Is That You Harry?

I heard a racket in the Franklin Stove and thought Harry Potter and Hermione had used their floo powder and by some horrible mistake ended up on the rez! But it was just the annual Grackle-down-the-chimney event. Sometimes I hear them, sometimes there is just a macabre surprise in the grate when fall rolls around. I opened the doors on the Franklin last night and put the screen in place. I couldn't see anything. This morning I was checking my email and heard a racket in the kitchen and investigated. A fine black specimen of Grackle flew into the bathroom and settled on the shower curtain rod. Quoth the Grackle, "Nevermore." I turned the light out on him, made sure he had a clear route out the door, and retired to the deck. Something swooped past me toward the slough-and I have not seen or heard from the bird since this morning. I think he will have a tale for his children and I hope it is a cautionary one about snooping in chimneys.

I should have felt like crap today-I managed to soak all three of my pillows with sweat last night but I felt fine. I played with the Honey dog and petted Buster then whacked weeds for a good while. It is a big job but twice a season usually does it.

We had a thunderstorm roll through- big winds and not a whole lot of water. Most of the day was fine. The coolness may slow the melt on the mountains. The Little Wind is starting to overflow its banks. Against my resolve we took a trip to town. I hit the veggies at the Golden Corral-I don't know what has caused it but I am veggie crazy at this time in my life. I like the veggie burgers at Burger King (not exactly low cal) and I have been craving vegetables though not at the expense of foregoing all meat.

I kept my resolve to back up the picture files again. That took some time.

I am afraid the neighbor across the road may have shot his dogs tonight. Buster just goes nuts when he hears those dogs whining and yapping. Then both of my dogs race to the road barking and it drives me nuts that they may go on the road. I heard six rifle shots tonight and no more dog noises. Many Arapahos have a whole different attitude toward canines-part of it cultural and part of it just lazy, I think. It makes me sad but I am the foreigner here. If the deaths were swift, I can't help thinking they may be better off. They may have belonged to the man who died recently. Those neighbors are the ones who got me back into the gun owning business years ago. They were feuding with some other clan and shots were exchanged. I had to have a heart to heart with myself and I came down on the side of not being an easy victim of somebody else's craziness. I do feel relatively safe here. Very few problems.

UPDATE: There are normal dog noises over there this Monday morning. Bad shot? Warning shots? Shots in the dark? Rehearsal for a War Dance? Thinning the pack? Hark! A shistol pot!

My Little Valley

It is hell, absolute hell, I tell you to have to see this every time I come home. (irony). The picture is cropped because there was too much road in the foreground. It should enlarge with a click. The picture was taken on our way back from town. Several errands run but we should be OK through the weekend now. The main reason for the trip was gasoline for the mowers, etc. With fresh gas I fired up the 3.5 hp weed whacker mower and whacked away.

Still feeling good and I am wondering if an exercise I read about has something to do with it. A reputable Canadian University claims that you can "reset" your resting blood pressure by doing hand exercises: Squeeze a handspring for two minutes with the left hand then rest for two minutes. Repeat with the right hand. Do several repetitions. My cuff is never accurate- I don't even know where it is but I feel better.

Now there is a big push on about vitamin D-the sunshine vitamin. Several countries have mandated up to 2000 units a day because of its cancer fighting qualities. Clinical trials in Britain. They are wondering if the Mediterranean Diet has been given credit for the more extensive exposure to the sun from being in warmer climes. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Seems I remember battling my mother over regular doses of Cod Liver Oil. She won and so did I.

Cuz Donna sent a picture from San Francisco-she is visiting friends. Bon got a visit from a bald eagle in Everett. My Casper blogger friends are adding a sun porch, trying out luxury cars, getting a new stereo. Richard is enjoying his new job. Matt ditto. I like when the news of my family and friends is progressive.

A severe weather warning and we got a big blow through here-no discernible moisture. I collected the dogs and we napped through it.

It's A Dog's Life and that is a good thing

I felt well, even good, today and it was a beautiful day so I called in "well." It's a great system I have. When you feel punk, you get to take it easy. When you call in "well," you get to do as you please. What pleased me was playing with the dogs or petting them, being in nature, snacking a bit, a nap in the sunshine, and watching a wonderful sunset. The rubber did not hit the road. No human voice disturbed.

When I say "being in nature" that is what I mean. This little oasis of trees harbors or invites the birds and the bees, animals, small and large, and a wide variety of vegetation some of which is edible in due course. It is all outside my door and I try to be a good neighbor to it-putting water out and sharing the space and the treats. In return I get to be a part of it, watching, listening, and being a mammal. I am returning more of it to habitat garden which many folks don't get but they are actually giving people tax breaks for it in New Mexico. Part of being in nature is accepting some of the less pleasant facts of life. Honey is quite a hunter. Watch out voles. And I got my first mosquito bite today- (I draw the line there-if the birds can't keep up, I can). Another part is being a good sport about the fact that some birds did not take it kindly that I screened over places that allowed them to nest in the attic. They remodeled and are back. When the babies fledge, I will be back up there with more screen and my staple gun. Even grackles speak softly to their babies. I can hear them murmuring.
Had some yellow finches visit today. They are cheerful and fast.

It "puts my head in a good place." as we said lo those many years ago. You know what I mean.

I unpacked my Iomega portable hard drive and was pleased to find I had saved most of my pictures to it. Forty five gigabytes of them. My life in pictures. I will back even these up again.

Pop! Phooosh Redux

A Sudafed helped the breathing a lot. I used to take them nearly every day but they tend to elevate the blood pressure which I don't need. So the problem was definitely environmental-just what, is impossible to tell because everything is popping. Live and learn. Will look for an allergy pill that does not kick up blood pressure. I can't use Benadryl because I use them for sleeping aids-because I found they work for that.

