I realize that with this entry, if anyone out there questioned my age, the question will be answered. I'm old enough to be very technically challenged. There was a time that I can remember that to make a phone call you first had to make sure no one else in the neighborhood was using it. If it was available you only had to dial 4 numbers. Then a few years later you had to dial seven, now everyone has become used to dialing ten, most of the time, eleven if its long distance from a land line.
Remember the days when if you were not home, and some one called, they had to call back, there were no answering machines or voice mails. Remember a thing called an address book, where you wrote down on paper using a pencil the address and phone numbers of friends, family, pharmacy and Doctor's. Some of them could be written in ink, pencil was safer if they moved around a lot. That little book stuffed with all of the papers, receipts and business cards was one of the most important books in the house! In my house there was a special place for it, and Lord help the culprit that did not put it back after it was used. Remember when you memorized all the important numbers you called so you would not have to look them up.
Today we carry our "address books" around with us, we do not have to memorize anything because it is all at the touch of a button on our cell phones. Heck half the time I have to stop and think about every call I make if I try to use my memory for the number.(especially if I call home) I have emails, phone numbers, important dates with automatic reminders, I can even search the Internet if I have to right from the palm of my hand using a cell phone. Wow, how great is that!
However, and there is always a however in life, what happens when the cell phone gets really hot in your hand, the display screen slips sideways and then goes dark? I'll tell you what happens your ability to communicate with the world goes up in electronic smoke and everything you had stored on this little battery operated nemesis is gone! All those numbers that you do not have to remember is poof! If your like some, even the silly passwords that you have to remember is kaput. In other words you have to start all over and try to remember everything you had in there including Aunt Molly's neighbors number so you can call her if Aunt Molly does not answer because she went on a cruise and did not tell anyone.
I know all of this because last week my phone, with out warning died. I buried it by putting it in a box and sending it back to whence it came with a prepaid mailing label. Now I have the task of replacing all that was in it. So far it has taken me two days and I may be one half done.
Now let me give some advise, most carriers have what is called secure backup services, which if you can subscribe that will automatically backup your devise so that should it fry to a plastic blob, your world does not have to be rebuilt. ALSO, and this is the most important part, you can get these little cards that plug into the side of your camera phone then they plug into another card that will plug into your computer so you can transfer all of those pictures you take of the fish you catch, sunsets, and grand kids. Of course most people may have already know this, I did not. I always wondered if there was a faster way of getting pictures out. I just did not want to ask. I did not want the person I asked to say, "Wow what a technically challenged" old man.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black and Blue Friday
Hey folks we made it back, short trip to St. Louis and a great Thanksgiving meal at my daughters and back in a day and a half. My Judy had to be back so she could supervise the sale of televisions on Black Friday. I cannot wait to hear about her morning. I talked with several folks about shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, they all say that the deals have to be great and the savings off the charts for them to get out of bed at o-dark thirty and fight the crowds to save ten dollars. However, there are millions that feel differently. Local law enforcement in southwest Missouri have made maps, synchronised traffic cameras and electric signals. They have even assigned officers to physically direct traffic. Wow, shoppers have no idea just how prepared retailers and local tax based governments are rolling out the red carpet. I am especially impressed with the efforts of Walmart. Since the incident in New York last year where in a man was trampled. They have consulted with crowd control experts and designed a means to accommodate the shoppers while maintaining some semblance of order. I really hope it works. I witnessed a mad dash for some sheets last year. One lady shopper was softly bumped while she was reaching into a bin full of sheets. By the time she surfaced the sheets were all gone and she didn't get any. My demented sense of humor caused several people to give me strange looks as I rapidly walked away. After all its not funny to get bumped into a bin full of sheets and not even get one set to keep.
Yes, last year I was asked to help my Judy and I did. Black Friday is one of those events everyone should partake of at least once. Even if you don't buy anything.
Yes, last year I was asked to help my Judy and I did. Black Friday is one of those events everyone should partake of at least once. Even if you don't buy anything.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving.....
I went to the Doc yesterday. He peeked, examined made me look all around and decided that I was healing a whole lot faster than most. He released me to go to back to work this coming Sunday. I cannot wait. I think that I'm going to do "something" a lot over the next couple of days just so I can get used to it.
Congratulations to my Brother Kevin and a good friend Stan. They both harvested trophy size bucks in the recent Missouri deer seasons. My brother Alan and nephew Matt are included. they also put venison in the freezer this year. I was invited to go, its just when your sentenced to do nothing, even deer hunting is something.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Its a time we all get together to eat to much and visit with friends, family or just do something outside of the norm. We all celebrate thanks in our own way. If watching the parades, eating turkey and all the trimmings and visiting with family is your thing then or skiing off some mountain out west, just remember to give thanks.
Today my Judy and I are travelling to my daughters home outside St. Louis. We will part take of all the traditional festivities, eat lots of food and have to return home late tomorrow evening. My Judy has to work on Friday. She will have to roil out of bed around 2 am and drive to the store. Big doings at the store because its "Black Friday" and there are a ton of deals. My Judy has been placed in charge of television sales. she will supervise the chaos as shoppers push, shove, butt in line and generally be shoppers on black Friday. My Judy will handle customer concerns, and make sure no one gets out of hand. In my business I have to do that everyday, I told her, welcome to my world. She made a rude noise and gave me a dirty look.
I hope you are enjoying Deputy McNamara's adventure, I will add more to it this weekend. Wonder what will happen next.
Congratulations to my Brother Kevin and a good friend Stan. They both harvested trophy size bucks in the recent Missouri deer seasons. My brother Alan and nephew Matt are included. they also put venison in the freezer this year. I was invited to go, its just when your sentenced to do nothing, even deer hunting is something.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Its a time we all get together to eat to much and visit with friends, family or just do something outside of the norm. We all celebrate thanks in our own way. If watching the parades, eating turkey and all the trimmings and visiting with family is your thing then or skiing off some mountain out west, just remember to give thanks.
Today my Judy and I are travelling to my daughters home outside St. Louis. We will part take of all the traditional festivities, eat lots of food and have to return home late tomorrow evening. My Judy has to work on Friday. She will have to roil out of bed around 2 am and drive to the store. Big doings at the store because its "Black Friday" and there are a ton of deals. My Judy has been placed in charge of television sales. she will supervise the chaos as shoppers push, shove, butt in line and generally be shoppers on black Friday. My Judy will handle customer concerns, and make sure no one gets out of hand. In my business I have to do that everyday, I told her, welcome to my world. She made a rude noise and gave me a dirty look.
I hope you are enjoying Deputy McNamara's adventure, I will add more to it this weekend. Wonder what will happen next.
Monday, November 23, 2009
From the Journal of Issac McNamara #6
Zeke rode slowly down the hanging valley. He reached the end just after mid day and found the small game path that served as access to the outside. Mule had followed right along all afternoon occasionally looking to his right up the hillside and twisting his ears to get a better listen to something moving up there. Zeke had caught movement several times just never enough to clearly see what it was moving up there. The critter had stayed right with them as they moved and was really good at keeping to cover. That was the main reason Zeke was sure that whatever the critter wasn't, it was sure to be the two legged kind. Zeke eased his mount down the trail leaning back in the saddle to make the downward progress as easy as possible. He reached the bottom, crossed a small creek running with clear water, then followed the game trail . The trail was slowly falling towards the river and Zeke kept his eyes pealed for signs of humans being around. Still he found no evidence of folks gathering wood or cutting dead branches from the standing trees. He came out of the woods just above where the James River joined the White. He turned and rode upstream a dozen yards to a place he could cross with out getting his feet wet. He was midway across the river when the rolling sound of thunder came to him. He looked up into the sky he could see and there were no clouds. That was the problem with these Ozark Mountains they wee just deep enough in the valleys and high enough in the peaks that a summer storm could blow down on a fella with out much warning. Zeke kicked the horse a little and stepped up the pace. He crossed the river and immediately seen where folks had camped and seen evidence of trees being used for temporary shelter. He rode up the gravel bar a short way and found the old log hut that used to be Yocum's trading post. It was long ago abandoned, the corral was still standing in places and the cabin had one end of the roof collapsed into itself. There was a stone chimney standing at the other end. The door hung from one hinge. There were small holes everywhere a body looked. Someone had spent a lot of time digging small holes looking for something, most likely old Yocum's sack of diamonds. Zeke heard the roll of thunder again. The storm was getting a lot closer, it was moving very fast. He dismounted, lead his horse to the front of the old cabin. He took his rifle from the scabbard and gently using the barrel pushed the door wide open. He heard stirrings from inside. He reach down at his foot, picked up a hand full of gravel and tossed it inside the door. A faint buzzing noise answered him. He banged on their door and the buzzing became louder. Rattlesnake, Zeke flinched as the crack of lightning and the accompanying roll of thunder swept over him. The air was filled with the smell of brimstone. Zeke had no desire to fight a rattler over the dryness of that old cabin. He walked to one end and looked behind it and there was the entrance to old Yocums cave. Horse had no liking for that cave until the flash of lightning made the hair on his rump stand up. He lunged past Zeke int the safety of the cave. Mule followed right along. Zeke stood just inside the cave looking at the river. He caught a movement across the river and the flash of red cloth just before the rain made it impossible to see any further than the end of his arm.
It was still raining when it got full dark. Zeke has loosen his saddle and had removed the pack saddle from mule. he had a hard time finding enough wood for a small fire for coffee. Whoever had used the cxamp last had burned everyting with in a short dash f the cave. Zeke had to roam out severl yards to find enough to make a fire. he pulled several branched from a black oak. The lower branches of a black oak will be dead, and they will stay relativel dry in the rain. Branches on the ground will get wet and will have to dry to burn. Zeke had made him a rest using his back pack and saddle. He was sitting behind the fire to the inside of the cave. he bever looed right into the fire. That was something his Pa had taught him and three years fighting in the war had let it become habit. He was sipping his coffe and watching the drips from the falling rain off the roof of the cave when he heard a branch snap outside the reach of the fire light. Horse and mule both had ears pointing out into the night. Zeke took cover behind the saddle. He pulled his revolver and held it easy in his hand. Horse flared his nostrils and mule took in a deep breath.
"Your making my stock nervous, step in to the fire light or go away, makes me no nevermind" said Zeke.
Into the fire light stepped a figure, and by the looks of it it was a girl.
It was still raining when it got full dark. Zeke has loosen his saddle and had removed the pack saddle from mule. he had a hard time finding enough wood for a small fire for coffee. Whoever had used the cxamp last had burned everyting with in a short dash f the cave. Zeke had to roam out severl yards to find enough to make a fire. he pulled several branched from a black oak. The lower branches of a black oak will be dead, and they will stay relativel dry in the rain. Branches on the ground will get wet and will have to dry to burn. Zeke had made him a rest using his back pack and saddle. He was sitting behind the fire to the inside of the cave. he bever looed right into the fire. That was something his Pa had taught him and three years fighting in the war had let it become habit. He was sipping his coffe and watching the drips from the falling rain off the roof of the cave when he heard a branch snap outside the reach of the fire light. Horse and mule both had ears pointing out into the night. Zeke took cover behind the saddle. He pulled his revolver and held it easy in his hand. Horse flared his nostrils and mule took in a deep breath.
"Your making my stock nervous, step in to the fire light or go away, makes me no nevermind" said Zeke.
Into the fire light stepped a figure, and by the looks of it it was a girl.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Soap box time, pull up a chair
We have all read accounts of Global Warming and its effects on the climate. Not only is weather affected, some of wildlife are in jeopardy, animals like polar bears, whales and penguins have articles written about them everyday. Former Vice President Al has made millions flying all over the country encouraging people to wise up, get rid of their cars, quit buying plastic and write their Congressmen to accept the doomsday prophecies of scientists. This weekend a movie was released showing what will happen in 2012, the world will end because the Mayans ended their calender........ OK???
Having lots of time on my hands while I sit around a do "nothing" my mind has pondered the above and came up with an answer, "Horse Pucky" to all of it!
First anyone that has ever subscribed to National Geographic will know that over the centuries since mother earth was formed...there have been times of unusual weather. Remember the Dinosaurs? They lived in warm wet climates, most likely never thought about cold weather and then disappeared for reasons still not agreed upon. Then there was the Ice Age, a period when large sheets of ice called glaciers, slowly moved from the poles toward the equator, destroying everything it their paths. They had a lot to do with the formation of the Great Plain in America. I think that times change. The little bit of recorded time compared to the great amount of unrecorded time, has not has not left us with enough information to determine changes.
Look at what the ocean experts have said about New Orleans. It is sinking into the Gulf. It may not last out this century, yet our ever present and all knowing government has dumped millions of tax dollars into building a levy system to protect it. Its still sinking and will continue to do so.... Then there is the ice caps, they are melting. The level of the ocean has risen a little over the last couple of hundred years. yet at one time most of the southwest part of the US was under water, and out in Utah, the Great Salt Lake is still there. Let's not forget about the Dead Sea, its so salty you cannot sink in it.
I really think that we, especially us Americans, need to take a few minutes and remember what we do today will have a big impact on the future. I really think that we as Americans need to develop other sources of energy to the point that we can tell the mid-east to put their oil on their morning cereal. Years ago our ability to jump from horse drawn wagons to gasoline powered trucks is just the thing we need today. Most of us have seen articles or commericals promoting the use of Natural Gas, and Hydrogen as fuel sources. We see evidence of wind and water generated electricity with windmills and power dams. One man I talked to related that in some parts of the world, manure and corn stalks are coverted to fuel to power plants and power cities.. Heck, last week the local news had a fella on that could fix a diesel engine to burn used restaurant cooking oil. Its time America, be a leader and change! Let us unite and let our leaders know that if they want to keep their jobs they had better get with the program. Now is the time for action. Send the link of this post to everyone you know, tell them to send it on to everyone they know according to the computer gurus, it will quickly reach everyone with access to email. America we have to start now!
To address the Mayan calender issue ....I think that the girls and boys that sat down to write the Mayan calender got called to dinner about the time they reached 2012. The next day the Chiefs decided that they could finish it later and then sent them on to build the ruins.
Having lots of time on my hands while I sit around a do "nothing" my mind has pondered the above and came up with an answer, "Horse Pucky" to all of it!
First anyone that has ever subscribed to National Geographic will know that over the centuries since mother earth was formed...there have been times of unusual weather. Remember the Dinosaurs? They lived in warm wet climates, most likely never thought about cold weather and then disappeared for reasons still not agreed upon. Then there was the Ice Age, a period when large sheets of ice called glaciers, slowly moved from the poles toward the equator, destroying everything it their paths. They had a lot to do with the formation of the Great Plain in America. I think that times change. The little bit of recorded time compared to the great amount of unrecorded time, has not has not left us with enough information to determine changes.
