A fun long-over due trip back to my College Town!

 In 1997-1998, I attended Western Kentucky University for a degree in meteorology. Now, 27 years later, I happily connected with 4 old friends from that time and one recent one from my paranormal books. Of course, there was a little hotel issue, but i rectified it. That's what today's blog is about. 

(Photo: Rob flew into the Nashville airport and drove 90 minutes north to Bowling Green, KY)

WHY KENTUCKY? - WKU offered a 2 year degree program, with a deep concentration. Prior to that, I had degrees in radio and television, English and Business management. I had also taken all the prerequisite math courses at a community college, so I only needed the hard-core meteorology and physics courses. Within 1 1/2 years I graduated with distinction, but over that time I made some wonderful friends with whom I've always stayed in touch.

HOW DID I KEEP UP?  - One of the things I love to do is send postcards. I even make my own by cutting out boxes of food items, like my Pop Tarts, cereal, protein bars, and other things. It takes 2 minutes to write a post card and it lets friends know you're thinking of them. Of course, in the late 1990s, email started to come into its own, so that became a thing. Then facebook and all kinds of social media came along, making it easier to stay in touch. Everyone I befriended also got Holiday cards to let them know where I was and what was happening. 

No one that I attended school with lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky any more, but there were still friends I met in other ways. 

(Photo: Rob and Frank)

FRANK - We met when I attended church in Bowling Green. You know that sometimes you sit next to someone and start talking? That's what happened with us, and we became good friends. Frank  is an amazing man. He's worked for a city fitness center as a Fitness Wellness Supervisor, through the Parks and Recreation division. He's also a CPT, and EMT. He teaches fitness courses, too. I was so excited to see him after all this time! 

(Photo: Rob (L), John (C), Martha R)

JOHN AND MARTHA - When I was living in Bowling Green, I also met John in church. In fact, I did readings for him... he was a priest, but retired and went to work in another profession. He also later met and married Martha, and together they're a spiritual, progressive powerhouse. Both are warm and wonderful and I've even connected to their cat Faith who passed. 

(Photo: Kuntry Kitchen in Morgantown, Kentucky)

Since they live over 1 hour from where I was, we made plans to meet at a small restaurant in between, called Kountry Kitchen - a true Kentucky experience. John has been great at staying in touch by email over the last quarter century, and I appreciate that so much.  I couldn't hug them enough, and John very much remembered Frank from church.

(Photo: Rob and Chris outside Teresa's restaurant)

CHRIS B. - When I went to school in Bowling Green, I worked part time for a cable company in the production department, and worked with Chris. I remember Chris as a very tall, wiry guy with glasses and a wry smile, who was so incredibly talented as a TV producer and photographer. It was like 27 years had not gone by. We enjoyed breakfast in a local restaurant called Teresas. It had wooden beams in the ceiling and a tile floor. It had a true rural feel, and good food. 

(Photo: Rob and Chris at the Waffle House!) 

CHRIS & LESLIE - A couple of years ago I did a pet spirit reading for a dog named Winnie. His parents, Chris and Leslie had several questions about Winnie and were thankfully comforted by Winnie's messages. Chris continued to stay in touch and ask great paranormal questions. I really enjoy conversing by email and when I told him about my trip, he was excited to meet me, as I was to meet him. I didn't arrive to the city until 8pm, but we met at the Waffle House and had coffee and great conversation. You never know how you'll make friends that mean so much.

(Photo: My room at the quiet Hilton, which was awesome)

HOTEL STUFF - Before the trip I booked a room for a couple of nights at the Days inn by Windham, which unfortunately was right against Interstate 65, a highly traveled Truck route between Nashville and Louisville. I slept maybe 2 hours. It was brutal. I booked through Hotel.com, and they refused to refund anything as I cancelled the other 2 nights. The people managing the hotel were nice enough, but can't do anything for 3rd party bookings. 

LESSON - NEVER USE 3RD PARTY HOTEL BOOKINGS.

(Photo: It was springtime in bloom in Bowling Green, while southern Maine got snow, rain and sleet).

