The Mean Green

Attention all border patrol agents....Be on the lookout for a 1951 Chevy, White over Red. The vehicle is thought to be used for transporting illegal immigrants!

Texas Independence Ride

The trusty two wheeled steed sits parked at the end of the walkway to the Fannin memorial with its wall containing the names of those who lost their lives at Goliad in the battle for Texas Independence.  The grass will not be mowed until the wild flowers have gone to seed.
This is the County Courthouse in Cuero, Texas.  Most Texas counties have old courthouses like those featured in this post.
This photo was taken on the square in Goliad, Texas.  The hanging tree is still visible on the Courthouse grounds and the Hanging Tree Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.
The County Courthouse in Goliad, Texas.  
The County Courthouse in Gonzalez, Texas.  
The old three story jailhouse in Gonzalez, Texas still has the gallows on the second floor.  The last man hanged on these gallows was in 1921.  He proclaimed his innocence until his death and placed a curse on the town just before the trap door opened.  After his death, the courthouse was struck by lightning on three seperate occasions and the clock was never right after that.   The jail was in use until 1975.  During a freeze in 1975, the jail got so cold, the sheriff told the three prisoners housed there to go home on Friday and come back on Monday.  They all showed up again on Monday as requested.

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
  - Steven Wright

The Backlash

Have you ever been fishing and have one of these?  It is called a "backlash".  These are not as common today as they were years ago because reels are built with a variety of  "backlash" preventers.  One may still get a "backlash" if the reel continues to move after the line has stopped.  A skilled fisherman can use his thumb to control the reel as the line is fed out during a cast, but an amateur will spend a lot of time trying to undo the tangle of line my dad used to call a "birdnest".

America is in for a backlash.  Our amateur president, Barack Hussein Obama, has grabbed the handle of the government fishing pole and heaved it with all his might.  He forgot to put his thumb on the reel.  Soon the the bait will reach the water and the inertia of the reel will continue to move, but the line will stop.  We are in for a major backlash.  My dad used to chide me for not paying attention to what I was doing as he tried to undo the tangle.  While he was struggling with the mess I made, he could not fish.  So, the major fish catcher in the family was out of commission while he fixed my mess.  Do you see any parallels here?  Those of us with experience and common sense are going to be left to undo the backlash long after our non-citizen president is gone.  He is being urged on by other amateur fishermen who don't know the fist thing about fishing and who can't see the utility of actually catching fish.

First One Hundred Days and counting tangles to be undone;

Major government growth and spending.

Hate crime and hate speech legislation.

Loss of global respect.

Senseless environmental restrictions.

Rampant gun control legislation.

Increased health care regulations and interference.

Reckless handling of National Security.

Demoralizing our Intelligence Community.

Utter disregard for the Constitution.

Out of control taxation.

Pandering to aberrant segments of society.

Uncontrolled illegal immigration.

Government control of Banking, Investment, and Industry.

Pandering to unrealistic demands by Labor Unions.

Legalizing assisted death of the helpless for convenience.

Pandering to Muslim extremist.

Pandering to Communist despots.

Watering down our military strength.

Laws designed to punish political opponents.

Disregard for State's Rights.

Creating greater class and racial discord.

Weakening the private sector.

Strengthening the Oligarchy.

I could go on with an endless list.  This is what happens when the uneducated and emotionally blinded voters from our inner cities work their magic in an election.  One day it must be corrected.  Sooner would be better than later, but we seem to lack Statesmen with sufficient backbone to get the job done.  Our fat cats don't want to disturb the comfortable nest they have made for themselves.  So much for productive fishing.  Meanwhile our president and his media lap dogs laugh at the hate filled rantings of a black lesbian comedienne.  The hate speech regulations do not apply when the hate speech is coming from blacks, or aberrant sexual groups and is aimed at soldiers, whites, or political conservatives.  Could Justice be so blind?  

