Slogans of My Life.

First of all, Barb sometimes hurls my words right back at me so I should be more careful what I say. I suffer from an abnormality that lets things that cross the front of my brain to fall out of my mouth or through my fingertips (Or finger tip if you really know how I type) But, I often fail to look for unintended consequences so there are several things that I have been known to say.

This morning I asked Barb if there is anything we need to get before we leave on our trip. She reminded me that I often say, "I have everything I need, most of what I want and there are Wal*Marts along the way."

I once sat down in the grass without spraying myself for chiggers. Barb said I should be more careful and be prepared. My reply was, "Maybe I want Chiggers". If you lived in Kansas where we really have chiggers, you know this is an out and out lie. No one wants chiggers.

OK, this leads me to a funny story - I was in Wyoming for a National Guard Camp. We stopped
at one of the old forts and were watching re-inactors ride their horses in Cavalry formations. There was this young girl (probably 13, the kind of kid that looks like a colt - all legs) sitting in the grass there at the edge of the parade field. She was wearing shorts and I told her that she should be careful of the chiggers. She said, "You cheeky Americans are always making fun of us Brits". I was at a loss for words and said nothing in return. A while later I was in one of the barracks that had the old bathroom split into two sides, one for each sex and overheard from the girls side, "Mum, me bum itches". I had one last word to shout over the wall, "Chiggers".

This morning there was a newspaper columnist that reported that he had met a man with a Doctorate in Certainty. One of the other writers wasn't sure that he could qualify for such a lofty degree. He surmised that he could probably get an Associate of Arts in "Perhaps".

One final word here is to all of those young people out there in the family that are still working to get to end of their plans. Plan your work and then work your plan. Keep track of your spending so you can make sure that in the long run income is greater than or equal to outgo. Don't be surprised when at least once in a while emergencies happen and you have to spend your emergency fund. That's what it is for.

OK, one additional word. One of the writers in the paper said he could almost understand the school's budget. My words to him are it is not the budget that's important but their expenditures. One local school board always said they didn't have enough money to give the teachers a cost of living raise as needed. When we got into their budget, each year they would purchase 6 or 7 buses at the years end with left over money. They had the best buses in town and the lowest paid teachers. Until Barb learned to read their expenditures.

MUD

Roman Polanski

I feel sorry for the cause of Justice when people want to let a convicted child molester run free because of his film directing ability. Our system of Justice is based on the motto, 'If you do the crime, do the time". Clearly in this case, he has been on the run for thirty years. Now that he is caught, send him to prison. If he wants to appeal, let him do that from a prison cell. Didn't he read that an International arrest warrant was issued in 2005? Just what the hell did he think that meant?

Yes, I will freely admit that my Justice side often over rides my Mercy side. I am heavily swayed by the Statue of Blind Justice with scales to measure the facts. I think I could do a good job of being a Judge during the trial but would be lacking when it came time to sentence. I would probably be known as the hanging judge and if the book recommends 20 years, be prepared to go to prison for 20 years. I personally don't care if the prison system wants to give a person time off for good behavior as that's their problem.

What I don't get is that the good people in California kept Susan Atkins in prison until she died of cancer and seem to not want Roman to go to Prison. For those of you that haven't been around for years and years, Susan was the bitch that killed a pregnant Sharon Tate Polanski on the order of Charles Manson.

Just so you know, drugging and raping a 13 year old and killing are not that far apart on the scale of bad things to not do here in the Heartland. Either one will get you shot by a parent if justice is not done in court. having 100 Actors sign a petition won't stop anything if good sense prevails.

MUD

J'est so you'll know

If your digital thermometer says IL, turn it over and see that it really says 71.

MUD

For The Record!

Barb said that my posts are one sided and I don't mention the things the Republicans have done that upset me. Let me be clear that I think almost all politicians that serve more than one session in congress are corrupted by the system. Send a poor man to Washington and he comes home a millionaire send a rich man there and he really gets rich.

Specifically concerning Bush 43, I think the conduct of the War in Iraq was superb as long as the combat portion was in effect. I would have made the the Iraqi Army generals stand back up their Army from day one and damn sure would have made them bring all those AK-47's back. I would have started with a General and told him he was in charge. When he didn't perform, pick the next guy until somewhere down in the middle of the pack there would be a Command and general Staff graduate who would and could take on the job. Those that failed to do the job would go to jail. Within 18 months, I would have my guys out of there and they would have been on their own.