Look at what the ocean experts have said about New Orleans. It is sinking into the Gulf. It may not last out this century, yet our ever present and all knowing government has dumped millions of tax dollars into building a levy system to protect it. Its still sinking and will continue to do so.... Then there is the ice caps, they are melting. The level of the ocean has risen a little over the last couple of hundred years. yet at one time most of the southwest part of the US was under water, and out in Utah, the Great Salt Lake is still there. Let's not forget about the Dead Sea, its so salty you cannot sink in it.
I really think that we, especially us Americans, need to take a few minutes and remember what we do today will have a big impact on the future. I really think that we as Americans need to develop other sources of energy to the point that we can tell the mid-east to put their oil on their morning cereal. Years ago our ability to jump from horse drawn wagons to gasoline powered trucks is just the thing we need today. Most of us have seen articles or commericals promoting the use of Natural Gas, and Hydrogen as fuel sources. We see evidence of wind and water generated electricity with windmills and power dams. One man I talked to related that in some parts of the world, manure and corn stalks are coverted to fuel to power plants and power cities.. Heck, last week the local news had a fella on that could fix a diesel engine to burn used restaurant cooking oil. Its time America, be a leader and change! Let us unite and let our leaders know that if they want to keep their jobs they had better get with the program. Now is the time for action. Send the link of this post to everyone you know, tell them to send it on to everyone they know according to the computer gurus, it will quickly reach everyone with access to email. America we have to start now!
To address the Mayan calender issue ....I think that the girls and boys that sat down to write the Mayan calender got called to dinner about the time they reached 2012. The next day the Chiefs decided that they could finish it later and then sent them on to build the ruins.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Eye Update...
This morning at the appointed time of 8:45 I was in the Eye Doctors office patiently waiting for him to enter say all is well and go back to work. I figured he would have some magic solution that would take my vision and make it all well. Lets face it that's why they go to school and one of the reasons they get to charge so much for 15 minutes of their time. Yeah right,
I waited for my turn and heard him tell someone that they had a hard time coming in the next few weeks as they waited for their vision to clear up. I had no idea who he was talking to and listening to him I began to feel sorry for the patient. When my time came he took his time n the examination, talked gibberish to his assistant with the promise to talk English to me as soon as he finished.
After he examined me he announced that all was healing well, that there was no obvious issues other than the gas bubble he had injected into my eye had not began to dissolve. He when on to say that it would start to go any time now and when it did it would go rather quickly. He wanted to see me in two weeks. I asked him how long it would take for my eye to heal and he advised that I would get everything I was going to get back with in three months. In other words hurry up and wait.
I returned home with my tail tucked between my legs wondering just what I was going to do for the next two weeks. My Judy smiled and said that she was sure I would find something to do. i called my boss and all he had to say was get better and I'll take you off the schedule.
So today I'm doing exactly what I was told to do, Nothing!
So anyone out there that wants to know what nothing is just drop me a line and tell what your doing. I will examine it, make you wait just long enough to justify the fee and make you feel sorry for me because I'm so busy, and let you know if its something or nothing.
I waited for my turn and heard him tell someone that they had a hard time coming in the next few weeks as they waited for their vision to clear up. I had no idea who he was talking to and listening to him I began to feel sorry for the patient. When my time came he took his time n the examination, talked gibberish to his assistant with the promise to talk English to me as soon as he finished.
After he examined me he announced that all was healing well, that there was no obvious issues other than the gas bubble he had injected into my eye had not began to dissolve. He when on to say that it would start to go any time now and when it did it would go rather quickly. He wanted to see me in two weeks. I asked him how long it would take for my eye to heal and he advised that I would get everything I was going to get back with in three months. In other words hurry up and wait.
I returned home with my tail tucked between my legs wondering just what I was going to do for the next two weeks. My Judy smiled and said that she was sure I would find something to do. i called my boss and all he had to say was get better and I'll take you off the schedule.
So today I'm doing exactly what I was told to do, Nothing!
So anyone out there that wants to know what nothing is just drop me a line and tell what your doing. I will examine it, make you wait just long enough to justify the fee and make you feel sorry for me because I'm so busy, and let you know if its something or nothing.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Bad ideas and success stories....
Well I know you are thinking "Just what has old Mike been up to this past week?" The answer is nothing...well almost nothing. Do you remember in by gone times when you had an idea that while in your mind it seemed like a fool proof great idea, that if perfected it might turn into one of those hobby things that makes a million dollars and gets you out of debt and you become famous and even get a guest appearance on Oprah....
I have one. Yes even with one eye closed (literally) I came up with and idea that if successful will save me a lot of money. If I have failed to mention it my favorite past time is fishing. The problem with fishing is that by the time you buy gas, line, fishing poles, insurance and everything else you have little left over for baits. Its hard to fish some of the places I fish and not loose a lure once in a while. When you start taking notes on what you've lost it is a serious piece of change. There are lures out there that cost over $100.00 dollars, many in the 20-30 dollar range and a few in the 10 to 20 dollar range. Those are not the kind I fish with. If I was ever incapacitated enough to buy a $100.00 lure, and my Judy found out I'd have to hide it as some kind of man jewelry, and wear it every day. I fish with the 3-8 dollar ones. When I loose an 8 dollar one I hurt. So, back to my idea. I figured that I could buy used lures, unpainted lures, lures I find on the lake or ones that I've used until the paint is gone and repaint them. I'm going to paint my own fishing lures.
Crazy! Why the man has lost his mind! He does not have any artistic talent! He hates to paint! His hand does not fit any paintbrush made! YOU say, Rubbish I say! Anyone can learn anything IF they put their mind to it. As nutty as it sounds your pizza delivery boy could be a brain surgeon Besides I think its a really good idea. I might become famous, even land a guest shot on ESPN.........
Today I got things set up, I read the handy how to airbrush something guide and put paint in the jar and noticed that some how I got it all over my hands. Then I turned on the little compressor and it made a very rude noise that sounded a lot like two pans being banged together. I opened the air gun valve and it began to shoot air out onto my practice project. It took quite a time for any paint to come out, then it came out in big splats. When I released the trigger, the compressor started that clanging noise again and paint began to leak out of the end of the nozzle. I knew this was a bad thing so I turned off everything to regroup. After several adjustments I again hit the on switch, this time it sounded like a barrel full of tin cups rolling down the hill. Several adjustments later determined that I had the wrong kind of compressor ( I hope). I cleaned the equipment, only getting a little more paint on my hands and face, and felt that it was a good day!
Now keep in mind that I'm doing all of this one eyed....which explains some of the paint being where it should not have been. I decided that I would wait until after my Eye Doctors appointment in the morning, before I tackle any more practice. After all one really needs as least one eye to paint fishing lures.
I have one. Yes even with one eye closed (literally) I came up with and idea that if successful will save me a lot of money. If I have failed to mention it my favorite past time is fishing. The problem with fishing is that by the time you buy gas, line, fishing poles, insurance and everything else you have little left over for baits. Its hard to fish some of the places I fish and not loose a lure once in a while. When you start taking notes on what you've lost it is a serious piece of change. There are lures out there that cost over $100.00 dollars, many in the 20-30 dollar range and a few in the 10 to 20 dollar range. Those are not the kind I fish with. If I was ever incapacitated enough to buy a $100.00 lure, and my Judy found out I'd have to hide it as some kind of man jewelry, and wear it every day. I fish with the 3-8 dollar ones. When I loose an 8 dollar one I hurt. So, back to my idea. I figured that I could buy used lures, unpainted lures, lures I find on the lake or ones that I've used until the paint is gone and repaint them. I'm going to paint my own fishing lures.
Crazy! Why the man has lost his mind! He does not have any artistic talent! He hates to paint! His hand does not fit any paintbrush made! YOU say, Rubbish I say! Anyone can learn anything IF they put their mind to it. As nutty as it sounds your pizza delivery boy could be a brain surgeon Besides I think its a really good idea. I might become famous, even land a guest shot on ESPN.........
Today I got things set up, I read the handy how to airbrush something guide and put paint in the jar and noticed that some how I got it all over my hands. Then I turned on the little compressor and it made a very rude noise that sounded a lot like two pans being banged together. I opened the air gun valve and it began to shoot air out onto my practice project. It took quite a time for any paint to come out, then it came out in big splats. When I released the trigger, the compressor started that clanging noise again and paint began to leak out of the end of the nozzle. I knew this was a bad thing so I turned off everything to regroup. After several adjustments I again hit the on switch, this time it sounded like a barrel full of tin cups rolling down the hill. Several adjustments later determined that I had the wrong kind of compressor ( I hope). I cleaned the equipment, only getting a little more paint on my hands and face, and felt that it was a good day!
Now keep in mind that I'm doing all of this one eyed....which explains some of the paint being where it should not have been. I decided that I would wait until after my Eye Doctors appointment in the morning, before I tackle any more practice. After all one really needs as least one eye to paint fishing lures.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What are you doing?
Monday a week ago, I underwent eye surgery to reattach my retina. The surgeon explained that it was not a simple surgery, rather it was very invasive and I would be under for an hour to an hour and a half. All went well, I woke up, spent the night in the hotel at the hospital and then went home with the following orders.
1. take it easy, no lifting or bending below the waist.
2. keep you head tilted in a reading position and cocked to the left.
3. sleep on your left side
4. do nothing.
Remember when you were young and a parent would as "What are you doing?" Your response of, "Nothing," usually got a response of "If its nothing quit making that noise or If its nothing how come your brother is crying?" Let me tell you as a parent of five kids and eight grandchildren, nothing is never nothing.
I have sat for over a week, doing nothing and to tell the truth there is just so much nothing a man can take. I sit watching television with my chin on my chest or reading using my good eye. Once in a while I get up and walk laps around the house. I get to walk to the mailbox once a day and usually find there is nothing of interest in it. I get visits from my fishing buddy Doug and hear stories of the fish he is catching, The phone rings its my Mom from Florida, and I hear stories about the fish they are catching. I turn on the fishing shows and guess what they are catching fish and talking about the great fall fishing. Yet I have to do nothing.
My Judy comes home from work and asks how my day went and I grumble, "It was what you see, I did nothing all day." I went on to explain that I had done nothing for so long that I had become an expert at doing nothing. She made a rude noise and fixed supper.
One of the things that doing nothing allows one to accomplish is thinking. I've decided that I should warn everyone to practice doing nothing. As one gets older and parts begin to wear out, sooner or later some Doctor will say, "Go home and do nothing." You had better be prepared. So take my advise and practice doing nothing, Nothing does not involve sleeping, because when your sleeping your doing something, you have to do nothing. along with practicing doing nothing you should practice using your weak hand to accomplish everyday tasks. Brush your teeth, wash yourself and finish all the paperwork. You never will know when you might have to use the skill. You should practice putting on your clothes, using only your weak hand. Drive using your left foot. Close one eye and try to type.
So if you need any counseling on doing nothing, drop me a line. I am qualified to tell you just how nothing is accomplished.
1. take it easy, no lifting or bending below the waist.
2. keep you head tilted in a reading position and cocked to the left.
3. sleep on your left side
4. do nothing.
Remember when you were young and a parent would as "What are you doing?" Your response of, "Nothing," usually got a response of "If its nothing quit making that noise or If its nothing how come your brother is crying?" Let me tell you as a parent of five kids and eight grandchildren, nothing is never nothing.
I have sat for over a week, doing nothing and to tell the truth there is just so much nothing a man can take. I sit watching television with my chin on my chest or reading using my good eye. Once in a while I get up and walk laps around the house. I get to walk to the mailbox once a day and usually find there is nothing of interest in it. I get visits from my fishing buddy Doug and hear stories of the fish he is catching, The phone rings its my Mom from Florida, and I hear stories about the fish they are catching. I turn on the fishing shows and guess what they are catching fish and talking about the great fall fishing. Yet I have to do nothing.
My Judy comes home from work and asks how my day went and I grumble, "It was what you see, I did nothing all day." I went on to explain that I had done nothing for so long that I had become an expert at doing nothing. She made a rude noise and fixed supper.
One of the things that doing nothing allows one to accomplish is thinking. I've decided that I should warn everyone to practice doing nothing. As one gets older and parts begin to wear out, sooner or later some Doctor will say, "Go home and do nothing." You had better be prepared. So take my advise and practice doing nothing, Nothing does not involve sleeping, because when your sleeping your doing something, you have to do nothing. along with practicing doing nothing you should practice using your weak hand to accomplish everyday tasks. Brush your teeth, wash yourself and finish all the paperwork. You never will know when you might have to use the skill. You should practice putting on your clothes, using only your weak hand. Drive using your left foot. Close one eye and try to type.
So if you need any counseling on doing nothing, drop me a line. I am qualified to tell you just how nothing is accomplished.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
From the Journal of Issac McNamara #5
Zeke tried not to look straight towards the face. It was watching him from beneath the wild fern. He gazed straight ahead over the back of his horse while watching for the face to make a move. He could see the eyes and maybe part of the jaw line. His mind began questioning what he was seeing. He blinked, the face was gone. He mounted and rode toward where the face had been. He looked the ground over and there was no evidence of any being there. There was a game trail winding down the side of the hill and he started down it. Zeke rode with his rifle across the saddle.
He had written along almost a mile when the the faint trace of woodsmoke reached his nose. He slowly worked his way down the trail. Game trails were good ways to travel in the Ozarks, unless your on a horse. Most of them are easy going as long as your no taller than a deer. The lower down he worked the stronger the smell of smoke. The trail opened into a meadow. Across the meadow stood an old cabin there was smoke slowly rising from the stone chimney. Zeke thought he knew most of the settlers along the James, however he did not know this one, he didn't even know this cabin existed. The meadow was one of those rare ones that opened up just a little more than half way down the mountain. It was about five acres in size and would have been almost invisible from lower down along the river. He had come on it from up above yet it was still unseen until the trail opened out at the upper end. Zeke held up and looked the place over. There were several chickens running loose around the cabin. There was a small corral built in front of a cave and in the corral stood a small painted horse. There was a cow grazing in the meadow just below the cabin and Zeke heard the squealing of pigs. There was a small garden planted next to the cabin. Zeke recognized corn growing along with some vegetables.
Zeke slowly rode toward the cabin. He stopped in front of the door.
"Hello the house" he yelled. Nothing
He tried again, " Hello, anyone home?"
Other than the chickens moving away from him there was no other sound from the cabin.
Zeke tried again. " I'm Stone County Deputy Sheriff Issac McNamara, anyone there?"
Zeke sat his horse trying to decide what to do, he reached up to scratch his head when he caught movement from the hill above the cave, Zeke had no doubts about watch had been poked out of the ground above the cave mouth, it was the business end of a rifle.
Zeke looked on past the rifle and then slowly raised his hand to his hat, He took it off and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm.
He looked over the hill side again, using his knee he turned his mount towards the cave and rode up to the opening.
" I see your gun, you have nothing to fear from me, all I'm interested in is some information. I could also use a drink from your spring. Its hot out here and I've ridden a long ways this morning."
