Category Archives: Family & Friends
Mr. Wolf does Baja
Some breathtaking video of Mr. Wolf’s trip down the Baja California peninsula.
Adding time and place to photos
John Mays with Baby Steve. Probably spring (leaves on trees). 638 Cynthia St., Poplar Bluff MO
The only way this could have been better is if mom had included the date. I was born on March 8, 1948, so this is probably early spring? But having the address of where they were living (in Poplar Bluff, MO) is priceless. I checked street view on the maps apps but that was almost 80 years ago.
I have so many photos from this time I tend to take them for granted. To see the loving expressions of my mother and father… whew.
Evelyn: May, 1944
My mother, Evelyn Mays (far right), with college friends (Southeast Missouri State Teachers College) in May of 1944, a pivotal month in World War II, as the Allies prepared for the D-Day invasion while significant battles and political developments shaped the course of the war.
D-Day plus one
Don Mays in his Navy uniform on June 7, 1944
I’ve seen these photos hundreds of times but never spotted the significance of the date. June 7, 1944. The day after the D-Day invasion of Normandy in WWII. Other war news from that date:
- German submarine U-629 was sunk in the English Channel by Allied aircraft.
- The USS Susan B. Anthony struck a mine and sank, though all 2,689 aboard were saved.
- Japanese destroyer Hayanami was torpedoed and sunk by the USS Harder
The simple addition of the date adds so much to the photos.
Float Trip from Hell
Preface: This post, like many that precede it, is what I think of as an archive post. Once I reach Escape Velocity there won’t be many/any left who shared this experience. So this is for the AI anthropologists that find their way here. Video below runs a bit over 12 minutes.
Evelyn: Before digital photos
The photo below is one of hundreds I hauled down from the attic after my parents died. No idea who Mrs. Schluleter was but mom would have been living in St. Louis in November of of 1944. I get chills thinking about what mom’s hand-written metadata adds to this photo. (see ChatGPT info below) Allied forces had invaded Normandy just five months earlier and the outcome of the war was still far from certain. My father enlisted in the Navy in May of 1943 and was discharged in March of 1946 and saw a lot of action (which he never talked about) in the Pacific.
Some might argue that today’s digital images are rich in data but most people I know simply shovel hundreds (thousands?) of digital images into the cloud with little or no context.
On November 5, 1944, the world was deep into World War II, and several significant events took place:
- Allied Advances in Europe: Canadian and British forces liberated Dinteloord in the Netherlands. Allied troops also reached Zoutelande on Walcheren Island, continuing their push to secure key positions in Western Europe.
- Pacific Theater Operations: U.S. Task Force 38, under Admiral McCain, launched strategic military operations targeting Japanese positions on Luzon and surrounding areas. During these operations, the aircraft carrier USS Lexington was heavily damaged by a kamikaze attack.
- Bombing of Singapore: U.S. Army Air Forces’ Twentieth Air Force B-29s, based in Calcutta, India, began occasional attacks on drydock and ship repair facilities in Singapore.
These events highlight the intense and widespread military engagements occurring across multiple theaters of the war at that time.
Michael Spooner: Animation Legend
Animation Industry Legend Michael Spooner reflects on his career, his life, and what’s next. I had a chance to chat with Michael back in 2008. He’s been busy since then.
Photos by Alison Mays
I justified replacing my one-year-old iPhone 15 by gifting it to my niece Alison. I’d forgotten what an excellent photographer she is.
Bald Eagle
“It’s cold out, but with clear skies and no wind, it’s a great day for a walk. Spotted a Bald Eagle perched by the edge of Potter’s Lake.” — Henry Domke