I think that the Republicans have forgotten their roots and have let the far right hijack the party. Issues such as abortion have taken the Republican party to places half of the voters don't want to go, ergo the Democrats have raised their party to be in charge in Congress and the White House. Both parties have contributed to the spending to the point where no one recognizes the difference between good for their district and pork.

Again, I contend that most of the politicians today don't spend enough time to find out what the people want and go to Washington with designs to fix it. Hells, bells, how hard is it to understand that most of us want to find a way to live on what we make not on what Government gives us. Cut the damned taxes, limit the amount a lawyer can get from a medical lawsuit to $10,000 and move on smartly. Tell the world to fix their own damned problems and don't send a dollar outside of the USA until we have balanced budgets.

MUD

Where Have I Been?

This afternoon the MG and I went to hear a concert by the Fountain City (Kansas City) Brass Band. They were playing a tune up concert to support a free Clinic (Meriam Clinic) here in Topeka as they prepare to go to the National Brass Band Competition and the on to England for a concert tour. If anyone in Kansas City gets a chance to hear this wonderful group of musicians, go as fast as you can. They play everything from a Hot, "I'm going to Kansas City" to a Russian piece better than the 1812 Overture. They have won the National Brass Band competition twice (2007 and 2008).
Go to their web site at: http://www.fcbb.net/

Now, I think I look like a fairly normal person and during the concert intermission, a lady handed me an envelope and said to read it when I got home. I waited until I got out into the car and wished I had a roll of duct tape on hand when I opened the envelope. It seems this person and whole, repeat whole lot more people think there is a guy Steve Quayle out there that has the absolute truth about the Swine Flu Vaccination. It appears that some of the nutjob's supporters are calling for an armed insurrection when they come to get us on October 15th. They claim we will either submit to forced vaccination or be taken to a "camp" where old lucifer will have his sway over most events. I did go to the nutjob's web site and supposedly he lost it back a couple of years on the air when he read a like minded e-mail. I wonder what crossed their mind when a couple of months later, they realize they have been punked.

If you have some information about the world coming to an end, keep it to yourself. I don't want to know what you think. In time, our world will end but I'm betting that a lot of time will pass before it does and a whole lot of things will happen. 'Cides I have lived a wonderful life and won't feel cheated when it ends.

The hard thing for me was that this lady looked very normal and looked like she enjoyed the concert. I am here to tell you that if I thought the 15 of Oct was going to be the end, I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting in a band concert.

MUD

Hate Vs Racism

Dear President Obama,

I am sorry that you feel that my dislike for your administrations solutions to the problems of today seems like racism to you and yours. To an old conservative, your solutions are not what I expected and the congress's response are very far afield to me. To Wit:

• When General Motors came to you and asked for a loan, you removed the CEO and installed a Czar to oversee their actions. The result of your actions includes the non bankruptcy and instead of getting something of value for my General Motors Stock, I have a stock that is worth less than a dollar. The promise had been that if we buy stock, the residual value of the assets held by the corporation underwrites the stock. I one massive move, you have proven that to be only a way of speaking not a pledge. The only good news is that I diversified my holdings and I won't miss any meals over this.
• Because one of the Unions was so heavily invested in GM stock, their investment has almost wiped out the devaluation. There was also the lost promise of Lifetime health care by GM to those union members. Is this the real reason you are pushing the health Care update so hard?
• Most of us saw the need to find a way to support the banks (AIG, BoA etc) to forestall the failure of the FDIC. There was a certain need for money poured into the economy as a stimulus. When the first effort failed at the 300 Billion dollar level, it was re written to include pork for everyone and the one Trillion dollar debacle was passed in its place. Our national debt was increased by 10% in your first six months.
• Instead of letting the matters settle, you seem intent on adding to the cost of our health care by forcing some kind of an overhaul to the system that the Office of Management and Budget has predicted will add 900 Billion to the deficit over the next 10 years. They have never been right about the real cost of such programs, and mostly to the underestimated side. You continue to go public and say it will not cost us any additional money. Either we will get less or it will cost more. To say different is just not truthful, in my humble opinion.
• We heard all sorts of promise in your campaign about not bringing Lobbyists back in to your administration. Your appointees suffered from the same sort of shortcomings as those in the past and I won't include Van Jones in that list as he had his own special shortcomings. We heard about hope and change. We are now being given a congress that short of being told they will not be re-elected if they pass everything put on the table, are working on Cap and trade, a Health Bill, A bloated budget. need I go on?
• When I crawl up on my soap box, I am accused of being a Nazi in my behavior by the spokesman of your congress nancy pelosi. Mr President, I am exercising my rights to free speech. Is it hate speech if I am accused of being something I am not?
• Now, the repeated refrain from Jimmy Carter is that because we don't want a bigger Government our protestations are racist. Come on Mr. President, you have had the best of our world and you full well know what is going on. You and your wife's education were paid for by the fruits of our system. You didn't live in the ghetto, you lived in a large well heated house with enough food. Talk to the boys in North West Saint Louis about what the black experience really is and then talk racism to us. If white men killed black men at the rate they are doing it, we truly would have a race war. If you want a Nobel Peace Prize, solve that problem. Apologise to them that they are stuck there because they too didn't get a good education and wind up in a better place. Problems are solved by getting a good education, working hard and taking advantage of the chances to grow and be better. I went to school on the GI Bill after serving in Vietnam.
• The final blow to this whole discussion was the attempt to blame anger of all the above to your race. There was even a finger pointing session that would make me and the rest of the people that don't agree, responsible if some nut is violent. If being opposed to a bloated budget and a Bigger Government is bad, color me in that box. If some nut is violent in response, leave me out of that line up. Tell Al Gore that when he shouted the George Bush betrayed out country that he was racist. Tell the endless list of people that said Bush 43 was dumb that they are racist. No, Mr. President, they were opposed to his way of doing things as we are opposed to your ways. Ask my momma if you think I am all of a sudden racist because I don't like the way your party solves problems with my money.

