Yes it is true, he is home and looking good...My grandson marched into the hangar where we gathered and spent an hour plus with his family before being bused to Camp Atterbury for debreifing and check ups.....
Lucas Cole has spent the last 10 months in Iraq serving his country...thank you Lucas, you did good....the Indiana unit suffered three casualties which I am so thankful that it was only three...it could have been a lot worse but can not help but honor here and suffer with these families as they experience the homecoming of the unit each day when these planes arrive...Knowing of the terrible loss that they sustained this past year....and reminded of daily as these flights arrive in Indy and are covered by the TV stations...God Bless and Keep them for this terrible loss...
Welcome home to the Thousands of Hoosiers who served so well these past months...
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Merging into the fast lanes (116)
Attended a recent game at Purdue, just across the river from me maybe about 10 miles to the northwest of my "little house on the prairie"....Sweet Pea landed me 3 free tickets so I quickly rounded up a couple grand kids to impress with some quaility time with Grandpa...
With the technology of today that is a chore..merging into the fast lane of 6th graders Paige Russell and Caulin Post is a tall order...Wow, they talk so fast and change subject in mid sentence even....with blackberries or raspberrys or whatever those noisy apparatii are they carry around, it finally boils down to just kind of guiding them to where your going and getting them back home safe...I did get a quick review of who's dating who at Wainwright and what teachers are pregnant and funny and others that are pretty strict...Ball game was a blow out with Purdue of course doubling the score on Loyola of Chicago....but we stayed to the end and watched Purdue Pete do his victory dance which he pretty much does all night long...
Will keep at the grandparenting thing but it is tough, these kids this day and age, are pretty well self sufficent, confident and pretty well engaged and entertained...Actually I prefer to lie on a floaty in the pond and score them 1 thru 10 in the proposed olympic "rope swing release and water entry" event during the summer...no black berries to distract them when in and out of the water of course.
Well off to the prepare for the first Thankgiving dinner of the season tomorrow...Lots to do to get ready, most of sweet pea's family will be enjoying that and some of the wine we got in Brown County Indiana...And maybe offering her an assessment of who she met in greiving class a year ago....Will tap my Marine training and stay "squared away".....Semper Fi.....
With the technology of today that is a chore..merging into the fast lane of 6th graders Paige Russell and Caulin Post is a tall order...Wow, they talk so fast and change subject in mid sentence even....with blackberries or raspberrys or whatever those noisy apparatii are they carry around, it finally boils down to just kind of guiding them to where your going and getting them back home safe...I did get a quick review of who's dating who at Wainwright and what teachers are pregnant and funny and others that are pretty strict...Ball game was a blow out with Purdue of course doubling the score on Loyola of Chicago....but we stayed to the end and watched Purdue Pete do his victory dance which he pretty much does all night long...
Will keep at the grandparenting thing but it is tough, these kids this day and age, are pretty well self sufficent, confident and pretty well engaged and entertained...Actually I prefer to lie on a floaty in the pond and score them 1 thru 10 in the proposed olympic "rope swing release and water entry" event during the summer...no black berries to distract them when in and out of the water of course.
Well off to the prepare for the first Thankgiving dinner of the season tomorrow...Lots to do to get ready, most of sweet pea's family will be enjoying that and some of the wine we got in Brown County Indiana...And maybe offering her an assessment of who she met in greiving class a year ago....Will tap my Marine training and stay "squared away".....Semper Fi.....
Monday, November 17, 2008
IT IS GETTING COLD IN INDIANA (115)
Yes it is, lows are now drifting each day to the lower 20's. But still nice and I guess good weather for enjoying Thanksgiving here coming up soon...And then Christmas, got to have snow up to your wahsoo for Christmas right? Well all that being said, sweet pea and I just conversed with our freind George Thompson at Silver Lakes..George and Glady's own the lot south of us, a beautiful corner lot by the way with the nic'est lounge chairs in the whole wide world...Anyway they are dear special friends and George just told us its super nice down there at the adult playground between Naples and Marco Island Florida...Southwest Florida, just about as close to paradise as you can get without dying....or maybe jetting to the french riviara or something like that...notice the small f in french...that's a left over hard feeling from the war...but anyway forget the french it is all pretty darn nice right there on the lower extremity of the USA called Florida...George said my trees were needing some work and said he would work on them a little if it was "alright with me"...He said the club house was full of people as it is each Monday morning drinking coffee and enjoying a doughnut and good conversation...planning their week ahead, so much to do and so little time to do it all...somehow though each week down there you get it all done...I mean its tough but someone has to do it....gosh I am getting homesick.....Well hey the best part of any vacation is the "planning", so between now and some time a few weeks from now we will enjoy the holidays and then we will someday then lock up the house, load the coach and work our way south to where the sunshine is a little more friendly than here in the land we love Indiana...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Series "I" Bonds pay 5.64%
Not an overly exciting blog topic today, BUT this rate is far and above what is being offered by most banks for 1 to 2 year CD rates. I see those rates at 3 to maybe in some cases as high as 4.5%...So Uncle Sams offer to sell us I Bonds between now and April at 5.64% looks good to me.
