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Television or no Television

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment

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“Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad new is a headline, and gradual improvement is not.” – Bill Gates

In all reality the best thing we could do for ourselves is throw our television sets out the window.  Problem is, how often do we do what is best for us?

It astounds me the way the news media thinks we need all this news.  The local news repeats itself on the half hour for two and a half hours repeating the same news and weather forecasts.  Then comes the world news.  Does good news make the headlines?  Hell no!  Bad news is the king of the news world.   Good news doesn’t help your ratings or your newspaper circulation.

“The brains of humans contain a mechanism that is designed to give priority to bad news.” – Daniel Kahneman

No wonder there are so many people who suffer from depression in our world today.   We are constantly bombarded with bad news.   Then our air waves are filled with all these people who know what is best for us, even though most of them aren’t even qualified, and how to make our lives better.  Really?

Then for entertainment there is what I call “free for all shows” where people come on the show to air their dirty laundry.  Who is cheating on who, who is the father of my baby, that sort of topic.  They take lie detector tests and paternity tests.  The one I like is the lady who has had 14 different men on the show trying to find the father of her child.  Nope!  Last I heard they still haven’t found him.  If you think you are having a bad day turn on one of these shows and all of a sudden you realize that your day could be a lot worse.

Then as if they weren’t making enough money on advertisement they came up with “infomercials” and they have become quite popular.  I can’t tell you anything about them because I haven’t watched one.

Oh my gosh!  Maybe I was wrong.  Maybe television isn’t so bad after all.  I mean, you get bombarded by bad news all morning and they air a program where some one who can’t control their life, tells you how to fix yours.  Then to make sure they have helped you they air a show who has guests with problems that just turned your mountain of troubles into a grain of sand.  Last but not least they sell air time to someone so they can explain in a half hour why you need something you really don’t need.  Silly me, they were looking out for me after all.

I guess by now you have figured out that I am not a big fan of television.  I am old enough to remember when two people had to keep one foot on the floor when shooting a scene involving a bed.  Now days they don’t leave much for the imagination.  Even the children shows have become down right insulting in the name of education and political correctness, that’s my opinion anyway.  Hey, what do you expect from a man who cut his eye teeth on, The Roadrunner (beep, beep), The Lone Ranger, and Looney Tunes?  The sad thing is we know all this yet we keep turning the ole “boob tube” on letting it poison the minds of our children and ourselves.  I will admit it, I am guilty of it too.  What secret powers does this box of circuits, electrodes and other technologies have over us?  I really have no answer.  Next time I get the urge to turn on the “idiot box” I think I will grab a book instead.

Thanks for reading.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Remember, spread the love.

 

 

 

Just a Few Thoughts

/ doubledacres / 2 Comments

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“Its not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority.” – Author Unknown

I was brought into this world in May of 1954, in a far away land called Texas and in that time I have learned a lot, forgot a lot and seen a lot of changes in society.  In the 60s there were a lot more stay at home moms.  My dad always managed to find a decent paying job.  Of course a dollar went a lot farther then than it does now.

My parents managed to put a garden in every year and my mom canned everything we grew.  She also baby sat and earned extra money that way.  She knitted and loved to embroidery.  Her biggest passion was quilting.  She lost to cancer in 2001 at the age of 68.

I came across this quote a couple of weeks ago and it made me think of her.  She always took care of herself and did her best to make everyone happy and she never made her happiness a priority.  I believe she loved herself and her life and did her best to take care of herself.  She never really had just her time other than when she was embroidering or quilting.  She worked hard and took care of her mom and my dad and her also took turns taking care of his mom and dad.  The last four or five years of her life she was basically a full time caregiver.  Everything else came ahead of her  and her needs.  She is deeply missed.

“Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give and nobody will care for you.”  – Karl Lagerfield

My mom sacrificed a lot to take care of everyone else’s needs.  She sacrificed too much in my opinion but that is the way mom rolled.  We would sit down to a meal and I would ask her who else was coming to eat.  Every year she canned more than we needed and would give some away.  I don’t remember the exact number, but I think my dad said when she died she had over 100 quilts stored in the basement.  She did more than she needed to but that made her happy.

In today’s world it pretty much takes both spouse’s incomes to make ends meet.  I have had several people tell me they do it because they want their children to have more than they did.  So they sacrifice time they could be spending with their children so they can make sure they have a cell phone, the latest designer clothes or the latest must have toy.  A new car and even pay for their gas and insurance.  Karate classes or every sport there is.  Really?

