"...
 Click on...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Sky_%28artist%29

Monday, May 30, 2011

Bob Bender's First Video


Bob opened his first Estuarium in his home...Back then he called it an Aquarium...This was way before the State built the new aquarium in Charleston...He lived in a two story house in the old historic district of Beaufort...He lived on the second floor but the first floor was the most interesting place in Beaufort...He filled it with fish tanks...big ones...and they had to be saltwater tanks...because the critters who lived in them came from our salt marshes...Bob shared his knowledge by conducting tours for tourists and school children and anyone interested in preserving the wonderful wildlife we have on our coast...He visited schools and brought critters with him to spark interest in those children of the wonders of nature...After many years he found a building in Port Royal to house his critters...And he named it the Low Country Estuarium...You can see the first video which he has posted on You tube here...http://www.youtube.com/user/Mr1bender?feature=mhee#p/a/u/2/j8hOml_jEb4

Bob needs comments ...so please help him out...

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Happy Birthday to my son Robert Chapiesky


May 28th of this year is my son, Robert's 48th birthday...

I hope he finds my blog and knows that I still love him and care about him...


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

Hi Everyone...

I hope all my friends who are mothers grand mothers are having a great day ...I am sending you a flower(s) which is growing on my deck...



(I wish I knew what it is,,,) 

My blogger friend Ray...seem to think this is a flower from the family of Columbines...click on ...
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/columbines/flower.shtml
How it ended up on my back deck is a mystery to me ...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Vivian Maier 1926 - 2009 Photographer Extraordinaire

One of the finest street photographers who ever lived was a woman named Vivian Maier....I am writing about her because I feel a kinship with her...Her photographs which were discovered recently are some of the finest ever done...Go to her web site (http://www.vivianmaier.com/) which they created for her and see what I mean...Below is an excerpt from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia...
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Maier in one of several self-portraits she took on the streets of Chicago

Vivian Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American amateur street photographer who was born in New York but grew up in France, and after returning to the U.S., worked for about forty years as a nanny in Chicago. During those years she took about 100,000 photographs, primarily of people and cityscapes most often in Chicago, although she traveled and photographed worldwide.
Her photographs remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until they were discovered by a local historian, John Maloof, in 2007. Following Maier's death her work began to receive critical acclaim.[1][2] Her photographs have appeared in newspapers in Italy, Argentina, and England, and have been exhibited alongside other artists' work in Denmark and Norway; her first solo exhibition ran at the Chicago Cultural Center from January 8 until April 3, 2011.[3][4]

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________

I noticed that one of her photos was a shot taken of a man selling papers and magazines in a kiosk..This reminded me of a shot I took many years ago in Chicago while I was there visiting with relatives...It is also of a man selling papers and magazines in a kiosk...I call it,"It's so nice to be nice"...

Monday, May 2, 2011

Uncle Ray's Chips

Hi everyone...

I just finished writing a e-mail to the folks who make Uncle Ray's Chips...Why? Well I'll tell you why...They are selling some mighty fine chips...and sending out stories about the life of Uncle Ray...My bag had Chapter 24 on it is called "Rip Van Winkle"...Here's a little bit of the story...

Have you ever done something wrong and wish you could do undo that wrong? I attended Boynton School located in Detroit, Michigan. In the seventh grade I had been chosen to play the part of Rip Van Winkle in our school play. After many weeks of rehearsals with my classmates the day had finally come. There was one problem. I was suffering from an acute case of stage fright. The day of the play I never made it to school.

When I returned to school neither my teacher or my classmates ever said a word to me about how I disappointed them. Over the past 48 years I have often wished I could go back in time and shown up at school that day.   It would give me a chance to do my best in spite of my fears. Should my teacher or my classmates read this, I would like to tell them how sorry I am for disappointing them. I have learned in business as well as in life, it's not failing that matters, but the fact that you tried and that you care.


There's more to read on Uncle Ray's bag but I will let you find a bag and read it your self...You can go to his web site here:http://www.unclerays.com/

So if you find a bag of Uncle Ray's Chips in your grocery store ...give it a try...Tell them... "Uncle Ron made you do it"...


Uncle Ron's back...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Try Flowers on your next Birthday Cake

I like to bake cakes...And...over the years I have made some very delicious ones...But I think my last one not only tasted good but was very pleasing to look at...Why?


I used flowers to decorate it...

Monday, February 7, 2011

75 Years Ago...The Doctor slapped me on my bare butt...

That's right...and here I am today...3/4ths of a century later, typing on my blog...Back then there wasn't any blogs..There weren't any laptops...(well there were several of them) ...but none you could type on...

As the old saying goes,"I've come a long way, Baby!"

And (like the Energizer Bunny) I hope to keep going and going and going...

I did not follow the rules of etiquette and invited my family and my brother John and his family and my girlfriend Linda (Margie) to my 75th Birthday party at nice restaurant...And...I asked them to pay for their own meals...Of course I said I would furnish the the dessert and party hats...This was not your usual way to have a birthday party...In fact...It was quite a cheap way to celebrate my birthday and receive presents as well...Let me say here that I am very lucky to be related to everyone who came to my party and brought me gifts...I thank you one and all...The party was a success and I know that I personally had a great time...I especially want to thank my daughter Sandra for the wonderful bag of "over the hill" gifts she found for me...They brought many laughs from all that were there... And my lady friend, Linda (Margie) who helped set everything up at the restaurant and took oodles and oodles of photos on her phone camera...
 
Linda, Cheyenne and Sandra 

 Sue and Bill

Grandchildren David and Cheyenne

Sandy's grandchildren, Tyler and Triston

Niece Mary Lauren and...

husband, Hal

Lori and son, David

Lori and David and Ashlyn

Me and Mike and Sandra

The Cake
Candle blowing time
 Johnny & Marie (reading "Over the Hill Book")

Joey and Sandy

Grandaughter Cheyenne and me

Birthday Card

Son in law Mike

Red Bird Feeder

Survival Chain

Johnny and Marie and Sandy and me

Linda (Margie) and me

Me and Nephew David

Sue and Bill

Nephews Joey and Chip

David and Me

Sandra and grandson Josh

David

Me and my daughter Sandra

Joey and Sandy

Sandy's grandson Triston
To all who attended and those who could not...I thank you from the bottom of my heart!