stories

These are complete, true stories developed while I was involved with other writing. Some of these stories made up my series, "Image du Jours," and the several hundred people who requested them received one story and image each day. Now these nonfiction stories (still with the images) reside here and most of them have experienced the excellent editing of my wife Bettie; my daughter, Julia Baker; and my good friend, Jerry Smartt. Of course, any errors that still exist are my creations alone.

These stories could have been included in my books, " Long Captions Volume One...Thirty-Three True Stories" and "Long Captions Volume Two...Thirty-Three True Stories", but the subject material at this web page are acutely specific and some are a little too autobiographical for a general publication. However, those titles marked with an asterisk did appear in the Long Captions series, but in an abbreviated form.

True Story with Images

Not Abandoned

I had been watching some Abandoned Building video recordings on YouTubes and I was intrigued by the way some rooms appeared. They had been vandalized, but over time it was difficult to tell original pieces from the general trash that was scattered randomly on the floor and piled on any suface that could support it.

Then I looked around here in my study. I figured that I needed to make a few images so I could at least let others know of my condition. The images follow with the above link -- "Not Abandoned."

Private Airplane Stories

It is the Ninth Month in the First Year of the Great Pandemic of 2020. It occurred to me during emaillian correspondence that I had never written of my airplane experiences. This does not mean commercial aircraft – we all have those stories – nor does it mean professional flying because I have discussed most of those in my book "Solder Slinger" – but no, these stories are about the things that happened to me relative to small, private aircraft.

I was always intrigued by flight and would watch flying birds by the hour rather than pay attention to where I trod and all the little things under foot.

This was consistent with my never wondering as a kid why there were so many fossilized snail shells and the like at my feet when we lived such a long way from any water. This lack of attention applied even to arrow heads. I ignored them.

Those were things on the ground were from long ago; I was looking up to where my future was.

1. First Flight

2. They Also Come Down

3. The T-Craft

4. Bellanca On Its Belly

5. "Come home and be happy."

6. "Who needs a compass anyway? Or a radio? Or --"

7. "I can crash it!"

8. A Trojan Horse

9. Nesting Volksplane

10. A Time Bridge

The Image du Jours Series

The general "voice" of these "Image du Jours" varies because I used what best fit the topic when written. In most cases, they are informal and use the first voice though it is not necessarily chatty. It is written as if I were just sharing a story with a friend -- because in most cases, I was.

Story titles with an asterisk have been published in some form in my books on Amazon.

Image du Jour -- World War II

The reader who enjoys these stories might enjoy the "Long Captions Volume One and Two" and "Ball Turret Gunner...Weather Bad/Flak Heavy." However, for the benefit of aviation enthusiasts, some of these WWII images and stories are incredibly detailed.

1. Spitfire Puzzle* Photograph Collection & A Spitfire

2. P-47 Badger Beauty VI

3. Havoc Unappreciated Little Workhorse

4. P-61 Night-Time Surprise

5. P-40 Not As Outclassed As Some Think

6. P-40 War Weary

7. Hurricane* Fred Hitchcock's Passion

8. Stockum Collection The Story Of The Collection

9. Hangar Debris Me-262 / Fw-190

10. Hangar Debris Me-262 / Fw-190

11. Field Debris Me-109 Models

12. Field Debris Me-109 Models