Buck

Hey there, you're a real Sherlock Holmes.. I don't get the joke, and, that very well may be good old Mark. I know he got married, was his new wife's name Connie?

Ya know Hope, that was really my wife who wrote that post. For some reason she just wrote it as if it were me. Maybe cause she doesn't post much and is a bit shy. But, she did just write to you and John, so you'll know who she is, and she says thanks for the lyrics! That's a really sweet song, and I love to hear her sing it. And it seems, the words that you wrote are the same, in the beginning of the song that is... Oh, and how could I forget Kevin McCave, Mr. Sax Man? That Sax man song was a blast..

Ted, my wife would like to know if you remember a song done a LONG time ago in the early days of the ministry. She doesn't know who wrote it or sang it but believes the Title is The Highest of the High. My wife plays guitar and that is one of the song she sings. However, she is wondering about the very beginning lines and wonders if you, Ted, might happen to know the words. She would greatly appreciate it if you could enlighten her, in case she doesn't have it correct. It is a great song...some of the words..... like the light on crystal falls, he sheds his love upon us all....that's Jesus Christ, the highest of the high. So, if you can help out, Ted, thanks a lot. [This message was edited by Buck on December 28, 2002 at 11:55.]

Dan was in a seventh Corps band that you probably recall. They were called "Glad Tidings" and they did alot of great stuff. The people in that band besides Dan were Mark Haggerling-piano, Deborah Sleeper (now Olthouse), Vickie Allen, Anna (Ortiz) Cooper, and Anna's husband Paul. I think his name was Paul. He played drums. The gals did the vocal thing, back up and they all sang lead on certain songs. Dan played/plays bass and there must have been another who played guitar on a regular basis also, but I can't remember who. Their many songs included; What If God Went on Strike Brother/Sister Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Thessalonica And, a bunch of others that I thought I would remember when I started this post. I'll have the dig the tape out and listen to it. I really loved that song by Deborah Sleeper Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Always melted my heart when she sang it live. Somewhere along the line, Glad Tidings broke uo and they went different ways. Vickie and Deborah to Branded, Dan Moran to Takit. But when Glad Tidings were together they really were very solid and were a blessing at least to me as well as my wife who was in the Seventh Corps. As an aside here, a friend of mine, Bob Moser, from Oregon, wanted to make a recording of some songs he wrote, and had contacted Dan Moran down in Los Angeles where Dan has a recording Studio. Bob wanted me to play harmonica, and, get this; he offered to fly me to L.A. to do the recording. This was in 1992 or 93. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the prospect, and flattered to the max, and the recording was made, and it was really a great tape. It's called "In A Moment, By A Miracle", by Bob Moser. This album is not to be confused by Dean Ellenwoods' album "In A Moment". Ya know, that's the first time I ever did any real real studio work. Dan was real cool about it, and one of the first things we did before we got down to work was to "Go out for some Thai food". Well, Bob is from a rural place in Oregon, and the "L.A. Lifestyle", was neither his nor my lifestyle, and as he and I looked over the menu with Dan and his wife Randi and a couple of other people, he and I decided that the safest thing to order was the "pepper steak" item. But as it is with oriental food, all the plates were passed around for the sake of "sharing the different delicacies", and I have to say that some of the "funguses" and "gelatinous marine life" mixed into the various dishes were kinda weird. Bob and I stuck with the steak. But it was fun for sure. Yep, Dan was really hospitable. His wife and Bob and I went to a little league game to see his boy play, I stayed in the room of "This Little Girl Abigail" (a song Dan had written about his daughter) while she had spent the weekend at a friend's house, and the coffee flowed and the music mixed and it was a great time. Also at Dan's house he had a big old Sunday fellowship and there were a lot of folks there that I had remembered from Way Days. One of the Cushingham guys was there, among others. Dan taught the Bible and it was good. It was an ex-Way gathering by the way. I jokingly refer to that little escapade as "The L.A. Sessions". I'll say to my wife; "yeah honey, remember when I was down in Southern Cal laying down tracks during the "L.A. Sessions?" Yup, that was my big musical event thus far, well other than playing in the Elvis's Butt Band that is.. On that album, I did play a good bit of harp, and on one solo break, I did some "whoops and hollers" in honor of Sonny Terry. You can probably find that album on the net at a link at "No Dust Covered Bibles". It's mostly a country western kind of a deal... Well that's it for now, I have to take my daughter to the local exercise gym...

