It's always something going on here in Hoosier land...Today sweet pea and I rode our bikes with a definate goal in mind...We headed deep into Sherwood Forest to look for yeal you guessed it "paw paw's".....Why Sherwood Forest you say? Well one thing you learn here in the land of Indian's is you never give away your favorite spots for hunting Mushrooms and surely not Paw Paw's...They are both just too darn good to share..the fruits of the hunt or the location, it's just something you don't do....
One tip on paw paw hunting is look down once in awhile...opposite of mushroom hunting you are always looking down and sometimes tap your head on a low limb. But with paw paws you be lookin up for a sign of the elongated leaf of the paw paw tree..
I have 3 nice gashes in my leg from the first second and third strand of barbed wire, that was where I maybe should have been looking...Rusty wires too, thank goodness for tetinus shots....
But we had fun we came onto a huge patch of paw paw trees large and small...sweet pea would stand under the tree watching where they would land and I would shake the tree hard enough to drop a monkey out of....Down they would come plop plop and we would be on them soon after they hit the ground...we had a pay less brown grocery plastic bag and we almost filled it up with our one hour hunt...nice walk in the woods, lots to see, good exercise and fresh air....Some were actually dead ripe and it has not even come close to frosting yet so my previous statement of pretending to know when they ripen was not so right...They ripen when they dam well want to I guess so some of them went right in the freezer wrapped in newspaper and the rest are lying on the patio table to soak up more sunlight and then they will be eaten an enjoyed for sure....And we will never forget nor never tell the location of the bonaza of a paw paw patch in Indiana....
Gotta Run.......
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Synvisc/Hylan G-F 20-/Chicken Fat
Chicken Man, Chicken Man that's me I guess..Picture at right brings it home to roost for yours truly...This is my second injection of this material that is derived from the comb of Roosters...Yes chicken combs the little red crowns that chickens carry around contains something that will make my knee better is the word on the street...
One more injection next week and they tell me I will be good to go for 6 months maybe after that who knows...But I have a friend Dane Yoder who tells me that he had these shots a couple years ago and has not had any knee pain since....I'd like to have those results as well...Next step if not Doctor Hagen tells me is the new knee operation...Like to hold off on that for a few years at least, maybe never...
But there are side effects to this business...I was picking apples from a neighbors tree this week and had a real desire to get up in the tree and go to "roost" maybe for awhile...Probably a good thing the stock markets are down like they are or I could be trying to crow about my great decisions or stock choices...All kidding aside its good to know a lot of others ahead of me have allowed chicken fat to help them along the way...I will give it a good test and keep you posted....
Soybean harvest is progressing rapidly in this area of the midwest...Yeilds are good, hearing maybe high 50's to low 60's for the most part....that is good beans and with prices above 10 bucks a bushel, the farm economy is GOOD.....
Have a good evening.....JL
One more injection next week and they tell me I will be good to go for 6 months maybe after that who knows...But I have a friend Dane Yoder who tells me that he had these shots a couple years ago and has not had any knee pain since....I'd like to have those results as well...Next step if not Doctor Hagen tells me is the new knee operation...Like to hold off on that for a few years at least, maybe never...
But there are side effects to this business...I was picking apples from a neighbors tree this week and had a real desire to get up in the tree and go to "roost" maybe for awhile...Probably a good thing the stock markets are down like they are or I could be trying to crow about my great decisions or stock choices...All kidding aside its good to know a lot of others ahead of me have allowed chicken fat to help them along the way...I will give it a good test and keep you posted....
Soybean harvest is progressing rapidly in this area of the midwest...Yeilds are good, hearing maybe high 50's to low 60's for the most part....that is good beans and with prices above 10 bucks a bushel, the farm economy is GOOD.....
Have a good evening.....JL
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Fall and Harvest Began Yesterday
Gee does it have to come so soon? I guess we all love fall with turning of the leaves and cool temperatures and no heating and no cooling draining our pocketbooks.
But its the later part that ushers in winter that is kind of a bummer...
But anyway it begins the sun crossed the equator yesterday intent on blessing the southern hemisphere with its warmth more so than us who have been left to fend for ourselves until March 21 when our old buddy the sun heads across the equator again and blesses us with another growing season...
But also Harvest began yesterday, little did I suspect but it did..SP and I were riding our bikes yesterday about noon and passed my first planted soybean field..The one that the Sheriff thought he had a drunk on his hands..(See May 17th blog), Well anyway as we passed I said you know I think all the green is gone from this field we may just try and cut these beans later today...She said well if there ready lets turn around an go back and get started now. Well we completed the 6 mile ride and then I spent 2 hours of lubrication on the old but still good 1985 combine, a 1620 Case IH rotory model..SP wanted to help so I said well I guess the windows on the combine could stand a wash job...She got inside and said, "good greif I could spend a week in here cleaning"..."I see lots of places for spiders to hide"....Well the windows are clean and no spiders challenging me so far...
We pulled into the field about 3 maybe and sure enough they went through like greased lightning and we were making dust and beans were falling into the hopper. We got out to check behind the combine to make sure the settings were correct and we were not blowing these 11 dollar beans out the back onto the ground...
This was sweetpea's first ride ever in a combine and she startled me when about the second time around the field she said,"you know I think I could run this"...and I said, "really?".....So after a couple hoppers and giving her a few pointers while I was operating the combine I changed from the operators seat to the buddy seat and let her have a go at it...I have to admit she was right, it was not more than about 3 rounds or so and sure enought "she could run this" and almost as good as I could.
She did find that "operating" a combine was a little more than just "driving" a combine but she was "good" and catching on fast to details of keeping the header width full and the crop coming into the combine at the optimun speed and effecientcy....Well anyway pretty and darn good, and when she is around and I get fatigued at the wheel of the machine she will probably be a willing relief operator when needed...Well today is not her day off and so I am on my own and had better get out there as I am burning perfectly good sunlight as I type....
Good day to all and GOD Bless....
But its the later part that ushers in winter that is kind of a bummer...
But anyway it begins the sun crossed the equator yesterday intent on blessing the southern hemisphere with its warmth more so than us who have been left to fend for ourselves until March 21 when our old buddy the sun heads across the equator again and blesses us with another growing season...
But also Harvest began yesterday, little did I suspect but it did..SP and I were riding our bikes yesterday about noon and passed my first planted soybean field..The one that the Sheriff thought he had a drunk on his hands..(See May 17th blog), Well anyway as we passed I said you know I think all the green is gone from this field we may just try and cut these beans later today...She said well if there ready lets turn around an go back and get started now. Well we completed the 6 mile ride and then I spent 2 hours of lubrication on the old but still good 1985 combine, a 1620 Case IH rotory model..SP wanted to help so I said well I guess the windows on the combine could stand a wash job...She got inside and said, "good greif I could spend a week in here cleaning"..."I see lots of places for spiders to hide"....Well the windows are clean and no spiders challenging me so far...
We pulled into the field about 3 maybe and sure enough they went through like greased lightning and we were making dust and beans were falling into the hopper. We got out to check behind the combine to make sure the settings were correct and we were not blowing these 11 dollar beans out the back onto the ground...
This was sweetpea's first ride ever in a combine and she startled me when about the second time around the field she said,"you know I think I could run this"...and I said, "really?".....So after a couple hoppers and giving her a few pointers while I was operating the combine I changed from the operators seat to the buddy seat and let her have a go at it...I have to admit she was right, it was not more than about 3 rounds or so and sure enought "she could run this" and almost as good as I could.
She did find that "operating" a combine was a little more than just "driving" a combine but she was "good" and catching on fast to details of keeping the header width full and the crop coming into the combine at the optimun speed and effecientcy....Well anyway pretty and darn good, and when she is around and I get fatigued at the wheel of the machine she will probably be a willing relief operator when needed...Well today is not her day off and so I am on my own and had better get out there as I am burning perfectly good sunlight as I type....
Good day to all and GOD Bless....
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Axis of Idiots.....
Came to me in an email and after reading this good peice of work I have to agree and could not improve on his thoughts so will publish this as is....Jack
"The Axis of Idiots"
Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief.
Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers. Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001.
John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam . Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq . You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam . You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did the Vietnamese. Iraq , like Vietnam , is another war that you were for, before you were against it.
John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq . You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa . Okinawa , John.? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt, and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's ass. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John.
Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord help us! See Dick run.
Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all the while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington .
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum.
American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer.
You are America's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist-abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing. There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam . If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies.
Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the country to people who are willing to defend it.
No, Mr. President, you don't get off the hook, either. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. Your Soldiers are dealing with the outside force. It's your obligation to support them by confronting the AXIS OF IDIOTS.
America must hear it from you that these self-centered people are harming our country, abetting the enemy and endangering our safety. Well up a little anger, please, and channel it toward the appropriate target. You must prosecute those who leak national security secrets to the media. You must prosecute those in the media who knowingly publish those secrets. Our Soldiers need you to confront the enemy that they cannot. They need you to do it now.
Semper Fi,
J.D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired
"The Axis of Idiots"
Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief.
Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers. Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001.
John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam . Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq . You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam . You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did the Vietnamese. Iraq , like Vietnam , is another war that you were for, before you were against it.
John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq . You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa . Okinawa , John.? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt, and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's ass. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John.
Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord help us! See Dick run.
Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all the while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington .
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum.
American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer.
You are America's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist-abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing. There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam . If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies.
Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the country to people who are willing to defend it.
No, Mr. President, you don't get off the hook, either. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. Your Soldiers are dealing with the outside force. It's your obligation to support them by confronting the AXIS OF IDIOTS.
America must hear it from you that these self-centered people are harming our country, abetting the enemy and endangering our safety. Well up a little anger, please, and channel it toward the appropriate target. You must prosecute those who leak national security secrets to the media. You must prosecute those in the media who knowingly publish those secrets. Our Soldiers need you to confront the enemy that they cannot. They need you to do it now.