It was quiet, Zeke heard the chickens clucking and the snorts of the pigs. Finally after several minutes a voice answered " Help yourself to the spring, there's a gourd hanging there on a limb."
A few minutes later a a small figure came from the cave and walked up to him. It was a woman, older than the voice sounded, gray hair wrapped into a tight bun on the back of her head, a pale blue sun faded bonnet hung by its ribbons from her neck, a gray faded dress hung from her shoulders and touched the ground. She wore a pistol in a holster on her waist and there was a large knife in a scabbard.
"Not used to folks being around." she explained "rather be by myself, I get along with myself better. Here alone most of the time, you coming down from the mountain was not the usual way I'm visited."
Zeke held his hat in his hand, "Like I said, I'm a Deputy Sheriff. Sheriff Overstreet sent me down here to investigate a gathering of men that could be Rebels."
She spat " Overstreet still the Sheriff....He was a real rounder when he was younger, suprised me when he got his self elected, always figured he should be on the inside of a jail rather than running it"
Zeke hid a smile, and continued" Mam, I wonder have you see anything, men moving or anything that don't belong?"
"There down there, camped right were the James runs into the White. They's making a mess of the gravel bar. Nothing worse than a white man in the wilderness. He mess up more any ten Indian's." They's a bunch of them that wanders around digging holes in the ground. My guess they's looking for Yocum's diamonds. Dern fools, if'n you had yourself a sack of diamonds would you take them with you or bury them under a tree?"
"I see your point, well I need to ride down there a see what them Reb's have in mind."
" You go do that Deputy, and you just forget about finding me up here, I don't need you telling anyone about me, them idiots down there don't know about me! "
Zeke thanked her for the drink and turned his mount down the valley. Mule followed along.
He had written along almost a mile when the the faint trace of woodsmoke reached his nose. He slowly worked his way down the trail. Game trails were good ways to travel in the Ozarks, unless your on a horse. Most of them are easy going as long as your no taller than a deer. The lower down he worked the stronger the smell of smoke. The trail opened into a meadow. Across the meadow stood an old cabin there was smoke slowly rising from the stone chimney. Zeke thought he knew most of the settlers along the James, however he did not know this one, he didn't even know this cabin existed. The meadow was one of those rare ones that opened up just a little more than half way down the mountain. It was about five acres in size and would have been almost invisible from lower down along the river. He had come on it from up above yet it was still unseen until the trail opened out at the upper end. Zeke held up and looked the place over. There were several chickens running loose around the cabin. There was a small corral built in front of a cave and in the corral stood a small painted horse. There was a cow grazing in the meadow just below the cabin and Zeke heard the squealing of pigs. There was a small garden planted next to the cabin. Zeke recognized corn growing along with some vegetables.
Zeke slowly rode toward the cabin. He stopped in front of the door.
"Hello the house" he yelled. Nothing
He tried again, " Hello, anyone home?"
Other than the chickens moving away from him there was no other sound from the cabin.
Zeke tried again. " I'm Stone County Deputy Sheriff Issac McNamara, anyone there?"
Zeke sat his horse trying to decide what to do, he reached up to scratch his head when he caught movement from the hill above the cave, Zeke had no doubts about watch had been poked out of the ground above the cave mouth, it was the business end of a rifle.
Zeke looked on past the rifle and then slowly raised his hand to his hat, He took it off and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm.
He looked over the hill side again, using his knee he turned his mount towards the cave and rode up to the opening.
" I see your gun, you have nothing to fear from me, all I'm interested in is some information. I could also use a drink from your spring. Its hot out here and I've ridden a long ways this morning."
It was quiet, Zeke heard the chickens clucking and the snorts of the pigs. Finally after several minutes a voice answered " Help yourself to the spring, there's a gourd hanging there on a limb."
A few minutes later a a small figure came from the cave and walked up to him. It was a woman, older than the voice sounded, gray hair wrapped into a tight bun on the back of her head, a pale blue sun faded bonnet hung by its ribbons from her neck, a gray faded dress hung from her shoulders and touched the ground. She wore a pistol in a holster on her waist and there was a large knife in a scabbard.
"Not used to folks being around." she explained "rather be by myself, I get along with myself better. Here alone most of the time, you coming down from the mountain was not the usual way I'm visited."
Zeke held his hat in his hand, "Like I said, I'm a Deputy Sheriff. Sheriff Overstreet sent me down here to investigate a gathering of men that could be Rebels."
She spat " Overstreet still the Sheriff....He was a real rounder when he was younger, suprised me when he got his self elected, always figured he should be on the inside of a jail rather than running it"
Zeke hid a smile, and continued" Mam, I wonder have you see anything, men moving or anything that don't belong?"
"There down there, camped right were the James runs into the White. They's making a mess of the gravel bar. Nothing worse than a white man in the wilderness. He mess up more any ten Indian's." They's a bunch of them that wanders around digging holes in the ground. My guess they's looking for Yocum's diamonds. Dern fools, if'n you had yourself a sack of diamonds would you take them with you or bury them under a tree?"
"I see your point, well I need to ride down there a see what them Reb's have in mind."
" You go do that Deputy, and you just forget about finding me up here, I don't need you telling anyone about me, them idiots down there don't know about me! "
Zeke thanked her for the drink and turned his mount down the valley. Mule followed along.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Goblins, Ghosts, Zombies and such
I am one of those people that will not watch anything that has horror in its description. Suspense does not bother me or supernatural. If horror is involved you can bet I will not be present. As a kid I remember my cousins watching Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolf man on late night TV, I wanted no part of it and you could usually find me behind the couch. To this day I may be the only member of my age group that has never seen those movies in their entirety. No Halloween movies, Freddie movies or Nightmare on Elm street, no Chucky, chainsaw massacre or anything where zombies take over the world or some guy gets shot with a machine gun a million times and still cuts someones head off with a machete. Just ain't going to happen. It amazes me that Hollywood can make so much money making movies that are so unreal that millions of our youths and quite a few adults flock to the theaters to watch some thing that at one time may have been human kill so many stupid people. Lets face it if your home alone and hear a noise, who is going to go to the basement to check it out? If you on a lonely road and all at once your car stalls, are you going to get out and walk or use your cell phone to call for help? Besides if there was a serial killer chopping people up with a chain saw running loose in the area, would any parent allow their very attractive 16-17 year old daughter go out by themselves at night?
I am convinced that there are plenty of things that happen to each of us in our lives that if you think about them they will scare you to death, things like that nice walk in the woods where you stepped over the log and onto a nice long rattlesnake. Or the time you thought the electricity was off and you almost stuck your hand in the breaker box. Better yet the day you were texting on your drive to work and almost took out an 18 wheeler. Yes those type incidents would scare any person to absolute, skid making terror. I believe that everyday life is scary enough. Almost every member of our armed forces can describe fear. Police Officers, Fire Fighters and First Responders can give you first hand accounts. So to those of you that think Freddie Kruger is cool, go spend your money, after all makeup artists need to make money too. I'll be the old guy that watches the trailers on TV and shakes his head. To me the photo on the right is scary enough....
I am convinced that there are plenty of things that happen to each of us in our lives that if you think about them they will scare you to death, things like that nice walk in the woods where you stepped over the log and onto a nice long rattlesnake. Or the time you thought the electricity was off and you almost stuck your hand in the breaker box. Better yet the day you were texting on your drive to work and almost took out an 18 wheeler. Yes those type incidents would scare any person to absolute, skid making terror. I believe that everyday life is scary enough. Almost every member of our armed forces can describe fear. Police Officers, Fire Fighters and First Responders can give you first hand accounts. So to those of you that think Freddie Kruger is cool, go spend your money, after all makeup artists need to make money too. I'll be the old guy that watches the trailers on TV and shakes his head. To me the photo on the right is scary enough....
Friday, October 30, 2009
From the Journal of Issac McNamara.....#4
Zeke slapped spurs to his horse before the echo quieted. The horse having really no need for the encouragement had already began its jump. Zeke tried a look behind him and caught the rising smoke from a fired rifle way up on the hill side. Down the trail they went all the while Zeke watched for a place to turn around. As he reach Railey Creek he felt the horse bunch and the he was out over open water. They landed just shy of the other side of the creek in about two feet of water. Zeke urged his mount up the bank and into the willows were he held up. No other shots came and after a few minutes he dismounted and slowly worked his way up the creek bank. He was looking for a shallow place to cross when he herd the sound of hoofs hitting the hard packed trail. Zeke got down behind a fallen tree and readied himself. Something was coming. He could no longer see his horse, if he could have he would have seen that he had began chewing on some grass in the little clearing under the willows. The air had become still, the sounds of the forest slowly creeped back into his awareness as he strained his eyes across the creek. More noise, cautioned steps could be barely heard. Zeke felt the strain of being still, his eyes would blur from concentrating so hard and he would have to shake his head. The cry of a passing crow caused a tightening on the trigger of the rifle he carried. Across the creek he spotted movement, then a flash of brown, more movement in the brush, then nothing. Zeke laid behind the log, watching. He had learned from an old Cherokee that the eye caught more movement to the side than straight ahead. Seconds ticked by, they became minutes. Zeke laid still and so was whatever was on the other side. A puff of air washed over him drying the sweat on his forehead. The air was suddenly filled with the bray of a mule, long and loud. It no sooner had stopped when Zeke's horse answered. Mule burst through the brush, slid down the bank of the creek and made his way to the other side where he stopped right in front of Zeke.
"Mule, I almost let the air out of you...." said Zeke as he got up, " must be your lucky day."
Zeke walked back to his horse and as he prepared to mount he seen another note tied to his saddle horn. It read,
That there was the onlyest warning your going to get.
Zeke cast around for tracks and found what looked like the side of a moccasin . Other than that there was nothing to indicate that anyone had been around. He mounted and staying well back in the trees off the trail continued south. He traveled slow, by the time the sun was setting he was worn out from the strain of watching so close. He found a small cave along the James that had been used before as a camp. He put together a small fire for his coffee and broiled some bacon strips for his supper.
It was warm enough that Zeke let the fire burn down. His bed was well back under the trees were he could see the small cave where most travelers made beds. He had rolled his saddle and pack under the overhang and covered them with his blanket. his horse and mule were picketed right behind him. Suddenly he was awake, the sounds of the night had stopped. He looked up and seen both horse and mule with their heads up and ears forward against the star filled sky. By the position of the stars he knew it was past midnight yet still a while before first light. His hand closed around the butt of his revolver as he waited. There was no smoke coming from the fire which meant it was either out or past the point of smoking. No sound came to him, no crickets or frogs just silence. He lay very still. He heard mule take a deep breath and let it out. When he looked at them again they were relaxed, standing head down. What ever had been there was now gone. Zeke could not go back to sleep. He rolled out of his ground cloth and laid sticks across the white ash of the fire. After a few minutes they began to smoke then erupted into a small flame. Zeke was ready to ride as soon as it was light. He worked his way slowly down the James River watching for tracks or signs that humans had passed before him. He knew he was with in a mile or two of Yocum's old trading post. The reports they had at Galena said there was a large force gathering there. He felt there should be signs of a large force. He scanned the ground looking for where firewood would have been scavenged, he looked on trees for evidence of broken branches. He found nothing. He circled north away from the river to come in on the White river side. After searching all morning he had yet to find anything. He pulled up in a small clearing above the White stepped down from the saddle and reached into his saddle bags for a looking glass. Zeke looked over the saddle into the woods. Looking back at him from under a wild fern was a face.
"Mule, I almost let the air out of you...." said Zeke as he got up, " must be your lucky day."
Zeke walked back to his horse and as he prepared to mount he seen another note tied to his saddle horn. It read,
That there was the onlyest warning your going to get.
Zeke cast around for tracks and found what looked like the side of a moccasin . Other than that there was nothing to indicate that anyone had been around. He mounted and staying well back in the trees off the trail continued south. He traveled slow, by the time the sun was setting he was worn out from the strain of watching so close. He found a small cave along the James that had been used before as a camp. He put together a small fire for his coffee and broiled some bacon strips for his supper.
It was warm enough that Zeke let the fire burn down. His bed was well back under the trees were he could see the small cave where most travelers made beds. He had rolled his saddle and pack under the overhang and covered them with his blanket. his horse and mule were picketed right behind him. Suddenly he was awake, the sounds of the night had stopped. He looked up and seen both horse and mule with their heads up and ears forward against the star filled sky. By the position of the stars he knew it was past midnight yet still a while before first light. His hand closed around the butt of his revolver as he waited. There was no smoke coming from the fire which meant it was either out or past the point of smoking. No sound came to him, no crickets or frogs just silence. He lay very still. He heard mule take a deep breath and let it out. When he looked at them again they were relaxed, standing head down. What ever had been there was now gone. Zeke could not go back to sleep. He rolled out of his ground cloth and laid sticks across the white ash of the fire. After a few minutes they began to smoke then erupted into a small flame. Zeke was ready to ride as soon as it was light. He worked his way slowly down the James River watching for tracks or signs that humans had passed before him. He knew he was with in a mile or two of Yocum's old trading post. The reports they had at Galena said there was a large force gathering there. He felt there should be signs of a large force. He scanned the ground looking for where firewood would have been scavenged, he looked on trees for evidence of broken branches. He found nothing. He circled north away from the river to come in on the White river side. After searching all morning he had yet to find anything. He pulled up in a small clearing above the White stepped down from the saddle and reached into his saddle bags for a looking glass. Zeke looked over the saddle into the woods. Looking back at him from under a wild fern was a face.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
I have returned........
It has been a very long time since I took the time to update this site. To say a lot of water has went under the bridge is an understatement of major proportions. First off it seems that it has been raining since my last entry. At one point Tablerock's lake level reached 923 almost. The CORP has been dropping the lake and the fish are really confused. First it was flooded then it was not. We have heavy rains again today with more on the radar for tomorrow. I/m not sure where I should begin to update my followers, I know I owe you and installment on the adventures of Deputy McNamara, I will get to it in the next day or so.
First let me say that my grandson Orrin aka Huckleberry, is doing well and growing like a weed. His daddy and mommy are doing everything the Doctors say, so Huckleberry is very much in charge. He lets them know when to sleep, how long to sleep and even where to sleep. He tells them when its time to eat, as well as when there is a need for a change of wardrobe. (diapers)All of this is per the instructions of the Doctor. I have to laugh when his daddy was a baby it was a lot different. Orrin is the third grandson, my goal is to be there every step of the growing process much like I was with Brandon and Joey. It will be harder because we live 4 hours away, it just means I will be using a lot of tire rubber burning up and down I44.
I mentioned my daughter was sick, she is doing better and has a very long road in front of her to get well. Please continue your prayers and positive wishes for her. I try to help Brian in his print shop when we are visiting, I'm not sure if I am a help or a handicap. My grandson Joey is much better at helping than I am.
