my_E! photos on Flickr

20150519-0002 by Chris Osborne

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Some initials shots with one of my 2 new lens aquisitions: the Olympus 17mm f1.8 M4/3 lens.

This lens has had some fairly mixed reviews, but I have to say I am very pleased with it. It's plenty sharp enough for me (but then I was quite happy with the sharpness of the all 17mm f2.8 pancake lens!), it focuses super quick on my E-M10, and it just looks and handles superbly.

My new Olympus by Skylark92

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The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II...

I've been dreaming about this baby for quite a while.

My E-3's autofocus gave up a year ago and since then the urge grew... But these pearls are, even second hand still, quite expensive. Then I found myself on holiday in Czech for the first time in 15 years, and went to see if I could get a cheaper deal over here... and I did =)

Since Olympus changed from 4/3 to Micro 4/3, I can't directly mount my trusted 14-54. So I'll have to get a converter with it.

I couldn't find the right one in Czech, so that'll have to wait for when I'm back home. Something to look forward to!

Meanwhile I get this holiday to properly enjoy my E-3 one last time before it's retirement, focussing manually as I have been for the last 12 months or so... But then so have I done for years with my analogue OM40... Which I'll be shooting with during this trip as well, as Czech was the first country to which I ever took it back in 2006, Great opportunity to shoot some film here again =)

my ‘e’s are long in the tooth by michelle thompson

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and the rest of my letters are a little rusty. i’m out of practice.

The Tomb of Queen Elizabeth I, Westminster Abbey, City of Westminster by Jelltex

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My friend, Aidan, described Westminster Abbey as English history written in stone, which as good as a description as I could think of. And English, as the Kings and Queens of that country, later of Great Britain are buried here.

Anyway, I had a fabulous time at the Abbey, and already planning a return for the details I missed.

-------------------------------------------

Of all the churches and cathedrals in London, the one I wanted to visit and photograph was Westminster Abbey. But, the Abbey didn't allow photography didn't go. And then a few weeks back, my friend, Aidan, started to post shots from inside, and as it turns out, photography, in most areas of the Abbey, is now allowed. So it was a case of when we would visit, not "if", and once we had a free weekend, I began to plan and book.

£25 to go in, each. £10 each for the new museum. And £15 each for a hidden highlights tour. It wasn't cheap, but then if you're going to do it, do it well!

All chores were done Friday, including shopping, so we were free to catch the quarter to eight train from Dover. On the way we called into the garage to pick up some stuff to eat on the train, so we were set.

Saturday was also the last day of British Summer Time (BST), as the clocks would go back early on Sunday morning, then five long winter months would begin.

So, better make most of the daylight.

We were early for the train, so we ate breakfast on the platform, then once the train pulled in, I picked my favourite seats and we settled down for the hour run into London. THe one thing I hadn't planned well was the weather, and some rain was expected during the morning.

The train wasn't busy, and most people wore masks, though enough didn't to make one wonder if the message about COVID really hadn't got through. But then with Johnson as PM, we shouldn't be surprised.

We get off at Statford, and the rain was falling heavily even before we left the Essex marshes behind and entered the long tunnel. But at Stratford, day had become night and the rain fell in what is called stair-rods. I hoped that if we walked slowly through the shopping centre it might have eased by the time we needed to cross over the bridge to the regional station, but the rain was falling just as hard.

And there was no way to avoid it, so we just pulled our collars up and walked as quickly as possible.

Which is why, by the time we arrived at the other side, we were wet little hobbitses.

A quick walk to the Jubilee Line platforms, catching the next train out, we took seats and sat there, gently steaming.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in Westminster, no dryer, really, taking the four flights of escalators to the surface, where outside it had, atleast, stopped raining for now.

Demonstrations are now outlawed in Parliament Square, so it was quiet, once you got to the other side of the road, its a five minute walk past the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), and round to the entrance of the Abbey.

Amazingly, there was no queue, and once inside the doorway I show my e tickets, they were scanned and we were allowed in. There was a one way system round the Abbey, so I began the first circuit with the 50mm lens, thinking I would go round again with the wide angle, and a third time with the big lens to snap detail.

That was the plan.

Westminster Abbey is where the Kings and Queens of England and Britain have been crowned. Also, where until Henry V11 thought otherwise, they were buried too, so the chancel is jammed with tombs of many famous and infamous figures from history, from Edward the Confessor to William and Mary, most tombs are grand, some less so. As well as Kings and Queens, minor royals and members of the nobility also were either buried here, or had monument erected. As have military figures, and famousnames from the arts.

It really is quite remarkable.

That and the Abbey itself, in parts dating from just before the Norman COnquest, to a rebuilding just after to the 13th Century when Henry III pulled the old Abbey down and started to rebuild it, until he ran out of money.

But it was completed, and since then had filled up with monuments, so many, I lost count and gave up trying to record them all. Instead, marvelling at their range and beauty.

I walked down the nave, through the arch into the Quire, and it was as breathtaking as expected, then round the Chancel looking and photographing the tombs of the Kings and Queens, round Henry VII's chapel.

And then repeating it with the wide angle lens, taking shots of the various chapels and tombs, all the while keeping an eye on the time as we were to go to visit the new gallery musuem at 11, and then a guided tour of some normally off limit places at half past.

Neither of these allowed photography, which is a great shame as the views from the gallery were stunning down the length of the Nave and then the ancinent chain library and the sanctuary of Henry VII's chapel where we could reach out and touch the shrine of St Edward the Confessor.

The museum had dozens of funeral effigies of the Kings and Queens, some made I'm sure to look better than they did in real life, but others had a degree of realism about them. The one of Queen Mary seemed pregnant, while the one for Queen Elizabeth Ist had a tight corset, so she would have appeared in death as she had as a young woman.

There were carvings, ceremonial cloaks, replicas of the Crown Jewels, and so much more, but we had run out of time, as we had to get to the other side of the church for the hidden secrets tour.

Us and three other couples joined our guide as he showed us the latest escavations revealing the area where monks used to prepare for services. This is hidden behind screens now, and will soon become the site of a new visitor's centre. The trenches were filled with uncvered skeletons and bones, all human of course, and these will all either be rebuuried here or some other Christian place.

Next we went to the Dean's quarters where we saw where he prepared for services, and were allowed into, but not allowed to photograph the Jerico Room, before being allowed outside for a while, then walking around the cloisters, back into the chancel and into Henry's chapel to see the tombs and shrine. Envious looks rained down on us as we climbed the wooden steps into the usually closed area, and then only the people in the gallery above could see us.

