Evening star., 1961-12-29
The
anlbIer
Wishes You
A Happy New Yeor
BY GEORGE KENNEDY

In this last column of 1861
the Rambler would like to
review his year.
He wants to start 1t early
in December of 1860 when he
published the prediction of
Jerome Namias, head Of ex-
tended forecasting in the
Weather Bureau, that 1t
would be a very severe win
ter. 1t sure was.
This year Mr.. Namias is
sticking to his prediction
made early in December that
1t will be a mild open winter
in the East. 1t sure has been
SO far.
High in memory is the pre-
inaugural blizzard when the
Rambler and two score or
more members were snow
bound in the Press Club. He
was lucky. Had he managed
to get his regular bus, he
would have been marooned
for seven hours on the High
way Bridge.
The Rambler felt for the
President on that cold ride in
an open car down Pennsyl-
vania avenue. He knew how
the President must have felt
because two days before the
inaugural he had sat in for
the President On a trial run
for the TV cameras. The
screaming sirens did nothing
to keep him warm. BY the
time he reached the White
House-he didn't go in-he
was frozen.
ON A WINDY APRIL Fri
day, Kelly. our little green
parakeet, flew out the front
door. Mrs. RS mother had
opened it to mail a letter.
This column on the following
Monday was entirely devoted
to our loss.
That night Kelly was back
home. A little boy coming
home from school had found
him on the windowsill of his
house, which was more than
two miles from ours. Kelly
was too tired-to avoid cap
ture.
Once inside he perked up
and began calling his name
again and again. That eve
ming the little boys grand
mother read about a para
keet named Kelly who flew
out the front door and whose
loss was very much mourned.
The little boy was broken
hearted about losing Kelly
but we got him another
parakeet - same size and
color.
Just last night Kelly gave
us another scare. Again he
flew to the shoulder of Mrs.
RS mother just as she was
going out. 1t was pitch dark
outside. The moon had not
come up. Kelly disappeared.
We think he flew up on the
roof. She called him, he flew
back on her shoulder and
stayed there as she went
back in the house.
On a Sunday in May the
Rambler was stricken with a
heart attack and taken to a
hospital in an ambulance
again with sirens screaming.
He wants to thank the
many readers who sent notes
of sympathy and encourage
ment. Many said they had
recovered from a coronary.
This cardiac club has many
members. Dwight David Eli
senhower is our hero. This
has nothing to do with his
military or political career
1t is based on the fact that
he lived-lived to run again.
%
THE RAMBLER WAS out
for 10 weeks, the last four a
sort of convalescent vaca-
ton. He never enjoyed one
more. With Mrs. r. driving
he set out to follow the trail
of young George Washington
on that winter journey tc
carry a letter from Colonial
Gov. Dinwiddie to the COM
mander of the French forces
who were preparing to take
over the Ohio Valley.
George delivered the letter
at Fort LeBoeuf, which il
now a village called Water.
ford, Is miles south of Erie
Pa. A little stream runs
through the town. 1t is one
of the headwaters of the Al.
legheny River. On it wa.
launched an armada thai