The latest thing, which is part of the reason for the delay in updating is an incident I was involved in. I was helping a friend clear a tree that had fallen in his yard in one of our storms when a piece of wood flew up from the log we were splitting and hit me in the right eye. Och you say, yes it was an ouch and maybe a ow, and a Darn that hurt kind of moment. I staggered around for a few minutes and was able to keep my lunch down. It continued to hurt the rest of the afternoon. My sight continued to get worse on when I went for my semi annual firearms qualification I became aware that I could not see the target at the 15 yard line. That got my attention. I went to the eye doctor that afternoon and was given a guarded report with directions on what to do if it got worse. Last Saturday it got worse, in less than two hours I lost the sight in my right eye, I called the eye Doc, made arrangements to meet with him on Sunday at his office in Springfield. He determined I had a torn retina, and that I needed surgery ASAP. ASAP turned in Monday at 2:30 and as of today I have a great Halloween mask, my own face. I was told that the surgery was major, and that the success rate to reattach is between 85-90 percent. Which is good. I can see color out of the eye and movement so they say that is really a good thing. I am on bed rest as well as dong absolutely nothing for at least two weeks.
I've had a lot of time to think about this...first the oak was about 4 feet in diameter, it fell and destroyed three cars, a fence and a carport. The day it happened the friend, who owned the tree, got smacked in the eye by a branch as they cut if off the cars, then I get injured in the eye dealing with the same tree..... could there be something amiss???
Anyway, I go back to the Doctor next Wednesday and maybe back to work in a couple of weeks. Please pray for me as well as I need all the help I can get....
First let me say that my grandson Orrin aka Huckleberry, is doing well and growing like a weed. His daddy and mommy are doing everything the Doctors say, so Huckleberry is very much in charge. He lets them know when to sleep, how long to sleep and even where to sleep. He tells them when its time to eat, as well as when there is a need for a change of wardrobe. (diapers)All of this is per the instructions of the Doctor. I have to laugh when his daddy was a baby it was a lot different. Orrin is the third grandson, my goal is to be there every step of the growing process much like I was with Brandon and Joey. It will be harder because we live 4 hours away, it just means I will be using a lot of tire rubber burning up and down I44.
I mentioned my daughter was sick, she is doing better and has a very long road in front of her to get well. Please continue your prayers and positive wishes for her. I try to help Brian in his print shop when we are visiting, I'm not sure if I am a help or a handicap. My grandson Joey is much better at helping than I am.
The latest thing, which is part of the reason for the delay in updating is an incident I was involved in. I was helping a friend clear a tree that had fallen in his yard in one of our storms when a piece of wood flew up from the log we were splitting and hit me in the right eye. Och you say, yes it was an ouch and maybe a ow, and a Darn that hurt kind of moment. I staggered around for a few minutes and was able to keep my lunch down. It continued to hurt the rest of the afternoon. My sight continued to get worse on when I went for my semi annual firearms qualification I became aware that I could not see the target at the 15 yard line. That got my attention. I went to the eye doctor that afternoon and was given a guarded report with directions on what to do if it got worse. Last Saturday it got worse, in less than two hours I lost the sight in my right eye, I called the eye Doc, made arrangements to meet with him on Sunday at his office in Springfield. He determined I had a torn retina, and that I needed surgery ASAP. ASAP turned in Monday at 2:30 and as of today I have a great Halloween mask, my own face. I was told that the surgery was major, and that the success rate to reattach is between 85-90 percent. Which is good. I can see color out of the eye and movement so they say that is really a good thing. I am on bed rest as well as dong absolutely nothing for at least two weeks.
I've had a lot of time to think about this...first the oak was about 4 feet in diameter, it fell and destroyed three cars, a fence and a carport. The day it happened the friend, who owned the tree, got smacked in the eye by a branch as they cut if off the cars, then I get injured in the eye dealing with the same tree..... could there be something amiss???
Anyway, I go back to the Doctor next Wednesday and maybe back to work in a couple of weeks. Please pray for me as well as I need all the help I can get....
Sunday, October 4, 2009
I have not ran away...
I realize it has been some time since my last entry. There are reasons that I was asked not to go into here on Schooner Creek. Let it be enough to say that my family has been through an ordeal, and we are still in need of prayers for our well being. Not everything was bad, I am happy to announce the birth of our 8th grandchild, Orrin Wayne. he arrived on 9/28 a little after 2 in the morning at 8 pounds 14 ounces. According to our son Travis, he has big feet and big blue eyes.
He is healthy with all of the right parts in the right places, momma Alex is a little worse for wear, none the less fine and dandy. Travis is pretty excited, according to him he will be an easy baby to take care of. He plans to feed him a little, water him a little and let him out in the back yard once in a while. Its OK Travis is young and he will learn.........
Other than that there is not much going on here on Schooner Creek, The days have been chilly to say the least and the wind has been......less than calm. I got out and fish a little, and found that the small mouths are active just after dark. They have not been very large, just a lot of fun.
I hope to have more this week, including some pictures of the local color, if we ever get any, it is still pretty green.
Please stay tuned....
He is healthy with all of the right parts in the right places, momma Alex is a little worse for wear, none the less fine and dandy. Travis is pretty excited, according to him he will be an easy baby to take care of. He plans to feed him a little, water him a little and let him out in the back yard once in a while. Its OK Travis is young and he will learn.........
Other than that there is not much going on here on Schooner Creek, The days have been chilly to say the least and the wind has been......less than calm. I got out and fish a little, and found that the small mouths are active just after dark. They have not been very large, just a lot of fun.
I hope to have more this week, including some pictures of the local color, if we ever get any, it is still pretty green.
Please stay tuned....
Saturday, September 26, 2009
From the Journal of Issac McNamara.....#3
The sun was an hour away when Zeke lead the sorrel horse from the Livery, behind it walking along was his mule. Zeke had found the young mule next to a burnt out wagon near Murder Rock over in Taney County, he was returning home to re cooperate from wounds he received at the Battle of Stone Mountain in Georgia. Best he could figure the owners had lost a fight with Alf Bolin's band of renegades and the little feller was standing weak legged by his dead mother. Zeke took charge and took care of him. He named him Alf, and where ever Zeke went that mule went as well. Alf Bolin had made a name for himself during the war as a murderer, he lead a band of misfits and created terror in Southwest Missouri raiding homes and killing people. He was beat to death over near Forsyth, and his head was placed on a staff outside the Christian County Court house for all to see that he was dead. Folks were that scared of him.
Zeke walked to the front of the Checkercloth were he tied the sorrel, Alf, walked up beside her and stood. Zeke entered the restaurant just as Ma was putting a plate full of hens eggs and sausage down in front of ole Mike the Jailer.
" Morning Zeke, sit yourself down and I'll fix you a plate." she said
Zeke sat down across from Mike. " Mike, good to see your still on the green side this morning."
"I am right now, but the day is young and Gerald Gideon still has his hopes up."
"Gerald is as dumb as an anvil, he should realize that should something happen to you he might go hungry for a day or two until someone remembers the prisoners."
" If that ain't the truth, ole Overstreet is so busy protecting his job, he may plum forget about them degenerates in the basement of the court house."
Ma brought out a plate full of eggs, sausage, fried taters and biscuits. She poured Zeke a cup of coffee and stepped back. She craned her neck out the window and seen Zeke's outfit at the hitching rail.
"Leaving us this morning Zeke?" she asked
"Yep, Sheriff says I need to earn my money. Say, you seen any strange men in town lately?"
"Just about everyday, now that the war is over they are coming through here in a regular basis. Most of them are bound for Texas and home."
"Seen any officers in full uniform?"
"Not so's I remember. they was a bunch traveling together yesterday afternoon, they had them a wagon and they got supplies from Cornelison's General store. paid for them with Yankee gold, surprised ole Cornelison half to death."
"They say where they was going?"
"You'd have to ask Cornelison, he might have heard, he don't ask many questions once the gold's been flashed."
Zeke finished his breakfast keeping up with the small talk of a morning restaurant as town folks came and went. He paid is money for the meal as was leaving when Mike asked him to hold up. Mike motioned for him to go outside away from the other folks eating.
"Boy, you listen to me, everybody in this town heard you was going to look for old Yokem's treasure. most of these folks would shoot their mothers for them diamonds. they also know about them Reb's gathering down near the White and James. These here folks was mostly with the south, they have them some strong feelings about Yankees and you need to watch your back. That Anderson bunch is running with Quantril now that Bloody Bill is dead. They would just as soon as kill a Deputy as look at one. Especially that young varmint Jesse James."
"I figured as much Mike, there is nothing that goes on in that courthouse than is not general news around town. Makes Mister Brown angry as a wet hen, he has to hustle to keep up on the news to report."
"Zeke, I mean it, your likely to be in a hot spot or two before this is over."
"Thanks Mike, I'll watch my top knot"
Zeke mounted the sorrel and with Alf following circled the court house and rode down to the river crossing on the James. It had been a dry year and the water was down enough that he didn't even get his boots wet as he crossed. Alf followed along with out a lead. Zeke had not gone down the trail more than a 100 yards when he seen a small piece of white fluttering from a low limb. He reached up to get it. It was a piece of white cloth with a warning written on it.
" Don't u Go, I mean it, turn around and head back, this is none of the laws concern."
Zeke had no more finished reading it when the limb above his head splintered and the sound of gunshot from a heavy rifle echoed off the river.....
Zeke walked to the front of the Checkercloth were he tied the sorrel, Alf, walked up beside her and stood. Zeke entered the restaurant just as Ma was putting a plate full of hens eggs and sausage down in front of ole Mike the Jailer.
" Morning Zeke, sit yourself down and I'll fix you a plate." she said
Zeke sat down across from Mike. " Mike, good to see your still on the green side this morning."
"I am right now, but the day is young and Gerald Gideon still has his hopes up."
"Gerald is as dumb as an anvil, he should realize that should something happen to you he might go hungry for a day or two until someone remembers the prisoners."
" If that ain't the truth, ole Overstreet is so busy protecting his job, he may plum forget about them degenerates in the basement of the court house."
Ma brought out a plate full of eggs, sausage, fried taters and biscuits. She poured Zeke a cup of coffee and stepped back. She craned her neck out the window and seen Zeke's outfit at the hitching rail.
"Leaving us this morning Zeke?" she asked
"Yep, Sheriff says I need to earn my money. Say, you seen any strange men in town lately?"
"Just about everyday, now that the war is over they are coming through here in a regular basis. Most of them are bound for Texas and home."
"Seen any officers in full uniform?"
"Not so's I remember. they was a bunch traveling together yesterday afternoon, they had them a wagon and they got supplies from Cornelison's General store. paid for them with Yankee gold, surprised ole Cornelison half to death."
"They say where they was going?"
"You'd have to ask Cornelison, he might have heard, he don't ask many questions once the gold's been flashed."
Zeke finished his breakfast keeping up with the small talk of a morning restaurant as town folks came and went. He paid is money for the meal as was leaving when Mike asked him to hold up. Mike motioned for him to go outside away from the other folks eating.
"Boy, you listen to me, everybody in this town heard you was going to look for old Yokem's treasure. most of these folks would shoot their mothers for them diamonds. they also know about them Reb's gathering down near the White and James. These here folks was mostly with the south, they have them some strong feelings about Yankees and you need to watch your back. That Anderson bunch is running with Quantril now that Bloody Bill is dead. They would just as soon as kill a Deputy as look at one. Especially that young varmint Jesse James."
"I figured as much Mike, there is nothing that goes on in that courthouse than is not general news around town. Makes Mister Brown angry as a wet hen, he has to hustle to keep up on the news to report."
"Zeke, I mean it, your likely to be in a hot spot or two before this is over."
"Thanks Mike, I'll watch my top knot"
Zeke mounted the sorrel and with Alf following circled the court house and rode down to the river crossing on the James. It had been a dry year and the water was down enough that he didn't even get his boots wet as he crossed. Alf followed along with out a lead. Zeke had not gone down the trail more than a 100 yards when he seen a small piece of white fluttering from a low limb. He reached up to get it. It was a piece of white cloth with a warning written on it.
" Don't u Go, I mean it, turn around and head back, this is none of the laws concern."
Zeke had no more finished reading it when the limb above his head splintered and the sound of gunshot from a heavy rifle echoed off the river.....
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Fall Fishing
Folks I finally got a chance to get back out and fish a little. My fishing buddy Doug. ( right) showed me how to do it last night, his two were caught on the same plug at the same time. Both were short fish, however one was a Smallmouth the other a Kentucky or Spotted Bass. Mine on the left was a three plus pound Spotted Bass taken on a shad colored crank bait in 20 feet of water, at the very back end of a cove. They are scattered, however we found them off main lake points, over ledges and on the rip-rap of the Kimberling City bridge. Smallmouth are a little more active than the Largemouth, Spots are active when you are in their area. The shad, a bait fish. is plentiful in Tablerock and a main source of food for these fish. All of the Bass are stocking up on them. Buddy Doug even took a large Goggle-eye on a black spinner bait. I'd say right now if you have the patience to keep throwing you will catch a nice mess of fish. The lake level is coming up fgast due to the amount of rain we have relieved in the last couple of weeks. The water is still what I would call clear so a slight breeze is a bonus. The surface temperature was 73 degrees yesterday.Fall Fishing continued
Fall fishing is a lot like spring fishing. As the water cools down the fish become more active and some internal switch is flipped in the fish. They seem to know that cold weather is coming and they need to stock up on as much as they can hold. The white bass are schooling now on Tablerock. They "herd" schools of shad into big balls then force them to the surface. They then swim through them with open mouths and turn the surface into a froth. Almost anything you cast will catch these aggressive fighters.Fall Fishing continued
If you're a fisher person and the call of the lake hits you hard after it starts to cool down in the fall of the year. Then Tablerock Lake is a place you need to visit.
This is a three plus pound smallmouth bass, it was 17.5 inches long. I caught it on a topwater buzz bait right at dark.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I'm Back
Wow what a trip and busy week this turned out to be! We had our Thanksgiving in September and was it ever a success. All of my brothers were there with most of their families. We had a great time! I caught several nice fish, my brothers Alan and Kevin and nephew Matt worked on their food plots for deer season and my brother Barry keep every thing organized by helping everywhere he could. I learned that my Judy was a dead shot with my 9 mm pistol and made myself a promise not to get her too aggravated at me in the future. I learned that my niece Shannon wants to be on a shooting team at college, and her sister Amanda was instrumental in saving a young mans life after being run over by a bus near Columbia. She kept him from going into shock. WOW what a family!
My Mom and Dad were happy beyond measuring to have us all together. There was turkey, ham. roasted venison. We had homemade bread, sweet potatoes and dressing. There was green beans, fresh tomatoes and all kinds of home canned tasties from the garden. Mom went overboard and fixed pumpkin pies, pecan pies, peach crisp, apple crisp and coconut creme pies. If anyone went hungry it was not of my parents doing.
