Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Some Days

Some days turn in to some weekends.
The chicks are grown big enough and have enough feathers now that we moved them into the chicken coop. I asked the son to take the brooder and wash it out and put it away.

Now the apple don't fall far from the tree, so when he went to move it and got the dolly to carry it he never asked for help. As he was moving it down the steps he lost it and it fell and rolled out on the sidewalk. It wasn't damaged or nothing, but if he would have asked for help it wouldn't have needed set back up and loaded on the dolly again.

I've tried to warn him time and again that is why my back is in such bad shape. He really needs to learn to ask for help when it's available. It is completely another thing when you are alone and something just needs done. Than is when you do things by yourself.

Well, he finally got it cleaned up and put away until it's needed again. It's kind of a tough thing. I built that brooder from an old ice machine that I saw was being thrown away. It's insulated and is easy to heat with a very low wattage light bulb. The doors make it easy to access to feed and water the little chicks.

To me, learning how to do things yourself just makes sense. There isn't always someone around to help and hiring help for just a few hours makes no sense. It would take longer to find help than to just do some jobs alone.

It also make sense to learn to trust yourself and see your ideas be built into something useful from something someone else sees as junk. That usually helps because you get exactly what you need and the price is great. Not like the high priced things you buy and then find are not designed to be of much real use.

Heck, I even end up redesigning some of the stuff I buy to make it right for the job. Manufacturers seem only interested in the money and not really what their products are used for. If they would only get some practical experience or ask people what they really need, they may make a great product.

Well, back to the story. The very next day one of his friends called to say their truck died along the road. He went and got it running for them and they came straight here to fix it right.

He traced the problem to the alternator and then went and got another one to replace it. When he was about done, he caught his hand on the fan blade. The darned thing was not running, but was sharp enough to cut his thumb to the bone. He wrapped it up and finished the job. Yup, another thing he learned from the old man...

Well, after he came in the house he took off his bandage and was showing it to me. Told him he should probably get stitches. But he wouldn't hear of it. So he went to take a shower and get cleaned up. While in the shower, it spread open and started gushing blood again. So at nine thirty in the evening he went to the hospital to get it sewn up. I did offer to sew it up for him but he didn't seem to think that was such a great idea. : )
Now we'll see if he thinks the idea of a huge bill from the hospital is a good idea...

He's still not working full time anywhere and has no medical insurance. So once again I'll probably have to help him with the bill. He'll pay me back, but still, he'll be relying on me. But then again, what's a parent or family for?

Hmm, maybe I should hand him a bill with interest added and see if that makes him realize that medical insurance is a good idea and more important than running around and having fun...

I doubt that I will, but it sure would be a great smile!!!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day

From one veteran to all the great veterans of the past, thank you and I salute you and your bravery.

It is all the veterans that have served this country since we fought for our initial freedom who have made this great country and our freedom possible. We are all in debt to them for what we have.

It is the veterans who have tried with their lives to help other people in other countries to live with freedom and not in fear or tyranny.

So get out there today and thank a veteran and give him a big warm smile of appreciation!
Don't forget those that are no longer with us. It is them and their families who gave the most!
They deserve our undying respect, gratitude and remembrance.

From one veteran to all the others, thank you for all you do and have done.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Alone Or Lonely


Being alone and being lonely are two different things.
Not feeling lonely means that you have balance in your life. Being alone and having friends is not lonely. You still have a sense of belonging. You feel that someone cares and you feel wanted or loved. That makes being alone tolerable. You still feel connected even when you are alone.

What is being lonely? Feeling left out. Feeling disconnected form others . Feeling sad because your alone. Feeling uncomfortable being by yourself. The feeling that there is no one in your life who really cares about you. Feeling like you don't have anyone who wants to be with you. Being without friends. Being without a companion. Feeling abandoned. Being unable to connect with someone emotionally or physically. Being in a crowd of people at a party or anywhere else and still having these feelings. Even talking with one person but not feeling connected.

Feeling lonely really hurts but it is normal. When a person has no sense of belonging anywhere in the world and feels trapped inside their own cocoon of life it hurts. It makes the mind hurt which then affects the entire body and it begins to hurt.

There are probably some serious chemical imbalances of the brain and body that can cause someone to feel lonely. So some should see a doctor and have a good checkup. Tell the doctor about the feelings and have him check.

But all to often I meet lonely people who were like me. People who have something hidden deep inside their minds that needs dealt with. For me it was just some really deep thought and dealing with each and every thought and memory that came up. That took a long time and was a very lonely period. I couldn't allow others into my life to distract my thoughts while I dealt with everything that I had locked away in my mind for many years before.

Many people would need professional help doing that. And they should find that! Feeling lonely is not a life sentence. You can get past it with lots of hard thinking and dealing. A pro can help guide you in that and a whole lot faster than you will by yourself.

