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Check WHAT'S NEW ON THIS SITE. It lists the recently added pages in reverse chronological order. |
CONTACT PAGE |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| The Cigar Box (photo miscellany) -- (preview) | Pinhole Photography -- (preview) |
| Spring comes on desert -- (preview) | Grandpa's Old Barn -- (preview) |
| First Photos -- (preview) | Perspective in Photos -- (preview) |
| First Roll of 35mm Film -- (preview) | Stereo Photography -- (preview) |
| The Leaf -- (preview) | B&W Film Resolution -- (preview) |
| Uncle Irving's Flower Photos -- (preview) | Color Film Resolution -- (preview) |
| Testing Uncle Irving's Old Nikkormat FTN -- (preview) | Digital Resolution Compared -- (preview) |
| 1930s Store Display Windows -- (preview) | Jonquils -- (preview) |
| Quick Look 0.3 megapixel vs. 35mm -- (preview) | Mirror Self Portraits -- (preview) |
| White Water -- (preview) |
| MISCELLANEOUS | |
| 1966 Barracuda Restoration -- (preview) | Our Family Cats -- (preview) |
| Spring comes on desert -- (preview) | Future Link -- (preview) |
| Auto Repair Pages - INDEX for 1998 Generation III Plymouth Grand Voyager Expresso Mini-Van Miscellaneous Repairs. Includes Some Repairs for Generation 3 Chrysler Mini-Vans Also. Maybe I'll just lump in other auto repairs, too. Repairs for Chrysler Town and Country (T&C) minivans are included. Most of these repairs will apply to all Generation 3 Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler minivans. So the key words are Gen 3, Gen III, Gen Three, Generation Three. Generation III Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth mini-vans were built in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. The pages provide help with electric window regulator replacement, headlight assembly replacement, headlight aiming, serpentine belt replacement and tensioning, water pump replacement, and radiator replacement, starter motor troubleshooting, EGR valve repalcement, and serpentine belt tensioner replacement. This is for key word perposes: auto and car repair, replacement, and parts swap. Update 9-13-13 |
 Powered By Ringsurf |
Did you ever thumb through the encyclopedia looking for interesting articles to read? Or through the dictionary looking for interesting words or illustrations? Well, I did and now I'd like to “thumb” through the internet or world wide web looking for interesting or unusual photos, photographs, pictures, or illustrations and the articles, descriptions, or other writing and stories that go with them. (Check that list of search terms, oh ye great search engines!) When I was a child our teachers asked us to use photographs from old magazines to illustrate our essays, artwork, and school projects, so I have saved all my old magazines for my grandchildren to use for their school work. However, technology has changed and I now imagine that teachers ask their students to “find something interesting on the web” to write about. But how does one search the web for “something interesting”? How many students would know to enter the search terms “Monte Ne Arkansas” or “Johnstown Flood” or “Jonesboro Tornado” in a search engine? How do you search for “interesting” or “unusual” things on the web? I thought of putting the phrase “something unusual or interesting” on each of my web pages that fit that description, but then remembered web rings! So I am starting the “Find Something Unusual and Interesting on the Web” web ring – a ring of Unique Photo Illustrated Articles and Stories on the Internet or World Wide Web. In the meantime you should visit the web sites that "I Highly Recommend" in the following section. Or how about these ... |
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"I Highly Recommend" Dina Robert's The Dream Games An Online Teen Fantasy Romance |
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The Dream Games is a short novel of teen fantasy romance. Eighteen-year-old Rachel is dealing with the transition from teenage to young adulthood. She discovers that one of her bizarre dreams is shared by strangers! AND by someone she secretly loves and would be overjoyed to meet in real life. But even in her wildest dreams she knows this could never happen - until the games begin! And when the games reach their magical conclusion, her real life really begins!
I proof-read the book a year or so ago and enjoyed the story, but I enjoyed it even more when I read the online version this summer. Read the first chapter and see what you think. You may just want to keep on reading! I think it is suitable for seventeen and up. |
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"I Highly Recommend" Wil Ellis' Texas Photo-plus Web Gallery |
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| TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHIC ART | Texas Wild Flowers-Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush | Wildflowers and Old Barns | Wildflowers and Old Barbed-Wire Fences | Wildflowers and Old Farm Implements | Fields of Wildflowers | Cacti and Azaleas | Deer and Alligators in their natural habitats | Ducks, Geese, and Gulls | Old Barns | Old Country Stores | Old Country Filling Stations | Old Vehicles | Texas Oil Derricks on Land and in Water | Beaches and Sand Dunes | Folk Art and Crafts | 'Junk'tique Still-Lifes | Classic Bicycles | Homemade Dolls | Wood Carvings | Around 200 artistic photos of Texas objects. Just watch the slide show or skip around and click the thumbnails. Not all images are represented by thumbnails. Wil and I worked in the same NASA division for most of our careers. He was the division chief during the final 10 or so years before retirement. |
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"I Highly Recommend" Bill Vendasi's Bills Retro World |
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| Bill's site has page after page of old photos and ads from the '50s and '60s and even the '30s and '40s - cars, TVs, American Band Stand photos, radios, cameras, ancient video recorders and computers, home products, old downtown scenes, etc. This is a real nostalgia trip! |
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"I Highly Recommend" Lisa's Lisa's Web World |
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| Another nostalgia trip - Lisa's site is a little more scholarly and gives an insight into life in the early decades of the twentieth century. Her Nostalgia Cafe is probably the part I like best, but she also has a "Fashion History Database" and things of interest from Chicago like the first indoor amusement park and shopping center. I can't describe it all her, so click the link and go see for yourselr. |
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"I Highly Recommend" James Baughn's Historic Bridges of the U.S. |
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| A real encyclopedia of unique historic bridges of the U.S. with technical specs and photographs. I was especially interested in recent news of bridges back home in Conway County Arkansas that were damaged by overweight trucks. There is always the question of reparing the old bridge are replacing it with a new modern structure. A newspaper reporter got a photo of the overweight truck tailer hanging through the bridge deck. Check these out while they're still there. |
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"I Highly Recommend" Wade Hatler's Cycling Moscow to St. Petersburg |
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| This is a really fun travel article. Some great photos around Moscow and out in rural areas. Photos of those who participated in the trip organized by Russian families and promoted on the web. The photos and story get better page after page. Seven great pages in the journal and eight to ten great photo pages in the photo gallery. He has some pretty good photos of some of the fine paintings and statues from the Hermitage. |
| Charlotte's web site is gone but I'll leave this from her introduction: "We are the chosen. My feelings are, in each family, there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us to tell our story. So, we do." |
Irmingard's images are as bright, sharp, and colorful as projected slides. They are beautiful viewed from her Web Site, but even more beautiful on her CD slide show. You can find details for purchasing the Carnival Millennium CD on her site. Carnival of Venice - The costumes of the participants in the Carnival of Venice are marvelous in their intricacy and brilliant color. Her photos bring out the color whether in sunlight or at night with flash. You might not get a better view of these carnival revelers even if you were there!