I tried to figure out just how long it had been since we were all together. I lost track after going back 10 years. It may have been as much as 15 years ago. I am happy to report that although I am the oldest of the clan, I still give youngest brother Kevin a run for his money in youthful looks. Its not that my other brothers look old.....it just they have.....a more defined look. (yeah that's the way to put it, sorry bros...)
The weekend covered everything from eating to riding four wheelers, to fishing, to shooting skeet and pistols, archery shooting and just plain goofing off. We listen to the St. Louis Cardinals win two, the Mizzou Tigers kick some rear and not once during the weekend was a news cast watched, listened too or even considered. We had the Lone Guinea Rooster give us a morning report, we just did not speak Guinea. He made more noise than three chickens. Each morning I listened as the surrounding farm's Roosters as they helped the sun come up. They were assisted by the owls, cows, bulls and mules all adding thier two cents worth.
My Judy and I had a great time, it was sad to pull away to come home. The car was packed with corn on the cob, fresh tomato juice and onions, potatoes and peppers. The ride home took 6 hours,
I can only pray that all of us will still be together next year when September rolls around. We should be we're healthy and fit. Mom and Dad will be here on Schooner Creek next week and Judy and I will get to spend a few more days with them before they return to Florida for the winter.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thanksgiving in September
My Judy and I are taking a trip up to north central Missouri this afternoon. MY Mom has arranged to have all of her children and most of her grandchildren present on Saturday for an old fashion family Thanksgiving. Yes I know, some of you will be thinking that I'm really pushing the season which is against my moral being. However, since Mother has asked, why should I be the one to deny....
It will be the first time in more years that can be remembered I will be together with all three of my brothers at one time. It might become interesting......but just in case it does not I have packed my fishing gear with several of my favorite lures. My shooting box with some practice rounds and my Judy wants to visit an Amish Community in Iowa. So we will have a good time.
For my Judy and I it will be the first time this year that we will have more than 24 hours together. It will just be like old times. I really look forward to that. I have packed the camera, and hope to have some good pictures to add to the blog. I will have two or three more chapters of the McNamara Journal ready to go . So, it is now time to head north....
See you in a few days!
It will be the first time in more years that can be remembered I will be together with all three of my brothers at one time. It might become interesting......but just in case it does not I have packed my fishing gear with several of my favorite lures. My shooting box with some practice rounds and my Judy wants to visit an Amish Community in Iowa. So we will have a good time.
For my Judy and I it will be the first time this year that we will have more than 24 hours together. It will just be like old times. I really look forward to that. I have packed the camera, and hope to have some good pictures to add to the blog. I will have two or three more chapters of the McNamara Journal ready to go . So, it is now time to head north....
See you in a few days!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Mules....
Today I got the opportunity to meet three new characters, Albert, Frosty and Ornery. These three fellas are as different as three animals can be yet live in the same place, for a few more weeks at least. These three are mules, Albert is the biggest at about 15 hands, Frosty is next at about 13 1/2 hands and Ornery is the smallest and by the looks of him eats the most. According to his owner,Captain D, he eats anything and everything and he keeps his belly nice and round. Frosty and Albert on the other hand only eat the center of the round bale, and want their grain twice a day. Picky.
Albert will soon be going to a new home in central Missouri. He has joined a "cowboy church" group and will be used to preach the gospel. Albert is a good mule, with a strong determination to see things first and has yet to do anything that appears to tire him in the least. His new job may be right down his alley because we all know that cowboys need to be preached at for a lot of things.
Frosty on the other hand is a coon hunting mule. according to Captain D he loves to coon hunt and will stay out all night long, leading his hunters over hill and dale, through creeks, rivers and meadows in search of the elusive Missouri raccoons. His fame is know all over the county. Captain D has to keep him hid all summer cause if the raccoons get the word that Ole Frosty is after them they just lay down, shuck their skins and wait for him to get there. His fame is so great that last fall two old boys showed up at Captain D's place. They were from this uppity coon hunting group from up north. They begged Captain for so long that he finally agreed to let them use Frosty. He just told them to keep him away from Beaver Creek. Now Beaver creek is a tributary of Bull Shoals Lake, and the Captain knew the Frosty had no business being anywhere near that lake.
Them two Yankee coon hunters started off just about dark and wasn't gone an hour when Frosty took off after a coon. They chased that mule over hills and through meadows, up ridges and over fences when all of a sudden that came across a fence with metal signs every few feet. Those signs identified the US Army Corp of Engineers survey marker fence line for the high water line along Beaver Creek. Them two fellas looked at one another with fear in their eyes. They knew ole Frosty had jumped that fence and was heading toward Beaver Creek. They ran, called his name and fretted till almost morning. By that time they was both worn out and had to return to tell Captain that they had let Frosty get to the creek, and although they looked all night they could not find him.
Captain D was on his porch when they returned, they explained what had happened and Captain D took off his hat, threw it down on the ground a stomped it.He had at them two Yankee coon hunters like a Baptist preacher gets after a room full of sinners. Finally he stopped and said' Boys, we have a job of work to do, there is only one thing Frosty likes to do more than coon hunt......that's catfish, we may never get him of the bank of that creek.
Albert will soon be going to a new home in central Missouri. He has joined a "cowboy church" group and will be used to preach the gospel. Albert is a good mule, with a strong determination to see things first and has yet to do anything that appears to tire him in the least. His new job may be right down his alley because we all know that cowboys need to be preached at for a lot of things.
Frosty on the other hand is a coon hunting mule. according to Captain D he loves to coon hunt and will stay out all night long, leading his hunters over hill and dale, through creeks, rivers and meadows in search of the elusive Missouri raccoons. His fame is know all over the county. Captain D has to keep him hid all summer cause if the raccoons get the word that Ole Frosty is after them they just lay down, shuck their skins and wait for him to get there. His fame is so great that last fall two old boys showed up at Captain D's place. They were from this uppity coon hunting group from up north. They begged Captain for so long that he finally agreed to let them use Frosty. He just told them to keep him away from Beaver Creek. Now Beaver creek is a tributary of Bull Shoals Lake, and the Captain knew the Frosty had no business being anywhere near that lake.
Them two Yankee coon hunters started off just about dark and wasn't gone an hour when Frosty took off after a coon. They chased that mule over hills and through meadows, up ridges and over fences when all of a sudden that came across a fence with metal signs every few feet. Those signs identified the US Army Corp of Engineers survey marker fence line for the high water line along Beaver Creek. Them two fellas looked at one another with fear in their eyes. They knew ole Frosty had jumped that fence and was heading toward Beaver Creek. They ran, called his name and fretted till almost morning. By that time they was both worn out and had to return to tell Captain that they had let Frosty get to the creek, and although they looked all night they could not find him.
Captain D was on his porch when they returned, they explained what had happened and Captain D took off his hat, threw it down on the ground a stomped it.He had at them two Yankee coon hunters like a Baptist preacher gets after a room full of sinners. Finally he stopped and said' Boys, we have a job of work to do, there is only one thing Frosty likes to do more than coon hunt......that's catfish, we may never get him of the bank of that creek.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
From the Journal of Issac McNamara.....
(REMEMBER, TO KEEP UP WITH THIS CONTINUING STORY OR TO GET CAUGHT UP SCROLL DOWN UNTIL YOU FIND THE PREVIOUS STORY...)
Sheriff Overstreet eased back in his chair and put one booted foot up on the desk.
"Back around 1790, the Frenchies still owned Missouri, a trapper by the name of Yocum moved up the White River and opened a trading post where the James River comes in. He would trade with the Indians, Delawares, mostly, for furs and pipes and he supplied blankets, trinkets, hatches and such. Had him a good thing going. He was the only white male in 300 miles and them Indians needed what he had. One day this group of Delawares came in to trade. They did not have any furs, what they had was a sack full of almost clear stones. Some of them big as your thumb others the size of bird shot. Old Yokum knew what those stones were right away. Them Delawares spoke a little French and he a little Delaware and soon he determined that they had got them down in Arkansas a ways and that they was just a laying on top the ground. Yokum gave them what they wanted and told them Delawares that he would trade for all them clear stones they wanted to bring in. Them Delawares decided that the old French man had lost his mind and never came back. Yocum left in the Spring of 1803 and went looking for them stones. He never came back. Some say he took that sack of stones with him, others are convinced that they is still buried somewhere around the site of that old trading post. You figured out what them stones were Boy?"
" Valuable?" answered Zeke.
"Do wild bears poop in the woods?" snorted Overstreet " They was diamonds!"
"Alright, so how does that affect us Sheriff, treasure stories run wild in this country. Folks tell of pirate gold being buried along the banks of the Arkansas, or hidden Spanish gold, why you can even find folks chasing the end of a rainbow."
"Difference is, this one is true. There are a bunch of Confederate Soldiers saying they want to start the war again, and they could afford it if they found Yocums diamonds."
"Sheriff, we got to let that war go, its over, we lost. We got to learn to get along with them Yankees." said Zeke.
"Boy, them Yankees is going to take my badge away, some blue belly up there in Springfield claims I rode with Anderson's bunch back in '62 and he wants to appoint a new Sheriff."
"Well. he's right, you did, but only till you realized Anderson was more than a soldier, he was crazy. You left and joined up with Bedford Forest just before Shiloh, same as me."
"Well, he thinks I'm a bad influence on the folks here in Stone County, so I might loose this badge, anyway I want you to take a ride down river to check and see if there is a group of men acting like soldiers digging up the landscape."
"Well. Mr. Brown is wrong, he thinks your sending me out to look for some renagade Reb's that robbed Gordy's post down in Blue Eye."
Overstreet smiled, spit a stream of tobacco juice into a tin can at the end of his desk. "Well, seeing as how your going for a ride....."
Sheriff Overstreet eased back in his chair and put one booted foot up on the desk.
"Back around 1790, the Frenchies still owned Missouri, a trapper by the name of Yocum moved up the White River and opened a trading post where the James River comes in. He would trade with the Indians, Delawares, mostly, for furs and pipes and he supplied blankets, trinkets, hatches and such. Had him a good thing going. He was the only white male in 300 miles and them Indians needed what he had. One day this group of Delawares came in to trade. They did not have any furs, what they had was a sack full of almost clear stones. Some of them big as your thumb others the size of bird shot. Old Yokum knew what those stones were right away. Them Delawares spoke a little French and he a little Delaware and soon he determined that they had got them down in Arkansas a ways and that they was just a laying on top the ground. Yokum gave them what they wanted and told them Delawares that he would trade for all them clear stones they wanted to bring in. Them Delawares decided that the old French man had lost his mind and never came back. Yocum left in the Spring of 1803 and went looking for them stones. He never came back. Some say he took that sack of stones with him, others are convinced that they is still buried somewhere around the site of that old trading post. You figured out what them stones were Boy?"
" Valuable?" answered Zeke.
"Do wild bears poop in the woods?" snorted Overstreet " They was diamonds!"
"Alright, so how does that affect us Sheriff, treasure stories run wild in this country. Folks tell of pirate gold being buried along the banks of the Arkansas, or hidden Spanish gold, why you can even find folks chasing the end of a rainbow."
"Difference is, this one is true. There are a bunch of Confederate Soldiers saying they want to start the war again, and they could afford it if they found Yocums diamonds."
"Sheriff, we got to let that war go, its over, we lost. We got to learn to get along with them Yankees." said Zeke.
"Boy, them Yankees is going to take my badge away, some blue belly up there in Springfield claims I rode with Anderson's bunch back in '62 and he wants to appoint a new Sheriff."
"Well. he's right, you did, but only till you realized Anderson was more than a soldier, he was crazy. You left and joined up with Bedford Forest just before Shiloh, same as me."
"Well, he thinks I'm a bad influence on the folks here in Stone County, so I might loose this badge, anyway I want you to take a ride down river to check and see if there is a group of men acting like soldiers digging up the landscape."
"Well. Mr. Brown is wrong, he thinks your sending me out to look for some renagade Reb's that robbed Gordy's post down in Blue Eye."
Overstreet smiled, spit a stream of tobacco juice into a tin can at the end of his desk. "Well, seeing as how your going for a ride....."
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday September 11, 2009
There is no doubt we all remember what we were doing on this day, My Judy and I were at Stillwater Resort on Indian Point at Tablerock Lake. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary. We had the Today Show on and they were live covering the "horrible accident" of an airliner crashing into one of the Twin Towers. We watched in awe as the second plane hit the remaining tower. I first wondered if there was something wrong with the Air Controllers, had one of them gone berserk and started guiding planes into buildings? It was some time after the crash in Pennsylvania that it became apparent that we had been attacked by terrorists.
Our reactions were across the board, first there was sadness for the families, then anger against the attackers. Then frustration as we the strongest nation in the world just sat back and did not annihilate every terrorist camp we knew was in existence.
Later that day we were with others at Silver Dollar City, there was a sense of loss and everyone was talking about it. Judy noticed that there were no planes flying and the quiet was almost deafening.
When I think back I am still mad. Not at Muslims in general, just those that are fanatics. I have never done anything to any of them so why should they decide to take it out on me? I don't care how they worship the god they worship, or how they live the life they live. However if they are insistent on going to meet Allah and play with a bunch of underage girls then I say, send them on their way, use what ever means necessary to get them there, do it with force and extreme prejudice.
Well I could get really rolling on a soap box over this, it would not do me any good and you folks that follow my blog may lower your opinion of me as a result. What I will say is that World Peace cannot be achieved as long as knuckleheads are in positions of power and they have no reason to listen. My Grandpa Jack, worked horses and mules all of his life. He could make one of them critters just about do anything. However, he always said, get their attention, once you have their attention they will listen."
I ask that today you remember the ones that we lost on this day and the days since. If you see a soldier say thankyou. Be thankful there are men that will run into an emergency instead of away from it as well as pray for your policemen/deputy sheriff's, for they are your first line of defense aganst the kind of people that caused 9/11.
May God bless us as a people, and may he bless the United States of America.
Our reactions were across the board, first there was sadness for the families, then anger against the attackers. Then frustration as we the strongest nation in the world just sat back and did not annihilate every terrorist camp we knew was in existence.
Later that day we were with others at Silver Dollar City, there was a sense of loss and everyone was talking about it. Judy noticed that there were no planes flying and the quiet was almost deafening.
When I think back I am still mad. Not at Muslims in general, just those that are fanatics. I have never done anything to any of them so why should they decide to take it out on me? I don't care how they worship the god they worship, or how they live the life they live. However if they are insistent on going to meet Allah and play with a bunch of underage girls then I say, send them on their way, use what ever means necessary to get them there, do it with force and extreme prejudice.
Well I could get really rolling on a soap box over this, it would not do me any good and you folks that follow my blog may lower your opinion of me as a result. What I will say is that World Peace cannot be achieved as long as knuckleheads are in positions of power and they have no reason to listen. My Grandpa Jack, worked horses and mules all of his life. He could make one of them critters just about do anything. However, he always said, get their attention, once you have their attention they will listen."
