This is Your Sport Jacket After a Gig...

Played with the boys, me, Miguel, Runt, Dan and Danny (guess you could call it the Dan Band version) at a local AA Valentines Party. Good room, good sound, had some dancers, lot of fun and the crowd was smoking. I mean really smoking, one right after another. I hung my sport jacket outside when I got home last night so it would not stink the house up.

Seems like last time I took this outfit to the cleaners they stuck a little tag on it said, "you stain it, we can't clean it, don't get so dirty, dude."

Anyway, it was good fun. No band photos, we did not have any official photographers present. It was the kind of gig I like. If you are scheduled to play at the local bar and don't show up they just play the radio. No one misses the band. I like to put music where there might not otherwise be any.

Miguel commented he was able to cross one thing off his bucket list, playing blues in a small smokey room.

Catfish Chum...

Things been a little slow around here lately. Don't mean nothing is happening though. We are getting our ducks in a row so to speak so we will be ready when the time comes so that there will be a flurry of posts in this space concerning wild doings.

Ducks in a row means we are sharpening our tongues, changing our guitar strings and preparing catfish chum for appropriate times. That means don't use your guitar cat fishing although guitars do get stinky sometimes.

You know by now that cat fishing is a messy business, involves stinky stuff. Here in this photo I am making some catfish chum. Take some sour grain, pour in bucket, cover with water, close with tight lid. Wait, if you plan well, weeks to months is better and check bucket. If it stinks bad, its ready, it will attract cats if you toss some in a likely spot while fishing. Actually someone told me one time that it did not really need to stink, soaking in water does make it sour, but soaking grain is the only way to get it to sink. It otherwise floats and will not attract Catfish.

This is the new Orleans Saints blend I am whipping up here with a little Crystal Hot sauce, made in New Orleans added for a kick.

D

Grand Child News and Video From State Trooper Graduation...

New news on with the baby Juan and Rose are expecting, our first grandchild is that yesterday's ultra sound shows a girl. All parties are very happy.

This photo taken last October at the Juan's State Trooper graduation, probably the day they conceived is Juan giving his dad a hug.

I got to use Juan's influence as a State Trooper yesterday. Coming back from Tyler, outside Rusk Texas was a Trooper doing traffic duty on the side of the road. As I sped past, I simply rolled down the window and hollared, "I know Juan." He did not give chase.

Click this link for a video of the Troopers marching in at graduation. It's a little grainy, a cell phone vid shot by Abraxas87 aka Miguel. Juan appears 3:57 into the video and the camera follows him across.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGulRTq_aAQ

Foggy Morning...

First fishing trip of the new decade is on a foggy morning. Haven't been to the lake in a month, all that couch flying made them hard to locate even thought the conditions were just what we like, cloudy, rainy with just enough wind. If you want to catch fish, you got to stay on them.
Looking toward the Canyon and the 147 bridge, usually about 6 plus miles of visibility. We ended the day with 4 keepers, good enough for our dinner tomorrow.




Cathy field tests the new Frog Toggs rain gear. She bought hers with a Christmas gift card and bought mine for my birthday. It's a light weight breathable fabric that keeps you high and dry with generous sizing that fits over layers of warm outerwear and makes it appear you have a bubble butt. How's that for a product review? Not everyone may desire a breathable fabric bubble butt.

I think I Invented Something...

I have brought about ten prototypes into production and all have exceeded performance expectations. My new invention is a sandwich, closely related to the Ruben family.

Preheat oven to 350. Get out cookie sheet. Bread, any kind, and I have tried several and they all worked. On one side of the bread (it seems to be advantageous to make these in pairs) put your choice spicy mustard or mix horseradish with thousand island dressing for a not so secret sauce. One slice onion. sprinkle with that angle hair fresh bag cabbage, (a Ruben would use sauerkraut) the kind for quick made coleslaw. On the cabbage place your choice of cheese. I had graded mozzarella thanks to Mary and Miguel. On other bread your choice of meat. I have not tried a rib eye, but here you see a comb of honey ham, turkey breast and pepperoni. Sprinkle with course ground black pepper. Place on center oven rack, cook till you catch a whiff of toasted bread.