Make good Christmas presents to offsprings and grand offsprings alike. Everybody needs or could always use a few more of these especially at Christmas time...Especially this year with the whole world being a bit shaky...How safe you ask? Well for my money its as safe as you can get...If uncle can not back up his promises we are probably all broke and on our way to the bread lines..Lets hope not, lets pray the answer man Obama will have some good people around him and we get this bow out of the water soon and power to the prop...The economy is limping badly and probably enough guilt to cover the entire business spectrum from government to CEO's to greedy businessman and bankers...All coupled together one disgusting mess...
We all should have seen it coming with loans being made on homes and auto in the 130% of value range, hindsight tells me inevitable that this ship would soon hit a really big chuck of ice.....Lets hope there are enough life boats to go around, the water will soon be cold....I wish no bail outs would have came...I think it would have been better to allow the weak mismanaged ships to sink and the strong to move on along..The course we have taken will then weaken us all...But government has always prided itself to saving people or making it appear that way..more of the same is on its way, epecially when the democrats take the reins....Sinch your saddle another notch or two could be a rough ride for awhile...
Clicking on the title above will take you to the I bonds website..but you have to ask for and order them from your local bank...they do not like selling them of course because the rates are higher than thier CD rates...they usually plead ignorance when asked what I bonds are paying...I guess its all in the game...
Make good Christmas presents to offsprings and grand offsprings alike. Everybody needs or could always use a few more of these especially at Christmas time...Especially this year with the whole world being a bit shaky...How safe you ask? Well for my money its as safe as you can get...If uncle can not back up his promises we are probably all broke and on our way to the bread lines..Lets hope not, lets pray the answer man Obama will have some good people around him and we get this bow out of the water soon and power to the prop...The economy is limping badly and probably enough guilt to cover the entire business spectrum from government to CEO's to greedy businessman and bankers...All coupled together one disgusting mess...
We all should have seen it coming with loans being made on homes and auto in the 130% of value range, hindsight tells me inevitable that this ship would soon hit a really big chuck of ice.....Lets hope there are enough life boats to go around, the water will soon be cold....I wish no bail outs would have came...I think it would have been better to allow the weak mismanaged ships to sink and the strong to move on along..The course we have taken will then weaken us all...But government has always prided itself to saving people or making it appear that way..more of the same is on its way, epecially when the democrats take the reins....Sinch your saddle another notch or two could be a rough ride for awhile...
Clicking on the title above will take you to the I bonds website..but you have to ask for and order them from your local bank...they do not like selling them of course because the rates are higher than thier CD rates...they usually plead ignorance when asked what I bonds are paying...I guess its all in the game...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Today the Marines are 233 and still Ready
Today as every Nov. 10th since 1775 there are Marines ready to do whatever the nation ask of them...It is a birthday that Marines worldwide celebrate every Nov. 10th. I remember when I was on active the great meal we were always served and the big birthday cake...Marine Corps Balls are held at every installation around the world even in Iraq and Afganistan they alway make sure to remember the past and remember the task at hand...
There is a bar in Boston Mass called Tums Tavern and supposedly that is where it all started...There is a replica Tums Tavern in the Marine Museum at Quantico where Marines can buy a drink and toast the past history of the Corps while right there at the Museum...Linda and I did that while there two years ago today...A bitter sweet memory of that trip...the dedication of the museum with President Bush doing the honors and then viewing the history there and then the bitter part of driving back home knowing full well it was probably the last trip we would enjoy together in our motor home ever....
In about 22 months from now our Boot Camp Platoon will enjoy our 54th reunion of our association together at that museum...it will be good and sure that tums tavern will be on our "must see and enjoy" list of things to do...Hey who knows maybe the 56th reunion we will go to Boston and raise our glass in the still in existance real MCCoy "Tums Tavern"...where it all began...
Semper Fidelus
Jack
1601680 USMC
Happy Birthday Marines
PS....check out the dog story...
Talking USMC Dog!
A guy is driving around the back woods of Tennessee and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog for Sale '
He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the back yard and sees a nice looking Labrador
retriever sitting there.
'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the lab replies.
After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'
The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA and they had me sworn into the toughest branch of the armed services...the United States Marines. You know one of their nicknames is 'The Devil Dogs.'
In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders; because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running, but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger. So, I decided to settle down.
I retired from the Corps (8 dog years is 56 Corps years) and signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
'Ten dollars,' the guy says.
'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'
'Because he's such a bullshitter...... He never did any of that shit. He was in the Navy!'
There is a bar in Boston Mass called Tums Tavern and supposedly that is where it all started...There is a replica Tums Tavern in the Marine Museum at Quantico where Marines can buy a drink and toast the past history of the Corps while right there at the Museum...Linda and I did that while there two years ago today...A bitter sweet memory of that trip...the dedication of the museum with President Bush doing the honors and then viewing the history there and then the bitter part of driving back home knowing full well it was probably the last trip we would enjoy together in our motor home ever....
