John F Perry Archives

December 5, 2025

Always Check the Rearview Mirror

When I hit Route Z west of Gordonville after visiting in-laws John and Dee Perry, I saw a huge, orange orb getting ready to drop below the horizon. There wasn’t a good place to stop, so I wrote it off.

Instead of turning left onto 25 to go to Cape, though, I went right to see what was happening in Dutchtown. The sun was gone, but I pulled off on a levee road just south of the Diversion Channel when I saw the sky still had some color. (Click on the photos to make them larger.)

The water in the foreground is what I thought Dad would call a Bar Pit. It wasn’t until many years later that I learned that it was a BORROW pit, a hole created when dirt was removed to make fills somewhere else.

Other kids counted cows and out-of-state license tags on road trips. Dad had us boys call out “Cut” or “Fill” to identify where the topography had been altered to reduce the road grades between hills and valleys.

Plowed the same ground in 2014

Interestingly enough, I had pulled off in the same place in 2014 (with far more dramatic results).

Super Moon

When I looked into the rearview mirror to back out of the levee road, this guy popped up.

I had learned years ago that it was a waste of time to chase the moon because it would always move faster than you can. This fits into my motto, “Shoot it when you see it before all the magic leaks out.”

November 11, 2021

Louis R. Perry – WWII & Korea

The country’s pandemic lockdown kept me out of Florida for almost two years. When I returned to Missouri, I carried a van loaded with old film, prints, clips and other journalistic detritus.

Along with my stuff, Wife Lila packed a box of Perry family photos for Sister Marty. A special selection of photos will go to Brother John for his “military trunk.”

This short newspaper brief tells about all I know right now about Lila’s Uncle Louis R. Perry, who served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. He was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service during the Korean campaign.

Watching Louis grow up

You can see Louis grow up from a somewhat skinny young man to a mature sailor. Click on any photo to make it larger, then use the arrow keys to move around.

The USS Rochester (CA-124)

Louis spent a good portion of his service aboard the USS Rochester, an Oregon City-class heavy cruiser that was launched in 1945.

On Sept. 13, 1950, The Rochester provided support for the troops landing on Inchon. On Sept. 17, two Korean aircraft that were mistakenly thought to be friendly, dropped four bombs on the ship. Three of them missed, and the fourth smashed the ship’s crane, but failed to detonate.

There were no American casualties, but the crew painted a Purple Heart on the crane.

The vessel was refitted several times during her life, but she was eventually scrapped in 1974.

Perry family has history of service

Going-away party for Wyatt Perry 07-14-2012

I made this photo at a going-away party when Wyatt Perry, John and Dee’s son, was shipping out for the marines.

Left to right: Laurie Perry Everett, Drew Perry, Wyatt Perry, John F. Perry, Rocky Everett.

John Perry was Navy and served in Vietnam. Drew just finished up his enlistment in the Marines.

Laurie Perry Everett, joined the Army, where the diminutive blonde became a Military Police officer. She was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany, but she either visited or was deployed in France, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Israel, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece and Switzerland, among others.

One of her jobs was processing new troops, explaining the local customs and making them aware of what they needed to know. One soldier, Rocky Everett, commented to his buddy, “I’m going to date that girl one day.”

March 24, 2016

International Turtle Day

I went into the Buchheit Store between Cape and Jackson looking for a hot water heater for Mother’s house. It’s been banging and clanging for years, but I think the tank is so filled with sediment that there’s no room for water. Missouri cold water is a lot colder that Florida cold water, as I found out in the shower the other morning.

On the side of the tank, in my handwriting, was a note, “6/19/87.”

I called Wife Lila’s brother, John Perry, who had installed it, and said, “John, you told me that this thing had a lifetime warranty.”

“Well,” he said, “When I told you that, I never thought you’d live this long.”

But, that’s not really the point of the story.

“Your hat has a turtle on it”

The young gal at the customer service desk bagging fresh popcorn looked up when I asked where the hot water tanks live and said, “Today is International Turtle Day, and you are wearing a cap with a turtle on it.”

Indeed, I was. It’s the logo for the real estate company Kid Matt works for down in Jupiter, Florida.

(P.S. Kid, the hat is looking a little bedraggled, certainly not the image that a high-end real estate company would want to project. Maybe it’s time for a new one.)

“Easy content,” I thought. I’ll look up a few factoids about International Turtle Day, grab a few file photos I’ve run of turtles and turn in early.

Alas, it WASN’T International Turtle Day

March 23 ISN’T International Turtle Day. It’s been May 23 since it was started in 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue. To add to the confusion, I’ve seen it as both World Turtle Day and International Turtle Day.

The puppy and I have the same expression.

Well, at least the gal was right about where the hot water heaters were.

December 10, 2015

Too Pooped to Post

Brother-in-Law John and I spent a whole day validating the Rule of Threes: every project will cost three times as much as anticipated, require three times as long as planned, and will take at least three trips to any place you plan to buy parts. Actually, I’m pretty sure we were into the Rule of Sixes and Nines on a couple of items.

I’m too tired to tell the whole story tonight, but I’ll give you a hint that it involves something in this photo.