On The Fly

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 currently only avai

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         All my friends there, hangin' on the beach, young and old among them, feel the ocean   G   breeze. [Chorus]

In this episode (173) – Goodby Summer 2022 . . . Wow!  Can you believe summer is over? This year (2022) has flown by. It's early morning, and already I'm noticing the sunrise arriving later and later. Siri tells me, "The Sun will rise at 6:43 a.m." The shorter days bring cooler weather. Soon we will don our jackets for an early morning walk. Me, I enjoy the warmth and comfort of my blue flannel shirt . For you sky watchers, the Hunters Moon is your gateway to fall; it will be visible on  Sunday, October 9, 2022, at 16:55 EST , based on the data provided by  NASA . Legend has it that Native Americans inspired the Full Moon's name as they prepared for the winter. They would start gathering provisions to get them through the winter. The October full moon is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the moon occurs when the season for hunting many game animals begins. That crisp, fresh, colorful time of year. Autumn is a ti