Maynard Keller

Lest We Forget

2009-05-25T09:59:00.007-05:00

The United States of America designates the last Monday of May as Memorial Day--a day to remember those who so valiantly fought to preserve the freedoms we have.

Thousands lost their lives on the shores of Normandy, France, on the day we call D-day. My grandfather, Lloyd Theodore Guessford, Pfc., 29^th Infantry Division, 115^th Regiment, gave his life for his country on June 7, 1944. He left behind a wife and an infant daughter whom he had never met.

Many historians view D-Day as the turning point in World War II. Yet some prominent leaders in Washington who have never served in the military, much less fought in a war, criticize a strong national defense.

The families of veterans gave up so much: My mother, Barbara Ann Guessford, never sat on her father's lap. Her father never tucked her in bed or gave her a good night kiss. She sacrificed more than I will ever know.

I know very little about this man I would have called "Pop Pop" or my mother would have called "Daddy." I discovered he was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. Did he have special talents in music or other areas? What were his likes and dislikes?

I owe so much to my grandfather--without him, I would not be here. Although he no longer physically lives on earth, part of him lives on in my mother, me, and my five children. I dedicate this article to all the "Lloyd Guessfords" who sacrificed so that we might have freedom in America.

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O valiant hearts, who to your glory came

Through dust of conflict and through battle flame;

Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,

Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.

Proudly you gathered, rank on rank, to war,

As who had heard God's message from afar;

All you had hope for, all you had, you gave

To save mankind--yourself you scorned to save

John Stanhope Arkwright

Daniel's Violin Recital

2008-05-24T09:38:00.006-05:00

Daniel had a wonderful violin recital May 23. This spring recital was presented by students from the studios of Deborah Richardson (a piano teacher) and Rosalie Opalka, Daniel's teacher. There were 26 students who performed. Below is a short video of his performance of Praise To The Lord The Almighty.

2007 Big Lick Triathlon

2007-10-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

This year's triathlon was a first for our team. Because we had a female swimmer, we had a mixed team--a rose among the thorns! She is an accomplished triathlete, but wasn't quite up to doing the entire event herself this year. This was perfect for our team.

We had a beautiful 66 degree morning and light wind. The only thing that was not perfect was me. I had been fighting a cold for several days. In addition the day before the race I fell near my driveway as I was practicing my dismount. I banged up my elbow and hurt my pride!

We arrived early and had time to think and get ready. Our team practiced transferring the timing chip to one another. This paid handsome dividends during the race.

Gretchen did a great job as our swimmer and finished in 27:39.

Next was my turn. My faithful Bianchi was one of the older bikes on the field. I saw more technology than ever before--carbon fiber frames, aero wheels, aero helmets, etc. I headed out strong and went as fast as I could. However, I did not feel as strong as usual. This was reflected in my time of 01:18. This was 7 minutes slower than last year.

Our runner, Ed, is both an accomplished runner and cyclist. In his role as runner, he had the fastest time in the entire field: 34:07! Not bad for a guy in his 40s.

Our transitions were exceptional and we all did our best. Our total team time was 2:20:54. Congratulations to team TraditionalValuesIndex.com

Maynard

Big Lick Triathlon 9/23/2006 Over The Hill

2006-09-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Team Over The Hill

Our first triathlon was exactly one year ago. We took 3rd place. I was hooked.

May 2006 was our second triathlon, a sprint distance. We took 1st place.

The weather was good in spite of a chance of rain. The cloudy sky was great for keeping things cool. The only challenge was going to be the 15-20 mph southwest wind. The relay teams went out in the 5th wave of swimmers. David finished in just over 24 minutes. Last year we wasted too much time in the transitions. This year we practiced and minimized those times. The pressure was now on me to complete the 40K bike course in good time. Please keep in mind this is using a steel-framed 1980s vintage Bianchi frame and no aerobars. My drivetrain is Campy Chorus 8, and I borrowed a Rolf Vigor Prima front wheel from my friend, Martin--thanks!. I also performed the rite of passage of every serious cyclist: I shaved my arms and legs!

My pace heading out was fast. The key was to pace myself so I wouldn't hit "the wall" before the finish line. About half-way, we started heading back--uphill and into the headwind. I felt like I was crawling along. Apparently everyone else felt the same way because no one passed me. With about 5 miles to go, we had a few nice downhills. Then suddenly State Park Drive appeared for the final mile. I gave it all I had, passed a guy who was flying, he passed me, but I passed him with 10 feet to go.

We worked hard, minimized transition times, received 2nd place, and beat last year's team time by 6 minutes! I thought our transitions were excellent. My actual cycling time was around 1:10.

If anyone has a nice triathlon or time trial bike built for a 6'0" person, let me know. I would like to get my time closer to one hour!

Maynard

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