I guess I am an old geezer and set in my ways but I see them sacrificing important time that could be spent as family time.  Time used for talking and actually getting to know your child.  Oh you know his favorite baseball position is short stop but do you know his favorite book?  You know she loves dance classes but do you know who her favorite author is?  Your sacrificing time that could be used to know your child.

Yeah I know I ain’t nobody.  No degree.  Just gray hairs put there by experience of rights and wrongs and I just calls ’em like I sees ’em.  No facts or statistics just life experiences.  Growing up I didn’t get everything I wanted and my parents weren’t afraid to say no.  My sister and I didn’t have everything we wanted but we had what we needed.  WHAT WE NEEDED!

“At some point, if you don’t take care of the roads today, it’s like any other  maintenance issue: you’re going to end up paying a lot more down the road.” – Matt Mead

There is a lot of validity to this statement however in the rearing of our children the child is the one who is going to pay a lot more down the road.  If mom and pop can’t take care of them they aren’t going to know how to handle life.  Their boss tells them “no” and their whole world comes apart.  I hear people say repeatedly, “Kids these days!”  Really?  Who is at fault here?  Let that sink in for a minute.  Parents are preparing their children for some form of Utopia instead of real life.  Even as beautiful as a rose is if not handled properly it can hurt you; such is life.

Before someone gets a burr under their saddle I am not saying everyone does this but sadly I see a large amount of parents who do this and sadly on the other side of the coin there are parents who give their children very little.

My mom and dad always took care of us.  They taught us respect, work ethics and that life wasn’t always fair.  She worked early in their marriage and when we moved to St. Louis my dad was able to get a job that gave my mom an opportunity to be a stay at home mom.  A lot of young mothers now aren’t afforded that same opportunity now days.  The sad thing is that the children miss a lot of good times that they could really benefit from.

Thanks for reading my blog.  It means a lot.  Spread the love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Being Responsible

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment

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“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.  To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think  we  can be the most useful.”  –  Marie Curie

I can’t speak for folks outside the US, but inside our borders shirking responsibility seems to be quite fashionable.  It is always the fault of someone else.

One of my favorites.  Six o’clock news.  Interviewing the mother of a fourteen year old boy who stole a car and got injured when he lost control of the car while being chased by the police.  Mother: “The police is picking on my son.  They didn’t need to chase him.  He is only 14 years old and that’s the first car he ever stole.”  Oh no, not the boys fault.  No siree.  If the cops would have waited he would have probably just parked it back where he found it.  After all it wasn’t like he was a career criminal.  Mom said it was his first!

I hope you realize I am being sarcastic.  Mother puts blame on the police not the son.  I would say the parenting he is receiving could be some of the problem.  What do you think?

“You must take personal responsibility.  You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.  That is something you have charge of.”  –  Jim Rohn

Personal responsibility!  Oh yeah baby!  What, you want me to be responsible for my actions?  Absolutely!  If you are personally responsible for something then admit it and work it out.

I am a farrier and there was the case of a horseshoer who quicked a horse when he was nailing the shoe on.  He pulled the nail finished shoeing the horse and left but didn’t tell the owner what he had done.  To make a long story short, the hoof got infected, the owner had a large vet bill and it took the guy quite awhile to admit that he had quicked the horse.  If he had took responsibility and told the owner they could have doctored it and that would have been the end of it.  If the horse had kicked him, I bet he would have let the owners know.

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”  – George Bernard Shaw

We need to become more responsible, our future depends on it.  Our actions, environment, children’s education, pets; all our responsibility and we need to be doing a better job.  Schools send report cards home to show us how our child is doing.  If the grades are bad, be a responsible parent and contact the school and teacher and see what needs to be done to improve his grades.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Remember to spread the love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attempted Humor

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment

(Please note that this story is fiction but we still changed the names to protect the innocent.)

Our story begins in the town of Paragould, Arkansas in the early fifties.  The Greyhound bus stopped at the Ledbetters Restaurant, “Home of the Baked Possum”, and the passengers would get off and stretch their legs and get a bite to eat.  The layover usually lasted about an hour.

Well the Ledbetters had just got finished building a brand new two hole privy and were quite proud of it.  It was the talk of the town and the news had traveled to the Arkansas Missouri.  This would be the first time passengers tried out the new facility.

Mr Ledbetter decided they needed to go that extra mile and get one of those brand new PA systems his son Goober had shown him in the Sears and Roebuck catalog.  He figured they could use it to welcome the passengers and to announce when they would be departing the premises.  He figured he could also use it at the annual hog/turkey contest.