Sincerely, MUD

Saturday

I Kinda' wonder what could be on the mind of the Basketball players fighting with the Football players over there in Lawrence. First of all, the Football players outnumber the basketball players by at least 5 to 1. Second, other than reach, the bulk of the football players (Mass in the ass) must be at least 2 to 1 per player. Third, throwing a punch and dislocating a thumb just isn't a smart thing for a basket baller to do. Hell, most of the football players will go through out their adult life with hands that have been broken so many times they can't make snowballs. I know mine hurt when they get cold.

With that said, game day today will take some of the importance away from that stupid episode. KU has worked their way up to number 20 on the top 25 teams. About 11 AM today we will see if they can maintain that position. We'll get into league play one of these days and some of those Pesky Southern Big 12 teams will come on our field. At least we can say, "Our Coach can eat your coach!" Or at least looks like he did with a defensive end as an appetiser.

Just sayn'

MUD

This and That

When in Morocco, we passed a poppy field. In a recent blog I mentioned the poppy field as something non productive in the way of food. I thought you might like to see one in production first hand. They are a beautiful flower and add to the scenery. Our host was in doubt that this field would add to the heroin trade. I don't know.

In a recent facebook post, Julie's Aunt-in-Law posted a picture of a waterfall in New York that had an eternal flame inside. I was struck by how much it looked like the waterfall near Efrane, Morocco. To make the picture better, I used the picture of Kendra and Kartina to "pretty up" the picture.

MUD

Phelpses Prevail on Appeal

The Westborough Baptist Church prevailed when the 4th US Circuit Court reversed a judgement against them. This suit was a Free Speech suit that had very far reaching implications and was a case built on a slippery slope and could have had very impeding effects on free Speech. The Judgment of over $5 million dollars was also dismissed.

Let me first say that I think the Westborough Church's signs were not Free Speech but Stupid Speech. If the majority of the people reading or hearing what you say do not find it believable, it falls below what should be legally defended. But, because it is difficult to separate what is said from what should not be said, our first amendment right to Free Speech prevails. I think that the Phelpes and the Westborough Church are wrong but Just how wrong is debatable.

Let me also say that Albert Snyder, the father of the fallen Marine, was hurt by the things said. I wish that the memory of his son had not been included in the Church's actions. A part of me said, Yes, now Fred and Company will be limited by the court. The other side of me said, Oh Shit, the law of unintended consequences could make this good decision one that is so bad to us all that we will have our liberties harmed.

The Court wrote, " To paraphrase our distinguished colleague Judge Hall, who was defending the constitution, wrote we must sometimes share our foxholes with scoundrels of every sort, but to abandon the post because of the poor company is to sell Freedom cheaply".

I find it very interesting that in this time where a lot of the things we do are being taken over and controlled by the Executive and Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch has taken a tough decision and let it fall on the side of the Constitution. Right or wrong, I hope our free speech rights will prevail and what I write will be allowed in spite of my personal biases. I don't know what I don't know, but that doesn't make what I do know wrong. Nor, should it preclude me from saying it!

