Happy New Year...

We spend small dollars on fireworks out here but we have a good time. The neighbors are shooting off some big stuff so we get to enjoy their's also.











You think you are seeing stuff...
We had beans and ribs for supper.

Now That You Mention Bigfoot...

I was doing a little yard work and I found this in the yard. It's the scat of a large animal. Not fresh, but I am going to have to start paying more attention around here. Funny that I just mentioned bigfoot in that last post and then I find big poop. Kind of like whenever I mention Dick Cheney on here and then I hear a shotgun blast in the near distance.

Anyway good thing I know how to contact those bigfoot researchers now. Good thing I have some left over Christmas present boxes. I'll pack this stuff up ship it pronto enclosing a note asking if they have ever seen anything like this.

Another busy day. Wish my wife was home to help with this important finding. She thinks I never do squat around here.

Big Slough Pictures...

I have hit the Big Slough Wilderness area a couple of times this week. No ducks killed, but have seen a few and also several deer. Mainly I have been setting up Points of Interest (POI) in the new GPS so my happy ass can find my way back to the car.

Here is one POI, a place where I occasionally park, the bridge on the 4C trail that runs from Neches Bluff to Ratcliff. I guess that's Hickory Creek, all water ways are linked anyway so names don't matter.





Not a POI here, but there were three Woodies sitting here on a small slough feeding Big Slough. I passed them up walking down the trail because they would surely spook if I tried to slip up on them. I came back later and they were still there and I scared them up. I don't usually hunt here but I figured what the hey, if the were here for a reason, more might come. They didn't.

Note the water marks on those trees as well as the steep banks in the bridge picture. There be some water come through here every year when we get the good old East Texas rainy season. About 8 ft of it. Dallas wants to build a dam so they can pipe all this uphill. Somebody will have to foot that bill, sound suspiciously like the old rich get richer scheme to me.

The farthest land in this picture is actually the far bank of the Big Slough. The GPS says that the Neches River is 8/10s of a mile straight ahead. That would be a tough go, no matter if you went as the crow flys or followed the water. If there is a big foot, he's over there. Might be a few folks getting on what is really an island or with further exploration a series of islands, by boat from the river, but there are not many people crossing here. The slough is big deep and wide. There are some crossable places father down, but making your way back to this spot would no doubt be fodder for several blog posts.

GPS says 190ft above sea level.

And about that big foot, check for sightings in your county:
http://www.texasbigfoot.com/

Christmas at my mom's...

Here we are on Christmas eve at my mom's house. I'll give her a pass on the usual blog fee.
Ripping it up like a kid.

What about this guy? Let him in free too?

It's Christmas Eve Man...

The elves are ready. Wonder whose present that is?
Wait, that's not a present. No wonder there is nothing under that tree. It's a good chance he will bite Santa as he tries to slip in the house.

Right here...

I don't usually ask Santa for anything. I am pretty blessed to have all I need and to not get that confused with what I want.

But just in case Santa does want to bring me something, here is where I can be found. I can't give any better directions than this.

Good thing this device does not record whether I have been naughty or nice.

Merry Christmas...

So what if the neighbors can't sleep. I don't are if the McDonald Observatory has had to cancel all viewing for the holiday season. So what if there has been an attempted shuttle landing here because they thought this was the runway. It's America I can draw enough current to ruin a third world country if necessary and I want everyone to see the many many light festooning the older you will get headquarters.

Oh, I am just funning. It's not that many lights but it makes me feel all warm inside.

Sensitive stuff again.

More Christmas From the Land...

Grayson makes a peaceful first Christmas.










The big ones gather around. Careful with the little one, girls, don't trample.








Mr. and Mrs.Claus. I think they knew they weren't holding up the new grandbaby.









You got off light this Christmas Kev. Next year it's legos, Linclon Logs, erector sets and cross word puzzles. Can you say peace? How about million pieces?

More Early Christmas Pictures...

Grilled fish using the same marinade Kevin made for the oysters.

This is the Wallace Holiday Shot. You may see this picture again. And again. And again. Left to Right, Rose, Juan, Morgan, Mary, Cathy, Carl, Katherine and Brian.





It was kind of a make stuff Christmas. Cathy made everyone a robe. They came in real handy for the living manger scene we put on. Yes folks, these are real donkeys we have here.

Juan made Cathy a guitar. It's the Ramirez Special. Really great job, may take it down to the music store today for a few tweaks, nut, bridge, truss rod done by a pro to get it all speced out. We will try to get some better pictures later.

The crowns you see are a kind of tradition around here. At Christmas I mean.

Having a Big Christmas weekend...

Up at the land grilled oysters with sauce made by Kevin.








The oyster shuckers.










Was there a movie about this guy a few years ago?
Now with Mrs. Santa present he is being good.

Winter Fishing...

Had to bundle up at the lake today. Some were colder than others.
Introducing a new blog character, Katie's boyfriend Brian. He caught some of these fish.