In about 22 months from now our Boot Camp Platoon will enjoy our 54th reunion of our association together at that museum...it will be good and sure that tums tavern will be on our "must see and enjoy" list of things to do...Hey who knows maybe the 56th reunion we will go to Boston and raise our glass in the still in existance real MCCoy "Tums Tavern"...where it all began...
Semper Fidelus
Jack
1601680 USMC
Happy Birthday Marines
PS....check out the dog story...
Talking USMC Dog!
A guy is driving around the back woods of Tennessee and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog for Sale '
He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the back yard and sees a nice looking Labrador
retriever sitting there.
'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the lab replies.
After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'
The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA and they had me sworn into the toughest branch of the armed services...the United States Marines. You know one of their nicknames is 'The Devil Dogs.'
In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders; because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running, but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger. So, I decided to settle down.
I retired from the Corps (8 dog years is 56 Corps years) and signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
'Ten dollars,' the guy says.
'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'
'Because he's such a bullshitter...... He never did any of that shit. He was in the Navy!'
Thursday, November 6, 2008
YES WE CAN
Me and and the earth worms, yes we can, we can make this farming thing work and work well....yes we can, as you can see in the pics at the right, I am applying the nitrogen for next years corn crop in the form of Anhydrous Ammonia...A gas made some how from natural gas they tell me...it is 82% nitrogen and the product is called NH3...Don't know a lot more about all that except I dam sure respect it believe me...It is dangerous stuff for sure..it can take your eyes out if it leaks and hits them..it can freeze your thoat if you breath the stuff...I know that first hand and one time I did that, breathed way to much of it and it did freeze my throat...I lay there almost paralyesed thinking I was a gonner for sure...thinking how stupid I was to do what I had just did...maybe 30 seconds later maybe longer my throat "thawed out" I guess and I was able to breath again and thank GOD for a second chance and promise HIM I would never be so stupid again...
But back to my story...This is a great way to farm...and the only thing that I do that resembles tillage in any way...I do this in the fall to the fields that I have harvested soy beans from...and next year intend to plant yellow dent corn too...Corn that will be sold to Tate and Lyle corn sweetner plant and end up in the soda pop as the sweetner that all you folks out there may drink....But I do love the system of farming called "strip till"...I place the nitrogen gas about 6 inches or so deep in the soil with the applicator and it raises the soil in this about 6 inch wide stip and it lies there all winter...Next spring after rains and snow the soil is mellow but the strip warms up quickly and is a welcome host to the seed corn placement directly over the nitrogen...and we start the cycle again in late April of another corn crop....sexsational corn again maybe...sex in the corn field again in 2009...can you believe it? YES WE CAN....Obama likes that phrase and so I must find a way to get excited about it all...So I relate it to what I do, I grow corn and beans and I go to Naples in the winter time when the snow is deep....And in the mean time my partners the earth worms they continue to devour the residue left from my no tillage farming the residue that is left between these raised ridges, it lies there waiting on the earth worms to come up from below and eat it and take it deep into the soil and poop it out....these guys build soil like the have done for thousands of years....They are the Senior partners, I just do whats easy...they do the hard stuff and I guess they enjoy it as they keep doing it year after year...no contracts to sign, no unions to deal with, they just do it...So between the two of us...
YES WE CAN!!!!!!!
Farmers here the question in the fall, "are you done yet"?
Well YES I am done, today I finished the NH3 applications all next years corn acres are done...Next years bean acres are done also...as the corn is harvested, and the corn stalks lie there waiting for my soybean drill to pass through them and place the soybeans in warm ground and knock the remaining corn stalks over to be eaten by my buddies the earth worms....
Semper Fi.....
But back to my story...This is a great way to farm...and the only thing that I do that resembles tillage in any way...I do this in the fall to the fields that I have harvested soy beans from...and next year intend to plant yellow dent corn too...Corn that will be sold to Tate and Lyle corn sweetner plant and end up in the soda pop as the sweetner that all you folks out there may drink....But I do love the system of farming called "strip till"...I place the nitrogen gas about 6 inches or so deep in the soil with the applicator and it raises the soil in this about 6 inch wide stip and it lies there all winter...Next spring after rains and snow the soil is mellow but the strip warms up quickly and is a welcome host to the seed corn placement directly over the nitrogen...and we start the cycle again in late April of another corn crop....sexsational corn again maybe...sex in the corn field again in 2009...can you believe it? YES WE CAN....Obama likes that phrase and so I must find a way to get excited about it all...So I relate it to what I do, I grow corn and beans and I go to Naples in the winter time when the snow is deep....And in the mean time my partners the earth worms they continue to devour the residue left from my no tillage farming the residue that is left between these raised ridges, it lies there waiting on the earth worms to come up from below and eat it and take it deep into the soil and poop it out....these guys build soil like the have done for thousands of years....They are the Senior partners, I just do whats easy...they do the hard stuff and I guess they enjoy it as they keep doing it year after year...no contracts to sign, no unions to deal with, they just do it...So between the two of us...
YES WE CAN!!!!!!!
Farmers here the question in the fall, "are you done yet"?
