If you are in Indiana..."BE THERE"

WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS HEARING RANDY KINGTON AUG. 17TH OR 18TH.
By Jack Lahrman

Many wonderful things and people have crossed my life this past, soon be 16 months, since losing my wife of 29 years to the monster cancer. It is becoming fun again to awake each day and see what happens between sun up and sun down. One of those things was attending a open air church service in Naples Florida last winter where they honored veterans, and one of those people was the guest speaker, A Marine’s Marine Randy Kington. Randy like a lot of others answered his nations call for service in Viet Nam. Randy will tell you rivoting stories of his Marine experience and about the battle that almost cost him his life and did paralyze him from the waist down and put him into a wheel chair for life. He met His God on that battle field. He delivers the most uplifting message about his Nation, His God and His Marine Corps that I have ever heard bar none. Randy claims the nation has met every need he and his beautiful wife Patty (his angel) have ever had. If you know of anyone who is challenged in life in any way, (aren’t we all?) please try and get them to attend and hear this man’s inspiring uplifting message. You will be totally blessed.
1100 people were there at that worship service, and when he finished his 20 minute talk everyone was on their feet applauding and honoring this man for who he was, and for what he had just said to them. I would guess about a third of them were in line after the service to purchase his book “What A Life” that he wrote about 6 years ago. Over 100 were in line when they ran out of books. I had met Randy and his wife Patty briefly at a Country Club meeting of the Naples Marine Corps League. I enjoyed standing about 30 feet away and watching him sign the books and talk to people and shake their hands. You all know the talent our Pastor John has of remembering names, well this guy has the same talent. He caught me watching out the corner of his eye while he was conversing with a couple, and said “hey Jack”, and continued that conversation never missing a beat. Randy will also capture your heart and interest equally if you are among the fortunate who attend these services Aug 17th and 18th.
That day I wanted more than anything for my friends and family and the people of my Dayton Methodist Church to hear the inspiring message this man delivers…..
Don’t even think about it just “be there”……….and bring friends…..

The "Tire De Farce"

Our newspaper called the Brickyard 400 the "tire de farce" and I have to agree. Like the "tour de france" bike ride it was slow and boring and seemed to last way to long. Sweet Pea and I and Jeff and Sharla made the trip to Indy to witness the 15th running of the Nascar race.. May be the last one for awhile, trying to decide, I do feel it was totally boring and second worse only to the Grand Prix race I attended a few years back where only 6 cars participated also because of tire problems...

I can not believe that the tire companies, Nascar and the Indy Racing, would allow such a thing to happen. They had to know with all the testing the qualifying the practice running they did before Sunday's race, that this was about to happen...Why else would they have hundreds of extra tires on hand for this race and used almost everyone of them? I feel like we were ripped off with our 85 dollar tickets and just may go to "0" dollar tickets next year maybe watching it on TV...Will probably wait and see if any credit is given from any of the three enities mentioned above. Probably will be none and probably I will not reorder my tickets for next years race.
I noticed a lot of empty seats on the number three turn more so than in previous years so maybe the cost and the enthusiasm is wanning on racing in general...I will try out the new motor cycle racing coming next month at Indy and see if that excites me or if the inagural event of that goes "pooff" like Sunday's "Tire De Farce"...

But all was not lost at Sundays race...The fly over of the 4 F15's is always worth half the price of admission to me..They leave a lump in my throat knowing how powerfully our freedoms are protected and that the policemen of the world for now are in good health and ready to send any message needing sent. And sweet pea and I enjoyed our first concert taking in the Charlie Danials Band near turn two...No weed smokin but we did split a beer....add it all up, we still got mildly screwed by such a rotten race....

To the right today is a clip you need to watch about bad tires being sold in this country as new and some of them are dangerously old when sold to you...In the clip you will learn how to read the manufacturing date on tires...And you may then want to check the tires you and your family are now riding on...Also baby moose playing in a sprinkler....

OK kind of a downer today maybe tomorrow or so we will get back to fun things...

