Monday's Missives

That is a long way down, isn't it dad? Yes, it is. Please be careful I said with my heart in my throat when I turned to see him looking into that yawning chasm of death instead of walking right behind me like I thought he was.

Life In The Balance

Hey, want a nice bottle of urine some arrogant rock climber left behind?

Amtrac drive sprocket

Guy being towed was having a bad day but was good humored about it

Gama Goat. I have driven untold miles in various examples of this weird old utility vehicle.  It was a 6 wheel drive and would float with a swim kit mounted. You can mount an infinite number trailers to each other making it look like a giant centipede. It had a 3 cylinder Cummins? diesel mounted right behind the driver that was loud as thunder. It would literally make you want to vomit to drive one for a couple of hours at highway speed- with  hearing protectors on. It will be on my short list for my dream shopping spree when my ship comes in.

When I put something made of meat and tube shaped in my mouth called Lil Chub... well, lets just assume that will never happen.

The rare and elusive Canada goose

Wall of legends of Mineral Wells State Park

Shadows

I imagined this elder gentleman helping the Hispanic man rig his fishing gear up as being somebody who without any malice whatsoever would pronounce Mexican as Messican.

I asked the concession operator what his number one seller was in this after hours bait machine. Butterfinger bars was his surprise answer. I correctly guessed number 2 as being Mtn Dew. He said the machine cost 8 thousand dollars. 

Her name was Dixie according to the calls of the people she abandoned with glee to come explore near us. Another light colored Lab was named Cracker. They were comical and smart - kinda in the job description of Labs I suppose.

This says I'm right here

Ancient Indian pottery shard

• The madness that is Afghanistan
• I like Walmart, good prices,quality merchandise and local assability." From a comments section on Walmart. "Assability"? Huh?!
• A couple of days ago I saw woman driving erratically and 5 mph under the speed limit in the passing lane. As I and the other 10 people she had stacked up behind her for miles passed her she looked up, took a look around and with a grin on her face looked back down to her phone and resumed texting. That same afternoon I saw a guy sharpening his pocket knife while driving and talking on a Bluetooth headset.
• Tomorrows planned trip to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch may be postponed due to thunderstorms.
• I had that very rare headache yesterday. It caused me to be nauseated and light sensitive. Even more rare for me- it forced me to leave work early.
• Barry mentioned once being known for having quick reflexes. On the same day I had the same observation scheduled to post on myself. When I saw his I took mine down so I wouldn't look like a copycat. That is a weird coincidence though for such a random thought isn't it? Anyway, yes I'm known for the same thing by people I'm around. I'll catch papers in mid air that somebody drops or a coffee cup a waitress drops etc. A few days ago a nurse missed the counter with her coffee cup as she tried to place it on the counter I was standing near. Reflexively, my foot went out catching the cup in midair, then in almost the same motion my foot went down to ease it to the floor. My nursing buddy said,"How did you do that? That isn't right- nobody should know how to do that." It's just another one of my superpowers.
• All my dreams were just a jumble of randomocity last night.
• Relationship pro tip: If your significant other wants some space be the second person in the history of the world to give it to them. Don't try to take control of the situation and find out whats going on or try to get physical to let them know what they're missing or whatever- let them go.
• It seems ignorant at least and maybe slightly racist for TV shows to subtitle a persons dialogue when they speak perfect English but with an accent that may be strong to Western ears.

Monday's Missives

• "Roller Furling Jib 135% Mainsail with reefing plus a spare main 2 Jib sheet winches 2 Halyard winches ."



• The above from a sailboat ad demonstrates why guys who like them and guys who like real boats can never get along- I don't understand a word that dude said.



• Above picture is Liemba a ferry operating on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. Liemba is an interesting vessel for many reasons not least of which is the fact after being built in 1913 she was scuttled in 1916 to the bottom of the lake where she remained until 1924. The Brits raised her in 1924 to begin life as a ferry- a role continued to this day. If you've ever seen Michael Palin's Pole To Pole you may recognize this craft. Also she was the inspiration for the German gunboat in The African Queen. Very close to 100 years of existence- even if not service the entire time- is still pretty amazing.



• I noticed above a patients bed a while back a 70+ year old picture of my patients very young and beautiful wife. Thought it was interesting there were some pictures of them together in later life but, none while younger and this particular picture was large and very prominently displayed. While I was contemplating the possible meanings of this and was in fact making a note to put a thought about it here- he died. Was he at that very moment reunited with that very beautiful, young lady? Had he spent the last 3 years since her death thinking of little more while looking at that picture?



• A family member recently said,"We've been married 60 years and 2 weeks." Kind of makes me sad that I'll never be able to say the same.



• Unless I remarry tomorrow and live to 107 years and 2 weeks.