Happy Birthday Mom.

It's been 57 years since this.

 And 16 years since this.
 

I miss you and I love you.

The weird stuff comes out on the weekends?

A thankful heads up to Tamara K for this thoughtful video.

Yes folks they really do live among us.

I will not get the creepy crawleys, I will not get the creepy crawleys, I will not...

get the creepy crawleys!

OK knife fail.

I mentioned I would do an update and here it is.

First look at  this. Here.

Now here is my fail.

I used two pieces of black walnut with a width of maple the thickness of the tang. I ordered the  brass rivets from here.


Everything was going well until I needed that last hammer on the first rivit and the walnut split down the length.

The grip feels good on this knife so I will copy and try one more time at least .

Friday Night Music!

Get ready for some pure, unaffected, unadulterated, untouched, masterful music!

The John Butler Trio-Ocean

Oh yeah!

A visitor at dusk.

As long as we have lived here, we have always had a mating pair of Barred Owls in the area. We have listened to their haunting calls back and forth, from one area to another. We have seen them swoop across the back yard on a mission. We are affectionately attracted to our graveyard shift hunters.

Tonight I was sitting in the yard enjoying the sunset, when I saw something swoop into the oak tree over the driveway. I got my wife attention and she brought the spotlight and the camera. He didn't seem too upset about the spotlight. I didn't know if I had time to get the tripod, so I just did the best I could. He was about 50' up in the tree and about 30' from me. The camera was on max magnification, must have snapped it on the heartbeat!

Some new info on a former post!

Go here to get refreshed. Then go here to see what heroes look like and the way they talk.

Then go here to read it.

About 25 years ago I worked for a man that I admired very much. He was definitely a mans man, strong and silent, unless needed. Almost effeminate in some ways. He was raised by 2 sisters. Very slender and soft spoken..True to his ethics and morals.

One day we were in his office and I mentioned that my son had joined the Army and would be assigned to the 82nd Airborne. I made a joke about my son being afraid of heights. He suddenly became dreamy eyed. I felt a strange feeling in the room. Without looking at me he said, "I was in the 82nd at Normandy."


Long story short, and I can't remember all we talked about. What I got: Of the 30 or so men with him, only 3 survived.. They were trapped behind enemy lines for five days. He was the platoon leader. While he was talking I saw ghosts in his eyes.

I feel that I was blessed with what he shared. I'm pretty sure he had never talked with that passion before. He wished the best for Andrew just before he  left for Ft. Benning..

The generation that could certainly did!

Richard Clark passed away about 15 years ago. I'm not really sure of the date. It was Pancreatic Cancer. Yea, I'm not sure of the date, but I know a hero and a friend past away. And some gave all!

And last but not least...

I give this the post of the year award!

And this:" the news media has always had the attention span of a hyperactive Pekingese in desperate need of a Ritalin MilkBone" the most hillariously pertinent line, ever! Oh, yes!

On this day in 1775.

Patrick Henry stood before some 120 of his fellow delegates at the Second Virginia Convention in St. John’s Church in Richmond, Va. Among the delegates were George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

He was advocating self defense when he said this:

“It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

(the full text is here)


I sometimes wonder what it took for a man to say the things that would endanger everything in his existence. I think maybe it was the freedom they had tasted in this new world after so many years of such heavy oppression. I pray that if the time ever comes, we will have such men to stand and inspire.

OK, eyebrows raised...

A First: Fully Armed Chinese Missile Frigate Spotted Off Libyan Coast

For those of us that grew up on Mad Magazine.

Good article over at WND on a snark from Mad about a certain "Commander in Chief" and a birth certificate, teleprompters, and other things. I haven't looked at Mad in some 45 years, but I just might go buy this one. Besides, I like to see how it's going with Spy vs. Spy.

Emergency radio test.

There are a lot of nice things about my son-in-law, but two stand out tonight. He and our daughter live next door. That keeps a couple of grand kids almost close enough. And they have the same prepper attitude that we do. So when birthdays and such roll around (as mine did this month), it's pretty easy to shop for gifts.

So I received a Kaito Voyager Solar and Crank Weather Alert Multiband Radio with Cell Phone & mp3/IPOD charger. There's a mouthful right there. I'll not list all the functions this bad boy has (for now), just read the front of the box:

It comes with a USB charger chord, a cell phone adapter charger cord with six cell phone tips. None of which fit our LG phones. We have other ways of charging them, so no biggie.

