Welcome to my little corner of the Blogosphere!
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The Basics:
(The short version)
Hello, my name is Rick, I live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I am my children’s father, and the son of deceased parents who I never knew. I’m an east coast guy living in a southwest desert town. An older guy trapped within a young man’s mind. I was once a sibling to many but known to none. After 63 years that all changed.
Married and divorced way too many times. For many years I was a planner. Now I’m a writer and a poker practitioner, a mind sport of sorts. I have other interests as well.
I am a man of faith, a patriot, a student of the arts, and history. I love words and the various ways to combine them. My pet peeves include wasted youth, wasted lives, suck-outs on the river and drivers who don’t know how to use turn signals. I enjoy conversation, constant contact and B&R chocolate ice cream.
My life has been one of complications and implications and, as you might come to realize, a not so ordinary one at that. Every photo in the montage above, speaks a little about me.
I’m a champion of facts, the mortal enemy of innuendo, speculation, hyperbole and utter nonsense.
This is who I am. I hope you’ll come back again finding the time you spend here worthwhile.
Questions, comments and observations are always welcomed. Leave a comment below or email me at rixxblog@gmail.com
Thank you!
I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means…. What is going on in these pictures in my mind?
~~ Joan Didion ~~
Stories I Share With Friends 
Rick, thanks for your blog about the four men that died while fighting the Honda Canyon fire at Vandenberg AFB. As a former AF brat that lived at the base from ’63 to ’68, I found your blog a fine tribute to these men.
While living at the base, I often visited the fire stations with my Dad. Dad was an NCO who worked at SLC-5 but would go out to the fire stations and cut the firemens’ hair for $1.00 a head, once or twice a month. I remember the firemen being very kind to me during those visits. My Dad says to this day, his best duty was at Vandenberg.
In September of ’68 my Dad was transfered back to MAC and he spent a year in Vietnam. From there it was on to McChord AFB, WA. I’ve been back to Vandenberg several times over the years. Our house on Elm street was demolished in 2010.
Best Regards
Danny Jones
Danny,
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I very much appreciate it and am pleased that my tribute to those men has touched so many.
I too enjoyed my time at Vandenberg where my first child was born and where he now works on-base in radar. Those were great years that I’ve come to appreciate so much more now that I’m older.
Thanks to your father for his long service. I live on the east side of Seattle, not that far from McChord, now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Thanks for your visit and all the best! I hope you’ll come again.
My ex husband and I were living in the Base’s Trailer Park and our son went to the Los Padres School across the highway and he was called to try and help to fight that fire, but they had to go because it was uncontrollable as you know. I knew Col. Turner because he and I had some words about something he did to my ex-husband that the Base Gospel Pastor helped to squash. That Pastor’s name was Rev. Clarence Davis. We attended church in Santa Maria, but would visit the church on base because we loved Rev. Davis. I’ll never forget that Monday also, if you remember it started on a Saturday with a very lite rain which lasted into that Sunday and was even draining that Monday which is why a lot of people called it GOD’S RAIN. The church people labeled it. My husband arrived home that night about 12;00 and he had a look on his face w/tears in his eyes that are unforgettable. I was sitting in a chair because I’d watched the news and saw them carrying Col. Turner’s body being carried in a Body bag. There is much to be said in a private manner. God Bless you and your family. Thank God we are still here.
Rick – Very nice tribute to your relative. I’m also an Army veteran of 20 years from Clearfield County and remember the reports coming in from Bradley’s passing. I never had the opportunity to meet Bradley,as I’m a bit older. I have played against some of the Kritzer family in softball at Curwensville’s Rec park in the late 80’s. I bet if you mention my name to Richard (Dickie) Kritzer as the guy who batted cleanup for Keller’s Korner he would remember me.
Regardless
We will not forget.
George,
Thank you for your visit and sharing your connection with the Kritzer family. I hope you will come again.
All the best!