I just clicked to post, and you finished your joke before I got back. And, it seems as if this weird thread has just made it's second page, and it's a thread I started! Maybe I am gonna be somebody some day! Hey when it comes to that "Duane, Duane the bafftub I'm dwounding" joke, I have this kid who when he first heard the joke at age three, he would tell it and when we would say "Duane who?", he'd yell with glee; "It's me Duane, I'm in the bafftub!" He just didn't quite get it. We'd laugh and laugh at that kid when he did that...

Ok, I know the answer to this one because our limb leader in North Dakota told it to us on a regular basis. So, I'll let you tell the punch line. But I'll play along... Argo who? And, did I tell you my name? Or, did one of the gals who figured me out tell you who I am via e-mail? No big deal though, I have left too many strong hints as to who I is..

First of all. Who's there? And secondly, Oh my God! Mark Glazer! We lived together for two years! What a wonderful guy! When did you spend time with Mark? Last time I heard from Mark he had moved back to Missouri where he was from. I have wanted to get in touch with Mark for a good while now. Do you know how to get in touch with him? So, who's there? Maybe I should know this answer since I had lived with Mark....

Yup, I got 'em and it turns out we are old friends, and, A la Prochaine is married to a Corps bro/friend also. In fact, speaking of music, her husband and myself were in one of those Way Corps marching bands briefly...Hah! And Chatty, so glad you are having a great time having your son home. My oldest kiddo, my daughter is "leaving the nest in about three weeks, and that will be rough, I think. And where is she going to go? First to finish her senior high school year in the Alaskan village where we just moved from, and then, get this: To a maritime school like her daddy did so that she too can sail the seven seas. Oh, where did I go wrong?

Ok, my e-mail is not receiving from you for some reason, so I have e-mailed you. Oh ratz, I didn't put my regular e-mail address on it. I'll write ya another...

Canoe who?

I don't recognize those initials. No wait, HS did you say? Now I remember. Yeah, it was a good thing for me to be in that band, but when we finally did do some music in the chapel for the whole campus at a five oclock fellowship, we only did two songs where I "played the wood blocks" the whole time, and the prima dona vocalist did her thing. After that, I was complimented by a number of my buddies with compliments like Hey "Buck" I didn't know you could play sticks! Way to go!"...

Ok, first of all, Ted, I have to respond to the "you hurt your knee thing": My first response was "Oh my God! I can't believe that Craig did that! But then again, why should I be surprised? Man, that gal from Alaska was so concerned for you and was happy that God had healed you "right there on the spot", and I do remember now that it was Craig who had "healed you" and ot VP...And so, you finished your last song while in great pain then and not after a miraclous healing with all pain gone, so way to go bro! Yo got da cojones... And Chatty Cathy, yeah, this is a real nice thread and I like coming here. And when that gal from NY made that comment, her husband busted her chops real good, and things did work out. And, amazingly, the sax guy (husband of "Ex 10" actually) and I did a couple of "duo solos" where we played these riffs in two part harmony. It was real neat and a lot of fun. BUt working together was a challenge, and that one gal never did approve of my presence in the band... Now, Ala Prochaine, the suspense is killing me, but when I go to the hotmail address, there is nuttin dere If we were on LEAD together, I am sure we could reminisce(sp?)... And yes, Ted, I am sure we could really have a great time playing. I haven't really had the opportunity to play a lot with folks, but when I do, it's been a blast. In fact, I have played in a few bar bands up here where I live in Alaska. I played in one band called "Elvis's Butt" which was kind of the antithesis of a local band called "The Truffles". No one at the Fog Cutter or the Harbor Bar drank any beer when the Truffles played because their fans were enviro greenie type folks, who are, well that's another story, but they don't drink much more than wine and lemon water and stuff and the bars in our tiny northern town wanted a rowdier crowd that would purchase some product once in awhile... So, we came up with "Elvis's Butt", and played blues and people came and drank beer and good times were had by all, including Truffles fans... The only problem with the name of that band was that when my kids would see me the next morning, they took delight in asking; "So dad, did you have fun playing with Elvis's Butt?-heeheehee I don't know why that name was derived at, but probably to razz the Truffles folks.. [This message was edited by Buck on December 27, 2002 at 9:52.]

