Passing the time.......

[Bob Wright]

We, Nita and I, are staying in during this crisis. Nita has COPD and I dare not get out any more than absolutely necessary. Loading is about saturated now, as is cleaning and just admiring my guns. So what now?

During most of my life I kept a camera handy, and most of the 35 mm stuff has been converted to SD memory cards. So, I've been converting these slide shows onto (into?) DVDs that we can pop into the DVD player and enjoy watching on our 42" digital TV. I have one DVD that I call "Out for A Drive" which contains some 930 photos, and divided up into four segments. Vacations and family gatherings are included, a trifle sad as many of those in the photos are no longer with us, but do provide fond memories. And certainly there are a few of guns, holsters, and gun related photos about which Nita has little interest.

But we can put in a DVD, kick back the recliners, and enjoy our past!

Incidentally, if we so desire, we can turn off the TV, turn on the stereo, and listen to my narration of a long-ago vacation.

Ahhhh! Memories!


Bob Wright

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The modern version of the "vacation slide show".

 

[Bob Wright]

The modern version of the "vacation slide show".

Yep, so it is. But then there's no setting up a screen, finding an extension cord and table for the projector. Nothing to trip over, no one standing up and blocking the on-screen image. and no slide loaded upside down or backward.

Bob Wright

 

[bogus bill]

I have about a 40 pound box of old 8 or 16 mm film my folks took in the 1950`s to the 80`s. My parents are long gone and I dont even know if the film is still good. I dont have a projector nor screen. I know there are outfits that will put them on video but think it is expensive. I suppose the right way to do it would be to find a screen and projector and edit out a lot of useless and poor quality film and take the best parts and send off to be converted into a disk? There is all kinds of old friends and relatives long gone on them. Sounds like it would be a big, long time consuming job and real expensive! I do wish my great grandparents and back would have the means to do similar.
It seems most younger people could care less what their ancestors looked like until they themselves get a lot older.

 

[AJGUNNER]

I have about a 40 pound box of old 8 or 16 mm film my folks took in the 1950`s to the 80`s. My parents are long gone and I dont even know if the film is still good. I dont have a projector nor screen. I know there are outfits that will put them on video but think it is expensive. I suppose the right way to do it would be to find a screen and projector and edit out a lot of useless and poor quality film and take the best parts and send off to be converted into a disk? There is all kinds of old friends and relatives long gone on them. Sounds like it would be a big, long time consuming job and real expensive! I do wish my great grandparents and back would have the means to do similar.
It seems most younger people could care less what their ancestors looked like until they themselves get a lot older.

Spend the money and get them done---someone down the line will thank you later, even if you never get the chance to meet them---grandchild or great grandchild. My moms side had lots of home movies from the 40's to 60's that I had never seen. My uncle had possession and at some point had them converted. While he aged and was downsizing he asked if I wanted them. I said heck yes. He says come on down so we can watch and I will narrate to you so you can pass them along and know who all the people were. Grandpa was youngest of 13 and grandma was youngest of 9. Before I got around to sitting down with my uncle, he up and dies. Weeks later his sister also dies. Fast forward 6 months and mom dies.

I never got my hands on the film. A distant cousin sent a link and I was able to see about 30 minutes, but sadly had no idea who most of the people were, where they were, or any of the context. Lots of neat stuff of brand new cars---48 Hudson grandpa bought for a trip from Oregon to Texas---would have loved to hear the stories along that trip.

Another thing that the cousin did was transcribe a cassette tape she had found. One night when mom, aunt, and uncle were at their folks place in the early 90's my mom had popped a cassette tape in and started recording. They basically prompted their folks (my grandparents) to start talking about their younger days. Absolutely GOLDEN stuff!!! Hearing stories of growing up in the Los Angles area in the 1910 to 1940ish era. Skipping school to hit the beach, sneaking out to get some hooch and girls. I never would have figured my grandma sneaking out at night to run off to Vegas to get married in the 30's.

As they say about hind sight---only wish there was more stuff like this to be checking out now while confined to home. I even recently prompted my dad(82) to sit down and start writing some of his early life experiences. Mostly would love to hear more details about he and my uncles roaming the woods with a model 67 Winchester to help feed the family. This was when they were only 6, 8 and 9 years old.

Don't put it off---spend the money to have them fixed up/converted, and take the time to either record or write down the context & stories as you remember them.

 

[bogus bill]

Thanks, I need to work on it. My parents were born in 1913/1914. At one time I did a lot of genealogy on the family and lost it all as I wasn't computer literate when it crashed. I still need to learn the ropes on this stuff. I probably should hit the pawn shops and see if I can get a projector and screen. I need to join ancestory.com again.

 

[protoolman]

The modern version of the "vacation slide show".

Yep, so it is. But then there's no setting up a screen, finding an extension cord and table for the projector. Nothing to trip over, no one standing up and blocking the on-screen image. and no slide loaded upside down or backward.

Bob Wright

Yes the upside down slides. And the kids yelling about the naked baby pictures in the bathtub. Or the disappointment of a blown projector bulb halfway through. And with no screen you can't do shadow puppets on the screen while dad changes slide cartridges. Why did those old primitive slide shows seem better though?