Well YES I am done, today I finished the NH3 applications all next years corn acres are done...Next years bean acres are done also...as the corn is harvested, and the corn stalks lie there waiting for my soybean drill to pass through them and place the soybeans in warm ground and knock the remaining corn stalks over to be eaten by my buddies the earth worms....
Semper Fi.....
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama Wins/ I Pray America did too....
I bow to the majority choice 53% or so chose Obama to be our President...So he is now OUR President elect. It is exciting, and will be to see what he is able to do as our President. Who he will bring to his cabinet to help him fulfill some of the promises that he made to win this election. And how they will go about it. Prayer will be needed that in deed America did win this election...I think we have, I think the majority is probably right, and with Prayer God will continue to bless America.
It was good to see that Hoosiers again wanted Mitch to be our govenor..He has done a pretty good job as was evident by the vote. Tony Bennett edged out Richard Wood for school superintendent and I think Hoosiers won there also...Congressman Buyer and all other Indiana Congressmen were returned to office...Good move on Hoosiers part as these bozo's have asssured they get paid for life if they serve two terms...So hey we may as well if they are still trying to serve us justly allow them to do so rather than put another person on the payroll and be paying two of them...Also good that we are returning experience to Washington as a good foundation will be needed to build a new America that Obama talks of....
Tippecanoe County Government remains in conservative control with the council at large seats a very close race indeed. Wow closer than maybe John Basham a good government advocate and a freind was comfortable with...Congrats John I think some Obama coattails made this a really close race...So OK we will now look forward to repsonsible county government from the Commissioners down.....
Good Job Hoosiers, Good Job America now we can all get back to real life without all the emails and commercials on TV...Praise God we made it through.....
It was good to see that Hoosiers again wanted Mitch to be our govenor..He has done a pretty good job as was evident by the vote. Tony Bennett edged out Richard Wood for school superintendent and I think Hoosiers won there also...Congressman Buyer and all other Indiana Congressmen were returned to office...Good move on Hoosiers part as these bozo's have asssured they get paid for life if they serve two terms...So hey we may as well if they are still trying to serve us justly allow them to do so rather than put another person on the payroll and be paying two of them...Also good that we are returning experience to Washington as a good foundation will be needed to build a new America that Obama talks of....
Tippecanoe County Government remains in conservative control with the council at large seats a very close race indeed. Wow closer than maybe John Basham a good government advocate and a freind was comfortable with...Congrats John I think some Obama coattails made this a really close race...So OK we will now look forward to repsonsible county government from the Commissioners down.....
Good Job Hoosiers, Good Job America now we can all get back to real life without all the emails and commercials on TV...Praise God we made it through.....
Monday, November 3, 2008
Purdue's Siller is a thriller
In his first Purdue start at quarterback Justin Siller thrilled the crowd and probably thrilled Coach Tiller as well....Will be interesting to see if he is rewarded with a starting job next week, seems like it would be the thing to do but being the first to admit I know not much about football, I will leave this important decision to coach Tiller....But the 48 to 42 win and the coolness that Siller has in that spot is pretty impressive....only a freshman no doubt we will see this guy in action for quite a spell ahead...GO BOILERS.....
Purdue Pete always fun to watch when things slow down was as usual at the top of his game also...and my past Pioneer Seed boss Mr. Hopf, and his sweet wife Terry, no doubt are even bigger Purdue fans than even Pete had a great tail gate party with a great breakfast and fabulous spike tomato juice....the kind with celery sticking out the top...we had a grand time...Gosh the weather was prescription football and fall color variety...I have to say the peak week for fall folige and for Purdue Football in W. Lafayette Indiana.....
Purdue Pete always fun to watch when things slow down was as usual at the top of his game also...and my past Pioneer Seed boss Mr. Hopf, and his sweet wife Terry, no doubt are even bigger Purdue fans than even Pete had a great tail gate party with a great breakfast and fabulous spike tomato juice....the kind with celery sticking out the top...we had a grand time...Gosh the weather was prescription football and fall color variety...I have to say the peak week for fall folige and for Purdue Football in W. Lafayette Indiana.....
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Dermatology and Baby Owen
Well you know the two go hand in hand...No one has better skin than a new baby and since I sometimes like two subjects at once here goes...
First and foremost as shown in pics to the right my sweet pea has now 5 grandsons all under the age of 6...A basketball team maybe and all five are real good looking guys....Baby Owen is no exception as you see in the picture...He is a looker for sure.....For grandma it was love at first sight on this guy, I could tell...and he took a couple peeks at her and I think maybe he felt the same way. He's about a week old now and should be home doing fine and am sure the two will meet again soon..
Dermatology is on my mind because today was my semi annual visit to see Dr. Robert W. Martin III, MD.....he is my dermatologist and he has burned, cut, and scraped me from all angles and still can not find any cancer...good for him but he got that can of nitrogen after me again today on two or three spots, but for the most part he said I was looking good and don't come back now for another year...
I told him about the chicken fat now present in my left knee and about the new lie soap shampoo I have been using from the Brookston popcorn festival...he said it all sounded good, shook my hand and said I was good to go for another year....