-------------------------------------------

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and a burial site for English and, later, British monarchs.

The building itself was originally a Catholic Benedictine monastic church until the monastery was dissolved in 1539. Between 1540 and 1556, the abbey had the status of a cathedral and seat of the catholic bishop. After 1560 the building was no longer an abbey or a cathedral, after the Catholics had been driven out by King Henry VIII, having instead was granted the status of a Church of England "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the sovereign—by Queen Elizabeth I.

According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a church was founded at the site (then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island)) in the seventh century at the time of Mellitus, a Bishop of London. Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of King Henry III.[4]

Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have occurred in Westminster Abbey.[4][5] Sixteen royal weddings have occurred at the Abbey since 1100.[6]

The Abbey is the burial site of more than 3300 persons, usually of prominence in British history: at least 16 monarchs, 8 Prime Ministers, poets laureate, actors, scientists, military leaders, and the Unknown Warrior. As such, Westminster Abbey is sometimes described as "Britain's Valhalla", after the iconic hall of the chosen heroes in Norse mythology.

Between 1042 and 1052, King Edward the Confessor began rebuilding St Peter's Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church. It was the first church in England built in the Romanesque style. The building was completed around 1060 and was consecrated on 28 December 1065, only a week before Edward's death on 5 January 1066.[9] A week later, he was buried in the church; and, nine years later, his wife Edith was buried alongside him.[10] His successor, Harold II, was probably crowned in the abbey, although the first documented coronation is that of William the Conqueror later the same year.[11]

The only extant depiction of Edward's abbey, together with the adjacent Palace of Westminster, is in the Bayeux Tapestry. Some of the lower parts of the monastic dormitory, an extension of the South Transept, survive in the Norman Undercroft of the Great School, including a door said to come from the previous Saxon abbey. Increased endowments supported a community that increased from a dozen monks in Dunstan's original foundation, up to a maximum of about eighty monks.

The abbot and monks, in proximity to the royal Palace of Westminster, the seat of government from the later 13th century, became a powerful force in the centuries after the Norman Conquest. The Abbot of Westminster often was employed on royal service and in due course took his place in the House of Lords as of right. Released from the burdens of spiritual leadership, which passed to the reformed Cluniac movement after the mid-10th century, and occupied with the administration of great landed properties, some of which lay far from Westminster, "the Benedictines achieved a remarkable degree of identification with the secular life of their times, and particularly with upper-class life", Barbara Harvey concludes, to the extent that her depiction of daily life provides a wider view of the concerns of the English gentry in the High and Late Middle Ages.[13]

The proximity of the Palace of Westminster did not extend to providing monks or abbots with high royal connections; in social origin the Benedictines of Westminster were as modest as most of the order. The abbot remained Lord of the Manor of Westminster as a town of two to three thousand persons grew around it: as a consumer and employer on a grand scale the monastery helped fuel the town economy, and relations with the town remained unusually cordial, but no enfranchising charter was issued during the Middle Ages.[14]

The abbey became the coronation site of Norman kings. None were buried there until Henry III, intensely devoted to the cult of the Confessor, rebuilt the abbey in Anglo-French Gothic style as a shrine to venerate King Edward the Confessor and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own tomb, under the highest Gothic nave in England. The Confessor's shrine subsequently played a great part in his canonization.

The following English, Scottish and British monarchs and their consorts are buried in the Abbey:

Sæberht of Essex (d. c. 616) [possibly]

Edward the Confessor (d. 1066) and Edith of Wessex (d. 1075)

Henry III of England (d. 1272) [his wife, Eleanor of Provence, is buried at Amesbury Priory]

Edward I of England (d. 1307) and Eleanor of Castile (d. 1290)

Edward III of England (d. 1377) and Philippa of Hainault (d. 1369)

Richard II of England (d. 1400) and Anne of Bohemia (d. 1394)

Henry V of England (d. 1422) and Catherine of Valois (d. 1437)

Edward V of England (d. c. 1483) and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (d. c. 1483) [possibly]

Also known as the Princes in the Tower. In 1674, the remains of two boys were exhumed from the Tower of London and at the orders of Charles II, they were interred in the wall of the Henry VII Lady Chapel.

Anne Neville (d. 1485), wife of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales [m. 1470–71; buried at Tewkesbury Abbey] and of Richard III [m. 1472–85; buried at Leicester Cathedral]

Henry VII of England (d. 1509) and Elizabeth of York (d. 1503)

Edward VI of England (d. 1553)

Anne of Cleves (d. 1557), former wife of Henry VIII [buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]

Mary I of England (d. 1558)

Elizabeth I of England as shown on her tomb

Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1542), mother of James VI & I of England and Scotland [brought from Peterborough Cathedral in 1612]

Elizabeth I of England (d. 1603)

In the 19th century, researchers looking for the tomb of James I partially opened the underground vault containing the remains of Elizabeth I and Mary I of England. The lead coffins were stacked, with Elizabeth's resting on top of her half-sister's.[9]

James VI & I of England and Scotland (d. 1625) and Anne of Denmark (d. 1619)

The position of the tomb of King James was lost for two and a half centuries. In the 19th century, following an excavation of many of the vaults beneath the floor, the lead coffin was found in the Henry VII vault.[9]

Charles II of England and Scotland (d. 1685)

Mary II of England and Scotland (d. 1694) and William III of England and II of Scotland (d. 1702)

Anne, Queen of Great Britain (d. 1714) and Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland (d. 1708)

George II of Great Britain (d. 1760) and Caroline of Ansbach (d. 1737)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burials_and_memorials_in_Westminste...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey

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Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603)[a] was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last of the five monarchs of the House of Tudor.[1]

Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife, who was executed when Elizabeth was 21⁄2 years old. Anne's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her half-brother Edward VI ruled until his death in 1553, bequeathing the crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters, the Roman Catholic Mary and the younger Elizabeth, in spite of statute law to the contrary. Edward's will was set aside and Mary became queen, deposing Lady Jane Grey. During Mary's reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

Upon her half-sister's death in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel.[b] She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers, led by William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir; however, despite numerous courtships, she never did. She was eventually succeeded by her first-cousin twice-removed, James VI of Scotland, laying the foundation for the Kingdom of Great Britain. She had earlier been responsible for the imprisonment and execution of James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.