But being alone and saying your lonely. Common... Next time your walking through a store or even down your own street, try talking to people you meet. Quit getting mad because everyone is in your way and approach them with kind words instead. You may be surprised at all the wonderful people you meet. Not all will be nice, but that's life. Many more will be.

After you run into them a time or two you may even find a common bond. That's the beginning of friendship. Same as at work when you talk to coworkers.

I wasted many years myself looking for friends in bars. Out of thousands of people I found one that was a true friend and not just someone to buy beer for. Most forgot who I was the minute I left the bar. Barroom romance is just that also. Minds clouded by booze and bodies desiring touch and sharing with eyes fogged and not able to see clear. Yup, the kind of relationship that should be tossed with the empty bottles. They do happen to work out good, but that's maybe one in a million.

Even a library would be better than a bar. Kids sporting events can be a great place to meet people for those raising children. Maybe even grand parents who go to watch their grand kids play.

So if you alone but not really lonely then put that big smile on your face and go meet some people. They're out there just the same as you and me!


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Distraction

The weather has been a bit better here lately. It's still way to wet, but at least the rain has been holding off until night. That doesn't make it much better for getting field work done, but it is allowing for getting much needed chores and some other work done.

The past three days we have been building a new chicken coop. We needed a smaller one because there are only two of us here now. But once again I went for overkill. We now have what I am calling the Taj Ma Coop. Doubt though that the chickens will care at all...

There are still so many chores to get caught up on. The long winter has left broken tree branches laying everywhere. They must be cleaned up from the field before we make hay. Now that hay is becoming another problem.

With all the rains we've had the hay is growing really fast. I'm seeing seed heads already and not just tiny seed heads. So not only is there fields that still need prepared and planted, but when it dries up we have to start making hay right away.

My son went to do some trimming along the road and other places around some fields. He no sooner got started and an older hydraulic hose broke and the tractor developed some mechanical problems at the same time. So we had to drop everything and get to work fixing that.

Of course that led to a unexpected trip for parts. That trip led to running into people we haven't seen for a while so we ended up chatting with them to catch up and be sociable. Then of course we were hungry so had to stop and eat.

Once home a neighbor stopped to chat while we were trying to get some work done. Then another neighbor stopped with a car they were considering buying and asked us to check it out for them. So we lost even more time making sure they weren't buying a piece of junk.

As we were getting some work done finally, my daughter stopped to let me know my grand daughter had her preschool graduation ceremony. We needed to pick up some fencing materials so we ran for them and then came home, quickly cleaned up and changed clothes and ran to the school for the ceremonies. Once again badly needed work got pushed aside for life.

Ahh yes, the weather is finally breaking for the better and life is becoming one silly distraction after another. But I'm having the best time of my life. There is nothing like being so busy that even stopping to eat is a distraction!

Now I have some plans for today. I'm just wondering what kind of distractions will pop up today. Hmm, maybe some pretty lady will get lost and wonder up my road and offer to fix me a great meal... Yah, that'll happen.

Well I have to get busy working and smiling, so have a great day and keep up that wonderful smile despite any distractions that come your way!!!


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Human Being

What is a human being?

A human is being smart, a human is being dumb
Being a human is learning, being a human is forgetting
A human is being fat, a human is being slim
Being a human is fun, being a human is sad
A human being is rich, a human being is poor
Being a human is beauty, being a human is ugly
A human being is interesting, a human being is boring
Being a human is laughing, being a human is crying

But what is a human being?

A being that can learn to love, accept and cherish all that!
A being that can care for someone else in a bad situation!
A being that can make a difference!

A being that can smile in the face of adversity and can make others smile!


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Where Did My Sweet Baby Go

They were tiny little babies and needed you. They grew bigger into toddlers and still needed you. They threw their little tantrums when they wanted something you were not willing to give, but those tantrums weren't so bad. Some were even cute.

When they hurt you felt so bad. They couldn't tell you where it hurt, they didn't know... They couldn't tell you how it hurt, they didn't know the words to describe it. So the game was played by you pointing here and there while asking does it hurt here, how about there, how about here... Until you finally found the spot that hurt.

Then came the worrying what it could be. You'd imagine the worst, my poor little baby will not survive! But a miracle would occur while you were worrying and the miraculous healing would lead to laughter and playing! Sometimes though, that healing didn't come quick enough and you would rush them to the doctors and demand they see your child now!

Then after a thorough examination the doctor would announce it was nothing to be concerned about and give you an expensive prescription and a hefty bill.
Seriously, I think that was their way of trying to keep you from coming back...