OK! first test was Friday night hammock hangout with the grand kiddos. They gave all the lights big thumbs upses. They were bored with the NOAA weather reports, which came in strong on what seems to be a very sensitive antenna. I kicked in some classic rock to sooth the rugrats. It did well with some fading but not enough to irritate. The reading light even with the full moon was very bright but not uncomfortable.

In the morning the battery was dead and the sun was shining. Time to charge the batteries ala solar. While doing yard work, we moved the radio around the the yard as to receive the most optimal sun at the best angle.Total charge was about five hours.

Last night I turned the radio on to my favorite AM station at 8:22. It went off at 8:40. The lights were all still working and seemed bright, but I don't know how long that would have been true.

So far I like it.I trust the crank generator.

Here is the link to Sportsman's Guide: here

And dang, I guess the downside to knowing where s-i-l spends his money is this thing better get some A's on the next go around of tests. Seem's a little high!

I love Sportsman's Guide and have made some great buys. It just didn't have my LG tip. SIGH!

Friday night music.

A little Jimmy Buffet for full moon eve. Camping out with the grand kids in the hammocks again. Let's all chill for a little.

Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants - Song for the Little Children

Now young Mr. Moon flew away in the night
With his best friend Magnus right by his side
They soared through the Milky Way counting the stars
Once around Venus, twice around Mars

Then they spied an island rise out of the sea
They fell back to Earth just as free as you please
The children all gathered the church bells did ring
Suddenly everyone started to sing

[Chorus:]
Chanson pour les petits enfants
Chanson pour toute le monde
Chanson pour les petits enfants
Chanson pour toute le monde

Queen of the island she welcomed them in
Asked them questions of where they have been
She offered them chocolate she offered them tea
They all took their seats in the top of a tree

And raccoons brought wine and the mice they brought cheese
Beautiful birds floated by on the breeze
From out of the oceans the dolphins began
Humming a tune that soon covered the land

[Chorus]

So young Princess Lia brought coral and pearls
Gifts to the travelers from some other world
The Bush doctor mixed up a magical spell
Swore them to secrecy, never to tell

So young Mr. Moon flew away in the night
With his best friend Magnus right by his side
The sun was rising, they'd be home by noon
Humming the words to this magical tune

[Chorus]

Song for the children
Song for the world

Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are dancing in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
Boy will fill his pail with salty water
And the storms will blow from off towards New Orleans

The Sun shines on Biloxi
The air is filled with vapors from the sea
The boy will dig a pool beside the ocean
He sees creatures from his dreams underwater
And the Sun will set from off towards New Orleans

Stars can see Biloxi
Stars can find their faces in the sea
We are walking down beside the ocean
We are splashing naked in the water
And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans

Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are swiming in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
Boy will fill his pale with salty water
And the storms will blow from off towards New Orleans

OK, my first stretch into blogomania...

I don't have a poll widgit/program/why aren't you cool thingy that goes on all the cool blogs. But I need some feed back on a certain post I saw on the granddaddy of all survival blogs.

But first, some background.

A year or so ago we had a car pull onto our dead end road at the end of our property. The sound of car doors closing woke me up. One of the most frightening things I have ever encountered is and empty car in the dark. Long story short, the cops were called and arrived about 10 minutes after the punk crawled out of the weeds after sneaking his boyfriend back home through our woods. I laid my 12 gauge on the hood of the police car(with permission) after they arrived.

A few months later, again late at night, I heard a car slow down at the end of the road. Long story short, they were in my driveway attempting to break into our trucks. This time I chose to arm myself with a flashlight instead of a weapon. For that I am grateful because it would have been too easy to shoot those underaged wannabe bangers. And right now I'm not wanting that legal hassle.

In both instances the events unfolded and were over or contained in less than 2 minutes. Now my poll/feedback question: Is this guy on or just blowing smoke? I really want to know!

So check this post at Survivalblog.

Garden update.

Spring is definitely here in southeast Texas. The honeysuckle is in full bloom and smelling as sweet as well, honeysuckle.

The garlic is shooting up.

The night was settling well.

Did I mention it smelled sweet?

Lessons from Japan. EDC!

Sorry for the lack of posts.

Went under the weather and downhill fast. I don't know if it was allergies or a head cold. I suspect allergies due to the yellow powder all over everything.

Our prayers to the people of Japan. I could harp on the government's lack of intelligence but enough are taking care of that.

There are many lessons to be learned here, but after the initial OMG's, my first thought was of the the survivors trapped in the cities without a way home other than a day's hike, without food or water, in the frigid temps.Which brings to mind: EDC's(every day carry bags) BOB's(bug out bags) or GOOD's(get out of Dodge bags).