Who's there?

Ok, I'll be checking my hotmail deal. Hope the toy question wasn't too off color. But man, those hotmail adds are obnoxious! And Ron, thanks. I like to write and have written a number of short stories. I have always wanted to write a book about my first adventure at sea too. Now that I have a cool computer and have honed my typing skills at the GS Cafe, maybe I ought to get after it. Yeah, that was some ordeal. When I see my nearly sixteen year old son today, I shudder to think of him doing anything similar... Ya know, I play harmonica, and I do it fairly well too. I play the blues, and when hooked up with a good guitarist, I have a great time of it. I also like to play bluegrass and country which is a lot more melodic and "happy" sounding and such. But I do like the get down and dirty blues too. As a harp player, when I was young, I was inspired by an old blind black guy by the name of Sonny Terry who used to play alot with Brownie McGee. They were a duo, but when I first heard Sonny Terry, it was on a solo album, and one of his songs was called "Long John" where he would intermix "whoops and hollers" in between riffs as he played. So, when I was playing here and there in coffee house deals in the Way and such, I had developed a similar ability whenever I did breaks in between verses. Ya know, I just plain love to play music, but, I found that playing with other people always seemed to be really difficult at times. And even in The Way when we all were supposed to be walking in the love of God, I found that there was alot of clashing that went on between musicians who felt that they really were "on time" or "in tune" or whatever. When I was in the Corps, I was put in a band by the resident "Way Prod" coordinator at Emporia who decided that I needed education in music that was other than bluegrass or blues. Well, I thought, I'm here to learn, no problem. So, this band was composed of a sax player, drummer, guitarist, bass, and me playing a little back up on trumpet with the sax guy, and of course, my harmonicas. I have a wide leather belt that holds eight harps, all of different keys. It's real cool, and has silver conchos on it and my last name engraved across the back. Also in this band, was was a really excellent vocalist gal from New York City who was also very Italian and very "snappy". Anyhoo, when this band got together for the first time, one of the first things this vocalist gal said in her wonderful New York accident was; "So wadda we gotta have ____ ___ in the band foah? He plays hahmonica. This isn't the blues, or bluegrass or somethin', this band is supposed to be upbeat, New York, Pop!" as she snapped her fingers. Well, at this point I'm thinking; "well, f___ me. I guess I'm just some redneck hick loser. And by the way, I thought we were all in the family of God and members in particular and all, so happened to aal that? Uh oh folks I gotta go. I have to drive my seventeen year old daughter to the workout gym. She's working on getttin a hard body ya know. Ahhh to be a kid again...will finish these thoughts later

Duane who?

Ya nkow, I just went to my hotmail and found nothing but the usual junk mail. You're not selling sex toys or financial aid are you? Hahah! So, no, I didn't get them. Did you send it to rhino214@hotmail.com ? Anyway, this is a real nice thread. I love music too, ahve played a bit, and actually did a little "Way Prod" in the corps myself, my how I disliked that term. Also, I was in a little band in Oregon for awhile from '77 to'79. It's so nice to have Ted sharing so much heart and history too...

Ok that story. I brought a gal to the Rock from Alaska who had never been out of the state, and who had spent alot of her life in one of the native villages called Angoon which is over by Hoonah, north of Klawock. She was amazed at how huge the Rock was, and was thrilled by all of the good music that she finally got to see live which I had turned her onto via cassette tape the previous year. She was twenty years old at the time. The fire flies also blew her mind, and she had me catching them for her, those and crickets chirping in the bushes which she had never heard bfore either. One night while I was working camping in the rv section, I was near the what was it, the "Living Room" tent? Anyway, I was close to that auxillary tent that we used for the big top auditorium overflow when this gal came running out from underneath the tent saying "Buck! Buck! Ted Ferrels been hurt! He was on stage singing and pumping his leg like a sewing machine when his knee or something gave out and he went down like a sack of potatos and we have to pray for him! Come on! We have to pray for Ted Ferrel!" So, I got her to finally calm down for a minute and asked her to repeat it, and she added that "when Ted went down, the lights on the stage went down and then the TV monitor said; "Pray For Ted", so I ran and came here to get you so we can pray for Ted!" So, we said a quick prayer for ya Ted, and then she and I ran over to the tent and watched on the monitor, and if I remember correctly, Dr Wierwille had prayed for you and you finished the song, and my friend Trish was relieved. She really liked your tunes and of course was really alarmed when your knee or whatever went out. But man, her pure heartedness was so cool. And, how's the knee? Oh man, gotta go! The Prime Rib is done and I gotta carve!