Semper Fi,
J.D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
FRUIT/FISH/FLOWERS
Its Hump Day Wednesday, gorgeous day in Indiana. I mowed the hay field (my lawn), what a summer, never has turned brown and after last week ends tale end of Ike I dumped 4 inches from my gage and figured if I did not want deer hiding in my lawn maybe I should mow it....The soybean crop is maturing quickly now..With the forecast 80 plus days ahead it will accelerate that even...Some beans in my area will be harvested within a week..mine maybe two weeks (remember I was suffering from MONO), but they look like a bountiful crop coming on. The corn is maturing well also probably a month away from serious day to day harvest of this years corn crop...
But hey take a look to the right of those delicious succulent and even taste "real good" red fruits of the dogwood trees in my lawn...They have now become very large, very ripe and very good to just suck that goodness right out of.....My catfish as show are beyond harvest size. I started with 300 channels and have eaten all but about a dozen that I leave in just to scare the grandkids and also help control the bluegill population that is always a problem...I really don't intentionally feed these monsters, but when I feed the blue gill, a few bass and these monterous dozen "fish hogs" show up to try and claim more than their share...
Last but certainally not least is my Susan Lilly, still blooming, all summer long, still beautiful, and promising by it all to most likely be here next year and hopefully many years ahead...I love those yellow flowers by far the best too...
But hey take a look to the right of those delicious succulent and even taste "real good" red fruits of the dogwood trees in my lawn...They have now become very large, very ripe and very good to just suck that goodness right out of.....My catfish as show are beyond harvest size. I started with 300 channels and have eaten all but about a dozen that I leave in just to scare the grandkids and also help control the bluegill population that is always a problem...I really don't intentionally feed these monsters, but when I feed the blue gill, a few bass and these monterous dozen "fish hogs" show up to try and claim more than their share...
Last but certainally not least is my Susan Lilly, still blooming, all summer long, still beautiful, and promising by it all to most likely be here next year and hopefully many years ahead...I love those yellow flowers by far the best too...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
More thoughts on the Red Bull Motorcycle Racing
I need to add some thoughts on the event itself. I think I may go again some day, it was fun to watch them go around those curves. And it seems to be safer than I had originally thought also as we saw one bad spill when a rider lost it on turn 1 at probably well over a hundred miles an hour some say they take that curve at 140.
His bike slide down the track for maybe a quarter mile at least sliding onto the grass. He slid along behind it first on his tummy and then when he slowed a bit he flipped over onto his butt and then slid the rest of the way setting up until he hit the grass area of turn two and then just stood up and walked away over to his bike...
The leather outfits they wear must be very resilant to say the least...Of course the track was wet which would no doubt help a lot on the friction part of it...
But I enjoy it when they all take off from a standing start at the starting line and then zoom zoom for a few laps around the track...It reminds me actually of a bunch of honey bee's leaving the hive looking for honey...really does and then after a few laps they return to the pit areas kind of like a bee would do...And they kind of sound like a swarm of bees also as they move around all those turns in the quickest pace they can muster....
So I went because I wanted to see one of those races as I never had seen a motorcycle race ever...And the fact that the first races at the 500 track actually were motor cycles and not cars drew me there also...it was 99 years ago I found out at the "Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum" that the first race was held at the track..Cars came along a couple years later but bike's were there first so I guess it is fitting they return. It is too bad it rained so much Sunday as it would have been pretty exciting with four seperate races taking place under drier conditions...
Maybe next year, one thing for sure it could not be any wetter...Wet they have had and these guys do run, rain or shine, so it does not stop them very long...A monsoon like was going on for a while did delay, but as soon as it let up they were out there and going...
The riders range in age from 14 or 15 up to 30 something...They are mostly small men of maybe 5 foot to 5 and a half feet and weight usually less than 150 pounds..it all helps with the quickness if the bike is not carrying a big guy...
We noticed that about half the spectators arrived on cycles of all types...and probably 75% were from out of state all over the nation, was fun to just walk along behind the bikes, admiring them, and looking at the plates where they were from...And the spectators also contained many who flew in from all over the world...So they do have some loyal folk who love to watch this sport...I think the stands were maybe less than 5% full so talk about starting from the bottom, they did...But I predict that this thing will grow, those loyals will all be there next year and I think curiousity will bring more and more locals as time move on...
Well that is my thoughts on bike racing, for me not as exciting as the 500 race or the brickyard 400 but maybe that is just what I am used too...I do have new respect for those men who have reached such a level of expertise as to ride on two wheels at 200 miles and hour into a curve at 140 laying it over where their knees almost hit the black top, quickly stand it back up and then lay it over to the other side to take the next curve...some duck tape a piece of steel to their knees so as they can actually let it hit the black top and make a few sparks as they make those turns....pretty darn exciting stuff all in all....
His bike slide down the track for maybe a quarter mile at least sliding onto the grass. He slid along behind it first on his tummy and then when he slowed a bit he flipped over onto his butt and then slid the rest of the way setting up until he hit the grass area of turn two and then just stood up and walked away over to his bike...
The leather outfits they wear must be very resilant to say the least...Of course the track was wet which would no doubt help a lot on the friction part of it...
But I enjoy it when they all take off from a standing start at the starting line and then zoom zoom for a few laps around the track...It reminds me actually of a bunch of honey bee's leaving the hive looking for honey...really does and then after a few laps they return to the pit areas kind of like a bee would do...And they kind of sound like a swarm of bees also as they move around all those turns in the quickest pace they can muster....
So I went because I wanted to see one of those races as I never had seen a motorcycle race ever...And the fact that the first races at the 500 track actually were motor cycles and not cars drew me there also...it was 99 years ago I found out at the "Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum" that the first race was held at the track..Cars came along a couple years later but bike's were there first so I guess it is fitting they return. It is too bad it rained so much Sunday as it would have been pretty exciting with four seperate races taking place under drier conditions...
Maybe next year, one thing for sure it could not be any wetter...Wet they have had and these guys do run, rain or shine, so it does not stop them very long...A monsoon like was going on for a while did delay, but as soon as it let up they were out there and going...
The riders range in age from 14 or 15 up to 30 something...They are mostly small men of maybe 5 foot to 5 and a half feet and weight usually less than 150 pounds..it all helps with the quickness if the bike is not carrying a big guy...
We noticed that about half the spectators arrived on cycles of all types...and probably 75% were from out of state all over the nation, was fun to just walk along behind the bikes, admiring them, and looking at the plates where they were from...And the spectators also contained many who flew in from all over the world...So they do have some loyal folk who love to watch this sport...I think the stands were maybe less than 5% full so talk about starting from the bottom, they did...But I predict that this thing will grow, those loyals will all be there next year and I think curiousity will bring more and more locals as time move on...
Well that is my thoughts on bike racing, for me not as exciting as the 500 race or the brickyard 400 but maybe that is just what I am used too...I do have new respect for those men who have reached such a level of expertise as to ride on two wheels at 200 miles and hour into a curve at 140 laying it over where their knees almost hit the black top, quickly stand it back up and then lay it over to the other side to take the next curve...some duck tape a piece of steel to their knees so as they can actually let it hit the black top and make a few sparks as they make those turns....pretty darn exciting stuff all in all....
Monday, September 15, 2008
Red Bull Indy Motorcycle Races
Well, lets say it was a vacation...A vacation is doing something different that is fun...Maybe that is what we did by attending the first motorcycle races at the Indy 500 track in 99 years...
First pic is a stunt rider an probably as much fun as I had the four days as far as a spectator is concerned...watching these kids ride like crazy on the one wheel both front an rear at times....
Second pic is a disaster...the opportunity of a life time, well maybe a slight overstatement but the security man we met also from Lafayette McQuinn also a Farm Bureau agent on 350 south invited us to climb to the roof of grandstand E and took our picture....Let me tell you what you don't want to do and that is jerk your camera out of your pocket without checking the lighting setting and hand it to the nice gentlemen and say all you have to do is click it...What a photo opp and I blew it..but still impressed enought to blog it...ha
Third pic is a visit we did to the Indy 500 Hall of Fame Musuem on the race track grounds...This is a good day trip visit in itself folks...Only cost 3 bucks open about any day till 6 pm and parking right inside the track to see it off 16th street at the south end of the track...All the past winnering cars and drivers pictures and more inside to see...will take a couple hours to see it all pretty well....
Forth pic down is of one of the races, can you imagine 190 plus down the straight away and then leaning it over to almost touch your knee and then 140 MPH through turn one?????? These riders are young very young some as young as 15...I think they have to get them before they get to smart maybe...But hey some of them make 30 million a year so maybe not real dum either....
Fifth pic is of the forth day I was at this event...Rained like crazy.. I now have new appreciation for the people of New Orleans who live below sea level..A sweet pea sat to my right and damed the water from the bleachers from getting to me..She got real wet, a gentlemen you say I am not? Well she did ask for the seat on the end...what is a guy to do????
First pic is a stunt rider an probably as much fun as I had the four days as far as a spectator is concerned...watching these kids ride like crazy on the one wheel both front an rear at times....
Second pic is a disaster...the opportunity of a life time, well maybe a slight overstatement but the security man we met also from Lafayette McQuinn also a Farm Bureau agent on 350 south invited us to climb to the roof of grandstand E and took our picture....Let me tell you what you don't want to do and that is jerk your camera out of your pocket without checking the lighting setting and hand it to the nice gentlemen and say all you have to do is click it...What a photo opp and I blew it..but still impressed enought to blog it...ha
Third pic is a visit we did to the Indy 500 Hall of Fame Musuem on the race track grounds...This is a good day trip visit in itself folks...Only cost 3 bucks open about any day till 6 pm and parking right inside the track to see it off 16th street at the south end of the track...All the past winnering cars and drivers pictures and more inside to see...will take a couple hours to see it all pretty well....
Forth pic down is of one of the races, can you imagine 190 plus down the straight away and then leaning it over to almost touch your knee and then 140 MPH through turn one?????? These riders are young very young some as young as 15...I think they have to get them before they get to smart maybe...But hey some of them make 30 million a year so maybe not real dum either....