Today my Sis Peggy is the Big Eight OHH

Yes, it is so, my young sister is 80 this day, gosh it cannot be, she looks to be in her 60’s maybe but surely not 79 plus twelve months...It seems not possible... A few days ago her kids had a grand surprise party for her as shown to the right. I think they pulled it off, she may have had some thoughts that one would happen today but not 6 days prior. It was a great party... I have so many fond memories of growing up with her always 10 years older than I….Things like that just never change. She was and still is an original American sweet heart of a gal no doubt about it. She is and has always been very upbeat and always trying to put the best light on anything that comes around the curve at us. A great sister, great wife to her hubby Chas, and great mom to her wonderful children Sharon, Cindy, Ron and Missy. And her son Steve who died from injuries in a car accident at about 17 years of age.
She and Barbara Hoon were the best cheer leaders the Dayton Indiana Bulldogs ever had, bar none. My sis won the queen contest also and was the Queen of Hearts at the Fall Dance I think about her junior year in school. Used to try and teach me to jitter bug dance but I just never got it down…She married Charles Ritchie her high school sweet heart and basket ball star, and then lost him to cancer just maybe 7 months or so ago..…She could do anything and still can…She is the most with it granny I ever seen…Keeps up with her kids and grandkids like you would not believe. A month from now to the day I will be 10 years younger than her just like when we were 5 and 15…But no party for this kid, no way, I am fighting this thing, I will not roll over, am staying 69 will just add months from here on...Like I am 69 and 18 months maybe, yes that is how I will proceed …Well Peg a lot of water has passed under the Dayton Bridge on 38 east and wildcat creek is still there and flowing and you dear sis are still here and glowing….
Have a great day, and somehow I just know I will be doing this again at 90 and 100…Your family will keep you forever young…Happy Birthday Peggy Ritchie of Anderson Indiana…..

Pig Day at the County Fair

T'was quite a day today, Pig day had to get going early not to miss a grandchild showing a pig....Three of them all youngins of Cris and my daughter Suzette Post.

Lets start at the bottom picture of Sarah Post. Sarah has entered the teen years and pigs or showing a pig is just not that lady like anymore so she say's this is it..Next year I think Sarah maybe has her eye on entering the queen contest instead...Now that is lady like and I hope she does and she could fill maybe who knows be queen of the fair if not next year maybe the next....

Next picture up is Sophie Post, she has graced this blog before on the water swing, I also call her "water bug"...She did good with her pig also as did Sarah her older sister. Caught up with her here with her freind Olivia. My daughter baby set Olivia while her mother worked since she was a small baby..She always had a big smile on her face and since in that eara I was kind of into "dances with wolves", I dubbed that poor girl "smiles a lot" and it has stuck at least with me...I am not even sure of her real name but think it is Olivia but for all practical purposes smiles a lot usually brings the same on her face...

Now the master of the show today at least for our family was the Golden Child of the family Caulin Post...Seen here in the lower picture just after being awarded first in his class and a blue ribbon and one heck of a big smile...Then they showed all the first place winners and Caulins pig was runner up with "RESERVE CHAMPION"....
And as you see even brought a bigger smile with a nice ribbon and a trophy to boot.

Tomorrow night they sell the pigs in the auction and the big winnings will be in dollars for the bank accounts....Honorable mention here is a blue ribbon for Suzette the mom with her award winning grape juice in the open class...Cris well he just has to be happy with being a great dad and the best manager and engineer at the Cat Plant here in Lafayette....

Gave a lot of blood today well actually just a pint at the blood center after being assured that having Mono was not a bad thing for the blood supply as long as I was "over it and felt good"...But prior to that registerd my new truck at the DMV costing me over 200 bucks to get the plate transferred...I tell you it is crazy, after giving the state 1875 dollars in sales tax and then they are back for 225 more for the plate...where does it all go...and I read where the county governement may go to a 4 day work week....OH joy.....So that is my reference to blood letting I think I did a lot of it today, before I ever got to the blood bank....

Great Minds think alike and more rain...

Saturday while I was purchasing that new Chevrolet truck my son in law Jeff Plaspohl was also purchasing one. He chose a new Ford pick up very much like my Chevy. And he also "Double Voted" for America as his new truck also will be able to burn the E85 Ethanol fuel that is now pretty redially available here in Indiana. So two of us will now be driving up to the Family Express E85 pump and saving almost a dollar a gallon as we smile and know we are burning a renewable fuel made right here in America and that a lot fewer of our dollars will be going to the middle east. This will be less dollars for them to purchase guns and explosives to kill us. Can we say "no brainer" here? I think so but why is America such "slow learners"?????

We know that alternative fuels such as ethanol can not replace all our nations energy needs. We just don't have enought land to grow enough grain. Maybe at best we could supply 20% of our nations needs and surely our leaders will soon be pressured to allow oil drilling anywhere there is oil on or off shore in this country. We do have to stop the flow of dollars out of this country..We are bleeding to death doing this process of transferring our wealth for oil and goods and we have to get a grip soon. It is time to stand up to the enviormental extremists who fight oil exploration in this country. We need to encourage them to go to the polar caps and hug polar bears....I don't think there would probably be a more touching sight than and enviromentalist wacko, who has cause havoc on this nation approaching and then trying to hug a polar bear...Gosh getting chocked up just typing this...Don't get me wrong..I am a normal enviromentalist myself...I love no till farming that preserves and builds soil, and the light usage of necessary chemicals to produce abundant crops...Those are good enviromentalist that we do not want hugging polar bears, maybe sweet pea but not a hungry polar bear. But the wacko variety, yes someone needs to sign them up for a free polar bear hugging cruise to upper Greenland or someplace that is very pretty and where polar bears are just plain looking hugable....that would be sweet.....