MUD

Acorn Stupidity

My Pal Andy provided another picture of those rascals that fooled Acorn. Looks a lot like the friends of my son and would be welcome in most of the homes I know. Smart, Intelligent, Hot, er warm people like this should be a lot better to look at than Michael Moore.

Let me say here that Acorn must be made up of some of the most stupid people to think anyone that looks more white and stupid like Mr O'Keefe does in the picutre below could be a pimp. Even in my worst idea of what a pimp would wear there does not occur any thing like the costume worn in this picture. As for the young lady, Hanna Giles, looking like a hooker, I have no idea what makes her any different than the pictures of young women I see every day on MSN when I open my home page. Now, Acorn wants to sue because they weren't aware their employees were being filmed. With the reality TV today they should have just known that this was a set up and they were being "Punked". OK, I do think Hanna looks hot, but that is a leather dress and you know what leather smells like when it gets hot.



This weekend, Barry did not tell the truth when he said he was not aware of what Acorn was up to and the extent of the Federal Funding they recieve.. Here he is in a meeting with Acorn members. He and his staff hired them to work in his election campaign and probably aided them in finding ways to have the Federal Government help fund their actions.

Just sayin'.

MUD

Our Love of Kansas

On our first trip to Kansas, Barb asked me where is everything? After spending her first 21 years in the West where every horizon has a mountain or "scenery", Kansas didn't have the allure of the West. I had been gone for over a year from Kansas and I had forgotten what it was I loved about Kansas. Looking at the pictures Barb takes of Kansas today, I see that she has adopted the love of the sky and the fall sunflowers as much as I love them. Add to that, the trees of North East Kansas with some small rolling hills and our scenery has captured her heart.

The second stanza of Sunflowers by Albert Bigelow Paine goes:

When all the sky above is jest ez blue as blue can be,

An' the prairie air a wavin' like a yaller drifting sea,

Oh it's there my soul goes sailin' an' my heart is on the boom

In the golden fields of Kansas when the

SUN FLOWERS BLOOM

MUD

Important Problems

Last night, I fell asleep on the couch. (Duh Dennis isn't that what the couch is for?) and awoke to find the Dave Letterman show just coming on. His guest was Bill Clinton and guess who turned over to a new channel? I just think a combination of Bill Clinton and David Letterman is a bit much without a good wrapping of Duct tape. To make matters worse, I'm sure that Bill is out doing some Hillary bolstering and I know I am not up to much of that.

Well, I turned over to another talk show and low and behold there is another head exploder, our Pal and movie producer Michael Moore. About this time, Barb came downstairs and was working on her computer. At the end of his portion o f the program, Michael Moore said that he is proud that smart man is in the White House. Needless to say, Barb and I had a long discussion about what I feel is wrong about a Millionaire making a movie about what's wrong with Capitalism. He schleps around in New York looking like a bum and then goes back to his home in Connecticut.

Michael Moore is a guy that looks for opportunities to make money by exploiting problems. Hell, most of us don't need someone to tell us what's wrong, we need help from our leaders making things right. Michael Moore stood in front of Goldman Sachs and asked people walking out what a Derivative is? He should be standing in front of the Congress and asking that Question. How about asking Bill Clinton what he could have been thinking to allow Banks to get into the home Loan business? How about asking the treasury Department how the heck we could bail out Goldman when the Head is a former manager? If that was unique I would worry. The unfortunate part is that for years Money has flowed from financial intuitions into politics until it is hard to tell the good from the bad and the ugly.

What I think funny is that Barb can't stand Rush Limbaugh. He does exactly what Michael Moore does only on the radio and the other side. Both of these guys are entertainers and look for problems not solutions. Well, Rush does advocate throwing out the Current administration. They look at problems, gloss over the good and paint the bad with a broad brush and make money.

How long will it take the current administration to realize that no matter what we do? Afghanistan will continue to be what it was and no amount of manpower or machinery will cause things to change much. How many countries over the years have tried to introduce democracy to a closed society? If the people there have never tasted the greatness of a democracy (along with all the problems), what makes us think they want to? If you are a farmer in a third world country, what difference does it make who takes your food away? I loved it when Jay Leno the other night said that a reporter asked a farmer there why he grows poppies knowing the are such an evil in the world? He said, " I am a farmer what else should I grow?" Jay said "DUH, Food! isn't that what farmers should grow?" Farmers there are like farmers everywhere, they grow things to make money not to feed people. It is a by product if the people get fed. Kind of like the old saw that Capitalists make products or services to take care of people. No, they do those things to make money. Fail to make money and your fail as a business.

