Heart warming video

Very good video.  The girl is a deaf mute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKK7AXLOUNo

Welcome

Welcome to Sandy.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your two cents are always appreciated and will be answered in a timely manner.  Check out her blog.  Always interesting.

Another chilly morning here, but that is to be expected this time of year.  Just sitting here with my morning cup or four of "get up and go".  So far it feels like my "get up and go" has "got up and went"!  But then I am only on cup #1.  It will get better.  If it doesn't, then there is always tomorrow.  If there is no tomorrow, then it just don't matter.  My philosophy of life in a nutshell or sentence in a blog post, whichever is appropriate.

Got the stitches removed from my hand on Monday.   Nurse had to do it because the Doctor was having eye problems.  She was afraid I would need more stitches before she was done.  I could of done it myself, but I needed to get some meds taken care of.  It has healed fairly well.  It is in a bad spot and hard to heal, so it will just take  guess.  I have that. 

Seed catalogs started coming yesterday.  Will be ordering some more non-GMO seeds so we can have seeds for next year.  We are doing more garden planning for next spring.  Trying to make better use of our garden space.  If the drought continues, we want to have a better watering system.  We have a good well, but it could be affected by a prolonged drought.

Time to play like a horse turd and hit the trail.   I hope everyone has a good day.  Be safe.  If you can't be safe then at least be careful.

God Bless each and everyone of you---johnnyb

The Fallen Soldier

This has probably been around, but it is something to see.  Nothing more needs to be said.

 

Thanks Roger for this

 

God bless All--johnnyb 

Good Morning

 Good morning and welcome to new follower BadgerMedic.  Thanks for stopping by.  Comments will be answered, usually in a timely fashion.

 

Not much new in our little part of the world.  Temperatures have been respectable for this time of year.  There is a cold front moving through today that will drop the high temps into the 40's and 50's.  For this time of year that is something.  Usually a cold front means 20's and 30's or worse.  Still no moisture.  It doesn't take much wind to stir up a dust storm.  I know,  it is the "global warming" that is causing everything.  That and too much flatulence among the cattle population.  What are we going to do!  There was time when millions of buffalo roamed the prairies.  I don't know much about the buffalo, but I would assume that they would be prone to an occasional fart or two from eating the rich grass of the tall prairies.  Of course the only tree-huggers of the time would have been a grizzled old mountain man hugged up around a tree to try to get some relief from the harsh and sometimes brutal blizzards that strike the country.  What do I know!  Only stating common sense, and uneducated guesses.  Who would I be to challenge the great minds of those "in the know"!

I don't know what brought that on.  Must have been something I read.  I must quit reading these things.  Not good for my blood pressure.  That brings up another topic.  Doctor decided my B/P was too high.  Actually there wasn't too much deciding to it.  It was too high.  Changed my medicine, so we will see how it goes.  I probably should cut back on the caffeine a little.  Lose a little weight.  All that good stuff.  Really!   Life without caffeine and good food.  Can a person really survive like that?  Just being obnoxious here.  I really should cut back a little.  I just love food.  I will eat about anything except fried grasshoppers and crickets!  Just never been that hungry yet.  The day may come, but not yet.

Ok, enough of this interesting stuff.  I need to do something constructive like feed and water the chickens before they go on strike.

God Bless all--johnnyb

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  To those in other parts of the world---have a good day. 

We are having family here today at our humble abode.  There is a standing welcome to anyone who may stop by.  Being strong members in good standing of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals), the oven is on preheat and the turkey ready to go in.  Some of the side dishes are prepared, kids are on the way.  The weather has been beautiful, temps in the 70's.  Today temps in the 50's and 35 MPH north winds!   Oh well, it will be fine.  Good food, good company, good wine.  I have opted for something better than Thunderbird for our turkey toast!

Once again--Best to all today and God Bless---johnnyb

The sights of fall and other things

These are some pics I took the other afternoon as the shadows were getting long.  The gnarly old elm tree in the backyard has a lot of dead branches, but still provides good shade in the summer.

The next four pics are the view from our front door.

The happy flock waiting for their afternoon snack.

The happy flock after their snack!

The neighbor's happy flock.

Bella and her chewed up frisbee.

The  "guard dogs" kind of on duty on the front perimeter.  Master Sgt. Dinka observing from the rear.  Sgt. Annie on the left and Corporal Bella on the right.