HOTEL SALVATION - Tom and our friend Jeff texted me and directed me to the Hilton 1 mile away from the interstate. I drove there, and booked a room. The woman at the desk, Debbie, was a kind, sweet, sympathetic southern woman, who obviously knew I hadn't slept by looking at me!  So she booked me on the newly updated 4th floor with no one else on the floor. I slept from 9:30pm to 7a.m. I haven't slept that long since I was 16. The Hilton was awesome, clean and quiet and I got to work out at the nice gym (they had a pool, too, which I didn't use).

BOTTOM LINE - I missed connecting with my friend Sheryl from the cable company, but there were only 2 days and a lot of driving. Overall, the trip proves that when you make good friends, they'll always be good friends.  

Idiot of the Week: Trump's Religious Advisor indicted for child sex crimes

This week's idiot is Donald Trump's Religious Advisor, Robert Morris, who on March 14, 2025 was indicted for child sex crimes that date all the way back to the 1980s! That sick SOB.  These so-called religious people accuse others to throw suspicion away from them,  and then commit child sex crimes themselves. This bastard supported Texas' "Bathroom Bill" to keep transgender people out of bathrooms "to prevent child sexual abuse" and HE, the straight, religious man was the abuser.   Here's the story about this week's idiot... (and it's a 2 for 1 idiot in the photo). 

 (Photo:   Donald Trump is greeted by Pastor Robert Morris Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images/Oklahoma.gov)  

Robert Morris, former Texas megachurch pastor and Trump adviser, indicted for child sex crimes

 Morris is a former spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, and Gateway — one of the nation’s largest megachurches — has been particularly active in Dallas-area GOP politics.

By Robert Downen, March 12, 2025, The Texas Tribune

Robert Morris, the Dallas-area megachurch pastor who resigned last year amid sexual abuse allegations, has been indicted in Oklahoma for child sex crimes that date back to the 1980s.

Morris is a former spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, and Gateway — one of the nation’s largest megachurches — has been particularly active in politics. In 2020, Trump held a “Roundtable on Transition to Greatness” there that was attended by then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr and other prominent Republicans.

Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said in a Wednesday evening press release.

The indictment comes less than a year after Morris resigned from Gateway Church in Southlake after an adult woman, Cindy Clemishire, said Morris repeatedly sexually assaulted her while she was a child in Oklahoma in the 1980s. Morris was at the time working as a traveling preacher.

In a Wednesday text message, Clemishire said through an attorney that she was grateful for the indictments.

“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” she said. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.”

Clemishire’s disclosure came as the Dallas religious community was still reeling from a handful of recent sex abuse scandals. Since then, at least a dozen Dallas-area churches or pastors have been accused of committing or concealing sexual misconduct — allegations that have ensnared some of the area’s most prominent leaders and institutions.

Few, if any, were more high-profile than Morris, who steadily involved himself in state and national politics after founding Gateway in 2000. In 2017, Morris was tapped by Gov. Greg Abbott to help support the so-called “Bathroom Bill” that sought to ban transgender people from using their preferred bathroom — in part by arguing that it would allow children to be sexually abused.

During Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Morris was among at least three other Dallas-area religious leaders who served on Trump’s evangelical advisory board. And in 2021, Morris was part of an effort to mobilize conservatives and evangelicals ahead of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.

As Morris’ national political spotlight grew, so did his church’s local footprint. For years, Morris and Gateway would show slates of local school board candidates on the church’s massive screens in the lead up to elections — potentially in violation of federal rules that prohibit overt political activity by churches.

“Many of you see what Satan has been trying to do even in our school systems,” Morris told some of the church’s roughly 25,000 members in 2023, before showing a list of Republican candidates.

Those tactics have since been replicated at nearby congregations such as Mercy Culture Church. The Fort Worth church was founded with financial support from Gateway, and has become a staple of local Republican circles, often hosting local elected Republicans and the chair of the Texas GOP.

NEW! A Surprise Ghost Box Radio Appearance- Reading w/ Linus the cat

On Friday night, I made a Surprise Ghost Box Radio Appearance- Reading w/ Linus the cat

Last night, I had the pleasure of joining Greg Bakun, host of the Ghost Box Radio, to talk about a reading his spirit cat, Linus nudged me to do while I was on vacation last week. Greg read the reading and we talked about it. Greg was able to confirm many things Linus said. Hope you enjoy this as I did!  WATCH BELOW

WATCH HERE!