One final thought is why do we, the United States, continue to send money around the world when we are broke at home? I am not saying that I want us to be isolationists, but it might help if we isolated our money from the poor in the world if it makes us all more poor here at home. Just saying.

Oh well, that's all for my rant this morning. I started out to publish some pictures of the sky and sunflowers but felt that was just sappy when there are some more important problems to write about.

MUD

Eat'n from the Garden

This past week has been a delight of fresh garden produce cooked in a bunch of different ways. Yesterday I had some pork chops and I cooked the chops, added onion, garlic, chilli powder, tomatoes and rice to pan and made a Spanish rice with all those wonderful things. Tonight I made a medley of Zucchini, tomatoes, cooked chicken topped with an Italian Seasoning. All I can say is I sure hope the garden keeps this up for a week or two more.

One thing I am pretty sure of is that Barb had to declare war on the squash bugs or most of the goods on a vine would be dead. Next year, we are going into attack mode earlier in the garden and the orchard. In the orchard it was the deer that ate most of the fruits. Perhaps I need to move the dog pen out there during the fruit season. The dogs are pretty fat and lazy so something to do might be good for them.

I sure hope you are all getting all the veg's you desire. For me, more is just enough.

MUD

Joke of the Day

The Officers and Enlisted men played a soft ball game at Fort Riley. The enlisted men won by 10 runs. The Post newspaper headlines were, " Officers finish second in the ball game and the enlisted men finished next to last."

MUD

Monday Morning Rain

This morning as I came up the stairs, the view out the front yard had a golden hue. Kind of like that old color photograph that you took years ago as it fades out the reds and greens. By the time Barb realized the CF card was in the camera and not seated, the color had changed. There is a cool front passing that is going to bring us some rain today. (We hope) I know those of you in Tulsa that have been having a monsoon season for the past week might not realize we have been well over a week without any rain.

For years, Barb has said that things grow better when you put them to bed in the fall with their feet wet. I can hope this will meet that standard and I can drag in the hoses soon. One of these years I'll finally get a faucet out in the yard. As it is, we have a couple of hundred feet of hose between here and there.

So, did you read that the cooler weather this year was due to the lack of sun spot activity? What effect does man really have on the weather? The variables of the weather seem to cause us to have a summer with few days over 100. In fact, I think 97 may have been the high for the year.

I am going to make a run to the library today. I got a book on tape and when I put a new CD in my computer it seems that disk 6 was still in my possession. I turned in the box set last week so I need to return the final one. 'Cides, I saw another tape by the same reader over in the children's section. It was a book about a soldier in the Civil War. It might be a little too advanced for the kids. We'll see.

Oh well, have a great day.

MUD

1968

From the collection of my pal Harvey, two more of the 1968 pictures. This was taken near Pleiku, Vietnam. I was on an overnight trip out through the wire around Artillery Hill. For some reason I had a sawed off carbine not an M-16 for this trip. One of the other team with me had a grease gun and the morning we came back in we test fired both weapons. Neither gun was as good as the M-16 but it was fun to shoot something different.

This picture was taken in my parents home at 544 Byrd, Wichita, KS. My sisters threw Barb a wedding party just before we flew to Vegas to get married. The color in this picture is just gone and it is more black and white. I can see why I was crazy in love with her.

Again all I can say to my friend Harvey is thank you again.

MUD

Sunday Pictures

Ive been off on a journey, I jes' got home today.

I traveled east, an' north, an' south 'an every other way;

I seen a heap of country, an' cities on the boom, But I want to be in kansas when the

SUN-Flowers Bloom

Albert Bigelow Paine

Oak tree Moth on our Blue Bird House

Same moth on a flower

Ant on a Cone flower
Tiger asleep by the driveway

MUD

Car Show

This is a cherry 1936 Dodge. Bob asked Barb to send him this picture. I sent this and three more of his beautiful car.

1942 Harley that sold to the Government for $350. I'm sure it would be priceless today.

This is a beautiful 2004 Ford Victoria. Ma' new ride.

MUD

Duct Tape Alert!

WARNING! do not read this if you don't have a good supply of duct tape to keep your head from exploding.