I found two things lacking in mine (at least the EDC ) that the folks in Japan showed me and that was food and water. I am fortunate that in the work I do, my truck is my office. Anything I need can be loaded in it and I am good to go. I carry water in a five gallon water cooler and my lunch in a playmate cooler with ice packs. This has worked great for 30 years. But I have never had the SHTF as these folks did. My shortsightedness led me to believe that I could get home with my EDC bag and all would be well.

FOOD and WATER!

I just don't see myself strapping on the EDC, picking up a gallon of water(yes, I would pour out most of that ice cold nectar of the gods on the ground), picking up my jumbo diner in a bucket, and hiking the 10, 20, sometimes 60 miles home.Geez, how many days would sixty miles take?

So I am rethinking my every day carry bag and I will post pics of before and after changes.

Something we all need to think about and re-evaluate!

Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

A good friend posted this on another place. We are so impressed with our heroes!

I had the honor of attending the awarding of the "French Legion of Honor" to my neighbor last Friday, March 4, 2011. Ninety-three year old Leonard Lisovicz was awarded the medal for his service in the liberation of France during WWII. Lenny landed on the beach at Normandy, June 6th, 1944, D-Day. Later during the war, he was awarded the Silver Star for carrying several men from the field of battle in the middle of a German artillery barrage. Few of the outfit made it out of this battle. During this rescue he was severely wounded and evacuated to England for treatment. Awarded the Purple Heart and sent back to the States under protest. He wanted to return to finish the fight. He is, in my opinion a hero in every sense of the word. I don't have all the facts on Lenny's service, yet. Like many who served during war, he rarely talks about it. Sorry for posting so late but I was waiting for a picture of the event. In the picture left to right is Congressman Gene Green who present Lenny with a flag flown over the US Capitol on June 6, 2010, Leonard Lisovicz and the French Consul who presented the medal.

 Well done, Sir!

Take a long hard look Charlie Sheen!

As should your miscreant, irresponsible father! And all you other reprehensible wannabes in hollywood. Misspent bastards!!!

The article and the faces are here.

Viral post pits coverage of Sheen, fallen soldiers

By Wayne Drash, CNN

It started with a Facebook status update. Upset at the media's coverage of Charlie Sheen, someone took up for American soldiers dying in Afghanistan.
"Charlie Sheen is all over the news because he's a celebrity drug addict," it said, "while Andrew Wilfahrt 31, Brian Tabada 21, Rudolph Hizon 22, Chauncy Mays 25, are soldiers who gave their lives this week with no media mention. Please honor them by posting this as your status for a little while."
The status update has since gone viral, shared by tens of thousands on Facebook.

Our prayers, at this house, continue for our heroes. And we wish them all home soon!

Off the grid heroes. John Wells

I have been reading his blog for about three years now. The Field Lab is an extraordinary story of a New York mans desire to find a place to become self regulatory. Such a place was in the Big Bend area of Texas. He just had a great write up in the New York Times. I guarantee you will enjoy the read. And I dare you to go to his blog and not end up at the beginning.

We should all strive to be like this man!

Friday night music.

Hank Jr.-A Country Boy Can Survive

 

Let's see... Rugers and Gibsons, sitting on the bow of a barge at sunset, black and white videography, singing our anthem. Yessir! I might have added a pit full of meat and a chest of beer, but I push things hard sometimes. Someone tell me how he can pick that guitar with all those nuggets on his fingers? I have a hard time pickin' with the fat I have on mine. Oh, yeah, that's right. Talent!

And as I continue to read...

Claire Wolf has an excellent post on the persistance of the government ignoring the constitution. And destroying lives.

Lucky Gunner Ammo.

There is a great buy on .22LR ammo on LuckyGunner.com 
The subsonics are particularly useful where I live as I have an abundance of squirrels and neighbors. I have used subsonics in the past and the are amazingly quiet. In a prepared/survival situation I am sure they would help procure some protein in a very non-attention getting way. Check it out.

MD Creekmore at the Survivalist Blog posted about low cost hand guns and ammo here.

Sorry for the lack of posts...

Work kicked up a notch, pollen kicked up three notches, and the veggie garden beckons me.

So here' a pic of this years peach tree blossom.

Squirrel watch is at DEFCON 2.

Gitmo revised.

JayG says it well as usual, over at MArooned. When's that hope and change gonna start working out, dude?

My apologies...

I should have posted this yesterday.

On this day on two separate times, major things influenced my life. The first one was that I was born at 4:07 AM in the year of our Lord 1954.