The UPS man came and Honey was a terror. Didn't get close to him even but she is impressive. I will tell Bill to honk and I will meet him. She really is a good dog, I swear she is. I told the trainer in Florida that I thought she was smart and he said when people say that the dog is just being compliant. I'll stick by my guns. Honey is not particularly compliant but she is curious and figures things out. She was doing her best to get a calf to play with her this evening. The calf didn't tumble but I played tag with her-she gets so excited and we went round and round the van. She was pretty cagey. Buster is having mostly good days. He seems thinner but he is also getting more exercise.

The dreaded Pop! phoosh occurred while we were at Wendy's waiting in line, right next door to Taco Bell which is where it happened last time. The air conditioner lost its charge in a cloud of vapor. With the dogs, no air conditioning is a non functional car. So the Dodge Van will go to another place this time and I will try to recoup my money from Plains Tire. Very annoying.

My toys arrived and I played with the usb CD burner for the netbook. It works well and is a very small "form factor"- whoever came up with that term for size and shape deserves a kick in the keister. The printer will install tomorrow. I now have headphones for the Skype.

My little brother was bemoaning medical care changes as "socialized medicine." I told him I was on socialized medicine and was glad of it and brother Bob (the much older brother) would be $350,000 in the hole without it. Bob is taking some pills-pig enzymes to hold his weight: $765.00 per month. for those.

For the Birds

Last night I decided to try a new strategy for the apnea and took, along with the Benadryl, etc, a stick of Wrigley's Extra Polar Ice gum thinking the menthol/spearmint would be helpful and having something in my mouth would keep it shut. It all worked and I will say that is some gum: it still had flavor and bounce in the morning. But I felt like hell-couldn't get enough air for hours this morning then had a deep chest cough and started to get better. Are allergies at play? Does that mouth breathing play a helpful role? So, not feeling well at all I just sat on the deck and watched. Scarlet Tanagers came visiting, Robins are raising families in several spots, Mourning Doves were courting, Grackles stopped by, Ravens were scavenging, the cattle were munching, the llamas grazing, horses were bedded down, dogs were at my feet. I enjoyed that part very much while I contemplated my imminent demise. (And no, Bonnie, you can't have my computer if I die)

Feeling better, I gathered the dogs and made a dog food run-they were out of kibble. The state has resurfaced the "old Lander highway" and I took that smooth path to Arapahoe School and then came home on the LWR Bottom road and spotted two big white birds. Really too far away for the zoom on the camera I had with me but they are pelicans!

Do I ever get tired of looking at this countryside? Yes, when it turns dun and stays that way for months. But right now I am soaking it up.

I'm feeling pretty well tonight and looking forward to waking up tomorrow. The UPS man is bringing my $40.00 printer.

Life goes on...

Weed-whacking, fiddling around, dog-watching, errand running, Nothing startling to report. I did see a provocative bumper sticker: "Wyoming sucks. Now go home and tell all your friends."
It speaks volumes. Part of what I like about Wyoming is its low density of population. But that comes at a cost. I asked at the vets if they knew of any doggie day care or socialization for Honey. My vet said "Wyoming is too existential-people here wouldn't get it." I love that I have a vet that can use the word existential. And she is right. "Spare," "elemental,"to put a gloss on it. "Barren" to be blunt. Both a blessing and a curse.

The other half of my life is the opposite-dense population and anything but spare or elemental. And that too is both a blessing and a curse. I'm glad I can do both.

Memorial Rainy Day

Honey is answering the coyotes with her bass bark that trails into a howl -pretty funny.

It was wet and drizzly at 6:00 A.M. Buster said "No thanks, I don't really need to go that bad." Honey went joyously out and got soaked. I towelled her off and decided she'd better stay in to get warm. That was a bad idea. A ride always is agreeable to both-particularly Buster so we went cruising by the brightly decorated cemeteries and the flags on Main Street and S. Federal-hundreds of them- very pretty. I thought about the day and those who had served the country and those who have served me who are no longer on the planet. WalMart got a little business. Then we wandered home,enjoying the heater in the van awhile longer by taking an obscure way. We were rewarded.

You will see no newer baby horse (foal) than this one. The mare's friends stand guard while she recovers.

This was not a new discovery but I have semi-coveted the old tractor seen up close below. So cool and at one time as life changing a bit of technology as anything. Old places have their stories- I suspect this was a sad one for if it was a step on the way up, the building would still be used for something.

My Casper friend called on Skype this morning and after he got his microphone fixed we chatted for awhile. I am such a rube! He doesn't pay anything. He did note that I answered up pretty quickly so maybe that is the difference. When I was signing up it wanted a monthly fee for an unlimited subscription. Discounted that came to $26.55 for the year. THEN it said I needed "Skype Credit" to draw against (tell me about the unlimited subscription again). So I put in $10.00. Now this is not going to break me up in business and I realize Skype is not a charity but the "free plan" would have been just fine for starters. I never even use all my cell phone minutes. But the video conference may be fun. Now I'll have to comb my hair to chat on the Skype phone. This is not progress.

Rain

Rain is always welcome-we had some last night and we are having thunder and lightning now as I sip a hot cup of decaf and peck away at this better keyboard. The netbook keyboard and my fingers had a difficult relationship. Morning coffee on the deck was cool and pleasant today-apres le deluge freshness. The doggies were at my feet. I came inside for awhile and then realized it was pretty quiet out there so went looking. Honey and Buster had crossed the road-Honey was about 40 acres away but poor Buster had barely made it back to our side and the driveway. That is where I found him. He gamely tried to make it further but laid down again. I gathered him up and took him to his favorite spot. An hour later he was up and walking around, taking an interest in everything and normal looking. He went exploring in the pasture this afternoon but tonight he is really hacking. The emotional rollercoaster is hard on the O.F. not that Buster's path isn't the harder one. Honey seems awfully solicitous of him. He gets kisses whenever they meet.

