Outboard Motor Repairs...

Thought a quick trip to the lake, a little top water casting for bass would be good therapy yesterday afternoon. It was until a solid stump hit in shallow water spun the hub on the prop and we were only able to limp back to the boat ramp at idle speed.

Quick trip to the repair shop after work today established no damage to the motor itself and that the prop is repairable, be ready after work Thursday. No fishing time lost.

Here's a photo of the rig I essentially grew up fishing in. That's about a 1972 Dura Craft Semi-Vee boat with a 1961 Sea King 15 Horse power outboard ordered by my Dad brand new from Montgomery Wards. this picture could best be dated 1978-1985. Location unknown. It's me at the tiller.

After I got in the pontoon boat business about 1986 or so it soon became apparent I would never use the old Sea King anymore. It was needing a little work so I gave it to my Uncle Sammy and some of his tinkering buddies because I knew they would fix it up and use it. Sammy has since passed on and I am sorry I never asked him what became of this motor. I saw one of these motors at the lake this summer. Knowing Sammy's talent for mechanical workings I had the funny feeling as they passed me leaving the boat ramp it was the motor in this picture. Don't ask me how, I just knew.

Checking How She Has Grown...

On this week's visit by Coraline and Rose I use my baby sizer to check her growth.

I

Baptism Dress...

If you recall pictures from Coraline's baptism last month you may have not got a good look at this outfit she wore. I don't know, maybe her parents were afraid she would poop it or something but they stripped her of it in the moments following the ceremony robbing her precious grandparents of those precious pictures of their precious all dressed up. We all know that depending on the kid's personality dressed up might not happen again. On Cathy's recent visit to Lake Jackson she re dressed Coraline for some photos.

Anyway this baptism garment was purchased by Cathy at one of this year's marketplace booths at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The nice ladies selling their hand sewn baby clothes were from El Salvador. We had a nice time, helping them out by buying their goods and sharing our Catholic faith together.

More Tournament Fun...

Here is a pretty new event for the American Taekwondo Association, combat weapon sparring. In this photo, a little blurry because of the speed Mary jumps to land a blow with the short stick. She placed second in the event. Looks like two schools of thought in scoring points for this competition. Jump strikes count more, but some go low working it out one point at a time. This event got Cathy's attention. She thinks she could do well, she has long arms with minimal physical conditioning required. Some say the sparring is 80% mental, 20% physical. Mary might have an unfair advantage, depending on the competitions birth order. See, the youngest in the family learns to pick up a stick and use it as a force multiplier against older brothers and sisters at a very young age. Mary has been stick fighting a long time, very experienced.

Mary also took 1st forms, second sparring.

















Morgan's eyes gleam inside his sparring gear. He took a first in the long range staff.

We are on the Fish...

After somewhat of a slow spell fishing this summer (for us that is) we are back on the fish with 31 cats and a nice Kentucky Spotted bass today. Cathy takes big fish honors with this blue cat. I caught the bass on a topwater popper, little bit of schooling action early till the wind picked up. This cat and the bass are swimming in our bellies, broiled in the oven topped with crab meat.

If I find you guys fishing my spots I'll start photo shopping the backgrounds to erase location tips like the 147 bridge in the distance.
A throw back hybrid striper caught on a trolled deep diver with a trailing road runner jig. Where are his big brothers? Pretty good day for bird watching. In addition to usual water birds saw three bald eagles and a flock of 25 blue wing teal.







Thanks to the timer on our camera we caught ourselves with a double catch.

Lufkin Tournament Time...

Master Olford held his regional tournament at The Angelina College Gym yesterday with many out of town guests arriving to compete and help out. Here's a shot from the opening ceremonies. Total participants 703 with over 1200 separate entries for such events as tradition weapons and sparring, creative and extreme forms and weapons.
Special guest was Mrs. Sun Lee Chairman of the American Taekwondo Association and wife of the late Eternal Grand Master Lee. She received the Key to the City from Mayor Jack Gordon. That's Master Olford standing far left who also received an award from the Mayor for meritorious service to the City of Lufkin.
No awards from the city to me, but not a bad day for the old guy competition wise. Here I am doing my weapon, the double son jah bong. That's the Korean word for what the Chinese and Americans call num-chucks. I placed 1st weapons, and 3rd in forms and sparring.