Enjoy. These two are swimming in my belly.

Happy Birthday to Me......

Here you see me digging around in all the gifts under the birthday tree this morning. I turn 53 today.

Don't worry. I can still party like I am 50.

Help Yourself...

Heard a noise on the porch as I was drinking coffee early yesterday morn. Was just able to snap this photo of a criminal, through the screened kitchen window, breaking and entering the locker where the sunflower seeds are kept. I Had been feeding my yard squirrels during the big freeze, helping them out to keep warm and full and had kind of slacked off with warmer temps so I guess this one decided to take matters into his own hands. There were some chew marks, signs of aggravated breaking and entering along the edge of this bench/storage locker.


Jumps to the seat back posing for a good mug shot.













To the ground, making an escape.

2010 Black Belt Nationals...

Traveled to Dallas for a national American Taekwondo event, the 2010 Black Belt Nationals. Here's Master Olford, our instructor with Mary, Nick, Morgan and Rolando.

It was a good tournament for me, I placed second in sparring. Took winning three matches to get to the fourth for first and second, only loosing that one. Not bad at all for a national event, I felt for no more training than I have done, I teach mostly now, that I really had good stuff today. Did not place my form.

Morgan spars. He placed 3rd in forms. Mary did not place. She had a good form score that would have placed a regional event but not good enough for a national where judges are tougher.

Lufkin Black belts again, Neemisha, Morgan, Nick, Mary and Rolando.

Cat Stretching...

Cathy and Mary paid a visit this week to Rose and Juan and here you see Mary participating in the oldest sport known to man, cat stretching. All my children have been taught to cat stretch from very young ages.

No one knows exactly when cat stretching began, long ago no doubt early man noticed that stretching was good for cats. They also noticed that cats liked it. It felt good and the competition was fierce to see who could stretch their cat the most.

There was even a movie made called "The Man Who Loved Cat Stretching." I think Clint Eastwood was in it. I think I even read that no cats were harmed making the movie.

Cool Cactus...

Few years ago while visiting Juan's parents, they are located quite south of here, I took some cactus cuttings, given by his mother really, not stolen like rose clippings from the Tyler Rose Gardens by bus loads of elderly criminals masquerading as day tripping sight seers, and rooted them about my property with great success. The cold of the last few days has knocked them back a bit.

Here's one of two planted in pots by the door. Formerly standing straight and tall this Cati grows a woody stump and makes a tree. Not used to sustained freezing it's flopped over like last years Valentine gift. I guess it has not stayed below freezing like this since I planted these. I was getting all ready for the global warming thing and in fact searching for appropriate clothing today I could not help but marvel how many truly nice short sleeve shirts I own.





Here's the flagship Cati by the deck steps. Lot of promise here to make a tall tree, especially since it's fertilized by the blue krytonite, I have it held in place by a bungee cord.

Cold Tub...

Sixteen degrees this morning. Cathy takes dip in the hot tub and we have a warm fiire in the fire place. It makes winter more tolerable around here.

Bad Jokes...

Heard about the one armed fisherman?

He caught one this long...

Last Christmas as a Baby...

With more babies on the way, Rose and sister in law Margaret are expecting, Margaret's first born, Grayson who is pictured here walking Mary will be regulated to being sprawled on the couch with the pile of cousins next Christmas.
Grayson walks Pop, Katie and Margaret. I think she says "Walk this way."










See you later.

Outdoor Action...

Got this picture of a hawk on the wing at the land during family Christmas activities. A bit blurred, he was moving on. I had been watching him for awhile work the tree line in front of the house and finely captured this picture from the passenger seat of the John Deer Gator, an ATV, as we drove the high line to the pond. So you see I was moving, cruising also.

Juan dusts off the seat to the deer stand. He hung some camo material around the frame and returned this week to sit on it for the morning. Report has he saw 15 does, no bucks.