Carnival of Trinidad & Tobago - Another look at Carnival!
Santorini - More beautiful photos: bell towers, stairways, domed building, and other beautiful architecture of Santorini. There are many others: Tribute to New York, South Africa, Ireland, and other locations. And other things too numerous to mention.
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| This is a web page work of art! Helena says of her family "... my family name is Paiva which roots are in Portugal, in the region nearby a small town named Castelo do Paiva. My grandparents are from Portugal, Lisbon and Porto and came to Brazil early in the last century." The old family photos are displayed in antique oval frames and animated cameo lockets. Helena describes the family in poetic prose and includes poetry written by a friend specifically for this page. There are wonderfully apropos quotations from the writings of Pedro Ayres Megalhães and playing softly in the background is a beautiful MIDI arrangement of 'Study 22' from Easy Pieces by J. S. Bach. The rosebud 'bubble' mouse follower lends delicate color to the antique sepia and beige tones. |
| This page includes a brief biography of Jan's great grandparents, Cansada and Moss Miller, and reminiscences of her Grandmother Carmon Belle Miller Drilling. These stories provide a fascinating snapshot of rural life in Conway County Arkansas early in the Twentieth Century. A beautiful photo of Carmon and other old photos are included. Cansada Miller was a granddaughter of James B. Dillon who is one of my great, great grandfathers. |
| Arkadiy Kulyov's Personal Gallery has some excellent photos of scenes around Moscow. There are truly amazing 360-Degree Panoramic Views of Red Square and Pushkin Square. Scroll and scroll around and around; just as if you are spinning around in the squares. They are really fun! There are very wide panoramas of the Moscow River at night including the 'glass' bridge near the Raddison Hotel and of the Sparrow Hills area. These may be slow to load but are worth the wait. Move your cursor and the scenes go gliding by! Arkadiy also tells a little about himself and his career plans. Go see his site and drop him a line. |
| An excellent Web Site featuring articles and photos of some of Arkansas' history, mythology, natural wonders (many of the natural springs are described and rated), agriculture, industry, and commerce: stories of Monte Ne, Dog Patch USA, Crater of Diamonds, and much more written in a light, humorous way. |
| Steffen Meyer says, "I'm a danish orthodontist, and I travelled to Nuuk to work as such, temping for my friend Susanne, who was on maternity leave at the time. I hoped, of course, to experience the Greenlandic culture and nature as well - and I did!!!" His photos of the colorful, quaint achitecture and the marvellous natural settings are sharp and bright as a result of the clear dry air of the far north. He has added much more to his site. The latest addition documents his trip to Thailand. |
Joseph W. Skipper (1814 - 1875)
Joseph Skipper was my great, great grandfather. He, his wife, children and mother-in-law migrated from North Carolina to Arkansas via Tennessee during the 1850s. He joined the Union Army at the age of 50 after the Union took Arkansas. He became ill and was hospitalized in St. Louis. Things were difficult after the war and he was unpopular because of his Union sympathies. Ray Don Bostian, another great, great grandson, did the genealogical research and wrote this and the next article. Paul Turner, a great grandson of Joseph, helped compile family data.
INDEX
David James Skipper (1849 - 1909)
David Skipper was my great grandfather. He was born in North Carolina and was just a child when his family migrated to Arkansas. He spent the rest of his life farming and raising his family in Conway County. This article tells some of the family anecdotes about life on the Skipper farm and lists the children, their spouses, and dates of birth and death. I recently added a list of 66 grandchildren that I'm aware of. Four of them are still living.
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James Arthur Skipper (1882 - 1940)
James A. Skipper, Sr. was my grandfather. He was born on the family farm in Conway County, Arkansas and started his family there. He was postmaster of Solgohachia for one term. After his parents died, he moved to England, Arkansas, and was soon appointed postmaster there. He was a staunch Republican and was able to serve as postmaster when Republican presidents were in office. He died before I was born and I didn't know much about him until I received many old family photographs, letters, and documents. I have combined the information provided in Ray Don Bostian's materials and the information in the letters and documents to do a chronology of my grandfather Skipper's life. There are many photographs dating from his marriage to his death.
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James Arthur Skipper Jr. (1921 - 1945)
James A. Skipper, Jr. was my father. He was killed during World War II when he was 23 and I was 4. This 'biolog' was prepared from documents my mother saved. My dad was a boy scout and got to make a train trip up through the northeast and back through the mid-west. He met his future bride at Arkansas State Teachers' College and they got married and dropped out. He worked with his brother Irving at Sterling's Department Store in Little Rock and then with war related industries in Conway, Ar, and in Louisiana. He was drafted in late 1944. A family portrait made just before he shipped overseas in April 1945 is included at the start of the article. He was killed in a plane crash on Luzon Island in mid-1945.
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James Maxwell Skipper (1941 - )
I intended to write an autobiography of my first decade, but only got five years completed. The article includes many family photographs from the early 40s, some newspaper articles about my mom and dad, and the telegram notifying us of dad's death. When I get back to this project, I'll leave a note in "What's New."