Little tantrums in stores when they wanted all the prettiest toys. They could be overcome with something else quite easily. Sometimes they couldn't and you'd be embarrassed, but not to embarrassed to return... Many was the time I myself considered putting a for sale sign on my children when little and leaving them on a shelf at the store... But love overcame and I'd keep them.

Toddlers get that pouty little face and even sometimes tears, maybe mixed with a bit of sobbing, but it never lasts long and they're playing again. Giving hugs and kisses and loving you for being you and it's so easy to love them in return.

Then they grow into teens...

They've been educated with words you wouldn't use yourself. They no longer feel it's a cool thing to give mom and dad kisses and hugs. They feel they have a right to demand everything they want and more! They don't even have a comprehension of the cost...

Whining and sobbing has grown to a hateful yelling, filled with a foray of words that would make anyone turn their head in disgust. The pouty look has turned into a look that could kill. The door slams that shake the house. The deafness when we speak to them or ask them to do something. Grudges and spite now live where once there was a child we could love and wanted to.

You begin to wonder what you were even thinking when you wanted children. You question you sanity! Is there any sanity left! Do I still have a brain! Is it still working! Where did I go wrong? How could I have failed as a parent and taught this child to be like this? Maybe I should run away and hide! Let them have everything if only they'll leave me alone...

What's wrong with this generation of children, we never... Uh... Yah we did.
It may have been a little different, but we did. We may have had parents that would have attempted to knock our heads off if some of those words escaped our mouths. Our attitudes may have even been a bit different, but we did.

Every generation that has ever lived has gone through the anti establishment days. They all have rebelled against their parents and authority.
It's the way of learning who you are, who you want to be and where you fit in. Testing the bounds and pushing the limits is something we all have done in some way or another.

The funny thing about it all is, there are those of us who think about it later in life and actually apologize to our parents for putting them through whatever we did. We wonder how they survived us... That usually happens when we become parents of teens. It's not until then that we realize what a pain in the butt we were...

Even as adults we rebel. We just learn how to do it and not let anyone know.
Those stolen moments at work, the speeds we drive, the not hearing when our spouse asks us to do something, even the words that we have going through our heads that we don't say when our teens do...

So today as you rebel against teens, remember to laugh and smile, while knowing that you and the world will somehow survive the teen years yours are going through now.
It may seem it will last forever, but it will end all to soon...

Monday, May 23, 2011

The End

So did May 21st come and go or did the world end like so many feared and no one told me? Darned, and I went out and spent my cash and ran up my credit cards having a good time and one last Caffe' Mocha at Starbucks before the end was supposed to come... Now I need even more cash to pay off my debts!

Look folks, the world's end has been predicted for centuries by people and it's never happened. According to the Bible, we will never know when the end will come. That is only for God to know. Further more, after the great flood, God said he would never again destroy the earth.

I've heard so many so called Christians worrying over the predicted end, that I just can't believe they are really Christians! Have they never read their Bible for themselves? Nope, just like when I used to go to church like a good little boy instructed to do so by family, people go and half listen to a preacher and take half of that half for their own beliefs. So when someone comes along and predicts the end, they fall for it hook, line and sinker.

I've read the bible for myself and am a believer. Not a believer of religion, but a believer of God, the universe, and life. The bible taught me that being a blind believer in what someone else tells you, makes you not much more than a fool. Read the bible and question the preachers when you think they teach wrong. It's there for you to read and understand for yourself... The only end I read about was the possible end of your own life, and again you'll never know when that will be for sure...

Then I read in the news that the stockholders of Mc Donald's refused to fire Ronald as their trademark and ambassador. Gee, I just don't get it. How is it Ronald's or Mc Donald's fault if people and kids are getting fat? No one is forced to eat at Mc Donald's. No one has to quiet their kids by stopping at Mc Donald's.

No all they have to do is adopt the “just say no” attitude. When the kids kick, scream and whine, make them do without a Mc Donald's treat even longer! They need to be taught and you need to get tough! Mc Donald's is not at fault and neither is Ronald. It's the parents with no back bone that are at fault.

So to all the whining people, please, start accepting the fact that it's not someone else's fault and accept that you are responsible for you and the way you give in to your kids. You are also to blame that the children are growing up with the “world owes me” attitude. It's you giving in and not making them earn what they want, that is causing this attitude.

You must get tough! It's the children that suffer when they get out into the world, for your weakness to be a parent that says no and backs it up! Do ya think a boss will give in to the whining??? Sorry, life don't work that way...

Now if I could just predict the end to Mc Donald's charging me to eat one of those double barrel heart attacks, aka double quarter pounder with cheese, I like so much! That would be something worth my while! Then if they could serve it with a Starbucks caffe' mocha! I'd be in heaven in more ways than one...