Fifth pic is of the forth day I was at this event...Rained like crazy.. I now have new appreciation for the people of New Orleans who live below sea level..A sweet pea sat to my right and damed the water from the bleachers from getting to me..She got real wet, a gentlemen you say I am not? Well she did ask for the seat on the end...what is a guy to do????
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Paw Paws / The Indiana Banana
The Paw Paw Trees of Indiana, the best kept secret for delicious fruit are worth the time spent looking. It happens each fall they ripen shortly after the first frost of the season. They are one of my very favorite fruits, mostly found in the wild, but some of us are bringing them into our lawns, and why not? They are a pretty tree with large elongated leaves and the purple blooms in the spring are always a welcome sight. The fruit is just delicious as you cut them in half and then spoon the fruit out and enjoy much like a cup of custard...The large flat seeds that come with it need to be delt with but if your smart you will save them, placing them into the freezer or refrigerator and planting them in the spring time.
They are not plentiful in Indiana usually found in semi wet areas of a woods, not swampy lets say "damp" areas....And they are not restricted to Indiana by any means, I believe I have read where they actually are located from central America all the way to Canada even. With some variatal changes as they progress northward...Indiana's version is probably as good as it gets or at least good enough for me and mine...I located one in a fence row behind my daughter Suzette's house. The whole family is now well aware of the "sacred tree" growing behind the house and up to speed on protecting it from any harm. I have about a half dozen growing in my land scaping at my home and thus the picture you see at the right.
My first experience with the Indiana Banana or Paw Paw was about 60 years ago when my sister Peg and hubby Charlie Ritchie lived along US 52 about 6 miles south of Lafayette...They told me I could come stay with them a few days and sell some Paw Paws that were in big numbers in a woods next to the house...Mom loaded me up with her fresh eggs to sell and dropped me off. I went into the woods and quickly picked a couple big buckets full of the delicasy that I knew nothing of only dollar signs for me...I placed some tables near the road in front of the house with a Paw Paw sign, also finding bitter sweet and added that to my array of goods to be turned into cash.
I was not there long and a little Crosley auto went whizzing by and applied the brakes and did a U turn and came back to my stand. He got out and said, "wow I have not had a paw paw for years can I eat one right now"? I said yeal if you pay for it when your done...He devoured a couple of them and then purchased just about all that I had picked. So back into the woods I went with new respect for this fruit that now had "demand" written all over it...Before the day was over I even got the nerve to try one of these myself...Can not say it was love at first taste, this is one of those things that have to kind of grow on you..But once it does, your hooked big time....for life....
As life went on I kind of forgot about paw paws, I guess until one day there was an article in the Lafayette Paper the Journal Courier, about a Mr. Paul Bauer close to Monitor that kind of was the Yule Gibbins of Paw Paw trees..Showed pictures of him and his trees and paw paws....Not long after that I met his son Bob and wife Cathy and asked about the paw paw man...they directed me over to meet him and he gave me some of the trees no doubt maybe the one that has the pics at the right here...I also sometimes dig them up in a woods if they are very small, as they quickly get long deep roots making it almost impossible if they have much size to them...Actually the very best way is just to save the seed placing them into a little nursery and then transplanting them when about a foot tall or so.
Anyway Mr. Bauer told me and it does work that if you are lucky enough to come onto say a hundred of these that you can wrap in newspaper and place in the freezer for a year or so, as the shelf life is short for these guys...I did it and they are as he said "wonderful" to thaw out and cut in half and spoon out the delicous custart thet they hold inside that ungly skin that with freezing has turned black....
Well that is my report on the most underrated little tree in Indiana, hope you will join me in adding them to your landscape, they are well worth the effort....
They are not plentiful in Indiana usually found in semi wet areas of a woods, not swampy lets say "damp" areas....And they are not restricted to Indiana by any means, I believe I have read where they actually are located from central America all the way to Canada even. With some variatal changes as they progress northward...Indiana's version is probably as good as it gets or at least good enough for me and mine...I located one in a fence row behind my daughter Suzette's house. The whole family is now well aware of the "sacred tree" growing behind the house and up to speed on protecting it from any harm. I have about a half dozen growing in my land scaping at my home and thus the picture you see at the right.
My first experience with the Indiana Banana or Paw Paw was about 60 years ago when my sister Peg and hubby Charlie Ritchie lived along US 52 about 6 miles south of Lafayette...They told me I could come stay with them a few days and sell some Paw Paws that were in big numbers in a woods next to the house...Mom loaded me up with her fresh eggs to sell and dropped me off. I went into the woods and quickly picked a couple big buckets full of the delicasy that I knew nothing of only dollar signs for me...I placed some tables near the road in front of the house with a Paw Paw sign, also finding bitter sweet and added that to my array of goods to be turned into cash.
I was not there long and a little Crosley auto went whizzing by and applied the brakes and did a U turn and came back to my stand. He got out and said, "wow I have not had a paw paw for years can I eat one right now"? I said yeal if you pay for it when your done...He devoured a couple of them and then purchased just about all that I had picked. So back into the woods I went with new respect for this fruit that now had "demand" written all over it...Before the day was over I even got the nerve to try one of these myself...Can not say it was love at first taste, this is one of those things that have to kind of grow on you..But once it does, your hooked big time....for life....
As life went on I kind of forgot about paw paws, I guess until one day there was an article in the Lafayette Paper the Journal Courier, about a Mr. Paul Bauer close to Monitor that kind of was the Yule Gibbins of Paw Paw trees..Showed pictures of him and his trees and paw paws....Not long after that I met his son Bob and wife Cathy and asked about the paw paw man...they directed me over to meet him and he gave me some of the trees no doubt maybe the one that has the pics at the right here...I also sometimes dig them up in a woods if they are very small, as they quickly get long deep roots making it almost impossible if they have much size to them...Actually the very best way is just to save the seed placing them into a little nursery and then transplanting them when about a foot tall or so.
Anyway Mr. Bauer told me and it does work that if you are lucky enough to come onto say a hundred of these that you can wrap in newspaper and place in the freezer for a year or so, as the shelf life is short for these guys...I did it and they are as he said "wonderful" to thaw out and cut in half and spoon out the delicous custart thet they hold inside that ungly skin that with freezing has turned black....
Well that is my report on the most underrated little tree in Indiana, hope you will join me in adding them to your landscape, they are well worth the effort....
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Mackinaw Island upper Michigan
Been there done that last weekend matter of fact. It was fun top pic to the right shows how much fun RVing can be...always fish to fry, alway's good wine and always 5 o'clock somewhere. George, Gladis, Jim and Kay all of Cold water Michigan where the water I suppose is just not cold enough so they travel 4 hours north to northern Michigans best RV camp ground near Traverse City and find even colder water I am sure. But a place where no doubt they find a lot of good freinds also to enjoy the surroundings of the north woods..Many of these same folk find their way to Silver Lakes RV park in Naples Florida each winter...Kind of like snow birds should do when the snow falls in the midwest and the sun shines and the fish bite down there...
Sweet Pea and I headed on up there just to say hi to them and while we were there Kay suggested and then we decided to visit Mackinaw island just about 90 miles farther north...It was fun and next pic down shows how you get there from Mackinaw City on Michigan's north shore...
Takes 17 minutes on the high speed ferry and you are smelling horse poop and fudge...
No cars allowed on the island, just "hay burners" and walking...we walked and after two good nights sleep and the last one in my bed with 10 hours of nighty night, I think I may make it....
Next pic is one of the coaches from the Grand Hotel with a tourist looking on. Horse and buggies are the center peice of the Island......Lots of little shops on every street...Lots of fudge for sale, and all looks so darn yummy...Desired so by the dummy, but advised as to what it would do to the tummy so we left it all there except for one piece that I am proud to say is only half gone....
Last picture is of the Grand Hotel with a tourist also looking on, we are told that it can cost as much as 600 a night to stay there, gosh that is more than my diesel fuel burned all the way up and back plus the RV park fees....Had a great time, may do it again sometime in the future....
One high point of the trip was watching Fox news again as I cancelled my dish network about a year ago...Had not realized I actually missed it so much...They are fair with the reporting as they say, simply can not stand the CNN's and MSNBC with the slanted views of reporting they do each day....Probably as bad for your brain as all that fudge is for my tummy....Had a nice show on one night called the "American Woman" highlighting the past life of one of the Vice Presidential candidates...the one that I hope will win the election with her running mate McBrilliant for picking her and cut a lot of the fat out of this government and then reduce taxes....and stop the incessant handouts of the past to ungrateful nations and people...
Well all that being said got to run putting peaches in the freezer today...Never done that before but I just know it will turn out wonderful....I hope...
Sweet Pea and I headed on up there just to say hi to them and while we were there Kay suggested and then we decided to visit Mackinaw island just about 90 miles farther north...It was fun and next pic down shows how you get there from Mackinaw City on Michigan's north shore...
Takes 17 minutes on the high speed ferry and you are smelling horse poop and fudge...
No cars allowed on the island, just "hay burners" and walking...we walked and after two good nights sleep and the last one in my bed with 10 hours of nighty night, I think I may make it....
Next pic is one of the coaches from the Grand Hotel with a tourist looking on. Horse and buggies are the center peice of the Island......Lots of little shops on every street...Lots of fudge for sale, and all looks so darn yummy...Desired so by the dummy, but advised as to what it would do to the tummy so we left it all there except for one piece that I am proud to say is only half gone....
Last picture is of the Grand Hotel with a tourist also looking on, we are told that it can cost as much as 600 a night to stay there, gosh that is more than my diesel fuel burned all the way up and back plus the RV park fees....Had a great time, may do it again sometime in the future....