God Bless All--johnnyb

Buy unkilled meat???

From a San Francisco newspaper:

And they vote also!

Being Green

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books
provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.  Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass young person...
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off...especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smartass who can't make change without the cash register telling her what to give back.

This was was sent to me from a good friend.  Thanks Roger.

God Bless--johnnyb 

Coffee time

Just sitting here having morning coffee and reading the overnight news on the internet.   Coffee is great.  News is not always up-lifting.  Sports about the same.   Football Saturday sucked the big one.  Some of my teams did not fare all that well.  Oh well, that's life in the fast lane.

My typing is a little cumbersome.  One hand and one finger.  Then as I am typing along, I discover that having one hand bandaged does not really impair my typing ability.  Like I said, a little cumbersome and thank God for spellcheck!

Pheasant season opened here a week ago.  The bird population has been depleted by the drought, so hunting has been a little disappointing.  I don't hunt anymore. Actually I never did hunt pheasants much. Never cared for the meat all that much.  Mostly just deer hunting.  Haven't even done any of that for about ten years.  Our friend from Colorado is here this weekend with his boys doing a little hunting.  He had a successful elk season out there and brought us some meat.  Elk is very good.  His was a younger one, so it should be all the better.

We had Thanksgiving with my side of the family yesterday.  Always good to get together with everybody.  My daughter came on Friday, so we got to spend a little time.  The son had to work.
Carol's family will be here on Thursday.  Hope the weather holds.  Always nice for people to be able to go outdoors.  Might do a little shooting if weather permits. 

Time to go.  I see the chickens have upset their water pan, so they must be trying make a point.  It is also time for their morning feeding.  They would rather have their afternoon snack, but won't eat their regular feed if they get the snack now.  They are molting now, so we have been giving them a higher protein snack (dry cat food) later in the day.  They are like kids going after candy.  We have regular feed out for them all the time, so I know they are not starving!  They just like something different.  This summer I thought I would be smart and mix some rolled corn in with their feed as an additive.  Wrong!!!  They just slung all the regular feed out on the ground to go after the corn.  So now they are fed their snacks separate.  Live and learn.  They just about have me trained.  We get anywhere from 8-15 eggs daily from 16 hens.  Not too bad.  Carol has been using some to make home-made noodles lately and freezing them. She has also canned some beef and chicken.  Will make a nice meal on a cold, snowy day (if we ever get any snow) this winter.  We would gladly share eggs with everybody, but shipping would be a problem.  I don't thinks the eggs would survive the daily USPS, "see how far we can kick this box" game!

Thought for the day--"Six out of seven Dwarfs ain't happy"!

God Bless all--johnnyb
--

Tuesday

 Nothing much new this morning.  My finger is doing ok.  We change the bandage everyday to keep it clean and dry.  Stitches have to stay in for two weeks at least.  I have not had much pain so far.  The doc gave me some really good medicine if there is any pain.  I mean,"this is some good shit Maynard" medicine!  I haven't had to take much of it.  Most of the pain is in my ribs where I augured in.

I am catching up some of my reading, and football, and a lot of thinking on things we need to do this winter to prepare for spring,  and/or when the SHTF.  And is probably the best word.  Things just get scarier every day.  I guess we need to keep the powder dry and prep for the worst.

Good to see Matt back again.  Always enjoy his posts. I enjoy all the posts that are on my list.  Always a good way to start the day.

God Bless-johnnyb

Vetrans Day

I have been out of commission for the past couple of days.  Thursday I took the window A/C out and intended to put the storm window back on.  In the process of carrying the storm widow, I tripped and fell.  The sharp, metal corner of the window sliced through the right hand ring finger, cutting it to the bone.  Right at the point of attachment to the hand.  Took few (16) stitches to get everything back to where it should be.  I told the doctor to make sure he didn't get any of my middle finger stitched into the ring finger. If I flip somebody off, I don't want both fingers popping up!For a few weeks I will be doing everything left handed, which I can do with no problem except for writing.  But then I look at my usual penmanship and it isn't all that good either.  Life continues on.  The storm window will go up when the hand heals.  BTW, the storm window did not break.  It is an old metal storm.  No aluminum in it.  Solid metal.  