A corn making rain moved through during the night dropping a little over an inch of good rain on those corn stalks out there that are having all that fun polinating.
I forgot to mention that those silks that grow from the point they are affixed to the corn cob keep growing out the end of the ear until such time that the polen arrives to the point of attachment. So these polen spores from the tassle have quite a voyage not only the length of the ear where they first fall on the silks, but also the growth that is going on. God took care of all that as some years there are countless beatles that eat the silks as fast as they emmerge out the ear. So by continuing to grow the silks are constantly exposed to the falling polen until one gets in there and starts the trip to the point of attachment where the kernal of corn will then be formed...But this year which seems to be almost perfect in our area so far there is not a lot of bugs yet present so the silks are long and beautiful and will catch the polen very easily.

The Tippecanoe county fair started this week, took sweet pea there last night to view some grand kids pigs and split and eat a fried elaphants ear and a lemon shakeup, who said two can not live a cheaply as one? We dared ride the ferris wheel at the carnaval...Lucky for me these rides that are "mobile" don't have the time to construct one of those death defying rollor coasters...Otherwise that would have been her ride of choice....Last time that happened to me was about 1954 maybe at Lake Ponchatrain amusement park in New Orleans...They had a really big painted white wooden coaster...Bob Cornell and I could not wait to get on that ride...I can remember it as yesterday the first big hill and we dropped what felt like straight down for what seemed like a half mile but maybe 90 feet. and then all the turns and a couple more plunges and finally we rolled to the point of beginning my hand still some how welded to the bar that I was glued to...The attendant smiled at the whole train load of us and said, "anyone that wants to ride again can ride free"..We all got off...Well gosh that was 54 years ago maybe I am ready to tackle that again, I said last night I thought I was. It probably is safer than sky diving, another feat on her "bucket list"....For that one I will be the camera man for sure...Have a great day out there....

Corn Field award winning SEX.....

Finally YES YES, Yesterday and today it has happened it is happening and will continue to happen now for a few days in my corn field and others across America. Pollination is taking place...The packets of pollin on the tassle at the top of the stalks, glance down and see those beautiful blonde, red or brunette silks below and they just can't hold it any longer....They open and allow the pollin to float downward and fall upon those soft waiting silks. Then a almost miraculous thing happens. A single polin or maybe multiple not sure but they will enter into the inside lining of each of these silks and start a voyage of working their way downard, all the way maybe 12 inches or more to where the each individual silk is attached to the corn cob. When it reaches the cob another miracle happens and a grain of corn is born and will grow to maturity in the next couple months at that exact place on the corn cob. Since this is such a "text book" year there will most likely be 18 to 22 rows of kernals around these cobs and since this year's perfect conditions there will likely be maybe 50 most likely even more kernals in each row.

So a lot of silks are emerging out the end of these corn ears you see in the pictures to the right...Each will await its mate or shipment of polin from the tassle above and each will know what to do to make that trip all the way down the lenght of the silk hair to the point of attachment to the corn cob....A lot of baby kernals of corn are being made the next few days in the corn fields of America. Rain is falling today another huge plus for the polination process...Temperatures are not excessive another huge plus...All is right for some of the best sex corn has ever experienced and you saw it happen right here....ha Also you will note in the pictures that a second ear has emerged on most all of the stalks...It is an optomistic plant that does this and some years it shrivels and does not amount to anything but this year I am guessing a lot of these second ears just may produce at least a half size ear of corn, maybe that is the bushels we need to make up our shortfall of corn that is so much in demand out there.

You have probably read where some claim they can almost hear corn grow in Indiana or Iowa or Illinois, but this year I have to say I can almost hear some sensual noices happening out there as I stand and observe and take these pictures. So hope it has been as good for you, as it has for me, and I will do a follow up in a couple weeks and share how we know it all went well, and the nurseries are full and baby corns are on the way....Have a great day out there, and watch out for falling polin, its all over the place in Indiana....

One more share I have to tell you drive slowly on a country road between too polinating corn fields is no better smell to a corn farmer or ethanol stock holder or even a guy who Loves the Lord, and so appreciates all his miraculous handy work.
It does give off a most delightful odor, well to me anyway, maybe you had to grow up around it, but it is almost heaven....