Goober had done a great job of installing the PA system.  He happened to have an ornery streak in him that folks say he inherited from his Grandpa Gomer.  He took it upon himself to add a speaker in one of the holes in that brand new two hole privy.  A two hole privy was a big deal back then.  It was a sign of prestige.  My grandparents had a two hole privy and one thing I couldn’t understand was, WHY?  Why would you want a two hole privy in the first place.  I am sorry but I am not going to sit next to someone in an outhouse.  Nope!  Ain’t doing it.

The bus showed up at 5:00 p.m. on the dot.  The passengers started unloading and Goober kept an eye out for a victim.  Then he sees this lady, who was carrying a few extra pounds, making her way down the path leading to the new privy fit for a queen.  She is wearing a flower print dress and one of those straw hats that has fruit on it.

Goober watched her patiently waiting for her to enter the outhouse.  To him it seemed like an eternity because he couldn’t wait to spring his practical joke on this poor unsuspecting lady.  She opens the door and steps inside.  Goober gives her a little time to get settled on the throne and he picks up the mic to the PA system, and says, hey lady could you move over to the other hole?  I am trying to paint down here.

Ten, nine, “boom” the door flies open and out comes this portly lady moving as fast as she can.  From the banana on the fruit of the world hat she was wearing, hung a roll of toilet paper and it unrolled as she ran down the path headed for the restaurant.  Her feet get tangled up and down she goes with her dress hiking up around her neck and her bloomers become visible to the whole world.  Now old Blue, the bluetick hound has seen all this commotion unfolding before him and the bloomers are just too much for him.  He starts barking treed and the ole rooster upon seeing the bloomers begins attacking her.

By this time ole Goober is rolling on the floor laughing so hard he pees his pants and his dad is running as hard as he can down the path to shoo the rooster off this lady and to comfort her and help her up.  He also managed to get ole Blue to shut up and things begin to quiet down.

Mr Leadbetter finally manages to get her to her feet and inside the restaurant.  He apologizes profusely to the lady as she sat there with that roll of toilet paper still hanging off that “nanner” on her hat.  Ole Blue was never quite the same, the rooster has never crowed again and Goober came up with this idea he called “karaoke”.  The poor lady finally made it home at which time she immediately threw her hat to her goat!!!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.  Spread the love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally! Frost On the Pumpkin!

/ doubledacres / 2 Comments

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“How beautifully leaves grow old.  How full of light and color are their last days.” – John Burroughs

I have waited patiently to wake up and see the pumpkin covered in frost.  I adore autumn.   Bonfires are a must, with the aroma of cooking chili hurrying along to tease the unsuspecting noses of those gathered around the bonfire.  Hoodies can finally come out of the closet.  Animals begin growing their winter hair and the geese head south.

Halloween is just a few days off.  The streets will be filled with goblins and witches seeking to fill their bags with candy.  Then it won’t be long until the turkey will be sacrificed and used as the main course to fill the bellies of Thanksgiving diners.

“Autumn carries more gold in its pockets than all the other seasons.” – Jim Bishop

I had a friend tell me once, note: he hates the fall, that “fall is like the undertaker, preparing the body for burial”.  I guess that is one way of looking at it.  Myself, I like to take drives and admire the work of Mother Nature.  My understanding is that this year the colors aren’t going to be that good due to the lack of moisture.  In the fall the leaves have a chance to “wow” you like the flowers did in the spring.  The squirrels begin hiding food for the winter.  Drum roll followed with a Snoopy dog dance, no more grass cutting and the horseflies have left the building!  Yes!  Sorry.  Got carried away in the moment.

It has been a long, dry, hot summer and I am ready for the snowflakes to throw themselves upon the ground until they have reached a depth of 8 inches.  I will have a fire going in the wood stove with a pot of beans cooking.  I will sit and watch my feathered friends eat from the bird feeders.

“October is nature’s funeral month.  Nature glories in death more than in life.  The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming – October than May.   Every green thing loves to die in bright colors.”  – Henry Ward Beecher

I hope you enjoyed my words and I appreciate you taking the time to read them.  Wishing everyone a Happy Fall Season!  Spread the love.

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do We Measure Success?

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;  To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.”  – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson wrote this sometime in the mid to late 1800s I believe.  I came across it a couple of years ago and it came up on my radar again.  In today’s world and my age I consider just waking up on the right side of the dirt as a sign that I have succeeded.  If he were to write that today I really wonder what he would have said?

