On The Fly

In this episode - Santa’s Address . . . Christmas gift-giving may be over for this year, and Santa has retired for his long winter’s nap, but the spirit of the Holiday lingers far into the New Year. So, next year as your children (or you) prepare your wish list for Santa, be sure to address your letter as follows, but first, a little history. Did you know children have been sending letters to Santa for longer than the United States Postal Service (USPS) has existed to deliver them? Though today, they’re far more likely to get a response if you include the correct address. In early America, children’s holiday wish lists were often written out and left by the fireplace or burned in hearths, with the belief that the ashes would rise through the chimney and out to the holiday helper himself. Today, there’s no fireplace necessary — just a stamp — since the United States Postal Service gave Santa Claus his address: 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. After the creation of the Postal Service in ...

In this episode - Tracking Santa . . . This Christmas Eve, people worldwide will download the NORAD Tracks Santa Claus app from iTunes or Google Play to follow his progress through U.S. military radar. This all started in 1955, with a misprint in a Colorado Springs newspaper and a call to Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup’s secret hotline at the Continental Air Defense Command, now known as NORAD. The story has it a young boy dialed the unlisted phone number of the Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, believing he was calling Santa Claus after dialing a number from a promotional Sears ad in a local newspaper. The commander on duty that night, Colonel Shoup, quickly realized the mistake and assured the youngster that Air Command would guarantee Santa a safe journey from the North Pole. “So asked him, “Have you been a good boy and, ‘May I talk to your mother?’ The mother got on and said, ‘Have you seen the paper yet? There’s a phone number to call Santa. It’s ...

In this episode - Christmas 2014 . . . Has it been eight years already? With Christmas quickly approaching, I’m reminded that 2014 was about re-inventing myself; I’d asked Santa for a new electric guitar, and I began dreaming. Why a guitar? Allow me to set the stage for you. Bradley University, Saturday night, 1977, Peoria, Illinois, the rock band Boston had just released their first album the previous year titled “Boston.” I wore that album out, playing it repeatedly. When Boston played on stage that night, it was magic. We were there! I fell in love with the idea of playing guitar. “It’s more than a feeling; when I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling), I begin dreaming.” Why wait? I thought, do something! Everything I’d read kept encouraging me; dare to dream, re-invent yourself go back to what you loved as a child. It’s never too late to learn something new. So, I did. Every morning I began practicing on my old acoustic guitar. At first basic chords, man, was t...

In this episode - Frosty the Snowman . . . Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television (TV) special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It’s the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The program aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS network in the United States, broadcast immediately after the fourth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Frosty the Snowman has been televised annually for the CBS network’s holiday season ever since. Based on the Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson tune of the same name, the TV special featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as the film’s narrator, Billy De Wolfe as Professor Hinkle, and Jackie Vernon as Frosty. Durante was one of the first  to record the original song released in 1950 (though, at the time, the song had slightly different lyrics); he re-recorded the music for the TV special.  TV Guide  ranked the special number nine on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list. ...

In this episode - Keeping Christmas . . .  by Henry Van Dyke, read by Lori Ball Henry Jackson Van Dyke, Jr. was an American author, educator, and clergyman born November 10,1852, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Educated at Princeton, Van Dyke graduated from its theological seminary in 1877 and became a Presbyterian minister. His early works, “The Story of the Other Wise Man” (1896) and “The First Christmas Tree” (1897), were first read aloud to his congregation in New York as sermons. These quickly brought him recognition. Other stories and poems were gathered regularly during his career into several printed works. From our house to yours, may the Spirit of the Holidays be with you throughout the New Year. I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

In this episode - The Captain and the Kid . . . At 76, Elton John may not be able to vocally hit the high notes in  Bennie And The Jets . Still, his solo piano renditions put many a classical pianist to shame as his accomplished fingers flow freely over his Yamaha Grand. He will always be Captain Fantastic -  “A crazy kid becoming a better man.” Last night (11/20/2022), while watching Elton’s return to Dodger Stadium, 47 years later, his Farewell Yellow Brick Road, North American tour, streaming on Disney+, feelings of immense gratitude stirred my soul. The song -  Someone Saved My Life Tonight  from Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy brought tears to my eyes. An LP vinyl album that shaped my youth. In 1976 I first experienced Elton John in concert ( see Captain Fantastic ) . Little did I realize at the time my dream of adult independence from small-town life took root during those impressionable years. Yes, Elton’s music and Bernie’s lyrics shaped the mi...