Nancy Pelosigalore this week warned the Conservatives that their ramped up rhetoric is causing people to be so hateful that if violence occurs, the leaders of this movement will be to blame. Here are my responses:

• First of all, who is the leader of this supposed conspiracy or movement? Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer not a politician. The fact is, we don't have a Ronald Regan right now to lead us back into the leadership in congress. If we did, would we have to listen to Nancy and Harry? Just how long do you think the Democrats would last if there was any real leadership out there? Around here Senator Sam Brownback is about the best we can do in that role and he ain't all that darned popular in Kansas.
• There is enough hate out there to fuel many fires and there are a lot of people to be unhappy with. If being angry about spending 10 Trillion dollars over the amount of revenue over the next 10 years isn't worth being upset about what is? Who is in charge of the congress spending money like it was not problematic. We are angry about your actions Nancy!
• Everyone seems to be wanting to fix the problems of rising Health Care. Care to do a little wondering about what it the cost is from? Lets start with the segment of the population that we all hate. If it were not for the tort claims being so damned exorbitant, what would our Health Care Cost? I can remember when the limit on the value of a life was $10,000. If a Doctor does his best and the patient died, the limit was $10,000. Now, lawyers build a big national client base and attack Drug Companies, Doctors and anyone they can and settle for millions of dollars. Can you imagine if NASCAR fans were all of a sudden put together in one lawsuit and were awarded Billions for loss of hearing and weight gain from being subjected to Stock car races? Well, in my opinion that's what happened to the smokers. They got money for doing something that even the most stupid person realizes is dangerous. Read the damned package. Smoking May endanger your health. Who do you thing pays for that? Yep'er we do through higher insurance costs.
• If a person with no insurance shows up at a hospital in critical condition, who do you think pays? Yep'er, we all do. In a lot of places, undocumented (read illegal) aliens can come to a US Hospital and have a child and that person is then a US Citizen. I think we should load their butts in the back of a Bus and send them home. No citizenship, no reward, only deportment.
• I want the Government to tell the truth about what the cost of the health Care Bill really is. There is just no way that anyone with a straight face can tell me that it won't cost us a hell of a lot more money to have a Government fix of the problem. Do you really know how they fix the rising costs in Medicare or Medicaid? They limit the amount they pay on a claim. Walk in off the street with no insurance and you will find that procedures often cost thousands of dollars more in the bill than the insurance company or the Government pays.

Now, in all fairness, I wish I had an answer to where all this stupid behavior starts and ends. Isn't there a little of the POGO answer in this question? "I have seen the enemy and he is us." If gambling is illegal and harmful to us, why do so many of us flock to the new Indian Casinos? I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a smoker say when the price of a pack gets to 50 cents I'll stop smoking. A lady told Me proudly that she only pays $34.00 a carton not the over the counter (Quick Shop) price of $4.50. That's 17 cents apiece for a cigarette and it'll kill ya. I just shook my head. In the bad old days I would have just lit my ten dollar pipe and walked away.

I guess I'll just complain about the rising cost of duct tape to keep our heads from exploding and move on smartly, or stupidly as the case may be.

MUD

Tales from the Porch

Many of the children in the family have not had the experience of meeting and knowing Erma and Curly Fruits. His real name was Richard Milton Fruits and my brother is named after him.

Because of his curly hair he was called Curly by everyone and he is the only grandfather I ever knew. In fact, both of my blood grandfathers died before I was born. Curly and Erma married after I was born and before Rick was born.

Many times, I listened to his quiet talk out in the yard near Pruitt, AR and on the front porch there near Beaver lake. It was at his side that I learned that he worked for Shell Oil and saved as much as he could in their profit savings plan and he retired at 50 to Arkansas. They had a plate on the wall that said to not buy anything you could grow. He said to me that if I would save 7.5% I too could retire early. I didn't have a choice on when but I sure listened to him and how I lived since was greatly influenced by his words. ( Yes, and Barb's hard work and saving)

When Erma and Curly lived near Susank, KS we would spend our evenings around the piano and sing. Down in Arkansas we continued that past time only it was with a guitar. I think Carol picked up the guitar playing and we sang a lot.

No matter the time and place, you could almost always depend on a spirited discussion there on the porch. I'll bet that Erma would like the idea of having Barack Obama as president and cuss and discuss the spending loud and long. I don't think they were complicated people. The lived hard and loved everyone that came to visit.

I do wish there was some way I could give the girls that go to Rogers for Girls weekend at the lake one weekend with Erma and Curly. They would have loved all the laughter and love but you would have to keep an eye on the booze as Erma would put some in her stash for later. Oh well, Curly would have loved all you young girls.