LINK TO WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/live/Ir8qy16-Klw?si=ONXTjp5z4xUdliLn

 OR  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FWe7c5f79/

Heroes of the Week: pilot Terry Goades and Alaska Army National Guard Saved 3 People in Downed Plane

A pilot and his two young daughters have survived on the wing of a plane for about 12 hours after it crashed and was partially submerged in an icy Alaska lake. Hero pilot Terry Goades located them and the Alaska Army National Guard came by and rescued them! 

(This photo provided Monday, March 24, 2025 by Dale Eicher shows an airplane partially submerged into the ice of Tustumena Lake near Soldotna, Alaska, with the three survivors standing on the plane's wing. (Dale Eicher via AP)

Pilot and 2 young daughters survive the night on airplane wing after crashing into icy Alaska lake

By MARK THIESSEN, Associated Press, March 25, 2025

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A pilot and his two young daughters survived on the wing of a plane for about 12 hours after it crashed and was partially submerged in an icy Alaska lake, then were rescued after being spotted by a good Samaritan.

Terry Godes said he saw a Facebook post Sunday night calling for people to help search for the missing plane, which did not have a locator beacon. On Monday morning about a dozen pilots including Godes headed out to scour the rugged terrain. Godes headed toward Tustumena Lake near the toe of a glacier and spotted what he thought was wreckage.

“It kind of broke my heart to see that, but as I got closer down and lower, I could see that there’s three people on top of the wing,” he told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

After saying a prayer, he continued to approach and saw a miracle.

“They were alive and responsive and moving around,” Godes said, adding that they waved at him.

The missing Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, piloted by a man with two juvenile immediate family members aboard, was on a sightseeing tour from Soldotna to Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula. It was not immediately clear how old the juveniles were.

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFEfvMicvdc

In a social media post early Monday, John Morris implored people to help search for his son and granddaughters, saying they were late returning from a Sunday afternoon flight.

“There are friends ready to search at daylight. But this is my plea for any and all help to locate my family,” he wrote.

The three were rescued on the eastern edge of Tustumena Lake on Monday by the Alaska Army National Guard after Godes alerted other searching pilots that he had found it. Another pilot, Dale Eicher, heard Godes’ radio call and related it to troopers since he was closer to Skilak Lake and figured he had better cell reception. He was also able to provide the plane’s coordinates to authorities.

Great Cozy Mystery Series! "Murder is Binding" by Lorna Barrett

While book shopping on-line, I came across a cozy mystery from 2008 that sounded interesting, so I thought I would give this author (new to me) a shot. Lorna Barrett writes a series of cozy mysteries called "A Booktown Mystery," and I read the first in the series called "Murder is Binding." It was great!  In fact, I ordered several more in the series!

I loved the characters, especially Trish, the main character who opened a mystery book shop in a sleepy southern New Hampshire town that is being revitalized. There's an annoying big sister that moves back into Trish's life, 2 employees, Trish's cat "Miss Marple" (named for Miss Jane Marple in Agatha Christie's crime novels. Miss Marple lives in the village of St Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective.)

There's the developer, a guy running for selectman's office, a nasty sheriff, and many others. The book was a page-turner and took a fascinating turn. 5 of 5 stars! 

ABOUT THE BOOK: The streets of Stoneham, New Hampshire, are lined with bookstores...and paved with murder.

  When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book. 

Awesome Instrumental Album! Thought Bubble: Skinned Instrumentals by Douglas Chay

My friend Douglas Chay has been making music for decades. Doug and I have been friends for decades, too, so I've watched his talent grow. He's a very talented song writer and lyricist. I just enjoyed his new album, which is entirely instrumental and love it!! It's called, "Thought Bubble: Skinned Instrumentals by Douglas Chay."

(Image: Cover of "Thought Bubble: Skinned Instrumentals by Douglas Chay.") 

DOUG'S TAKE ON HIS ALBUM:  When I asked Doug about his new album he said: "I tried to have a wide variety of sounds with each song, so they would all sound different, but still hold together as an album. It's the first/only instrumental album I've made, and I wonder why it's taken me so long. I put a lot of detail in my arrangements and whenever I lay vocals on top, it obscures at least some of what I'm playing. So I'm really pleased that sounds aren't fighting in the way of each other. It took over a month to mix, as the multitracks are a mess, but I plugged away at it and am happy with the result."