Had interesting email and good reading today.

I have been diddling around with Skype. I don't really understand it-especially the money part. My blogger friend from Casper is on it-I will call him and ask questions. I swear they are intentionally obtuse on some of these things. I did have a conversation with Ken in Thunder Bay, Ontario-so I get that part. The cell phone surcharges between Canada and the US are quite high making Skype very desirable for them. I downloaded it to my Smartphone, the Motorola Q, also so I can make International calls for 2 cents a minute. Now if I only knew somebody to call....

The Native Americans are busily sprucing up the graveyards for Memorial Day. I like seeing that. Maybe I'll take a picture- and it occurs to me that it always rains on Memorial Day weekend. I've got pictures to prove it.

At the Gun Show

The Annual Memorial Day gun show was well attended. Gang-bangers with "do-rags" lots of beards, lots of tattoos, mountain man wannabes, lots of shorter than usual people, characters. It seemed to me that chins and testoterone were in short supply except on the women. It is kind of hard to explain because there seemed to be nerd factor in there someplace, otherwise these folks might be riding Harleys. Very few new vehicles in the parking lot, though they were mostly fairly late models from around this state and from far away. Only two up front "political discussions"-one seemed to focus on a confrontations with law enforcement. The guns were primarily used or antique and pretty darn pricey. There were some historical oddities I enjoyed seeing; A rifle with a turning cylinder like a six shooter, WWI and II pistols and rifles, Lugers and Walthers. It was surprising that there were not many sportsmen types. They were probably at the lake or Rocky Mountain Sports

I bought a spare magazine for the pistol to hold the snake shot shells. I think they will probably jam but at least they are not loose.

This interesting vehicle was sporting a bumpersticker that would seem to support Napolitano's statement that right wing homegrown terrorists might well be lurking. A cropped shot below is probably easier to read (click to enlarge it). A Michigan truck (below) seemed to proclaim the current mantra of the NRA. There were not a lot of bumperstickers on the vehicles-of any kind. My "Coexist" sticker was the only pacifistic one I saw. A lady saw me snapping these two shots and got all paranoid. I left her that way. I think it is easy for these folks to get fearful. Unless you are somewhat fearful, why would you want a gun unless...unless... Omigod! it is too awful to contemplate! Black helicopters will usher in flying saucers and we'll all be PROBED!... (Skip me I have Dr. White's fine photographs) OR you are contemplating "going postal" at some point.

Perhaps Henry Reed's WWII poem gives a clue:

I. NAMING OF PARTS

To-day we have naming of parts. Yesterday,

We had daily cleaning.

And to-morrow morning,We shall have what to do after firing.

But to-day,To-day we have naming of parts.

Japonica Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,

And to-day we have naming of parts.

This is the lower sling swivel. And thisIs the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see

When you are given your slings. And this is the piling swivel,Which in your case you have not got.

The branches Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,

Which in our case we have not got.

This is the safety-catch, which is always released

With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me

See anyone using his finger.

You can do it quite easy

If you have any strength in your thumb.

The blossoms Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see

Any of them using their finger.

And this you can see is the bolt.

The purpose of this Is to open the breech, as you see.

We can slide it Rapidly backwards and forwards:

We call this Easing the spring.

And rapidly backwards and forwards

The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:

They call it easing the Spring.

They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy

If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,

And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom

Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,

For today we have naming of parts.

Note the anti-radar license plate cover. Can this thing even go the speed limit?
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The neighbors change where they feed the cows every day to minimize wear and distribute fertilizer aound the pasture. This morning they picked right under my deck and for some reason Honey took umbrage. The cattle were halfway across the pasture before I could even zap her- and zap her I did. The neighbors calmly took another pass with the hay wagon and all the cows were contentedly munching by they time they finished feeding in the lower pasture. They were feeding on my land so there is not much they can say but I wish it had not happened. Honey was pretty subdued most of the day. We played tonight though and she was fine. Buster was pretty hacky today but he was exerting himself quite a bit. He's got to have some semblance of a doggie life.

Tick Tock

When something functions as designed it always inspires my admiration. Such was the picture of Honey pursuing an interloping coyote this morning. At full tilt she is a ground-eating machine. She picked a vector to intercept and was waiting for him. But the coyote hid in the buffalo berry bushes and I called her in when it looked like she was going in after it. She and Buster are just plain in cahoots. He spotted and alerted on the coyote before Honey or I spotted it. He used to be a little rocket but he has somebody to do his bidding, now. He tends to abuse it but she is a willing accomplice.

Officer Mahan called today-twice! He is not the sharpest but he does seem to be trying. The pistol is entered into a national computer base.

It seems if a blogger wants to get reader response, blogging about gas will do it. Hilariously, two of our mutual friends BOTH independently nominated another friend as being especially gifted in the gas department. She lives in Casper so I won't tattle. I used to date her so as much as others might think we would be a matched pair, I guess the good Lord was watching out for me.

I was not feeling up to snuff today and so piddled and diddled with the router, the aircard and some other gadgety things. Improved the Internet speed by at least half again. Had a bout of the screaming meemies after the trip to town for snakeshot and sundries and am feeling much better this evening but the legs are huge.

I prepped the turnpike van for a less prominent role in everyday life and fired up the newly shiny Dodge van for the tooling around role. It is smaller, lighter on its feet, and gets better mileage.

When in Lakeview, Oregon last fall I bought some Jergen's Age Defying lotion. I do not believe it performs as advertised. Hasn't done much for my face either.