So until the end does come lets all just enjoy our lives, help everyone we can and smile like there is no tomorrow!!!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Yea Spring

During the recent dry week we had we were able to get some work done, just not enough before the rains started again. But was also able to get some of the flower beds planted. Those seeds are starting to come up!


The Lilac's are blooming beautifully, but so are the Dandelions. And the grass is growing way to fast! The cherry trees are done blooming and there are tons of baby cherries beginning their growth. My mouth is watering already and it will be a while before the birds and I are in a race to see who gets the most. I always lose at that race...


Even the Grapes are coming along.


It'll be a while until these baby Grapes are ready to give us a treat
and jelly. But they're so cute when starting and so fun to watch grow.

Everything is getting green and the wild plants are showing their springtime colors. Yes, life is returning to pretty!!! As soon as it dries up enough it's time to plant the tomatoes and peppers. We did get the garden tilled, but the rain started again and we didn't get it planted yet. I'm about a month late this year at that, because of the wet spring.

But lookie here! We have visitors to the yard.


If ya look carefully to the right you can see his girlfriend.
But they aren't very sociable...


Nope, here they are leaving after we watched to long.
They do have a family of little ones here. But I didn't see them today. We found their nest a few weeks ago and have been watching. The eggs hatched and we do see the little ones sometimes, but they stay hidden for the most part. Soon though they will be strutting with mom and dad. And we'll get to say hello and watch them too. Well at least until they decide we've watch enough and they leave. As long as we leave them alone though they will spend most of the summer with our yard as home. They do most every year. Guess as long as we watch from a distance and they feel safe, they stay.

Well, I'm outta here for the weekend and I certainly hope you spend your weekend smiling and watching the wonderful world we live in. The people may be a bit strange and hard to take, but the real things of nature are never to hard to smile about and take!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

News ?

Gee, Arnold cheated on Maria... Imagine that. Like I needed the news media dumping that on me every five minutes or more during the morning news yesterday...

He's hollywood, do any of them stay faithful...
Heck for that matter look at the family she came from. Do any of them stay faithful... Surely that couldn't have shocked her!

Ya know, that is their personal business. What the heck does that have to do with news?

Arnie, I don't care how big, tough or anything else ya are, your an a**! Any man who would jeopardize his marriage and family just to get a little on the side, is a fool. But for that matter so is any woman who would...
It's sad though, because I had hoped that you didn't fit the mold of all the others in hollywood. But you proved me wrong... But I still like you as an actor. Your movies always were fun and interesting, hope they will be again.

As for Maria... Wonder if she'll be the same as Hillary and forgive the bum and stay with him...

That's about all I can say about them. But the news media will drum on about it for weeks. Or longer... Is that the news we need?

I don't think so, how about the news that Al-Qaida has a new leader. Yes, just because the other jerk was killed, it isn't over... So where is the celebrating now? Sorry folks, it's not over, just changing hands.
Wonder if any other country will take the lead in hunting down this loon... Doubt it, nope the US will be the lone world Sharif in hunting down another bad guy... Seems to me the rest of the world don't care if they run loose so unless he attacks us here then why should we... Isn't it kind of like helping neighbors that won't attempt to help themselves...

How about that the wise leaders in Washington DC decided that the big multi billion dollar oil companies still need and deserve their big tax breaks which come on the backs of the little tax payers... Maybe us little tax payers should form a group and start paying the politicians for what we want... But isn't that what our votes are for... I keep all the little stuff in the back of my mind until it's time to vote and use them to help me decide.
These big oil companies keep raising the prices they charge us and then cry for big tax breaks when they're making record earnings and getting them. So they rob us at the fuel pumps and again by keeping our taxes high because they won't pay their share...

The people started buying less gas which would cut into their record sky high profits, so the gas prices began coming down a bit. But when they do come down the people will start buying again and like always the prices will go back up but even higher. Happens every time... As a collective, we the consumers are to dumb to refuse to start buying again. Funny though, I lived through a time when we didn't need to buy everything that came out and didn't need to run every day. But today everyone seems to have a need to buy everything and always be on the go... No one wants to do without, even when they only throw most of the junk away after just a short while...

Hmm, maybe it's the same syndrome that is causing so many married people like Arnold to cheat on their wives, or wives to cheat on their husbands. They just can't see they have enough and a good thing already at home...

Oh well, I'll just smile while I keep working with my 1948 tractor that is bought, paid for and is fun to use. I'll keep smiling while I watch others who have to have everything new, then worry how to pay the bills. I'll keep smiling while I make do without all the junk that comes out. And I'll keep smiling as they cry...

Hope you can smile too!!! Have a great smiling day!


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Needy People

Needy people drive me nuts. I'm sure we all know at least one, but I'd almost be willing to bet we all know a few or at least know of a few.

