THE “GREATEST GENERATION” DIMINISHED BY ONE…

January 5, 1944 From the daily diary kept by S.Sgt. G.C. Watts while stationed in Naples, Italy during WWII… “Nothing doing today. Rain and snow. Go to town – shave and lunch. For Spagetti and French Fryes it cost 150.00 Lira – In the states it would have cost only 35 cents.”

 

We lost another member of the “Greatest Generation” on New Year’s Day. The Navigator’s father, age 93, “passed on” after a full and rich life. G.C. was a WWII Veteran serving our country in the Army Air Corp. He saw action in Africa and Italy. One of the discovered treasures in his home was a day-by-day journal that he kept of his activities. I find it illuminating to stop today and consider what he was doing on this date time during the war…

(G.C. Watts, Gen. Colin Powell, The Navigator (on left with camera) during the HonorAir Flight to the WWII Monument in Washington, DC)

Cycling Updates:

While the weather here in Western North Carolina has been less than hospitable for most of us, our fellow BicycleHaywoodNC members “Cross Country”Stan and his better half, Shirley, have managed to avoid our winter weather…

DOES ABSENCE REALLY MAKE THE HEART GROW FONDER?

I’ve been absent. I haven’t written in a week due to various and sundry circumstances. I haven’t, in the words of Phil Liggett, “turned a pedal in anger” in about the same time – maybe slightly longer. But, I haven’t been away from cycling…

(Waiting for the crowd of curious patrons at the Red, White, and Boom festival)

HIDE AND DO NOT SEEK!

It has been quiet here at Zeke’s Great Smokies Two Wheeled Adventures. No posting, no comments, no replies since last week. There’s a reason for that. The Navigator and I went into hiding Thursday evening last and didn’t emerge until Sunday afternoon. We went into the woods where there was no data connection and no cell phones. There were no landlines and no other means of incoming communications. I imagine we could’ve read some smoke signals if times really required it. In a word, it was pretty much heaven..

(5280’ feet in elevation brought colors in abundance!)

Still the world didn’t stop and when I plugged in and logged on last night I had word from…

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

Our friend and riding companion John Bryan is currently participating in the 2011 version of Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG). John does most of his training in his home state of Florida, which has helped him more than acclimate to the warm temperatures of Georgia. In fact, he may be getting to cool down somewhat as he ventures across Georgia. John has been kind enough to send along some images of the ride thus far.

CROSS COUNTRY STAN REPORTS IN FROM CANADA!

The following report on Cross Country Stan’s cross country trip of Canada was just received. Please click on the “Where In the World is Cross Country Stan?” link at the top of this page.

- Zeke

CROSS COUNTRY STAN IS ON THE ROAD!

Check out the new page added to Great Smokies Zeke’s 2-Wheeled Adventures! We’ve definitely gone beyond the Great Smoky Mountains for this coverage. Our friend Stan Rathbone, nicknamed by me as Cross Country Stan  due to his proclivity to ride across countries, is now headed east from Banff National Park. he is following up last year’s successful ride across the southern route from San Diego to St. Augustine. Cross Country will be dropping some images on me from time to time for reposting for his friends to follow his adventure this year! You can find the link at the top of this page!

Happy Memorial Day to all!

- Zeke