In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been.[3] One of her mottoes was "video et taceo" ("I see and keep silent").[4] In religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution. After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her, several conspiracies threatened her life, all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers' secret service. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, manoeuvring between the major powers of France and Spain. She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France, and Ireland. By the mid-1580s, England could no longer avoid war with Spain.

As she grew older, Elizabeth became celebrated for her virginity. A cult of personality grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day. Elizabeth's reign became known as the Elizabethan era. The period is famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Francis Drake. Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered, sometimes indecisive ruler,[5] who enjoyed more than her share of luck. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones. After the short reigns of her half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I

Candid shot of a sweet walk by Laurent photography

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Europe - Luxembourg

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My E-Biking Lid by Kevin Moore

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OM-D test star trail (m5190072) by Mel Stephens

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First attempt at a star trail using the OM-D E-M5.

Conditions were poor - shot in the middle of a major city so lots of light pollution, and from inside through double-glazing *. At least I didn't have to worry about wind and shakey tripods though. Some haze, a few small clouds, and started too early in the evening for daylight to have entirely gone.

Lens was the Panasonic Lumix 20mm F/1.7.

Stacking about 140 30 second exposures at F4.0, ISO 200. IS was left on (unlike previous Olympus models, and though Olympus recommend switching IS off when a tripod is in use, I've not seen any adverse effects through leaving it on). Noise filtering and noise reduction were both OFF. Colour balance was set for shadows.

The tiny gaps (and the larger gaps in the aircraft vapour trails) are due to my having set a 2 second mirror lock to preceed each exposure. With a sturdy tripod and remote release there should be no need for this really.

The USB remote release / interval timer I got for my E-620 doesn't work properly with the OM-D, however, setting shutter release to continuous (with or without mirror lock, but definitely with all bracketting options OFF), and using manual exposure with a shutter speed of 30 seconds, does result in repeating 30 second shots with the remote release locked down.

Stacking was done using www.startrails.de which included four frames taken with the lens cap on for dark frame subtraction. No other post-processing was done.

Overall, not a bad result, and certainly an indication that I can do better with this camera than I ever managed with my E-620.

* Because in the end I couldn't be bothered to drive down the coast to a darker place with better scenery - mostly due to the fact that I couldn't find the headphones for my mp3 player and therefore would have had to hang about twiddling my thumbs for ages with nothing to do.

My E in the tree! by Cathy

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It 's so cold and snowy here in Ohio I thought I post a photo that's bright and cheery!

1949 Chanute Athletics classic team photo by John Hall

A Very Different

KOM Flash Report

For the week of

August 16-- 22, 2015

Notes from readers:

I guess you must have thought we had gotten lost but no we are both fine my e-mails have been out of order for 2 1/2 months so I just got it straightened out and we are back in business I had 3600 in my box so I got them checked over and hope all is well again. Don’t know if we missed any deaths or illness . Molly and Dick McCoy Omaha, NE

•

It is a shame they tore down the grandstand (at Independence) as I remember dressing in it many times for football games on Friday night. What a shame and I wanted a piece of that for memories but my wife would have given me the look if I would have brought some of it home. She at times just doesn't understand the emotions that go with some of those things. As a lady from Wisconsin the Packers and Badgers are in her heart. -- Thomas Drake Ottawa, KS

•

Thanks for the great photograph of those young ballplayers. –Gale McCray--another Kansan

Well, as you can see, last week’s Flash Report drew very little attention and provoked few comments either positive or negative. In the words of the famous, Martha Stewart, “That is a good thing.” In the words of the not so famous John Hall “That’s tough.” The photo attached to that report was a casual pose of the 1949 Chanute Athletics on a road trip to Pittsburg, Kansas, which I speculated was in late June. After a week of extensive research, on what I had on file about that team photo, it would have to have been taken some time during the first two weeks of July.

This past week was spent waiting for some comments to arrive regarding the most recent report and when none did I spent considerable time documenting a few of the highlights of all the fellows on that roster. The “Classic Photo” of that team appears on Flickr at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/20383148828/

Maybe having a picture to go with a narrative description will help you get to know these guys a little better. It was my privilege to get to know seven of these fellows pretty well.

In an unbelievable story that you wouldn’t believe, unless I told, you under oath, involved a person who was dead without my knowledge of it. I called his last known

number and got a lady of a different name. I told her I was sorry for the inconvenience of the call. She asked what it was about and I remarked that it wouldn’t be of any interest to

her. She reprimanded me and told me she’d be the judge of that.

So, for the next few minutes I went through my spiel about how I was looking for former KOM leaguers. She listened, said it was fascinating and the conversation ended. A few

weeks later the lady called and asked what I planned to do with the information I was gathering from the former players. I told her that I had wanted to write a book but wasn’t

sure that there was a market or any interest in such a project. And that was the conversation.

A few weeks later the lady called again and wanted to know if she could pay my wife and I a visit. Of course, I said yes but couldn’t understand why she’d want to drive from

Uniontown, Kans. to Columbia, Missouri. We sat down at the kitchen table to visit and the lady asked for a glass of water. While getting the water I heard a thump on the table. When I looked at the table I saw a white envelope. My mother had taught me well not to grab things that belong to others. The lady looked at me and remarked “Aren’t you going to open it?” So, what I saw, upon opening it, was the most cash I had ever seen at one time in my life.

Without any further words, on my part, the lady told me that the money wasn’t for me but in memory of all the old guys who had played in the KOM league. She insisted that if

she had anything to say about it those memories would never die. Maxine is now gone but thanks to her and a belated telephone call to Dave Dennis’s old telephone number,

the book “Majoring in The Minors” was published without my having to go into bankruptcy to do it. I guess I was influenced by more ex- Chanute ballplayers, than any other group, in the initial stages of writing about the KOM league. The early KOM

newsletters bear out that statement.

1949 Chanute Athletics

Back Row L-R: Charlie Bates, Ed Morgenthaler, Jim Hansen, Al Stewart, Larry Jaros, Jake Thies, Dave Dennis, and Dave Newkirk.

Middle Row: Pete New, Jim Marks, Ray Mazzucco, Tom Imfeld and Al Fadell.

Front Row: Kent Pflasterer, Tom Tarascio, Tom Norbut, John Fehr-Batboy, Jim Imbeau and Jack Butler. By virtue of the composition of this roster this particular photo would have been taken at the start of the 1949 season. Also, the spanking white uniforms indicate they had very little use.