LHS Panther Band Christmas Concert...

Here are a few shots from last night's Christmas concert.

The SymphonicBand.






If you notice this event is held in the P.E. gym at Lufkin High. The recently pasted bond election should give us a new auditorium
on par with what a high schoolof this size and a fine arts program of this caliber should have soon after my last child is graduated. I'll miss the smell of sweaty socks at Christmas.

Interesting shot made in the mirror you see in the previous picture. The percussion section with Mary in the black dress.



Another mirror shot of Kaylee on trap set.
Drummers laying the groove. Lots of slaps sticks and sleigh bells.

Wedding reception gig...

Got to play with the Stonewall Rockers at a wedding reception Saturday night. Travis, musical misdirector gives me a call to sub on harp whenever his main dude can't make it. Pretty good gig, sixteen piece band, lot of fun.

Here is a couple of the horn guys, Chris on trumpet and Todd on bone. Chris graduated out of the LHS band the same year Morgan did. Jongy, who I have known 25-30 years was on sax.

Here is Bill and Mike on drums and percussion.
I have been told that it was about 1984 or so when my other other self first climbed up on a flatbed trailer stage somewhere in the woods with Bill and Rayburn, who did the Elvis and Morrison impersonations.

Rayburn as Morrison with Travis, musical mis-director on the left and Brandon on the right.

Elvis, Rayburn's other other self.

Dream Away...

Those old night screaming days seem long past. I sleep quite well in fact sometimes never even waking up. That's pretty good for an old guy. I take that as a sign of good health, you know the plumbings work good and the blood sugar must be controlled. I do dream though.

Couple of nights ago I dreamed I was looking at my other other self in action. I was myself in the dream and I was in some sort of symphonic band setting with my tuba. I looked essentially like me. Not this other other self, he looked kind of like me and I was able to recognize that on some level that I was watching myself. I don't know if other people in the dream knew it was me but they were watching this version of me too.

This other other self had long hair, past shoulders flying in the wind. I have had hair like this before. He was chubby, in the face and in the belly. I mean I am kind of fat, but this guy was bigger. He had those spectacles that turn dark when you go outside. He was grinning seemingly having just pulled some humorous stunt that everyone was watching. The grin was a big tooth hungry grin that reminded me of an early 70s concert poster I saw in an antique store, a reproduction I am sure, of a young, shirtless Elton John with a hungry look on his face, the poster being in the chitllin circuit style you might see posted on telephone poles and grubby quick stops advertising a performance by Bobby Blue Bland, Chick Webb or old Candy Likker. Please don't Google Elton John if you don't know who he is. You won't find this poster. Don't Google Chick Webb or old Candy Likker either for that matter. People ask me all the time how I know about these things like this and I don't have time to tell you.

Anyway, the other other self had on an off white button up shirt with wide green vertical stripes, worn outside the waist band. It was the kind of shirt that makes you look at your own shirt just for an affirmation that you are ok. When I looked at my shirt in the dream it had horizontal green stripes. May be I'm not ok, maybe the message here is that I'm going to be sick, real sick.

other other self had on off white khaki shorts, knee length. He had on those leather shoes, kind of a woven deck style, brown, without socks. You have seen middle age guys wear shoes like this, with a woven brown belt to match, no socks, usually a polo shirt tail tucked in and denim shorts purchased at Sears or JC Penny. Their legs are usually that fake golden looking tan teenagers get at the tan getting place and are not very hairy. I always stare and just cannot tear myself to look away when I see a Guy dressed like this, kind of like when I spot a dog taking a dump on the road side. I must look. And keep looking. I know it makes them uncomfortable, ( not talking about the dog any more) but it's not sexual. I am really trying to cipher out some man thing I don't understand that says this style of dress looks good. It's as if I came on a centaur, he's man from the knees up, but down below is some androgynous thing.

With that picture, I awake. Pretty vivid, colors remembered real clear and everything. I ponder all these things in my old head a few days, what does it mean? Then I post. They will know.

Peek Out From Hiding...

Over at the Big Slough again today. Me and Cathy got there about 10, no ducks, but that's ok, season is closed this week and opens again on Saturday. I carried my old single shot 20 gauge and a couple of fishing rods.

Saw a couple of wookcocks, must have been. Fat little birds, I could see one cooking on the grill. Caught one little catfish with a bunch of nibbling bites.

Makes me wonder about that catfish. It's a long walk down through the woods to where I caught him. How often does he see a hook?

The picture is some pretty flowers of some kind, probably a cure for disease growing way down there on the slough bank, waiting to be flooded with the next three day rain.

Saw three big does on the way out standing in the road.

My Furry Friends...

This is Spanky, who along with Sparky, Speedy, Splashy, Spunky and others I have not named yet are doing some heavy feeding around my makeshift Squrriel feeders. Wish I was on the lake, I bet the catfish are moving.