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Alvus Martin Maxwell (1870 - 1929)
Alvus Maxwell was one of my maternal great grandfathers. He was born in Carroll County in north Arkansas, but went south to Conway County and married his uncle's widow's daughter by her second husband. He farmed near Lanty and had a peddling route in the neighborhood. He was accused of being too friendly with the women on his route. The family thought he drank too much and drinking may have led to his death. He died along the road while driving back from a trip to the county seat. I had access to many excellent photographs to document this biography. This article tells of his mother-in-law's relationship to the family by her previous marriage and of his parents and siblings. Information about his children and grandchildren is included.
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Luther Alonzo Maxwell (1892 - 1973)
Luther Maxwell was my maternal grandfather. He was born and raised and lived and died in Conway County, Arkansas. He was a well-educated man for that time and taught school from the time he was 18 until he lost his hearing in his mid-30s. He then farmed and sold fruit and fruit trees on his 160 acre farm. He also served on the school board and as lodge secretary and church treasurer. He achieved the rank of 2nd Lieutenant during World War I but the war ended before he had to go overseas. His time was spent in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. He told of being in camp with Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower. He seldom traveled, but did drive to New Mexico to visit his little brother around 1930. I drove him to Midland, Texas, in 1959 to visit that same brother, and he came with my mother to visit us in 1968. As for as I can remember, he never had a car (after the trip to New Mexico) or any other gasoline powered equipment. I don't know why. Well, there is more of his story in this review than in the actual article. There is a copy of his and grandma's wedding photograph though. I'll get to the rest of the story sometime later.
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John Quincy Skipper (1877 - 1931)
John Q. "Red John" Skipper was my grandfather's older brother. He is the grandfather of Ray Don Bostian who wrote this article. Red John was born and lived his life in Conway County, Arkansas. He sold Singer sewing machines and became the postmaster of Morrilton, the county seat. He had lots of children and they are all listed, but I haven't added any photographs yet. INDEX
Dillon Relatives
My Great Grandmother Mary Catharine Skipper was a Dillon. She was the daughter of James B. and Harriet Dillon. She named one of her daughters Harriet Lucretia. This collection of pages tell the story of James Dillon and the branch of his family through his son Levi, brother of Mary Kate. It has been prepared by Janet Claire Porterfield, one of James Dillon's great, great, great granddaughters. First is the story of Cansada Dillon, a daughter of Levi, and her husband Moss Miller. Their daughter Carmon Belle Miller Drilling told many interesting stories of her life in Solgohachia, Arkansas, in the early decades of the twentieth century. Her granddaughter, Jan Porterfield, talked to her and recorder these stories when Belle was 99 years old. INDEX
The Noland Family
My paternal grandmother was a Noland. She was the daughter of William Franklin Noland and Sarah Matilda Beaty. She was the third of four girls, Nolar, Sidney, Josephine, and William ‘Willie‘ Franklin Noland. There was a six-year gap between the two older girls and the two younger girls. Their father, William Franklin Noland died just after the last daughter was born in 1894. The two older daughters got married at a young age and then their mother died before 1900. The oldest daughter and her husband took in the two younger daughters. Nolar married Linus Clarence Roe, Sidney married James W. Brewer and then John Isaac Kissire, Josephine married James Arthur Skipper, Sr., and Willie married David Lindsey Krisell.
This page is in rough draft form. INDEX
The Houston Family
My maternal grandmother was a Houston. Her family sprang from an orphan boy who showed up on a farm in Conway County Arkansas in about 1845. This article features several recently acquired photos of my grandmother when she was a teen and one of Abihu Arnn, one of my early ancestors. Georgina Duncan provided copies of the photos; her grandmother Houston and my grandmother Houston were sisters. She also confirmed and added details to the old Civil War story. Family names are Hawkins Gregory, John Houstion, John Hawkins Houston, John Hawk Houston, Eugenia Frances Houston, Eva Houston Cheek, Grace Houston Duncan, and Walter Duncan INDEX
Dave Skipper's Daughters
Dave and Mary Kate Skipper had six daughters in addition to their three sons (another son died in infancy). The sons get more attention because they carry the family name, but the daughters have important family stories too. I have become re-acquainted with several descendants of the daughters during the process of checking family history so I’m going to include some biographical information about the daughters as I obtain it. I’m beginning with the youngest daughter, Ethel Pauline Skipper, who married James Paul Turner, because some of her children are still living and her oldest son provided much Skipper family history and several photos.
Florence Skipper was the oldest child of Dave and Kate Skipper. She was born just after the Civil War and grew up in a very primitive land in a very primitive time. The names and nicknames of the daughters for future reference: Mary Florence Krisell (Krissell), Harriet Lucretia Lloyd (Loyd), Louisa "Lou" Rebecca Treece, Casandra Elizabeth "Bettie" (Betty) Cowan, Rosie (Rosa) Elmer Edwards, Ethel Pauline Turner. And the three sons: John Quincy Skipper, James Arthur (H. A.) Skipper, Carl Toby Skipper. INDEX
Louisa Jane Skipper was the first Skipper born in Conway County, Arkansas. She was born in December 1856. Her parents, Joseph and Louisa Skipper, had just moved there from Tennessee where they had lived a few years after their move from North Carolina. They bought property in Conway County and may have received their deed the day Louisa was born. Anyway, her nickname was 'Deed.' At about the age of 15, Deed married David Lawson Rentfro (Renfro, Renfroe) and they had a daughter on October 9, 1872. She was named Louisa Ellen Rentfro. (A Dixon descendent says it was Frances Ellen.) Soon David Rentfro disappeared on a trip to Texas. Louisa married William A. Dixon and had another daughter in 1876. They named her Rebecca Dixon, perhaps after Louisa's grandmother, Rebecca Gornto. William and Louisa had Hugh Dixon and James D. Dixon. William and Louisa were not listed in the 1920 Census. They would have been in their mid-sixties by then.