I ask that today you remember the ones that we lost on this day and the days since. If you see a soldier say thankyou. Be thankful there are men that will run into an emergency instead of away from it as well as pray for your policemen/deputy sheriff's, for they are your first line of defense aganst the kind of people that caused 9/11.
May God bless us as a people, and may he bless the United States of America.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
From the notebook of Deputy Issac McNamara, June 1865
The sun was a hour from coming up when Issac " Zeke" McNamara stepped out of the Sheriff's Office. The bunk he had used had left him stiff. He knew the ticking in it had not been changed in a long time. Across the dusty street stood the Court House. He looked at it as he stretched and then looked down the street at the Checkercloth Restaurant. There were lights on there. Ma Wilson was known all over the county as having the best biscuit's and gravy. Zeke had shot two young squirrels the night before and left them with her. He could taste the fried squirrel with Ma's biscuits and gravy. He buckled the gun belt around his waist, settled the revolver on his hip and turned toward the restaurant.
"Morning Deputy," came a cheery greeting from the kitchen.
"Morning Ma,"
"Coffee is coming up, them squirrels are just about done, sit yourself down and I'll have your breakfast in a jiffy"
Zeke sat down with his back to a corner, so he could see the front door and the door to the kitchen.
A few minutes later Ma came out of the kitchen carrying a plate mound up with fried squirrel and a plate heaping with biscuits covered in homemade sausage gravy. Ma carried both plates in one hand and a pot of coffee and two cups in the other. Zeke looked up at her and smiled She sat down across from him being careful not to block his view of the doors.
"I just knew you'd be here before first light. Told the mister, that Zeke is not a lay-about, he'll be up early and I've got to get them squirrels fried,"
"Thanks Ma, what would I do if you didn't take such good care of me?"
"Why, you young fool, you'd do it yourself! I know your ma taught you how to cook and mend so don't be trying to sweet talk this old girl. cause I know better!"
The door opened and two men came in, Zeke recognized Bill Murphy and Lou Brown. Murphy ran the livery and Lou was the town newspaper man.
"Morning Zeke, you are up early, if your going to need your horse, you just help yourself, livery is open,"said Murphy.
"Thanks Murph, I'll need him, its just I have to see the Sheriff first. He's got something for me to do. "
" I know what that is lad," offered Lou Brown. "Them Rebel deserters robbed a store down to Blue Eye and they ran off to Taney County. Sheriff Overstreet wants to see you about that! Them scoundrels took a weeks worth of food and five dollars in gold from old Gordy. Hit him in the head with a revolver to boot. There was a mail rider came through yesterday telling the story. Gordy took several shots at them. He was pretty sure he hit one of them."
"Gordy know any of them?" asked Zeke.
"I'd wager he did, cause he protects that bunch most of the time, least ways when there is any Yankee's around. Now he is just mad clean through this time, I'd reckon." answered Brown.
"War's over Mr Brown, Lee surrendered back in April and the Missouri outfits will be disbanded."
"Makes no gall durn difference to me, Yankees is Yankees and they need to be run out of the county. Boy you should know that, you rode with Major Cloud"
"I know, Mr. Brown, I still carry a ball or two, its just now the war is over, we got to get past it and go on. The sooner we do the faster things will get back to being quiet. Bloody Bill's bunch and Quantrell ain't going to make things easier. Things need to settle and folks need to forget which color a man wore. We are all the same again."
Zeke finished his meal in quiet, Ma slipped him the bill and Zeke left the money. Ma would have billed the County for his meal, it was just not Zeke's way to let the county pay to feed him. He walked out just as the back door to the jail opened and out came the three prisoners currently being held there. Zeke watched as old Mike, the jailer walked them over. The chains on their feet rattled with each step and the last man, Gerald Gideon glared toward Zeke as they past.
"Careful Gerald, if that look you got there froze you would scare every woman between here and Christian County."
"Durn you McNamara, you didn't have to hit me with that rifle butt"
"You didn't have to take those shots at me either Gerald, heck, you knew I was coming, you done busted ole Jimmy up, he swore out a warrant for you"
" I'll do more than bust him up when I get out of these chains."
Zeke walked into the court house and up the steps to the second floor. He smelled Sheriff Overstreet's pipe long before he got to the office door. He tapped on the door jam.
Sheriff Overstreet looked up from some papers and smiled.
"Good Morning Deputy, I trust you slept well and have had your breakfast. Come over here and take a chair, help yourself to the coffee first and let me tell you a story"........
"Morning Deputy," came a cheery greeting from the kitchen.
"Morning Ma,"
"Coffee is coming up, them squirrels are just about done, sit yourself down and I'll have your breakfast in a jiffy"
Zeke sat down with his back to a corner, so he could see the front door and the door to the kitchen.
A few minutes later Ma came out of the kitchen carrying a plate mound up with fried squirrel and a plate heaping with biscuits covered in homemade sausage gravy. Ma carried both plates in one hand and a pot of coffee and two cups in the other. Zeke looked up at her and smiled She sat down across from him being careful not to block his view of the doors.
"I just knew you'd be here before first light. Told the mister, that Zeke is not a lay-about, he'll be up early and I've got to get them squirrels fried,"
"Thanks Ma, what would I do if you didn't take such good care of me?"
"Why, you young fool, you'd do it yourself! I know your ma taught you how to cook and mend so don't be trying to sweet talk this old girl. cause I know better!"
The door opened and two men came in, Zeke recognized Bill Murphy and Lou Brown. Murphy ran the livery and Lou was the town newspaper man.
"Morning Zeke, you are up early, if your going to need your horse, you just help yourself, livery is open,"said Murphy.
"Thanks Murph, I'll need him, its just I have to see the Sheriff first. He's got something for me to do. "
" I know what that is lad," offered Lou Brown. "Them Rebel deserters robbed a store down to Blue Eye and they ran off to Taney County. Sheriff Overstreet wants to see you about that! Them scoundrels took a weeks worth of food and five dollars in gold from old Gordy. Hit him in the head with a revolver to boot. There was a mail rider came through yesterday telling the story. Gordy took several shots at them. He was pretty sure he hit one of them."
"Gordy know any of them?" asked Zeke.
"I'd wager he did, cause he protects that bunch most of the time, least ways when there is any Yankee's around. Now he is just mad clean through this time, I'd reckon." answered Brown.
"War's over Mr Brown, Lee surrendered back in April and the Missouri outfits will be disbanded."
"Makes no gall durn difference to me, Yankees is Yankees and they need to be run out of the county. Boy you should know that, you rode with Major Cloud"
"I know, Mr. Brown, I still carry a ball or two, its just now the war is over, we got to get past it and go on. The sooner we do the faster things will get back to being quiet. Bloody Bill's bunch and Quantrell ain't going to make things easier. Things need to settle and folks need to forget which color a man wore. We are all the same again."
Zeke finished his meal in quiet, Ma slipped him the bill and Zeke left the money. Ma would have billed the County for his meal, it was just not Zeke's way to let the county pay to feed him. He walked out just as the back door to the jail opened and out came the three prisoners currently being held there. Zeke watched as old Mike, the jailer walked them over. The chains on their feet rattled with each step and the last man, Gerald Gideon glared toward Zeke as they past.
"Careful Gerald, if that look you got there froze you would scare every woman between here and Christian County."
"Durn you McNamara, you didn't have to hit me with that rifle butt"
"You didn't have to take those shots at me either Gerald, heck, you knew I was coming, you done busted ole Jimmy up, he swore out a warrant for you"
" I'll do more than bust him up when I get out of these chains."
Zeke walked into the court house and up the steps to the second floor. He smelled Sheriff Overstreet's pipe long before he got to the office door. He tapped on the door jam.
Sheriff Overstreet looked up from some papers and smiled.
"Good Morning Deputy, I trust you slept well and have had your breakfast. Come over here and take a chair, help yourself to the coffee first and let me tell you a story"........
Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day
Well if you follow the belief of the Schooner Creek area windowless weather people today is the official end of summer. It seems that changing holiday dates to co inside with Saturdays and Sundays was not enough. The weather folks decided to change the seasons So all you folks out there that care, its now officially Fall. Now I will have to admit that it has been cool enough the last week or so that My Judy and I have turned off the AC. However this afternoon as I BBQ'ed the official last pork steaks of the summer I happened to notice that the trees are still very green, the grass looks like it is still growing and what little tomato plants I have left are still in bloom. Now how is that suppose to go along with the Official end of Summer. Why, I seen boats on the lake with kids being towed on rubber toys, and when I was at the grocery store there was a woman in there wearing a swim suit cover up over a swim suit. She was with a man wearing flowered swim shorts and a muscle shirt with a Miller high life beer logo. I had to tell them that they were not dressed for Fall, the man looked at his watch and said he still had 6 hours of summer left. Well that explains why they were looking at me wearing a long pants a flannel shirt and jacket. I heard him say to the woman as they walked away, "Hillbillies......"
So now I am confused. If it is still summer does that mean I can wear white? Should I put my straw cowboy hat away and break out the felt ones? Must I move my summer shirts to the storage and get my winter clothes out? If it stays warm what should I wear? I never did like the shorts and jacket ensemble you see on some men. (If its cold enough to wear a jacket, put on some pants for goodness sake.) I know that some kids wear wool watch caps all summer, does that mean they will go hat less in the fall or just change colors? The more I think about it the more confusing it becomes. Just to show how bad it is I was listening to the news yesterday and the commentator was spreading gloom and doom about the Christmas shopping season. I turned it off. As a matter of fact, I believe I'm going to turn them all off. After all, I cannot change the weather so why should I care what the windowless weather people see in their magic screens. Fish don't care if it is raining, they are wet anyway. As far as politics go, I plan to do the only thing I can this fall and not vote for one single politician currently in office local, state or federal. I'll vote for the person running opposite. (Spread the wealth, give some other crook a fair shot at my tax dollars) Why should I worry over what politician is taking what group of people for an imaginary ride. I don't see where my watching the President is going to change my opinion of him and how he is doing. I did not vote for him and I'm sure he cares less about my everyday issues. Wow, I just freed up a whole lotta time....and that knucklehead in North Korea won't mind.
So now I am confused. If it is still summer does that mean I can wear white? Should I put my straw cowboy hat away and break out the felt ones? Must I move my summer shirts to the storage and get my winter clothes out? If it stays warm what should I wear? I never did like the shorts and jacket ensemble you see on some men. (If its cold enough to wear a jacket, put on some pants for goodness sake.) I know that some kids wear wool watch caps all summer, does that mean they will go hat less in the fall or just change colors? The more I think about it the more confusing it becomes. Just to show how bad it is I was listening to the news yesterday and the commentator was spreading gloom and doom about the Christmas shopping season. I turned it off. As a matter of fact, I believe I'm going to turn them all off. After all, I cannot change the weather so why should I care what the windowless weather people see in their magic screens. Fish don't care if it is raining, they are wet anyway. As far as politics go, I plan to do the only thing I can this fall and not vote for one single politician currently in office local, state or federal. I'll vote for the person running opposite. (Spread the wealth, give some other crook a fair shot at my tax dollars) Why should I worry over what politician is taking what group of people for an imaginary ride. I don't see where my watching the President is going to change my opinion of him and how he is doing. I did not vote for him and I'm sure he cares less about my everyday issues. Wow, I just freed up a whole lotta time....and that knucklehead in North Korea won't mind.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Family stories...
My Grandparents on my fathers side, raised seven children. four boys and three girls. The girls were the oldest, they came before the boys. Now my grandfather was a dairy farmer. He milked a number of cows twice a day, 365 days a year. Rain or shine, sleet, snow and sub zero temperatures. What little spending money the family had came from selling milk. They grew their own food, vegetables to meat. My dad was born in 1931, and he cannot remember much of the Great Depression, as a matter of fact my aunts and uncles didn't have much to say about it, they got by just like always. Other than spending money being a little hard to come by it was hard to tell there was anything wrong if you was a kid.
Grandpa took a lot of pride in his milk, his cows always tested high in butter fat, which is a scale used to determine the quality of the milk a cow produces. he had some pretty strict rules, cows were to be milked twice a day, 12 hours apart. He started milking at about 4 am. My uncles were taught to milk as soon as they could make a good fist. The dairy was a family operation. Cows were cleaned, equipment was kept spotless and cows were "babied" to a degree to keep them healthy. They were not to be bothered in the pasture, the dogs were not allowed to chase them, varmints were closely watched for and any issues with the fence was addressed as soon as it was found. Grandpa's rules were for the protection of the family and strictly enforced.
Now along comes my Dad and his brother Oscar. Between the two of them my grandmother had to have her hands full. Dad worked as hard as the rest of them and he played just as hard. One of the favorite pass times in those days was riding cows. Dad and Oscar would catch a cow or two laying down in the shade of an old hedge apple tree, crawl up on the blind side of the cows, climb into that tree, scoot out on a branch, then drop down on the unsuspecting cow and off they would go. The ride would last as long as they could hold on. According to Dad, he would ride cows to school when they could catch them. On one particular day, My Grandparents were of to some meeting when Oscar and Dad decided that the time had come to ride cows. Throwing Grandpas rules to the wind they spotted two old cows laying under the tree. Slowly they crawled through the grass until they could ease their way up into the tree. Slowly they crawled out on the limb and at the given signal dropped down on the backs of these two sleeping cows and off they went.
Now I had the chance to ride a cow one time in my life, I quickly found there was nothing to hold on to. The cow I rode didn't buck per say, it ran. They run fast. So the best you can do is kind of lay down and put your arms around their necks and hold on.
Them two cows took off like the devil himself had grabbed their tails and up towards the barn they went. My Dad and Oscar holding on for dear life. The cows reached the barn and began to circle it at a dead run. My uncle Oscar, began to slip to the inside. Each turn around a corner found him a little more off center. Oscar had his tongue stuck between his teeth and the corners of his mouth were turned up in a great smile when the cow cut real close to a corner and the side of the barn caught Oscar full in the face, he stopped right there, Dad says he kinda hung there for a second with his face plastered to the barn then he fell. Dad claims he bailed of his cow and ran to help Oscar. Oscar had almost bite his tongue in two pieces, his eye was swelling shut and there was a cut on his forehead. Dad says he was helping him up when he heard Grandpa and Grandma coming back. Oscar got to his feet and Dad dragged and carried him to the back of the house where Grandma was getting out of the wagon. Dad said he got real excited and told them that Oscar had been walking the orchard gate, slipped and fell off. Oscar looked at him like Dad was an angel from heaven. After all you could not get a strapping for falling off the orchard gate, you could get a good one for riding dairy cows.
I was there the day my dad and Oscar told my Grandma the truth. She just kind of smiled and said she knew it all the time and so did grandpa. Boy were they surprised to think that for all those years they had pulled one off. Goes to show that mamas always know.......