In the photo shared last week these guys were included: Jim Marks, Al Fadell, Ed Morgenthaler, Charles Jones, Jim Hansen, Al Stewart, Bernie Tye, Larry Jaros, Jack Butler, Kent Pflasterer, Tom Tarascio, Tom Norbut, Charles LaGrace, Al Ketchum and Vernon "Jake" Thies. Between the two photos you have 22 different guys depicted. There were 37 players on that roster at one time or another. One was the batboy and the other was the non-playing manager. Four of the fellows in the two photos all managed Chanute at one time or another. They were; Charlie Bates, Dave Dennis, Jim Hansen and Tom Imfeld.

Bates Charles William

D. 1/29/1980 Topeka, KS Stormont Vail Hosp. (Living at Alma, KS)

B. 9/17/1907 Philadelphia, PA

Citations: www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

8#safe=active&q=Charles+William+Bates+baseball

He was another of the former KOM leaguers who had a stint in the big leagues but had a longer stint in the minor leagues as a player and manager as the foregoing URL group of

citations indicate. There isn’t much I could add to that other than some anecdotal items shared with me by members of that team which I will refrain from doing. As with all

managers some players approved of the way they did their job and others didn’t.

Beck Daniel Eldon

D. 7/4/2012 Dubuque, IA

B. 9/22/1925 Dubuque, IA

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=93091090

www.thonline.com/obituaries/article_43906941-6fb8-571f-ae...

He played in the KOM league regardless of the obituary statement.

Boston Elmer A.

Lives in St. Louis, MO -

B: 5/22/1928 St. Louis, MO

June 9, 1949 sports column proves this player was on the roster. " Elmer Boston is listed as the probable Chanute pitcher first game. He has a 1-0 record. Chanute has been hampered by injuries for some time. Charlie LaGrace, infielder, has a hand injury, Tom Tarascio recently had nine stitches taken in a lip that was injured by a bad hopping ball, and Jim Marks has been out with an injured foot. "

www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=boston001elm

Butler Richard Neil

D. 2/20/2011 Murphy's, CA

B. 5/16/1924 Ringsted, IA

iagenweb.org/boards/jasper/obituaries/index.cgi?read=336559 The obituary shows he played at Miami, OK. He left Miami and joined Chanute on his way back to Iowa. The Find-A-Grave site mirrors the obituary. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=685643...

Butler Jackie Dean

Lives in Waynesville, MO

B. 12/9/1929 Bachelor, KS

He was another pitcher who made a career out of playing KOM ball with Miami, OK and Chanute, KS. He was first signed by Miami in 1948 and he lasted a month when they decided the 19-year lefty needed further seasoning and he was sent to Macksville, KS to play Ban Johnson league ball. He was back with Miami in 1949 but didn’t stay long and he went to Chanute and signed on with that independent club. His best year was 1949 when he won five of the eight contests in which he was involved. During the off-season he attended Emporia State Teachers College in Emporia, KS. In 1950 he returned to Chanute for his final season of professional baseball which coincided with that town’s last year hosting a professional team. Here is what Baseball Reference has regarding his career. www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=butler003joh

Callahan George Robert

D. 4/19/2008 Cedar, MI

B. 2/10/1931 Perry, IA

In my research there wasn’t much I could find on the short term hurler for the Chanute A’s. One of his few decisions occurred the evening of June 20, 1949 when he lost 10-0 to the Miami Owls. The Miami News-Record referred to him as Don Callahan. Before leaving the game, in the 4th inning, he had walked four and thrown a wild pitch, given up home run, had one base runner steal on him and his catcher had a passed ball. Overall it wasn’t the best night an 18-year old could experience.

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=685643...

Coulter Bernard Leroy

D. 12/15/1988 Kansas City, MO

B. 2/17/1931 Eldon, KS

www.baseball-reference.com:8080/minors/player.cgi?id=coul... That citation didn’t know if Coulter threw right or left. One of the great photos I own is that of Coulter in a jumping pose, at shortstop,, throwing a ball to first base with his right hand. That photo is shown on page 86 of The KOM League Remembered published by Arcadia in 2004 and is available wherever good books are sold. For those who are cheap or broke the photo could always be placed on the Flickr site. Coulter and my first cousin, Ernest Hall, both worked for the Federal Narcotics Bureau after Coulter's baseball career concluded. My cousin was his boss.

Dennis David C.

D. 10/1/1990 VA Hosp. Columbia, MO

B. 5/19/1922 Mapleton, KS

In 1946 this article appeared while Dennis was still with Miami. “The KOM baseball race grows hotter, and fire breaks out in catcher Dave Dennis's chest protector during a torrid argument at home plate in Riverside park.” The story was carried in the Street and Smith Baseball magazine in 1947 as one of the funnier incidents of 1946. Dennis played with and or managed Miami, Pittsburg and Chanute teams in 1946, 47 and 49. He was the uncle of the late Don Dennis who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals. www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dennido01.shtml David’s brother, Laverne, also played in the KOM league in 1946.

Dercole Anthony Paul

D. 5/16/2004 Aliquippa, PA

B. 6/9/1928 Aliquippa, PA

Tony had shots with three KOM league teams. The other two were Iola and Bartlesville in 1948. He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates but while a good fielder he didn’t hit for power or average. Here is his citation on Baseball Reference: www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=dercol001ant This is shared for that site didn’t state if he was right or left handed. The KOM league never had a left handed shortstop or second baseman. I’m sticking with my notes that he hit and threw from the right side.

