I recognize that now, both must work—usually. Not so with two of our children, not so with two of our grandchildren. It depends… But “back then” and always, in Europe, and Asia, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome it has always been the haves and have nots. And the “haves” have always been a very small percentage. Each generation recalls the “good old days.” But how could they all have been the good old days? Our grandchildren will recall NOW as the good old days. But now is also the good old days for my wife and me. So were the 90’s and 60’s and 50’s. And we are not anywhere close to being in the 1%. We simply choose to enjoy each moment, while we spend every Friday feeding and clothing the homeless and poor. Let’s choose to find the good and if we can’t, try to make things good in our little corners of the world.

A quick check of American history reveals that when George Washington was around, he was one of the 3%. It has always been that way folks.

Funny, we were there on our honeymoon in 1956. I had a Lordomat C35, an interchangeable lens rangefinder camera, built in uncoupled meter, but at the time I could only afford the 50mm lens. I also had a cheap tripod, and lots of Kodachrome film. We came back with lots of wonderful slides, still in the carousels. My point, you don’t need much. And yes, I took pictures on the Maid of the Mist. I was just careful.

And I have been a husband for 67 years, not yours, (one wife) and quite correct too.

The statistics on deaths from opioids are frightening. More than 100,000 people died in this country last year from overdosing. What the statistics don’t show is the number of people who are on opioids and don’t overdose and don’t become addicted. And, best of all, they get relief from pain that ibuprofen and acetaminophen can’t touch.

I am one of them. I take Hydrocodone. But I am treated suspiciously. Am I becoming addicted? Am I getting them from more than one doctor? Am I selling them to teenagers? The pharmaceutical companies and doctors created this mess and we who need the pain relief are suffering from their greed. I was even advised by my health insurance agent to stay with my doctor because I would have trouble finding another one who would prescribe them.

My pain stems from neuropathy. I only take them at night, and not every night. Thirty pills last me for six to seven weeks. Although I have chronic pain all the time, I take nothing during the day. I have tried cannabis, gummy bears, and that seems to work as well as hydrocodone. But my hydrocodone is free. And, it doesn’t really completely stop the pain.

My message here. Don’t judge people negatively who are on opioids.

We moved into a condo two years ago with free cable tv. We have yet to watch a show other than football games. We stream everything.

Wisely said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.”

A wrong, very wrong, comparison.

24 year old Scotch! I envy you

Wow! It sounds like there are unhappy digital camera users. Me too.

Our son has lived in Aurora for more than 20 years. We go there frequently.

In this case, black and white seems best, to me. I’m in the car, as we speak, on the way to the Smoky Mountains. With Tri-x and Ektar. I believe black and white will give me better results. I took my Olympus OM2n with one lens, a 50mm f1.4. By the way I lived in Chicago for 25 years and your photos make it more beautiful than anything I remember.

Just returned from Rome. Most of what I shot was wide angle. However I was at the Vatican on a Sunday, saw the Pope from his balcony window. That was about the only time I used a long lens.

For me, it’s more than film. It’s the camera. I really enjoy holding and looking through the viewfinders of my Olympus OM4 and Minolta Maxxum 9. Much more than any of the the three reasonably high end digital cameras I own. Nothing digital compares to the feeling of manually focusing and choosing my fstop on my OM4. Yes, I know I can do these things with my DSLRs. I have done it. But it’s not the same. Why film? Because I want to. Shouldn’t that be reason enough?

Stop it already. Every week or two somebody complains about UPS or FedEx or the USPS. They deliver millions of packages and pieces of mail annually and yes, sometimes mistakes are made. To listen to some of you you would think they were singling you out. I have sent more than 2,000 items I sold on eBay, all of them USPS. None has gone missing. Late once or twice yes. I have never had an item I bought, delivered by the three carriers, go astray. Probably 1,000 items. I expect I am the rule not the exception. Find something real to complain about—like our Congress.