Sitting here having my coffee and contemplating the day. The dogs and I have had our toasted oats for the day. Theirs is the honey toasted and mine regular. Too much sugar in the honey toasted for my system. Dinka, the Grand Dame of the crew just has a dog treat. Or usually treats, plural. Her routine starts anytime between 7AM and 10AM. Usually the latter. She never has been an early riser. Upon rising she immediately wants out, regardless of what we may be doing. She usually will not accept a treat at this time. Not the way it is done. After a time of wandering aimlessly about, trying to find the exactly perfect spot, and I mean it has to be perfect, she will do her morning "stuff". After this she comes to the back door and barks. She won't come in, but sits there looking at me like I am a complete idiot. At this time she will take a dog treat and either eat it or bury it for future use. When the snow melts we will probably find all of these brown crumb spots all over the yard. Then she will come back to the door and we do it all over again. It's like Johnnyb's mcdoggles drive up window. We watched her the other morning wander around the yard for quite a while looking for a place to bury the treat and finally gave up and ate it. dog's can be such a source of amusement if a person will take the time to watch. The other two, Bella and Annie, have a different routine. You can almost set your watch by them in the morning. They are ready to go out a 7AM every morning. Bunny patrol, you know. Important stuff. Once in a while they will catch a rabbit, but not often. The rabbit will generally make it through the fence before they catch it. Then they are back in for cheerios, and back to bed.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. Please pray for all that are in need. I guess when you think about it, that would be about all of us. We all are in need in one form or the other. Prayers are answered, just not always like we want.
God Bless all--johnnyb
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Welcome
Thanks and welcome to those who have hit the follow button. Stop by often and give your 2 cents. I will try to answer all comments.
The dogs are bored today. Foggy and chilly. They don't stay outside too long. Bella likes to have her picture taken. Actually she like the flash. She is becoming paranoid with light reflections. She can spend hours outside waiting for a reflection from a door or whatever. She is a nut. Freezing moisture all night. Everything was ice earlier this morning. It has since warmed above freezing and the ice is gone. It probably will return tonight.
Carol and I have been putting some thoughts on some craft projects that she and a friend are going to work on. They like to use re-purposed materials to do the projects. I am the head of the research department (scavenging and foraging.) It is fun. Keeps me out of trouble.
Thought for the day--"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends."--J.K. Rowling
God Bless all--johnnyb
The dogs are bored today. Foggy and chilly. They don't stay outside too long. Bella likes to have her picture taken. Actually she like the flash. She is becoming paranoid with light reflections. She can spend hours outside waiting for a reflection from a door or whatever. She is a nut. Freezing moisture all night. Everything was ice earlier this morning. It has since warmed above freezing and the ice is gone. It probably will return tonight.
Carol and I have been putting some thoughts on some craft projects that she and a friend are going to work on. They like to use re-purposed materials to do the projects. I am the head of the research department (scavenging and foraging.) It is fun. Keeps me out of trouble.
Thought for the day--"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends."--J.K. Rowling
God Bless all--johnnyb
Monday, December 12, 2011
Early Christmas
We had kids here for the weekend. One daughter and family from west central Kansas spent the weekend. Another daughter and SIL from Nebraska were here on Saturday. Always fun to have grandkids around for a while. Two are teenagers and one is a 6 y/o terror on two legs.. I would be worn out if I had to try to keep up with him for a while. I, the SILs and older grandkids did some shooting . We always try to do so when they are here. I finally got to shoot my Model 1891 Argentine Mauser. My dad had bought it back in the 1960's. I had shot it a little at the time, but it was never shot much. It had just set around for years in a back closet. My brother didn't really want it, so I took it a couple of years ago. I cleaned it up checked it out the best I could. Everything seemed to be ok with it. Amoo was a problem. 765 X 53. Finally found some. It is fun to shoot. The gun is all original. All serial numbers on the gun match. Right down to the cleaning rod. Only thing I don't have is a bayonet. I have seen them somewhere on the net. Will have to search. Would be a great addition to the weapon. Anyway we all had fun shooting it. Probably won't shoot it a whole lot. Nice to have. Good conversation piece. By the serial number, it was manufactured in 1892.
Weather warmed a little the past few days. Melted the snow a little. We are supposed to have some freezing drizzle and a little snow tomorrow. Bring it on! Not much I can do about it. Got good books to read, a few inside projects to do, and a couple of new seed catalogs to look at, so I am set.
Lesson for the day' mostly for the benefit of my female friends:
Weather warmed a little the past few days. Melted the snow a little. We are supposed to have some freezing drizzle and a little snow tomorrow. Bring it on! Not much I can do about it. Got good books to read, a few inside projects to do, and a couple of new seed catalogs to look at, so I am set.
