Wednesday's Digressions

There is an organization in our area that traps cats, sterilizes them and after notching their ear's releases them. Whatever happened to the good old days when cat problems were solved with a 5 gallon bucket of water or a shot of Fatal-Plus to the heart?

• My son is listening to Led Zeppelin- that is wild. The first time I remember listening to Zeppelin I spent the day with a couple of other miscreants cruising in a new 1979 Chevrolet pickup. This was one of the first as I recall, luxury trim trucks that was intended to be as comfortable as a car. My dads last car was a 1969 LTD that I think he paid 300.00 for, so I thought that guys truck was opulent. It was pouring rain so we rode around listening to The Rain Song over and over visiting other guys who were rained out of work.
  


• I cannot comprehend people staying in their houses when ordered to evacuate during a disaster. My brother has lived in Houston and areas south of there for years A hurricane or severe tropical storm comes- he boards up the house (with decking stored in the garage year round just for the purpose), takes what he wants and needs, secures the rest and heads north ahead of the weather and crowds. He then stops where it's safe, gets a hotel room and watches the storm on the Weather Channel. When everything is clear they load up and head home.

  

  Chandor Gardens does peppers along with their flowers for color. That was totally my idea first.



• Instead of powdered garlic I've started using California granulated It is very good- in fact I couldn't go back to powdered.


• If you think my dog is sound asleep but, suddenly he snorts out his nose, jumps up real quick and moves across the room and lies back down you better hold your nose- he just farted. He can't help it, he's a typical guy I guess.
• The above from a very old draft clean up day. I haven't had a dog in years.

  

  There are many ways to build a campfire- tepee, log cabin, the lean-to... Here I demonstrate the pile all the flammable crud you can find on one side of a log, pour a half a liter of stove fuel on the pile, strike a match and stand back method.

  
  
  
  
  
• Bass Drum of Death, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Ty Segall have been on the playlist a lot lately.
• Spacemen 3- Forged Prescriptions. I discovered them today (09/08/2014). I dig them the most and hope you do also.
• Is it "also" as I wrote or too?

  

  Did I notice before that these steps are millstones? Holy smokes I walked across them a hundred times before that jumped out at me. That is the magic that is Chandor Gardens.

  
  

  

  They even have cool places to take a load off.

Friday's Dispatch

• Red Dawn- caught it on Google Video recently. It has aged very well- man, it's just a good movie- not only a good depiction of the subject matter.
• For all the actors who are still prominent still the strangest one to see so young was Charlie Sheen who played Patrick Swayzes characters younger brother and I don't know why- some others have died, some look rough for their years.
• For years it was in The Guinness Book- for the most violent movie ever. I believe an act of violence happens every 2 minutes.
• Rarely do I decide I want a dog and then find one- they generally find me after being dumped or we are otherwise brought together by fate.
• What ever happened to Dog Chapman the bounty hunter? The saying, Some people are their own worst enemies was made for that guy.
• It's ridiculous but, I hate when people discover things I loved that were at one time not so well known.
• I want to re-read Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. My last copy was given to me by an Ibu person from Nigeria.
• Nigerians, Ungandans, Rwandans, Congolese and Sudanese- the good ones are salt of the earth.
• An old friend dated a girl whose father was a Colonel in an SS unit during WWII. I still have a Hitler postage stamp from him. I've heard it's worth a couple of hundred bucks but, I doubt it- they made jillions so Hitler could profit from the royalties.

Nap Time Buddies

Mondays Missives

• Me, Z man and the dog attempted to sleep outside last night on the trampoline. Z was a little apprehensive at first but, he played with the flashlight a minute, handed it off to me, turned onto his side, sighed real big and went to sleep. All was well until some animal down near the pond started screaming bloody murder just as I was dozing off. A little while later a coyote started howling within 50-100 feet of us which startled me and set the dog off. About midnight I'd had enough wildness and we came inside.




• I know a baby is supposed to sleep on their backs with nothing in the bed that can cover their faces or wrap around their neck. I also know part of the job of a parent is to protect your children from themselves sometimes but, since Z man could first move on his own as soon as he is covered for sleep he grabs the blanket, pulls it over his own face and rolls over on his side- seems so natural for him.




• We went to the pond yesterday and started a fire camp- (daughters terminology) and listened to her read her assignment. I hope things like that mean as much to her and are as unforgettable to her as they are to me.




• She and I had a picnic there a couple of weeks ago, she still talks about it often.




• The pond had fish in it two days after the rain. I don't know how, there is nothing upstream and the guys who have stocked it before didn't put them there. There are also tiny toads there now that metamorphosed since the pond refilled everywhere. Life will find a way.




• Soon will be the time to clean out the flowerbeds for winter and figure out what to do with the leaves on the ground. A simple compost method. Get a 55 gallon barrel (metal or plastic, whatever your local junk dealer carries) preferably one with a hoop clamp at the top and cut the bottom off and place it in full sun after painting it flat black. Have a circular piece of wood, plastic or metal (the bottom piece you cut out of the barrel will work fine) cut small enough to fit down in top opening to mush down the leaves and whatever. Drill a few equally spaced holes on the side of the barrel to improve ventilation. As you put organic matter in the barrel wet it down well, place the round piece of material on top, put a cement block etc on for weight to compact for placing more matter remove when through filling to improve airflow. You'll want two of these barrels if you have a yard anywhere near an acre, large flowerbed, or trees etc. There's not a lot of mystery to this in spite of recipes and contraptions that seem determined to complicate this process. A variation of the above composter will in direct sun in North Central Texas heat the material placed in it too hot to touch and will reduce a surprising amount of matter very rapidly if watered well and stirred up occasionally. When ready to use the barrel can be rolled off the compost to allow handling there at the site or flipped completely over and placed on a handtruck to allow it to be carried to where it's needed.




• I just realized I've never seen a live comedy show. That should be corrected if Zack Galifiniakis appears in DFW.

Wednesdays Digressions

• I love milk. I think there are few simpler things a person could do improve their health easier than drinking a couple of glasses of skim milk a day. This is especially true for women. People say, "Ugh, how can you drink skim milk- it's like milk that's been watered down." When you get accustomed to skim whole is like drinking milk that has grease added to it. It sticks to your teeth and makes you feel bad. When you make the switch you can't understand how anyone would ever drink whole milk.


• I put ice in my milk sometimes- tasty.


• My neighbors are a family of five and the mom has said she spent over 400.00 one month on milk. How is that possible?


• For a fairly healthy breakfast that will really keep you going, eat an apple and/or a banana, a cup of oatmeal and drink a glass of Carnation breakfast drink or Ovaltine in skim milk and then a large glass of ice water. If a Mountain Dew and two sausage biscuits is more your normal day starter you simply won't believe how good it will make you feel.


• http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/cockpit1.htm for a 360 degree tour of an Airbus A 380.


• My lawn tractor will do 5.5 miles per hour on the road by GPS. Yeah, I'm one of those types.


• The dog worships me. I was outside earlier trying to mow ahead of the rain and he followed me every lap and if I stopped to pick up or move something he ran up to be petted and hug me that's what it seems like anyway, he pushes his side against my leg and curls around burying his face between my legs and I push back with my hand against his head and rub behind his ear. No matter how many times I have to get up with the baby at night he's right there. If people call him and I'm around he acts like he didn't hear a thing and sits right beside me. You could have done a lot better there, my loyal and faithful companion.