MUD

1970

This is Barb, Erma, MUD & Curly in Arkansas the weekend we poured the front porch on their house. This past weekend Harvey Barb and I went out to the house and sat on the porch and talked with the current owners, my sister Carol and her husband Alan.

I haven't a clue what the face Barb is making is all about. Don't you love the long hair? I sure did. I shot a 35 MM Yashika Electro 35 back then now it is Nikon. I was also a pipe smoker back in the day.

MUD

4th of July, 1970 Rogers, AR

Only my best friend in life would drive to Arkansas from Wichita over the 4th of July weekend to help pour a cement porch. This is Harvey wondering if we can get more poured in time to not have a cold joint. (Barb told me that some of you might think this has something to do with drugs but it is a term for letting one batch of concrete set up before the next one is poured, Yes I laughed out loud at that one) One cement mixer of mud at a time. Guess who pushed the wheel barrel?

This is my grandfather, Curly Fruits at the end of the first day listening to war stories from the two ex-Lieutenants. Harvey went to Germany and I went to Vietnam.

This is the house. It is an 8 X 38 Rollahome with an extension built on the east side.

Yes, it really was one mixer load after another. Curly drove the tractor and brought us river gravel to mix in with the cement and sand.

This me, my dad (with the Old Milwaukee beer in his hand) and Harvey. The Volvo wagon in the background was one that I purchased from dad in 1973 or 74. I put a new motor, transmission and front end under it and drove it another 100,000 miles. Do Notice who's hand has the shovel in it.

As soon as I figure out how to make a TIFF file into a JPG I will load a picture of Erma, Curly, Barb and MUD. I don't even know how to thank Harvey for finding these pictures and sending then to me to share with you.

MUD

From God's Hand Through Barb's Lens

MUD

My Home Town

Just last week, I told Barb that I didn't miss Wichita. I just happened to be near Murdock and Waco at the time. That location is not far from the scene of this crime.


WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Police in Wichita, Kan., said a couple sharing "an intimate moment" in a dumpster were robbed by two men armed with a pocket knife.

Police said the couple, both 44, climbed into the dumpster just after 6 p.m. Saturday for some time alone but were soon interrupted by the knife-wielding 59-year-old man and a 64-year-old accomplice, The Wichita Eagle reported Wednesday.

The suspects took shoes, jewelry and the man's wallet from the couple. Police were notified and officers said they found the suspects and the stolen items a short time after the incident.

Makes me proud to know that even the poorest of the poor can find places to share love.

MUD

Gettysburg

Yesterday I watched a program about Gettysburg on the Military Channel. The little known fact was the role of George Armstrong Custer in that Battle. He and a Cavalry (Not Calvary) attacked the rebel flanking attack and stopped them from letting Pickett's charge split the union forces. a 23 year old Brevet Brigadier General saved that battle. Now if he had only understood that numbers count most of the time and you don't often get lucky.

MUD

A Day at the Fair

After I posted this blog, Barb asked me if I got the picture of the kid with a paper sack on his head? When I downloaded the photos, all I saw was his dad with the fake green hair hat. I guess the paper sack is what you wear when you dad has the cool hat.

The front Gate of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. It was Dollar day and Dillon's Day. With my Dillon's card, I got in free. It cost barb a whole dollar. That's the telephoto lens case not a purse.



Our first stop was the pig races. I think the announcer's comments were corny but the kids laughed and the pigs ran.

Fried Cheese? You could also get fried oreo's and the infamous funnel cakes.

I don't know why, but this cow was so pretty that I asked Barb to take her picture. She was the only brown cow in the class of Holsteins.

I am not sure why, but someone made a smoker out of an engine stand, a toolbox and a fake motor with real headers. Yes, I would have loved to take it home.

What Fair would be the Fair without the Butter sculpture? Someone said the neck had cracked over the weekend. Barb had to wait until the kids got out of the way.

This is an International Farmall tractor and I wish Ron could have been here to tell me all the details. The one in Ron's garage came with steel wheels and is 90 years old.

Barb obviously took all these pictures and her eye is pretty sharp. For some stupid reason I wore sandals and could not get close enough to the pig races but I'm not sure it really mattered if I saw Brittany Spare ribs won or not.

MUD

Warning Notice

I have been told that things I say in this blog do not reflect great credit on some people and that you, can tell who I am writing about. In over 1,000 blogs, I have posted pictures and mentioned people that here ever after will go unnamed. If anyone thinks I am writing about them because I am angry or hateful, read what I say. If I am angry or hateful about you, you will be named up front and personal. 99% of what I write is what crosses my mind at the time and to say I am devious or intentional is just wrong. If you think it is easy, write a blog every day and see if you don't mention something or someone.