Lesson for the day' mostly for the benefit of my female friends:
REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME …
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.
Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.
We should've known…...
ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.
ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.
God Bless all, have a good week and keep all others in your prayers---johnnyb
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Out of the deepfreeze
The weather is finally warming bit. Warmed into the 30's yesterday. Tuesday morning it was -14 degrees F. 10 degrees above zero this morning. There is forecast a few flurries today and then warming for the weekend. Upper 40's by Sunday. The snow starting to melt, so it will be slushy mess in a couple of days. Good moisture since the ground is not completely frozen yet.
Had a couple of pheasant hunters staying in our cabin for a couple of nights. The small heater
didn't keep up well when it was so cold that one night. We had worried about them, but it was no problem. They live in Colorado in the mountains, and said they usually sleep with the windows open during the winter. One said at his house, you could make ice cubes in the bedroom. We had plenty of blankets anyway. I was afraid the heater wasn't working good, so I went to town and got another. Figured between the two it would keep the temp up a little better. It did, and they told me it got too warm and they had to shut one off! They are a part of a group 7 that hunts here every year. The guy that brings them here owns a house right next to us. He just had too many for the beds he has, so we took the overflow. Most are from Colorado, a couple of them from eastern Nebraska. It is always fun having them here. We have been friends with the one that owns the house for about 16 years. He comes here a half a dozen times or more a year. Hunting in the fall, winter, and spring, and just chillin' in the summer. Very good people. We take care of his house and yard when he isn't here.
We have kids coming for an early Christmas this weekend. One daughter and grandkids. Always fun to have them. One grandson likes to do some shooting, so I have been making sure everything is in order in that category. Shoot mostly black powder. He thinks it is pretty neat.
The rest of our Christmas is kind of helter-skelter. One son is State Trooper, another son is an Emergency Dispatcher, SIL is a city policeman, another daughter's significant other is Deputy Sheriff. Only the dispatcher and the deputy are in the same town. Shift work is hard to plan around. The other daughter and family only live 20 miles away, so that is not a problem. They work 9-5 jobs so it is easier.
We both enjoy rodeos, and have been watching the National Finals this week. It just makes my bones hurt even more just watching. I don't see how they can do it day after day. I suppose they will feel it more in later years. We used to go to more rodeos, but the price of gas kind of prohibits it.
Quote for the day--"We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress".- Will Rogers
God Bless all, be good, and if you can't be good, at least be safe!--johnnyb
Had a couple of pheasant hunters staying in our cabin for a couple of nights. The small heater
didn't keep up well when it was so cold that one night. We had worried about them, but it was no problem. They live in Colorado in the mountains, and said they usually sleep with the windows open during the winter. One said at his house, you could make ice cubes in the bedroom. We had plenty of blankets anyway. I was afraid the heater wasn't working good, so I went to town and got another. Figured between the two it would keep the temp up a little better. It did, and they told me it got too warm and they had to shut one off! They are a part of a group 7 that hunts here every year. The guy that brings them here owns a house right next to us. He just had too many for the beds he has, so we took the overflow. Most are from Colorado, a couple of them from eastern Nebraska. It is always fun having them here. We have been friends with the one that owns the house for about 16 years. He comes here a half a dozen times or more a year. Hunting in the fall, winter, and spring, and just chillin' in the summer. Very good people. We take care of his house and yard when he isn't here.
We have kids coming for an early Christmas this weekend. One daughter and grandkids. Always fun to have them. One grandson likes to do some shooting, so I have been making sure everything is in order in that category. Shoot mostly black powder. He thinks it is pretty neat.
The rest of our Christmas is kind of helter-skelter. One son is State Trooper, another son is an Emergency Dispatcher, SIL is a city policeman, another daughter's significant other is Deputy Sheriff. Only the dispatcher and the deputy are in the same town. Shift work is hard to plan around. The other daughter and family only live 20 miles away, so that is not a problem. They work 9-5 jobs so it is easier.
We both enjoy rodeos, and have been watching the National Finals this week. It just makes my bones hurt even more just watching. I don't see how they can do it day after day. I suppose they will feel it more in later years. We used to go to more rodeos, but the price of gas kind of prohibits it.