Fadell Albert Raymond

D. 10/20/2011 Huntington Beach, CA

B. 7/1/1927 Los Angeles, CA

The following citation is a PDF file on Fadell when he passed away. It is a great citation along with a photo. We kept in touch over the years and he truly enjoyed talking about the 1949 Chanute A’s. file:///C:/Users/KC/Downloads/Albert-Fadell-wall.pdf There is a great story in the aforementioned URL about a clipping he saved from the newspaper that year pertaining to something that involved him and Mickey Mantle. For those of you who can’t access URL’s here is the obituary:

Albert Raymond Fadell, born on July 1, 1927 in Los Angeles, California, second youngest of seven children; spent his childhood along the side of his siblings working hard in the family market. Albert was brought into this world being blessed with the ability to be successful in everything he applied himself to. At the age of 18, Albert was drafted into the Army which was devastating to him as he was working hard chasing his dreams of playing professional baseball. Upon his return from the Army, Albert’s dreams were becoming reality and landed a position in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League (or KOM League) an American minor baseball league which was established in 1946. His athletic expertise allowed him to play any position but settled in as a pitcher for the A’s in Chanute Kansas. One of his proudest moments in his baseball career was striking out one of the most famous baseball historians “Mickey Mantle” with evidence of a detailed article in the local newspaper, thin, discolored, and torn in several places, remains with the family. Albert’s enormous love for baseball was greatly deviated by the love of his life; his “Honey” Patti, and married in Los Angeles on March 10, 1951, where they started their family, two daughters Tori and Tami. In 1954, Albert and Patti decided to move to the Orange fields of Huntington Beach, California where they raised their family and maintained a beautiful home. As always, the home was immaculate down to the front yard. The planters dirt overturned, shrubs manicured and the lawn being mowed in two directions creating a checkerboard appearance. Only one sprinkler placed, directly in the center of the lawn, set deep down creating enough room for a “golf ball” to be sunk. No one dared to step on Albert’s lawn, the lustrous appearance mimic the nicest putting green on any golf course. We laugh on how he was with his lawn, but this is where he practiced his putting continuously; making him known for one of the best putters in the game of golf. Being athletically gifted, Albert was the best of any sport he played, baseball, golf (accompanied by nine “Hole-in-Ones”), bowling (maintaining an average over 200 at all times down to throwing horse shoes. His love of sports was solidified by the enormous amount of hours he would spend watching his college football team USC, favorite baseball team The Angels, and golf. Albert could be heard throughout the house, if not through the neighborhood, if a call was made he did not agree with, the family would laugh and say, “gee the neighbors are going to think dad is yelling at mom”. Albert loved music and was an impeccable dancer. When entering a dance floor with Patti, people would stop and watch creating Albert to really perform. He loved to Karaoke, acting shy (if you can imagine) when ask to get up and sing, but once the microphone in hand, he turned into Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra singing his favorites “Mack the Knife” or “I left my heart in San Francisco” but a loving memory will be him singing to Patti the famous Beatle song “Something in the way she moves” The “Harbor”, not enough time in the day to express his love Albert had for the Harbor. He loved the job, the people, the reputation he had, the hard work he was known for, being a proud union member, and the relationships he built. Known as “Big Al”; he spent 60 years on the water front always dedicated to his partners, the company, and the job while creating a lifetime of stories and friendships that he held close to his heart. A book could be written of all that Albert accomplished and succeeded at but if ask words to describe him, Generosity (always giving), Religious, Loyal, Strong, Mentor, Protector, Athletic, Hard Working and Caring are just a few but most of all, he was “Proud” of the family he had. He held many titles, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Brother, Uncle, Godfather and Friend but he was most Proud of having the title of Papa, he loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren as much as one could love and was a major influence in their life. Albert demonstrated his strength throughout his battle of cancer for seven years. However, on October 29th 2011 he lost the battle and passed away at his home in Huntington Beach, California, with the most important thing in his life, his family by his side. He will be forever missed and loved for eternity. He is survived by his “Honey” Patti, Daughters and Sons-in-laws: Tori & Paul Daw, Tami & Don Carnes Grandchildren and spouses: Jason & Cheri Thomas, Josh & Nicole Carnes, Chad Carnes, and Danielle Carnes. Great Grandchildren: Chase Thomas, Jake Thomas, Riley Carnes, and Merric Carnes. Cemetery Good Shepherd Catholic Cemetery 8301 Talbert Ave Huntington Beach, CA, 92646 Events NOV 11 Memorial Service 10:00AM

Fehr (Batboy) John Joseph

D. 11/10/1981 Iola, KS

B. 2/11/1936 Chanute, KS

The batboy died far too young: www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28031191

Hansen James E.

D. 4/30/2003 Omaha, NE

B. 7/24/1925 Omaha, NE

If I had to name five people, located in the past 20 years, who enjoyed getting back together with his KOM teammates and foes, Hansen would have been right at or near the top. We spent countless hours conversing on the telephone before cheap cell phone rates came on the scene. Hansen was probably one of the two top defensive catchers in league history and tough as nails. During WW II he played college football at both Nebraska and Iowa and led Iowa over Nebraska with the game’s only touchdown, circa 1944. His fellow Omaha friends never forgave him. Here is his career cited on Baseball Reference: www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=hansen003jam

Hosaflook Jerry Glenn

D. 2/2/2003 South Bend, IN.

B. 9/8/1927 Alton, WVA

He didn’t get much of a chance to play for Chanute. The few games he played were at third base and then he was gone. I did speak with him shortly before his death. He didn’t think he deserved much mention in any book but I told him he made it into my first one, Majoring in The Minors. komleaguebaseball.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html He played for Galaxy-Radford, VA in the Blue Ridge league in 1950

Imbeau James Ray

Lives in Kansas City

B. 10/23/1927 Ola, AR

By the time he got to Chanute his professional baseball days were over. He had started in the Ohio State league when he was 16. Baseball Reference shows his career as: www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=imbeau001jam He was in military service in 1946 and 1947 and then tried to make it with Scranton, PA of the Eastern league in 1949. That didn’t work and he showed up in Chanute and in a May 15th game he was one of the Chanute pitchers routed 13-2 by Bartlesville. He took the loss, giving up seven runs in five innings and was released. Then, on August 10, this report appeared in the Iola Register. “The Chanute A's have signed two new players, Dave Novak 19 a catcher from Pueblo, and Jim Imbeau, 21, pitcher from Kansas City. Imbeau was tried at Chanute earlier and the A's decided to look him over again after hearing he pitched two semi-pro no-hitters.” In 1950 he pitched semi-pro baseball with the Warner Drug team in Kansas City where he had tossed the two no-hitter’s in 1949.

Imfeld Thomas Joseph

D. 11/06/2012 Morristown, TN

B. 6/12/1923 Covington, KY

He started his study for the priesthood in St. Paul, MN in 1954 and he carried on as a priest until his retirement. During the 1950’s he was one of the top slow-pitch softball pitchers in that nation, playing for teams in his native Covington, KY. He had parts of three seasons in the KOM league starting with Independence in 1947 and then with Chanute in 1949 and 1950. I’ve shared many stories about Father Tom, over the years, and to my knowledge they were all true. When attending KOM league reunions he was the designated “Official Pray-er.” Here is his obituary: www.vankirkgrisellfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/2447/Fa...