I can accept growing old.  I just can't accept growing old.  This meaning, I have not put myself into the mod of growing older. I need to slow down and not try to hurry myself through things.  I'm retired.  I can do it tomorrow.   There is nothing,unless it is an emergency,  that it has to be done right now.  If it takes me all day, WTF.  As long as it doesn't interfere with lunch or a nap,  I'm good.  Or I should be.  But, oh no, I have to go at a project like there is no tomorrow.  The thing is, if there is no tomorrow, what difference does it make.

Thanks to all of those who are serving, and have served. to protect the freedom of their country, wherever that may be.

All for now--God Bless-johnnyb

Our little part of the world

I am posting some pics of the community that I live in.  They were taken in the early 1900's and maybe some earlier.  I have no way of knowing the exact years.  The first picture has to be after 1902, because that is when one of the houses in the center was built (it is also the picture in my header).

 The little shed,  and the two houses  next to it are still standing.  In the upper left hand part of the picture is the school, a church and house.   The school was replaced by WPA in the 1930's.  The newer one still stands.  The church was torn down a years ago.  The little house is our little house.  Still standing in all its glory!  Where the church stood is where our garden is.  Everything has grown in weeds and trees now where the main part of town was.  I guess you could say we live in the suburbs.  This is also my profile picture.  The other picture are just pics of the town at that time.

.

Just something different for today.  BTW there are about 6 full time residents now.  During hunting season, this will increase greatly.

God Bless All--johnnyb

I have not posted anything yet, but have been reading and commenting on other blogs.  There is not much I can add to anything that has been said, so I will leave it at that.  Happy I am not.  Disappointed I am.

Went to the doctor yesterday.  Had to get my meds redone and blood tests to check all the things that my need to be checked a couple of times a year.  I am happy to report that I am just about as healthy as I can be for  66 y/o male with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides.  I have been fighting fight a cold and cough for a few days, so he gave me some happy medicine.  Hasn't helped the cough, but now I don't give a damn!

Oh well, onward and upward or downward, as the case may well be.  I want to thank Stephen for his post this morning.  It was well said.  Life must go on.  We can't let ourselves be taken in too much with happenings of yesterday.

God Bless you All.  Keep the faith---johnnyb

Welcome and other things of interest, (or not)

Welcome to new followers Gail and Claudia.  Thanks for stopping by.  All comments will be answered, hopefully in a timely manner.

Another nice week in the making.  Forecast is for a small chance of snow on Saturday night, other than that looks good for the week.  Hopefully I can get some more done on garden preps for next year.  I have taken down the fence and re-doing it.  Hopefully it will be more bunny-proof.  They have been a real problem this year.  We seeded in new grass in the lawn this fall.  Got a good stand coming up, but the rabbits have been keeping it "mowed" off.  The dogs keep them out during the day, well sometimes:

These two seem to be off duty this morning.  Oh well, they were out on  perimeter recon late last night, so I guess they can sleep in a little!  Then again, they may be on strike.  Dog biscuits are all gone, and when there are no dog biscuits, it ain't pretty.  Have to pick up some when in town tomorrow doing our civic duty.   I can see a widespread lead poisoning pandemic rising among the rabbit population this winter.  There are just too many around.

I have been fighting a cold for the past few days.  Hopefully I am on the mend.  Too much to do.  Maybe I can get the fence done.  A friend gave us a large pumpkin, so we will process it this week.  The seeds we will keep for snacks and for next year.  Carol dry canned some more pasta and some home-made granola last week.  The granola turned out well.  I think she got the recipe off of Pinterest.  Our chickens are  doing good.  We got 15 eggs from 16 hens yesterday.  They have been moulting so production has been off a little.  I increased their protein during this time and it seemed to help.  Nothing fancy, just some cat food along with their scratch in the evening.  They always come to the front of the pen when they see me coming.

I hope everyone will vote tomorrow if you haven't already.  I haven't said much about my political views here,  but I am very concerned about the future of our Great Country if something isn't changed.  I just hope it is not too late.  We The People need to take back more control of things before Big Brother gets any bigger.  Voting is one way that we can show how we feel about the situation.  It is our right and we need to use before it is taken from us.  Ok, I'm off the soap box now.  Said more than I had intended.  Just concerned is all!

God Bless this Great Country, those who live in it,  and above all, those who serve, have served, and have given beyond the call of duty to help protect the freedom given us by our Founding Fathers.---johnnyb

Thought for today

“It is a great advantage to a president, and a major source of safety to the country, for him to know he is not a great man.”

— Calvin Coolidge