Caryn’s Thoughts
When a ship sinks, the first person to bring up an object from a wreck can claim legal ownership of the wreck under international maritime law. That gives that person the control of the wreck and control over salvage rights. Robert Ballard, one of the men who discovered the Titanic in 1985, had mixed feelings about disturbing the graves of those victims who are still there…a very noble man, if you ask me. Ballard’s partner, Jean-Lous Michel, agreed. They made the decision not to disturb the wreck, but rather to leave it in the pristine (for a wreck) condition that it was in. They didn’t bring up anything from the wreck.
Unfortunately, their act of decency and kindness, left a legal door open, and that has been the greatest source of regret for the two men. Because they chose to bring nothing up from the wreck, they could not claim legal ownership of Titanic. Unfortunately, that left the ship vulnerable, because anyone and everyone now had a legal right for salvage the contents, and even parts of the ship…and they did. The artifacts and ship parts were free for the taking…and they were big business, especially after the movies came out, and interest grew. Soon, Titanic Ventures went in to claim salvage rights, and began bringing up artifacts to sell for exhibits and souvenirs. Since then, they have made a fortune on exhibits all over the world.
Following the find, and subsequent decision not to remove an artifact, anyone with the ability to explore the ocean floor that deep, went in and raided the ship. I’m sure that many of us have seen the Titanic exhibits, me included, and even purchased one of the artifacts, me included, but in my defense, I did not know the thoughts and wishes of Ballard and Michel, or the thoughts and feelings of the families of the deceased, at that time. I looked at the exhibit as a learning tool. I love learning, and I love history, and in fact, one of my own ancestors died on the Titanic, which I suppose gave me as much right to see the exhibit as anyone, but I’m still not sure it is right to make money off of the horrific way others lost their lives.
I remember as I went through the exhibit, walking through the recreation of the steerage rooms, with the eerie sounds of the water on the outside, thinking of the people who had been trapped there on that fateful night. I remember looking at the piece of the hull, thinking that I was standing almost close enough to reach out and touch part of a ship that had been so far under the ocean. I have seen both versions of the Titanic movies, but while looking at the exhibit, it was the original movie that came to my mind. Titanic wasn’t really a love story. 
It was a loss story. It was a story of bravery, courage, and yes, love…the kind of love that made a wife refuse to leave her husband and parents to comfort their children, when all hope of survival was lost…holding in the tears of knowing that their children would never get to live their life to adulthood. When I think about all the lives that were lost on that fateful day, I can see how Ballard and Michel would want to leave the Titanic as it was, thereby preserving the graves of all those poor souls. While their idea was noble, it is sad that they didn’t bring at least one thing us so that their ownership and control could remain the gift they had planned to give the families.
The many atrocities of the Nazi soldiers are well known, but somehow, every time I read about another one, I am very shocked again. I suppose that the prisoners of war were treated better than the Jews or the political prisoners, but I don’t think it was enough better to really take notice of. The Third Reich was an equal opportunity murder machine. Somehow they felt certain that they could get away with anything they wanted to do.
During the Battle of the Bulge, which was a major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It took place from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945. The battle was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, towards the end of the war in Europe. The war was winding down, and the Germans knew they were losing. It was during this time that they began trying to get rid of the evidence.
The Malmedy massacre was the result of their attempt to hide what they were doing. I was a war crime committed by members of Kampfgruppe Peiper, which is a part of the SS Division Leibstandarte, a German Waffen-SS unit led by Joachim Peiper, at Baugnez crossroads near Malmedy, Belgium, on December 17, 1944. 
In all, 84 American prisoners of war were massacred by their German captors. The Germans assembled the prisoners in a field and mowed them down with machine guns. Afterward, they walked through the field and any of the prisoners who were still alive were killed by close-range shots to the head.
The term Malmedy massacre has also been generally associated with the series of massacres committed by the same unit on the same day and following days. These men were intent on getting rid of the evidence of their crimes. With these men living, they could tell the world how they had been treated. They felt that the if the men were dead, then Germany could get out of the war crimes. Nevertheless, they killed these men in vain, because the killings were the subject of the Malmedy massacre trial, which was part of the Dachau Trials of 1946.
