June 30 2011

Its a really funny year weather wise. We had lots of rain, filled Tablerock Lake to capacity and then some, now its dry. The lake is still full. Fishing has been poor to not good at all until recently. Judy and I went hunting gills a week or so ago and by chance pulled up to a tree that had just gotten clear of the water. Its a place where when the lake is at a more normal level we have caught some nice bluegill. After a few minutes we began catching fish. Now there is ten more feet of water around that tree than normal. I just did not think they would be there. Yet they were.

I took a good friend of mine, Bob, out with me this week. Bob grew up around the lake at his grandparents and fished with his grandpa. He moved away, grew up got married had kids and quit fishing. I'm getting him back into it. I created a little monster. Bob and I work together, so the next morning he comes to work and immediately starts in on me for not baiting his hook or taking the fish off the line. I started laughing and went right along saying he did not pay me for the guide service so he was on his own. We had a really great evening and caught a livewell full of fish. That next morning his concern was that I had not cleaned his fish, furthermore when was I going to have him and family over for supper so that he could eat his fish. I like Bob.

Judy and I are experiencing our daughters sickness. Each day is a new feeling and brings with it a whole new set of issues. What we are going through does not compare with what Trish is going through we know. It is just the pain and the feeling of helplessness that we cannot seem to get a grip on. I will say that at times like this it is family and the presence of good friends that help make the pain a little less. Each of us deal with the situation a little differently. We each have our moments. Together we seem to draw strength off each other. It is hard to hear folks ask about her and its really hard when you hear yourself saying that its not good, or its just a matter of time or anyone of a number of ways to say that which I can not yet write down. I really hate cancer.

So, to those of you that read this, thank you for support. Please understand when we answer you with tears and a smile. Its a hard thing to lose anyone, especially a child. Please don't stop your prayers and thoughts. We think it is what is getting us through.

I think we'll go fishing......

Thanks.

From the Journal of Deputy Zeke McNamara #9

Bacon was sizzling in the pan partially covering the splashing and hollering of the girl as she bathed in the cold river water. The James is mostly spring fed and the water seldom gets warm enough for bathing. Zeke smiled as he listen to her fussing over being told to bathe. Once the bacon was done using the grease Zeke sliced the last of the tators that he had brought along. He seasoned them with some wild onions and mixed up a batch of pan bread. he was finishing just as she walked up to the cave entrance.

"This here soap got a mite of a bite to it, how come?" she complained.

"Got a little sand mixed in with it to help get down to the pink in the skin. Scrubs real good, I use it on everything I want clean."

"Well it shore got me raw in a few places."

"Good for ya"" How long your Pa been gone?"

"He been gone now close to eight maybe nine days. He said I was to wait for him at the cave and he would come along by and by."

"Your Pa leave you alone like that often?"

"Just for going after his coffee and other things. He's fond of his salt and sugar."

"You stay around here then?"

"We do most of the summer, Pa,he's sure he knows about where them diamonds are He talked to a breed before the war who told him that old Man Yokum had him a bag of diamonds he got from the injuns. he says that breed knew cause his grandpa was one of the injuns what traded them."

"Whats kept him from just getting them and heading out to California?"

"Pa says landmarks changes, trees grow up or die, storms and floods take em out. He says as soon as he finds the mark he'll know where to look." Ma got tired of it and we settled down on a rock down towards Berryville, it were there that the moccison got her whilst she was washing in the crick. That there is one of the reasons I ain't to pleased to get me a crick bath."

"Cleaness is close to godlyness so said my ma, especially on Saturday night" answered Zeke. "You seen a bunch of Johnny Reb's camped near here?"

"They was, left mostly a week ago, day or two after Pa went to fetch supplies." The went up the White river towards Shell Knob. They made a mess around here for a spell, digging and a tearing things up looking for gold or maybe for them diamonds. Pa tried to be neighborly, exceptin them Reb's was right standoffish." They run Pa off that first day we run into them, Pa he said they was runaway solgers and that we should stay good and clear of what they was doing. He said that they was a looking in the wrong spot anyways."

Zeke finished the last of the food then picked up the plates and fry pan. He walked toward the river. The girl Judy Carol had confirmed what he knew to be correct. If there was a band of soldiers in the area they were moving west. He would have to ride up the river to follow them. Riding up that way would leave him exposed to the bushwhacker that had tried twice to shoot him. He squatted down and was swirling the plates in the river when Judy Carol spoke from the cover of the willows.