Mayhem on the Rez

There have been cop cars "running hot" toward Ethete (or beyond) for about two hours. That usually means a gun is involved. The dogs are in for the evening, my trees stand between me and the road so we are relatively secure.

I found a large flat snake in the road when I went to fetch the mail. A bullsnake I believe. I inspected pretty closely but it had been been pretty badly mangled. I need to get some snakeshot for the .22 although the .410 does a pretty good job. It is just such an antique, it worries me a little. It was an antique when I got it in 1956.

I found the box for my stolen pistol and called Jimenez Arms to see which number was the serial number and they seemed so head-shy that it was hard to get them to tell me. Wikipedia revealed that Jiminez is the successor company to Bryco and Browning arms-which have been the major manufactory of so-called "Saturday Night Specials." My replacement pistol is a Browning. Browning was sued and had to pay 24 million in a lawsuit (the facts as written in the Wiki makes their liability a stretch) Jiminez was the Plant Manager for Browning and bought the company for $510,000.00 after the lawsuit. In any case, I called Marion, IL PD and gave them the serial number of the stolen gun. They were reeaallee glad to get it. Uhuh.

Washed and waxed two more vehicles today. The Lindy RV awaits and I think it will await some more. I washed and waxed it in October. The other ones turned out pretty nice.

I had to run get more heart medicine for Buster and Thea said she wished her grampa Floyd was taking it. He was in the hospital for a week with Congestive Heart Failure but is out and about now. No meds. Floyd is a neighbor and the news he has been in the hospital will produce the entire gamut of human emotions up and down the road but not in the same person.

Janet wants me to enter one of my pictures in the Cattlewomen's contest at the fair. Maybe we'll win a prize! No cash, just glory. Got me off my duff to order a photo printer-a refurb of the same model I have in Florida that I paid a pretty penny for-now available for $39.00. Talk about mixed emotions: yay for the bargain butI now own two forty dollar printers.

There Goes the Fireworks Display!

Front page of the Riverton Ranger indicates two dentists were indicted for trafficking in prescription painkillers. One of them has put on a lavish 4th of July Fireworks display in Sinks Canyon for several years- better than the town display. By most accounts he is an excellent orthodontist and a fine fellow. (Mormon?) In any case I hope he gets corrected what needs to be corrected and carries on his life in whatever shape it takes. His co-defendant seems to be dodgier-license to practice revoked and he lied on an application for a gun purchase. Surprising to see it here. In south Florida there is a case like this about once a week. "Hillbilly Heroine."

Another surprising thing to see is the number of foreign immigrants working here. The Hispanics we have had for a long time-I am talking Africans, Chinese, etc. Feels more like Florida all the time. Of course there is a strong element of anti-foreign resentment in some strata of Fremont county and Wyoming. Most of the email hate letters that I get on the subject are exposed as based on lies and half-truths as revealed in the recent Intelligence Report put out by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Their data would also tend to support the report Janet Napolitano made on right wing hate groups. Some spooky stuff out there. I think I will go to the gun show Memorial Day to see some of them. All these people stocking up on guns and ammunition make me nervous. Who are they going to shoot? Do I need to be ready to shoot back?

I washed half the fleet today. Will wash the rest tomorrow. I had Mourning Dove poop in copious quantities on the green van. The trees are shedding sap and seeds on the others. The vegetation is just bursting. I fear the strong winds took most of the plum blossoms before the bees visited. I haven't seen many bees. I am sure I was buzzed by a hummingbird so the feeeder is up but no takers yet.

Though I haven't seen him, I am sure after today that Wily Coyote is still among us. Honey is going down to his house a couple of times a day and giving the big come-on. I am vigilant and her pinch collar is turned inside out (she knows how to do this) so if anything were to try to bite her neck, there would be a spiky surprise. Her canine body language is impeccable. I just wish she felt as confident with humans. Buster is really doing pretty well. He took a field trip to the pasture today too. The hacking is much less but still with him. He does play out.

Temperate Day: Big Winds

Brother Bob called as I was having my coffee this a.m. He was dining in a McDonalds in Gretna (I know it well) and noticed an essay contest involving Native American kids which was the brain child of someone with my name. T'warn't Me, drat it. We got hysterical. Having reached a certain age,and remembering our parents/aunts and uncles we were recollecting the past and present "fart history" of the family. Recently he had been in one of the front pews in church and realized he was in trouble so arose and made for the restroom. "Every time my left foot hit the floor I ripped one." That brought up mom's "walking farts" in her old age. And dad was famous for his cough/farts. He would cough loudly and fart at the same time, thinking the cough would cover the fart. Certainly didn't fool his kids. My lovely children introduced the term "carpet bombing" to me as a form of walking fart in a grocery store. Great sport. If you are good you can carpet bomb down the aisle and then innocently meander back up it to observe the victims. Not intending to, I carpet bombed the tiny Suprette grocery in Oshkosh, Nebraska on the way home. My eyes were burning and the place was packed-all elderly so it provided some cover or at least deniability. After Bob's surgery he was in Wal-Mart at the photo kiosk, looked around and saw no one and let a 30 second ripper. Finished with his photos, he turned around and there was a little girl sitting in a chair-holding her nose. Ah, the indignities of age-though our family has been robust in this department always-it is the uncertainty of control that kicks in with age.
The family tradition will continue. Matt says of Audrey, "The girl got's game."

I installed some solar lights today. Because I tend to topple without a light to guide me, I marked some paths and lit the walkway to my door. Those lights are getting better all the time. Significant light is cast.