Jaros Lawrence Thomas

Lives in Granite City, IL

B. 8/7/1928 Glen Carbon, IL

This fellow was a good pitcher when he had some semblance of a team around him. In 1949 he had the Chanute A’s as teammates. In 1950 he started out with Chanute and was getting no support and he was sent to Iola. The 1950 Iola and Chanute ball clubs were two of the worst teams in KOM history. They struggled mightily to win 30 games. They both won 35 but Iola wound up ahead of Chanute for Chanute played five more games than Iola and lost every one of them.. So to see how Jaros went from very good in 1949 to the “pits” in 1950, check this out: www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=jaros-001law

Jones Charles E.

Lives in Iowa, I think

B. 4/8/1933 Webb City, MO

He was signed June 22, 1949.

There isn’t much for me to share regarding this gentleman. I found a member of his family a number of years ago and was told he was residing in Iowa but the person was vague on details and I didn’t push it.

Ketchum Alfred Fred

D. 6/9/1994 Kenner, LA

B. 12/30/1929 New Orleans, LA

On the Internet baseball sites and in the Baseball Guide he isn’t credited with playing for Chanute. The only mention of him is with Hopkinsville, KY in the Kitty league in 1948.

To verify he played in the KOM league here is a blurb from the lola Register. “Al Ketchum started for Chanute last night (July 15), against Ponca City but left in the third after receiving a spike wound.” Here is proof Ketchum won a KOM league game. This account was carried in the July 10 edition of the Miami, Okla. News Record. “Although righthander Larry Jaros started on the mound for the Athletics, Al Ketchum came in with the bases loaded in the third and pitched the rest of the way without allowing a run to gain credit for the win. Although Ketchum gave up only one hit in his five inning pitching stint, the young righthander was exceptionally wild. He walked eight Miami batters.” Ketchum served in the U. S. Army from 4/26/51 to 4/11/53. The rest of his life is sketchy but after his return from Korea he worked as a party chef in New Orleans.

LaGrace Jr. Charles Joseph

D. 9/29/1990 San Diego, CA

B. 2/21/1930 Richmond, NY

He played second base and the outfield in his time at Chanute which was about a third of the season. He graduated from Freemont High School in Los Angeles, CA. in 1948 and his graduation photo mirrors what he looked like in the 1949 Chanute team picture. If you have access to Ancestry.com you can pull up this site and see him in his cap and gown. Click anywhere on this jumble of stuff and it will appear before your very eyes.

interactive.ancestry.com/1265/43134_b191311-00019?pid=349...

The foregoing is all that I could piece together on the life of LaGrace.

Marcil Jr. Leo Eugene

D. 10/1/1999 Simsbury, CT

B. 1/26/1929 Simsbury, CT

During his stint with Chanute he was a pitcher. When he reported to Chanute he was said to have come from Hartford, CT. He had tried his hand at pitching in 1948 in the Provincial and Florida State leagues. In the spring of 1949 he was one of the players who “answered the ad” in the Sporting News for baseball players in Chanute. In an April 27 column it listed he was one of about a dozen pitchers vying for a spot on that team and he was by inference a right hander. This statement in all the KOM newspapers at the time read “Pitchers working out are; Leo Marcil, Don Reed, Frankie Urban, Elmer Boston, Jim Imbeau, Pete New, Paul Rothermel, Leslie Lamb, Wayne Brickell and Larry Jaros. New and Brickell are southpaws.“ Marcil made the cut and pitched sparingly for Chanute until at least June 9 when he went in to relieve Pete New. He served his country during the Korean War as a member of the United States Air Force. For many years he was a supervisor for Western Union.

For Flickr readers the report is continued at this site:

www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/19611661884/

Projections # 2 by Jeanne MADIC

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Model: Rebecca Cairns

* The complete series here: jeannemadic.tumblr.com/post/86733872374/photos-jeanne-mad...

** You can buy a print of this photo on my e-store: store.vanishingtwins.co.uk/34-projections-2.html

KOM Flash Report for Week of 1/14/2018 -----------1947 Ponca City Dodgers late season photo. by John Hall

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The KOM League

Flash Report

For

Week of 1/14/2018

Check this link for the latest edition of the KOM League Flash Report. It is a real dandy. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27873950609/

Had it not been for some loose ends left from last week’s report there wouldn’t have been one for this week. The loss suffered by the readership would have been incalculable. Ha! Ha! A seldom used word was shared with someone on my e-mail list this past week and I liked it so much that I’m going to use it in this report. My question is: “Are these reports a source of inspiration of suspiration?” I await the reply of the half dozen or so readers that anxiously await these missives around the world and even some in the U. S of A. I suspect someone may claim these reports are sisyphean and that is probably true. To save time check this link for the definition. www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Sisyphean

While awaiting the comments solicited in the first paragraph here are the items, for this week, left over from recent reports. The first item is a collaboration between Gary Bedingfield of Glasgow, Scotland and Yours truly of Columbia, MO-- not Columbia the Gem of the Ocean.

Jack Blaylock

Date and Place of Birth: February 11, 1925 Oak Ridge, North Carolina

Died: April 14, 2016 Kernersville, North Carolina

Baseball Experience: Minor League

Position: Catcher

Rank: Aviation Radioman, Third Class (ARM3c)

Military Unit: US Navy

Area Served: United States

John W. "Jack" Blaylock, the son of Thomas and Goldie Blaylock, was born February 11, 1925, in Oak Ridge, North Carolina. He was an outstanding catcher at Oak Ridge Academy and in American Legion baseball. In 1943, and just out of high school, Blaylock had the attention of the New York Giants and even traveled with the team on their final western trip to Chicago and St. Louis, at the end of the season. But military service intervened before the 18-year-old could pull on a professional baseball uniform.

Blaylock was inducted in the Navy on November 16, 1943. He took 20 weeks training at Naval Air Technical Training Command Memphis, Tennessee, and a further five weeks at Naval Air Gunners School Purcell, Oklahoma, before moving on to Naval Training Station Bainbridge, Maryland. Aviation Radioman, Third Class Blaylock trained to be a radio operator/gunner in the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, a carrier-based dive bomber. He was at Naval Air Station Miami, Florida, and Naval Air Station Wildwood, New Jersey.