We hear needy people and we just wish they would go away. We see them coming and look for a place to hide or start looking for an excuse to leave...
I'm kinda sure I'm not alone in the thoughts of slapping them and telling them to just shut up. They can be quite aggravating with their incessant need.

You can spend a life time trying to give them advice about ways they can help theirselves, but it never helps... You can do almost anything for them, but it never stops... You can teach them how to do things, but they forget...
You can tell them your busy but they get sad...

I seriously think they just have a need to be needy!

Aww, but could that be the answer...
Maybe they really do need to be needy...

Could it be that they are so lonely that their neediness is their way of being around someone?
Do they lack the self confidence to express their friendship in a better way?
They may not even realize that their acting needy pushes people away...

Some needy people I meet though are just lazy. They'll come around and waste my entire day just chatting. If I ask them to help with the work while we chat, they find an excuse to leave and I don't see them again.
They though are just the few lazy people I know that are needy only for company. Their cure is to find something they like doing and do it.

There are many others though that maybe need more. They need to learn how good of a person they really are, that they are good enough and that they are capable enough.

Teaching that can be done on the sly by helping them to help their self. Then when they do accomplish what they are trying to do, point that out and make a big deal of it. Make them feel more self assured. Kinda the same as working with children.

Nothing helps build self assurance like doing a job and seeing that you can.
But extreme patience will be needed to work with them. They may have come from homes where mommy and daddy did everything for them and they never had a chance to do for theirselves. So they never had a chance to build up their own self confidence.

So smile today and offer to help someone, help their self!


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Hard One ??

Many times men and women seem to forget what the reasons were that made them fall in love with the person they are with. But when they think and remember it seems to put all lifes craziness aside, it seems to help get past petty arguments, even seems to help keep some couples from divorce after cheating.

But what about a love that's built on nothing more than shallow looks and lust... It was great for a while then later became a nightmare when the true inner thoughts and feelings of the other are found.

The heat and passion that once made someone irresistible have given way to the cold hard facts that the other is not the person you thought they were. Their hopes and dreams, their morals, their ways of dealing with life just don't fit what you think or feel. Not that the other person has changed, but that you never should have been together in the first place.

Then to make matters more difficult, you now have children. Do you break up and have the children go through the nightmare of separation... What about making them live through the emptiness of a relationship filled with arguing and fighting... Or even the community stigma of being the child of divorced parents...

There is always at least some backlash on the children, even in agreed upon divorces. There is the feeling of abandonment by the parent that they are not with. There are the school bullies who tease that your parent left because they couldn't stand you.

If divorce is the only option then feeling towards one another have got to be set aside for the children. The missing parent has to have time with the children so they know that they belong and are still wanted.
Even step parents can seldom fill the place of the real parent in a childs heart or mind. Those that do are very rare.

So many times the partner of someone with children feels jealousy and don't care about the children. Many times too the step parent becomes an abuser.

So what do you do?

I remember through life, seeing couples that seemed to only be together to raise families. Their homes always seemed cold and unfriendly. Their children, I was friends with, seemed to display that emptiness and coldness.

There seems to be no easy answer and I can't even come up with a good compromise.
Maybe it's one of those questions without an answer, but I don't really believe there is such a question.
Yet I find myself confused by this. Especially when I hear people talking about divorce or leaving their partner, and that happens a lot these days...

The only answer I can seem to come up with is to stop and take the time to really know who it is that you think your wanting to marry or crawl in bed with... I think it's good sound advice, but yet advice that is for some hard to follow or even to late.

So smile and share those smiles today, but if you can find some time and think of anything that might help to find an answer or even give a different direction to the thinking of it, please stop back and leave a comment.


Monday, May 16, 2011

One Important Step

Every one of you is worthy of respect. Everyone and everything is worthy of respect.

Animals that are being raised for food deserve and are worthy of respect. They will eventually become the food that keeps us nourished and alive, so they deserve to be treated with all the kindness and care while we are raising them. The universe has been kind enough to allow us to do what we like doing in raising them, so we owe it to the universe to treat it's animals with the respect that is given to us.

Pets are worthy of our respect. They give us their lives filled with joys, comfort and company they give. Treating them badly would just not be right.
Wild animals give us the joys and pleasure of watching them as they do their jobs of keeping the earth from being overgrown by vegetation and some by keeping the earth from being overcome by other animals. They too can be part of our food chain and should be respected.

I go so far as to say, trees deserve our respect along with all the other plants on the planet. Trees and other plants give us oxygen that we breath, give us food we eat and even give us resources to make the clothes we wear. They also give us great beauty and pleasure to enjoy.

Life simply begins and ends. A life that gives in any way is worthy of respect.
When anything begins to take more than it's fair share it begins to lose respect and just like a weed in a garden it will be plucked and disposed of.