MY ENJOYMENT:  Here's what I told my friend Doug after my first listen: I really enjoyed it. 

• I especially loved the "Cleaning," "Lottery," and "Salt" tunes. 
• "Thus Spake Shalimar" reminded me of something from the UK in the 80s-90s... Very catchy!! "Skinniest" had kind of western twang mix with a rock beat. 
• "Fucked up" had a Def Leppard feel to it- it was a good rockin' tune!! 
• "Bleeding" reminded me of the cool music of Gary Numan, like his "Cars" (Here in my car) song 
•  "Love Almanac" - I found this pretty relaxing to listen to, and noted the buildup in the middle, and then leveling after. Really enjoyable.

TO ENJOY THE ALBUM: The album, Thought Bubble: Skinned Instrumentals by Douglas Chay, has just been released on all the major streaming services, such as Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Amazon Music (these are the links to it on those platforms). 

DISCOVERY! 40 million-year-old 'nail tooth' shark found deep inside Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

If you've read this blog, you know I get excited about prehistoric fossils and discoveries of  never before seen species. Today's blog is about scientists that found ancient nail tooth shark fossils deep inside Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, revealing new information about a mysterious group of extinct predators. I lived near there in the 1990s, when I studied for my meteorology degree, and have been to Mammoth Cave- and it is "Mammoth." Today's blog provides a little about Mammoth Cave first, then gets to the discovery.

(Image: An illustration of McGinnis' nail tooth (Clavusodens mcginnisi) depicted hunting a crustation in a reef-like crinoidal forest during the Carboniferous period. McGinnis' nail tooth (Clavusodens mcginnisi) depicted hunting a crustation in a reef-like crinoidal forest during the Carboniferous period. (Image credit: NPS Illustration / Benji Paysnoe)

ABOUT MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY: Mammoth Cave National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Kentucky. It encompasses portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world.

340 million-year-old 'nail tooth' shark found deep inside Mammoth Cave in Kentucky 

By Patrick Pester, Live Science, March 11, 2025

Researchers collecting fossils deep inside Kentucky's Mammoth Cave have uncovered the remains of a never-before-seen species — an absolutely tiny ancient shark with nail-like teeth.

The newfound species is called Clavusodens mcginnisi, or McGinnis' nail tooth. The animal lived 340 million years ago and belonged to a group of sharks known as obruchevodid petalodonts, or "chipmunk sharks" because of their tiny size and unusual teeth.

These sharks grew to just 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 centimeters) long and fed on crustaceans, worms and other prey on the seafloor, according to a statement released by the National Park Service (NPS). It's thought their tiny size helped them avoid large predators while foraging.

Researchers unveiled McGinnis' nail tooth in a study published Jan. 24 in the Journal of Paleontology. The species name is named after David McGinnis, a retired National Park Service superintendent, and their teeth, which resemble old iron nails.

VIDEO OF MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK (Credit: U.S. National Park Service)

Mammoth cave A team of researchers plucked the fossils out of rocks inside Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world. Mammoth Cave is a treasure trove for ancient fish fossils, with more than 70 different species identified within its walls, according to a 2024 study published in the journal Parks Stewardship Forum.

Underground rivers and streams forged the cave's passages, which are made up of rocks that have preserved marine sediment from the Carboniferous period (358.9 million to 298.9 million years ago). The cave has given researchers a unique window inside these rocks, and therefore the marine environments they preserve, according to the 2024 study.

Researchers have been documenting vertebrate fossils in Mammoth Cave since 2019. The work is challenging because of the cave's often cramped conditions and limited space to move equipment in and out.

(Photo: Entrance to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Credit: NPS)

"Many of these sites have low ceilings requiring crawling for long distances on hands and knees, and at times belly crawling," the researchers wrote in the new study. "The fish fossils are frequently encountered in the cave ceilings or walls."

The newly discovered fossils came out of the Ste. Genevieve rock formation and date back to 330.9 million to 323.2 million years ago. The fossils are the oldest obruchevodid petalodonts discovered so far, according to the study.