But at this time I do wish to share with you all the Rules of Three for the skin that my doc says we need to do...
Bathe in shower or tub three times a week for 3 to 5 minutes, no more....
and not to hot of water..within 3 minutes of finishing pat yourself dry, leaving beads of moisture and then apply lotion....
and then the one no one would ever do but he says to apply lotion then 3 additional times each day.....yeal right....
Tomorrow its Dr. James Watson's turn to look me over...he is my GP and will be looking at my colesterol score as well as other things...sure he will be more interested in my chicken fat report and the cancer study cancellation that has just taken place with my oncology study for preventing prostate cancer...started that about maybe 8 years ago or so, and was either on placebo's or vitamin E or Selineum or both or nothing, one of those blind studies that no one seems to know what is going on...But anyway NOW they discover that none of the stuff is helping to prevent prostate cancer, but that the stuff can cause diabetes and some other terrible thing...So I hope to find out what I was on, the placebo's or the supplements....and hope diabetes is not just ahead for me because of it....I hope the southwest oncology study group will level with me and share the info....
Harvest is done..Got done Tuesday...Corn yeilds were indeed the best of my lifetime...corn average yeild for all my 75 acres was about 185 bushels per acre...way up there for my type of "average" land.....but it was what I had hoped for and kind of expected knowing the growing season that we had this summer...never seen one so perfect and probably will not again...But should the GOOD LORD wish to bless us again, well I will thank him again, and give him the honor and the praise for it....He does control it all...
Sweet Pea and I cast our votes for the Maverics McCain and Palin last Saturday night in early voting....We hope many of you will do the same...Remember the dates now Republicans vote on Nov. 4th and Democrats then on November 5th....ha
I pray God's hand will continue to be on America.....
You may notice that October only had 6 blog post...busy month here for farmers...
Promise to get back to writing more in months ahead.....
First and foremost as shown in pics to the right my sweet pea has now 5 grandsons all under the age of 6...A basketball team maybe and all five are real good looking guys....Baby Owen is no exception as you see in the picture...He is a looker for sure.....For grandma it was love at first sight on this guy, I could tell...and he took a couple peeks at her and I think maybe he felt the same way. He's about a week old now and should be home doing fine and am sure the two will meet again soon..
Dermatology is on my mind because today was my semi annual visit to see Dr. Robert W. Martin III, MD.....he is my dermatologist and he has burned, cut, and scraped me from all angles and still can not find any cancer...good for him but he got that can of nitrogen after me again today on two or three spots, but for the most part he said I was looking good and don't come back now for another year...
I told him about the chicken fat now present in my left knee and about the new lie soap shampoo I have been using from the Brookston popcorn festival...he said it all sounded good, shook my hand and said I was good to go for another year....
But at this time I do wish to share with you all the Rules of Three for the skin that my doc says we need to do...
Bathe in shower or tub three times a week for 3 to 5 minutes, no more....
and not to hot of water..within 3 minutes of finishing pat yourself dry, leaving beads of moisture and then apply lotion....
and then the one no one would ever do but he says to apply lotion then 3 additional times each day.....yeal right....
Tomorrow its Dr. James Watson's turn to look me over...he is my GP and will be looking at my colesterol score as well as other things...sure he will be more interested in my chicken fat report and the cancer study cancellation that has just taken place with my oncology study for preventing prostate cancer...started that about maybe 8 years ago or so, and was either on placebo's or vitamin E or Selineum or both or nothing, one of those blind studies that no one seems to know what is going on...But anyway NOW they discover that none of the stuff is helping to prevent prostate cancer, but that the stuff can cause diabetes and some other terrible thing...So I hope to find out what I was on, the placebo's or the supplements....and hope diabetes is not just ahead for me because of it....I hope the southwest oncology study group will level with me and share the info....
Harvest is done..Got done Tuesday...Corn yeilds were indeed the best of my lifetime...corn average yeild for all my 75 acres was about 185 bushels per acre...way up there for my type of "average" land.....but it was what I had hoped for and kind of expected knowing the growing season that we had this summer...never seen one so perfect and probably will not again...But should the GOOD LORD wish to bless us again, well I will thank him again, and give him the honor and the praise for it....He does control it all...
Sweet Pea and I cast our votes for the Maverics McCain and Palin last Saturday night in early voting....We hope many of you will do the same...Remember the dates now Republicans vote on Nov. 4th and Democrats then on November 5th....ha
I pray God's hand will continue to be on America.....
You may notice that October only had 6 blog post...busy month here for farmers...
Promise to get back to writing more in months ahead.....