According to the 1900 Census for Conway County, Louisa E. Renfro was living with William and Louisa Dixon. She was listed as a step daughter of William. She was almost 28 and had daughters, Gertrude, 4 year old, and Esony?, 2. Esony probably died as a child. However Louisa, or Ellen as she was known, married Charles I. Dixon and they had Wilma G. Dixon in 1906 and Hughie T. Dixon in 1911 or 1912. Charles died before 1920 and Ellen died in 1929. Wilma Dixon married a Childress man. Hughie married and had three children; Thelbert, William, and Lucille. INDEX
Siblings
Photos of the six of us spanning a quarter century beginning with probably the first one taken shortly after baby brother, John, was born in 1954. INDEX
A Eulogy for Our Mother - My sister Marinelle gave this eulogy at our mother's funeral April 11th. I have included some photos of mom, a MIDI of an old hymn for my brother John, and a beautiful written comforting note from one of Marinelle's close friends, Tom Carpenter, City Attorney of Little Rock. INDEX
Snapshots from Visits Home - Photos of family at Decoration Day Observances at Old Liberty Cemetery where my mother is buried and at Lanty Cemetery where her parents are buried. Ann's dad at his parents' tombstone in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Folks at the fish fry hosted by Ann's sister and her husband. These page link to more photos from a trip in February 2001 including some of my mother before her final illness and of my high school girlfriend, who attended a surprise 60th birthday party for me. INDEX
The First Photos - These are the first photos I ever took. On that first roll of 127 roll film from 1954 were pictures of my sisters, my Mom and Dad, some farm animals and pets, and our house. I have also included recent photos of the Spartus Miniature camera that I used. INDEX
Images from My First Roll of 35mm Film
B&W photos made with the Kodak Signet 40 given me for high school graduation by my Uncle Irving and Aunt Nila. Subjects are classmates, date, kissing cousin, Father's tombstone, flowers, and landscapes. The first is always special. Now includes 16 more images from B&W rolls 3 and 4. My oldest sister taking a nap on a sultry summer day. Portraits of my little sister and brother and two friends. Scenes from the county seat. The bluff along Point Remove Creek near Copelin Cave. Magazine page copy. Girl with watermelon slice. Cow with calves. Others.INDEX
Old Liberty Decoration Day - 2005 - I'm calling this a digital scrapbook page of family photos and text. We returned to Cleveland, Arkansas, to meet with our family for the annual Decoration Day at the Old Liberty Cemetery. The photos may not be of general interest, but family and friends will enjoy them. 5/15/05 INDEX
Coral Castle - The Coral Castle is a small wonderland made of blocks and shaped pieces of coral quarried from beneath the area. A man started a rock garden to occupy himself after he had been jilted by his one true love. He eventually moved his coral sculptures to this location and built them into a walled 'castle.' One of the amazing features is a one ton slab of coral that will pivot easily at a touch. Although he quarried, shaped, and constructed the entire thing by himself using simple homemade tools, people have attributed the work to an anti-gravity machine or help from space aliens. INDEX
Fort Jefferson - Ann and I spent a week in the Florida Keys last fall and our trip to Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas Islands was a high point of the trip. These four pages have 28 photos of the fort inside and out and of the ferry ride. The fort is one of the largest Civil War forts and was used as a prison during the war. Dr. Samuel Mudd was emprisoned there after he was convicted of conspiracy in the assasination of President Lincoln. INDEX
Implosion of the Hotel Marion - 1980
A series of photos taken by W. Irving Skipper in 1980 of the demolition of the Hotel Marion in Little Rock, Arkansas.INDEX
Tornado Damage in Judsonia, Arkansas - 1952
A series of photos taken by W. Irving Skipper in 1952 shows the damage to businesses, residences, and automobiles; street scenes; and military personnel and clean-up crews.INDEX
Monte Ne, Arkansas
Coin Harvey's resort built in 1905 is now under the waters of Beaver Lake. Photos before and after it was flooded. The area to the north of the old town site includes the Oklahoma Row tower, which still stands at the end of the old concrete foundation; Harvey's burial vault, which is on private property, but can be viewed from the road; and a fireplace and chimney and a rock wall from on of the other hotels. The amphitheater area is usually under water, but when Beaver Lake drops below 1110 feet above sea level, the upper part of the amphitheater begins to peek through the water. INDEX
Sydney's Circular Quay
Scenes along the quay around Sydney Cove: the Harbour Bridge, docks, Sydney Opera House, warehouse restaurant and shops on 'The Rocks,' and more green spaces. This is the second page of Sydney Travel. The other is linked on the buttons or lower in the index. INDEX
Grand Canyon Photos
A set of 16 slides of the eastern end of the canyon from the south rim. INDEX
Meteor Crater, Arizona
The Great Meteor Crater of Arizona is just south of Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Winslow. It is visible from the highway. It was created by the impact of a large meteorite about 50,000 years ago. It is about 4,150 feet across and 570 feet deep. This set of photographs shows views of the crater from the hiking trail around the rim. There are photos of the surrounding desert and the park headquarters as well. I have read that visitors are no longer allowed to hike the rim trail. When we were there in 1992 visitors weren't allowed to hike to the bottom of the crater. I hope that these photos will provide some indication of the magnificence of this unique astronomical/geological feature. INDEX
Pike's Peak and the Royal Gorge - This group of pages has many photos we took on a trip to Pike's Peak and the Royal Gorge in Colorado. It was our 20th wedding anniversary in 1982. We drove our 16-year-old 1966 Barracuda and it made the trip up Pike's Peak with no problem. We found the little one-room log school house where Ann attended first grade. I also include links to several other sites related to Pike's Peak and the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River. (This article was moved to the www.jamesmskipper.us URL on 5/3/08.) INDEX
Scenes of Big Bend and West Texas
Here are two pages with 20 dramatic photos of the rugged desert and mountainous terrain of the Bid Bend Nation Park. The Big Bend National Park is located in far west Texas about 1000 km from Pearland, but not as far as El Paso. The Rio Grande swings to the southeast after it leaves New Mexico, and at the big bend, swings to the northeast. It eventually turns to the southeast again and enters the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville. The Big Bend area is a contrast of high rugged mountains and rolling desert lands. The Park Service maintains several nice camping facilities in the park. Spring and fall are the best times to visit; it is too hot in the summer and snow can make travel difficult in winter.
