"Greasing the gimbal"

[Bill in Oregon]

I was just looking back over the years and thought about my late uncle, Houston Pitts. He flew Army Air Forces light planes for recon and rescue in Burma in the war -- and "saw some things."
And it was a joy when he showed up in the driveway in his Travelall and we headed for another fly-fishing adventure -- in the Oregon Cascades for brook trout for the pan, or for summer steelhead from the Rogue River. When we arrived, we all got kitted up with fly fishing vests and maybe chest waders, depending on the water, and carefully threaded our tippets through the rod guides to tie on some favorite -- No. 12 gray hackle peacocks for the brookies and a variant of the bucktail Royal Coachman, No. 6, for those Rogue steelies that wanted to yank the pole right out of your hands when they struck. When we were ready to leave the rig and hike to the water, all geared up, Uncle Houston reached in and grabbed a bottle of Gilbey's Gin, and took a small snort -- never more -- as a "snake bite preventative." He didn't offer his nephews any. It was a ritual, but now that I have gotten much older, I believe it lubricated his joints a bit -- smoothed up "the hitch in his getalong" as folks used to say. Not enough to confuse or befuddle, just a bit of lube.
I miss my Uncle Houston and our hunting and fishing adventures every day of my life. And I find myself in need of a squirt of lube here and there as I tiptoe -- no, gallup -- to 73.

[jeepnik]

Bill did he fly the Piper L-4 or the Stinson L-5? Those guys saved a lot of wounded guys lives. They set the stage for air evac during Korea and Viet Nam. They could only get out one at a time, but they made sortie after sortie, often into enemy held territory. They landed at hand cleared "strips" not much larger than the aircraft itself. Stillwell would never have succeeded without the air support those pilots gave him.

[GunnyMack]

On the other hand Bill, maybe your uncle needed that medicinal gin to deal with you boys!
For me medicinal spirits don't do any lubricating !

[piller]

I am a bit younger, and my knees like to complain already. I don't use what your Uncle did, but I see the point.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jeep, I believe he flew the Piper, but can't confirm it as he passed many years ago. He said some of the tropical diseases he and his fellow pilots faced were "no fun at all."

[765x53]

On the other hand Bill, maybe your uncle needed that medicinal gin to deal with you boys!
For me medicinal spirits don't do any lubricating !

For me, it can be a time machine when reading old letters, looking at old pictures, or listening to old music.

[earlmck]

Dang fine uncle to have Bill.

I had an uncle who flew B17's and he was a fine fellow but not a fly fisherman so I never got the tutoring. Serious alcoholic and smoker and died way too young of the lung cancer.

[GunnyMack]

Memories is what it's about!
My favorite uncle was a Nam vet, Corp of Engineers, he is still here but health problems galore from all the herbicides getting on them opening firebases. As a kid he made me a little bulldozer out of a block of wood, I still have it and when I see it all I can do is think of uncle Ray!

[Griff]

Memories is what it's about!
My favorite uncle was a Nam vet, Corp of Engineers, he is still here but health problems galore from all the herbicides getting on them opening firebases. As a kid he made me a little bulldozer out of a block of wood, I still have it and when I see it all I can do is think of uncle Ray!

Man... that always makes me wonder if I'm really that old! Reminds me of when I went to my 40 year high school reunion, My buddy Bill & I were standing outside watching folks arrive, when Bill turned to me and asked... "who are all these old folks coming to our reunion?"