The Beast and the Beauty

35 degrees and a little moisture, maybe a white flake occasionally. Just one of those days where I feel like my get-up-and-go, got-up-and-went! Not supposed to get much snow, but I'm not in the mood for any. More west in Colorado. I think winter is getting a foot hold.
We have been doing a few projects the past few days. Carol worked on the raised beds some more. I have been gathering up old old lumber from the tear-down house for use in the garden. We need to check around the railroad tracks for some more old ties. We used up all we had collected. Just hope we can control the weeds better. Also been working in the cabin. Had to get more siding, so I can get the walls completed. We dug up some parsnips, and a few potatoes that were still in the ground. Made a good meal. We will deep mulch the parsnips and gather as we need them over the winter. What is left we will pull in the spring and can. We won't need to plant any next year as we still have some from a couple of years back. Just checked the temp. Heat wave. Up to 39 degrees F.
I've been reading of the Feds test of the EAS on 11-9-2011. Matt has a good post and comments on his site, and I just decided to do a little more reading on the subject.I guess it just alarms me that something like this is possible. I realize why the system was developed. One form or another has been in place since the old Conelrad system we grew up with during the early Cold War years. The weather service uses The system to put out alerts. We monitor weather radio during the severe weather months. the system wasn't used during 9-11, Oklahoma bombing or other emergency situations. Why now? It is just to convenient for those in power to be able to shut down all airwaves for their own benefit. That is my problem and thoughts to the situation. Scaaaary!!!!!!!
The sunsets have been really awesome lately. I like to include them occasionally just as a reminder of the beauty of God's work. I would liked to have been able to observe the Northern Lights. Haven't heard of any reports around here. We didn't look, so if they were it is our own fault for not seeing them.
Thought for today from Dr Seuss--"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."--God Bless All--johnnyb

Nothing in particular, everything in general

What beautiful weather we are having. 70's & 80's daytime, 40's nite-time. Won't last. Wednesday's high only supposed to be in the 40's, but maybe some moisture. We need it. The problem is that this time of year it could be in the form of freezing drizzle or snow. And that sucks big time. We got quite a bit done around the yard and garden in preparation form next year. We are putting raised beds. Hoping to try and control the weeds better. When we bought this place two years ago, it was nothing more than a weed patch. It has been a fight. The lawn is getting better. We have seeded in more this year and will do more next year. We built a little fence around some of the flower beds to keep the dogs from trying to excavate. If there is any loose dirt they seem to think it is fair game for digging! We used some lathe that I took out of then old house I am tearing down. It looks rustic, which is what we were aiming for. No pics until it is done. Today I have to get some more siding from the old house to finish the walls in our little sleeping cabin area. Just about done with the mudding on the sheetrock. It is getting closer. Watched some football Saturday. Hope everybody's favorite team won, but then I guess someone has to lose. We listened to our grandson's high school game Friday nite. It was away, so we couldn't attend. They won their district play-offs, undefeated 9-0. They start the state play-offs this Friday at home, so we will be able to watch, weather permitting.
The picture is of one of my cold winter day projects. Can't play golf worth a darn, so I decided to carve little faces into the golf balls. Did have more, but got rid of them. They are kind of a mood thing. The face is sometimes a reflection of my mood at the time.
God Bless All---johnnyb

Wednesday Ramblings

Chilly morning. Around 32 degrees. Started the pellet stove this morning. Bit of a chill in the house. Should warm into the middle 50's today. Farmers are getting their corn picked. We could use a little moisture. Just so it comes in the form of rain and not snow, which can happen now.
We got the sheet rock on the ceiling in the cabin this past week-end. As soon as we get a couple of other projects done, we will get the taping and muding done. Then paint. We are finally on the downhill end of the project. We have to have it finished by the first of December as there will be some pheasant hunters using it. It has been a fun project.
Heard from a woman who's grandparents lived in this house years ago. She was happy to see the pictures of what we had done to the place. She said her grandparents would be happy with what we had done. I told her about this blog and she passed it on to her sister and cousin, so Kimberly, Gwen, and Dawn, if you read this, welcome to the site.
The community is greatly saddened by the senseless killing of the young man last week-end. It touches so many people, and the effects will be felt for a long time. There is a lot of "why" going around. What goes through a person's mind to do something like this. I guess you have to be there and in their shoes to know! And the consequences. Is it worth it? I guess this goes deeper into the human mind than I am qualified to delve.
I see where doomsday prophet Harold Camping is at it again. Friday might be the day. Damn and I just paid all the bills!---Later--johnnyb

Why?