The Rio Grande River exits the Big Bend National Park through Boquillas Canyon, an impressive canyon cut through the Sierra Del Carmen. A parking lot is within a mile of the canyon entrance and it is any easy hike for all the family. Just inside the entrance to Boquillas Canyon against the cliff on the north side of the Rio Grande River is an immense pile of sand. The sand appears to have poured from a hole in the cliff about 100 feet up. The second page has eleven photos including a photo of the young woman in the bikini. INDEX
Enchanted Rock
A few miles north of Fredericksburg, Texas, which is just west of Austin, stands a large pink granite dome called Enchanted Rock. It is at the north end of a series of smaller granite upthrusts in the rugged hill country of west central Texas. Enchanted Rock is the second largest granite dome in the United States after the Stone Mountain in Georgia. There is an easy hiking climb up one face of the dome, easy enough for old folks like my wife and me. We made the trip to Fredericksburg and climbed Enchanted Rock one Monday in early 2005. This series of pages displays the photos of the area and the view from the top and of features on the top. INDEX
Elderhostel Trip to Mountain View, Arkansas - We joined an Elderhostel trip to the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas, and had a great week there. One of my second cousins and his wife invited us to join them. We have become close friends since I started my family web site. We heard gool ol' country music (pre-1941), heard several 'living history' presentations which I really enjoyed, took a float trip down the White River, toured Blanchard Springs and Blanchard Springs Caverns, and, of course, got to tour the Folk Center. My goal was to produce a web page for each day of the trip and have it on line by the next day. Thanks to the friendly folks in the Administration Office, I was able to connect to their state-wide circuit and go on line each morning at 7:30 to load the previous day's page. So here you will find a page for each day of our adventure! INDEX
Old Fryer Bridge in Conway County - Photos of the 115-year-old "iron bridge" on the old road from SH 95 past the Fryer Bluff crossing East Point Remove Creek to Solgohachia. This is one of the historic old bridges in Arkansas. It is still in use. A second page includes photos of Fryer Bluff, a long, high bluff that seems to be made of dried mud. INDEX
Ozarks Wildlife Club a filmstrip presentation. I travel through northwest Arkansas so often and have several good photos of that mountain scenery that I thought of doing a pictorial essay of the area. Then I remembered that there were a couple of filmstrip presentations of the Ozarks among the many photos, slides, and movies in Uncle Irving’s things. As a memorial to his work and to promote Arkansas tourism, I scanned the 72 images from one of the filmstrip and set them up to be viewed in way that simulates a filmstrip presentation. INDEX
Ouachita River Crossings - I became interested in the Ouachita River when Interstate Highway 30 was completed between Little Rock and Texarkana. I was impressed with the beautiful view of rapids in the river just upstream of the IS 30 bridge and took a photograph of it. Later I noticed that US Highway 71 crosses the Ouachita just north of Mena and that the river begins just a few miles further west near Arkansas’ border with Oklahoma. The river runs east to the area of Hot Springs where Blakely Mountain Dam has formed Lake Ouachita and, south of Hot Springs, Carpenter Dam has formed Lake Hamilton. The river then trends south to cross into Louisiana. It occurred to me that a series of photographs of the river at various crossings would provide an interesting picture of the progress of the river as it crosses the state. INDEX
The Turkey Shoot - While visiting in Arkansas last year, I went to a Turkey Shoot with my brother-in-law and some of his friends. I won a turkey on my first try! Here are ten photos and some text describing the event. The event was held in Garfield and it included bow shooting, black powder muzzle loader rifles, poker target shooting with 22 caliber target rifles, and one-shot target shooting with shotguns. Several women were involved and won turkeys. I won a turkey, too. INDEX
Cross of the Plains - Rising 190 feet above the vast Texas panhandle plain east of Amarillo stands a monument to the suffering and sacrifice of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lifesize bronze sculptures depicting the twelve stations of the cross circle the base of the monument. INDEX
2/14/05 Snow in Springdale - It snowed during our recent visit with family in Springdale, Arkansas. I had a few minutes to spare and drove around town to find intersting snow scenes to photograph. Most of the scenes were scenes I had planned to photograph previously, but had just not taken time for. I photographed the depot, downtown on Emma Avenue, the old historic high school building, the Popeye statue, the cemetery, and a house out in the country. INDEX
2/16/05 Illinois Bayou Bridge - Later we were visiting in the Russelville area and drove through the hills northeast of Dover. We crossed a one-lane bridge over the Illinois Bayou near Scottsville and took these photos of the bayou, the bluff, the bridge, and the curving road approaching the bridge. INDEX
2/18/05 Cleveland, Arkansas - I selected some of the photos of my home town, Cleveland, from my collection and assembled them on this page. The earliest is one taken perhaps in 1905 and the most recent was taken early in 2005. INDEX
9/26/05 Antique Souvenir Photos from Hawaii - Ann's Uncle Willard Hendrick mailed her this little (3x5 inch) set of Hawaiian souvenir photos on May 2, 1945, just a little over 60 years ago. These are actual photographic prints on photographic paper by Fritz Kraft of Honolulu, Hawaii, not reproductions printed in ink. INDEX
3/1/06 San Marcos River Kayak Trip - The Shadycrest Baptist Church organized a kayaking trip on the San Marcos River for the men and boys of the church. We took the TG Canoe Livery's seven-mile trip from the Old City Park just below Aquarena Springs to point a mile below the CR 266 crossing where Canoe Livery has a park with river access. I took my digital camera in a Ziplock bag and, because the river is relatively easy, was able to take a bunch of nice photos without losing the camera or drowning myself. INDEX
9/12/06 Murrah Federal Building Memorial - Photos from an early Sunday morning visit to the Murrah Federal Building site and memorial in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. INDEX
4/12/07 The Mormon Temple - This page was posted a year or so ago, but I failed to include it here. Ann and I made a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, and while she attended a conference, I toured Temple Square and other interesting parts of Salt Lake City. She and I also visited the big island in the Great Salt Lake, but I haven't prepared pages for those other travels yet. This page presents the Temple. The LDS members who took me on tours of their facility were very kind and helpful. I was taken to the top of the business building and I got an excellent view of Temple Square and the rest of the city. The first photo is like an aerial photo of the temple, the tabernacle and all the buildings on the west end of the square. The other photos show the front of the temple with the fountain, the gold plaque on the temple tower, and the statue of Moroni on the peak of the temple tower. INDEX
4/17/07 The Sydney Airport Alien Sculpture - In 1988 Ann and I made a trip to Sydney. I was fascinated with this sculpture on the wall of the airport waiting room. INDEX
My Only Experience as a Spacesuit Test Subject
Around 1965 I volunteered to be the test subject for a thermal/vacuum test in a Gemini spacesuit in test as part of the preparation for the first USA EVA made by Ed White.
