After well over two decades, I decided to try the Nintendo out that my brother purchased in the summer of 1989. It powered on right away and the ten games that we had all worked very well. Here is one of them - Duck Hunt. I am vegan so I never play the duck version - I only shoot the clay plates. Over the years, I played the Atari and never the Nintendo. The neglect did not harm it in any way. After not being turned on in more than twenty years, it is still going strong. Yesterday and this morning, I played it for many hours and that area comprising the thumb and palm hurt so badly that I had to stop. I certainly do not miss the pain caused by these video games.
The NES is played on a Toshiba television set Model 14AF45 (December 2005). I bought it at a yard sale last year. The url for the above video:https://youtu.be/6PM3UOKcPjk
Earlier today, in honor of Black History Month, the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey hosted the annual "Three Centuries Of African American Soldiers" exhibit. My good friends representing the U.S.C.T. (United States Colored Troops) were present at the Civil War table along with historians portraying Soldiers of other conflicts from the 1700s, 1800s and 1900s. I spoke with a number of people about teaming up with them to put together an event. I certainly have the artifacts, documents and records. It would definitely be amazing. Here are the photographs ...
It was a bit of a surprise seeing the German artifacts at this event ... war souvenirs I assume:
Frank Woodruff Buckles, America's Last Surviving Veteran Of World War I, passed away five years ago today on February 27, 2011. He is, without question, one of the most important figures in this nation's history. On this, the Fifth Anniversary of his passing, I visited his grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia so I could commemorate the occasion. You will note the signed portrait and the photograph of the two of us taken on the day that we met back in 2009.
I have never forgotten about the extraordinary meeting that I had with Frank Buckles. That meeting was the very first topic on this blog and all these years later, I am always happy to blog about "The Last Of The Doughboys". I am elated to have finally made it to his gravesite. Here is a video that I shot today: The url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGkJ2WSp2-k Photographs ...
I am back with a new list for a new year ... albeit a bit late for the new year. It is 2016 and this year I am returning to Arlington National Cemetery. The last time I was there was in 2011 for the Funeral of America's Last Great War Veteran Frank Woodruff Buckles and I will be there in 2016 to visit the Grave of Frank Woodruff Buckles. As always, throughout the year, I will be updating this list as information pours in.
January 30 Battle Of The Bulge World War II Reeanctment in Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. Info: http://www.wwiiha.org/new/index.php/fig
February 13-14 Greenburg's Train And Toy Show in Somerset, NJ. Info: http://greenbergshows.com/schedule.html & http://trainshow.com/schedule 13 Burlington County Railroad Club Winter Open House And Toy Train Flea Market in Cinnaminson, NJ. Info: http://bcmrc.org 14 Burlington County Railroad Club Winter Open House And Toy Train Flea Market in Cinnaminson, NJ. Info: http://bcmrc.org 20 Burlington County Railroad Club Winter Open House And Toy Train Flea Market in Cinnaminson, NJ. Info: http://bcmrc.org 21 Burlington County Railroad Club Winter Open House And Toy Train Flea Market in Cinnaminson, NJ. Info: http://bcmrc.org 20-21 Greenburg's Train And Toy Show in Wilmington, DE. Info: http://trainshowinc.com & http://greenbergshows.com/schedule.html 21 Wayne Train Show in Wayne, NJ. Info: http://www.eastcoasttrainparts.com/wayne.htm 27 A Visit To The Grave Of Frank Woodruff Buckles, America's Last Surviving Veteran Of World War I, On The fifth Anniversary Of His Passing in Arlington, Virginia. Info: I am planing this event. 28 Exhibit: Three Centuries Of African American Soldiers in Trenton, NJ. Info: http://www.barracks.org/3-centuries-of-african-american-soldiers.html March 05 Train, Toy And Collectible Show in Stratford, NJ. Info: http://trc.trains.com/events.aspx?page=info&eventid=20442 06 Brick Train Show in Brick, NJ. Info: http://www.eastcoasttrainparts.com/brick.htm 12 Swap Meet And Train Show in Mechantville, NJ. Info: No link yet. 12 Foodways On The 18th Century in Trenton, NJ. Info: http://www.barracks.org/best-if-used-by.html 12-13 Greenburg's Train And Toy Show in Edison, NJ. Info: http://trainshowinc.com & http://greenbergshows.com/schedule.html 13 International Hobby Expo in Edison, NJ. Info: http://giantshow.com 19-20 Exhibit: The Evolution Of Lighting in Schwenksville, PA. Info: http://www.valleyforge.org/includes/calendar-of-events/-What-s-the-Bright-Idea-The-Evolution-of-Lighting-/16616 20 Gilbertsville Toy Train Show in Gilbertsville, PA. Info: No link yet.