By the way Ted, I e-mailed you a bit a go with my real name and address, and you wrote back, said hi, and also asked about a certain 1st Corps old pal of yours and does he still live up here, and I don't think I ever got back to you. But I haven't seen him yet, Mike Smith that is. But I do plan on giving him a call if I can find his phone number down in the big city. And when I do get in touch with him I will let him know you said howdy... Buck

Thank you Ted, very much. That was really nice of you. And thanks for all of the history too. I think I will save it all to a file in my computer. Also, I have a funny story to tell you about an Alaskan Indian girl that I brought to the Rock one year who was really digging you singing some song or another and your knee went out on you. it wasn't that your knee went out that was funny of course, but the way she acted was priceless. But, I gotta go for now...

Who's there? you ask "Olive" "Olive who"? you might ask... Scroll down Olove you!!

About a year and a half before I went to my first twig, I was on a merchant ship sailing over to the Mediterraenean. I had dropped out of highschool and joined the Merchant Marine, and at sixteen years old, I had begun a life of high adventure. After our ship, an old freighter (400 feet long) was done making stops in Spain, Turkey, Portugal and Malta, we left the Med to go down to the west African coast. But not far outside of the Straits of Gibralter, we had a small engineroom fire which messed up alot of electrical equipment. Due to this, our orders from the company changed, and we headed back to the States. "Rats I thought, we shoulda gone back to Spain! Lots of girls there loved me! Well, my money anyway, they were, well, working girls... But orders were to head to Baltimore. About halfway across the Atlantic, we ran into what I refer to as a "near perfect storm". The waves weren't 100 feet high like described in the book, but rather, "only" 75 feet high. This was February, and the WNA (Winter North Atlantic) is known for it's wickedness. Along with the bad weather, we had beaucoups engine problems, and due to these, we were only able to make a top speed of three knots against the seas. After three days straight of tossing like a literal chip on the sea, we then had a hole smashed into the side of the ship way down in the engine room (in the shaft alley for you nautical buffs) where a wave had hit one of the inboard suction lines for saltwater cooling and blew the entire pump off the bulkhead. The result of this of course was that the sea was blasting into the shaft alley at a tremendous rate. In that I was the "wiper" (engine room gopher boy), I was heavily involved in the efforts to set up pumps, open various valves, and try to stanch the flow which proved futile. All the while, we were pitching madly with the bow of the ship going completely underwater, and the stern coming so far out of the water that the 10 ft diameter propeller also came completely out of the water spinning in almost unchecked RPMs until it "ka chunk chunk chunked" back into the water for another bite. All of the crew except for the black gang (engine crew) were standing by for a possible abandon ship and launching of the life boats. They all had their life jackets on. That really gave me lots of comfort. The black gang would have abandoned ship too, but we were down in the hole working. I couldn't imagine being out there in an open lifeboat. We woulda gone down for sure. We finally got the flow under control, but due to the amount of water in the shaft alley (where the propeller shaft leaves the ship), we were terribly stern heavy and were riding higher than normal in the forward end of the ship which put us in dire straits as far as the forward/aft motion was concerned. This made the bow come even higher out of the water than "normal", and when the bow came crashing down, the whole superstructure of the ship would shake like a big sheet of tin going "whop whop whop". When I first heard it and felt it I asked an old salt with whom I worked "what that noise was" and he told me that it was the ship bending and that ships had been known to "break in two ya know".... It went that way for another six days, with very little sleep gained, and very little comfort to my fearful sixteen year old heart. One old guy from Brooklyn said to me; "Wiper (my name was "Wiper" it seemed), I ain't nevah seen it dis bad befoah, an I been to sea for ovah twenty five yeahs". Oh great, I thought, and this was my first ship and