I voted today for America

Does not make me a hero maybe a Patriot, and I do not put down those of you who exercise a right to purchase an imported auto. Many have died to insure that right for us to choose and to insure our freedoms. But today I did purchase a new Silverado Chevy Truck that is flat towable behind my motor home, and it has the "FlexFuel" engine that will allow me to vote for the "Midwest Corn Farmers", and America's Enery Independance each and everytime I fuel this truck...If the price of E85 is 15% or more less than Regular gasoline, I will buy the E85 and smile while doing so.

Before I left Naples in March I was captured by how cute the MINI Cooper Convertible's were down there running around in traffic...I told myself to forget the Patrotism stuff and get the fun car and have fun...I almost did I did love driving the little bugger, but they did want about 30 grand for it so I paused. While I was paused I found that it is not under warranty if I flat tow this car. Reality then set in when I looked myself dead in the eye and said your going to pay 30 grand for a car that will void your warranty and also send some money overseas...

That affair ended that day and I then turned to an drove a Pontiac G6 Hardtop Convertible and it was fun but also about the same money...Was flat towable but had almost zero trunk space, because the hardtop folds down into the car where a trunk would be. And did have a back seat for two people if your freinds were midgets.....or children maybe. And did not burn E85 fuel.

Not to put little people down...I love that show about little people on TV...And I did not coin those words, they were given to me by a car dealer I know in Cold Water Michigan....who tried hard to almost give me one over his cost...And he also sells GMC trucks which I could have purchased and it is the same truck, I know that but it has been a long time since I have owned a Chevy and I just wanted to do that, and now I do...Jim I am sure that next winter while enjoying the fruit of the vine you will have some reason why a GMC Script would have looked better on my truck there in Naples, than the Chevy Logo, sure you will...And it may take several bottles before we get past this, but we will...ha

So here I am in a nice four door Chevy truck instead of a flashy convertible...Gosh it was tempting but reality finally set in...I can now ditch fish along 41 south of Naples from the bed of my truck, can have my poles, my cooler of ice for fish and beer, and my favorite lawn chair, and all the while will not have my life threatened by those dam 12 foot gators that were 5 feet from me in a previous story I wrote before I said the hell with this, and through in the towel that fine day. I will most likely have my .45 Colt handy just in case they decide to bite my tires, it would not take a lot to prove I was being threatened and open up on those dam oversized lizards, yes it would do my heart good....They are beyond a doubt becoming increasingly overpopulated and aggressive as the food supply for them decreases...not good...

And so my fellow Americans, I can not help but still hear the words of JFK saying ask not what America can do for you but rather ask what you can do for America, well today I did it, I voted for General Motors, Chevrolet, Ethanol and I voted against money being sent overseas for auto's and oil.......

Another story for another day but I am invested in three Ethanol Refinery Corporations and I knew the road would be rocky but my moment of truth when I decided to do so, was that I had never fought in combat for this nation, never lost blood or limb and these investment were going to be my dues that need paid, win or lose....Right now we are loosing, Corn is too dam expensive, and my stock is worth half what I paid...I have no regrets, I did it for America.....A corn farmer saying corn is too dam expensive...never thought I would ever hear that or let alone say it......Come back tomorrow I think we will be talking sex again soon....

KELLOGG"S? Maybe your Hungry

Have I got a deal for you my loyals. Considering the exhasting read about sex in the corn field of Monday and since we don't smoke, well maybe your hungry....

And is it not just like Happy Hoosier to come up with free food? Yes it is and Kelloggs the cereal people are helping me out here you see to the right...Yes, yesterday I stopped for milk and then realizing I was getting low on my favorite cereal that sweet pea introduced me too, I cruised down the cereal isle looking for my Kellogg's or Kroger equivelant which I think truly is boxed in the same factory, but anyway its called Frosted Mini Wheats. Wow you drop your favorite fruit or even just plain and then drop that in the old tum tum and they are my solid rocket boosters till noon or even dinner...

But low and behold there before my eyes as you see in the pic to the right was something new costing a pretty penny, like $4.19, a Frosted Mini Wheats called "blueberry muffin". But the top of the box say's "try FREE"...Now that box went immediately into my cart even before I purchased two of the regular boxes...

Just mail in the register reciept and the application inside the box...Now they hope like crazy you don't find it to mail it in and you won't it is printed inside the box on the cardboard so I will cut it out today and so in maybe a few weeks I will be refunded the money except for the dern old 42 cent stamp... I tried them this morning and the good taste of my mini wheats are there plus the hint yes of blueberry muffins fresh from the oven.....so hold the fruit on this bowl full maybe that is why they figure its worth over 4 bucks cause they save the fruit expense...

Ok one other thing before I let you go is the take the time to view the latest "jib/jab" cartoon about the election coming up. They even allowed me to be in the movie with them..It takes a while to download so be patient, grab a cup of java maybe and take a laugh break...