PAGE ONE - NASA photos showing me in a Gemini space suit during preparations for a thermal-vacuum test of the helmet visor prior to GTS-4. The test, test objective and temperature instruments on the helmet are described.
PAGE TWO - NASA photos of the thermal compartment that sat inside a large vacuum chamber. A full view of the suit with a description of various suit components. A close-up view of the upper suit and helmet showing the thermal sensors on my nose and on the helmet.
PAGE THREE - A scan of the NASA photo of me that appeared in the April 19, 1965 issue of Missiles and Rockets. My photo of the closed-circuit television view of Ed White during his vacuum chamber training for GTS-4. The test results are summarized and I describe what being in a spacesuit at thermal-vacuum conditions was like for me.
INDEX
Dogs In Space
A comment about Strelka and Belka, the Russian space dogs, and the US tests involving exposure of dogs to vacuum and the results obtained in the tests. INDEX
Testing the Russian MIR Spacesuit at Zvezda in Moscow
A NASA team visited the Zvezda (Star) Company in Moscow to observe a manned vacuum chamber test of a spacesuit that had been returned from the MIR on one of the Shuttle missions. This is on the same page with the 'Dogs in Space' comments. INDEX
SMEAT - The Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test
A 56-day test at reduced pressure in a vacuum chamber outfitted to resemble the Skylab. Seven pages hold 2.5 megs of pictures of the astronauts involved, the press personnel, test team, facility, decals, and awards. Each page loads in a reasonable length of time I think. Try it and see! INDEX
STS-1 Post-flight Suit Test
We didn't get what we expected when we tried a vacuum chamber test with one of the EMU's (spacesuits) that flew on the first shuttle flight. INDEX
Women Space Firsts
I was involved in the vacuum chamber spacesuit training tests for Kathy Sullivan, the first female astronaut to do an EVA. I have included links to the other firsts for women in space and Kathy's comments on missing the "World's First EVA by a Woman" record. There are several nice NASA photos of women in spacesuits. A couple of the photos include me. INDEX
The "Mockup Lockup" - Fourteen years! It's hard to believe that that much time has passed. One of my biggest tests, though not the most hazardous or most difficult was the "Mockup Lockup" as the ladies called it. They didn't like the official name "Shuttle RCRS Human Rating Test." I planned and managed a 16-day test of the Shuttle Regenerable CO2 Removal System in the NASA Johnson Space Center's Crew and Thermal Systems Divison's Shuttle Environmental Test Article with one crew of seven women and another crew of seven men. 2/2/06 INDEX
The Cigar Box
A collection of miscellaneous photos. Photos of my high school girlfriend; crop dusting biplane; crystal egg from Moscow; sparkling water; butterflies; flowers; pokeberries; spiders; a mosquito trying to bite a pair of mating walking-stick bugs; a tree frog on a rose; and a cicada and its larval husk. Recent additions: Photos of Ann and me taken in the spring of 1962 on the campus of the University of Arkansas. She and I were dressed for some special occasion. I also have included some miscellaneous shots, both old and new, to add to the Cigar Box: Fields of cows and wild flowers; A mole cricket; and B&W photos of leaves, berries, and a dead tree in a pond. INDEX
Spring comes on desert
This poem was written by Nguyen Qui Dinh, a foreign exchange graduate student at the University of Arkansas, in the winter of '59-'60. It seems to express his homesickness for Viet Nam. INDEX
The Leaf
An unusual view of a leaf. This leaf was photographed by transmitted light rather than reflected light. The image was manipulated to achieve high contrast. INDEX
Uncle Irving's Flower Photos
A few selected from the hundred or so in his collection. INDEX
Testing Uncle Irving's Old Camera
I bought Uncle Irving's old Nikon Nikkormat FTN from the estate and shot a couple of test rolls to check it out. Nature, people, flowers, butterflys, self-portrait, landscapes. INDEX
Grandpa's Old Barn
I was surprised when I first glanced at this photographic negative when I peeked at it during the washing process. Read the text before scolling down to the photos. I have included views of Grandpa's house and barn in the snow and the view east toward Round Mountain. INDEX
Pinhole Photography - An old pinhole photograph is compared to a modern 35mm photo of the re-created scene. Explantion of the process for making a large-format pinhole photograph using photo enlarging paper. INDEX
Photographic Perspective - Our experience with photography gives us the impression that the focal length of the lens will create a particular perspective in the resulting photograph. However, the photos shown here illustrate that it is camera-to-subject distance, not lens focal length that makes the difference.