The most influence (other than my people) in my life happened on this day 175 years ago, when the Alamo fell from a crushing and overwhelming force from Mexico. This was a good thing. Seems like a strange thing to say unless you are from Texas. We became a sovereinge country. If you have to, look up the history yourself, I know the story by heart.

A few gave all!

My excuse for not posting this yesterday? Thank you Col. Travis and  Col.Bowie:  "Colonel Neill and myself have come to the solemn resolution that we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy."

So I took the day to lay my defenses aside and relax. 75 degrees, crawfish ettouffe, and a soak in the hot tub with my grand children.

Yes, thank you!

 

If you are feeling a little down this morning...

Hop on over to JayG's place! He has a sweet little Ukrainian polka band that ought to lift your spirits for at least 3 minutes and 17 seconds of your life. Really! And let me know if you don't jump up and start dancing. We have other ways to help.

MArooned

P.S. Please turn your speakers up as far as they will go!

Friday night music.

I really like this song. Right now it's 8 PM, it's 70 degrees and it's Friday night. I'm ready to find that party at the end of the dead end road.

Brandon Rhyder: Back Roads

Y'all have a great weekend!

Some teasers...

I'm working on a couple of knife articles. I am by no means a knife maker, although I would like to be. I am a knife refurbisher. I have an  Old Hickory  boning knife that I cut 2" off in hopes of making a Mora clone. It's been fun, but it is a self learning experience.

Well shoot. I might as well post a few pics on this one.

I ground two inches off the blade and tried to match the grind on the original bevel. I got close and will finish with the final tune up.

In this pic you can see the contrast between the blade and the tang.They looked the same before I did the clean up on the blade.

Then I cleaned the tang.

 

I made a new handle using black walnut  with a piece of maple as a filler for the tang. I'll get more pics up as the project progresses.

And speaking of reading...

Happy birthday Dr.Seuss.

His books have been translated into 21 languages, including Braille, and have sold more than 500 million copies.

Read the fine print guys!

Yesterday my wife and I were doing some shopping for supplies and such, when we got to the nutrition bar aisle. We were looking for new things to try other than cliff bars. We came across one called luna. Looked pretty good and they  had individual ones as samples. We thought we'd grab one and share it, then decide if we wanted to buy a box. I chose the chocolate and raspberry. Just sounded good.

We got home and threw it on the counter top and forgot about it. Our 3rd grade grand daughter came over to visit later and saw the bar, so we decided to open it and taste test. Now being a 3rd grader she is big on reading (can I hear an Amen?) and while we were munching away she was reading the fine print. She said,"Grandpa, this says 'A whole nutrition bar for women.' " I stopped chewing, she and grandma started giggling, and grandma said, "Grandpa's getting boobies!"

Well, I looked in the mirror this morning. I'm thinking 40 double A's but I'm not sure.? But I know two things. I'm sticking to cliff bars and I'm reading the fine print.

'Nuff said.

Before I spew the rest of my biscuits and gravy!

I really was enjoying some hot sausage, gravy, and biscuits while reading my morning blogs, when I got to Claire's post.
 
Those Americans who wish to be left alone prize their immunities from public interference, it is said, while those who wish to be taken care of seek entitlements to public aid. Negative rights ban and exclude government; positive ones invite and demand government…. Negative rights typically protect liberty; positive rights typically promote equality. The former shield a private realm, whereas the latter reallocate tax dollars…. If negative rights shelter us from the government, then positive rights grant us service by the government. The former rights include the rights of property and contract and, of course, freedom from being tortured by the police; the latter encompass rights to food stamps, subsidized housing and minimal welfare. 

Insert spew, here. Can they really mean this? I mean, really?

Negative rights ban and exclude government; positive ones invite and demand government…. Negative rights typically protect liberty; positive rights typically promote equality.

How much more elitist can you get? No wonder I can't talk to these people. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, and these people are from Ur   anus!!!

Spring is here!

I have to agree with Mayberry. Southeast Texas has two growing seasons. Planting for spring started here exactly one month ago. With the help of a portable cold frame. I was able to get the broccoli and cauliflower planted. They survived several days of below freezing.

I have iceberg lettuce up and ready to thin.

Rosemary and the chives are coming up.

So this week we will be planting onions and garlic.

Tomatoes and peppers will be going into the other bed. I will be building two more beds for sweet potatoes and squash. A few more herbs to get into pots. Thyme, sage, dill, and parsley. Bush beans will go in next week.

Cool!