Am watching the corn out there daily, rest assured we will not miss the excitement when the male polin first meets those gorgeous blonde silks waiting so pretty and innocent below...its gonna be good....take care...

Oh, and one more thing, Prelocks Blue berry pickin is open now and my daughter Suzette tells me they are huge this year and they even let you eat a few while you are picking...except for me they usually weigh me before and after picking...they are located east of Lafayette between Dayton and Mulberry just off Indiana 38...
Tellem Happy Hoosier sent you, so maybe this year they will not embarrass me dragging those scales out again....open 7 to 11 and 4 to 8 closed on Sundays....

No corn field sex yet but close, very close

Well it's almost happening,"sex in the corn field", we've all been waiting and it's just maybe a couple days away. As you can see in the pics to the right these male's (the tassels) and good looking blondie females, (the emerging ears and silks)may not be married yet but probably almost engaged...They are admiring each other from afar maybe 3 to 4 feet apart...The tassels overhead are coming out the packets of pollin are starting to emerge, the silks on the emerging ears are growing out the ends of the ears and are irresistable...Gravity will play the part of cupid here in a couple days. Timing is everything in sex and it's no different in the corn field...At just the propertime the pollin packets will open and millions of pollin dust will fall downward and in most cases polinate the ear below on the same stalk of corn. That is called "selfing", something we humans are not crazy about but corn has no hang ups about anything. In some cases with the aid of wind well, its gets a little more exciting as the poling from stalk A just may drift over to the gorgeous blonde silks on stalk B or C even Z....Since all these stalks are the same hybrid or have basically the same parent families they are all cousins so whether they self polinate or drift over to another first cousin really don't make any differnce...

Hopefully in the next 10 days now the weather will cooperate and not be too intensly hot. Heat can kill polin so keeping it under a 100 degrees should be a fine inviroment for what will be going on out there. Not all ears are blondes, some hybrids produce red silks and some brown...Interesting isn't it we seem to do the same...The intelligent designer, our Father God, I think sometimes maybe got a kick out of designing similarities to play with our minds a bit. One thing you can count of for sure all this wonderment did not crawl up out of the sea weed and evolve...Only people with emence faith in wild ideas and not God would believe something like that....OK were off its gonna happen and we will watch it and I will tell you a little more excitement in the next few days...Stay tuned...

Be careful out there on those country roads this time of year...these gorgeous blondes, red heads and brunettes do turn a farmers head as he drives by...Keep a sharp eye sometimes they stray off the safe path rubbernecking these beauties....take care....

Why there are no EX Marines

Today I recieved and email from a member of the Platoon 3002, A Major Jim Laney, that I and he and 73 others were a part of in Marine Corps Boot Camp in the summer of 56...The pic to the right was taken without my knowledge but is me getting personal attention on become a good accurate rifleman.

I know this is a change up from farming and family and corn and beans...it was not planned but when these emails arrive it is so easy to drop back into the mode of being and so dam proud of the title United States Marine....

So I will post the email below that explains pretty well as I have ever read why we are such a brotherhood and there are no ex marines ever...well maybe Lee Harvey Oswalt the misguided bastard that shot Pres. Kennedy but not others...Also maybe you were with me when I posted my personal boot camp story on Feb 17th of this year when I first began this blog...if not and you want to read my humorus but true account of how it all happened it is within this blog...Just pan down to the archives at the bottoma and click on the February stories...then pan down to Feb 17th....The story just above it that I posted called a Marine's Marine is also a good read and describes the guy that will be speaking at the Dayton Church next month on the 17th and 18th...

But for now here is the email that got my Marine blood cooking this morning....

