Friends, cont'd

Walt Lohman
Townline Road
Town of Waukesha

Curmudgeon, lodge aficianado, farmer of 80 acres on which he raises steers, loyal bud. Teller of great stories. Driver of old cars with regular non-Collector license plates. Visitor when I was sick. Promoter of the common good. Husband of very tolerant Shirley.

We had breakfast at Dave's yesterday, an old-time diner that caters to regular folks from every walk, a Waukesha landmark in whose shadow the new ritzy Black Swan Restaurant and THE CLARKE Hotel struggles to rise across the street, a study in societal comparison. If it were an arm-wrestle between that place and Dave's - say, at Dave's baseball-becapped lunch counter - Dave's wins, hands down.

Walt is today in Washington DC, attending a Knights Templar observance in the 'valley of many monuments'. While there, he is planning to pay his respects at the grave of my father in Arlington National Cemetery. Walt only met Dad once but he was a Masonic lodge brother, albeit from different lodges. The bond is strong. Walt was a long-time friend of our Uncle Lee, also a brother Mason. (see http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/kind-mans-boots-to-fill.html)

Walt Lohman is spread over our life like a shiny glaze. He also has met Dee's father from Pleasant Valley, MD, who like Walt also raises steers out of a (smaller) barn. John Means built his from recycled billboards originating from National Advertising, of Waukesha Wisconsin. (http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2008/10/poppys-barn.html) Small world?

Spreading that glaze further, Uncle Lee and John Means both hung billboards for Waukesha's National Advertising though they did not know it - years ago.

Note reasonable prices