Nature takes care of that in forests with vines that grow and choke trees that have become overgrown and rob the plants of the forest floor of life giving sun. This allows the other plants to grow and prosper.
Weeds that shoot their roots deep for nutrients and bring up what they need and more, that is then stored nearer the surface, are eventually choked out by plants that use those nutrients they need but can't reach on their own.

Animals that live by killing and eating other animals die off when the other animals are scarce and their food is harder to find. Their populations are dependent on the others.

As civilization has grown it's found that people who take advantage of others by stealing in any way were better controlled by putting them in jails. The “don't do that approach” just didn't work.
People who kill and promote killing were put out of the picture by killing them before they killed off all the good people. But today we just lock them up too and keep them like unwanted, dangerous animals in cages we call jails.

But even those people who do wrong are given at least some respect...

So why is it that so many husbands and wives give no respect to their spouses? I have witnessed that from both men and women... I happen to think this world would be a much better place if we would all learn to respect.

Friday, May 13, 2011

More Funny Questions

The blog was messed up from late last evening through most of the day today. Not just this blog but all the blogs on Google. But I guess the problem is fixed. I was missing Thursdays blog so I didn't get upset, I just added it back in. It's down below.

I'm also thinking about some more funny questions I hear when some people stop here for the first few times.
One that makes my head spin is, what kind of cow does chocolate milk come from... Yes, it really does happen!
My quick answer that just pops out because of my smart butted attitude... Jersey Cows, they're the cute brown ones.
Seriously, are there really people who don't know how to make chocolate milk???

OK, for anyone left scratching their head. You go to the store. Buy some milk. Also buy some Hershey's chocolate syrup. Go back home and fill a glass with milk. Add twice the amount of chocolate the can or bottle of chocolate syrup calls for and stir it up real good. The sip to your hearts content and enjoy.

Now Hershey's isn't giving me a darned thing for the mention but it's the only chocolate syrup I like. I like things that are real chocolaty so I double what they say to use. That used to make my mom a bit angry when I was little but I am on my own and will do as I please now.

I also hear why do you need so much land... Another is where do the cows go for the winter... And, what is hay...
For the winter they either stay out or go into the barn. On nice sunny days they want out of the barn and we let them out. They can't fly away like the birds...

Their nice green grass they like to eat doesn't grow during the winter, so they eat hay. A cow has an appetite somewhat like their size, they eat a lot. Hay comes from all those pretty fields of green you see during the summer. Our hay is a mixture of grasses, some clover and some alfalfa and a few fields have birdsfoot trefoil, which is another legume.

Being that cows have such a huge appetite we need lots of hay and even some extra in case of a long winter. So the need for lots of hay causes the need for lots of land. It also brings with it the need for lots of work...

Trees and bushes along the edges of fields would like to take over the fields and need trimmed back or removed constantly. If not the fields shrink.
There are also other crops raised on the fields so they can be rotated so the natural minerals don't become depleted. What is a hay field this year may not next year. Moving those crops around also is a big part of not allowing weeds to take over.

So there are some more of the questions I've heard that I never really think about and find amusing.
Hope you've enjoyed them and for some hope you now know. I've just been around farms all my life and it all seems as natural to me as all those things in a city do do city people. So when I hear these questions I just have to smile...

Have a great weekend and remember to pass on a smile to everyone you meet!

What Happened???

Seems something went wrong at Google. They say that we couldn't update our blogs and believe me I wasted my entire morning trying to. When I finally did get in and was able to access it I found my Thursday post disappeared! So I'm running it again.
There are many upset bloggers over this but it's really out of our control. I'm sure the people at Google did all they could to fix things as quickly as they could.
But hey!!! We're back and I for one am happy about that!


So Thursdays post is below and have a great day!!!

The Mouth

I see guys treating women bad quite a bit and I complain about it a lot. But another thing that bugs me is how to many guys talk with their filthy mouths around their women.

First, off color words or filth, are only a sign of lack of intelligence. They are to dumb to think of anything better to say.
Second, a real man knows how to speak without using dumb words. It's only an insecure little boy of a man who needs to back himself up with foul words.

I worked my life as a construction worker and was also a biker. Believe me, I know words most never heard of. I even made up some of my own. But that was for around other guys in guy situations. Showing respect by not using those words around ladies is just what a real man does!

I won't even use them around women who will use them. It just don't sit right in my mind. Mater of fact. I'm not to sure what kind of relationship I could even have with a woman who spoke continuously with a foul mouth. How would I ever be able to respect her more than just one of the guys...

Then I also hear guys calling their ladies some of those words. Do you really think that is what she is? Do you want others thinking that is what she is? How would you feel if someone called your daughter some of those names or words? Like me you would probably punch him square on the mouth.