I am always amazed when a structure stands so long that no one can remember how it came to be. At the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains, there is a small range called the Cohutta Mountains. One mountain in that range is called Fort Mountain. It gets its name from the remnants of a stone formation located on the peak. It has been determined that the structure is ancient, and some sources have indicated that it was possibly built around 400-500 AD, while other sources will not commit to any age. I suppose that the very age of the structure would give good reason as to why it’s origins are unknown.
The zigzagging structure is about 885 feet long, and up to 12 feet thick. It stands up to 7 feet high, but many of the sections are only two to three feet high. The wall, which is scattered with 29 pits, cairns, small cylinders, stone rings, and ruins of a gateway, has stood in its place against all odds. It has stood the test of time, weather, gravity, and even people to continue to stand in its place, high on a mountain peak today.
There are several theories as to who might have built this wall. Some people who found the wall very early on called the structure a fort. They speculated that Hernando de Soto might have built it to defend against the Creek Indians around 1540. This theory was disproven when as early as 1917, when a historian pointed out that de Soto was in the area for less than two weeks. That wouldn’t have been enough time to build a structure that was going to stand the test of time.
There are two other legends floating around that said that the wall was built either by the “Moon-eyed” people according to Cherokee lore or is contributed to a Welsh prince who was said to have made his way to America in 1170. According to Cherokee legend, the “Moon-eyed” people lived in the lower Appalachia region before the 
Cherokee came to the area during the late 1700s. The people were said to be called “moon-eyed” because they saw poorly during the day and could see very well at night. It is said that they were small in stature, possibly midgets or dwarfs. The men wore beards, and the people were light-eyed, with very pale white skin. One early historian suggested that they might have been albinos…possibly the ancestors of the Kuna people of Panama, who have a high incidence of albinism.
It is said that the Cherokee Indians drove them out of the region. Some say that these people built the ancient structures in the area. They thought the structure might have been a temple. The “moon-eyed” people were first mentioned in a 1797 book by Benjamin Smith Barton. Later documentation tells of similar accounts, such as an 1823 book, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, which tells of a band of white people who were killed or driven out of Kentucky and West Tennessee. Apparently these people, especially if they were albino, scared the Cherokee. I suppose they might have thought they were evil spirits.
So…who were these “moon-eyed” people? Some say they might be of Welsh descent. There is a story that insists that a prince named Madoc (or Madog) ab Owain Gwynedd, fled his homeland after the death of his father, which had created a Civil War among his seven sons. The sons were supposed to fight to determine who would rule their father’s lands. Now, that is something I can’t imagine. Apparently Madoc did not want to fight, so he set sail with his brother Rhirid and a few followers in 1170 and was said to have landed somewhere around Mobile Bay, Alabama. Later, Madoc returned to his native country and recruited more followers who returned on ten ships to settle in America. After sailing the second time, they were never heard from in Wales again. There are other walls thought to be built by these colonists. A wall near DeSoto Falls, Alabama is nearly identical to the setting, layout, and method of construction of Dolwyddelan Castle in Wales…the birthplace of Madoc. Minor fortifications in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area are also attributed to these Welsh people.
The true answer still lies buried in the past and may never be known. Current legends tell that the sounds of distant drums, flickering lights, and the images of men wearing bearskins have been encountered along the collapsed wall. I find that hard to believe, but I can understand how people can imagine many things. I am just not someone who believes in ghosts. Today, the mysterious peak is part of the Fort Mountain State Park. It’s known for more than the mysterious wall. It is also known for its unique scenery, a mixture of both hardwood and pine forests, as well as, several blueberry thickets. The park contains a beautiful 17 acre mountain lake.
During World War II, transferring intel from the spies in France…the resistance, was difficult. To fly a plane through the anti-aircraft fire was dangerous, and often not successful. To send a spy on foot was not only something that would take far too long, not to mention the possibility of being caught. The intelligence community had to come up with a way to get the information to the generals and to the president quickly…and it had to be a way to succeed without massive loss of life.