One high point of the trip was watching Fox news again as I cancelled my dish network about a year ago...Had not realized I actually missed it so much...They are fair with the reporting as they say, simply can not stand the CNN's and MSNBC with the slanted views of reporting they do each day....Probably as bad for your brain as all that fudge is for my tummy....Had a nice show on one night called the "American Woman" highlighting the past life of one of the Vice Presidential candidates...the one that I hope will win the election with her running mate McBrilliant for picking her and cut a lot of the fat out of this government and then reduce taxes....and stop the incessant handouts of the past to ungrateful nations and people...
Well all that being said got to run putting peaches in the freezer today...Never done that before but I just know it will turn out wonderful....I hope...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Vice President Sarah
It is late but sleep will wait. We have just heard from the next Vice President of this great nation...We are in good hands....The woman is incredible the Man she promotes deserves his turn at the Presidency....
We have a candidate, a pit bull with lipstick, with experience, with poise, with intelligence and a proven leader...and we will now win the war on terror. Guaranteed my freinds the terrorist of the world will not be rooting for McCain/Palin.......
I can not help but believe there is divine guidance for this nation taking place, it has happened...God is Good, Still in Charge and still blessing this land that we all love....
Good Night
We have a candidate, a pit bull with lipstick, with experience, with poise, with intelligence and a proven leader...and we will now win the war on terror. Guaranteed my freinds the terrorist of the world will not be rooting for McCain/Palin.......
I can not help but believe there is divine guidance for this nation taking place, it has happened...God is Good, Still in Charge and still blessing this land that we all love....
Good Night
The Republican Convention and Sarah
Or maybe my headline should read "Sarah" and the Republican Convention. In any case I agree with the video on the right side of the page here that this lady is "hot".
She is cute and attractive but what makes her "hot" for me is that she will energize this election and deny the inexperienced "wizard of change" Obama the chance at the White House...Sarah will put John McCain in the oval office, I am pretty sure. She has the right stuff to be his running mate and if need be the President of the Nation. Taking on corruption, big oil, the good ole boy system, firing people, that kind of stuff is refreshing as hell to me....Girl where have you been all our lives...Well we know where you have been in Alaska where the Press seldom goes unless on a fishing trip but you have been preparing to be the spark needed to win this election in November....
I liked the comparison from Fred Thompson last night about how Obama has governed no one and has never sponsered a major bill in congress....He is a wizard of change, but no one knows nor does he what that change would be...We know what we have with McCain and Palin we have seen them in action. We know of their charactors, not so with Obama. With him we are seeing one side of the coin as far as his background. Little is known of his muslim roots from the other side of the family..It is kept very quiet. To me this is huge and should be for this nation...This is serious business, we are at war with these people in the middle east and to even think of setting a President with any kind of links to these roots is propostorous.
Could the country be that naive? A week ago I was starting to wonder, have been praying all summer that we would not be. I think Sarah is maybe the answer to prayers to bring forth excitement and a reason to move away from putting a man with Muslim roots into our office in this time of war...She will do it I do believe. As soon as it was announced sweet pea said that McCain is a smart man. That this lady will energize women voters and Christian voters. I did not know because I was wanting Huckabee to be the VP choice here. But after hearing this lady talk about taking on the establishment and fighting corruption in government which we all know it is full of...Well I will go a little further even than sweet pea and say I think McCain made a "genius" move picking this running mate....he has shook things up good and brought intense excitement into this fray...I look forward to learning more tonight about this lady...The democrats and the press are falling all over themselves to paint her with problems...It will backfire on them big time starting tonight....
Hallalluya.........for after all God is still in charge......
She is cute and attractive but what makes her "hot" for me is that she will energize this election and deny the inexperienced "wizard of change" Obama the chance at the White House...Sarah will put John McCain in the oval office, I am pretty sure. She has the right stuff to be his running mate and if need be the President of the Nation. Taking on corruption, big oil, the good ole boy system, firing people, that kind of stuff is refreshing as hell to me....Girl where have you been all our lives...Well we know where you have been in Alaska where the Press seldom goes unless on a fishing trip but you have been preparing to be the spark needed to win this election in November....
I liked the comparison from Fred Thompson last night about how Obama has governed no one and has never sponsered a major bill in congress....He is a wizard of change, but no one knows nor does he what that change would be...We know what we have with McCain and Palin we have seen them in action. We know of their charactors, not so with Obama. With him we are seeing one side of the coin as far as his background. Little is known of his muslim roots from the other side of the family..It is kept very quiet. To me this is huge and should be for this nation...This is serious business, we are at war with these people in the middle east and to even think of setting a President with any kind of links to these roots is propostorous.
Could the country be that naive? A week ago I was starting to wonder, have been praying all summer that we would not be. I think Sarah is maybe the answer to prayers to bring forth excitement and a reason to move away from putting a man with Muslim roots into our office in this time of war...She will do it I do believe. As soon as it was announced sweet pea said that McCain is a smart man. That this lady will energize women voters and Christian voters. I did not know because I was wanting Huckabee to be the VP choice here. But after hearing this lady talk about taking on the establishment and fighting corruption in government which we all know it is full of...Well I will go a little further even than sweet pea and say I think McCain made a "genius" move picking this running mate....he has shook things up good and brought intense excitement into this fray...I look forward to learning more tonight about this lady...The democrats and the press are falling all over themselves to paint her with problems...It will backfire on them big time starting tonight....
Hallalluya.........for after all God is still in charge......
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Getting Rid of Ants
It was war this summer, they started to appear very gradual, down on the floor an occasional small brown ant would be seen...not to worry I thought, sweet pea will probably never notice them down there. A man left in charge of a home is probably a perfect storm as far as ant production is concerned. Sometimes a banana peel or spilled sugar on the counter, one of those things that can be put off for a day or two until it rains and you have more time to clean the place up.
A month passed and these guys moved to the counter tops but stayed kind of out of sight for the most part hiding under the coffee jar or behind the dog treats, in and around the spice tray..Not a huge problem but becoming one, the perfect storm for them is becoming the perfect storm for me it seems.
Then it happened, peices of a partially spoiled peach were left out on the counter over night, (I ate the good part) and as I moved to the counter to make my morning coffee there they were. It was like watching the old movie "wagon train", no Indians but man the long line of what could have been pioneer wagons looking down from an airplane maybe. There was a dual highway more or less as they were out in huge numbers and were harvesting that delicious jucy sweet peach (I should have ate all of it I guess)...The lines were from the back of the stove and about 6 feet long to the end of the counter top where the food source awaited them....
I knew action needed to happen here and happen quick, I jumped in my car and headed to D and R grocery store.. I said I think I need "ant traps or baits" of some sort.
He said don't have that try the dollar store next door I bet they will....They did, they had "RAID Ant Baits", a little expensive I thought but then I remembered the wagon train at home and grabbed an arm full of them and checked out. As I drove home I knew those boys days were now numbered...I read the instructions and put them out along the back of the counter tops where the trails of ants were scurrying hether to and fro and back again....I thought this will be like shooting fish in a barrel...I then stood and watched them as they came to the small white 2 inch by 2 inch igloo like plastic structures with holes in them and then they would take a turn and went right around the bait trap and then continued on their merry way to look for food intened for me and maybe sweet pea...
This was war and my artillary was not working. I stood and watched this for maybe an hour, thinking what the hell is going on here? I finally arrived at the logical conclusion that the dollar store had purchased no doubt a bunch of outdated worthless ant baits and selling the defective war materials to poor inocents like myself...I grabed a bait package, and there was an 800 number to call for help...I got a nice lady on the line and told her I think my baits are defective and that there was no scent from them and my ants refused to enter in and feast upon the poison I wanted to provide for them. She then told me what I needed to do to make them work, why this info was not on the package I wondered...Then after recent thought of proper housekeeping I realised that probably only men left alone in a house experience this...she said you have to clean the counter tops before you put the bait out for them, because when and ant finds a food source he then leaves a chemical scent trail back to the nest so others can then follow that path. So that is how they do it I thought, thanked her for the tip and did what men left alone in a house usually don't do and cleaned my counter tops. I used clorox with bleach spray and that in itself scares the hell out of and even kills some of the ants...
After my good clean up I again placed my baits out on the counter as the enemies started to once again appear seemingly disoriented because I had distroyed all their little trails to the food...Sure enough the little buggers ran up to and entered into the bait stations...Got themselves and big arm full of the poison and took it back to the women and children at "home"....Well it was kind of like this current war in Iraq for quite a few days...If I remember we killed a bunch of the bad boys over there but they kept coming...Our President said what I was thinking God Bless him, "hey bring it on", let invite all the bad boys in from all around and "praise the Lord and pass the ammunition", and kill them all. Well anyway back to "my war", it was a very slow process, way to slow for sweet pea, she would come out and look at my counter tops and grab my clorox spray and just "open up on these guys", reminisant of a Marine gunny behind a machine gun even....I told her we had to have patients here and allow these workers to carry this delicious poison back to the family behind the cabinets....She would look at me like I had just told her the earth was flat and again open up on any "still kicking" poor little al-kida type ants. I held my ground and kept the bait stations in place..When she was not visiting I would allow the enemy to wonder all around and harvest these little bait stations...
I am happy to report that today and maybe for the past 2 weeks I am 100% "ant free"..
Those Raid ant baits if allowed to work do the job and do it well...{*considering you are a normal house keeper and occasionally clean your counter tops) you got to destroy those chemical trails now and then...That I have learned this summer, that cleanlyness leads to happyness....All probably in the learning process of a "man left alone in a house", has to go through....
It is a great day here, not an ant in sight.........
A month passed and these guys moved to the counter tops but stayed kind of out of sight for the most part hiding under the coffee jar or behind the dog treats, in and around the spice tray..Not a huge problem but becoming one, the perfect storm for them is becoming the perfect storm for me it seems.
Then it happened, peices of a partially spoiled peach were left out on the counter over night, (I ate the good part) and as I moved to the counter to make my morning coffee there they were. It was like watching the old movie "wagon train", no Indians but man the long line of what could have been pioneer wagons looking down from an airplane maybe. There was a dual highway more or less as they were out in huge numbers and were harvesting that delicious jucy sweet peach (I should have ate all of it I guess)...The lines were from the back of the stove and about 6 feet long to the end of the counter top where the food source awaited them....