While I was away they erected a new "Llttle Wind River casino" at Ethete. I went there for dinner tonight. It is smaller than the Big Wind Casino and very nice. It was Senior Tuesday but I ordered off the menu. Quite a few seniors in the conference room. Very creditable Chicken Fried Steak. Pretty close and reasonable in price.

Note to Self -John Prince Reservation

Having been home for only a few weeks, it feels strange to be making my 2009-2010 reservation. But those are the new rules. Commence November 17, 2009. End April 21, 2010. Confirm and pay month one on August 17th. Site #248 alternate 284. Confirmation # 8132 per Lisa. At any rate, I always have something to look forward to be it being home or in Florida. Lucky man. And no stewing about whether or not I will have a space. That part is good.

Mercury Rising

As promised it did hit 90 degrees but we were comfy all day. My fans create a cold storage in the house by night and when I turn them off by nine the house stays cool. The dogs sought shade outdoors during the heat of the day. Everybody had a siesta. Honey got me up early- I needed one.

I had email from Jeanne-they made their reservation at John Prince for November 15th. I make mine tomorrow. Also email from Nicole. They liked the branding pictures and sent me some of their life.

I got engrossed in my "Sun" magazine during coffee time on the deck early today. Excellent writing, birds singing, the vista. Really very pleasant.

There you have it: outwardly a complete slug, inwardly deeply satisfying. My rules, my life. Still, there is a slight nagging Protestant Work Ethic guilt laid on by the culture. Get Away! Life is to be enjoyed. It takes vigilance to claim your own life. Joy is not a sin.

Is Summer Here?

Eighty degrees today and it felt hot! The leaves were popping out on the trees before my very eyes. A miasma of spicy plum blossom perfumes the air. We have had enough moisture that green is popping up everywhere. It was a beautiful day.

But...at the risk of sounding chronically malcontent, it is supposed to reach 90 degrees tomorrow. It has been ever thus in Wyoming-shivery until you wish you had put the swamp cooler in yesterday. Even today I scurried around to get the fans installed and on their timers. While kneeling on the couch to install the big boy fan, both thighs and calves seized in charlie horses. Paralysis! I knew the potassium was very low at that moment. I quickly tended to my electrolytes and not only did the muscles relax, the spirits lifted and I decided maybe I am not as old as I have felt this past week.

The doggies had a good day-both were active and diligent. Honey got backed down by an old cow. I think the cow was just curious but the dog tactics of rushing and barking did not work their magic. She stolidly advanced. It was pretty funny. Then when she turned to amble away Honey made her move and the cow trotted about ten feet and turned around. Game over. It is a good thing cows are basically lazy or the Honey-bear would have a problem.

Per brother Rich's example, I got one of those USB thumb drives. He runs his programs off his and his records are always with him. I downloaded gobs of pictures on mine but it strikes me now, "What do you do with it?" It is a tiny little thing, lost in a pocket. Carry it on a string around my neck? Key chain? Chain it to a bowling ball?

Branding for the Lazy 69

It did me a world of good to get out and do something today. The neighbors up the road were branding and I went to take pictures. It was a perfect day for it and I had no responsibilities save for snapping away. Other folks worked hard. When I started to get leaden feet I went home, rested, and kept a social appointment at Halls where I wet my whistle with a Corona. The dogs went and were relatively good-Honey worked herself into hysteria at the branding. She wanted to chase something. Great day.

This capable hand is a cowgirl-Cindy. She can do it all and has it all-loads of fun, and she and Hollis are "keeping company" although their respective homeplaces are about 160 miles apart- Arapahoe and Midwest, WY.

Hollis roping calves by the heel-an art I admire and cannot begin to comprehend.

Guy and his surgical tools, Janet and her needles, Reddon with his muscles, Thayne with the branding iron, Hollis and Cindy with their horses.

Lots more pix and commentary at the Web Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sroberts.wyoming/BrandingForTheLazy69May2009#

Proud Pop and Grandpop

That is Matt in the middle being sworn in as an enforcement officer for the the Liquor Control Board of the State of Oregon. Picture taken in Salem near the end of April.

Here he displays his badge and his boss. Don't know if he is "packing heat" here but he does.

Cheryl and Audrey stand amid, not snow, but flower petals in Portland rose gardens. Too early for roses but just right for pear and cherry blossoms. Matt had a DUI conference and they had a good time!

My baby girl is getting really lanky.

I was very glad to get these pictures. Around here the dogs had a good time-I did not. I got chilled on first watch and had a heck of a time getting warmed up. Finally took a sunbath around noon with three layers on and, like a lizard, came to life. Meantime, the dogs crossed the road twice while I was inside. Honey got zapped. Buster ran out of steam and I had to carry him home. Honey went to the slough and came back all mudded up which I do not mind at all, she is a dog-just stay on our side of the road! (I just made her come in and she headed straight for the bed.) Supplements arrived via UPS. Buy.com via Fedex delivered my replacement computer late yesterday. I used to look forward to a new machine but getting stuff transferred and connected and all that is kind of a chore any more-the novelty is gone. I think I have one more package coming-from Amazon. When Dom DeLuise died they had Youtube clips of a lot of his movie roles and I was highly amused-ordered the boxed set of Mel Brooks movies- DVD's. Outrageous, politically incorrect, rude, crude, silly, and they really make me laugh.

Made a pot of soup-good soup. Toe is improving. Attitude too.

Fair to Partly Crappy

Not the weather which has been pretty good but my life and times. Besides coming to terms with what Buster's condition "means" my toe is going backwards and I think I have pitched a fever based on sodden pillows and two shirts last night. Not much doing the last couple of days. But I addressed the toe issue again, and Buster had a pretty good day today. He even played with Honey this evening and did not get the hacks until about a half an hour ago. Per advice from a web Veterinary School site, I am adding some supplements to his diet. I take CoQ10 myself so I have been cutting the pills and putting the gel stuff in Buster's food and it seems to be helping some. L-Carnitine will arrive any day now. There is no cure but quality and quantity of his pretty good life may be stretched and I like to think I will be unselfish enough to know when it is "time." In the meantime, I am having some bouts of sadness.