If you want to hate me, come on and do your best. I am a retired Colonel with over 60 years of doing what I want. No, let me correct that, 62 years but I'm sure the poop I put in my diaper wasn't intentional to harm anyone even if it did stink.

If you don't want to read anything ever that mentions people, places or things do not read this blog. If you do read it, read what it says and don't make things in here hateful unless you are a politician. I do kind of get hateful but even then I offer solutions now and then.

MUD

Am I the Only One?

For many reasons, I find Barack Obama's calling Kanye, "a Horse's Ass" refreshing. I think that while we disagree on many things, calling Kanye the south end of a North headed horse isn't one of them. I think a lot of things are so new to the President that he doesn't say what he means very often. No, I don't think what Kanye did was a black thing, it was a thing that a drunk would say and do. No I didn't think poorly of him because he was black, I think it was a stupid thing to do when he did it and he was a horse's ass. Have we gone full circle on that?

We made a wild trip to NW Arkansas and then to Hutchinson, KS and now home. The 2004 Ford Crown Victoria or "Vicky" drove sweet. She got 25 MPG average and only one or two small things are different than I would like. To use my Garmin Nuvi, I have to plug it in the cigarette lighter and to do that I have to open the ashtray. Same for the cup holders in the ash tray. I have to rest my leg against the edge of the ashtray when I use the lighter or the cup holder. I probably can work around the cigarette lighter problem but Barb likes to have a cup holder.

My last trip to the State Fair was 1961. I was only 14 and riding the rides with the other guys was a big deal then. I have a rule now that things that go in circles fast or up and down real fast are just not on my "To Do" list. We did get to see some cows, some pigs and some chickens. We walked what seemed like miles and I felt it in my legs this morning. Spent most of the day today on the mower and will probably feel it in my back tonight.

Oh well, Write if you get the time.

MUD

Other Friend

Some of us are blessed with a bunch of people that we know. This is one of the two guys that I grew up with and have known for well over 50 years. Ron is a school teacher and one of the most busy guys I know.

Today it is off to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Not sure if we will go back to Rabbit Run tonight or tomorrow.

MUD

This and That on the Road

ight after we got that e-mail, someone knocked on the door to our Motel room. We are right by a door that the electronic lock didn't work. The guy said he had a pizza but we sent him away without opening the door. BARB DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT!

Yesterday while we were out walking on the trail to see the Crystal Bridges site, I got bit by a dog. I enclosed a picture of the wild dogs at the bottom of the post so you will know what to avoid when you are out.

This is a bumper sticker available at the Wal-Mart Museum

This is the Crystal Bridges Art Museum drawing at The Overlook
This is the current status

This is my pal Harvey and I waiting for Barb to take all her pictures
We are by my new FORD

BEWARE, This is the pack of wild dogs that attacked me! The mother dog actually bit my hand and the rest licked it,

As you can guess, my hand didn't even bleed and this morning I can't see where I got bit. It was a surprise that while the majority of the pack all wagged their tail and were friendly the mother dog just didn't want me to get too close. After she bit, I could see that she was not displaying the same signs of happy the other dogs did.

MUD

In life, there are few things that never change. My first friend in life was Harvey and our friendship is one of the few things that carry over time. In a blue funk over the death of one of my other friends I decided to go to Bentonville, AR where he is working on an Art Gallery for one of the Walton family members. We got a personal tour and if it is half as pretty in the finished state as the design, it will be spectacular. We spent the day together and laughed at our personal stories. I'm sure that Barb had a good time listening to two old friends share old times.
In the park leading down to the job site was three bears in the park. Couldn't help myself,

In the Wal*Mart museum in Bentonville, Sam's simple life is displayed. I never understood people that say bad things about this simple guy that brings things cheaper than anyone else.

He was an Army Officer in WWII and his brother was a naval Pilot on a carrier in that war. I did love his old pickup and no one that loved dogs as much as he did couldn't be all bad.

Almost 40 years ago, Harvey and I helped my Dad pout the concrete porch for my grandparents. We went out to see if it was still there and found my sister and her husband there working on the kitchen in the old house. Carol and Alan are here on the porch we poured years ago.

They say you can't go back to your childhood. Spend the day with a good friend and it seems like it happened yesterday.

MUD

New Motto

see more dog and puppy pictures