"There be a fella up on the lip of the cave, he been watching you, he ain't got no rifle gun he's just keeping you in sight." When you turn around look there at the base of that lightning struck pine to the left. He watching you from there. Look for a patch of blue like a gobblers neck,he's wearing a blue scarf around his neck."

Zeke stood up and as he turned he spotted the blue. He stretched a little and walked back to the cave. When he was out of sight of the man above he ran to the side and followed a path worn slow by rain water till he was on top the cave. He moved so fast as no to give the man watching time to react. Zeke grabbed him anf hit him with a back hand blow that rocked the man back on his heels. Before he could recover Zeke slammed him again and then placed his cocked revolver into the mans nose.

"Who are you? What you want and why you sneaking around here?"

Zeke shook the man till his teeth rattled and his eyes glazed over. Zeke drug him off the hill and across the gravel bar to the river. He took the man by the collar and stuck his face into the ice cold water.

"Talk varmint or I'll drown for the stinking back shooter you are!"

"Urrugh" the man coughed up a pint of river water and as his eyes focused he was able to say

"The General wants to talk to you....says I'm to make sure you come see him..."

Friday June 24, 2011

Well here I am again trying to fine the time to make entries. I've lost so many of my readers that it may take a while to get things rolling again. Recently I've come to the conclusion that no matter how hard you try life gets in the way and fate can throw you curves you best hit hard and pop them up to a higher authority. In February Judy and I learned via the US mail that our land lord on Bayfront had quit paying the mortgage and that we had less than 30 days to vacate. Landlord said he was going to call and fill us in he just never got around to it. We also got the word that our daughter's cancer had returned. The treatments were intense and they made her sick, Judy had to spend a lot of time in St. Louis helping. So finding a new place was left up to me......a challenge I jumped at....yeah right. I found a place, close to the one we had and with a great view of the lake. It had been vacant for several months and needed a good cleaning. Judy was out of town so I took my trusty shop vac and headed to the new digs. The first place I started was the gas fireplace. It was a mess to say the least, full of trash, soot and and just about everything else one could imagine. With the confidence of a Supreme Court judge I attacked the task. Let me stop here for a minute, shop vacs are really great tools, however, and we all know there are however's involved, the lid has to be very secure or all the dirt, dust, and in this case soot enters the atmosphere and an alarming rate. Yep....I could have set the place on fire and had less damage. I had to mop the floors.....over and again....soot does not like water so it turns to some chemical combination that has the adhesion of super glue and will not be allowed to be mopped up. One can get on their hands and knees, use paper towels, towels, microfiber, steel wool, and every other thing known to modern man with little or no results. I'm still wiping up black. Then there was the walls.....yes soot sticks to walls as well and if you use water on it it turns from a fine dust to a smeary black goo. Same thing applies... you can wipe to the drywall and it still stays put. Judy came back from a trip, said a few things that were not suitable for my ego and self esteem, told me to deal with it and then laughed till tears fell. I was proud that I could give her a little relief. We moved on time in spite of the largest snowfall in recent memory in southwest Missouri. I would have never made it for not the willingness of my son Brad, and the assistance of my friends, Doug-Wayne, Jim and Bob. Judy did not have much to move. I'm proud to report that we didn't break anything, just lost a few things. Like Judy's Paula Dean toaster and egg cooker.....never used that egg cooker. Any way, we thought I lost some of her necklases to include her pearl one. Found those last week in a drawer in a dresser we seldom get into...now I wonder who put them there....

Like I said that fate thing rose again couple of weeks ago, We learned that our landlady, Renee, was just informed that she had a large tumor in her pancreas and liver, she was told it was cancer, it was bad, and there was not much that could be done. I really hate cancer.......

My daughter is home, hospice is making her comfortable as possible and between Judy and my other daughter along with an aunt they are helping and being there when hospice is not. I ask for your prayers for Trish's comfort and strength for those that are there.

I will try to be a little more dedicated to this blog, I refuse to join facebook I don't know how to twitter and talking on the phone is so yesterday. If I want to discuss something with the grandkids I have to text, autocorrect is not my friend. So until next time thanks for reading.

Mike