………This is to have succeeded.  In life?  Love?  School?  I am going to approach it as “in life.”  What is success? According to Merriam-Webster, outcome result; degree or measure of succeeding; attainment of wealth, favor or eminence; one that succeeds.

I racked my little brain and I couldn’t think of anyone that I can say is breathing easier because I am alive.  As far as “a redeemed social condition” I had to wrestle with this one and I am not sure I have the right idea  however I think Emerson is referring to a certain social group (culturally, politically, economically, etc,  really guessing here)one may have helped beat gambling addiction, alcoholism etc. in one of those groups.

To appreciate beauty.  Wow, now that could be a loaded gun.  I know how society seems to label beauty, usually they don’t look past the outside beauty.   I am of the opinion that beauty is the whole package.  One can be beautiful on the outside but so ugly on the inside.  I see people that are bullied, ridiculed and treated like low class citizens because they may carry a few extra pounds, a noticeable scar, birth mark etc..  The majority of folks just seem to look at a person on the outside without finding out what their heart is made of.  They could have a heart of gold and no one ever notices.  Seems so sad and such a waste.  If you are a person that looks at the “whole” person and not just the outer shell I truly believe that is a true sign of success and you have my utmost respect.  So many people are incapable of it.

Oh my gosh , the light bulb just went off!!  I thought of someone that breathes easier because I am alive.  My doctor.  I mean how did I overlook that.  After all if I was on the other side of the dirt my doctor would lose that income.   After all the money is in the treatment not the cure.

Aw, the betrayal of false friends.  Now this is one that can hurt.  What is that little saying going around the internet, oh yeah.  The only reason some folks are alive is because I don’t want to go to prison, or something like that anyway.  That can be a tough pill to swallow.  There are some really cold people in the world and they don’t seem to have any problem hurting other people.  I think some folks just crave the feeling.  Here is another real sign of success I think.  If one can truly forgive a false friend that betrayed them I think that is another true sign of success.

I don’t know if it because I am getting old and less trusting, it just seems harder and harder to find the best in others.  There is so much dishonesty and hate in the world today that it is hard to trust.  To find the best in others you are going to have to trust them.  In the past I have recommended horse trainers.  These were trainers that I thought they knew what they were doing.  Boy was I wrong.  I have saw what I thought was good in a lot of folks and just set myself up for a hard fall.  With me it is a tough one and if it is something that I have to accomplish to have succeeded in life, I may be running a little short on making it.

Once again thank you for reading my blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.  I truly wish everyone a successful and prosperous life.  One filled with success and good times.  Spread the love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagination: A Good Thing to Possess

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment
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I named this rock formation “Alien Rock”

I didn’t get on the river until around 4:30 p. m. and I knew I wouldn’t have time to do a lot of fishing.  I did realize that the retreating sunlight should present some great photo ops so I began looking for those shots that would show the amazing beauty of Mother Nature.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My mind was working overtime and my imagination was like that of a 60s “flower child” who had taken a hallucinogenic drug.  I took several pics of the rock I had named “Alien Rock” trying to capture what I was seeing in my mind.  I think the above pic was the best picture to portray what I was seeing and I hope you can see it too.

To me it looks like an alien’s head slowly ascending out of the water just revealing its eyes and nostrils that had just broke the surface of the water.  I imagined it rising completely out of the water revealing a body as tall as the bluffs around it.

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Well, maybe I am losing it.  Maybe the crazy stuff going on in the world is finally taken its toll on me.  Maybe I have drank too many Jack and Cokes in my life time.  Naw, one can’t drink too many Jack and Cokes.  I got it, I need to quit drinking the kool-ade!  That’s it!

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.  That myth is more potent than history.  That dreams are more powerful than facts.  That hope always triumphs over experience.  That laughter is the only cure for grief.  And I believe that love is stronger than death.” – Robert Fulghum;  All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Thoughts On Common Things

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Was the alien there extracting lead from underneath the river bed; after all this is part of the old lead belt, or was he looking for a McDonald’s fish filet sandwich?  Maybe he is stashing green kryptonite in case he ever had a run in with Superman?  Was he a game warden in disguise spying on me.  Oh so many possibilities!

Hello, earth to Wayne.  Well back to regular programming.  Once I figured out what the alien was doing I began floating back to what the locals call the “Bone Hole” and fished as I went.  I managed to catch a small largemouth and several small perch.  I think the alien must have scared the fish off.  Oh crap, it is getting dark.  Where did that alien go?  I am skeered I tells ya!