> This may help you explain what we share that is so special and what
we have lived that makes us remember. To understand, you have to live our
experience, share what we have all shared, and feel what we have all felt.
It is about Corps values, and honor. It is about character. It is about a
shared experience that changed our lives.
>
> The common experience starts with DISORIENTATION. The Corps creates
a vacuum in your life, it takes away your hair, clothes, and friends, and
fills it with a drill instructor. He says things like get off MY bus ... Do
it NOW and as you stand asshole to belly-button on the yellow footprints,
your identi ty disappears. The D.I. Gives you a short lesson on the UCMJ,
and you learn that rights belong to the institution, not to the individual.
>
> You will live in a squad bay and you will march everywhere. He
speaks to you in the future imperative ... He says: YOU WILL ... And you
do! He gives you a new language ... Deck, hatch, head. It is a language
that is steeped in a tradition you don't understand yet. He takes away your
right to speak in the first person, and he takes away your first name. Your
platoon number is what's important now.
>
> Before your first meal you get 20 seconds to stow your gear, and you
learn that the only way to get it done within the time limit is to help one
another... The TRANSFORMATION begins. This is the culture of the Group, and
its members are anonymous.
>
> Although you don't know it, your drill instructor will become the
most important person you will ever meet, and your weeks of boot camp will
become the defining cultural experience of your life. For the first time in
your life you encounter absolute standards of right and wrong, success and
failure. When you screw up, everyone stops, and they penalize you,
immediately, so you won't forget.
>
> Disorientation and Transformation are followed by TRAINING.
>
> The rules are simple:
>
> a. Tell the truth
> B. Always do your best no matter how trivial the task
> C. Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong
> D. Don't whine or make excuses
> E. Judge others by their actions
>
> And above all,
>
> a. Look out for the group, before you look out for yourself. During
your training you are pushed beyond your limits, and you achieve. You learn
to make excellence a habit. The common denominator among you and your fellow
recruits is pride and accomplishment. Through your training you develop
spirit, and you develop self-discipline.
>
> You learn the ingredients of CHARACTER: Integrity, Selflessness, and
Moral Courage. And you learn the Corps Values of Honor, Courage, and
Commitment.
>
> These are your roots. The Corps is a rigid code that will stay with
you forever. It will define your character, and it will guide you for the
rest of your life. This is why there are no EX-Marines.
>
> Once you can appreciate what you are about to become, you learn
about those who have gone before you. You study our history, and learn the
lessons of countless heroes who acted, not for self, but for comrade, Corps,
and Country. Marines are about taking care of each other, always have been,
always will. It is our culture and it holds us together. As you learn the
history, you become part of the tradition. You have a new appreciation of
your God, your Country, and your Corps.
>
> One final element completes your training - you become a rifleman.
>
> The magnitude of what you have accomplished becomes apparent to you
at graduation, when you finally earn your title and are called Marine.
>
> What you know then, in your heart, but what you can't put into
words, is that there is something very special about this organization that
is unlike any other organization you ever have been a part of. What you
can't put into words, but what you know in your heart is that the essence of
the Marine Corps resides with the lowest in rank; The Marine is the Corps,
and the Corps is the Marine. ... Your uniform says it all. When someone
looks at you they don't see the name of your ship, a unit patch, or a branch
insignia ... What they see is a MARINE. That's all that counts! You are a
Marine! It is what matters to you, and it is what matters to every other
Marine. You know that you may never feel this important again, and you will
spend the rest of our life living the code, and holding on to the feeling
that every Marine is a rifleman, and that, the essence.
>
> But there is more to our story than our boot camp experience. There
is our experience of sacrifice and our participation in the history &
tradition of the Corps. We share stories and tell of the humor that got us
through the tough times, but we also have stories we keep to ourselves,
hiding the painful memories too personal to share.
>
> Shared experience and personal sacrifice are reasons the Marine
Corps is a Band of Brothers. It is the reason we celebrate today. The
feeling you have when you become a Marine lasts a lifetime. Whether you
serve 3 years, or 30, your experiences will never be forgotten. You will
never work as closely, or depend on others more, than you did in the Corps.
The Corps is your family, you can never leave, and you are always welcome
back. You are EXPECTED to come back!
>
> This shared experience, and personal sacrifice is our common bond.
It is why we love each other and our country so much, and why we cling to
our traditions. Our celebration preserves and honors the memory of all who
have gone before us and it is an example, and a standard, for all who
follow. In a time when there are so few proud and good examples to follow,
when so little seems to count, our views, our beliefs, our PRACTICE of our
tradition is, by others standards, EXTREME. We are perhaps all our country
has left to guarantee that the principles upon which this nation was founded
will survive.
>
> Many presidents, and congressmen, have tried to do away with the
Marine Corps, but we are still here. Why? The answer is simple - America
doesn't need a Marine Corps, America WANTS one! Marine, you are the reason
she feels that way. Remember that, and feel good about it.
>
> "It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate,
tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of
men."
>
> Semper Fidelis

and have a great Day after yet another rain makes grain rain last night...Jack

Soybean Orchids

Two pictures to the right here I took yesterday of soybeans that are surprisingly knee high to a six foot guy and blooming like crazy too.....Notice the blooms at close examination they are a perfect orchid very small and delicate but no less a beautiful flower....So beautiful that honey bees can not resist the temptation to harvest what they can from these little flowers. Then as they move around from delicious morsel to another, they carry polin on their feet from one flower to the next and thus they get polinated and bingo a pod is formed and soon 2, 3 or 4 soybeans are growing inside that pod...multiply that by maybe 70 pods on each plant times maybe 180,000 plants per acre and as the combine moves through the field at harvest a fair amount of valuable beans are entering the hopper to the delight of the farmer aka Happy Hoosier, now looking happier every week as this growing season progresses. Life is good....