After much discussion, they happened on the idea of using homing pigeons to take messages back and forth between the spies, the resistance, and even the citizens of France. The idea was to drop the pigeons in a cage that was parachuted into the country. Once the pigeons were on the ground, the people were to write notes on small pieces of paper, place it in the canister attached to the pigeon’s leg, and release the bird to fly home. These pigeons were a huge help to the war effort, and were used in at least two wars.
Years later, a couple stumbled onto a capsule containing a cryptic note dated to either 1910 or 1916. Jade Halaoui was hiking in the fields near Alsace, France this September 2020. Ahead of him, he noticed something shiny. Upon further inspection, he found a small capsule partially buried in the ground and opened it. Inside was a note, written in German in cursive script by a Prussian military officer. Most likely the canister has been attached to a carrier pigeon, but never reached its destination. Halaoui and his partner, Juliette, took the artifact to the Linge Memorial Museum in Orbey.
A curator took a look at the canister and it’s note. He sat down at a table and delicately lifted the frail-looking slip of paper with tweezers. The note was very old, thin, and worn. It was written in spidery German cursive script. It was determined that the message was likely sent by a Prussian infantry officer via carrier pigeon around the onset of World War I. Dominique Jardy, curator at the Linge museum, told one reporter that the note was written in looping handwriting that is difficult to decipher, however, while the date clearly reads July 16…the year could be interpreted as 1910 or 1916. World War I took place between 1914 and 1918. With that in mind, it was concluded that the note was likely written 1916.
Jardy enlisted a German friend to help him translate the note. The note read in part: “Platoon Potthof receives fire as they reach the western border of the parade ground, platoon Potthof takes up fire and retreats after a while. In Fechtwald half a platoon was disabled. Platoon Potthof retreats with heavy losses.” The message, which was addressed to a senior officer. It appears that the infantryman was based in Ingersheim. The note refers to a military training ground, which lead Jardy to think that the note likely refers to a practice maneuver, not actual warfare. If this was the case, and the note was written in 1910, it could refer to a preparation for war. If it was written in 1916, this could have been training in anticipation of a long time of war.
Jardy mentioned that military officials typically sent multiple pigeons with the same message to ensure that crucial information reached its destination. One can only hope that is true, because if this was vital information, 
and it did not get through, finding it now is unfortunately more than a century too late. Halaoui discovered the long-lost message just a few hundred yards from its site of origin, so Jardy suspects that this capsule slipped off the homing pigeon’s leg early in its journey. I hope that is true, because some of these pigeons were shot down. Others were caught by the hungry citizens and used for food, but some made it home and they were heroes of war too, because they brought important intel to the Allies.
My great grand niece, Reece Balcerzak made her debut into the world on December 14, 2017, about 10 weeks early. She was a tiny little girl of just 3 pounds 11 ounces, and 17¾ inches long. Since that time, Reece has been a whirlwind of activity, smiles, and most of all a zest for life. She is a little bit sassy and a little bit sweet…the perfect combination. Her moods show up all over her face, and you can tell what she is thinking by the looks she gives you. I suppose that is true for most of us, but Reece has such an expressive face, that her moods are plainly seen.
At this point, Reece is her parents’ only child, but she did get a new cousin this year. Little Max Herr came to visit her earlier and their meeting was just precious. Reece was totally taken by her little cousin, and enjoyed holding him and giving him kisses. I’m sure that when they are older, they will have a great time playing together. Cousins really are your first friends, and often, some of the best friends you’ll ever have. Plus, who can resist holding a little baby. It doesn’t mater how young you are or how old you are…babies are meant to be cuddled. It’s impossible to resist hugging those precious babies.