Grandpa took a lot of pride in his milk, his cows always tested high in butter fat, which is a scale used to determine the quality of the milk a cow produces. he had some pretty strict rules, cows were to be milked twice a day, 12 hours apart. He started milking at about 4 am. My uncles were taught to milk as soon as they could make a good fist. The dairy was a family operation. Cows were cleaned, equipment was kept spotless and cows were "babied" to a degree to keep them healthy. They were not to be bothered in the pasture, the dogs were not allowed to chase them, varmints were closely watched for and any issues with the fence was addressed as soon as it was found. Grandpa's rules were for the protection of the family and strictly enforced.
Now along comes my Dad and his brother Oscar. Between the two of them my grandmother had to have her hands full. Dad worked as hard as the rest of them and he played just as hard. One of the favorite pass times in those days was riding cows. Dad and Oscar would catch a cow or two laying down in the shade of an old hedge apple tree, crawl up on the blind side of the cows, climb into that tree, scoot out on a branch, then drop down on the unsuspecting cow and off they would go. The ride would last as long as they could hold on. According to Dad, he would ride cows to school when they could catch them. On one particular day, My Grandparents were of to some meeting when Oscar and Dad decided that the time had come to ride cows. Throwing Grandpas rules to the wind they spotted two old cows laying under the tree. Slowly they crawled through the grass until they could ease their way up into the tree. Slowly they crawled out on the limb and at the given signal dropped down on the backs of these two sleeping cows and off they went.
Now I had the chance to ride a cow one time in my life, I quickly found there was nothing to hold on to. The cow I rode didn't buck per say, it ran. They run fast. So the best you can do is kind of lay down and put your arms around their necks and hold on.
Them two cows took off like the devil himself had grabbed their tails and up towards the barn they went. My Dad and Oscar holding on for dear life. The cows reached the barn and began to circle it at a dead run. My uncle Oscar, began to slip to the inside. Each turn around a corner found him a little more off center. Oscar had his tongue stuck between his teeth and the corners of his mouth were turned up in a great smile when the cow cut real close to a corner and the side of the barn caught Oscar full in the face, he stopped right there, Dad says he kinda hung there for a second with his face plastered to the barn then he fell. Dad claims he bailed of his cow and ran to help Oscar. Oscar had almost bite his tongue in two pieces, his eye was swelling shut and there was a cut on his forehead. Dad says he was helping him up when he heard Grandpa and Grandma coming back. Oscar got to his feet and Dad dragged and carried him to the back of the house where Grandma was getting out of the wagon. Dad said he got real excited and told them that Oscar had been walking the orchard gate, slipped and fell off. Oscar looked at him like Dad was an angel from heaven. After all you could not get a strapping for falling off the orchard gate, you could get a good one for riding dairy cows.
I was there the day my dad and Oscar told my Grandma the truth. She just kind of smiled and said she knew it all the time and so did grandpa. Boy were they surprised to think that for all those years they had pulled one off. Goes to show that mamas always know.......
Friday, September 4, 2009
Hey Guess what....ITS Friday! AGAIN!
Busy week here on Schooner Creek, I had to work an extra day and I've gotten far behind. I spent most of the day playing catch up, except for the hour I spent on the lake trying to find a fish or two. No fish, however I did manage to get my self soaked to the skin. That's another story.
Today while I was getting wet from a nice downpour. I remembered back to a time when I was growing up. My Dad like frog legs and we would spend hours walking from farm pond to farm pond down in Texas County looking for bull frogs. On one particular outing we got caught in a rain. Now it wasn't just a gentle little drizzle, it was a regular down pour. One so hard that your sight distance went to zero and you had to point your nose to the ground to get a breath. We were on a farm that Dad said used to belong to a man named Andy Walling Old Andy was long gone of course, and his being dead did little to keep my Dad from telling me and my brother just how mean old Andy was. Dad went to great length telling us how he would beat his dogs, his mules and not feed his chickens. We were walking towards an old house during this tale, Dad kept it up saying that Old Andy was hated by all the folks in the community cause he would not doctor his hogs. Back in those days Texas County was still free range. Folks let their hogs run loose during the summer and then would have a hog roundup in the fall. Anyway, old Andy's hogs were always sick and spreading the illness from one group of hogs to another. Dad said that he always wore and old leather coat with a sheepskin lining. He would wear that coat in August when it was 100 plus degrees. He never took a bath and folks could smell him coming long before they ever seen him if the wind was right.
We got to the old house and went inside to get out of the rain. Now keep in mind that at 13 years old I thought I was pretty tough, except when it came to goblins, ghosts and ghouls. I would not watch the epics like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman just because I never seen any value in these movies. I would climb into a cave, but had to hide behind the couch to watch Dracula bite some unlucky person neck. I had no issues tackling someone twice my size if they wanted to fight, but to watch the stiff legged walk of a seven foot monster was out of the question.
Now getting back to my story. Dad continued to tell of events where in old Andy had beat a kid or starved a dog, he finally ended the story by saying that old coat must have been buried with him because no one had seen it since. The rain was beating down on the roof and we had to watch were we stood because with every little gust of wind the roof would spring a new leak. It was one of the shifts to stay out of a drip when I looked up and hanging right there on a nail on the wall was that old leather coat with a sheepskin lining.
I hit the door faster than a bolt of lighting. I did not stop or look back, as for as I was concerned being out in the rain was a whole lot better than standing in that old house with the windows broken out, wallpaper pealing off the wall, and that old coat Andy Walling had been buried in hanging on the wall.
I'm a lot older now, my father still laughs out loud when he tells this story. Me, I still feel the goose bumps on my arm when I think about looking up and seeing that coat.
Today while I was getting wet from a nice downpour. I remembered back to a time when I was growing up. My Dad like frog legs and we would spend hours walking from farm pond to farm pond down in Texas County looking for bull frogs. On one particular outing we got caught in a rain. Now it wasn't just a gentle little drizzle, it was a regular down pour. One so hard that your sight distance went to zero and you had to point your nose to the ground to get a breath. We were on a farm that Dad said used to belong to a man named Andy Walling Old Andy was long gone of course, and his being dead did little to keep my Dad from telling me and my brother just how mean old Andy was. Dad went to great length telling us how he would beat his dogs, his mules and not feed his chickens. We were walking towards an old house during this tale, Dad kept it up saying that Old Andy was hated by all the folks in the community cause he would not doctor his hogs. Back in those days Texas County was still free range. Folks let their hogs run loose during the summer and then would have a hog roundup in the fall. Anyway, old Andy's hogs were always sick and spreading the illness from one group of hogs to another. Dad said that he always wore and old leather coat with a sheepskin lining. He would wear that coat in August when it was 100 plus degrees. He never took a bath and folks could smell him coming long before they ever seen him if the wind was right.
We got to the old house and went inside to get out of the rain. Now keep in mind that at 13 years old I thought I was pretty tough, except when it came to goblins, ghosts and ghouls. I would not watch the epics like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman just because I never seen any value in these movies. I would climb into a cave, but had to hide behind the couch to watch Dracula bite some unlucky person neck. I had no issues tackling someone twice my size if they wanted to fight, but to watch the stiff legged walk of a seven foot monster was out of the question.
Now getting back to my story. Dad continued to tell of events where in old Andy had beat a kid or starved a dog, he finally ended the story by saying that old coat must have been buried with him because no one had seen it since. The rain was beating down on the roof and we had to watch were we stood because with every little gust of wind the roof would spring a new leak. It was one of the shifts to stay out of a drip when I looked up and hanging right there on a nail on the wall was that old leather coat with a sheepskin lining.
I hit the door faster than a bolt of lighting. I did not stop or look back, as for as I was concerned being out in the rain was a whole lot better than standing in that old house with the windows broken out, wallpaper pealing off the wall, and that old coat Andy Walling had been buried in hanging on the wall.
I'm a lot older now, my father still laughs out loud when he tells this story. Me, I still feel the goose bumps on my arm when I think about looking up and seeing that coat.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The old days...
Every morning when I arrive at work I pass a photo of the current Sheriff of Stone County Missouri, Richard Hill. It is a pleasure to work for Sheriff Hill, he leads a very efficient Sheriff's Department. We are reputed to be one of the best if not the best Sheriff's Office in southwest Missouri. Across the lobby from his picture hangs the pictures of former Sheriff's of Stone County. The photo's date back to the mid 1800's. By the look of some of these men they were more than capable of taking care of the county. One of them is posed showing his six gun, another supporting a beard to his belt buckle. Compared to the neat clean look presented by Sheriff Hill in his uniform, they just did not look like Sheriff's. These men had to be tough, I wonder if they did not patrol the 505 square miles of Stone County on horseback, or did they keep the county safe by leaning back in a wooden chair on a porch in front of the jail. By Missouri State Law the only "job" a Sheriff has is to maintain the jail. All of the protect and serve stuff
Law Enforcement does after that comes at the discretion of the Sheriff. I realize that once Mr. Ford's invention hit the back woods of the county the Sheriff's job changed. We have all seen enough old westerns to know that some Sheriff's just did not get from in back of the desk. My imagination runs rampant with me. I picture a grizzled older man with more guns that the first infantry division riding away from the small county seat of Galena to investigate an act of cattle rustling on the Arkansas border. I can also see several rustlers hanging from low limbs once he got there.
The Civil War and the reconstruction afterward had a hard impact on southwest Missouri. farming was tough, folks could barely scratch out a vegetable garden from the rocky soil. So most of them lived off the land or what they could raise in the form of cattle and pigs. Wild game all but disappeared due to the need for meat. My guess is that during those times you had to reach way outside the law for the Sheriff to get involved. Your justice most of the time came from the end of your own gun or any other means. Most men were Civil war Veterans or they may have served in the Army against the noble red man therefore most problems were solved with out the Sheriff's involvement. If you read history and forget what you seen on tv growing up, very few gunfights ever happened. I know that it is recorded that Wild Bill Hickcock, shot a man in Springfield, Mo. in a gun fight. Furthermore over in Taney County there is a place called Murder Rock, where an outlaw killed several individuals in robberies and because he could. There is a Golf Course by that name there now. There was a group of Vigilantes called the Bald Knobbers that ran amok in the area and these were all things that I could see would keep a local Sheriff and his Deputies busy. If a lot of people were shot, it sure isn't recorded anywhere.
I know we cannot go back in time, however if I could,I know I would choose to land in that 1860-1910 time period. Yes while I'm there I think the job of Sheriff would be my chosen profession. Life was hard then and a lot simpler I believe after all, back then who cared what some knucklehead in North Korea was up to, you were to busy wondering where the next meal was coming from. Sheriff's and Deputies used the force necessary to get the job done and lawyers were hard to find and seldom listened too. If a Judge told someone to do something he done it and if you got sentenced to 10 years in jail, you done 10 years.
I like to write about that era in time. I am currently working on a project where I will feature short stories of fiction about some of the adventures of Sheriff's and their Deputies here on the blog. Look for them starting next week. In the mean time try to imagine yourself crossing this great nation in a covered wagon where, sometimes, you would work all day and when you stopped that night you could still see the place where you camped the night before.
Law Enforcement does after that comes at the discretion of the Sheriff. I realize that once Mr. Ford's invention hit the back woods of the county the Sheriff's job changed. We have all seen enough old westerns to know that some Sheriff's just did not get from in back of the desk. My imagination runs rampant with me. I picture a grizzled older man with more guns that the first infantry division riding away from the small county seat of Galena to investigate an act of cattle rustling on the Arkansas border. I can also see several rustlers hanging from low limbs once he got there.
The Civil War and the reconstruction afterward had a hard impact on southwest Missouri. farming was tough, folks could barely scratch out a vegetable garden from the rocky soil. So most of them lived off the land or what they could raise in the form of cattle and pigs. Wild game all but disappeared due to the need for meat. My guess is that during those times you had to reach way outside the law for the Sheriff to get involved. Your justice most of the time came from the end of your own gun or any other means. Most men were Civil war Veterans or they may have served in the Army against the noble red man therefore most problems were solved with out the Sheriff's involvement. If you read history and forget what you seen on tv growing up, very few gunfights ever happened. I know that it is recorded that Wild Bill Hickcock, shot a man in Springfield, Mo. in a gun fight. Furthermore over in Taney County there is a place called Murder Rock, where an outlaw killed several individuals in robberies and because he could. There is a Golf Course by that name there now. There was a group of Vigilantes called the Bald Knobbers that ran amok in the area and these were all things that I could see would keep a local Sheriff and his Deputies busy. If a lot of people were shot, it sure isn't recorded anywhere.
I know we cannot go back in time, however if I could,I know I would choose to land in that 1860-1910 time period. Yes while I'm there I think the job of Sheriff would be my chosen profession. Life was hard then and a lot simpler I believe after all, back then who cared what some knucklehead in North Korea was up to, you were to busy wondering where the next meal was coming from. Sheriff's and Deputies used the force necessary to get the job done and lawyers were hard to find and seldom listened too. If a Judge told someone to do something he done it and if you got sentenced to 10 years in jail, you done 10 years.
I like to write about that era in time. I am currently working on a project where I will feature short stories of fiction about some of the adventures of Sheriff's and their Deputies here on the blog. Look for them starting next week. In the mean time try to imagine yourself crossing this great nation in a covered wagon where, sometimes, you would work all day and when you stopped that night you could still see the place where you camped the night before.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Well its been a couple of days....
I was on my way to work this morning at o-dark-thirty when my cell phone rang and seeing as how I had just left My Judy, and I knew I had everything, or at least I thought I did who would be calling me at this time of day, as I reached for my phone, inside my shirt pocket, I mentally went through the check list, lets see, I have not forgotten anything have I : Lunch - check,-wallet - check, sunglasses - check , phone - ring- 0 duh, pants? I finally got the phone clear of the flaps on the pocket and low and behold it was my supervisor. I answered with a song in my voice, and his comment was....no blog, Armfield, Why is there no blog? He hung up.
Its not that I have not written anything new here in a couple of days, its just that there is only 24 hours in any given day, I know, for a lot of us that is not enough, but don't blame me. Blame the Romans, I think, they come up with the twelve month calender. Lately I have been running out of hours just about the time I have to start all over again. So not having enough hours in the day got me to thinking. If we made each hour last 45 minutes, that would give us another 6 hours in the day to get things done. six more hours of family time, six more hours of play time, six more hours of sleep. WoW, that is a lot to think about!. Now if that was accomplished we would have to be careful, after all, when the government, by an act of Congress, can change the date of Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and Christmas to get a three day weekend we ought to be able to get them to change and hour from 60 minutes to 45. The being careful part plays in with keeping them to working at least a few hours a week at their jobs. If we give Congress any excuse to not be at work they will take it and then some, I'm off topic, I will digress.
I really feel that most employers would appreciate changing the minutes in an hour. After all if they all agree, we would be paid an hourly wadge for less time on the job and overtime would kick in faster. IRS would be able to collect more taxes on hours worked. Contractors would make more money for doing less work. Shoot, it might be the best thing that ever happened to the economy.