Sex in the soybean field is kind of shall we say "average" or better than none at all, but hang on the corn will be more exciting, I promise...On my way to Mulberry yesterday to visit my sister Flo in the nursing home I drove by a field near the Wildcat Creek that had sex happening...I tried not to look and kept my eyes on the road and got by it as quick as I could...I want to save that experience for my own field of corn...we will walk through it together, but anyway it is starting and will continue until every field has said aahh many times.....

Well speaking of sex, I see in the news where Jesse Jackson wants to smash the pollen packets on our candidate Barack Obama...wow how could such a nice man even think such a thing let alone say it...I suppose with those words Jesse has snuffed out any chance of being President Hussien Obama's Religous counsel....And if he wins that will blow Jesse's old line of the playing field "not being level", for blacks...Maybe that is why he wants to smash the guys brains....

Well here I go again with politics, sorry, ok it is a beautiful day in Indiana and I think most all places where this blog may be read today. Whatever field you are in corn, beans, wheat, finance, healthcare, retirement whatever have a great productive day...walk slow and drink lots of water and enjoy the sunset.....

I'll get a grip soon....

Some of you are probably wondering what happened here the last couple days. The calm collect blogger has gone political all of a sudden...I am aware of the dangers of boring you with retoric that you hear all day long on other media's. So will get this off my chest quick and then move on to the good old stuff we like...

I have added some good reads if you have time over to the right...if you like hot topics like that there they are if not leave them lie...I will keep that current for those who enjoy but mostly that is where the political will be...On this side of the page we will stay with swimming holes, skinny dippin, sex in the corn fields, grand kids goings on, pullin weeds, cultivating sweet pea, stuff that really counts and has meaning and huge consequenses on the world around us, important stuff...so don't fear were still in charge here and this blog will stay ground zero for "whats happenin now" and that will keep you coming back not the triviling of Barack Obama...

We will get a grip....

May head out to the corn field with the camera today...I got to think that puberty has set in or is close out there...I pulled a tassle yesterday and there were 3 leaves to unroll yet before sex can happen so stay tuned....but with these rains that happend again last night when it happens its gonna be a good one....hang on...

OH and don't forget to vote over to the right please if you have not...I had 51 hits yesterday on this blog and only 17 took the time to vote so please practice your right to vote even here on this blog....Only one vote for Barack so far and it was my sister, she is so darn politically challenged, I don't know what happened but I am concerned and working with her...other than that she is wonderful.... Oh my heavens I now see an Obama promotion ad on my google ads...I bet sis had something to do with that maybe, good grief that puts me on his payroll...

And pan down a little farther and do the Lucas Cole test I think this is the last day on that one....

Have a good one...

A fair warning to us all....

I have grave concerns about where our nation is headed, should we be swept away in the tidal wave of love that is being adorned on Barack Hussein Obama...I direct you to the right side of this blog today to watch the link that I have come across that issues a fair warning to white America from a Black preacher in Harlem...I have watched some other of his speeches and while I consider some of his thoughts a little radical also, I do believe that he has the "well being of both black and white of America" in his message here...I hope you will listen to it and think about it.

Why we are being swept away in a sunomi type title wave for a junior senator that has accomplished nothing other than the mastery of the "art of bullshit arranged into words people love to hear" is totally beyond my comprehension.....

Peace be with you all today and may when Novemeber rolls around you have the good sense to vote for the survival of this nation....that would not be Barack Hussein Obama as the leader of this land....God help us....

Is this the year of the "EASY RAIN"?

I think it is, I am dubbing this the year of the "EASY RAIN", yes it is...

It is July 7th and I wake up to a gorgeous million dollar rain, the corn is approaching the tassle period when it throws it pollen. The plants have had easy rains the past few days when they decide how conditions are out there. They have decided now for sure to affix an ear or ears, with a high number of rows of kernals on each ear....In excellent conditions the plants will produce ears with as many as 22 rows of kernals around the cob...on stress full years the plants will sense that and maybe have 16 or 14 or even as low as 12 rows of kernals....

It will also decide soon or already has how many kernals it will produce in each row. Maybe as many as 50 or more on good years and as low as 30 or less on stressful years. This gorgeous rain this morning will leave little doubt for the brain mechanism that God gave these plants to "not hold back and go for it".....

It is said that one can not get too much rain in July and August the months that make the crops that we will harvest this fall...we are off to a grand start...Let is see where this all goes...Sure you can sense that this farmer is somewhat optomistic this day early in July.....

And as I set here vary thankful, I notice in the rainbow picture you can see the second rainbow close to that big tree..And that one is definately landing on Charley's house,..have a great day..

