The title of this blog was inspired over 50 years ago when I drove into West Virginia for the first time. I was on my way to check out an apartment that had been rented on my behalf near WVU, where I would finish my undergraduate degree in Chemistry. After I entered the state, I hopped on a 10-mile segment of the then unfinished I-79. A sign near an unfinished Rest Area said “Welcome to West Virginia” with “No Facilities” on a small sign that was screwed onto the bottom.
The sentiment of that phrase has morphed from the whiny complaint of an 18 year old student who didn’t fully appreciate how lucky he was to even be attending college, to a badge of honor. In fact, “No facilities” has dominated my life and livelihood. As a systems developer, I made my living creating what wasn’t included by the architects and builders. The systems that could be but weren’t, are the things I spent 42 years designing and building. Retired now, I enjoy making things; furniture, cabinetry, new spaces in and around our house are all fertile ground for my hobbies. I also enjoy writing.
I have always enjoyed writing, and I am thrilled that technology has made it easy for me to share what I write. No Facilities is primarily about blog posts and photographs, but my writing has expanded to include books which I’ve now begun to publish.
I’ve had other blogs, technical work-related things, that I knew I couldn’t keep going once I retired. I started this blog in 2011 for the stuff that didn’t fit in those other places, the things that stir my interest but can’t be precisely packaged, categorized or targeted to a specific audience. I have ignored the advice of WordPress and more than a few bloggers that suggest zeroing in on topics that work and honing a relationship with readers who like those topics. Instead, I have let this blog grow organically and I have attracted some of the finest people in the world. People who take (or leave) all that lands on this page.
As I mentioned in my profile, I enjoy woodworking, cycling, and photography. Previous hobbies have included a 30-year love affair with a Triumph Spitfire and routine maintenance of a couple of Dodge pickup trucks. Automotive work is a hobby I set aside as the Triumph aged and cars became more sophisticated. I still enjoy building and maintaining mechanical contraptions
I have a small but loving family, some of whom, I have introduced. They are important to me, but they share information about themselves, or they choose not to share and I respect those choices. The topic I started this blog with, influence, is centered on this family, they are the people who consistently influence the course of my life.
Over time, I have evolved into a pattern of writing that includes a regular set of five blog posts per week. Some weeks, I throw in an extra post. On rare occasion, I post six times in a row, but you can generally count on the following:
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – In December 2024, I took over the management of Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge from Cee Neuner (Sadly, Cee passed away in March 2025). The topics for that challenge vary, but usually follow a theme for a few weeks. You can read more at the CFFC home page.
One-Liner Wednesday – I participate in Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly challenge, but I rarely limit myself to one line, one paragraph or one page when printed.
Thursday Doors – I love doors, particularly wooden doors. I have made my share of doors, and I appreciate good craftsmanship. When I see interesting doors, I snap a photo and I look forward to sharing those doors on a future Thursday, courtesy of the weekly blog hop organized by Norm Frampton. In December 2020, I took over the hosting of Thursday Doors. Norm had established a very nice franchise. I have added things but most of the credit still belongs to him.
Thursday Doors has expanded to include one regular weekly post – the Sunday Thursday Doors Recap, and an Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday / If We Were Having a Beer – Saturdays used to be split between Linda G. Hill’s challenging and entertaining SoCS prompt and a series I started based on conversations I had at bars and other places that serve adult beverages. John W. Howell encouraged me to work harder on the dialog I liked to include at the bar, and eventually, I became comfortable enough to try SoCS as tag-less dialog, wrapped around the weekly prompt. It doesn’t always work, sometimes I have to edit or plan more than Linda allows. I always let you know when that has happened.
Please understand: The Bar Posts Are Fiction! Cheryl is a real person. She’s a good friend but she doesn’t live near me and she doesn’t tend bar. My buddy David is an amalgam of character traits and pithy statements collected over time from dear friends, including a real David, residing in England, my best friend John, my brother Bruce, my friend (from a real bar) Gary and others I have met at the bar, at business meetings, while traveling and the rare coworker who shared an appreciation of critical thinking, skill in their profession and enough humor to carry the day during the worst of times.
On an periodic and random basis, I invite an author or blogger to join David and I at the bar. These visits offer the guest a chance to talk about their recent project, and they offer you a chance to get to know our guest better.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoy No Facilities
And, since my writing has recently evolved to include a series of novels, I hope you don’t mind the self-promotion below.
All five of my current books are now available in audio book form thanks to Amazon KDP’s Virtual Voice process. The voice is AI generated, but I can honestly say, it’s pretty darn good. The audio books are reasonably priced (all below $7 US) and, if you already own the Kindle version and want to add an audio version, you can do that for $1.99. There is a five-minute sample on the book page for each book. If you’re interested, click on any of the Dreamer’s Alliance book links below the image or on the link below for my latest book.
No Facilities 
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