I knew action needed to happen here and happen quick, I jumped in my car and headed to D and R grocery store.. I said I think I need "ant traps or baits" of some sort.
He said don't have that try the dollar store next door I bet they will....They did, they had "RAID Ant Baits", a little expensive I thought but then I remembered the wagon train at home and grabbed an arm full of them and checked out. As I drove home I knew those boys days were now numbered...I read the instructions and put them out along the back of the counter tops where the trails of ants were scurrying hether to and fro and back again....I thought this will be like shooting fish in a barrel...I then stood and watched them as they came to the small white 2 inch by 2 inch igloo like plastic structures with holes in them and then they would take a turn and went right around the bait trap and then continued on their merry way to look for food intened for me and maybe sweet pea...
This was war and my artillary was not working. I stood and watched this for maybe an hour, thinking what the hell is going on here? I finally arrived at the logical conclusion that the dollar store had purchased no doubt a bunch of outdated worthless ant baits and selling the defective war materials to poor inocents like myself...I grabed a bait package, and there was an 800 number to call for help...I got a nice lady on the line and told her I think my baits are defective and that there was no scent from them and my ants refused to enter in and feast upon the poison I wanted to provide for them. She then told me what I needed to do to make them work, why this info was not on the package I wondered...Then after recent thought of proper housekeeping I realised that probably only men left alone in a house experience this...she said you have to clean the counter tops before you put the bait out for them, because when and ant finds a food source he then leaves a chemical scent trail back to the nest so others can then follow that path. So that is how they do it I thought, thanked her for the tip and did what men left alone in a house usually don't do and cleaned my counter tops. I used clorox with bleach spray and that in itself scares the hell out of and even kills some of the ants...
After my good clean up I again placed my baits out on the counter as the enemies started to once again appear seemingly disoriented because I had distroyed all their little trails to the food...Sure enough the little buggers ran up to and entered into the bait stations...Got themselves and big arm full of the poison and took it back to the women and children at "home"....Well it was kind of like this current war in Iraq for quite a few days...If I remember we killed a bunch of the bad boys over there but they kept coming...Our President said what I was thinking God Bless him, "hey bring it on", let invite all the bad boys in from all around and "praise the Lord and pass the ammunition", and kill them all. Well anyway back to "my war", it was a very slow process, way to slow for sweet pea, she would come out and look at my counter tops and grab my clorox spray and just "open up on these guys", reminisant of a Marine gunny behind a machine gun even....I told her we had to have patients here and allow these workers to carry this delicious poison back to the family behind the cabinets....She would look at me like I had just told her the earth was flat and again open up on any "still kicking" poor little al-kida type ants. I held my ground and kept the bait stations in place..When she was not visiting I would allow the enemy to wonder all around and harvest these little bait stations...
I am happy to report that today and maybe for the past 2 weeks I am 100% "ant free"..
Those Raid ant baits if allowed to work do the job and do it well...{*considering you are a normal house keeper and occasionally clean your counter tops) you got to destroy those chemical trails now and then...That I have learned this summer, that cleanlyness leads to happyness....All probably in the learning process of a "man left alone in a house", has to go through....
It is a great day here, not an ant in sight.........
Monday, September 1, 2008
69 and Summer keeps on coming
Well tardy from this blog for a full week I have to appologize and get some words down here to fill this gap. Sorry will try and do better but as summer's days are numbered from here on, one has to grab all the wonderment one can, and that has kept me away from my blogger duties....
Remember the beauty of the Kousa Dog wood tree from early summer? I said I would share when I start to eat the fruit and now is the time...I break them in half and they have a soft center with a taste all its own...not a lot of fruit inside but who knows what special capability it could hold inside? Maybe kill some form of cancer?, maybe make me smarter than the average bear? Guess we will never know for sure unless maybe this blog is still going 30+ years from now. Call me Yule Gibbens, call me a half a bubble off, I don't care, I like paa paa's even better.
Sweet Pea and I spent a couple hours floating in the pond yesterday. We removed the "redneck" (she calls it), airiation system I built before the water cools too much. She photographed a few of my bluegills eating some food...they have taken a liking to me feeding them this summer and now come right up to me in the water..Now and then giving me a thrill by trying to "taste" my legs and feet in the water. In the long run I will get them back one day when I fillet and then deep fry some of them...
Been a great summer for the roses that continue to blooming process until a hard frost shuts them down. They seem on a mission to produce as many of these perfect flowers as possible before that day. Very few Jap beatles this year to devour them, this has been as close to perfect a year as I have ever seen.
Water was warm yesterday as seen in pic 4 down. I took to the swing and have started to work on my form of water entry when I release and Susan snaps my picture and then gives me a rating...Yesterdays best was a "2", gosh I know she does not want me to "peak" to quickly as the next olympics are a long way off but I really worked hard on practice and I think maybe I may be under judged just a little bit, thinking more like a 3 or maybe a 3.5 even...notice the nice curve in the rope too, that should count for something....
Crops continue their path to maturity now. Corn is still healthy but ears are starting to give up moisture and shucks are browning a beganing to lossen. Soybeans are still just so healthy just a slight hint of turning yellow in spots. Very tops of plants continue to finish blooming and filling pods with beans. It should be a "best ever" year for the American farmers in my area and west of here all the way to Omaha...Sure some of those way to wet areas of last spring have or will suffer some yeild reductions from very late planting, early or late frost will tell the tale on those areas...thats it for today will try and get back here again before another week passes.....
OH, yeal the reference to "69", well it keeps coming also as this month I ate some birthday cake and am now 69 and 12 months and 7 days...I like that age, 51 weeks from now I will be 69 and 24 months...I like the system and it will keep my freinds sharp doing math in their heads as I roll these larger numbers at them....
Remember the beauty of the Kousa Dog wood tree from early summer? I said I would share when I start to eat the fruit and now is the time...I break them in half and they have a soft center with a taste all its own...not a lot of fruit inside but who knows what special capability it could hold inside? Maybe kill some form of cancer?, maybe make me smarter than the average bear? Guess we will never know for sure unless maybe this blog is still going 30+ years from now. Call me Yule Gibbens, call me a half a bubble off, I don't care, I like paa paa's even better.
Sweet Pea and I spent a couple hours floating in the pond yesterday. We removed the "redneck" (she calls it), airiation system I built before the water cools too much. She photographed a few of my bluegills eating some food...they have taken a liking to me feeding them this summer and now come right up to me in the water..Now and then giving me a thrill by trying to "taste" my legs and feet in the water. In the long run I will get them back one day when I fillet and then deep fry some of them...
Been a great summer for the roses that continue to blooming process until a hard frost shuts them down. They seem on a mission to produce as many of these perfect flowers as possible before that day. Very few Jap beatles this year to devour them, this has been as close to perfect a year as I have ever seen.
Water was warm yesterday as seen in pic 4 down. I took to the swing and have started to work on my form of water entry when I release and Susan snaps my picture and then gives me a rating...Yesterdays best was a "2", gosh I know she does not want me to "peak" to quickly as the next olympics are a long way off but I really worked hard on practice and I think maybe I may be under judged just a little bit, thinking more like a 3 or maybe a 3.5 even...notice the nice curve in the rope too, that should count for something....
Crops continue their path to maturity now. Corn is still healthy but ears are starting to give up moisture and shucks are browning a beganing to lossen. Soybeans are still just so healthy just a slight hint of turning yellow in spots. Very tops of plants continue to finish blooming and filling pods with beans. It should be a "best ever" year for the American farmers in my area and west of here all the way to Omaha...Sure some of those way to wet areas of last spring have or will suffer some yeild reductions from very late planting, early or late frost will tell the tale on those areas...thats it for today will try and get back here again before another week passes.....
OH, yeal the reference to "69", well it keeps coming also as this month I ate some birthday cake and am now 69 and 12 months and 7 days...I like that age, 51 weeks from now I will be 69 and 24 months...I like the system and it will keep my freinds sharp doing math in their heads as I roll these larger numbers at them....
Monday, August 25, 2008
Boys Town Nebraska plus Hart
Well today is the highlights of my Marine Reunion in Omaha Nebraska. First and foremost I was touched by Father Flanigan's founding and still operating city of Boys Town Nebraska.....Gosh what a place and they took the time to welcome the Marines of 3002 as we entered the History building there. It is a great place open to girls now too by the way. I was impressed by the layout of the city. The homes the kids stay in along a tree lined street there are large homes on each side...Well kept with the host couples name on a plague in front of the house...A host couple can have their own children also but they then take care of maybe 6 to 8 of these at risk children helping them recover and return to their original inviroment if it is safe for them to do so. Average stay at Boys town now is 18 months they told us. Focus has changed from homeless boys to problem boys and girls that need structure in thier lifes to help them catch on to what they are missing..A nice high school and grade school on campus there..About 1200 acres in the Middle of Omaha now but not part of...They are their own city with fire and police the whole 9 yards.
We were fortunate to eat lunch with the priest that heads up boys town now and also 8 boys and a girl who were then sworn in as boys towns newest citizens. They all were asked to give their names and the 3 things they like about boys town so far. Also the 3 goals they have for their stay there at boys town...then the priest ask each what has been the worst thing to happen to them since arriving in the last week or two...Lots of answers but one small boy said missing his family...A good sign I think and probably his goal will be to get help and then return there someday. I think I will become a Boys Town supporter in days ahead. One of my fellow Marines from Boot Camp Wayne Hart told me as we were arriving for our tour that he has supported boys town all his life...
I want to tell you a little more about this fine young man now as I have posted his picture to the right. He is a grand story teller...I find myself totally captured by his tales of the Marine Corps, wild experiences while on liberty from the Marines or just "Wayne's life" in general...He is a great story teller that you just can not tune out...If Wayne is speaking most folks are listening..I know I am I find myself even if he is not talking to me listening to these tales...Hell he may rival Garrison Keiler in my book, I get lost when both start a story.