Quote for the day--"We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress".- Will Rogers
God Bless all, be good, and if you can't be good, at least be safe!--johnnyb
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Storms end
The blow is over. It wasn't too bad. A few drifts, but nothing major. No roads closed or anything like that. Ended up with about a foot of the white stuff. As you can see from the pics, the dogs had fun playing in the snow. Temperature is about 4 F this morning. Had to get that from the internet as the thermometer froze up yesterday. Supposed to be colder tomorrow night. -5 to -10 degrees F. The brass monkeys will be in trouble again. Poor guys. Oh well, it could be a lot worse. I'll not complain too much because we aren't as cold as some parts of the country. It will warm up someday, and then we can get into garden mode. House is warm. Burning about a bag of wood pellets a day. Lots cheaper than propane.
Need to finish my coffee and start removing some of the drifts from around the house. God Bless all--johnnyb
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow
We are getting a nice winter storm this morning. Weather reports say 4-10 inches for this area. We already have about 4 inches so I'm guessing we will be in the upper end of the spectrum. No wind yet, but it is supposed to pick up to about 30 MPH during the day. It will probably pile up in the road ditches and fence rows where it doesn't do much good. Oh well it is December, so this can be expected. It is kind of pretty so far. I've got coffee on, the dogs have been out,(and right back in), got some good friends to follow on their blogs and a good book to read. I think I am set for the day.
Quote for today-"Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.-- Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
God Bless all and be safe--johnnyb
Friday, December 2, 2011
Life as a child
Just want to pass this little story on. Author unknown. Just plain amusing.
Life as a child.
Around age 10 my dad got me one of those little badass compound bow beginner kits. Of course, the first month I went around our land sticking arrows in anything that could get stuck by an arrow.
That got boring, so being the 10 yr. old Dukes of Hazard fan that I was, I quickly advanced to taking strips of cut up T-shirt doused in chainsaw gas tied around the end and was sending flaming arrows all over the place
One summer afternoon, I was shooting flaming arrows into a large rotten oak stump in our backyard. I looked over under the carport and saw a shiny brand new can of starting fluid (ether). The light bulb went off in my head.
I grabbed the can and set it on the stump. I thought that it would probably just spray out in a disappointing manner. Let’s face it, to a 10 yr. old mouth-breather like myself ether really doesn't 'sound' flammable.
So, I went back into the house and got a 1 pound can of Pyrodex (black powder for muzzle loader rifles). At this point, I set the can of ether on the stump and opened up the can of black powder.
Did you know that a 1955 40-horse Farmall tractor tire will take 6 rounds before it goes down? Tough son of a gun!
My intentions were to sprinkle a little bit around the ether can but it all sorta dumped out on me. No biggie, 1 lb. of Pyrodex and 16 oz. of ether should make a loud pop, kinda like a firecracker you know?
You know what? Forget that, I'm going back in the house for the other can. Yes, I got a second can of Pyrodex and dumped it too. Now we're cookin'.
I stepped back about 15 ft. and lit the 2 stroke arrow. I drew the nock to my cheek and took aim.
As I released I heard a clunk as the arrow launched from my bow. In a slow motion time frame, I turned to see my dad getting out of the truck... OH SHOOT!
He just got home from work. So help me God it took 10 minutes for that arrow to go from my bow to the can. My dad was walking towards me in slow motion with a "what in the world are you doing?" look in his eyes.
I turned back towards my target just in time to see the arrow pierce the starting fluid can right at the bottom. Right through the main pile of Pyrodex and into the can. Oh shoot.
When the shock wave hit it knocked me off my feet. I don't know if it was the actual compression wave that threw me back or just reflex jerk back from 235 fricking decibels of sound. I caught a half a millisecond glimpse of the violence during the initial explosion and I will tell you there was dust, grass, and bugs all hovering 1 ft. above the ground as far as I could see. It was like a little low-to-the-ground layer of dust fog full of grasshoppers, spiders, and a worm or two.
The daylight turned purple. Let me repeat this... THE FRICKING DAYLIGHT TURNED PURPLE. There was a big sweetgum tree out by the gate going into the pasture. Notice I said "was". That son of a gun got up and ran off.
So here I am, on the ground blown completely out of my shoes with my Thundercats t-shirt shredded, my dad is on the other side of the carport having what I can only assume is a Vietnam flashback:
ECHO BRAVO CHARLIE YOU'RE BRINGIN' EM IN TOO CLOSE!! CEASE FIRE. DAMN IT
CEASE FIRE!!!!!
His hat has blown off and is 30 ft. behind him in the driveway. All windows on the north side of the house are blown out and there is a slow-rolling mushroom cloud about 2000 ft. over our backyard.
There is a Honda 185 3-wheeler parked on the other side of the yard and the fenders are drooped down and are now touching the tires.
I wish I knew what I said to my dad at this moment. I don't know - I know I said something. I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear inside my own head. I don't think he heard me either... not that it would really matter. I don't remember much from this point on. I said something, felt a sharp pain, and then woke up later. I felt a sharp pain, blacked out, woke later ... repeat this process for an hour or so and you get the idea.