Monday, October 27, 2008
Brown County Indiana
Nashville Indiana located in Brown County famous for fall foliage and fine wine...Sweet Pea and I found them both yesterday right after a lovely dinner at the Stair Home in Greenfield Indiana, right after a great church service at St. James Lutheran Church in that nice little town...My little Granddaughter Allison recieved her first communion and we all got to share in that with her...I was designated to be last and it was suggested that I should consume all the wine that is left in the challace that Allison had made for the event....Well I smiled and said "yes I would be happy to"....well Allison, her parents, and Todd's parents and sweet pea did not leave me a lot to consume, so it left me ripe for what followed when we arrived in Brown County later in the afternoon....We checked out a lot of artistic shops that are all over Nashville and did purchase a small picture saying "wine a little and you will feel better", and then came upon the Brown County Winery there...Gosh the wines they have were good, very good especially the 20 percent one called 'old barrel port'....oh my, I have acquired a pallet for fine wines, which ends up costing one a little more money in the long run, but, once acquired must be nurtured as life goes on...But this wine is one of the tastiest, smoothest wines I have experienced, so as we selected wines to fill a case that was such a savings over single bottle purchases, sweet pea reminded me, I found my self time and time again asking the host to "hit my tasting glass again with that old port", I referred to it as, and she knew which one I meant...after a couple taste I found myself saying time and time again, "put another bottle of that one in the case would you please?" Well that happened about four times I think I counted and finally my consultant suggested we needed to move on and get back to Lafayette and she would be doing the driving to the Halloween party at the Post House....That was fun also, no wine but great chilli, two kinds cooked over an open fire all day by the master chilli dude JR Russell.....Yes indeed he is not only a wizard at dry wall but my pallet also knows he does fine chilli...Susan's dog buddy went along to the party and shared in some of the good foods offered him or "found" in the grass that some folks had dropped....he had quite a time playing with Sandy a blonde dog somewhat larger than he but who cares...Anyway come time to leave he stopped in the lawn on our way to the car and hid behind a bush...He was just not ready to call it a night yet....We finally musceled him into the truck and got him out of there...He is such a party animal...
Have a great day all over this land...corn to harvest yet so must be on my way....
Have a great day all over this land...corn to harvest yet so must be on my way....
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sarah Palin in Indianapolis
Last Friday evening Sarah Palin came to Indiana...Sweet Pea and I just could not resist, we picked up two tickets and headed over for the event...It was fun, 20,000 of us thought so, and we got some good pictures of this fine lady also...
My democrat freinds think she is some sort of a joke...not sure how that logic works, but that is the way a few portray this lady...For my money to some day watch her do a state of the union message would be pretty exciting I believe...To see her standing there telling about what she wants to do as our first woman President would be awesome...To hear her warn big oil, and lobbiest that the fun and games are over, would be a treat...And to watch a woman president that was pleasing to the eye for me would be a plus...For some I guess the thought of her name not being Hillary just sends them into spasams of some sort...
Indiana has been a red state for about 20 years now but Mr. Obama is spending millions to try and paint us blue...He may get the job done who knows, but for me, I will be casting my vote for Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin come election day...I am probably maybe "old fashioned" so to speak...In a President I mainly want a good "commander in chief" of our armed forces, not someone promising the world to every one... I think having both arm broken in captivity so many times he can not raise them over his head earns this man the right to be commander in chief...The other guy had not earned anything as far as I can see...he is very talented however, he is a super salesman, and has a keen sense of what the audience wants to hear and that he can deliver, he promises all to everyone....just not sure we can afford "all to everyone" but should he win and the democrats control both houses of congress I guess the show will begin and it should be quite a show....For now I will keep praying that we stay the course in our nations willingness to protect freedom not only here but elsewhere in the world...we are the "cop" for the world...it will not be a pretty world at all, or even a pretty nation should we decide to turn in our badge and leave our "beat" unattended....
Well enough for now in two weeks will know what we will be about for the next four years....
Semper Fi, Jack
PS...just recieved this email and want to add this gosh this is a wonderful idea..
THE JOB - URINE TEST
(Whoever wrote this one deserves a HUGE pat on the back!)
Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.
Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their A--, doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
Pass this along if you agree or simply delete if you don't. Hope you all will pass it along, though. . Some thing has to change in this country -- and soon!!!!!!!
I guess we could title that program, 'Urine or You're Out'.
(me again) What makes more sense than that??????
My democrat freinds think she is some sort of a joke...not sure how that logic works, but that is the way a few portray this lady...For my money to some day watch her do a state of the union message would be pretty exciting I believe...To see her standing there telling about what she wants to do as our first woman President would be awesome...To hear her warn big oil, and lobbiest that the fun and games are over, would be a treat...And to watch a woman president that was pleasing to the eye for me would be a plus...For some I guess the thought of her name not being Hillary just sends them into spasams of some sort...
Indiana has been a red state for about 20 years now but Mr. Obama is spending millions to try and paint us blue...He may get the job done who knows, but for me, I will be casting my vote for Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin come election day...I am probably maybe "old fashioned" so to speak...In a President I mainly want a good "commander in chief" of our armed forces, not someone promising the world to every one... I think having both arm broken in captivity so many times he can not raise them over his head earns this man the right to be commander in chief...The other guy had not earned anything as far as I can see...he is very talented however, he is a super salesman, and has a keen sense of what the audience wants to hear and that he can deliver, he promises all to everyone....just not sure we can afford "all to everyone" but should he win and the democrats control both houses of congress I guess the show will begin and it should be quite a show....For now I will keep praying that we stay the course in our nations willingness to protect freedom not only here but elsewhere in the world...we are the "cop" for the world...it will not be a pretty world at all, or even a pretty nation should we decide to turn in our badge and leave our "beat" unattended....