WAIT, isn't that what is going on now? People all over are getting paid good money for doing less and less. Just look at the stupid stares you get in a grocery store when you ask where they put the dill pickles. Last night on the news I watched a story about a new company that does GPS type tracking on products in the grocery store. If you get lost or need to find the disposable diapers, you call a number, and a mechanical voice leads you to them.
When is the last time you had someone pump gas in your car? Helped you carry something to your car? Showed up on time for an appointment or your appointment was on time? Of course my all time favorite is weather people, never in the history of pay days have so many people in one industry been paid so much money for being wrong.....over 70% of the time!
If I have accomplished the goal of today's entry you have already forgotten that I have not entered anything for a couple of days and your off thinking of all the people that don't do their jobs which makes yours harder to do, and all of the weathermen with their styled hairdos and designer clothes getting paid for being WRONG......
Oh all right, I'll try to do better......
Its not that I have not written anything new here in a couple of days, its just that there is only 24 hours in any given day, I know, for a lot of us that is not enough, but don't blame me. Blame the Romans, I think, they come up with the twelve month calender. Lately I have been running out of hours just about the time I have to start all over again. So not having enough hours in the day got me to thinking. If we made each hour last 45 minutes, that would give us another 6 hours in the day to get things done. six more hours of family time, six more hours of play time, six more hours of sleep. WoW, that is a lot to think about!. Now if that was accomplished we would have to be careful, after all, when the government, by an act of Congress, can change the date of Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and Christmas to get a three day weekend we ought to be able to get them to change and hour from 60 minutes to 45. The being careful part plays in with keeping them to working at least a few hours a week at their jobs. If we give Congress any excuse to not be at work they will take it and then some, I'm off topic, I will digress.
I really feel that most employers would appreciate changing the minutes in an hour. After all if they all agree, we would be paid an hourly wadge for less time on the job and overtime would kick in faster. IRS would be able to collect more taxes on hours worked. Contractors would make more money for doing less work. Shoot, it might be the best thing that ever happened to the economy.
WAIT, isn't that what is going on now? People all over are getting paid good money for doing less and less. Just look at the stupid stares you get in a grocery store when you ask where they put the dill pickles. Last night on the news I watched a story about a new company that does GPS type tracking on products in the grocery store. If you get lost or need to find the disposable diapers, you call a number, and a mechanical voice leads you to them.
When is the last time you had someone pump gas in your car? Helped you carry something to your car? Showed up on time for an appointment or your appointment was on time? Of course my all time favorite is weather people, never in the history of pay days have so many people in one industry been paid so much money for being wrong.....over 70% of the time!
If I have accomplished the goal of today's entry you have already forgotten that I have not entered anything for a couple of days and your off thinking of all the people that don't do their jobs which makes yours harder to do, and all of the weathermen with their styled hairdos and designer clothes getting paid for being WRONG......
Oh all right, I'll try to do better......
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Things to be Proud of...
I retired from an organization that had "Proud Ones" as part of the seal that the organization used. It was on the patches of the uniforms as well as both doors of the company vehicles. Those of us that worked for the service had to put up with a lot of ribbing from others in the same business because of it. I soon come to realize that that slogan affected everything I did while I was at work. I tried as hard as possible to maintain a level of professionalism and to do the best job I could. That saying even followed me home and I tried to always live up to being able to say I'm proud of the things I have done.
Today I'm proud of a lot of things. The one I'm going to talk about a little today is my grandson, Brandon. This young man has grown into a man in the last year. He graduated from high school, much to a lot of surprise from a few folks, a couple of years ago and has since grown a little. He lives on his own and he takes care of his debts like no other 20 year old I know. He has stayed close to his parents, his Mom, my daughter, has come to depend on him for just about everything. He gets along well with both of his sisters, has a girlfriend and he has a job. He knew he was not that interested in college when he graduated, yet now two years later and having had a taste of responsibility he is ready to go back to school.
I have watched this young man, grow from bumbling school boy to responsible adult and the one word I have other than love for him is that I'm PROUD of him. He will do almost anything he sets himself up to do. This week he is in Florida, a first time fly away vacation on his own. He is fishing near Fort Lauderdale with a high school friend and has spent the week sending me pictures of the fish he has been catching. Like the ones above. As a matter of fact he has sent me several pictures of the fish. He has caught both fresh and salt water species, he texted me at 6:30 this morning to tell me he was on his way to sword fish, and he has no qualms about rubbing it in that he is catching fish and I'm not. He takes after me, he is paying me back for all the photo's I have sent him this year. Pay back is a bear......
It would not surprise me if he does not decide to stay in Florida. He likes the warm weather, he would have a job on a fishing boat with advancement to his own boat a real possibility and he loves to fish. I'm not sure how I feel about him living that far away. I know I would support him in his efforts, I also know I will be in Florida a lot.
Of course I am proud of all of my children and grandchildren. One of the things My Judy and I had to get used too was not being the center of our grand kids world. Oh we were when they were under 1o years old. Once they got out into the world of school and other friends we took a back seat and it was a lot of fun to do other things. Going to G-mas house was not top on the list of things to do. Now that they are getting to be older, they are in the process of coming back. Brandon comes as often as work will allow, Tara has been down once this summerby herself, as has Erika and Joey. Sophie would live down here if it was not for school and if her mom would move with her. The big difference is they are more equal to us than when we had to constantly watch out for bloody knees. They listen and they talk, they have interesting things to say and they are a true joy to spend time with.
I have always told people that the only reason we go through the pain of raising children is so we can have grand children. I really know this to be one of the truths of the universe. Be patient parents your time will come, grandchildren allow you to get even with every thing your child has done to you. Yes you can wind your grand children up and then send them home. You can buy them gifts at Christmas time, ones that require a lot of "slot a into hole b" or made in China and has to be assembled with a three inch allen wrench. You never have to say NO, and its always a party and Grandmas house. Then if your really lucky, they grow up like Brandon, Tara, Erika, Joey and Sophie and they come back to be your friend and and a person your proud of.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thanks...
I feel this is a good time to let everyone know how much I appreciate your book orders and the response I have received about the story line of the book. I've said it before and I really mean it it is great to know that readers like the book as well as want to read the second book in the series which has a working title of "Missouri Sunrise". In this book young Joe grows into one of the first Missouri Mule Traders and encounters several adventures as he does. Most of the characters in the first book are in the second, along with a host of new ones that should keep your interest. The book is finished except for the editing. My Judy is doing that for me and I've heard her laugh as well as caught her with tears in her eyes more than once. So please be patient and the second installment will be along soon.
One of the questions I've been asked is about bears in Missouri. The questions I have been asked varied from Where there bears in Missouri back then to are there bears in Missouri today. Are they Grizzly bears, brown bears or black bears. Where do they live, what do the eat, do they sleep all winter? The answers to these questions in some cases are pretty obvious. The television news carries every bear story they can get, bears have been sited all over Southwest Missouri. Not only in southwest Missouri, they have been sited as far east as Eureka, Mo. and as far south as Kennet Missouri in the south east corner of the state. Most of them are black bears, they are basically night creatures, however daytime sitings are not uncommon. One recent call to the Stone County Sheriff's office came in just in the evening time. A lady near Crane, Missouri called to say there was a bear in her driveway. After a few more minutes she decided that it really was a great thing and that she really did not want the Sheriff's Office to make an issue. After all its not everyone that has their own bear in the driveway.
My Judy wants to see a live bear so bad she dreams about it in her sleep.This past spring it was rumored that there was one being seen on Hwy 13 just south of DD, she became a moving traffic hazard for several weeks trying to get a glimpse of the creature. MY biggest worry about bears in our neighborhood is that I will see one when she is not with me and I will not be able to tell anyone because she would feel cheated. On a fishing trip into Canada one year I had to take her to a local dump just to see one. She is that committed to seeing one in the wild here in Missouri. So, if anyone has a bear story to share post me a comment. If not, get a copy of my book Missouri Beginnings and read about my spirit bear.
One of the questions I've been asked is about bears in Missouri. The questions I have been asked varied from Where there bears in Missouri back then to are there bears in Missouri today. Are they Grizzly bears, brown bears or black bears. Where do they live, what do the eat, do they sleep all winter? The answers to these questions in some cases are pretty obvious. The television news carries every bear story they can get, bears have been sited all over Southwest Missouri. Not only in southwest Missouri, they have been sited as far east as Eureka, Mo. and as far south as Kennet Missouri in the south east corner of the state. Most of them are black bears, they are basically night creatures, however daytime sitings are not uncommon. One recent call to the Stone County Sheriff's office came in just in the evening time. A lady near Crane, Missouri called to say there was a bear in her driveway. After a few more minutes she decided that it really was a great thing and that she really did not want the Sheriff's Office to make an issue. After all its not everyone that has their own bear in the driveway.
My Judy wants to see a live bear so bad she dreams about it in her sleep.This past spring it was rumored that there was one being seen on Hwy 13 just south of DD, she became a moving traffic hazard for several weeks trying to get a glimpse of the creature. MY biggest worry about bears in our neighborhood is that I will see one when she is not with me and I will not be able to tell anyone because she would feel cheated. On a fishing trip into Canada one year I had to take her to a local dump just to see one. She is that committed to seeing one in the wild here in Missouri. So, if anyone has a bear story to share post me a comment. If not, get a copy of my book Missouri Beginnings and read about my spirit bear.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Cooperation....New Adventures
My Judy and I will celebrate 23 years of marriage in a few weeks, We have been through a lot together, some of it good and some of it not so good, however through it all we have gotten closer and stronger. Back about 24 years ago while we were dating we agreed to try new experiences together. So, I agreed to do something with her I had never done before, like go to a live musical presentation of Evita, and she agreed to do something with me, that she had never done before like, float the river and fish.
I went to Evita first.....It was a great presentation of the story of Argentina's First Lady during the second world war. I enjoyed some of it, and when I was caught not enjoying it a gentle nudge was all it took to stop the snoring. We had a great evening out, and I was exposed to some class that prior to that evening I had never endured. The next week was my turn, I arranged a 6 mile float on the upper Meramec River in Crawford county near the town of Leasberg. I decided that it would be a much nicer float if we rented a paddle jon type boat. This flat bottomed craft is tapered at both ends to make it easier to paddle and steer. I made it better by attaching a trolling motor to the stern and that way my darling new girlfriend could just sit in the front of the boat, catch some rays, relax and look beautiful. We arrived at the outfitter at the appointed time. Loaded our fishing gear and coolers into the back of a pickup truck that was new when Harry Truman took office, sat on the seat filled with old burlap bags so the springs would not pinch so hard and had to hold or feet up because the gravel road was visible through the spot where the floor should have been. We got to the put in point, wrestled the paddle jon from its rack, I mounted the trolling motor to the boat, carried the battery and made sure all was in working order. I placed the cooler and tackle in the boat and placed the cushion for my fair maiden in the bow. With a slight nudge from our friendly truck driver we were off, The day was one of those rare summer days when the temperature was not too hot and there was no humidity. The river was running with plenty of water and the fishing report was excellent.
The dust had not settled from our outfitter leaving us when the small brown water snake swam towards the front of the boat. It was at that precise moment I learned the first thing,it became apparent that my Venus was deathly afraid of the possibility there might be a snake in the immediate 25 mile radius, much less right in front of the boat. It was at this same moment in time that I witnessed sure terror for the first time. I know what it looks like. Furthermore it is very easy to recognise. Its a full grown woman running full speed toward you in a 12 foot paddle jon. I immediately reacted to this situation, my suburb training in handling emergencies came into play. I assessed the situation, took in all of the information and deduced that A: If said attractive lady continued to run un-check through the paddle jon that there was a very good possibility that I would end up in the water. B: The snake was in the water. ( I myself are not terribly fond of the critters) C:Stop the woman! So I did the only thing that made sense to me by yelling at the very top pf my voice, so I could be heard over the screeching noise that sounded something like S....N...A....K....E! SIT DOWN!!!
It was at this time that I learned the second thing about my future bride, she did not like to be yelled at for any reason.
Dear readers, it usually takes 7-8 hours to properly float and fish this 6 mile stretch of the river. I'd done it numerous times so I knew. On that day we almost beat the outfitter back to the parking lot. That day the trolling motor never came off high and the only sound heard from the time of my unfortunate thought process, was the splashing of the water and its accompanying noise as we walked the paddle jon through riffles in the river.
She has never floated with me again........
I went to Evita first.....It was a great presentation of the story of Argentina's First Lady during the second world war. I enjoyed some of it, and when I was caught not enjoying it a gentle nudge was all it took to stop the snoring. We had a great evening out, and I was exposed to some class that prior to that evening I had never endured. The next week was my turn, I arranged a 6 mile float on the upper Meramec River in Crawford county near the town of Leasberg. I decided that it would be a much nicer float if we rented a paddle jon type boat. This flat bottomed craft is tapered at both ends to make it easier to paddle and steer. I made it better by attaching a trolling motor to the stern and that way my darling new girlfriend could just sit in the front of the boat, catch some rays, relax and look beautiful. We arrived at the outfitter at the appointed time. Loaded our fishing gear and coolers into the back of a pickup truck that was new when Harry Truman took office, sat on the seat filled with old burlap bags so the springs would not pinch so hard and had to hold or feet up because the gravel road was visible through the spot where the floor should have been. We got to the put in point, wrestled the paddle jon from its rack, I mounted the trolling motor to the boat, carried the battery and made sure all was in working order. I placed the cooler and tackle in the boat and placed the cushion for my fair maiden in the bow. With a slight nudge from our friendly truck driver we were off, The day was one of those rare summer days when the temperature was not too hot and there was no humidity. The river was running with plenty of water and the fishing report was excellent.
The dust had not settled from our outfitter leaving us when the small brown water snake swam towards the front of the boat. It was at that precise moment I learned the first thing,it became apparent that my Venus was deathly afraid of the possibility there might be a snake in the immediate 25 mile radius, much less right in front of the boat. It was at this same moment in time that I witnessed sure terror for the first time. I know what it looks like. Furthermore it is very easy to recognise. Its a full grown woman running full speed toward you in a 12 foot paddle jon. I immediately reacted to this situation, my suburb training in handling emergencies came into play. I assessed the situation, took in all of the information and deduced that A: If said attractive lady continued to run un-check through the paddle jon that there was a very good possibility that I would end up in the water. B: The snake was in the water. ( I myself are not terribly fond of the critters) C:Stop the woman! So I did the only thing that made sense to me by yelling at the very top pf my voice, so I could be heard over the screeching noise that sounded something like S....N...A....K....E! SIT DOWN!!!
It was at this time that I learned the second thing about my future bride, she did not like to be yelled at for any reason.
Dear readers, it usually takes 7-8 hours to properly float and fish this 6 mile stretch of the river. I'd done it numerous times so I knew. On that day we almost beat the outfitter back to the parking lot. That day the trolling motor never came off high and the only sound heard from the time of my unfortunate thought process, was the splashing of the water and its accompanying noise as we walked the paddle jon through riffles in the river.
She has never floated with me again........
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