Reece is ever changing, and before we know it, she will be heading off to school, graduation, marriage, and babies of her own. Ok, I know that is down the road a ways, but time flies by so quickly that it will seem like it is tomorrow. Reece is so curious. Her mommy says that she can “do more during one unsupervised minute, than most adults do all day.” Hahahaha!! That is a dangerous situation for the mommy. It’s not necessarily that it’s dangerous for Reece, just that most parents have no idea how a child can get into so many things so quickly. Still, even when you find that they have made yet another mess in the two minutes when your back 
was turned, you know you’ve been had by that sweet little child of yours, and that adorable, smiling face. And the thing is…they know it too. They know that all they have to do is smile sweetly, and their parents will cave…at least when they are little. I have a feeling that Reece’s parents Keifer and Katie Balcerzak, have a lot of trouble being upset with her. All she has to do is smile, and look at them with those expressive eyes, and they simply melt. It is the greatest talent Reece has…to change people’s mood with her own. Today is Reece’s 3rd birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When we pass from this life to Heaven, we all hope that we, in some small way, have made a difference…even a small one. For many of us, that is really a pipe dream. We live our lives, maybe making a difference in the lives of our children and family, but we live our lives in relative anonymity where the rest of the world is concerned. Even most of the pastors I have known, only influenced their church members, and really no one else. In the case of my pastor, Dan Carlin, that is simply not the case; and his passing on December 9, 2020, has affected people all over the world. Pastor Dan was given a vision to take our service to television, and it has been on KTWO television on Sunday mornings at 9:30 all over Wyoming since that time, over a decade now. It is also livestreamed on Facebook. Many people have grown and been blessed because of his vision.
Pastor Dan has been my pastor since 1983. During those years, my faith and the faith of my entire family truly exploded. The growth was truly astounding. Before moving from the church we had been attending, we knew that we were saved, but that was as far as we were taught that God took things. Beyond that, we had been taught that we were basically on our own, and the things that happened to us and our family members were just God’s way of “teaching us something.” We knew that couldn’t be all there was, because we knew that the love of God, the mercy of God, and the grace of God go much further than that. Yes, we heard other evangelists over the years, but the person who was the main source of our teaching about the true nature of God was Pastor Dad and his wife, Pastor Fran…and we are forever grateful for their tutelage. Pastor Dan has truly been my spiritual Dad and Pastor Fran, my spiritual Mom. There can be no greater blessing. That is what makes saying goodbye to him so very hard, but today we had to do just that.
For every person, there is a time to die, and for someone who is saved, that is a time of rejoicing. Pastor Dan was excited to go. Sure, he hated to leave his family and his church family, and he made sure that he told each of us “goodbye” before he left us. His family told him that the decision was his, and that if he went home to Heaven they would be happy for him, even though they would be sad for themselves. Heaven is a far better place…one 
without sickness, sadness, pain, or evil in any form. Who could ask for anything more than that. It is a place where you can meet Jesus…our Lord and Saviour. It is a place where you can finally see the face of God. It is a place of joy unspeakable, where everyone lives in perfect harmony. There is perfect peace in God’s perfect Heavenly home. We love and miss you very much, Pastor Dan.
Each year, on the anniversary of my dad, Allen Spencer’s homegoing I am amazed that another year has passed. How can it possibly be 13 years since I last saw my dad? Of course, I know that my parents are in Heaven, and in my future, but that does not lessen the feeling of loneliness and sadness that I feel each day in their absence. I don’t believe anyone ever really gets used to not having their parents in this world with them. Nevertheless, my parents are in Heaven, and each day their is as the first day they went to Heaven. There is always a spirit of celebration and joy in Heaven. There is no better place to be. For that part, I am happy for them, and only sad for me, and for my sisters and our families, all of whom miss my parents very much.
My dad was the spiritual patriarch of our family, always leading us in the way we should go, both in our spiritual life and in our daily physical life. Whenever we had a problem that seemed to big to handle, Dad would sit us down and say, “This is what we are going to do.” We never worried after that, because our dad had stepped up to lead us into God’s victory. He always had a level head in times of turmoil, even if it wasn’t turmoil in our family. We have witnessed so many tragedies in our lifetimes…from national tragedies to personal tragedies, but Dad, and Mom too, showed us that God will never leave us, not forsake us. They were great spiritual leaders for their family, and we are forever grateful for that guidance.
Dad loved to travel, and to show his family this wonderful country. Dad had seen many places in the world during his World War II years of active duty. He has seen places that we will likely never see, but his favorite places were always places in our great nation. Dad loved our country. He was a great patriot, who was loyal to his country unto death. He would never have been disloyal to his country. That was simply not in his nature. He fought too hard for our freedoms, as did all of his fellow soldiers. He would have stood, and did stand in his day, and said “Give me Liberty, or give me death!!” He would have done so, because to lay down and give up was not in his nature. It was through these kinds of teachings that my sisters and I learned how to keep going, to fight and stand for victory. There is not a quitter among us.