The Rainbow and God's Promise

Last week sweet pea and I as we sat on the back porch witnessed the most perfect full rainbow of our lives. It showed as suspected the pot of gold at my neighbors Charlie Greeley's house. But along with the perfect rainbow that lasted more than a half hour until darkness comes God's Promise to Noah to never ever destroy the earth again by a flood. New Orleans?, well yes this no doubt since it is built in a hole that is 9 feet below sea level but for the rest of us who know water runs down hill and always has, we are safe....

[God made his promise to Noah, his sons, and all the birds and animals that came out of the ark.]

2. What did God promise?

[God promised that the earth and everything living on it would never again be destroyed by a flood.] (well with the exception of New Orleans and maybe some parts of Holland) he did not take into account idiots being born.

3. What is the sign of God's promise?

[The rainbow is the sign of that solemn promise.]

So there you have it looked up on Dogpile.com and there it was as I have always heard. God's promise to never destroy the earth again by Rain and each of these Rainbows remind us of that and the Presence of a great and Powerful God above.

I was not far enough from it to get a picture of the full rainbow but it was there and so beautiful with the grey inside and the brighter outside the rainbow and it run from the center of my Pond over to Wainwright School it appeared. Actually a second rainbow you probably won't make out was present also....I remember Linda and I once saw a triple rainbow but it also was dim on the third bow....But the main rainbow that we saw this week has never been better....

The rains are predicted to continue to come with the weather forecast. It is looking like a possible great year for the crops here in our neck of the woods. The wheat harvest has begun and most likely will all be done this coming week by area farmers.
Have not seen a corn tassle yet but I know they are down in the whirls and just waiting for that perfect time to emerge and make there presents know, will keep an eye peeling....

Ok I looked it up and read it for myself...Gen. chapter 9 verse 11....

"I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

And then on into verse 16 it continues that GOD said the Rainbow will remind HIM of his promise to US.....

What a Savior.....

Have a good week.....

This one says it all for tomorrow JULY 4th

My Name is Old Glory





I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.<
I fly majestically over great institutes of learning.
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.<
Look up! And see me!

I stand for peace - honor- truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confidant - I am arrogant
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners
My head is a little higher
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one.
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected
I am revered - I am loved, and I am feared.

I have fought every battle of every war for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shilo, Appomatox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy,
the deserts of Africa, the cane fields of the Philippines,
the rice paddies and jungles of Guam, Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,
Guadalcanal New Britian, Peleliu, and many more islands.

And a score of places long forgotten by all but those whoe were with me.
I was there.
I led my soldiers - I followed them.
I watched over them.
They loved me.
I was on a small hill in Iwo
I was dirty, battle- worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me,
and I was proud.

I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of
countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country,
and when it is by those with whom I have served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stand watch over the
uncharted new frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.
I have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours.

But my finest hour comes when I am torn into strips to
be used for bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle,
When I fly at half mast to honor my soldiers,
And when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving
mother at the graveside of her fallen son.

I am proud.
My name is Old Glory.
Dear God, Long may I wave.

60 Short Years.....

My brother Larry, WW TWO Navy man, served on a ship in the south pacific and finally came home got himself a fine lady Marge Isfalt and 60 short years later has a party, last Sunday matter of fact....Great poo poo's, drinks provided one of those parties you love to get invited too. And well attended by a host of family, and old freinds including the parish priest Father Dan. The setting was great, the weather perfect and the friends could not have been more freindly and family all took part to make it a perfect day for Larry and Marjorie Lahrman...bumped into a lot of good people, even sweet pea was there.

Yesterday went under the knife at Home Hospital a little knee problem that hopefully is fixed. Always have fun with surgery, yesterday was no exception, my IV was not working and had to be reinstalled on the operating table, and as they slid me off the gurney onto the table one of the 4 nurses said, "Jack usually you would have been pretty sedated by now when we rip your clothes off". I laughed and said, "this is my kinda place". Dr. O'Neil visited with me for a spell about a mutal freind we both know and then dropped the nighty nite juice into me without even saying goodbye.
Dr. Hagen did his magic (I hope) and although hobbling around on a couple canes today, and for now kind of into a self imposted senior day care program with me in charge, but surely will soon be back hopefully like I was before I decided I should become a 5K runner and my knee just did not go along with the grand plans.

July 1 today you gotta be kidding where in blazes is this summer going? Seems like yesterday a call came from sweet pea asking why was I still in Florida? Not having a good answer my motor home was soon working its way north to good old Indiana....
and thus a good case of MONO....Such memories we do weave as the days go by...I hope all of you are making good memories this summer also.....I need to visit nursing homes and grand kids ball games much more than I do. I spend way too much time watching corn and beans grow, mowing the lawn, writting this crazy blog, admiring flowers, fishing, swimming, lying in the sun, all just crazy summer time stuff...I do have to get a grip.......have a good day all day today maybe even tomorrow....