So common guys! Lets try cleaning it up and treating those ladies as the wonderful women they are. Lets all start a new trend and make this life just a little better by cleaning ourselves up a bit!

Wouldn't hurt either to say something to our buddies we hear talking to women like that...

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Computer Made Me Do It

That new computer I picked up a week ago is just about ready for me to use. It has been a nonsensical task getting all the preloaded junk out that I don't want, and getting what I do want installed. But I have become a bit particular about what I want on a computer...

I despise all the ET call home junk that programmers have installed in their programming. MS seems to be one of the worst for that, but so many others do the same. Well, I live way out in the countryside and have only dial up. To pay for anything faster would equal parting with enough money each month to pay for about six meals or more...

So all that phone home crud eats up to much of my precious time. I dedicate one day a week updating important apps. and apps. I use. When doing those updates I don't do any browsing or surfing. I give the updates all the space they need to finish in a reasonable amount of time. When the apps. want to search and download on their own, they cut into my time and that's no different than a cell phone bugging me when I'm busy. So programs need taken out and phone home apps. need to be found and shut down.

I like basic programs. Programs that are easy to understand and use and that take up as little of the computers resources as possible.
And why is it that every programmer seems to think their programs should start when my computer does? Sorry, I don't use all my pots, pans and dishes at the same time, nor all the farm equipment I have. So why would I need them all out and started every time I start a day?
That forces me to find all the junk and shut that down too.

Maybe it's because I started with a second hand IBM that ran off of DOS, I picked it up at a second hand store just to see if I could use it and it would be useful to me. It ran so efficiently and so fast that it was fun to learn. Today however computers are not so. Why can't they sell basic computers which can be used and added to in your own way? No, that would be to easy and cost less. The companies that sell the overpriced junk wouldn't stand a chance if their programs were not already added.

I'm sure there are some people who need preloaded apps. Not everyone knows how to find and add easier programs to use or even know what programs are out there that they could use. But many more of us do. So make computers suitable for both!

I also make a trip to Starbucks and have a tasty treat when I do my updates. They have free wireless connections which take less time to update with. So it gives me a chance to enjoy while doing the mundane task of updating. That is another excuse I have for not wanting wireless here at home, and by darned, I'm sticking with it.

I was having a problem though... When I tried to connect wirelessly I couldn't get my browser to connect. I spent some time for several days and had no luck. That did give me more time to enjoy Starbucks each time I tried something different though...

Finally I took the new computer to a guy who works on them for a living and really knows what he's doing. He also runs a hobby shop with very expensive toys. I like that guy! Even bought a few radio controlled helicopters from him to play with. Aww, the big kid in me... But they are fun! Outta see the dogs when I buzz them. Outta see the neighbors when I fly over them!

Back to the point though... When he looked at my problem he had it fixed and working so fast I completely missed what he did. I had to get him to go over it and show me. Damned... It was something so basic that I never gave it a thought... So there I stood all embarrassed and red faced... Even better, he refused to charge me. He even showed me some of the new features and how they worked!

So I needed a clip on belt case for my camera and bought one from him. Think that was the least I could do... Never even asked for a discount or argued the price... Nope, when someone will help and knows what their doing and is willing to show you how, you treat them real good.

Besides, he has an even bigger helicopter I have my eye on and I'll dicker on that price!!! Or maybe that big airplane... Hmm. That could be great for a few laughs. We've even come up with ways to mount spy cams on them for even more laughs and maybe even some great wildlife shots...

Hmm, maybe another trip to Starbucks is in order this evening to see if there are any new security updates... never can be to safe, can ya : )

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Makes No Cents

Advertisers for manufacturers, like to make it look like we can't live without the junk they sell. The sad part of that is how many people fall into that trap. They run to the stores or dial some 1 800 number and buy everything they can and only end up in debt and with more to add to the junk drawers or trash.

My son has become one of those who seems permanently attached to his I phone. Then he complains to me that he never has a moment to himself.
I tell him to put the thing in a drawer and forget it for a while but he never listens... Wonder if I'd call and say that if he would hear?

He like many others has to have every gadget that comes out. Then they all spend more time getting those gadgets to work than they would working without them.

Me, when I see a gadget that may make work or life easier, I like to think about it and try and find out if it really would help. So many times I can see that it wouldn't. So I'm happy I never spent my hard earned money for it. Many others though are sad because they did buy it.

First question I ask me is, do I really need it... More often than not the answer is no. Next I decide if it would take longer to set up and use than it would to just do the job. There is also the questions of clean up and storage, I have enough junk being stored now and I despise having to clean up even more...