I suppose that it is Dad’s teachings we miss the most. He was never harsh. He always taught in love. I remember so many times when I had struggled in school as a grade school student, and I figured I was going to be in so much trouble because of a bad grade. Mom always deferred to Dad. I remember hearing. “Wait until your dad gets home!” Dad was the enforcer of proper education. In reality, I think Mom just thought that where education was concerned, Dad had more patience…and he did. We expected a spanking, and Dad simply said, “Well, we need to work on that.” What a relief. And Dad always did “work” on it with us. When those study 
sessions were done…we got it. In the end, we were all good students, and in fact the subjects in which I struggled the most, Math and History, have become my favorites and the ones I most excel at these days, because lets face it, we are still learning. That is because of his love of learning. I will forever miss those study sessions with my dad, just as I miss him in so many other ways, and look forward to seeing him again in Heaven. I love you and Mom, Dad, and I look forward to seeing you both again.
My nephew, Barry Schulenberg is a hard working mechanic for the State of Wyoming Highway Department. If a highway vehicle breaks down in our county, he is often the one sent to repair it. He also has to do maintenance work on the vehicles which means that he is on the, and that means he might have to work some overtime in the form of comp-time. That can make for a long day, and make it feel really good to get back home.
Barry and his wife, Kelli live out in the country east of Casper, Wyoming, and they really enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. That is also why they love to go hiking, bicycling, and camping whenever they can. They are nature lovers for sure. This year, with all the Covid-19 “social distancing” no one was sure if camping was going to be an option, but in the end, the campgrounds were open. So Barry and Kelli happily hit the campgrounds. They love camping in the Big Horn Mountains, but they also went to the lake and spent some time on the water just enjoying the wind in their face and the cool water on those hot days. This year they also went to the Black Hills to go camping. There is a lot of hiking in the Black Hills, and so they had extra trails to enjoy.
Barry does a lot of work around their place in the country. He has planted a bunch of trees, and he cares for them every day. He added a cover and a hammock to their patio in the front of the house. He keeps their acreage mowed, so that the risk of a fire is much less in the hot, dry summer months. A few years back a huge fire went through, and the homes that had mowed lawns faired much better the ones that had lawns that 
weren’t mowed. Barry has always been a worker, and he is always making improvements on their place. Many homes in the country are really just a house on a piece of land, but some people, like Barry and Kelli, have a place that has a lawn, trees, a nice house, even a large incinerator type of stove that heats the house, so little outside heat is needed. Everything is well manicured and looks sharp, and that is a credit to Barry’s pride of ownership. Today is Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb was the first member of the infamous Dalton Gang…an outlaw gang in the Old West. Newcomb was born in 1866 near Fort Scott, Kansas. The Newcomb family was poor, and he began working as a cowboy at the age of twelve. Newcomb’s first job was on the “Long S Ranch” owned by CC Slaughter. By 1892, he had drifted into the Oklahoma Territory, where he first met Bill Doolin. Newcomb would meet up with Bill Doolin again, in a deadly way.
As a part of the Dalton Gang, Newcomb met up with Doolin and also met Charley Pierce, who were also members. The three men took part in the botched train robbery in Adair, Oklahoma Territory, on July 15, 1892. During the robbery, two guards and two townsmen, both doctors, were wounded. One of the doctors died the next day. Doolin, Newcomb, and Pierce complained that Bob was unfairly dividing the money fairly amongst the gang. They left in a huff, but later returned. It was at this point that Bob Dalton told Doolin, Newcomb, and Pierce that he no longer needed them. Dalton said that Newcomb was “too wild” for his gang, and Dalton left. Doolin and his friends returned to their hideout in Ingalls, Oklahoma Territory. On October 5, in Coffeyville, Kansas, the remaining members of the Dalton Gang were killed…except Emmett who survived despite being shot 27 times. 
I suppose it was fortunate for Newcomb, Doolin, and Pierce that they were no longer part of the gang.