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
  - Thomas A. Edison

Growing Up

My grandson is quite the little man these days.  We were having a talk the other day about his sister, and he said, "She makes me mad, but I love her."  I said, son you are wise beyond your years.  This is just the beginning.  Just three years old and already confused.  If you ever figure it out would you let your old Pappy know.  Now, what kind of girl would cause such angst?

Well, I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know already.  How could anyone not love a face like this.  Can you see it in the eyes?  I see her mother at that age.  I remember how many times Bebe had to break up our stare downs when she was a teenager.  I see it coming here.  She is a strong willed baby to say the least.
Pappy must be ever vigilant when he is in charge of minding her for a while.  She has no fear. Napping while babysitting is not an option.  If you think my hair is turning whiter, you are right. How could a little person with legs this short cause me to become winded in just a few minutes? It's Saturday.  I have two days to regain my energy.  

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
  - Frank Tibolt

Sermon in Song

Turn on the sound and prepare to slap your knee and laugh your head off. The words are included if you are hard of hearing, :-) Click and have fun.
http://susie1114.com/10percentisgoodenough.html

Have a great Sunday.

Har Har Saturday

The Dept of Defense briefed the president this morning; they told OBAMA that 2 Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq.

 To everyone's surprise, all the color drained from Obama's face.

 Then he collapsed onto his desk, head in his hands, visibly shaken, almost in tears.

 Finally, he composed himself and asked, “Just how many is a Brazilian?”

 This is especially funny since he obviously has no understanding of billion or trillion either.

  

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. 

Thanks Doc

I was back for my second post operative check-up today and feeling much improved. Who could not like a doctor with a face like that. Dr. Steven T. Wright was the object of some pain induced humor in a post last week. I told him I would publish a more complimentary version of the surgery now that I was feeling better. I am breathing better than I have in years. Bebe loves it because I'm no longer snoring. He assures me all is well and will only get better from here. Thanks for really going to medical school and not getting your training on-line. I have re-called the contract that was pending the final outcome of my recovery. I am actually starting to smell things I hadn't been able to for years. With young grandchildren it's not always a blessing, but I'll take it. Smell you later, Pappy

Saturday Sale

All my stocks and bonds are gone.
This is all I have.

Pappy's Dream Bike

Finally found what I was looking for. This baby will take on the biggest Road Hogs. I am looking for a better seat for Bebe, but the rest of it is perfect. No more people not paying attention. Couple of blasts from my side mounted machine guns and I'll bet they'll think twice about pulling out. Amazing what you can find on the Internet when you are in a Darvocet fog. Hope you all have a wonderful TGIF. Surgery went fine and I'm feeling more normal. Well, normal is a relative term. I guess I'm never what most would consider normal. Thanks for the nice e-mails and comments.

You know you need more coffee when you try and enter your PIN number on your microwave panel. :)

Wildlife

I know many of you love to walk in the woods and take pictures of birds and various other animals. I'm impressed by your abilities as photographers and identifiers of the wildlife you encounter.

Take a look at these and tell me if you can identify them. They are fairly common so this shouldn't be much of a challenge. But, hey it's Saturday and who wants to tax your mind on Saturday?

Do your best. Write your answers down and keep them handy. I will give you a list of the common names for these little beauties at the bottom of the post.

A. Redd Foxx bird

B. Mallargator

C. Kolaphant

How did you do? I hope you have a great weekend.

We are born charming, fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society. - Judith Martin