While at NAS Wildwood, Blaylock's plane was involved in a crash landing that he was lucky to survive, but left him with both his shoulders and four ribs broken, and a large gash in his lip. These injuries were to have a major impact on his baseball career.

Blaylock was honorably discharged from the Navy on April 29, 1946. He decided to give baseball a try and joined the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization, reporting to the Newport News Dodgers of the Class B Piedmont League. In June 1946, he was assigned to the Johnstown Johnnies of the Class C Middle Atlantic League, playing 49 games and batting .154. He joined the Ponca City Dodgers of the Class D K-O-M League in July 1947, and batted .208 in 17 games. His playing career seemed to be going nowhere, but Branch Rickey befriended the young military veteran and gave him a job as the Dodgers bullpen catcher for 1948. He even got a $224.68 share of the Dodgers third-place finish that year. He handled a pitching staff that included Carl Erskine, Rex Barney and Ralph Branca, and was part of a team that included Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese. “That was a great bunch of guys," Blaylock recalled. "They treated me like I was a .300 hitter instead of the bullpen catcher.”

However, Blaylock knew he'd never be able to play at that level. “I couldn’t hit the inside curve like I used to," he said. "Some days I could hardly throw the ball. Other days I could do pretty well.

“I realized I needed to get back home and get an education, and start a new career. I enrolled in the University of North Carolina.”

Blaylock was to give baseball one more try in the 1950s. He played for the Elkin Blanketeers of the Class D Blue Ridge League in 1950, batting .239 in 104 games, and signed with the Statesville Owls of Class D North Carolina State League for 1951, but, instead, was hired by Kernersville High School as head coach of athletics. Under his leadership, the school's athletic program began to thrive, and Coach Blaylock led the school baseball team to two state championships in 1957 and 1958 - the first back-to-back winners in North Carolina.

“The thing about coach Blaylock," recalled one of his students, "was that he put everyone on the same level. Nobody was better than anyone else in his eyes. That meant a lot to me because some of us were not as good (at athletics) as others.”

Jack Blaylock passed away peacefully on April 14, 2016, at his home in Kernersville, North Carolina. He was 91 years old and is buried at Eastlawn Gardens of Memory in Kernersville.

A portrait of Blaylock hangs on the wall of fame in a meeting room at the Olympic Family Restaurant in Kernersville.

1947 Ponca City Dodgers autographs and addresses:

www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/39652221041/

www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27873953919/ The name of Chuck Goodman was the younger brother of Aletha Bartley.

Team photo: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27873950609/ old photos do fade but the memories survive.

Individuals in the photo: Ponca City Dodgers --Late Season Photo

Front Row: Dale Hendricks, Clark Taylor, Mel Waters, Jack Blaylock, Keith Baker, Howie Fisher, Art Billings and Bill Boudreau.

Back Row: Carroll "Biff" Jones, Gale Wade, Don Hall, Phil Adams, Herb McCoy, Tony Brzezowski, Boyd Bartley, Ronald Wiblemo, George Fisher and Bill Hodges.

An earlier team photo of that same team included the images of four fellows who had been or would wind up in the major leagues in some capacity. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/38943691814/

Seated: Larry Goff Batboy.

Front Row: Ted Parkinson (President), Phil Adams, Roland Wiblemo, Art Billings, Boyd Bartley (Manager), Howie Fisher, Jack Blaylock, Keith Baker, Owen Martinez (Business Manager).

Second Row: Gale Wade, George Fisher, Tony Brzezowski, Herb McCoy, Mel Waters, Biff Jones, Bill Hodges, Bill Boudreau, Dale Hendricks and Jim Baxes.

Notice: All the photos I attach to the Flash Reports are copyrighted and their use is only permissible upon written permission by the guy putting them there, or waived if you happen to be an immediate family member of any person in a photo.

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Where they were from

Last week a listing of the 1950 Independence Yankees and where they died or were still living was shared. Thomas Earp of Kansas City commented that he found that where those guys were from was interesting. Since I didn’t list where they were from, only where they died or currently reside, I decided on this feature in order to fill some space.

In descending order: (1) Name (2) Place of death or current residence (3) Place of birth

Armstrong Edward Eugene "Mike"

Richmond, VA

Grand Ledge, MI

Bartlett Charles Richard

National City, CA

San Diego, CA

Beaird Richard Arlen

1/16/2003 Valley, AL

Fairfax, AL

Beardslee Kenneth Allen

3/5/2007 Milford, IN

Vermontville, MI

Bischoff Jr. Emil Leon

Springfield, MO

Burtner Raymond Paul

1/11/2012 Edgewater, FL

Claremore, OK

Campbell Vernon Richard

3/4/2013 Tucson, AZ

Stafford, AZ

Chambers William Nelson

11/1/1978 Manchester, IA

Council Bluffs, IA

Curtis Jr Robert Wesley

Port Arthur, TX

Jasper, TX

Davis Herbert Hoover

Overland Park, KS

Rogersville, MO

Deatherage Abner Edward

Overland Park, KS

Joplin, MO

Drake William Vernon

11/25/2015 Raytown, MO

Joplin, MO

Evans Glenn Wayman

8/25/2004 Round Rock, TX

Little Rock, AR

Foell George Edward

2/07/2017 Republic, MO

Chattahoochee, GA

GablerJohn Richard

2/07/2009 Overland Park, KS

Kansas City, MO

Hecht John Louis

1/8/1994 Florissant, MO

St. Louis, MO

Heiserer Jr. Herbert Henry

6/16/2016 Atlanta, GA

St. Genevieve, MO

Holloway Samuel Neil

8/22/2006 Crab Orchard, TN

Crab Orchard, TN

Keeling Paul Thomas

Paducah. KY

Paducah, KY

Kerr Warren Richmond "Popeye"

3/6/2010 Floyds Knobs, IN

Brookport, IL

Kleasner Kenneth Fleet

11/7/2007 Missouri City, TX

Franklin, MO

Knoke Robert Albert

9/19/2012 St. Charles, MO

Raddle, IL

Lemons Carol Gordon "Bud"

Las Cruces, NM

Pocatello, ID—Moved to Cape Girardeau, MO at age 3

Long Alvin Newton

11/20/2000 St. Lukes Hosp. Kansas City, MO

Springfield, MO

MallonRobertEugene

Highlands Ranch, CO

St. Louis, MO

Michels Louis Harry

9/11/2011 Independence, KS

Springfield, MO

Mick Malcolm A. "Bunny"