the old guys are scared! I figured God was gonna take me because of all of the sin I commited in Barcelona. When I spent time in my crews quarters trying to "get some sleep" while tied in my bunk, I remember looking at the large locker on my wall and wondering if I should get in there and try to pray like my "Good News For Modern Man" Bible said I should do. I mean, it was kinda like a closet, except it was poorly bolted to the bulkhead (wall) and I thought it would just be my luck that I would be in it praying and it would bust loose and fall down and I would be trapped in there when the ship went down. So, I said; "Naa"...Meanwhile, when my port hole went under water for the thousandth time, it finally cracked and water started spraying in and soaking my deck everytime it went under. Great way to get a peaceful nights rest...But I prayed to God (well, begged God) a whole lot anyway in that when I had asked our captain (when he came to inspect our engine room damage) if the waves were really seventy five feet high, he replied gravely; "Yes they are Wiper, and some are taller, and, do you know how to pray"? I told him "not really sir", and he said that "I had better learn". Oh great I thought, we have "nothing but a prayer". But, apparently the prayers worked, and we finally limped into Bermuda, and most of the crew of the S.S. Merrimack got really drunk that first night. In fact, every bar we went to gave us a round on the house because they had heard of the trouble we'd been in and had been hoping we'd make it in... SO, when I saw Brian Bliss sit down at a beautiful grand Piano in his white tux with tails at Ohio State University for WOW training in 1976 and start singing "Captain Of Salvation" I busted into tears and got on my knees and sobbed my eyes out with my face buried in my arms that were resting on back of some girls seat in front of me. I mean, I had already been really blessed with "Sons Of God" that Brian started with, but when he played that song it just went straight to my heart and those words with his voice and that tune were like, wow, just unexplaineable I guess. So MUCH to be thsankful for, like my LIFE. I think I remember some of those lyrics.. Like a ship that's far from home, drifting aimlessly alone, storm tossed by the troubles of this world... And the Captain of Salvation, like a lighthouse in the night... Ya know, at that time, I loved The Way Ministry, it was a beautiful and wonderful thing and I believe that God Almighty had a lot to do with it, human frailties and all. As far as I'm concerned, "It hadda be God"...I had been working on a 100 foot riverboat/restaurant when a sweet gal named Ann Marie O'Riley, a WOW, came to work there as a cocktail waitress. I had been living in the wheelhouse, and the night before, I had prayed to God that He send somebody to tell me about Jesus Christ and that "I would go to their church, I promise". And that's who he sent the very next day, a WOW. An I was at a Twig the next night. I met Denny Thornberry there and I thought he was the coolest dude I ever met. Well, he is one of the coolest dudes I ever met. He taught the Bible to me for two hours before Twig even started, and there was nothin wrong with that.. Anyhoo, I wish I knew the rest of those words to Captain Of Salvation. Anybody? Ted? And Brian Bliss, thanks for the memory, that really was unforgettable... [This message was edited by Buck on December 25, 2002 at 23:28.]

Knock knock

Ya know, I was over at that music thread once but I didn't find it again. What section is it under?

Honestly though, I think I came up with that TOTAL of two jokes over the last 25 years, so I really doubt that I will come up with any others. I mean, I really don't try to, really.... Say, had you never heard of the "tohubohu" word? And, I see that you reaaly like music, Clapton in particular. Well, me too. I love the blues and play harmonica and have done so in a few bar bands up here where I live. I played in one band called "Elvis's Butt" which was kind of the antithesis of a local band called "The Truffles". No one drank any beer when the Truffles played because they were enviro greenie type folks, who are fine, but they don't drink much more than wine and lemon water and stuff and the bars in our tiny northern town wanted a rowdier crowd. So, we came up with "Elvis's Butt", and played blues and people came and drank beer and good times were had by all, including Truffles fans...

Ok, ok. I know when I'm whipped, I'll never try to make up another joke