I've been indulging in some "Retail Therapy." Nothing flashy but Buy.com sends me tantalizing emails. Some electronics outfits are pricing for the recession and when it says "free shipping," I click and wait for UPS or Fedex to bring me toys. Six bucks bought a battery/extender, charger for the iPod that is battery operated (included!) and is supposed to give 72 hours of operation. Battery life for all iPod stuff is not too shiny.

The neighbors are branding Saturday and I will go see if I still know how to take a picture.

Time to go snuggle the pups. Just like with your kids, get those cuddles while you can.

"There was a young man from Nantucket..."

Well, we won't go there but today is National Limerick Day. I used to enjoy writing a limerick once in awhile though mostly they were unprintable or even unutterable in polite company. By design, they are supposed to be a little off color.



Nice day today but windy and I don't want to mess up my hair, so I'll mess up your head.



There was an old fart from Arapahoe
Who hobbled around with a sore toe.
To his chagrin
It was the shoe it was in,
Don't worry, at his age there'll be anew woe.



There is a proofreader from Everett,
Who is glad Uncle Sam pays off his debt.
It adds a measure
To her treasure,
Until she says "hunt'n'peckers Nyet!".

My Nevada cousin drives a big truck,
His hard way to earn a big buck,
But it supports
The outdoor sports
And gives him plenty of time to (I'm stuck
here. Give me a hand.)

But I am sure you can do better. Here is the cheat sheet:

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Limerick

"Never Mind"

Emily Litella Day around here: I called Verizon for a couple of reasons and asked about my future with them. I am going nowhere. If you have had Verizon service for more than a year, you are likely not an Alltel or RRC customer subject to divestiture. Casper gets the iPhones, I get to stick with Verizon which suits me just fine. I have an iPod touch that was a gift from the Florida kids so I have all the benefits without a phone. I can pretend I am talking on it IF I ever run into somebody that I want to impress. (Impressing people and me are not mutually compatible concepts anymore.) The MotoQ has some really good features the iPhone does not.


Surfing the web this morning, I discovered the Old 844 steam engine is making its way across Wyoming in commemoration of the joining of the Transcontinental Railroad. It was to be in Rock Springs at 3:00 p.m. so dogs and cameras were hastily loaded. I drove Raymond's mail route nightly for a couple of months so I know the road well and thought I could slide in just in the nick of time. A thirty minute construction stop disabused me of that notion so we took an alternate route home "Never Mind." I could try for 10:00 tomorrow in Rawlins but I think I won't.

Mother's Day

and me without one...still, I spent a lot of time thinking about Ruthie. Lots of smiles, few regrets. Cooked a Mother's Day meal for we three: pork roast, sweet potato, salad, canned peaches. Even used the fine Chin...ette.

Buster's hacking and sputum release was horrible last night. I thought it might be our last night together. I gathered him in my arms on the bed and put his head on my shoulder with a towel because elevating it seems to help. I slept little. When I did awake he was in his usual spot and has been doing pretty well today: not minding his own business, instigating barking, stealing Honey's foraged treats. Hacking some but not a lot. Go figure. Honey had a close encounter with some fat geese way down in the pasture. She started down there and they atypically advanced on her. She made them fly and we were both proud.

A teepee went up across the street and that typically is not good news. Ceremony of some kind: cure, or death. Lots of traffic over there. I have been trying to keep the dogs quiet but not doing a very good job because the dogs over there are barking up a storm at the hubbub.

It has been cold enough in the mornings to remind me that going south in the winter is the right course for me. The cold causes numbness and pain in my hands and makes me hurt. It goes away in the warmth of the sun.

Working away at my mail I found money! After being treated badly by the credit card companies: every abuse the President is trying to correct, I paid the rat-finks off and have only used my bank's card. Being a bit of curmudgeon, I still send minimal amounts which they dutifully refund from time to time-revenge-it costs them money to do this. ( I thought they would pay me the kind of interest they started to charge me- but nooo.) I overpaid one significantly and they kept it. So, I spent it. I have made myself whole after the theft in Marion, Illinois. I lost confidence in ever seeing that stuff again. When the patrolman drove away I noticed his SUV was labeled "Animal Control." They sent the dogcatcher to take my report! "Take a bite out of Crime," my ass!

Yoohoo, I'm Home!-It's Wyoming Out There

Ice on the deck this morning. The dogs love the cool. I kept coming in to get warm. They would bark, I would go outside to make sure they were in their yard. (They are doing pretty well). Surfing the news: Verizon has sold most of their rural properties to AT&T. I am heavily invested in Verizon phones and plans. I checked coverage maps-probably OK there. The phone technology is completely different. This sucks. Good thing: I can get an iPhone, bad thing: all my phones will be paperweights. I am going from Verizon VIP status to bupkus.

I got tired of playing jack in the box for the dogs so set out to do some errands. Took some southland mementos to Janet who had sugar cookies coming out of the oven! Lucky me. Declined their kind invitation to dinner tomorrow-it is Mother's Day. They are making progress-Janet's garden is good to go, their roads are planed, branding is about to happen. I may get to take pictures. I may even be mobile-the new shoes are helping. The toe is still tender but nothing is irritating it.