In this episode - Ole’ Fashion Thanksgiving . . . by Edgar Guest. Allow me to tell you a bit about the Poet. Edgar Albert Guest was a British-born American poet famous in the first half of the 20th century and became known as the People’s Poet. He began his career at the  Detroit Free Press  as a copyboy and then as a reporter; his first poem appeared on December 11, 1898. For 40 years, Guest was widely read throughout North America. From his first published work in the  Detroit Free Press  until he died in 1959, Guest penned some 11,000 poems syndicated in over 300 newspapers. Mr. Guest was named  Poet Laureate  of Michigan, the only Poet awarded the title. His popularity led to a weekly Detroit radio show we hosted from 1931 until 1942, followed by a 1951  NBC  television series,  A Guest in Your House. He also had three times weekly transcribed radio programs that began on January 15, 1941. We hope you enjoyed this special Holiday gi...

In this episode - Skimpier Thanksgiving 2022 . . . If the portions Grandma serves are a little skimpier this Thanksgiving, blame inflation (and maybe bird flu). According to an article in the Morning Brew e-News referencing the American Farm Bureau Federation’s yearly survey. The average cost of a typical Thanksgiving meal is up 20% from last year. It’s on track to be the costliest turkey dinner since the survey started 37 years ago. While we’re thankful that inflation finally started to cool last month, food prices are still sky-high—for the year, the government expects they could go up as much as 10.5% (compared to a typical 2% increase). And traditional Thanksgiving fixings are no exception, according to the survey: A 16-pound turkey costs 21% more per pound this year than last year. Prices for potatoes, pie crusts, canned pumpkin, and stuffing mix have all gone up. So don’t be surprised when you go shopping for your Thanksgiving groceries. The only holiday staple whose price w...

In this episode (179) – Yosemite Stories . . . Have you ever Googled Yosemite Stories ? If so, you will learn how Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Yosemite Grant in 1864. How John Muir was instrumental in expanding the park’s boundaries, and many more. However, I would like to share a “not so famous” story after our recent visit—an experience from the ever-changing landscape of people who visit there and their grand expectations. When you arrive in Yosemite valley and get settled, the sublime way to enjoy the park is to stroll. Take in the  sights, sounds, and smells. For those who refuse to walk (and let me say there are a lot) or there comes a time when you can’t walk anymore - thankfully, they have free shuttles that take you to the most popular destinations: Yosemite Village, El Captain Meadow, Yosemite Falls, Curry Village, among others. The buses begin at 7:00 a.m. ea...

In this episode (179) - Fall Back . . . Going through the Farmer’s Almanac, I was curious about Daylight Savings Time (DST). Wondering why we “ Fall Back ”? Tomorrow, the first Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 2 a.m., is when Daylight Saving Time ends in most areas of the United States, returning to Standard Time. Be sure to set your clocks one hour back before bedtime on Saturday night! Listen carefully, and you will hear the cynics, “Alright! We gain another hour of sleep Saturday night; why can’t it stay this way? Moving the clocks twice a year is to take better advantage of sunlight. Face it; most folks get out of bed after the sun has risen and gone to bed after it has set. But what if the sun rose and set earlier? “Pull that shade down. I’m trying to sleep in.” When we fall back, we’re not really “gaining” time; we’re just giving up a little daylight in the evening and adding it to the morning. Just wait; soon, everyone will be complaining, “This getting dark at 5:...