“Logic will get you from A to Z; Imagination will get you everywhere”. – Albert Einstein

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog.  I am a firm believer that great artists ( painters, writers, musicians, etc.) are full of imagination.  I feel it is a must to be really good at what you do.  I think we need to emphasize it more than we do.  One can not suffer from too much imagination; well maybe I need to rethink that one.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  It is deeply appreciated.  Remember to spread the love.

 

 

Could You Survive?

/ doubledacres / Leave a comment

My friends, things are getting wild in the world.  Earthquakes, massive fires, threats of war, rioting, hurricanes, etc..  If a massive earthquake rattled our country or an EMP hit our nation and destroyed the nation’s infrastructure and you had to rely on yourself to survive do you think you would be able to do it?  Would you be able to grow your own food and preserve it?

“There are two problems for our species’ survival – nuclear war and environmental catastrophe – and we’re hurtling towards them knowingly.” – Noam Chomsky

I know some of you are rolling your eyes saying the old man has lost it saying,  “That ain’t ever going to happen.”  I hope it doesn’t.  But I would rather be safe than sorry.  Oh my gosh.  Just think about not being able to use your cell phone and no internet service.  People will be jumping out of the windows like they did during the stock market crash of 1929.  Imagine walking into the grocery store and the shelves are bare.  Chaos on the streets will be rampant.  TEOTWAWKI -the end of the world as we know it; so to speak.

I was lucky enough to grow up in the country.  My mom and dad were avid gardeners and my mom canned the vegetables.  Hunted and fished, so we always had meat in the freezer.  My grandma also canned fish and meat and taught me how to save seed for the next season.  We even canned sausage before the microwave.

Personally I think the schools need to add a few subjects in school such as gardening, canning and a basic survival course.  This is something that would be beneficial to our children.  Just think of the stories about people who got lost or their vehicle broke down and they were left stranded.  What if they would have had these courses?  Would the outcome have been different?  I don’t know for sure however it wouldn’t have hurt.

“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.  In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things.  The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.”  Isabel Allende

Fires in California and Montana destroys thousands of acres.  Irma and Harvey mark the first time two Atlantic category 4 U.S. landfalls have occurred in the same year.  Mexico gets hit with its strongest earthquake in a century.  We have to be prepared for the unexpected.

The purpose of this blog isn’t to spread gloom and doom.  It is however an attempt to encourage you to be ready for anything mother nature or governments throw at you.  If you live in hurricane areas, have an escape plan worked out.  Have on hand at least a 30 day supply of food and water.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I appreciate it very much.  Again I stress the purpose of this blog isn’t to preach gloom and doom but is instead an attempt to get you to think, could I survive?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature: The Natural Sedative

/ doubledacres / 2 Comments

a (2)

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord  Byron

Ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper I have been fascinated by nature.  It has always had a calming effect on me and when surrounded by it a place to think.  We are lucky to have so much wilderness at our disposal so that we can experience it first hand and not have to just see it in pictures.  There are some people who have never had that opportunity and I am very grateful that I have been able to enjoy it first hand.

I have been lucky enough to view nature from horseback, a kayak and backpacking. When it seemed like the world was closing in on me and I became anxious I would load my horse up and take off some where on the weekend and ride and camp out.  As I would ride along the trails drinking in the beauty of nature I could feel all the negativity in my life melt away and I would become relaxed and refreshed.  The effect nature had on me always amazed me.  It was a natural sedative for the troubles I had bottled up inside of me.

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Big River St. Francois State Park

My favorite gift of nature has to be the river.  It is so easy for me to become one with the river. The water that flows between the banks makes the river and gives life to the river like the blood that runs through my veins gives me life.  I am at peace with myself on the river.  As I drink in the beauty of the river along with its mysteries, my spirit begins recharging itself and my soul awakens making me feel very much alive.  Aggravation begins to shed itself from my mind and I feel a new tranquility surround me.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.  As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but Nature’s sources never fail.” – John Muir

Don’t take my word for it.  Take the time and go out and discover nature for yourself. Close your eyes and listen to everything around you then open your eyes and absorb all the beauty around you into your mind.  You will be glad you did.

“I believe that there is a magnetism in Nature,which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” – Henry David Thoreau

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.  If you liked it please hit the “like” button.  Be kind to one another, spread the love and take time to enjoy nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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