Well enough for now in two weeks will know what we will be about for the next four years....
Semper Fi, Jack
PS...just recieved this email and want to add this gosh this is a wonderful idea..
THE JOB - URINE TEST
(Whoever wrote this one deserves a HUGE pat on the back!)
Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.
Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their A--, doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
Pass this along if you agree or simply delete if you don't. Hope you all will pass it along, though. . Some thing has to change in this country -- and soon!!!!!!!
I guess we could title that program, 'Urine or You're Out'.
(me again) What makes more sense than that??????
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Indiana's Covered Bridge Festival
We went, we ate, we shopped and we enjoyed the Covered Bridge Festival in West Central Indiana...It' about an hour and half ride from here but scenic this time of year and good winding roads with turning trees so why not???? We had fun and about every little town in the area down there does still have a covered bridge to celebrate..But Bridgeton the one sweet pea selected to visit also has a still operating mill that grinds corn and wheat into flour and meal to make the really good stuff we all like to eat..
It was last Sunday, that we attended, and it last all through this week yet so we may even go back possible as it is fun to see all the stuff the merchants come up with to sell at those places...especially the food...gosh sausages wrapped in a pumpkin pancake, biscuts and gravy, blackberry cobbler, pumpkin ice cream, I mean it just does not end and how much can one try in just one day, so maybe we do need to go back this week end....
But surely not Friday come to think of it as we have tickets to the Sarah Palin rally in Indianapolis....looking forward to seeing this gal that who knows maybe someday be President of our Land....were going and with camera of course..hope to catch a photo of her giving a famous "wink" and maybe even saying those famous words, "you betcha".....till then I will be still engrossed in shelling the corn that is so abundant this year...so abundant that the price is dropping like a rock and good news to food buyers and ethanol producers accross out great land...
Semper Fi,
Jack
It was last Sunday, that we attended, and it last all through this week yet so we may even go back possible as it is fun to see all the stuff the merchants come up with to sell at those places...especially the food...gosh sausages wrapped in a pumpkin pancake, biscuts and gravy, blackberry cobbler, pumpkin ice cream, I mean it just does not end and how much can one try in just one day, so maybe we do need to go back this week end....
But surely not Friday come to think of it as we have tickets to the Sarah Palin rally in Indianapolis....looking forward to seeing this gal that who knows maybe someday be President of our Land....were going and with camera of course..hope to catch a photo of her giving a famous "wink" and maybe even saying those famous words, "you betcha".....till then I will be still engrossed in shelling the corn that is so abundant this year...so abundant that the price is dropping like a rock and good news to food buyers and ethanol producers accross out great land...
Semper Fi,
Jack
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Very Sexcessful year
It truly was the year of the "easy" rain. 2008 will most likely be the best growing season for crops this farmer has or will ever see...If one was to write a prescription for weather 2008 would be it. Never that I remember have I seen a year when the grass in the lawn at some time did not "brown off" just a little bit anyway. Gosh I have seen years when it seemed certain to be dead not dormant. But rains later would always 'green' it up again but usually too late or too little for real good crops.
And the picture to the right is what we have here in the heartland of Indiana. The average ear seen here is 18 rows of kernals around the cob and the average kernals in a row is close to 40...If my Dayton School math is correct that is 720 kernals of corn on the average ear out there...So biblical writings speak of reaping grain at 100 fold, or 100 time what you planted, and this is 700 fold...At 28,300 kernals planted and growing per acres that is a "lot of corn"...My guess the final yeild will be between 160-185 bushels per acre...In another two weeks I should have that info to share..But believe me, sex in the cornfield that I wrote about in July did happen and happen well. Every kernal got polinated and grew well all the way to the tip of the ears....The soybeans averaged very close to 60 bushels per acre this year, not a record but pretty darn good, surely satisfying this semi retired, hobby level farmer....
So I wrote a couple times as the year progressed about "Sex in the Cornfield", and how that all takes place...As you can see in the picture this truly was a very sexcessful year......
God has blessed this nation again abundantly, why I am just not sure as we seem as a nation to move further away from Godlyness each and every decade...How long will he smile and graciously bless this nation? Your guess could be better than mine, time will tell I guess. The door is open for our nation to return and be thankful..That season is coming soon so maybe just maybe a lot of our people will on that day set down together and offer thanks for a nation so abundantly blessed that at times, we have to remind him of totally spoiled brats...Always wanting the latest and the greatest. I myself think that we still have enough Christian believers that God continues to pour out blessings for the most part on us...But as those percentages shrink each decade who knows when the scales will be off enough to trigger a new age?
Hey got a date tonight with a granddaughter, Elizabeth Plaspohl, a Purdue University Junior...We are going to hear the Presidents own United States Marine Corps Band in the Elliot Hall of Music at Purdue...Should be fun will wear my Marine Hat and enjoy the marches...maybe enjoy an ice cream after....Semper Fi......