I remember at one point my mom had to give me CPR, and Dad was screaming Bring him back to life so I can kill him again." Thanks Mom.
One thing is for sure... I never had to mow around that stump again. Mom had been complaining about that thing for years and dad never did anything about it. I stepped up to the plate and handled business.
Dad sold his muzzle loader a week or so later. I still have some sort of bone growth abnormality, either from the blast or the beating, or both.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, get your kids into archery. It's good discipline and will teach them skills they can use later on in life.
Author Unknown
Life as a child.
Around age 10 my dad got me one of those little badass compound bow beginner kits. Of course, the first month I went around our land sticking arrows in anything that could get stuck by an arrow.
That got boring, so being the 10 yr. old Dukes of Hazard fan that I was, I quickly advanced to taking strips of cut up T-shirt doused in chainsaw gas tied around the end and was sending flaming arrows all over the place
One summer afternoon, I was shooting flaming arrows into a large rotten oak stump in our backyard. I looked over under the carport and saw a shiny brand new can of starting fluid (ether). The light bulb went off in my head.
I grabbed the can and set it on the stump. I thought that it would probably just spray out in a disappointing manner. Let’s face it, to a 10 yr. old mouth-breather like myself ether really doesn't 'sound' flammable.
So, I went back into the house and got a 1 pound can of Pyrodex (black powder for muzzle loader rifles). At this point, I set the can of ether on the stump and opened up the can of black powder.
Did you know that a 1955 40-horse Farmall tractor tire will take 6 rounds before it goes down? Tough son of a gun!
My intentions were to sprinkle a little bit around the ether can but it all sorta dumped out on me. No biggie, 1 lb. of Pyrodex and 16 oz. of ether should make a loud pop, kinda like a firecracker you know?
You know what? Forget that, I'm going back in the house for the other can. Yes, I got a second can of Pyrodex and dumped it too. Now we're cookin'.
I stepped back about 15 ft. and lit the 2 stroke arrow. I drew the nock to my cheek and took aim.
As I released I heard a clunk as the arrow launched from my bow. In a slow motion time frame, I turned to see my dad getting out of the truck... OH SHOOT!
He just got home from work. So help me God it took 10 minutes for that arrow to go from my bow to the can. My dad was walking towards me in slow motion with a "what in the world are you doing?" look in his eyes.
I turned back towards my target just in time to see the arrow pierce the starting fluid can right at the bottom. Right through the main pile of Pyrodex and into the can. Oh shoot.
When the shock wave hit it knocked me off my feet. I don't know if it was the actual compression wave that threw me back or just reflex jerk back from 235 fricking decibels of sound. I caught a half a millisecond glimpse of the violence during the initial explosion and I will tell you there was dust, grass, and bugs all hovering 1 ft. above the ground as far as I could see. It was like a little low-to-the-ground layer of dust fog full of grasshoppers, spiders, and a worm or two.
The daylight turned purple. Let me repeat this... THE FRICKING DAYLIGHT TURNED PURPLE. There was a big sweetgum tree out by the gate going into the pasture. Notice I said "was". That son of a gun got up and ran off.
So here I am, on the ground blown completely out of my shoes with my Thundercats t-shirt shredded, my dad is on the other side of the carport having what I can only assume is a Vietnam flashback:
ECHO BRAVO CHARLIE YOU'RE BRINGIN' EM IN TOO CLOSE!! CEASE FIRE. DAMN IT
CEASE FIRE!!!!!
His hat has blown off and is 30 ft. behind him in the driveway. All windows on the north side of the house are blown out and there is a slow-rolling mushroom cloud about 2000 ft. over our backyard.
There is a Honda 185 3-wheeler parked on the other side of the yard and the fenders are drooped down and are now touching the tires.
I wish I knew what I said to my dad at this moment. I don't know - I know I said something. I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear inside my own head. I don't think he heard me either... not that it would really matter. I don't remember much from this point on. I said something, felt a sharp pain, and then woke up later. I felt a sharp pain, blacked out, woke later ... repeat this process for an hour or so and you get the idea.
I remember at one point my mom had to give me CPR, and Dad was screaming Bring him back to life so I can kill him again." Thanks Mom.
One thing is for sure... I never had to mow around that stump again. Mom had been complaining about that thing for years and dad never did anything about it. I stepped up to the plate and handled business.
Dad sold his muzzle loader a week or so later. I still have some sort of bone growth abnormality, either from the blast or the beating, or both.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, get your kids into archery. It's good discipline and will teach them skills they can use later on in life.
Author Unknown
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