In 1893, Doolin organized his own gang from the remains of the original Dalton Gang, with Newcomb as a member, calling them the Wild Bunch. Bill Dalton later also joined the group and they became known as the Doolin-Dalton Gang. Newcomb began a romantic relationship with a 14 year old girl named Rose Dunn. She had four brothers who were outlaws and knew Newcomb. They would later become bounty hunters, calling themselves the Dunn Brothers. By 1895, Newcomb was a fugitive with a $5,000 reward on him, dead or alive. Rose Dunn traveled with him, since she could easily go into a town to purchase supplies, and no one knew that she was a part of the gang. This was the perfect plan to keep the gang hidden.
The gang often hung out in the town of Ingalls, Oklahoma. In those days, numerous outlaw gangs of the day took refuge there, and oddly, local residents often defended the outlaws and assisted in hiding them from lawmen. This was mostly due to the outlaws contributing greatly to the local economy. In one shootout with lawmen in Ingalls, called the Battle of Ingalls, three lawmen and three outlaws were shot. After several 
shootouts with lawmen, Newcomb fled with outlaw Charley Pierce to a hideout near Norman, Oklahoma, both of them wounded in the Ingalls shootout with US Marshals.
On May 2, 1895, Newcomb and Pierce rode up to the Dunn ranch, possibly to visit Rose. As soon as they dismounted, her brothers opened fire, dropping both outlaws. The next day, the Dunn brothers had loaded the two bodies into their wagon and were driving it into town to collect the reward, when Newcomb suddenly moaned and asked for water, to which one of the brothers responded with another bullet. I guess the bounty on their heads outweighed the friendship the Dunn Brothers had previously with the Wild Bunch.
Casey, Illinois is a small town with just 2,635 people…as of 2018. Normally it would be considered a sleepy little town where nothing much happens, but Casey, Illinois is actually famous, and holds twelve world records. Yes, I said twelve!! That is a lot for a town of any size, and even more so for a town of only 2,635 people. Nevertheless, Casey has shown the world how it’s done.
Their world’s record quest began with the Wind Chime in 2011. The framework for the Chime was assembled on site November 17, 2011. The huge wind chime features braces with Christian symbols. These add support, but more importantly they remind us of the importance of faith in our daily lives. The chimes were added to the frame on December 15, 2011. Many local residents attended the final touch on the structure, even though it was a cold day, it was also very exciting. With the world record the chime brought a new industry to the town…tourism. People like this sort of thing.
The next world record was the giant Golf Tee. This was suggested by the local Country Club president as a way of encouraging more interest in Casey’s public golf course. Work on the Tee in July of 2012. They team laminated lumber together to form the tee’s rough form. This took five months. Once the pieces of wood were secured, a chainsaw and sander were used to shape and smooth the surface. The Golf Tee claimed its “World’s Largest” status in May of 2013.
The Rocking Chair proved to be the most difficult World’s Record attempt. This behemoth of a project took two years to complete. The Chair claimed its world record title on October 20, 2015. In order to achieve the World’s Largest designation, the Rocking Chair needed to rock! This was quite a feat. It took ten grown men to accomplish this task! The headrest and armrests of the Chair include intricate carving and staining with a dove of peace featured on the center of the headrest and olive branches on the armrests.
In the years that followed, the wooden shoes (which can hold 15 people), the pitchfork, the mailbox (where you can actually mail a letter and go inside to do so), the key (an exact replica of the key for Jim Bolin’s work 
truck), the gavel, the swizzle spoon, the golf driver, barber pole, and the teeter totter followed in quick succession…all earning world record status. There are many other “big” things that don’t have world record status, but are very cool, nevertheless. The big antlers, the big bird cage, the big softball bat, the big spinning top, the big toy glider, the big wooden token, the big pizza slicer, the big knitting needles and crochet hook, the big bookworm, the big nail puzzle, the big anvil and horseshoe, the big cactus, the big ear of corn, the big mouse trap, the big rocking horse, the big yardstick, the big pencil…all grace different areas of the town. I’m sure the idea was to be a unique town, and they have certainly achieved that status. While this might have started as a way to attract tourism, it proves one thing for sure…it is possible to be a little big town.