I have added a page of photos to illustrate the effect of subject to camera distance on photographic or visual perspective. One set is head-and-shoulder self portraits and the other set is of an architectural subject. In addition, I compare a view made with a wide angle lens to a digitally stitched image made from two photos made with a normal lens. INDEX
Stereo Photography - A stereo photo pair is displayed three ways with instructions for viewing in 3-D by the "cross-eyed," "infinite stare," and "mirror" techniques. There is also a brief account of my experience with stereo photo systems and links to several excellent and comprehensive sites on stereo photography. INDEX
Film Resolution - A portait of a young woman, enlarged to show her eyes in great detail, illustrates the best resolution and sharpness I achieved with home processed B&W film. INDEX
Color Film Resolution - I did photography for small, simple weddings many years ago and this portrait of a beautiful bride is presented as another sample of film resolution; this time with color negative film. My computer display just doesn't show the true resolution that can be obtained in a print.
INDEX
Cheap Digital Compared to 35mm - I played around with a Vivitar Vivicam digital camera. Image size is 640x480 pixels referred to as VGA. It makes a good web cam and can be used for video clips. On a cloudy day, I took a scenic photo from a mountain with this camera and with a Nikkormat 35mm camera. This is not a good technical comparison, but when the 35mm print is scanned, reduced and saved with a small file size, it is still a little better than the image from the Vivitar. INDEX
Mirror Self-Portrait - Holding the camera for a self portrait in a mirror. Aiming the camera. Where to look. A primer.
INDEX
1966 Barracuda Restoration
I bought this Barracuda new in March 1966. I drove it 160,000 miles in about 17 or 18 years and then garaged it for major engine repair. My son recently encourage me to start the process of getting it back on the road. These pages have several photos of the exterior, interior, engine, transmission, and various details. When the work is complete, I'll add photos of the final result. 11/21/03 INDEX
A Study in Genesis - A speculative, literal reading of the stories of the Garden and the Flood. Did Adam and Eve eat of the tree of life? Did unicorns live in the Garden of Eden? What was the first living kind to become extinct? Whom did Cain marry? What sort of living kind became extinct in the Flood? Intelliegent Design and Creation Science in the classroom. I can imagine that this is something a high school student might write in response to an assignment in Creation Science class. 2/14/08
1930s Department Store Display Windows - I found a little photo booklet with 10 high resolution photos of variety and department store display windows in Little Rock, Arkansas, back in the 1930s. It was in my Uncle Irving Skipper's photos and effects. I made a page showing smaller version of the photos and linked those photos with large images for those who have a special interests in things of that era. The photos were about 4x5 inch contact printed on flexible velum photo paper. 1/15/04 INDEX
Our Family Cats
Here are photos and short descriptions of our cats. They have been on the web for a long time, but were not included in the INDEX. INDEX
2007 Krisell Reunion Photos - These Krisells are descendants of Florence Skipper and John Franklin Krisell. Florence was the first child of David James Skipper and Mary Catharine Dillon. John was the son of Moses and Nancy Krisell. John and Florence had nine children who lived to adulthood: Leonard Ernest, Mary Frances 'Fannie,' David Lindsey 'Dave,' Nancy Deloris 'Lora,' Cora Kathrine, Lou Ellen, Moses Hobert, Olin Quincy 'Bob,' and James Arthur. Inlaw names are: Evans, Bizzell, Noland, Hillis, Matthews, Bruce, and Hurst. (Two Bizzells and two Nolands married into the Krisell family.) Many more inlaw names have been added since then. Family and friends in those photos include such names as: Robbie Jackson, Camp, Bruce Dabbs, Betty Jo, Mary Dean Staton, Renee Greenlee, Skipper, James, Ann, Kathy, Tony Phillips Ralph, Harold, Ella Mae, Janie, Jolie, Janice Ray, Margarette, Meagan Curton, Walton, Mary Dean, Betty Jo, Ernest, Butch Camp, Harold Staton, David, Maxine, William Krisell, Mary Opal Krisell Cates, Buddy, Donna Purifoy, Jenny Rebecca Sloan Johnston, Tommy, Regina, Marsha Kay Buffalo Ball, Bobby Dan, Martha.INDEX
Don and Ida Bostian Reunion Photos - Ida Saxton Skipper was the oldest child of John Quincy Skipper and Mary Magdalene Sands. Ida was born March 20, 1900. Her mother died in the 1918 flu epidemic and Ida took over the care of the children who ranged in age from Annie Lee, who was 17 to Winnie Dale, who was two. Ida married Don Taylor Bostian in the early 20s and they had four children: Iris Dalene, Shirley Lee, Muriel Dean, and Ray Don. Dalene's children: Jimmy Surratt, Donnelle, Iris, and Cheryl. Shirley's children: Glenda Whittimore and Vivian Whittimore. Muriel's children; Gayle, Cathy, Roger, and Kelly Bodenheimer and Matthew Bradshaw. Ray Don's children: Rachel, Laura, David, and Ida.INDEX
1966 Skipper Reunion Family - Back in the 60's, the descendents of Dave and Kate Skipper held annual reunions at Burns Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas. These photos from the 1966 gathering show Irving and Thelma Skipper, children of James and Jo Skipper; the Ida Bostian and Annie Evans families, daughters of John Quincy Skipper and Mary Magdaline Sands; Bill Skipper, son of Arthur Skipper, brother to Ida and Annie; Willie Krisell, sister of Jo Skipper, and some of her family; and a few others I can't identify.INDEX
The Grammar Page - It was with some trepidation that I placed this page on the Web. WARNING: Explicit illustrations of grammatical errors! If you think you might be offended by them, don't view the page. INDEX
Bruce Futterer Wood Carving - Check out this web site to see some fascinating wood carvings. Bruce specializes in cartoon and caricature carvings, but also does very serious pieces on occasion. He has won many Best of Show awards and he probably has so many Blue Ribbons, he doesn’t count them any more. You’ll find wood carvings for sale, perhaps some tips on wood carving, photos of painted wood carvings, notes about shows, and other things related to wood carving.
Rock Island Press has published Me and Slim by Jesse L. Jones. The book is now available for $12.00, which includes shipping and handling. Click to the Rock Island Press site where you can order and pay through PayPal (they accept credit cards) or just e-mail me for other arrangements.