Two things on my "to do in town" list: Get Clorox and some fiberglass screen. Looked like an ACE Hardware stop. Screen there but no Clorox. Rocky Mountain Sports is next door. I thought I would look over pistols to replace my stolen one. Found one-partially gold plated, six shot .22 small automatic, that matches my ammunition and was cheap. It was amazingly easy to buy a handgun. I got creeped out by the conversations: "I was watching Fox News-they present both sides you know." (Yeah, like George Will versus Otis Fugpucker.) Unbidden, a Nordic looking man with a teutonic accent asked which gun I was buying and suggested a heavier caliber but allowed if I aimed for the head with this one and particularly an eyesocket, it could be effective protection. He had strep breath so bad I went directly to the car for a Tetracycline, but not before he told me about a TV show he saw where a pedophile made a pass at a kid and the kid went into the trailer and got a gun and shot him 16 times. It wasn't just the story that creeped me out but his zeal for pumping lead into a human being.

Went to WalMart, bought a Subway sandwich but forgot the Clorox!! (Saw the gun guy buying gallons of distilled water) Conversation between the checker and the lady buying guava juice that the food stamp allotment has gone up for everybody-that is a credit card transaction now. Went to Dollar Tree-no Clorox! Safeway had it but it took awhile to find plain old, rather than lavender, springtime fresh, and so on. Saw a few people I have known for years-hard lives reflected in their bodies and faces but I saw some of that when I looked in the mirror this morning. The years are marching on.

I am sterilizing the well-one gallon of Clorox, ran water until the pressure tank cycled twice. It will sit overnight-and run for a long time tomorrow.

Poor Buster really has the hacks tonight-gave him another quarter of a heart pill and a Benadryl.
Vet on Monday. Bless his heart.

Looking for the Red Kryptonite-I am in Bizarro World

For some strange reason cleaning and pitching has held more interest for me than blogging or surfing. There must be some red kryptonite around here. Never fear, there are weeks of effort ahead but every little bit helps. My notes to JPP buddies paid off with replies. Andre sent the one below. Le Dou Dou is Nicole's 31 foot sailboat. They will take up residence on it in Lake Champlain on May 15th. "Le Dou Dou" roughly translates into "blanky" like a baby's fave or favorite blanket-a comforter.

Jason sent me an iPhone picture from Deerfield Beach today. Kind of mean of him because we have had a chill wind all day long. Dogs and man were sitting on the south side of the house soaking up rays to the best of our ability. I played with the dogs-Honey needs it and Buster likes it on his limited terms. He was hacking quite a bit today. I am suspicious he is jettisoning his meds. Honey got into something nasty and ended up barfing after dinner. So after a rest she got another dinner and so far so good.

My darn toe is vexing and perplexing. It seems fine in the morning but as the day wears on...perhaps as my feet swell? I bought some new shoes, Dr. Scholls, 14 W, at Wal-Mart tonight. Maybe that will help. Wal-Mart is one corporation showing a profit-I am discovering why-subtle gouging. Used to be able to buy a dozen Oatmeal Raisin cookies for $2.50. Now you get nine cookies for $3.50. The nine count package is bigger than the dozen package used to be. And they are doughy. I did not do a raisin count on the previous ones- they cut them up besides, but these are much less a cookie. They used the cost of gasoline to justify the price hike awhile ago-but gas is not so high anymore. I ran across an article from awhile back that said $4.00 per gallon gas was here to stay. Warren Buffett said Economists were invented to make weather forecasters look good.

Drowning in Minutiae

The mail came-a whole month's worth. It is instructive to get your mail in clumps-a week's worth in Florida, a month's worth today. We really don't need daily delivery, fully half the poundage is suitable for immediate disposal in the garbage, more and more is available on the web-even some magazines. Then there is the other stuff that requires some action.

After the computer theft in Illinois, I quickly changed a bunch of passwords which I apparently forgot because they don't seem to be working. Grrr. It is possible to get them changed but it is not fun.

I see where a majority has now caught up with me: more than half the folks who have phones have switched to cell phones-giving up their landlines. I gave up mine out of necessity-it was out as much as it was on.

Babysitting the dogs has been no picnic. I always wondered how Buster's leg got ruined but then I realized he told me every day. The Fegler's four-wheelers rouse him to hysteria. Calving season, they are here a lot. He starts and Honey joins in. Add the other dogs and there is something to check out about every ten minutes. Honey is making great strides in sticking closer though and she has quickly learned that way to avoid the pager is to come when called, and that ignoring the pager will result in a zap. I am still at a total of two zaps. Of course the positive reinforcement for coming is alway strong.

Buster barfed this morning and has been been pretty alert all day. He might have just had a bug or eaten something.

I preheated the oven and smelled something funny. Investigated and a mouse had briefly inhabited it this winter-had quite a little store of split peas, some fuzzy nesting stuff and some tell-tale bits of D-Con. Fortunately I had laid down one of those oven trays so the remedy was swift.

The toe is improved but still painful at times. Progress is impeded. Re-entry is not as smooth as anticipated. I am trying to take notes-remembering is not one of my stronger suits anymore as the password fiasco teaches. The weather was nice if a bit windy.

Pastoral 2009

I started the day "layered up" for the 40 degree-coffee-on-the-deck routine I like so well and at that I "froze out" pretty quickly. For these first few days it is critical I am out with the dogs constantly. The pit bull bitch who attacked them before we left came calling last night. She remembered me and made a reluctant 180. I unpacked the rifle and dug out the pepper spray last evening. I hope against hope she will stay home and my dogs will too. I have no desire to do her harm but I will defend..

The temperature eventually got up into the 70's and I peeled a layer and even took a doze on the camp chair with my feet up.

I emailed my Quebec friends with the latest John Prince Park news, using Google translate. I type English, select French as the language to render, copy and paste, hit send. Simple as that.