One more thing about Wayne Hart...About our second or third week at Marine Recruit Depot San Diego I think the Drill Instructor Sgt. Thurmond as we were preparing for bed time asked if we had any singers in this pathetic bunch of beady eyed misfits?
Well Hart of Lanesboro Iowa, raised his hand and said, "Yes Sir, I can sing"...Thurmond then said well get your sorry ass up here Hart...So Wayne clad in his skivvy drawers (boxer undies) and shower shoes as was the rest of us there standing in formation. He said what can you sing Hart? Wayne said I like to sing "Courtin in the Rain" Sir....
Well after that at least a half dozen times or more on Sunday evening he would call him out..He would say "old man Wayne Hart, get up here and sing us that stupid song again"...Hart would do it, with all his heart...he knew it so well and we all kind of enjoyed it..with no radio's TV's or candy bars or ice cream or nothing, hey Hart was our "headliner", he was our concert so better than nothing we listened to all the corny verses of that song....When we held our 50th reunion in San Diego in 2006 he agreed to sing it to us one more time..But he said Jack I have forgotten the words...Marines love challenges even Marine wifes guess it kinda rubs off...anyway Lois Paulson's daughter found it on ebay in an old country antique magazine...cost us and arm and a leg but the objective was taken, we had our song and we had our singer....he did it again for us Friday night at the 52nd and I for one am looking forward to hearing it "one more time in 2010" when we gather again in Washington DC...over and out for now, I gotta mow my lawn, oh and one more minor point. Today I am 69 years and 12 months old..on this day in 1938 a golden child was born to Lawrence and Lena Lahrman, one they actually planned I always say, the first seven of course were accidents...But any way I hope you get my drift here next year I will be 69 and 24 months...
We were fortunate to eat lunch with the priest that heads up boys town now and also 8 boys and a girl who were then sworn in as boys towns newest citizens. They all were asked to give their names and the 3 things they like about boys town so far. Also the 3 goals they have for their stay there at boys town...then the priest ask each what has been the worst thing to happen to them since arriving in the last week or two...Lots of answers but one small boy said missing his family...A good sign I think and probably his goal will be to get help and then return there someday. I think I will become a Boys Town supporter in days ahead. One of my fellow Marines from Boot Camp Wayne Hart told me as we were arriving for our tour that he has supported boys town all his life...
I want to tell you a little more about this fine young man now as I have posted his picture to the right. He is a grand story teller...I find myself totally captured by his tales of the Marine Corps, wild experiences while on liberty from the Marines or just "Wayne's life" in general...He is a great story teller that you just can not tune out...If Wayne is speaking most folks are listening..I know I am I find myself even if he is not talking to me listening to these tales...Hell he may rival Garrison Keiler in my book, I get lost when both start a story.
One more thing about Wayne Hart...About our second or third week at Marine Recruit Depot San Diego I think the Drill Instructor Sgt. Thurmond as we were preparing for bed time asked if we had any singers in this pathetic bunch of beady eyed misfits?
Well Hart of Lanesboro Iowa, raised his hand and said, "Yes Sir, I can sing"...Thurmond then said well get your sorry ass up here Hart...So Wayne clad in his skivvy drawers (boxer undies) and shower shoes as was the rest of us there standing in formation. He said what can you sing Hart? Wayne said I like to sing "Courtin in the Rain" Sir....
Well after that at least a half dozen times or more on Sunday evening he would call him out..He would say "old man Wayne Hart, get up here and sing us that stupid song again"...Hart would do it, with all his heart...he knew it so well and we all kind of enjoyed it..with no radio's TV's or candy bars or ice cream or nothing, hey Hart was our "headliner", he was our concert so better than nothing we listened to all the corny verses of that song....When we held our 50th reunion in San Diego in 2006 he agreed to sing it to us one more time..But he said Jack I have forgotten the words...Marines love challenges even Marine wifes guess it kinda rubs off...anyway Lois Paulson's daughter found it on ebay in an old country antique magazine...cost us and arm and a leg but the objective was taken, we had our song and we had our singer....he did it again for us Friday night at the 52nd and I for one am looking forward to hearing it "one more time in 2010" when we gather again in Washington DC...over and out for now, I gotta mow my lawn, oh and one more minor point. Today I am 69 years and 12 months old..on this day in 1938 a golden child was born to Lawrence and Lena Lahrman, one they actually planned I always say, the first seven of course were accidents...But any way I hope you get my drift here next year I will be 69 and 24 months...
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Manilla Iowa and Here is the Beef
IN 1956 when I enlisted I landed in a Platoon that of the 75 members 52 were from Iowa...6 were from Manilla, and one of those was my buddy Roger Conrad and his buddy Dale who once let my wife and I park our RV in his driveway...Roger was a member of the famous 5th Marines...bad ass Marine Regiment that can when given the word, go in and break things and kill people...Anyway Roger the retired Post Master of sleepy Manilla drinks coffee with these farmers in the bowling alley right there in Downtown Manilla. I met all of these guys, would be proud to call all of them my freinds...Farmers for the most part, smart farmers, hillside farmers, and I think hard working and successful...I love the farmland topography of western Iowa...Eastern Iowa starts out flat like Illinois but quickly starts to "roll" and after Des Moines not only rolls but terraces and contour most likely no till farmers are needed...No wonder the yields are high with slopes like that, there has to be extra acres of ground compared to flat lands...you flatten this state out and it would bleed over into South Dakota, Nebraska and maybe Minnesota...so with rich deep soils like that,we look with envy at the yeilds reported there each year....Yes I think I have figured it out there has to be 1.2 acres in almost every acre of Iowa farm land.
All kiding aside, I have been to Manilla now twice and I do like this little town, nothing much going on except people keeping their town clean, minding their own business and playing golf, and drinking coffee, and one other thing raising big watermelons....Last time there I picked a 38 pound melon in the Conrad garden on the west side of town...As soon as I snapped it off the vine, Roger said, "that sucker had better be ripe as Joleen has been eyeing that one all summer"....Lucky for me it was and we all had a slice...But this year probably upon Joleens orders we circled the garden in Rogers car...I noticed the door locks going down as we approached the garden...we did not even slow up much we circled the garden and he said there is my melons, we were going pretty fast but I think I may have spotted a half dozen nice ones sticking out above the vines...It would have been nice to thump a couple but I guess we were in a hurry to get back to the house and get me checked into my room in the Conrad Hilton/Manilla....
OK second pic down is of one pen of many of Dan's beef cattle...Raised on waste products of ethanol production....The more I think about this the more confident I become in the "long haul" of our nations ethanol initiative that we have launched...
Back home in Indiana from my Marine reunion in Omaha/Council Bluffs area...Lost 9 bucks in the new horseshoe casino there in Council Bluffs Iowa...Figured out the second day, by staying away and doing other things like lying in the bath tub warm pool, I was able to keep my losses very low....and exercising my mending knee and not my arm on those machines...Crops are good all the way from my farm to western Iowa and back, but for the first time since I farmed my lawn never browned one time..The year could not have been more perfect even recieving over an inch while I was gone....I think West Central Indiana is without a doubt the garden spot of the nation in 2008....Never have been able to say it before, and maybe never again so maybe I will be heard to say it a time or two before this year passes us by....Some of Indiana has been blessed this year...We have a license plate you know that boldly states "IN GOD WE TRUST", maybe well just maybe the ACLU does not really appreciate our license plates nor our good crops that the GOD they seem to want to disprove has blessed us with...But this farmer does......
All kiding aside, I have been to Manilla now twice and I do like this little town, nothing much going on except people keeping their town clean, minding their own business and playing golf, and drinking coffee, and one other thing raising big watermelons....Last time there I picked a 38 pound melon in the Conrad garden on the west side of town...As soon as I snapped it off the vine, Roger said, "that sucker had better be ripe as Joleen has been eyeing that one all summer"....Lucky for me it was and we all had a slice...But this year probably upon Joleens orders we circled the garden in Rogers car...I noticed the door locks going down as we approached the garden...we did not even slow up much we circled the garden and he said there is my melons, we were going pretty fast but I think I may have spotted a half dozen nice ones sticking out above the vines...It would have been nice to thump a couple but I guess we were in a hurry to get back to the house and get me checked into my room in the Conrad Hilton/Manilla....
OK second pic down is of one pen of many of Dan's beef cattle...Raised on waste products of ethanol production....The more I think about this the more confident I become in the "long haul" of our nations ethanol initiative that we have launched...
Back home in Indiana from my Marine reunion in Omaha/Council Bluffs area...Lost 9 bucks in the new horseshoe casino there in Council Bluffs Iowa...Figured out the second day, by staying away and doing other things like lying in the bath tub warm pool, I was able to keep my losses very low....and exercising my mending knee and not my arm on those machines...Crops are good all the way from my farm to western Iowa and back, but for the first time since I farmed my lawn never browned one time..The year could not have been more perfect even recieving over an inch while I was gone....I think West Central Indiana is without a doubt the garden spot of the nation in 2008....Never have been able to say it before, and maybe never again so maybe I will be heard to say it a time or two before this year passes us by....Some of Indiana has been blessed this year...We have a license plate you know that boldly states "IN GOD WE TRUST", maybe well just maybe the ACLU does not really appreciate our license plates nor our good crops that the GOD they seem to want to disprove has blessed us with...But this farmer does......
Friday, August 22, 2008
Talkin Energy
In Omaha Nebraska for a Marine Reunion but need to visit our nations energy needs today and hold the Semper Fi's for later maybe...On the way from home I did not get far north and I came to the new wind turbines around Fowler and Earl Park...I was struck by how MAJESTIC they look or at least I think so...Maybe because I am excited about these huge turbines and what they will do for our nation...I agree with Mr. Pickens we need them bad have for years. Did not see any in Illinois the route I took but a few are showing up also in Iowa...Matter of fact the ridge in western Iowa is where they are really popping up it is the continental divide where it is high enought that the water flows to the east or it and to the west of it..So being a high ridge you just know the winds will blow and make us some much needed energy...
