Sometime, perhaps plus or minus a year or so, in the year 2000 Pa decided to make a Web Site.  At that time it was built using the 'free' Geo City'.  A friend,  Hurluf would stop by and give lots and lots of help.  What is now called the 'narrative' on this site was in fact, with minor exceptions the 'The Home Page' and it's links the entire Web Site.  At that time Geo Cities provided, if remembered correctly, 5 or 10 MB of 'free storage'.  The key, is that a Home Station Web Site was established.  Since Geo City it has been on three other servers.  At present it is located at Go Daddy and all is well, at over 1GB of content.   Well maybe not so well.

From the start the site was to be a history of Ma and Pa at the Home Station, to include how we got here, and what we have been doing since our arrival.  To that end, perhaps one could call it a Family Site.  One could have done this with a lot of words, but someone said, maybe a Chinaman, that a picture is worth a 1000 words.  Hence the site is mostly pictures.   Pa has not been very selective as to the pictures he has posted.  In most cases he posts all.   He has also posted those of other folks.  The organization of pictures - The Family Photo Album, is not a easy task.

One could have just posted them in the order taken and/or received. Not such a good idea.  At first Pa tried individual pages by some sort of 'subject' such as Deer or Turkeys or what ever.  That was a great idea, but ya know what the 'pages' got MANY and the Home Page became just a listing of many 'links'.  That system soon broke down.

Pa then got 'smart' and tried to consolidate like links into a single link - leading to a page that contained a listing of sub links of that contrived subject.  Yep you are correct that system soon broke down, also.

Then Pa got smarter yet, he became much like an Indian, and decided on the Flow of the Seasons -- Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  No matter what happened photos and comments  were posted within the season, by subject and sub subject.  Within the 'Season' many subjects have became common such as 'Around and About', 'The August Picnic', or 'From Others', etc.  There was also room for special events such as Graduation, Engagement Parties, etc.  

In an effort to add 'organization' to what had become a 'disorganized mess' Pa added the 'Page of Links' to the Home Page.  On the Page of Links you will find a mixture of all the systems used in the past. However, at the very bottom of the table of links you will find -- Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  That system seems to be working OK for now.

When one mixes 'systems', however,  one outcome is duplication.  Pa has decided that all of the pictures are much too good, hence, some duplication just might be enjoyed.  Well maybe, not.  If ya find dupes just quickly go on your way - they should not last that long.  Maybe someday Pa will get organized and remove the dupes.  In the mean time, please enjoy the picures and history, at least on the first time ya pass by.

The posting of the  'Old Black Book' has caused most of the duplication.  The 'Old Black Book' is just that the  Black Photo Album, with some dust rubbed off when taken from the book case.  Most likely Pa will not add to the 'Old Black Book', but will continue withe the Flow of the Seasons.

One section that was removed from the Site is the 'Campfire'.   It was a bulleten board, where Pa was hoping that folks would sit around the campfire and tell stories of past, present and future.  Few posted, hence Pa took it down.  

Sometime in the past, forgot when,  Pa added the 'Blog'.  For awhile Pa was going to use this location for his Journal, but decided such would perhaps be duplication of the 'Almost Daily E-Mails' sent from the Home Station.  Instead of a Journal, it has turned into a not very often used place  where Pa 'references' and/or posts his feelings on 'this or that' taking place in the world.  The postings may or may not be Pa's position, but are posted to open thought and or comment.  It is,  a place that Pa can 'let off steam' in a somewhat public place.  Then again, it just might be a place for Grand Children, when of age can find out what Grandpa thought about 'this or that'.   Pa has no record of the thoughts of his Grand Father.  Most likely many may not  go there, but some have, cause every once in awhile Pa gets a comment and/or e-mail about the content posted.  That is good.    Pa has felt for a long time that such discussion is much too much suppressed in our current more ways.  That is, to make our system work there must be an exchange of ideas and alternate solutions -- how else can we find the best solution, if one does not seek and  explore many.

You should note tha Pa posts his own stuff plus content recieved from others.  Postings of others to the Blog are  'links', hence ya get the original when ya click.  Photos, recieved from others when posted may or may not be referenced to the 'taker'.  In any case, should you find something that you don't really want to share - let Pa know and he will remove the content.  The easy way is to copy the URL from the address bar in your browser - send it along.  That way Pa knows what ya are objecting to -- he will take it down.

Should ya have any great ideas as to how Pa can improve  The Home Station Web Site -- your ideas pro or con are welcome.  Con without a recommendation as to improvement is not much help, however.  One of Pa's Pa's favorite positions was -- "That if ya do things the same way today as you done them yesterday -- you have not improved"