Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2016/12/26

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Subject: [Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!
From: hlritter at twc.com (Howard L Ritter Jr)
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2016 09:09:49 -0500
References: <000001d25e3a$102fd510$308f7f30$@ca> <5F3D7475-BBA1-4C73-9F68-9B2FA0E29A89@twc.com> <000b01d25e43$5d711ec0$18535c40$@ca>

That?s a great story, Ted! I guess the LUG will give you a pass on not 
posting photos of the event. Once survival had been assured, it must have 
been very annoying that despite being in the midst of a heart-stopping 
drama, you were too occupied in helping to ASSURE that survival to have been 
able to document it.

Hmmm?are you looking for someone to help you write your autobiography? 
Selling a few hundred copies to the LUG would be just the start, I?m sure!

Happy Boxing Day! (Or is that tomorrow, and today a holiday in the Great 
White North as it is here in the sunny south?)

?howard


> On Dec 24, 2016, at 7:10 PM, Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca> wrote:
> 
> Hi Howard, 
> As we were plunging toward the ice, pilot attempting every flying trick he 
> knew. He yelled at me to grab the fire extinguisher and when we landed to 
> jump out, run around to the other side of the chopper, open engine 
> compartment door and start pumping the fire extinguisher as quickly as 
> possible at any fire.
> Now I'm kneeling on the floor, camera in one hand, fire ext. in the other 
> when I realized God made an error and only gave us two hands and arms? :-( 
> So something had to be  modified given I had camera in one hand, fire 
> extinguisher in the other? And I'm a normal human being with two hands. So 
> how was I going to open the door to get out quickly?
> The first and only time I ever put a camera down with the potential for 
> exciting photos. Wham!!! we hit and as I already had my hand on the door 
> handle it popped open and I'm out like a rocket to the opposite side of 
> the chopper, Rotor blades going swishie-swishie over my head as I dashed 
> around to the opposite side. Pilot has his door open with smoke billowing 
> out. I grab handle, pop door open going to be hero of the day? Pilot 
> screams at me' "THAT'S THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT"!!!!!!!!! OOOPPPSSSS!! :-)
> Then I grabbed the correct handle and opened to a big poof of smoke! Mean 
> while rotor blades still swishing just above my head! Seemed like they 
> were getting closer?????? 
> As it turned out it was a fire within the heating unit. So we had it out 
> pretty quick. However we then had more than 2 hour flight "without heat" 
> to the nearest directional DECCA stn. Where we would be able to have plane 
> servicing. 
> Sorry no pictures of all this as you can imagine I had my hands full with 
> survival things. :-) Sure had a fast beating heart though! :-) 
> cheers,
> ted 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On 
> Behalf Of Howard L Ritter Jr
> Sent: December-24-16 3:28 PM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!
> 
> Well, the Great Spirit, who must know by now to keep you on a short leash, 
> is obviously much with you, Dr Ted, and for that we are all thankful as 
> well! 
> 
> A blessed Merry Christmas to you and the same year-end sentiments to all 
> LUGgers.
> 
> ?howard
> 
> P.S. Sure would like to hear more about that helicopter plunging toward 
> the Arctic ice?and to see the photos that the Dr Ted we know would have 
> gotten. If his equipment survived (Leica? I?ll bet it did!).
> 
> 
>> On Dec 24, 2016, at 6:04 PM, Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca> wrote:
>> 
>> MY CHRISMAS 2016 WISHES TO THE CREW! J 
>> 
>> I wish you all the most exciting moments you can possibly enjoy while
>> opening a gift from a friend or your caring LOVING FAMILY! J
>> 
>> I realize the CREW is made up of a number of varying religions. So be it. 
>> 
>> May I suggest for a "tiny moment" if you possibly can? Here's my "Great
>> Spirit" that has brought/got me this far? 
>> 
>> "The GREAT SPIRIT?" In reality, each and everyone of us has a "GREAT
>> SPIRIT". Each religion has a different name for "HE? or SHE?" 
>> 
>> Maybe you aren't involved in a religion? 
>> 
>> BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT? Out there somewhere there is a "Great Spirit" that
>> looks after you just as you "click?" The shutter assisting you to capture 
>> a
>> magical moment.
>> 
>> Now don't get all "TTTTTTing" J
>> 
>> Nor get all anti-religion as this has nothing to do with religion? "WELL 
>> AS
>> FAR AS I'M CONCERNED!"
>> 
>> My "GREAT SPIRIT" has pretty well always been on my shoulder saving my ass
>> during a few of the following!
>> 
>> 1/ Crashing in a Sprint car during a race on a half mile dirt track! 
>> Flipped
>> upside down and destroyed! The car was a write off. Me? Stitches in face 
>> and
>> head!
>> 
>> 2/ Crashing in a Stock Car then crashed into while I'm upside down hanging
>> on my seat belt!" four other cars into me destroying my car! 
>> 
>> 3/ In the high arctic on assignment the helicopter filled with smoke and 
>> we
>> are hundreds of miles from base camp falling toward the arctic ocean 
>> frozen
>> ice at 50 below zero. OOPS!JWalked away! Damn cold  
>> 
>> 4/A ski equipped twin Otter plane bad landing on Arctic ice, breaking a 
>> wing
>> and strut off. Rather bumpy one might say!  L
>> 
>> 5/ Survived two war assignments.. 1967 Mideast and a short time in  
>> Vietnam
>> 1968.
>> 
>> 6/ While in the center field shooting at car race and wheel came off car,
>> hit & FLIPPED me and cameras into the sky! OH YEA that hurt! I was by
>> ambulance to hospital!  but I survived! 
>> 
>> That merely touches the 65 years as a photojournalist hopping about the
>> world! That's because my "GREAT SPIRIT" has been on my shoulder all those
>> years! 
>> 
>> So there you go a bit about my "GREAT SPIRIT!"J
>> 
>> HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS DAY & a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!
>> 
>> CHEERS,
>> 
>> Dr. Ted Grant  C.M.  O.C. 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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Replies: Reply from geneduprey2015 at gmail.com (Gene Duprey) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!)
Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!)
Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES & MORE!!)
In reply to: Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!)
Message from hlritter at twc.com (Howard L Ritter Jr) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!)
Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] CHRISTMAS WISHES!)