Sad weekend for our area. A 22 y/o was shot and killed Saturday nite. Details are sketchy. Have heard details, but until I find out more they are only rumors. Happened in my home town, which is about 15 miles away. My heart and prayers go out to the families of those involved. Such a senseless thing. Later--johnny b

what next

I heard a story news yesterday about a lady who was having a get-together a the local Olive Garden. She had an American Flag she was going to put on the table. The hostess informed her that no flags or banners were permitted. When management was approached, the said they did not want any flags or banners because it might upset some people. Now this was the American Flag, Old Glory. What is wrong with this picture. The last I looked it was still called the United States of America. Probably 99.99999999% of the people were American citizens. If the flag offends them, then they are citizens of the wrong country! If they are visiting tourists from another country, it should not offend them. If it does, move on. What is happening in this great country? We should be able to display our national flag anytime or anywhere. The flagpoles should be stowed sometime where the sun don't shine, if you get my drift. If I were to visit a foreign country, I would expect to see the flag of that country being flown where-ever it was deemed needed.
In the words of Earl Pitts--Wake up Uhmerika. Something needs to be done before we lose everything that is dear to us--johnnyb

The middle of somewhere

Our 6-y/o grandson had heard someone refer our place as in the middle of nowhere. I told him that the middle of nowhere was over the hill to the west. This was the middle of somewhere. So he always refers to our place as that. when he asks about something, he will always ask if that is how we do it in the middle of somewhere!
I thought I would tell a little about our little "middle of somewhere". This community was started late 1800's. At one time it was a thriving community. Banks, hotels, stores,etc. As happened in a lot of small towns of that era, it gradually dwindled. By the 1960's there was not a lot left. School, grocery was about all. I am not sure when everything was completely boarded up. School closed in the 70's. All that was left was a grain elevator. Now there are about 9 people that live in what was the town. Most houses have been torn down, but a few still remain. We don't have anybody next to us, so it is kind of like living in the country. We have about 3 1/2 of the old city lots. About 3/4 of an acre. There is a cornfield 50 feet behind our property. The old school house sits north of our house. Was built in the late 1930's. Was a good solid rock building. Inside has been trashed by the owners. The house next to us is vacant and run-down. People that own it grew up in it, and come every few weeks to mow and clean up. The house south of that where turkeys roost on the fence is owned by a person from another state who uses it as a get-away and hunting lodge. He has put the house back to as original as possible from pictures that were in the house. Our house was pretty run down when we bought it. I think there are pictures on the older posts.
The second picture is from late 1800's. The school in the left hand side of the pic was torn down when the new one was built. The church is gone and our house sits next to the church. The large rock homes and shed in the middle of the pic are still standing. The roofs and floors have caved in. There is a pic of the south house in my June 8, 2011 post. They were pretty fancy in their day.
The other pics were early 1900's. No cars anyway.
As I said before we enjoy it here. It is peaceful, nobody bothers us. We have room for a large garden. Hope to add chickens next year. Closest town is about 15 miles away. Wallyworld in another town about 20 miles away. We are not isolated completely, just in "the middle of somewhere!"
God Bless all--johnnyb

Crispy morn

Nippy 34F degrees this morning. Probably frost in the lower areas. But it is calm and quiet. We had more wind yesterday. Getting real tired of it.
We got our tested and new glasses ordered. Will be nice to get them. My eyes have changed some, but not as much as I had expected. I think my biggest problem is that the glasses are so scratched up I can't see good through them. Carol's eyes had changed more. Glasses should be here in a week or so.
The wild turkeys are running around outside the fence. As you can see one roosted on the fence last nite. They are driving the dogs crazier. They don't bark much at them. I think they haven't quite figured out what they are. There are about 30 turkeys that range around our place. We see them 2 or 3 times a day. The other pic is an early morning moon over NW Kansas cornfield.
We bought groceries and stocked up on some extras. Gradually getting stocked on some essentials. Upped our supply of ammo. Most we can get locally. I have some 7.65X53mm coming next month then I will be set. Need to check black powder supplies, but think they are ok.
Quote for today-"Everyone who got where they had to begin where they were."--Pope John Paul II.
God Bless all--johnnyb