April 02 Punk Rock Flea Market in Trenton, NJ. 03 Punk Rock Flea Market in Trenton, NJ. 10 Mechanical Music Extravaganza in Wayne, NJ. Info: http://www.antique-sound.com 24 Toms River Train and Toy Show in Toms River, NJ. Info: http://trc.trains.com/events.aspx?page=info&eventid=19972
May 03 New Hope Train And Sale in New Hope, PA. Info: http://www.modeltrainshows.com/2009/03/pennsylvania-train-shows.html 14 New Jersey State History Fair in Manalapan, NJ. Info: http://www.njhistoryfair.org 15 Wayne Train Show and Sale in Wayne, NJ. Info: http://trc.trains.com/events.aspx?page=info&eventid=19961 & http://www.eastcoasttrainparts.com/wayne.htm 21-2 9th Street Italian Market Festival in Philadelphia, PA. Info: http://www.italianmarketfestival.com 22 Brick Train Show in Brick, NJ. Info: http://trc.trains.com/events.aspx?page=info&eventid=19975 & http://www.eastcoasttrainparts.com/brick.htm June 05-6 Civil War Event in Schwenksville, PA. Info: http://www.ppmcivilwar.org 18 Annual March Out Of The Continental Army in Valley Forge, PA. Info: http://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?eventID=3799543-307230 July 26 Mill Creek And Lycoming 2015 Summer Train Meet in Pennsdale, PA. Info: http://www.modeltrainshows.com/2009/03/pennsylvania-train-shows.html
September 18 Gilbertsville Toy Train Show in Gilbertsville, PA. Info: No link yet.
October 09 Mechanical Music Extravaganza in Wayne, NJ. Info: http://www.antique-sound.com December 04 Gilbertsville Toy Train Show in Gilbertsville, PA. Info: No link yet. 31 Battle Of Trenton Revolutionary War Reenactment in Trenton, NJ. Info: http://www.barracks.org/battle-of-trenton-reenactment.html
This is it - the grand finale of the Star Wars In The Snow Series. The photographs in this Part 3 blog entry were taken on January 24 of this year. In the following pictures, you will see the Rebel Bunker/Hangar with Pilots, X-Wings Fighters, a Y-Wing Fighter, a Rebel Armored Snowspeeder, a Troop Transport, Tauntauns, Soldiers, Commanders, 2-1B, FX-7, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, a Vehicle Maintenance Energizer and the mighty Millennium Falcon ... mighty and discolored. I thought that I would include an encore with the Hoth Stormtroopers and the Tripod Laser Cannon. It was getting dark by the end of the Hangar shots and it was dark by the time that I captured these shots. I wanted to get them in the light ... well, there is always the next snowstorm for that. By the way, the middle Snowtrooper does not look as yellowed in person as it looks in the pics.
Update (January 30, 2016): I finally put together a video version of the photoshoot:
Here is the url in case the video does not embed properly: https://youtu.be/tPPgona6gFA
It is January 27, 2016 and I am continuing with the Hoth recreations that I set up in the snow. All of the photographs in this Part 2 blog entry were taken on January 24. You will see Han Solo and Chewbacca going at it with the Probot, Luke Skywalker scaling an AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) and the big battle with two AT-AT's, two AT-ST's (All Terrain Scout Transports), Hoth Stormtroopers (aka Snowtroopers) and a Tripod Laser Cannon versus Rebel Soldiers, Rebel Commanders, a Radar Laser Cannon and a Turret. As you may have seen in my 2003 photos, I had two Turrets. Who knows what happened to that other one. You can see the sun passed over that plot of snow where the battle was set up. There are advantages and disadvantages to that. In any event, I think the shots are great. I particularly like how the images of the Rebels' turned out. Now for the pictures ... Here is a screenshot from the video footage that I recorded: You can see that I'm lovin it! See you all for the final part tomorrow ...
Update (January 30, 2016): I finally put together a video version of the photoshoot:
Here is the url in case the video does not embed properly: https://youtu.be/tPPgona6gFA