The late afternoon was sublime. Sitting on my deck watching the newborn calves play, the birds flying or grazing, the Sandhill Cranes calling, the clouds drifting, blues skies, green pastures: I never get tired of seeing it.

I am concerned about Buster tonight. He is hacking and pretty inert after a strenuous day. I fear his heart murmur is getting the best of him. I try to keep him calm but he doesn't know he should take it easy. He is my love bug and irreplaceable. I'm feeling loss keenly today. Mom's birthday. Loads of smiles down that memory lane and I would give a lot for one more hug.

Speaking of which, the Mormons are catching hell again. Some well-intentioned dimwit did a proxy baptism into the Mormon faith of Barack Obama's mother. No word from the Obama family but the gentiles in Salt Lake are in full cry. Having found my grandmother on the rolls some years back, I can imagine feelings. Grandma liked her Mormon neighbors but they gave that Episcopalian lady the giggles-especially the underwear. The Mormons are less than gracious about the reversals, too. The Jews raised a ruckus about the practice so 250,000 of them were expunged-their genealogy records went too according to the SLC Tribune.

Settling In

The water has been turned back on. This involved letting the well run for hours until all the rust and black stuff ceased. I will sterilize the well when next I go to town for Clorox. Meanwhile, flushing, etc., are operational. No leaks from the winter with the new system. Yay! Somehow I developed a sore toe. I'm doing all the right things to get over it. It is inflamed but it looks to be an inside job. I certainly can't remember hurting it.

It was in the low 60 degrees yesterday and in the 50's today. Shirtsleeve weather had I wintered here but I am freezing! A jacket goes on first thing and comes off last thing at night. I made a big pot of Italian Wedding Soup. (really it is just soup with Italian spices-but I noticed restaurants stick the word "wedding" in to fancy it up.) Hot soup to chase the chills.

The dogs are in for a siesta. They are loving the weather and being in their territory. The magical wrap I found in Florida really seems to help Buster. He will never be his speedy old self again but he seems to be getting around pretty well. The training collar is a godsend. When Honey is "being official' she is unresponsive to being called. The pager (vibrator) is all it takes to turn her around most times. I have only had to zap her twice.

Greg called this morning. They are settled in along the St. Lawrence Seaway. His dogs are happy campers too. They took their time going home and had a good trip. It was nice to talk with him.

I love statistics and maps. Statistics usually blow the political arguments and prejudices right out of the water. I am also a fan of the Four Cardinal Virtues: Love, Faith, Hope and Charity, as well as the Seven Deadly Sins as pitfalls. Most religious discourse these days focuses on lust. There are six others and chief among them is Pride. I stumbled on this great article about the Kansas University Geography Department mapping the Seven Deadly Sins. Clearly shows the Bible Belt states with all their ranting and raving and preaching are certainly no better and in many cases are worse than the rest of country. If you are inclined spend a little time on these pages-there are interactive map presentations:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/26/one-nation-seven-sins/#

Getting Home

Stop and crawl traffic from Pontoon Beach, Illinois to the I-270 crossing of the Mississippi River.

Below a semi-trailer is off the road on I 70 near the middle of Missouri. Almost all the major and minor rivers are way out of their beds-sometimes by a mile or more. Lots of water this year.

Rich and Val at Applebees in Casper where I presented them with green bananas from Jason's Banana tree.

Riverton is looking good-pretty spruced up and home really is a pleasant sight. Went to town for breakfast and saw some people I knew. Vernie was handing over his grandchild for a visit with the father, Ken and Seldom Seen had been out for breakfast too. Seldom-Seen has shrunk! Ken, his son, has gone the other way-pretty huge.

The electronic collar is on Honey- she went cow chasing this morning. She is mud up to her chest. She and Buster had a tug-of -war with a piece of cow afterbirth. They had a big war over who got to sleep closest to my face last night. I was too tired to mediate. I heard the coyote this morning. Thayne says the coyote plays with the calves-the calves initiate it and then the mothers have a fit. He was not excited over Honey's foray but if she runs fat off them, excitement will ensue. He said the Norse's have three pitbulls in cages across the way. This is not good news and another reason Buster and Honey must learn to stay in their own yeard.

Home!

More later, after many hours of slumber.

Omaha, Nebraska, Flying J, 3:00 a.m.

Marion, Illinois, Pontoon Beach, Illinois, St. Louis, Kansas City, St Joseph, Missouri, Rockport, Iowa, Nebraska City, Gretna, and now back to Omaha. Nebraska. It was a grueling day driving. Rainy in spots but not bad, but I-70 is a chore. Think Denver in rush hour and then think 225 miles of it continuously. Over 15 miles of stop and go for a bridge inspection and another ten for a semi jack-knife. The drive up the eastern edge of Missori is beautiful I got to Bob and Doris about 9:30 p.m. just short of her bedtime. Bob had a nice jumbo shrimp cocktail waiting for us and we visited for a couple of hours. There is much less of him-and he has aged due to loss of fat in his skin but he has energy and is still upright, the weight loss has been arrested and he no longer resembles a pumpkin in color. His spirits are good. I am glad we had the visit.

He thought perhaps the dogs could sleep in the car and I could fill a bed. I didn't want to risk the upholstery. Miss Honey has been a good girl so far but I am not going to push my luck. I bought gas and burgers for them then stumbled on to this Flying J as I was headed to I-80 and Grand Island. I decided a snooze in the nice safe parking lot was in order. Sultry is no longer a problem. The van's heater was employed today. Dogs have been walked and watered. I may journey on or I may try to doze some more. Home is a distant possiblity today but it may take until tomorrow-or the next day if you count today as tomorrow which it technically is. Does that confuse you as much as it does me? Well anyway, I feel more like I do now than I did when I first got here.