Inch of rain yesterday, clearing sunshine today, harvest begins again tomorrow...
And the picture to the right is what we have here in the heartland of Indiana. The average ear seen here is 18 rows of kernals around the cob and the average kernals in a row is close to 40...If my Dayton School math is correct that is 720 kernals of corn on the average ear out there...So biblical writings speak of reaping grain at 100 fold, or 100 time what you planted, and this is 700 fold...At 28,300 kernals planted and growing per acres that is a "lot of corn"...My guess the final yeild will be between 160-185 bushels per acre...In another two weeks I should have that info to share..But believe me, sex in the cornfield that I wrote about in July did happen and happen well. Every kernal got polinated and grew well all the way to the tip of the ears....The soybeans averaged very close to 60 bushels per acre this year, not a record but pretty darn good, surely satisfying this semi retired, hobby level farmer....
So I wrote a couple times as the year progressed about "Sex in the Cornfield", and how that all takes place...As you can see in the picture this truly was a very sexcessful year......
God has blessed this nation again abundantly, why I am just not sure as we seem as a nation to move further away from Godlyness each and every decade...How long will he smile and graciously bless this nation? Your guess could be better than mine, time will tell I guess. The door is open for our nation to return and be thankful..That season is coming soon so maybe just maybe a lot of our people will on that day set down together and offer thanks for a nation so abundantly blessed that at times, we have to remind him of totally spoiled brats...Always wanting the latest and the greatest. I myself think that we still have enough Christian believers that God continues to pour out blessings for the most part on us...But as those percentages shrink each decade who knows when the scales will be off enough to trigger a new age?
Hey got a date tonight with a granddaughter, Elizabeth Plaspohl, a Purdue University Junior...We are going to hear the Presidents own United States Marine Corps Band in the Elliot Hall of Music at Purdue...Should be fun will wear my Marine Hat and enjoy the marches...maybe enjoy an ice cream after....Semper Fi......
Inch of rain yesterday, clearing sunshine today, harvest begins again tomorrow...
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Current Mess
Whatever goes up must someday come down, something we all know but must have forgotten. We allowed our governement to force us into way to liberal of practises during these last two decades...Now there is a price that must be paid...But most will not agree and are instead buying into the "winds of change" and actually believeing the promise of more and more government interferance will fix this mess we all allowed to happen.....
The Clinton administration set us up for this by pushing and allowing these fanny mae and Freddie mac government loan institutions that pushed and allowed liberal loans to minorities that should never have happened….Now all that liberalism is coming home to roast and I remember the roast in our old chicken house at home always had lots of droppings under them….that is what happens when government makes an ”artificial good times” like we have had the last 15 years…we grew too fast too soon because we were building a lot of “things” , that never should have been built…..no matter who wins this election this nation is now headed to a time of recession where we will pay the price for over building, over lending, over liberalism….a pendulum swings just so far and then it swings back, its on its way back and it swang too far because of government trying to make the perfect world for all our minorities….it just don’t work to allow people to purchase a home they can not afford…sooner or later it all falls apart…that is happening right now…Bush Is not at fault….Our congress is and the American people are, who allowed it all to happen without saying loud enough that this is wrong and some day we will pay a price… There is enough guilt to go around in at least some degrees to all of us......And the irony of it all is that people even though we have had it so good with all the “stuff” we have, are still not happy, we all want more, we are the most spoiled generation of people who ever lived on the earth….if someone starts to say maybe we have to much, we get upset and blame others…..
If the democrats get in and also control congress we will see mega government at its worst….Hang on and hope and pray for the best.....we will survive it but rough waters probably lie ahead.....
The Clinton administration set us up for this by pushing and allowing these fanny mae and Freddie mac government loan institutions that pushed and allowed liberal loans to minorities that should never have happened….Now all that liberalism is coming home to roast and I remember the roast in our old chicken house at home always had lots of droppings under them….that is what happens when government makes an ”artificial good times” like we have had the last 15 years…we grew too fast too soon because we were building a lot of “things” , that never should have been built…..no matter who wins this election this nation is now headed to a time of recession where we will pay the price for over building, over lending, over liberalism….a pendulum swings just so far and then it swings back, its on its way back and it swang too far because of government trying to make the perfect world for all our minorities….it just don’t work to allow people to purchase a home they can not afford…sooner or later it all falls apart…that is happening right now…Bush Is not at fault….Our congress is and the American people are, who allowed it all to happen without saying loud enough that this is wrong and some day we will pay a price… There is enough guilt to go around in at least some degrees to all of us......And the irony of it all is that people even though we have had it so good with all the “stuff” we have, are still not happy, we all want more, we are the most spoiled generation of people who ever lived on the earth….if someone starts to say maybe we have to much, we get upset and blame others…..
If the democrats get in and also control congress we will see mega government at its worst….Hang on and hope and pray for the best.....we will survive it but rough waters probably lie ahead.....
Saturday, September 27, 2008
From Chicken Fat to Paw Paw's
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.......
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.......
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...
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