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YAMHILL COUNTY FAIR 2026, THE OLDEST COUNTY FAIR IN OREGON

July 31, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I went to the Yamhill County Fair for the rides? Noooo. Luckily I went with my wife and our friend (hey Josette) and they weren’t jumping in line. Neither was anyone else since we were there early. It opens at 10. So why drive out into the farmland past towns and graveyards full of pioneers? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4H, americana, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, corndog, county fair, cows, education, family, farm animals, farming, goats, history, learning, mcminnville oregon, North Bend, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rabbits, ranching, Social media, story, travel, veterans, wife, writer, writers, writing, Yamhiill county, yamhill county fair

WE THE PEOPLE, NOT PEE-POLE

December 10, 2025 by David Gillaspie

‘We the People’ are the difference makers others count on. Maybe not you or me, but the folks out there agitating for change, for better outcomes for themselves and their loved ones. Loved ones? You know, the people you think of when you get a warm fuzzy feeling that things are going the right direction […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Constitution, education, freedom, history, ideologies, ideology, illegal order, justice, learning, liberty, magna carta, MARRIAGE, married, millennials, Oregon, pee, pee pole, Portland Oregon, story, things happen, Thomas Jefferson, travel, veterans, we the people, writer, writers, writing

HAPPY DAYS PAID FORWARD WITH LITTLE WHITE LIES

June 7, 2025 by David Gillaspie

My happy days were like any other baby boomer happy days. Like every other six year old at the time I watched enough TV to notice important people. One thing they all had in common: They were all old men. Then this guy showed up.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 1960, baby boomer, BOOMER, Dad, elected, family, first lady, following orders, grandma, grandpa, happy days, heal, history, important people, killing machines, life, long time passing, loss, Mom, mom and dad, old men, president of the united states, veterans, world events

WIDOW MAKER: A LOGGER’S NIGHTMARE

April 7, 2024 by David Gillaspie

My Grandpa on my mom’s side was her step-dad, though as kids we never knew it. Why? Because it didn’t matter. He was married to Grandma and she was a boss. Besides, he was the best choice between the three. One was a yeller, the other was far away, and Grandpa was just right. He […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, boss, cancer, Dad, dying, fool killer, grandma, grandpa, intervention, logger, Marine, Mom, Renaissance Man, stand up, stood up, veterans, widow maker, wife and kids

UROLOGY WARD FOR THE BASHFUL

March 24, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Nurse: The urology ward is the last place you want to see in a VA hospital. Blogger: Why is that? Nurse: These are veterans committed to showing big balls and everything that goes along with it. Blogger: Everything that goes along with big balls? Like a tight jockstrap? Nurse: Virility and testosterone. Blogger: I don’t […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: audience, big balls, blame, bleeding, competent, exceptional, hospital, nurse, nurse assistants, penile reconstruction, penis, recovery, testosterone, urological, urology, urology ward, VA, VA hospital, veterans, virility, workable wienie

MILLION VETERANS PROGRAM, MVP

November 17, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The VA sent out a mailer for joining the Million Veterans Program. The MVP is asking veterans to join 940,000 others to help improve health care for veterans. As a veteran of the Gerald Ford Army, the VA sent the request to my address. That alone shows efficient dexterity in such a huge agency. To […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: AGENT ORANGE, all volunteer army, America, Army, blogger, David Gillaspie, draft board, education, efficient dexterity, GI Bill, health care, millennials, million veterans program, muhammad Ali, MVP, student loan, the army, travel, veterans, vietnam draft, vietnam era, vietnam veterans, writer

VETERAN SKILLS ON VETERANS DAY

November 11, 2022 by David Gillaspie

Veteran skills I like to explain to my wife: We hear everything, but we don’t respond to every little thing. Why? We’re saving up to respond to the big things better. Or, most likely we might be a little deaf and this is an excuse. What did she say?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: AGENT ORANGE, baby boomer, blogger, BOOMER, boomerpdx, burn pit, chickenhawk, enjoy, joy, veteran, veteran experience, veteran skills, veterans, Veterans Day

VETERANS HEALTH FROM THE 1974 ARMY ONWARD

July 30, 2022 by David Gillaspie

Veterans health came to mind during boot camp at Fort Ord, California. The gas chamber was on the schedule a few days after I was demoted from Platoon Guide, to Squad Leader, to regular army guy. I takes a special soldier to get demoted in boot camp, and I was that guy. It happened twice […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, burn pits, gas chamber, health care, pact act, senate, toxic burn pits, veterans, veterans health, voting

LATE SIXTIES GATHERING: 500K IN VIETNAM, 400K AT WOODSTOCK

July 21, 2022 by David Gillaspie

A late Sixties gathering in the air: We would take off at max gross weight 6000 pounds light on fuel. At the first refueling we would fill up to the inflight max gross weight to head North. Refueling here was a “piece of cake.” Try it at night and in the weather and was […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, external conflict, internal conflict, late sixties, LATE SIXTIES GATHERING, Portland Oregon, top gun, veterans, Vietnam, Vietnam War, Woodstock

CHEKHOV’S UNLOADED GUN ON THE WALL

May 26, 2022 by David Gillaspie

After gun safety class, there’s no such thing as an unloaded gun until you check it out yourself. Check the bolt, the magazine, the barrel, and check it while it’s pointed away from anyone. And away from yourself. Chekhov’s unloaded gun is a different deal.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Anton Chekhov, AR-15, army reserve, Chekhov's gun, gun, gun safety, gun stores, honorable discharge, national guard, russian, Russian short stories, russian writer, short stories, short story, suicide, suicide awareness, Tigard, Tigard Oregon, unloaded gun, veterans