Chewing the Fat

I thought the title appropriate for a little trip into the world of dieting. My scale, as you can see, was patterned after the old 8 Ball toy. You remember, the one you shook and then turned over to read your fortune in the little window. Well my scale has a series of those sayings which appear in the window instead of your weight. I like it better than my previous scale but it can be a cruel reminder of my lack of resolve when it comes to eating. Just after Christmas it said, "Please dismount your horse before weighing yourself." For the past several months I have been a regular at the gym. Now, I can neither button up my shirt, nor get my arms into the sleeves. Another draw back of having your clothing made in Indonesia where Extra Large American Style cannot be envisioned. I am committed to making some headway and am eating a much more sensible diet. This morning for breakfast I prepared cheese toast to pour my coffee over. I used Sara Lee Oat bread and Colby Jack cheese. I sipped my coffee and nibbled on my piece of cheese toast. I took a bite and chewed, and chewed, and chewed. The content of my mouth seemed to get larger. My molars made no headway. I marveled at the amount of fiber Sara Lee apparently baked into her Oat loaf. After a while I decided to remove the mastication with my fingers. I discovered the little piece of paper used to separate the cheese slices melted between the cheese and the toast. I'll be more careful next time. That paper is tough. I once wrote a poem to describe the dieting regimen.

DIETING

No, low, free, light;
words I often see
when browsing through my pantry
or refrigerator door.

Let us have some lettuce
with our sprouts and tofu.

One more glass of water if you please.

Measure out a steak
no bigger than my palm
and I shall chew it slowly
while moving Brussels sprouts around.

Adjust the bathroom scale.
Move it ‘round the floor.
Take an average weight for best results.

One more glass of water if you please.

Do you have a public restroom?
I ask every where I go.

One more glass of water if you please.

How many times should one get up at night?

I wonder how much pressure
waistband closures can take?

Isn’t there a pill out that doesn’t make you shake?

One more glass of water if you please.

I’m fasting today.
I really think it’s water weight.

Dennis Price

Blogger's Block

Perhaps it's the sound of pounds falling off, or lightheadedness due to severe sugar withdrawal, but I'm having a spell of Blogger's Block. What didn't I say last year? Have I run out of pithy things to say? I have resumed my reading routine, but dieting and sitting still for long periods brings on an auto hypnosis causing me to read the same paragraph over and over until I'm finally translated into a dream state. My dreams all seem to be about food. I have tried reading blogs, looking at the news, and scanning old material, but alas I'm still not inspired. Tomorrow most folks go back to work. I will try and find some retired cronies to drink coffee with. I hope none order big breakfasts. I know the "cold turkey" method is painful, but I needed to take drastic action so as not to overcome the upper limit of my bathroom scale. I know things will pick up as soon as the votes are finally counted in the Minnesota Senate race. I think they may have stumbled onto something there. Just keep counting new votes and disallowing others until the incumbents are defeated. Al Franken is a professional clown already so he should make a great Senator. Minnesota knows how to pick them. I hope you all have a great week.

Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge's chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view. - Lillian Hellman

Who will you be voting for?

Barry Soetoro, or Barack Obama? Who is he really? Curious Americans want to know.

An Obama Win Will Be More Than Historic
By THOMAS SOWELL Posted Thursday, October 30, 2008 4:30 PM PT

Some elections are routine, some are important and some are historic. If Sen. John McCain wins this election, it will probably go down in history as routine. But if Sen. Barack Obama wins, it is more likely to be historic — and catastrophic.

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While most of you slept, I googled my way through a myriad of blogs and news sources trying to see if anyone was trying to refute the allegations of Indonesian citizenship by Barry Soetoro, aka Barack Hussein Obama. All I could find were the profane rantings of people who dislike the fact it has been brought to light. I for one think this is something to address before tomorrow. If Obama wins will we have someone who is a citizen by birth, or a foreign national?

I must put in a plug for those who comment on this blog. Thanks for not getting profane in your commenting. I post everything that expresses an opinion with some supporting verbiage. I will not post anything with language I consider inappropriate for any viewer to read. Pappy

I don't approve of political jokes.
I've seen too many of them get elected.

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The Coming Obama Thugocracy Attempts to shut down political speech have become routine for liberals. By Michael Barone

‘I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors,” Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. “I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.” Actually, Obama supporters are doing a lot more than getting into people’s faces. They seem determined to shut people up.

