My Father's 108th Birthday

Today would have been my father Nelson's 108th birthday if he were alive today.  I have to admit that sounds pretty damn old.  Even my father would admit that if he were still around.  I remember him telling me once when I was a kid about the time he and his parents lived in a cabin on our property 5 miles south of Herbster, Wisconsin (which is on Lake Superior) until Thanksgiving.  He said he got so cold he would get out and jog along the horse-drawn school wagon to keep warm.  It truly amazed me that he went to school on a horse drawn wagon and I guess I implied to him that he must be pretty ancient to have done that.  He seemed to take that the wrong way.  But now, let's face it.  One hundred and eight is no kid.  And by the way, the photograph above was taken of my father and myself in the backyard of our house in the south side Chicago neighborhood of Brainerd.  Those were the days, back when I was at my most charmfull, instead of an old curmudgeon.