Check my lense list for a look at some of my hobbies. http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Billco Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:15:12 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/huntingarrowheads I loved the outdoors when I was a kid. Since I lived in a rural area and I was outdoors as often as possible, I picked up the occasional arrowhead. I was lucky enough to find several, along with a bag full of pottery sherds, when land was being cleared for a lake. If I had only known then what I know now I could have built a substantial collection in that one place and also found many more productive sites within walking distance from my home that don't exist today because of suburban sprawl. And as long as that lake holds water, I'll never find another arrowhead there. diy Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:04:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/visit-heidelberg Heidelberg, located on the banks of the Neckar River, is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Around every corner is a scene worthy of a picture postcard. While a member of the U.S. military, I lived near the city for a little over two and a half years. Since then, I have visted most of the major cities in Europe, but Heidelberg remains my favorite. All of the photos are from my photo albums. travel Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:42:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/wrestlingcollectibles America's love for professional wrestling dates back many years before Wrestlemania, Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. In 1916, fans actually paid to see Joe Stecher and Ed "Strangler" Lewis wrestle to a five hour draw and the finish was preplanned just like Vince McMahon's shows are today. A Masked Marvel was performing in this country as far back as 1915. Wrestling, in this country anyway, has never been a true test of skill. It's all about the show and keeping the engine running. Always has been, and there's no reason to think that it won't always be. Attempts have been made to market legit pro wrestling, but they've all failed miserably for the simple reason that real wrestling doesn't excite the paying customer. Just as Hulk Hogan and The Rock are household names today, so once were Jim Londos and Antonino Rocca. Gorgeous George probably sold as many TV sets as Milton Berle. Jerry Lawler at one time was the second most recognized name in Memphis - behind Elvis. The merchandising of professional wrestling had to be as exciting as the show itself because it sold the tickets. diy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:05:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/schwetzingen Schwetzingen is located about midway between Heidelberg and Mannheim. A stay in Heidelberg would be incomplete without a day trip to Schwetzingen. One could easily spend several hours strolling through the castle grounds. The city of Schwetzingen has a nice mix of shops, restaurants, coffeehouses, and other establishments to spend the rest of the day. Tompkins Barracks is a 15 minute walk from Schwetzingen. Since World War II, thousands of Americans have spent time at Tompkins. I was stationed there in late 1970's and found Schwetzingen a very pleasant place to spend my free time. travel Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:07:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/collectingpaper Ephemera are paper items that were originally meant to be discarded after use, but have since become collectibles. I was born a collector. When I was a little kid I picked up bird feathers, rocks - you named it. At Christmas time, I cut all the pictures that I could find of Santa Clause out of all the magazines and newspapers I could find and I pasted them in spiral bound notebooks. I was an ephemera collector at the age of five or six. It is very easy to become an ephemera collector. Of all collectibles, it probably has the most economically pleasing entry point for the beginning collector. Tons of it is free. The fact that is free doesn't mean that it's not historically or monetarily valuable, or will be in the future. diy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:08:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/autographed I've always been a collector. If I found one of anything, I'd usually end up with at least a dozen, maybe hundreds. But the one collectible that not only didn't interest me, but I failed to see how anybody else would want them was autographs. Why would one person be interested in the signature of another? I just didn't get it. But almost by accident I ended up with an autograph collection, largely due to my involvement in the video rental industry beginning mid-80's. I didn't make it to the Video Software Dealer's Convention until 1994 but relatives who did attend in earlier years brought back autographs of such famous and not so famous people as Milton Berle, Buddy Ebsen, Bill Hanna & Joe Barberra, Pia Zadora and Sissy Spacek. I finally made the trip to Vegas in 1994. Little did I know at the time that our company would be sold a few months later and this would be my last trip to the convention, but I'm thankful for that one trip because after meeting Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, Tommy Bond of Little Rascal fame, Richard Simmons (my wife likes him), documentary maker Ken Burns, and several big name baseball players and professional wrestlers, I finally got it - its not about the scribble, it's about the connection. A photograph freezes one moment in time and connects the present with the past. So does an autograph. Almost 14 years later, I can look at my Alan Shepard signed photo and think back to that short conversation with one of the few men who have walked on the moon! I don't doubt that a hundred years from now somebody could very well be looking at that photo and wonder about the circumstances that led to that signed photo. diy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:07:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/autographsonebay I've been collecting autographs for 14 years and eBay is by far by most productive source that I've found for quality autographs. Though it is true that eBay is riddled with fakes and forgeries, with a little caution, buying on eBay will add more authentic autographs to your collection at a fraction of the price than most anywhere else. diy Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:10:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bessemeralabamamounds The Bessemer Mounds are located at a bend of Valley Creek, which flows into the Warrior River twenty-five miles downstream. The site is located in Jefferson County, within the city limits of Bessemer, Alabama near the site of Old Jonesboro. The Bessemer Mounds were first occupied during Late Woodland between 800 A.D. and 1000 A.D. From 100 A.D to 1500 A.D., three Mississippian phase mounds were built over the Woodland village. Archaeologists believe that there was a relationship between the people who built the mounds at Moundsville, Alabama, which was the largest population center in the southeast 800 years ago, and the people who built the Bessemer Mounds. The Bessemer Mounds are approximately 400 years older than the mounds at Moundsville, approximately 75 miles southeast. education Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:10:59 -0600