Once upon a time, liberals prided themselves, with considerable reason, as the staunchest defenders of free speech. Union organizers in the 1930s and 1940s made the case that they should have access to employees to speak freely to them, and union leaders like George Meany and Walter Reuther were ardent defenders of the First Amendment.

Today’s liberals seem to be taking their marching orders from other quarters. Specifically, from the college and university campuses where administrators, armed with speech codes, have for years been disciplining and subjecting to sensitivity training any students who dare to utter thoughts that liberals find offensive. The campuses that used to pride themselves as zones of free expression are now the least free part of our society.

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Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking. - Clement Atlee

The Trip

On Tuesday morning, I left Harlingen TX and headed north on Hwy. 77 toward Corpus Christi, TX in my little red Jeep. Day was just breaking in the east over the Gulf of Mexico and I settled in for the two hour drive through the King Ranch and into the Coastal Bend. At Corpus I felt my trip was about to begin. We always use Corpus as a guide post on any trip because it is the place where the first interstate highway can be accessed. I turned west on Interstate 37 and found a country music radio station with sufficient wattage to carry me for an hour or so. It is 127 miles from Corpus Christi to San Antonio. It took a little over two hours with stops to reach the outskirts of the city. I took loop 410 south for eighteen miles to its intersection with highway 90 west. I was almost five hours into the trip and was trying to find ways to get my mind off how numb my butt was. Gas was still running about three dollars a gallon in this section of the state and I was none too pleased. It had been $2.25 a gallon when I left home and I was hoping for better prices when I reached near civilization. Now I was headed back into the Nether regions. I eased through Castroville and headed for Hondo. Both towns used to be out in the country, but now are bedroom cities for the sprawling San Antonio. Care must be taken to maintain a ridiculously low speed when traveling through these burgs to avoid the always present radar guns of the local constabulary. It is about 70 miles from San Antone to Uvalde, TX. Just west of Sabinal, TX I found this early Texas fixer-upper on the side of the highway. Not far now. I wondered about the old cowpokes who rode this route to reach the border town of Del Rio, Texas. I know their butts must have been more numb than mine. At the traffic light in the heart of Uvalde, I knew my journey was only six miles from completion. As I approached the last house on the north side of the highway just east of the Nueces river I saw the familiar wrought iron gate work announcing arrival at the Ranchito Arboles. I turned in and approached the house. The big flat screen television was visible from the road and I could hear the talking heads from Fox News blaring their opinions when I opened my jeep door. If I could just wake up my feet I knew I could make it to the front door. My little 88 year old mother was working up a full head of political ire for the politicians who have robbed and cheated us for all these years. After six hours in the Jeep seat, I knew I would be in for at least another three hours of trying to talk over her favorite news personalities. Even though she is legally blind, one would be well advised not to engage her in debate on the current issues unless you are well versed yourself. We had a great visit and after some good bye hugs I left for home the next day just before noon. The journey was played in reverse with the addition of some rain to help wash the bugs off. I have regained most of the feeling in my lower extremities, but I don't want to hear any news for about a year. Have a great Thursday.

Eatin' Out

Now who thinks they could eat a half chicken? Well apparently Bebe and I had a delusional thought when we went to Bell's Barbecue Barn tonight. I read the menu and stayed with the one meat plate with one side and a cup of cowboy beans. I remembered in my youth I could eat several plates of chicken, however now I know better. I am as big as a small NFL interior lineman and must look at the weight limit on canvas folding chairs, and attic ladders before taking the plunge, but it looked like a small plate on the menu. Needless to say we had to get a to go box and it took both of us to carry it to the car. We were in the Jeep and I thought I would need to give Bebe a boost after we left the place, but she managed the slightly higher step up after two tries. I was holding the six pound to go box and was not much help. We had to get home in a hurry because the tea glasses were the size of small wash tubs and I had mine refilled. We keep saying we are going to order one entree and split it, but we don't like to look like old people. The truth is I will need an iron lung to breathe if I don't lower my caloric intake. I keep thinking I'll start any day and then someone says, "Hey we're cooking out tonight, can y'all come over?" It never takes me long to answer. I try to pause slightly just to sound like I have a life, but the "yes" is always out before I know it. My daughter brought in a cake because it was too hot to leave in her car this afternoon. She left it in my refrigerator. Even though I am still uncomfortable, I hear the cake calling me. I keep thinking maybe someone will realize I have a problem and do an intervention.