In this episode (178) – Doing Nothing . . . I'm lost - it's our first morning, Monday, October 24, 2022, at Curry Village in Yosemite National Park. For those who follow my blog, you know I'm an early riser; yes,  up at 4:30 daily, with no alarm clock, wide awake and ready to start the day (five a.m. is my idea of sleeping in). However, let's do a reality check, an essential part of vacation is Lori's time to sleep in, and rightfully so. Sitting on the porch of the community building at Camp Curry with Nothing but my thoughts as if a bolt of lightning struck me; most people in the twenty-first century are allergic to silence and a lack of something to do. It's as if they're afraid of their thoughts. Don't believe me? Just look around; people on their phones, working on a project, watching TV, playing games, surfing the Internet, reading a book, preparing a meal, cleaning the house, flossing their teeth, you get the idea. They are always doing. I'm a...

In this episode (177) – The Bakersfield Sound coming to you from Curry Village at Yosemite National Park . . . Johnny Owens and the Bakersfield sound? Yes, I realize this might not be for everyone; however, vacation must contain a surprise now and then, some unplanned events. It was Saturday, October 22, 2022, and we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary; now, we’ve been married for 34 years - but we’ve heard the 50th is always special, so we celebrated in a very unusual way - in Bakersfield! We had everything packed and ready for this year’s Yosemite adventure and decided to leave one day early. No reservations for the night, but oh well, we’re sure to find something. At around 5:00 p.m., we rolled into beautiful Bakersfield, CA. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. Not wanting to drive another three hours to Fresno and ready for dinner, we pulled off the freeway and found a room for the night. “Well, what would you like to do for dinner?” “Since we’re in Bakersfield, isn’t this where Buck Owe...

In this episode (176) – Pumpkin Carving . . . Are you planning to host a pumpkin carving party for the neighborhood kids this holiday season, or maybe just liven up your porch for Halloween? Yep, Halloween is about two weeks away. So dig out your pumpkin carving kit, cover your kitchen table with newspapers, and have at it. This festive task can be lots of fun - but messy, especially if you have a cat that insists on participating - sniffing everything, with paws flipping pumpkin seeds everywhere! Here’s a quick tip I ran across from the How-To-Geek newsletter. The next time you carve a pumpkin, cut out the bottom of the gourd first to scrape the seeds. I’ve always cut the top of the pumpkin first to clean it out. The reason was to carve a chimney to vent the candle votive used inside. It turns out it’s much easier to clean the pumpkin upside down. Most of the seeds are attached to the base, so cutting from the bottom will make this messy task much cleaner and smoother. All that’s ne...

In this episode (175) – Introducing On the Fly - Video . . .   People ask me, “So, what’s your podcast about?” A smidgen of history, a dash of culture - a minute dedicated to making you smile. “It’s whatever comes to mind - really!” But it’s much more than that. You see, most people undervalue the power of goals and building a creative life one success at a time. Each episode is an informative five to seven-minute story that enlightens your day. When you’re learning, you’re growing. However, learning is wasted until you put that learning into action. And the best way to do that is to share your newly found discoveries with others. When you do, you’ll soon realize that you are digging in your creative imagination, the richest diamond mine in the world. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe.  Or - ask your smart device, “Play On the Fly   podcast by Patrick Ball.” Video podcasts are curre...

In this episode (174) – Take Me Home . . . Yesterday (Oct. 7, 2022), we participated in a special luncheon for one of our engineering team members, Doan Vo, from Vietnam. As a special gift, we prepared and performed a song that you all know - Country Roads by John Denver on guitar accompanied by mandolin at the luncheon. However, with Lori's help, we rewrote the lyrics to fit this special occasion. So let me read the lyrics to you. The title of the song is Take Me Home. Special thanks to Thang Phan for the accompaniment on the mandolin. Take Me Home Music   by: John Denver Lyrics by; (IZ) @Lori Ball & @Patrick Ball   Tuning: E A D G B E Key - A Capo: 2nd Fret [Verse One] G     Em       D             C     G Almost heaven, SoCal region, High green mountain - crystal clear blue waters. G   Em     D       C       ...