Then I start to look at the prices. Spending on junk is craziness, especially when so much of that junk is going to cause headaches and grief. When I'm out working, walking through the woods, on a beach or fishing from the boat I certainly don't want people calling me. That's my time and if anyone wants me, they will have to try and find me.

Most of the fancy kitchen gadgets I see, look like they will take more time to set up and clean than they'll save. I just recently bought a bread machine and look how long they've been around... But that too made me work. I had to adjust all my own favorite bread recipes so I'd end up with the same great tastes I had without one. But it is nice that I can set it up and come back to the nice smell and taste of homemade bread and it's not hard at all to clean up.

I look at a lot of the new gadgets and see stuff that has all been around before, even when I was a boy. The new is nothing but a remake of something that has been here before but with a new bell or whistle and different look. Of course the new will never last as long as the old...

Personally I'd rather not be a slave to all the companies that make and sell all the junk. I'd rather spend my hard earned cash on me, family and friends, all having a good time and enjoying life. Making the manufacturers of junk rich so they and theirs can enjoy life just don't make sense to me...

So today I'll smile because I have my cash and can enjoy...


Monday, May 9, 2011

Men Are Like Babies

First thing I'd like to say is “Achoo”, “Cough, Cough, Cough”, achoo and cough some more...
I'm sick, I have a headache, a fever and I feel like crud.

I've quite often heard the question, why do men act like such babies when they're sick... Well, it hurts. We feel miserable. We feel weak. We don't want to do anything but get better, but yah... we must. So we're going to whine, snivel, and act like babies. Everyone will hear of our plight and we don't care.

It's kind of a self defense mechanism. We whine and snivel and act like babies and no one wants to be around us. So just maybe everyone will leave us alone and we can go crawl in a hole and suffer our agony, in peace and quiet. If people don't leave us alone, they will just have to listen to us until they get the hint and leave us alone.

I can't speak for all guys, but I don't even want anyone taking care of me or trying to help when I'm sick. When really sick, I don't get hungry and can not stand the sight or smell of food. I don't like loud noise, so I don't want to hear anyone talking above a whisper and I definitely don't want to hear the screeching roar of a vacuum.

I just want sleep. I do not want to hear, are you OK??? NO! I am not. So please leave me alone. Do you want what I have just so you can give it back?
I did what work I absolutely had to get accomplished and now I have full intentions of checking my eyelids for holes.

When I was the daddy of two little children I did what I had to do for them but still found time to suffer in silence. It was almost magical that they understood dad was ill and would play nicely and quietly. They would however make up for it the few days following...

All day Sunday I felt bad. Sneezing, coughing and a headache that was out of this world. So today is the third day and it should break up and I should begin to feel better by tomorrow. That's the course this kind of stuff always takes for me and hasn't changed in over fifty years.

It was my dear loving son who first got it and passed it on to dear dad. I'll forgive him, but not until I feel better. In the mean time I'll sneeze as loudly as possible and cough as much as necessary all night long so he gets a bad sleep. That's just the nature of bad colds and that should be payback enough.

For now... I'm going to have a hot cup of coffee with my old friend Grand Dad and then go to bed and try and cook this out. I won't even ask please. I'll just say, do not disturb! Unless of course you have a really big desire to hear me choke, sneeze and complain.

Yes, men are like babies when we're sick and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
So you all go and have a really great day full of smiles. I'll get back to smiling tomorrow. 

Friday, May 6, 2011

Best People On Earth

Yes, it's Friday and my blog is late. Sorry!!! As you have surely noticed, I have not been doing weekend blogs. I, like everyone else, do like to have a few days where I don't have to do things.
So I have been a little busy today trying to prepare and write a blog about someone who is the most important person there ever was or is.


Mom !

Yup, this is the last formal picture of my mom that was taken. And mom, I really do miss that wonderful friend you became later in our lives.

Mothers have the most important job known to mankind. They carry the responsibility of the future in raising the children who will become the leaders and workers of society. All the good morals and thinking that will be passed down, will be passed by mothers. The health and safety of children depend on mom's watchful eyes. The skinned knees that are eased by a kiss and hug from mom. The care when a child is ill, that is given so lovingly comes only from mom. Mom's are the single most important beings of society.

Mothers are rare and beautiful like Orchids. Each has her own way of loving and caring.


Moms are colorful and intriguing.

Photo by, Susie B

Get a bunch of mothers together and they're as pretty as a field full of Dasies.

Photo by, Dan.

Yet as varied as a field of wild flowers.

But as the flower my mom loved so well,

the beautiful Rose... Mom's are intricate and it's fun to watch and learn them as their petals unfold while you get to know them.

To all the wonderful, perfect mothers of the world, I'd like to say,

Happy Mothers Day!

And thank you all for doing the job you do.