When a person can no longer laugh at himself, it is time for others to laugh at him. - Thomas Szasz

Labor Day

Today while I was out taking the bull for a ride in my convertible, I thought about the irony of Labor Day. People are off on labor day, so in many cases no labor is done. I on the other hand thought I would do some today just to be different. The vehicle inspection station was closed, so I will need to wait until tomorrow to take care of that chore. My barbecue pit bit the dust and had to be replaced, so I went to Target and bought one on clearance sale. The box had to weigh in excess of seventy five pounds and some assembly was required. I sat in the hot garage for about two and one half hours trying to read the 60 page instruction manual and keep up with sixty or seventy tiny self tapping screws. I finally finished, got a full bottle of propane, and cooked burgers for the family. I am running on empty. Oh, I forgot. This morning I bought a new propane mosquito fogger and fogged the neighborhood in the immediate vicinity of my house. We are probably fairly toxic, but the mosquitoes are gone. I think I'll buy some more fog and go for the flies tomorrow. I'll give it a break after that to see if any other small animals have been affected. I kept thinking it was Saturday today. It's hard enough to keep up with the days of the week when you are retired, but add an extra day off and I need my pocket calendar. The grocery store here is where God sends me when he wants to see if he can make me cuss. I rarely disappoint him. I only wanted two items today, hamburgers and buns. When I arrived a woman was parking her shopping cart in the parking place where I wanted to park. I guess she read my face and felt it necessary to explain that it wasn't hers, she was just moving it. I told her that was a good idea, but she didn't take it far enough to be counted as a good deed. You actually need to put it in the cart corral in order to qualify. I also glared at the folks who drive the wrong way on one way parking aisles. At the check-out stand a woman put her groceries on the belt and then went to finish her shopping. I don't know how I manage to get in line with these people. When I zipped through my check-out (two items), I was slowed at the EXIT by people who can't seem to read, and insist on coming into the store against the flow of outgoing patrons. I started out with words like Idgit, and Igmo for brevity, and graduated to the hard stuff once I was on the highway home. God was laughing because I fall for the same stuff every time.


You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do. - Olin Miller

"What can I get you Sugar?"

Thanks for all the wonderful comments yesterday. Bebe and I enjoyed reading them all. Dot commented on the use of terms by waitresses like, "Sugar, Honey, Darlin', etc." when addressing patrons. She expressed her dislike of such usages. I think I know what she means. When certain chain restaurants, which have a theme based on their Southern homeyness, instruct their young staff to use these terms they usually come off sounding phony. It's like using people who aren't from the South to play roles in movies about the South, the accent never works. However, if you are in a truck stop, or a small restaurant in some rural southern town, and the waitress is old enough to be your mother, then it is never offensive. These gals have put up with more from cranky old men than the rest of womandom combined, and they know how to handle them. Tired lonely truckers, widowed farmers, never been marrieds, and the rest of the male gender respond to these syrupy greetings without fail. We have a particular family member who no one likes to be around because he is so negative. On one trip to Mississippi this social retard insisted on coming along for the ride. He cussed everything from sunup to sunset that wasn't from Texas and made the trip a miserable experience. At lunch we decided to stop at a small restaurant in a very small town to eat a down home meal. As we read the menu, this relative of a mule scowled and muttered that their was nothing on the menu that he could eat. A wizened old country girl waitress heard his not so quiet muttering and came over. She stood behind him, put her hands on his shoulders, and said, "Honey, what can I get you to eat?" He couldn't say a word. She told him about the fresh fried chicken and sides and promised to pick out the best piece for him. As she left he finally muttered, "She'll probably bring me a damned neck." When she returned, she had the most beautiful half chicken with golden brown crust that I had ever seen and all the best in sides. The chicken half looked like a small Emu. He ate everything on the plate. As he scanned the carcass, he noticed a few vertebra on one end and exclaimed in a loud voice, "I told you they'd bring me a damned neck." At that point I lost it, grabbed the check and told him to take his plate and stand out on the sidewalk and tell everyone about the terrible meal he just ate. He didn't say a word on the entire trip back home much to the delight of the rest of us. I'm sure that old waitress is still handling the contrary with her sweetness.