Me and Slim - by Jesse L. Jones Me and Slim is a story about ranch life in the early to mid-twentieth century based on the author's experience as a youth on his father's ranch in west Texas and on his adult efforts at ranching in Colorado and South Dakota. He has supplemented these experiences with all the yarns he has heard about horse and cattle trading and the "cowboying" involved in making a go of the horse and cattle business. This web page has some excerpts from the story to provide just a hint of what it is like. The story tells of riding and roping and breaking wild mustangs, roundups to bring in scattered herds of cattle. It explains how the cowboys captured a stallion that had gone wild and the ranching and business deals involved in selling and trading cattle and horses. You'll learn something about the techniques used to break horses and corral wild livestock.
The Old Curmudgeon's Commentary
"Cedar Canyon" and "Helen McCoy" - by Jesse L. Jones Cedar Canyon and Helen McCoy are two novella length stories in one volume. Cedar Canyon is set in mid-twentieth century west Texas and New Mexico. An aspiring young cow and horse man accepts a task from his uncle to go round up the cattle on a remote ranch in New Mexico so that the ranch can be sold to clear up a mortgage foreclosure. While he is stopped at a truck stop having a cup of coffee, he sees a hitchhiker slip into the feed bin of his horse trailer and the adventure of a lifetime begins.
In the 1880’s, Helen Dorr grows up in the hard-scrabble mining and lumber country of the American frontier. Her Pa isn’t strong enough to join his brothers with their work in the mines and forests, so he starts the first store in the area and Helen helps him run it. However, she is soon swept off to a more remote area where Pete McCoy, her new husband, has found a beautiful area for a home and ranch. A friendship develops with the Indians in the area and they soon discover the secret of the old lost Spanish mission; a secret that changes their lives in a surprising way. Helen McCoy tells her story.
A School Man of the Ozarks - Being an Autobiography of William Erwin Halbrook" A School Man of the Ozarks is the autobiography of William Erwin "Willy" Halbrook written at the age of 80 in 1959. Willy was born in the rural Ozarks of north central Arkansas in 1878 when Arkansas was still recovering from the Civil War and its aftereffects. Conditions were primitive and he gives a great view of what life was like then. He came of age at a time when the schools were still local subscription affairs. Local communities hired a teacher and parents paid to have their children educated. Willy led in the movement for good rural public schools; city businessmen were not interested in supporting education for rural children at that time. Willy was the State Agent for Rural Schools, led in the early school consolidatation efforts, worked for the WPA during the depression, helped to get a state teachers college established in Conway, Arkansas; now the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), and even worked to established State Highway 9 from Mammoth Springs to Hot Springs. His is a lively acount of the support and opposition he found in helping improve the state school system and of his family life which included a second marriage at the age of 70 after the death of his first wife. His second wife was 25 years younger than he and they enjoyed 25 years of married bliss. He died in 1974 at the age of 96 and she died 25 years later, also at the age of 96. The book is re-published by Rock Island Press.
Anonymous He - by Louis L Skipper This is a book of collected poems by Louis Skipper. Some are happy; some are melancholy plaints for lost love. It's a joy just to flip through the pages and read at random or mark your favorites in the Table of Contents and read them over and over. Click for samples.
Chrysler Early A-body 10" Drum Brakes on my 1966 Barracuda. Also wheel bearings and rear axle photos. Brake photos show all brake parts removed and then replaced. Good guide for doing a brake job. Drum, springs, cylinders, shoes, adjusters, steering knuckle, hoses.
Early A-Body Gas Cap - I took parts of the old replacement gas cap, a Stant G27, and combined it with a later model replacement gas cap, a Stant 11811, to make a cap that resembles the original body-color gas cap that came on my 1966 Barracuda. This should also work with other early A-body Chrysler products such as 1960 to 1966 Valiants and Darts.
1966 Plymouth Barracuda Operating Instructions - I scanned and uploaded selected pages from my owners manual. It explains the typical information that the owner of a new car would be interested in knowing: required maintenance services, break-in period and speeds, how to start a car with a weak battery (and an automatic transmission), how to set the push-button radio, how the air conditioning system should be operated during winter months, and precautions to be taken with trailer towing. It explains all the instruments and controls on the instrument panel, how to operate the A/C and heater controls, door locks, mirror adjustment, window controls, fluid quantities, engine specifications, seat adjustments, jack storage (and I include a copy of the jack instructions from inside the trunk lid), and all the typical instructions for operating the automobile.
Shadycrest Baptist Church 2002 Pictorial Directory - This is a copy of the photo pages of the directory without addresses.
Constitution and Bylaws of Shadycrest Baptist Church - The Constitution and Bylaws was adopted in 1975. Very few amendments have been adopted over the years, but in 2009 the church formed a Constitution and Bylaws review committee. The Committee completed its work over a period of months and the final recommended admendments to the Constitution and Bylaws were approved by the Church at a regular business meeting in May 2010. The amendments approved by the church were placed in the Constitution and Bylaws and a copy of the approved Constitution and Bylaws is located in pdf form at the referenced link. This online copy provides a ready reference for Church members and for others who occasionally search the web for reference to examples of church constitutions and bylaws.
History of Shadycrest Baptist Church - A Work in Progress.
Ancestry Table - A simple table showing my ancestors back to my great, great, great grandparents (not many of them yet). It includes these family names: Skipper, Maxwell, Houston, Noland, Dillon, Garnto, Welch, Rogers, Beaty, Ridling, Jennings, Harrington, Johnson, McGeehee, Houston, and Conley.
Apollo 13 moon mission. Apollo Thirteen certificate. See index.
1/20/05 Class of 1959 - This is the Senior Class Photo of the Class of 1959 of Wonderview High School. The Wonderview Consolidated School is in Conway County, Arkasas serving most of the north end of the county not part of the Morrilton School District in the county seat.
Link to Pearland Meals on Wheels (MOW)
Jocelyn Johnson, (photo) former Hamilton Standard suit engineer at NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas.
10/24/02
Updated to 10/22/09
(The first version
of this INDEX was
placed on the Prodigy web host
in late 1999.)