Coraline Learns to Smile...

Cathy paid a visit to Lake Jackson, our grandchild and her keepers. In this picture coraline demonstrates she is learning to smile.
Hope grandma is a good influence. What ever they see her is making grandma smile. Coraline looks shocked, surprised and horrified by the sight.

Guitar Players...

From the Labor Day gig here's Larry with the magic guitar. Slide a slider this way and it tunes to E, that way it's in G and so it goes. Push a button and it sounds like a banjo, an accordion, a cowbell, or a tuba. You think I make fun but remember those are all respected sacred instruments in these parts and their players are elevated to the same icon status as say, Brittney Spears. Not that I would hit a cowbell or a cowbell player for that matter but if you browse past pages here I have blown a tuba. Anyway this is a great sounding guitar seems especially good for those vintage Gibson acoustic sounds.







Runt departs from the usual cowboy chords and shows off some psychedelic bar chord action. That's a real nice Fender Telecaster, might have to go custom shop to get a better one.













Three chords, a red guitar and the truth. Danny with a pawn shop special tricked out with hot screaming pickups and a sound totally awash in reverb.













I think maybe it was Chet Atkins or Tommy Tedescio, both veterans of many studio sessions when asked about the key to this success replied:

"There's no money above the fifth fret."


Mudbelly is way above the fifth, on bass at that. What's he think he's doing, rocking out?

Photos of the Deer Lease Gig...

Nothing goes together so well as a Saturday afternoon, Fender amps and a flat bed trailer. These shots are from Labor Day weekend at Runt's deer lease. From left to right the band was Larry, Miguel, Mudbelly, Dan, Runt and Danny.
I'd like a little more of that sax please.
















Mudbelly says, "Good thing ya'lls only deer hunting because I done let the cows out."

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Go on In...

Photo of Cathy on a New Orleans street corner, Jazz Fest 2010 in a break on through to the other side moment.

What do you think she did?

Blog Publishes to Facebook 24 Hours Late...

Ok, so Facebook did something I did not "like." My blog, which had published at the click of an update button does not do that anymore. Remember I am of the generation that invented instant gratification, those that did not bust their brains out with it are still around wanting more, or at least in the case get off my lawn and leave things the way they are.

Since things are not the way they are, they are 24 hours behind I have no choice but to invent a time machine and get 24 hours ahead. You say, "but does your associate of science degree give you the knowledge and skills to do such, you may need to be a full grown with a 4, 5, 6 or maybe even 7 years of dedicated academic study to prepare you for not just the building of the time machine, but for the possible failures and restarts that are givens when progress is to be made? "

So the answer is I must have help to make this advancement. I met a time traveler on a beach once. From the future, with silver people, very free, a good qualification. He will be my guide, my planner and in fact he was on this day I met him. He said to me:
"Hey can I have some of your purple berries?"
I said:
"yes I've been eating them..."
He said:
"Probably keep us both alive..."

Few Photos From the Beer Bait and Ammo Gig...

I did not get any photos of the band playing at Runt's deer lease party, maybe those will be forwarded on from the audience and hangers ons. We did get fed superior catfish and BBQ. I did get a photo of Dan the Drummer fortifying himself for strenuous drum bashing before we started.










Law enforcement present were helpful. Here they instruct hunting club members that the band will be allowed to kill one buck, two does and a hog by any means possible.

This fest was held in a very remote location. For once when the law left I did not have to quit playing or go with them.

Happy Birthday Glenn...

My brother's birthday today. In this photo he sits awaiting his cake.

Beachfront Fishing...

Beach fishing is a little different than what we usually do. No slinging out a stink bait and letting it do the work. Wind, tides and your mouth have to be held just right. I did manege this nice speckled trout, caught on a finger mullet.
On our last day, surf is starting to calm, wind shifting from the north, water sandy green, starting to get consist ant bait catches in the cast net, probably good fishing the day after we left. Here you see Cathy doing the famous surf fishing "Texas Two step" with a finger mullet under a popping cork on the second sand bar. You two step as the waves wash you to keep head above water.




This is what we call the gulf warrior shot, angler trudges ashore carrying all gear he/she has required to do battle on the outer sand bar.