(Photo: Tour group inside entrance to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Credit: NPS)

Researchers suspect that these ancient sharks may have lived in reef-like systems filled with marine invertebrates called crinoids, or sea lilies, that attached themselves to the sea floor like plants. However, that assessment remains speculative until researchers carry out more studies on the ancient fish and their habitat, according to the study.

Discoveries like McGinnis' nail tooth enable researchers to learn more about long-extinct sharks and the ecosystems they inhabited.

"The fossil discoveries in Mammoth Cave continue to reveal a wealth of new information about ancient shark species," Barclay Trimble, the superintendent at Mammoth Cave National Park, said in the statement. "Researchers and volunteers collected samples from the main Mammoth Cave system and from smaller isolated caves throughout the park that have provided new data on previously known ancient sharks and revealed several species that are brand new to science."

(Photo: Inside Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Credit: VisittheUSA.com) 

In the News: Trump's tariffs fuel Canadian consumer shift away from US goods

If you don't know how tariffs work, or don't know the consequences of them, the latest news provides a good, hard example of that. Because of the bankruptcy felon king in the White House, not only are our allies alienated from us, but the trade with them has been severely damaged. Trump supporters need to read actual news like this to understand, but they likely don't have the reading level to process it (yes, I'm being blunt).  Read what's happened to our trade below. it's not good. 

Trump's tariffs fuel Canadian consumer shift away from US goods

By Siddharth Cavale, Nivedita Balu and Jessica DiNapoliMarch 31, 202512:50 PM EDT Reuters News

Canadian shoppers increasingly seek locally made products

Some US citrus and beverage exports to Canada face order cancellations

TORONTO/NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - The "Buy Canadian" movement is sending new ripples of concern through the executive offices of U.S.-based, consumer companies that banked on selling their products on Canadian retail shelves. 

California-based diaper maker Parasol Co had been working since January with a distributor to expand the sale of its diapers and baby wipes to new retailers in Canada, including convenience stores, CEO Jessica Hung said. 

But, in early March the distributor, halted work on the deal, she said, because of growing anti-American sentiment in Canada.

"They were instructed by a retailer to pause any American, brand launch," Hung said, referring to the distributor. "They told us they would re-evaluate when market conditions allow."

"That's the kind of disruption we would never expect,” said Hung. "I never heard of this happening until now. It’s definitely quite a bit of headwinds."

A dramatic reshuffling of Canada's retail shelves illustrates the impact of patriotic consumerism in Canada, which imported nearly $350 billion of products from the United States in 2024, making it its largest trading partner.

Trump is the Source of the Canadian Anti-American Product Sentiment 

U.S. President Donald Trump's jabs to annex Canada, the imposition of a 25% levy on steel and aluminum from Canada and threats to tax all other imports from the country have prompted a rallying cry among many Canadian shoppers to eschew U.S.-made products.

Shopper Rebecca Asselin, a mom and health insurance professional from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, has been using social media to share her story about her search for Canadian products.

She told Reuters she recently switched to purchasing Royale diapers, made by Irving Personal Care of Moncton, New Brunswick, one of the only manufacturers of baby diapers and training pants in Canada. "I never really considered before where diapers were made, but apparently, Canadian-made diapers are kind of hard to come by. That's a big change for us."

Irving Personal Care said retailers from all over Canada have been reaching out to discuss increasing distribution. "As the only branded baby diaper made in Canada, our weekly shipments have quadrupled," Jason McAllister, Irving Personal Care's vice president of business operations, told Reuters.

DRINKS AND CITRUS EXPORTS 

The Buy Canadian movement is not just hampering one diaper business but also drinks and citrus fruit from the U.S., companies say. In early March, Jack Daniel's maker Brown Forman (BFb.N), called the removal of American bourbon and whiskey from Canadian liquor stores worse than Canada's retaliatory tariffs and a disproportionate response to Trump’s levies.

A source familiar with California's citrus fruit exports told Reuters in early March that Canadian retailers have cancelled their orders.