Good deal Lucile, bring it on, anything to stop the burning of crude oil to generate electricity...well ok not stop it but lower it a tremendous amount...I called the Tipmont manager Mr. Ritchie a couple years ago and told him I would like to look into wind turbines for my farm and he quickly told me that they would not be buying energy from me...That they were under contract to purchase from a supplier and was not interested...Attitudes like this are changing even a little for Mr. Ritchie but he is still not there...But attitudes do need to change and will we will all see to that...
The top pick is Dan the cattle rancher I met in Manilla Iowa coffee shop and will write about Manilla more later but he interested me a lot when he told me that he was feeding a lot of cattle and feed them cheap with products from the ethanol plant in Denison Iowa. Roger Conrad the owner of the Conrad Hilton I stayed in there in sleepy Manilla Iowa well we followed Dan out to the cattle feed lots and watch them weigh and sort the cattle for an hour maybe...But what really interested me is the by products of our ethanol industry being desired and used up to the benefit of farmers and in turn to the nation...I see now that ethanol production will still produce a lot of diary and beef production..And so a benefit of ethanol usage could in turn be cheap feed and then also cheap beef and diary for the nation...the corn in other words that goes to ethanol just does not drop off the face of the earth...It is utilized and that is all good ...So that is it for now I have to rush but energy for our nation other than making the arabs rich is being addressed it is happening and I say "good on us"....
Off to visit Father Flanigans Boys (and girls) town here today maybe a blog subject some day the list is getting long...Good gosh the boys in the coffed shop, the Marines of 3002 a lot of people are waiting to be famous...be patient out there..ha
Good deal Lucile, bring it on, anything to stop the burning of crude oil to generate electricity...well ok not stop it but lower it a tremendous amount...I called the Tipmont manager Mr. Ritchie a couple years ago and told him I would like to look into wind turbines for my farm and he quickly told me that they would not be buying energy from me...That they were under contract to purchase from a supplier and was not interested...Attitudes like this are changing even a little for Mr. Ritchie but he is still not there...But attitudes do need to change and will we will all see to that...
The top pick is Dan the cattle rancher I met in Manilla Iowa coffee shop and will write about Manilla more later but he interested me a lot when he told me that he was feeding a lot of cattle and feed them cheap with products from the ethanol plant in Denison Iowa. Roger Conrad the owner of the Conrad Hilton I stayed in there in sleepy Manilla Iowa well we followed Dan out to the cattle feed lots and watch them weigh and sort the cattle for an hour maybe...But what really interested me is the by products of our ethanol industry being desired and used up to the benefit of farmers and in turn to the nation...I see now that ethanol production will still produce a lot of diary and beef production..And so a benefit of ethanol usage could in turn be cheap feed and then also cheap beef and diary for the nation...the corn in other words that goes to ethanol just does not drop off the face of the earth...It is utilized and that is all good ...So that is it for now I have to rush but energy for our nation other than making the arabs rich is being addressed it is happening and I say "good on us"....
Off to visit Father Flanigans Boys (and girls) town here today maybe a blog subject some day the list is getting long...Good gosh the boys in the coffed shop, the Marines of 3002 a lot of people are waiting to be famous...be patient out there..ha
Monday, August 18, 2008
Marine Week and Carp
Hard to mix Marines an Carp. But it can be done, will show you how, and we will just get the carp out of the way first. This blog is about hero's and even Carp can be hero's if they are eating the algae and moss in my pond. The third picture down shows my release of 5 new pretty large grass carp into my pond last tuesday. I quit using chemicals on my pond about 4 years back...By hook or by crook I want to make my pond a beautiful place but not with chemicals...These guys can do it if I can keep the cranes from eating them...It was not an hour after I added my new hero's to the pond and there was a huge crane probably capable of swollowing them standing at the entrance to my dock...I lost my head and aimed my 12 guage at him and let go with a load of double 00 buckshot...he flew away but my garden hose coiled on the dock behind him did not...it became a fountain with water spraying into the air...I had plugged it with 4 nice holes and some other of the shot was buried into the poles on the dock...that is one lucky crane...he has not been back...he knows Jack likes his pond and likes his hero's....
Second picture down is two other even more important hero's...Randy and Patty Kington enjoying the visit to Battle Ground Indiana where the battle of Tippecanoe took place...Where Gen Harrison with 913 men camped on the "high ground" one night in 1811, not far from the Indian village that ran for two miles along the bluff over looking the wabash river..The rest is history visit the battle field for the rest of that story....
More important to me was Randy and Patty's visit to the Battle Ground Methodist church last night where Randy gave his testimony about his life...a wonderful life that he has had since becoming a Marine, taking a paralizing bullet in Viet Nam and then meeting an angel who became his life's love....he wrote a book titled "What a Life"...you can buy a copy right here on this blog off to the right side here...It is a book you can not lay down that takes you from Morristown Tenn. to a rice paddy in Nam where Randy took a bullet...very rivoting story the first 9 or so chapters..then the last couple I think may be the best love story I ever read...
We had fun there last night with that church and my friends, Pastor Brian and Carla White and grandson "little Zack"....Then Randy was hungry so we took care of that at Arni's a Lafayette favorite meeting spot now for maybe 52 years I think....
The top picture to the right is Randy setting where I wanted him setting 6 months ago when I first heard him speak in Naples Florida. He is setting in front of my home church at Dayton Indiana...He delivered, as he always does, a wonderful account of how God has watched over and blessed him for 42 years now...Lots of people heard Randy yesterday and lots more will tonight when he has his final appearance at my church...It has been great, everything I had hoped it to be...I was able to be with Randy and Patty in Pastor John's office for prayer before the services. I was able to push my freind Randy into the sanctuary and leave him there on the side lines near the pulput until he would be introduced to deliver his message of hope....Then I was able to set by sweet pea and listen again as new, the story that Randy tells...And then I was able to help Randy to the rear of the church to sign the many books that people purchased and watch him converse with them and autograph his good book...We have one more shot at this tonight at 6:30 we will do it all again one last time...What a Life......
Then Tuesday morning my freinds head back to Tennessee..and I head to Omaha Nebraska for a reunion of my boot camp platoon..Platoon 3002(the honor platoon by the way) of three platoon that graduated as U.S. Marines in August of 1956...sweet pea being in her terrible two's could not have cared less, but to us it was a big deal..we were finally Marines...close to 30 of the 75 that did it so good will be there...I can not wait to look them in the eye and say and mean it, "I remember you"..."I marched behind you", "remember when the D. I. 's set us up at the barber shop"????
By the way, you can become a part of that platoon, live that story with us by reading my blog account from February about becoming a Marine right here on this blog site...
Any way you get the idea, this has already been a wonderful week fulfilling a dream I had in Florida that by hook or by crook I had to have the Kingtons come to Dayton Indiana...It has happened or will have after tonight, and now on to Omaha where I may have time to do a blog post or two...No guarantees, as the "saltiest of sea tales will fly", when these 30 Marines get together but I will try....if I have the time..
Semper Fi...
Second picture down is two other even more important hero's...Randy and Patty Kington enjoying the visit to Battle Ground Indiana where the battle of Tippecanoe took place...Where Gen Harrison with 913 men camped on the "high ground" one night in 1811, not far from the Indian village that ran for two miles along the bluff over looking the wabash river..The rest is history visit the battle field for the rest of that story....
More important to me was Randy and Patty's visit to the Battle Ground Methodist church last night where Randy gave his testimony about his life...a wonderful life that he has had since becoming a Marine, taking a paralizing bullet in Viet Nam and then meeting an angel who became his life's love....he wrote a book titled "What a Life"...you can buy a copy right here on this blog off to the right side here...It is a book you can not lay down that takes you from Morristown Tenn. to a rice paddy in Nam where Randy took a bullet...very rivoting story the first 9 or so chapters..then the last couple I think may be the best love story I ever read...
We had fun there last night with that church and my friends, Pastor Brian and Carla White and grandson "little Zack"....Then Randy was hungry so we took care of that at Arni's a Lafayette favorite meeting spot now for maybe 52 years I think....
The top picture to the right is Randy setting where I wanted him setting 6 months ago when I first heard him speak in Naples Florida. He is setting in front of my home church at Dayton Indiana...He delivered, as he always does, a wonderful account of how God has watched over and blessed him for 42 years now...Lots of people heard Randy yesterday and lots more will tonight when he has his final appearance at my church...It has been great, everything I had hoped it to be...I was able to be with Randy and Patty in Pastor John's office for prayer before the services. I was able to push my freind Randy into the sanctuary and leave him there on the side lines near the pulput until he would be introduced to deliver his message of hope....Then I was able to set by sweet pea and listen again as new, the story that Randy tells...And then I was able to help Randy to the rear of the church to sign the many books that people purchased and watch him converse with them and autograph his good book...We have one more shot at this tonight at 6:30 we will do it all again one last time...What a Life......
Then Tuesday morning my freinds head back to Tennessee..and I head to Omaha Nebraska for a reunion of my boot camp platoon..Platoon 3002(the honor platoon by the way) of three platoon that graduated as U.S. Marines in August of 1956...sweet pea being in her terrible two's could not have cared less, but to us it was a big deal..we were finally Marines...close to 30 of the 75 that did it so good will be there...I can not wait to look them in the eye and say and mean it, "I remember you"..."I marched behind you", "remember when the D. I. 's set us up at the barber shop"????
By the way, you can become a part of that platoon, live that story with us by reading my blog account from February about becoming a Marine right here on this blog site...
Any way you get the idea, this has already been a wonderful week fulfilling a dream I had in Florida that by hook or by crook I had to have the Kingtons come to Dayton Indiana...It has happened or will have after tonight, and now on to Omaha where I may have time to do a blog post or two...No guarantees, as the "saltiest of sea tales will fly", when these 30 Marines get together but I will try....if I have the time..