A diplomat... is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip. - Caskie Stinnett

The Truth in Cartooning

You'll have to listen closely today, I have a sore throat and can't talk very loud. My grandchildren bring me little microscopic bugs and leave them around my house. I don't particularly like the bugs, but they seem to like me. Thanks to all of you who commented on the SWF post, many of you had very thoughtful comments. If you haven't read the comments on that post you might want to. I think almost everyone stayed long enough to read the poem. I know an old cranky man who thinks very little of anyone other than himself. He wears those one size fits all jump suits. His Sunday jump suit is a hounds tooth plaid with fewer paint smears than his work-a-day selection. He has had the suits for as long as I can remember, and if I am not mistaken, he has not replaced any of the three during that time. He likes to sit in his well worn recliner and hike one leg up over the armrest. All three suits are missing the crotch and to my recollection he doesn't wear underwear. When I visit this person, I generally think to myself, I hope I never become what he is. But, like the words in the second stanza of the John Denver song, Some days are diamonds - Some days are stone, "...the face that I see in the mirror, more and more is a stranger to me. More and more I can see there's a danger of becoming what I never thought I'd be", I realize the possibility exists. I have been careful not to buy any of those jump suits yet. As we age we think more of what life will be like for us as the years go by and I hope we try to think of how we can make others lives more pleasant as they interact with us.

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It's a Comin' Up of a Blowout!

"Batten down the hatches. Reef the sails. Turn her into the wind. It's a comin' up of a blowout."

"Aye, aye Captain."

We are watching the reports here to see what tropical storm, "Dolly" is going to do today. It looks like it might make land fall near us at about noon tomorrow.

Storms are very much a part of life. Most of the areas where I've lived during my lifetime, were at times, prone to feel the effects of severe weather. No one likes to go through the preparations ahead of, or the clean-up afterwards, but this too is a necessary function. I remember as a small child visiting my great grandmother, Loutisha, in her big white wood framed house with the dog run down the middle. She spent many hours on her front porch in a rocking chair looking at the happenings of life around her. Her house was adorned with spiked metal rods running through glass balls. These attached at the ridgeline of her roof and had a twisted metal cable running off one side to the ground. She obviously witnessed the effects of lightning strikes through the years and wanted to insure her house was safe. As dark thunder clouds would approach she would squint and look through her wire framed glasses and usually say, "We'd better move inside. It's a comin' up of a blowout." I went to the grocery yesterday on my regular run and found that it was bursting at the seams with folks getting ready for the approaching storm. Many people were loading their buggies with bottled water. My neighbor was loading his buggy with wine. I may be forced to go to his house if I run out of water. Skies are blue this morning and the wind is calm. This afternoon, I'll move the items outside that could become missles if the wind is strong enough. I normally don't watch the news or weather, but I probably will today and tomorrow. I love to see those weather people standing outside in the storm dodging newspaper racks and other missles. Newsies, you've got to love them. They'll do anything to get a little air time. It's usually the cub reporters who are asked to do what no other sane human being would do in order to get the ratings up. Hope you have a wonderful week. I'll be here as long as we can maintain a connection. Pappy

I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Mary Chase

Cajun Harley

Those country boys have a way with motorcycles. Maybe Jay Baby moved to Louisiana. Pappy