 

Demeter Fragrances, a small family-owned and operated business that manufactures perfumes in Pennsylvania, said it halted its plan to expand into Canada in 2025. "Canadian sentiment has turned away from American product," said Mark Crames, Demeter Fragrances' chief executive officer. "Consequently, it seems like a wasted effort and, we simply scrapped the initiative." 

Canadian Products Have Better Opportunity in Canada Now

Grime Eater Products Limited, a Canadian manufacturer of Response and Luster Sheen hand cleaning products, had been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Canadian Tire (CTCa.TO), to stock its products, according to Vice President Tracy Hayes. With the Buy Canadian movement spreading, she said, "The future looks promising." That's because she learned from a buyer at Canadian Tire, the operator of 504 stores in Canada, that it was considering reducing its offerings of her company's U.S. rival, Fast Orange, a hand cleaner brand manufactured by Permatex. 

Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Nivedita Balu in Toronto; additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis

Holy Torpedoes Batman! The original Batboat will soon be making waves, again

Remember the really cool Batboat from the Batman '66 TV show? If you think the "Glastron Crestflite 174 SuperSport" that Adam West's Batman and Burt Ward's Robin piloted in the 1966 Television Show (and movie) Batman was just a prop, think again. Read about how this classic film boat was rediscovered—and is being rebuilt!

Photo:  Batboat! Credit: Art/Fox Television

 The original Batboat will soon be making waves, again 

Chris Dixon, May 2024 Power and Motoyacht

Back in 1966, 20th Century Fox reached out to executives at Austin, Texas based Glastron Boats. ABC’s Batman had been a runaway hit and now a feature length movie was planned. Batman’s crown jewel was the fire-breathing Batmobile—built by the iconic George Barris. Batman’s producers hoped Glastron  President Bob Hammond and Designer Mel Whitley might design something as cool as the Batmobile.

With a Glastron Crestflite 174 SuperSport sterndrive, masking tape, cardboard and fiberglass, her build took a mere 31 days. She boasted Bat-Dar, Bat-Radio, Bat-Ray, Bat-Depth-Charges, Bat-Rocket-Propulsion and a Bat-Fin so heavy that her stern wake sank the boat. “So they added ballast, changed the prop, and then were like, ‘okay, she’s operational,’” chuckled her current owner.

The Batboat battled a Polaris sub bearing The Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman, but never became as popular as the Batmobile. “George Barris was a hell of a negotiator,” said the owner. “He was paid $9,000 for the Batmobile. Glastron was paid one dollar. They were not allowed to use the boat in advertising ... or even say they built it. They got screwed.”

VIDEO CLIP OF THE BATBOAT IN ACTION: https://youtu.be/plg2Xe1SATQ?si=3TBC1AVAeyCvwgh6

Thus, the only actual on-screen boat (two hulls were built, and the later hull #2 it seems, burned up) mostly deteriorated on the Glastron lot. 

Ultimately a Tyler, Texas dealer named Floyd Crawley was given the boat—but solely for use in Shriner parades. Crawley cut out part of the hull and installed a VW chassis and motor so he didn’t have to trailer it. 

Years before Crawley’s death in 2006, the Batboat disappeared into a trailer. But a patient and intrepid Tyler mechanical engineer and businessman knew her location. With patience and dogged determination, he convinced Crawley’s daughter-in-law to cut the lock so they could peer inside. “She goes, ‘I’m not gonna promise the boat’s in the trailer anymore,’” he recalled.

 But there she was. And today, that owner is about to undertake the mother of all Bat-Restorations, rebuilding every detail with the help of his son and one of the nation’s top restorers. They plan to strip everything and patch the “VW” hole in the hull with a swatch cut from a donor Crestliner.

Father and son hope to soon show a fully seaworthy Batboat at Comic-Con. They want the public to enjoy her. She’s absolutely not for sale. “My son wants to display the boat. I’m having a hard time finding anything he wants to do with dad. So, this is what I’m gonna do. I chased this boat for 40 years. This is the original. This is it.”

SIDE NOTE: The boat manufacturer also made other famous boats!  Glastron now only makes boats for boat clubs and no longer does public sales. The company has been making boats since 1956 and is known for its hull design innovations, including the Aqualift and "SSV" hull designs. Glastron boats have been featured in the 1960s Batman TV show and the James Bond movie Live and Let Die.

This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.