The Adair Family

Sometime around Christmas, or shortly thereafter, my family moved from Arthur Street in Corvallis to Adair Air Force Base. The kids out there molded themselves into a family. We had all sorts of things to do there, tennis courts, a gym, a snack bar, movies, just about anything to occupy us. I didn't cut any ties with the folks in Corvallis,as a matter of fact I used to hitch hike into town frequently. From time to time our Corvallis friends would come out the base to take part in our activities. Most of us grew very close and our social life was pretty much a group effort. This group of photos was taken of the "Adair family".


Claudia "Corki" Wallace, class of '65, Teresa Shiflett, Class of '66, Steve Shiflett, nicknamed "the Virginia peach" by Woodcock because that's where they moved from, I guess, and Jan Fletcher, class of '65. I wonder if the attraction of the monkey bars had any significance.

Woodcock and Don Payne showed up one night. I suppose Woodcock wanted to visit his adoring peasants to see how we were getting along. first row: Corki Wallace, Jan Fletcher, Teresa Shiflett, Steve Shiflett. Top: Pat Popovich, Bill "The Sheik" Woodcock, Jim Wright and Don Payne.


Don't let this fool you. Steve couldn't play a note on my old guitar. Accompanying the Virginia peach are Jan Fletcher, Teresa Shiflett and Corki Wallace.


It appears that there can be strife in all families as seen by Teresa Shiflett and Jan Fletcher who are trying to put Steve in his place. Or maybe this was a part of the Air Force physical conditioning program.


We'd all show up at someone's house and just hang around and enjoy the company and closeness of the group. Corki and Pete arm wrestle - I think Corki might have won.

What Jan, Steve and Corki were doing I haven't a clue, unless they were waiting for the bathroom to be free.

Pete tries to look intellectual while, yours truly seems to have discovered a new friend - a kitten I found in my pouch.

Pete and Patrice Costello have stolen the cat, who has found another friend.


Dobie Franklin has mastered a new mode of transportation while my brother, Jim, can't decide what to do with a ball that won't bounce. Note the world famous black Converse All-Stars, which were all the rage.

The Colonel and my mother's proudest day, graduation day - a day I don't think they thought possible. Or possible a day of massive relief.
Henry Johnson rode with us to graduation. Henry was a real quiet kid who was funny beyond belief... a good friend.

My brother Jim in our back yard at Adair.



The Air Force had a base picnic where almost everyone from Adair showed up. It was held at a park in Corvallis. As I remember it was pretty hot that day but everybody had a good time




Corki Wallace, Patrice Costello, Jean and Mary Reeves, and Teresa Shiflett have found a bigger toy to play with.


The Adair stud contingent poses at the picnic.

Spring In The South

Each part of our great country has its own way of introducing spring. Here in Mississippi some of the first signs of spring are the blooming of the Azaleas. Azaleas come in a variety of colors. The Wisteria also bloom at about the same time and give the appearance of grapes.


I took these photos around my neighborhood. Since I walk every morning, I decided to take my trusty camera and take photos of what I see at different times of the year to give you an idea of what it looks like down here in the South.

These are just a few of the Azaleas. They are literally all over the South.


This is the Wisteria. It's a vine and will run wild if not controlled. As you can see it can be trained. A lot of people will use it around arbors and decks and let it run up and over. It can create a nice covering or roof for an arbor.


I know Roses are found all over the country but I would be severely chastised and sent to bed without my supper if I didn't include my wife Teresa's climbing Roses.

The Dixon Street Gang

Back in the school year of '63-'64, Bill Woodcock's house at 1520 Dixon was the place a lot of us hung out. Bill's mom, June Woodcock Carter, was always a gracious hostess and whoever showed up at the door was made to feel welcome. Bill and Rollie called her, affectionately, "The Old B". As a matter of fact, I called her sometime in the past year and asked for "The Old B" and she immediately knew it was me even though I haven't seen her in almost 45 years. You could always find any number of people at Bill's house, which was right next door to Ralph Stovall's house and just across the street from Don Payne's house. I remember that Don's father had a really old car, a Plymouth I think, that he drove around in that Woodcock labeled the "Conestoga Wagon". I think that might be the rear end of the "Conestoga Wagon" that can be seen in the far right of the photo above.Above on Don Payne's Honda are: Don, also named, by Woodcock of course, HanBan, or Hondoo or Turkey S**t, as named by Rollie Woodcock, my brother Jim, david rodman, class of '63, and of course, His Eminence Bill Woodcock.

You all will recognize these guys, seen terrorizing a young child, maybe Bill's younger brother, Dickie. The pack leader and chief instigator, Woodcock, Ralph Stovall, Mike Hildenbrand, Rollie Woodcock, who had the driest wit of anybody I've ever encountered, and David "Korak" Myers who got his nickname because he was a rabid fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Remember the paperback book rack that was outside of the cafeteria where you could buy books? Korak was in heaven when the Edgar Rice Burroughs books started showing up - even though he probably had every one of them already. David was a neat and friendly guy who would occasionally get very intense, especially concerning E.R.B, ... may he rest in peace, he was a good friend and teammate.

Now this is a photo you'll want to keep away from your children, grandchildren, and small animals. I guess you could call it the predecessor to the current "hunk" calendars. Bill Woodcock, a legend in his own mind, Don Payne, whose spine seems to have poked through the front of his body, and "the Ralpher" Stovall who we sometimes called " The Human Machete" because of all of the sharp bones sticking through his skin. Ralph was a damn good football player for the Spartans and a funny guy with a great sense of humor.


Sandy Green, Class of '65, pictured left, had an old car that everyone called the "Nazi Wagon" which he would drive anywhere and through any thing. He delighted at driving through garbage cans. Riding with Sandy was a true adventure. Pictured with Sandy are my brother Jim and Jim Duthie, who was a really good distance runner on the track team and a really weird guy. I've always wondered what happened to Duthie.

Here's Bill's younger brother Rollie posing in front of Bill's mom's car with the late Jim Martin. At the time the car appeared to me to have the biggest fins I'd ever seen. Very sleek!


Here's Bill and Rollie, in their front yard. Note the sleek look of the fins on wheels behind them. Both seem to have developed a fondness for small animals.

Greg Bradsher and Michael Drennan stopped by Woodcock's house. Both were good friends and good guys. Greg lived out at Adair where I lived during the last part of the year. Greg drove...I didn't and he took me in to Corvallis one night to see Alicejean Engle - thanks Greg. Woodcock called Michael "Eldie" for his middle name. Michael and I went to see the OSU spring game late that year.


This photo I took of AJ the night Greg Bradsher gave me a ride in to the city. She and her parents lived in a neat old house over by the campus.


Now here's a crew. Over at Woodcock's house again. Scott Anderson, a young friend of Bill's youngest brother, Woodcock showing undying affection for Sandy Green, Dickie Woodcock, Sandy Green, Rollie Woodcock, Don Payne and Jim Wright. Quite often we would play touch football in the street in front of Bill's house, usually with Stoval, L.J. Fagnan, the Woodcocks, Don Payne and my brother. Sometimes we shot baskets on a goal that Woodcock had on his garage. After making a contorted basket one day, using what I called a "hook shot", Woodcock labeled my effort "the crude hook". After that, no matter what I shot...it was a "crude hook". Sometimes, when we had bigger football games, we'd go down to the end of the street and play on the"turf" of the junior high, which I understand is no longer there. L.J. and I lived a couple of blocks ffrom the school and the rest lived on or around dixon street. I think Butch House lived a street or two over from Dixon Street as did Suzi Corcoran.