Semper Fi...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Purple Martins never even said "Goodbye".
There GONE!...it happens this way every year...I so enjoy watching them arrive each year just after Easter time...They make their nest in the bird houses I provide and they soar and catch bugs all summer long..Especially mosquitoes which kind of makes them my little winged hero's.....They catch a tremendous amount of bugs eating some, kind of like my blueberry picking experinces and then also feeding thier kids in the nest all the bugs they can eat....The little ones grow fast and soon you see the parents aunt's and uncle's the whole clan hovering around the nest, "marking time we marines call it", going no where, but flapping thier wings in still flight...they are churping away and calling to the "teen agers" in the nest to come out and learn to fly like the grown ups....That last about 3 or 4 days and soon they are all in flight and we have lots of martins soaring and eating bugs...Then, as each year, as happened on August 10th this year, Jill's birthday, they dissapeared, they are gone. The houses stand there empty again. and the Martins are on their way to South America...A long journey, I hope they all make it there and find thier way's back next spring, when we will do it all again....
Monday, August 11, 2008
My family will meet Randy and Patty a "MARINES MARINE"
On July 30th blog below I wrote about the guest speaker at our church this coming Sunday, a Marine I became acquainted with in Florida last winter. Well this Sunday is the big day for this planned event...My church will be blessed when this man shares with them about his life. He is the author of a good "Nam", book titled "What A Life" about his Veit Nam experinces his preparation training in the Marine Corps and his meeting and Marriage of an angel named Patty....
I hope my children and grand children will also be present to hear him speak that day. Randy told me in March after agreeing to come to Indiana that he would like to meet my family the evening before maybe a saturday night...So I said well thank you Randy and to put a little icing on that cake well I may just invite a few Marines to meet you also....A term I like to use for special people like Randy Kington is that he is a "Marine's Marine. I have only met a few in my time. The first was a Master Sargeant Saul C. Goldman who's charm and good looks swept myself and 4 others in my class of only 10 boys in my senior class to enlist in and try our hand at becoming a Marine. After him everyone's Marine Marines are their drill instructors assigned the task of snapping us out of our "cheap civilian shit" and molding us into and earning the title of U. S. Marine....That is no easy task believe me and the first hate and then love relationship that each recruit goes through in the process does bring one to fully respect and follow anywhere, the men that were pretty darn tough in the beginning, but then in the end at graduation time just fellow Marines. After that I am not sure how many I know of at least one other and that is of a Captain of Marines that is the very last picture below and to the right all the way down that showed my wife Linda so much respect and caring and thus I guess to me also when we visited the dedication ceremony of the new Marine Corps Musuem in Washington DC....I know not his name he was from South Dakota and had served several tours of duty in Alfganistan and Iraq, but I admired his spirit of service and care given to my wheel chaired wife on that day for at least an hour that he would not have had to do...He also was a Marines Marine...And now comes Randy Kington of whom I have heard speak about his tour of duty in Veit Nam and how life had so challenged him and how he has accomplished much...He is my latest Marine's Marine.... The picture to the right shows my family pulling as many blue gills out of the pond as can be done before Saturday night when a few good men and my family meet Randy and Patty Kington.
I hope my children and grand children will also be present to hear him speak that day. Randy told me in March after agreeing to come to Indiana that he would like to meet my family the evening before maybe a saturday night...So I said well thank you Randy and to put a little icing on that cake well I may just invite a few Marines to meet you also....A term I like to use for special people like Randy Kington is that he is a "Marine's Marine. I have only met a few in my time. The first was a Master Sargeant Saul C. Goldman who's charm and good looks swept myself and 4 others in my class of only 10 boys in my senior class to enlist in and try our hand at becoming a Marine. After him everyone's Marine Marines are their drill instructors assigned the task of snapping us out of our "cheap civilian shit" and molding us into and earning the title of U. S. Marine....That is no easy task believe me and the first hate and then love relationship that each recruit goes through in the process does bring one to fully respect and follow anywhere, the men that were pretty darn tough in the beginning, but then in the end at graduation time just fellow Marines. After that I am not sure how many I know of at least one other and that is of a Captain of Marines that is the very last picture below and to the right all the way down that showed my wife Linda so much respect and caring and thus I guess to me also when we visited the dedication ceremony of the new Marine Corps Musuem in Washington DC....I know not his name he was from South Dakota and had served several tours of duty in Alfganistan and Iraq, but I admired his spirit of service and care given to my wheel chaired wife on that day for at least an hour that he would not have had to do...He also was a Marines Marine...And now comes Randy Kington of whom I have heard speak about his tour of duty in Veit Nam and how life had so challenged him and how he has accomplished much...He is my latest Marine's Marine.... The picture to the right shows my family pulling as many blue gills out of the pond as can be done before Saturday night when a few good men and my family meet Randy and Patty Kington.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Baptism Service Yesterday
Each year at this pond our church comes and we have a Baptism Service and we eat a picnic lunch and kids swim and Parents watch and visit and we all eat Culvers ice cream. It is always a good day and one that we look forward to in August each year.
Yesterday was no exception as 27 children and adults about an equal number of each answered the call to be baptized. Lots of differing beliefs in this world as to why and how to baptize people. I identify with the thinking of baptizing people not to save them in any way but to allow them to have an outward expression of something that they did inwardly in their heart at a previous time in their lives...In other words Baptism does not win one any degree of heavenly achievement. It is not essential to be baptized at all...We do it only willingly, because we are Christians and want to submit and outwardly show our fellow believers that of which we have done in our hearts previously...That we Trust Jesus as our Salvation and our Savior. Trust that his work on the cross and our embrassing it, and truly believing in its value, will be our ticket to heaven, by grace not of anything we do, but only of faith in Him will we attain heaven...All else we do Baptism, Church attendance and support of God's churches and mission works, we do in gratitude not as a means of earning our salvation. That is why we hold these Baptisms each year to allow another crop, and there have been many maybe 10 or 12 of and usually 25 to 35 in number, to step forward and follow the biblical teachings on Baptism. An outward sign for others to see, that we have in our hearts trusted that Jesus did it all and now we follow in gratitude and service all the days of our lives.
Pictures at the right say it all. Each is asked to state their name and if they have this day trusted Jesus as their savior....Those answers being yes, Pastor Walls then baptises them with our instrument group providing appropriate music as they walk back into the shoreline. Huge crowd yesterday, beautiful day, good food even Buddy, Sweet peas doggy who welcomed every car load of people was then rewarded with his very own bowl of delicious Culvers ice cream...He chose not to eat it all as he knew the blogger would post this and buddy does watch his weight...
For three years I have tried to start "yellow" lillies in my pond...The afternoon before the baptism the first one appeared. I named it after the sweet lady who shared the excitement...So check out the Susan Lilly nice pale yellow with bright yellow middle.
Always wonder what God really thinks about our efforts to worship HIM and show our appreciation for our even existance? I look for signs sometimes and not saying they are signs maybe coincidences who knows. But I know this we worked to clear the floating moss from the pond Saturday. Saturday evening we noticed some floating moss beginning to appear again and said, hey we tried we will just live with what we have...Sunday the pond was near Crystal clear with no sign of floating moss...Today floating moss everywhere again in front of the beach and further out where the baptisms took place...Maybe who knows....have a good day....
Yesterday was no exception as 27 children and adults about an equal number of each answered the call to be baptized. Lots of differing beliefs in this world as to why and how to baptize people. I identify with the thinking of baptizing people not to save them in any way but to allow them to have an outward expression of something that they did inwardly in their heart at a previous time in their lives...In other words Baptism does not win one any degree of heavenly achievement. It is not essential to be baptized at all...We do it only willingly, because we are Christians and want to submit and outwardly show our fellow believers that of which we have done in our hearts previously...That we Trust Jesus as our Salvation and our Savior. Trust that his work on the cross and our embrassing it, and truly believing in its value, will be our ticket to heaven, by grace not of anything we do, but only of faith in Him will we attain heaven...All else we do Baptism, Church attendance and support of God's churches and mission works, we do in gratitude not as a means of earning our salvation. That is why we hold these Baptisms each year to allow another crop, and there have been many maybe 10 or 12 of and usually 25 to 35 in number, to step forward and follow the biblical teachings on Baptism. An outward sign for others to see, that we have in our hearts trusted that Jesus did it all and now we follow in gratitude and service all the days of our lives.
Pictures at the right say it all. Each is asked to state their name and if they have this day trusted Jesus as their savior....Those answers being yes, Pastor Walls then baptises them with our instrument group providing appropriate music as they walk back into the shoreline. Huge crowd yesterday, beautiful day, good food even Buddy, Sweet peas doggy who welcomed every car load of people was then rewarded with his very own bowl of delicious Culvers ice cream...He chose not to eat it all as he knew the blogger would post this and buddy does watch his weight...
For three years I have tried to start "yellow" lillies in my pond...The afternoon before the baptism the first one appeared. I named it after the sweet lady who shared the excitement...So check out the Susan Lilly nice pale yellow with bright yellow middle.
Always wonder what God really thinks about our efforts to worship HIM and show our appreciation for our even existance? I look for signs sometimes and not saying they are signs maybe coincidences who knows. But I know this we worked to clear the floating moss from the pond Saturday. Saturday evening we noticed some floating moss beginning to appear again and said, hey we tried we will just live with what we have...Sunday the pond was near Crystal clear with no sign of floating moss...Today floating moss everywhere again in front of the beach and further out where the baptisms took place...Maybe who knows....have a good day....
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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…..
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…..
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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...
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...
Friday, July 25, 2008
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…..
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…..
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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....
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....
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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....
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....
Monday, July 21, 2008
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....
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....
Friday, July 18, 2008
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....
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....
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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....
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....
Monday, July 14, 2008
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....
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....
Friday, July 11, 2008
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
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
Thursday, July 10, 2008
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.....
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.....
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