9/14/2005 Odessa, FL

Odessa, FL

Moser William Andrew

1/8/1997 Treasure Island, FL

Chicago, IL

Newbill Bobby Gene

5/11/2011 Windsor, MO

Bowen, MO

Paul Francis George

Austin, MN (Probably)

Austin, MN

Popovich Charles Filmore

11/30/1996 Litchfield, IL

Mt. Olive, IL

Price Lloyd E. "Red"

Lincoln, CA

Chicago, IL

Qualls James LaVern

Sparta, IL

Jacob, IL

Ramsey Robert Lamonte

Springhill, TN

Chattanooga, TTN

Russell Richard Edward

10/17/1999 Concord, NH

Concord, NH

Salmonson Donald Ralph

4/19/2013 Moline, IL

East Moline, IL

Sanders Malone Battle "Bones"

1/27/1961 Texas City, TX

Purdon, TX

Santoro Michael John

1/28/2017 Las Vegas, NV

Chicago, IL

Schaeffler Thomas Charles

8/10/2001 Fenton, MO

St. Louis, MO

Self Thomas Dawson

2/25/2009 Escondido, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Sparks (Dr.) Ermon Barrett

6/8/2002 Jonesboro, AR

Hazen Prairie, AR

Speck Keith Virgil

Loveland, CO

Dodge, IA

Taussig Donald Franklin

Mamaroneck, NY (May have retired to FL)

New York, NY

Troy James D.

New York, NY

VirdonWilliam Charles

Springfield, MO

Hazel Park, MI

Walz John Alvin

3/22/2005 Troy, MO

Quincy, IL

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Others making holiday contact

Upon mentioning those who made contact over the holiday season I knew I’ve leave someone out. Now is the time to make amends.

•

Jackie Swensson the widow of Conrad of the same last name sent a note recalling a visit she and her husband made to the KOM League Hall of Fame nearly two decades ago. Connie was one of the best pitchers in KOM league history and he sat for a long time in front of my computer looking at the information about the old league. After that he browsed the memorabilia that was on display in my basement and then made an utterance I haven’t forgotten. He said something to the effect that he and a lot of his Ponca City buddies thought I was contacting former ballplayers in order to get information for which to write books and subsequently get rich. He concluded with a memorable statement, “You aren’t going to get rich on what you are doing.”

Connie was wrong. I have gotten rich by associating with many great former KOMers and their families over the past quarter century. While at our house Jackie was admiring some of my wife’s hand painted Christmas gourds. I must say they were works of art and my wife gifted one to Jackie and she reported that she has displayed it every year since, at the Yuletide season.

•

From the state of California came a comment from Judith Raftery. Her comment dealt with the photo of the 1950 Independence Yankees. She wrote “Happy New Year from northern California where the sun shines. Your bird photos are wonderful. Most of those birds don’t cross the Rockies and it’s a treat to see them. I don’t think that Lew Saum played for that team.

Thanks, Judy Raftery Saum

Ed comment:

It is true that Lewis O. Saum was not a member of the 1950 Independence Yankees. Most baseball researchers would claim he never saw the light, or darkness, of a KOM league ballpark, but he did. For two weeks he sat on the bench of the 1951 Iola Indians. Then, the New York Yankees wanted to send two players to Iola and manager Forrest “Lefty” Crawford was forced to cut two players from the active roster. Off to other places went Bob Heilman who had seen action in just two games and the subject of this article, Mr. Saum.

But, leaving the KOM league was no problem for Saum. He resumed his education at such places as the University of Missouri before heading west and becoming a prolific writer of stories on Native Americans. Dr. Saum wrote many books and had a career in higher education where he eventually met Judith Raftery. If you don’t recall a rather long article that was featured in this publication a couple of years ago, about Dr. Saum, spend some time reading about him on the Internet. www.google.com/search?q=Lewis+O.+Saum&oq=Lewis+O.+Sau... As a youngster I attended eight years of schooling at Eugene Field School in Carthage, MO. I never knew much about Field until reading the works of Lewis Saum. Two other grade schools in Carthage were named after Mark Twain and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

•

To show just how small the world is another connection to that 1951 Iola Indians team was experienced, yesterday. After going through the checkout line at a local super market I heard someone call my name. That is pretty remarkable for a couple of reasons since I don’t know many people and my hearing isn’t what it used to be. I looked around and spotted a lady by the name of Martha Klemme. She is the widow of Stan, of the same last name. Stan had two first cousins who played professional baseball. Dale Ward played for Carthage, in 1951, for a while and Dale’s brother, Preston, was the former big leaguer with a number of teams. Now, they are all gone just about like this report will be in a couple of paragraphs.

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Looking back

Once in a while I have reason to look back at the KOM League Remembered Newsletters. Since some of them are now nearly a quarter of a century old, there are things I wrote that I have now forgotten. As I peruse them it comes to me that replaying those stories would be more interesting than what I currently share.

So, for the fun of it, I want to share three names and challenge the readership to do their own research and come up with the connection. Who can be first to tell me the connection among former big leaguer, Walt Judnich, former Pittburg, KS Brown, Joe Katnich and health and fitness guru, Denise Austin? I have mentioned all of these in past writings so I know I’m not making this up in the twilight of my rather mediocre career.

That is it for now and if a couple of people get in touch saying they received the report, and read it, it might inspire me to try another one—someday.

Brandywine Whirlpool by James Salvas

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I have been experimenting with daytime Live Composite photos using my E-M1. Initial exposure = 1 second. Total exposure = 30 seconds. This was at the Hadley Museum, in Wilmington, DE.

More CD Droplets by Christian Riise Wagner

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More playing around with my E-TTL cable and 580EX II. Looks best if you pres "L"

Cliché by Johann Pourcelot

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Please come and visit my e-shop on ETSY:

Fine Art 4 Wall

View on Black or Press 'L' and navigate with narrows (faster!)

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My facebook page :

Johann Pourcelot - Photographie

Focus Stacked Mushroom by Graham Moore

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Here's another in-camera focus stacked closeup, courtesy of my E-M1 and 12-40. I need to start taking my tripod along to get better images, but think this is pretty good for hand held.

Vancouver gets lots of rain, so mushrooms are usually plentiful.

The Chapter House, Westminster Abbey, City of Westminster by Jelltex