Hornet Emergency!

 We had a hornet emergency. We had to set up a dog pen under the back porch, and hornets had built a nest a few feet away. No time to be nice, or wait for winter, those critters had to be dealt with before they attacked a dog, or Susan or myself. You do what you gotta do.

Tater Harvest

 We dug the last of the potatoes, and now we have a total of three bushels from our little patch, all put away in the basement. Today I raked off all the vegetation, tilled it, and Susan sowed turnip seeds. Our rattlesnake pole beans are done. They all went down quickly, evidently with a mosaic virus. Susan is busy making tomato juice and salsa. The peppers are really coming on now. The varmint is still eating tomatoes every night. I should go out with a light before bed...but do not want to meet a skunk.

Carnage In The Tomato Patch!

We have critters! We have seen a rabbit in the garden, but some little Baggins is eating tomatoes more than a foot off the ground, so we think the culprit is a squirrel. We have a lot of 'maters coming on, so we are OK, but we hope the rest of the family doesn't show up.

 In other garden news, our Rattlesnake beans are done for. They have what appears to be a mosaic virus, and they all died over a few days, in spite of rain and watering.  Aphids, leafhoppers, and stinkbugs all have piercing/sucking mouthparts, so it could be any or all of those pests. 

Susan's Tater Patch

 Susan keeps telling me that nobody is going to watch fifteen minutes of digging potatoes, and I keep telling her that it isn't like paint drying... I don't expect a whole lot of views, but I think you will enjoy seeing the taters come out of the ground. It's like Christmas, or an Easter egg hunt to us.

Forty-Seven Is Bacon!

 Special Day, July 13!

Susan's Staples Are Out!

 She has been cleared to drive again, just two weeks after the revision surgery on the right hip. Here is the quick rundown of her hip surgeries. The left hip was replaced on May 2, and she went home the next day, had her staples out at two weeks, and had an easy recovery, going to physical therapy twice a week. June 15 was the date of her right hip replacement, and again, she went home the next day. It did not feel as good as the left hip did after surgery. It just seemed off a bit to her, but there were no problems she could point to. On June 26 the right hip dislocated. She dropped and had terrible pain. We got her to an emergency room, and after some extremely painful manipulations they got her hip back in the socket, but she could not move her leg, and the pain was unbearable. She was transported back to Sara Bush Lincoln hospital at Mattoon where she was operated on Monday, June 27. The liner (cup, or socket) placed in her pelvis had rotated, and that caused the ball to pop loose. The surgical team removed the liner, reamed the pocket in her pelvis a bit larger, and replaced the liner, using a screw to insure that it would not move. Recovery has been slower this time, with more pain than the first time, but she is doing well. 

Susan does not like to look at the X-rays, but they are sure worth looking at. The first one is the dislocated hip, the next one is after the ball was manipulated back in place, and you can see that the liner is rotated out of place. The third picture is the repaired hip, with the screw visible. If I ever have this type of surgery, I will ask for a screw to anchor it!

Junior, July 7, 2022

 Junior came to us in December 2015. He had been abandoned by his family, and was in an animal shelter in Peoria, and was ten years old. He was a sweet, good natured dog, and he was a perfect gentleman as a house dog. When he needed out, he would go to the door and tell you telepathically that he needed out. We rarely heard his voice. We found that if he had the chance, he would run. He even tried a getaway after he went blind. That is not unusual for  a Schipperke. Junior had become deaf and blind, and I carried him in and out for a long time, but he still enjoyed being around the other dogs and he had a healthy appetite. A couple of strokes crippled him in the last week, and we could tell he was hurting, so we made the final trip to the vet with him. The video was shot the first day he was with us.

Right Back On The Street

 This is small town Fairfield, Iowa, home invasion, assault on the homeowner to rob him accomplices still at large, and he is bonded out to rob again. How is the homeowner going to be safe? Will this perp show up for his court appearance? Why should he? He's a free man now, and he can hop over to Illinois and continue to live a life of crime. Click the mug shot for the news story on KCII. 

Picking Up The Slack

 Susan has been supervising me as I fill jars and operate the canner. Yesterday I did green beans, and today I finished 15 pints of kraut. One lid blew or it would have been 16. I think we have 6 or 8 more pints of kraut to put up tomorrow morning, and then I must pick beans!

Garden Payoff, Then Trouble!

 Susan's onions were mostly done because of the dry weather we've had, so we popped them out of the ground Saturday evening, and had them spread out to dry the next morning. Sunday morning we had 2.6 inches of rain, so we will have beans. Shortly afterward, Susan was standing still when her right hip dislocated and she fell. She will be back in surgery today (Monday) to put the parts back in place. The garden will have to take care of itself for a few days while I tend to Susan.   UPDATE: Susan had surgery Monday afternoon and the liner (socket) had moved. They put in a new one and have it anchored. We don't know if it moved and she fell, or if she fell and it moved, but she is on the road to recovery again and should be able to walk again soon.  Life turns on a dime. Keep your house in order and always be ready to handle an emergency!  

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Glorious Rain!

 We were getting concerned. No rain on the second crop beans, no rain on the corn, and no rain on the garden, but help arrived early this morning. We are now up to 2.3 inches with thunder grumbling around us.

One Week After Susan's Second Hip Replacement

 I might have to hobble her to hold her back....

She has her feet up tonight and is keeping that leg iced, but the progress is amazing!

Always Be Aware And Ready

 This is a routine traffic stop recently in Naperville, Illinois. A seventeen year old kid was stopped for blowing a stop sign, and then he had an expired insurance card, so the stop dragged on. A heinous perpetrator rolls up and changes the game, attacking the policeman with a hatchet. That happens beginning at about the 12:30 mark. The cop was on it. If you have ever shot a raccoon with a small caliber rifle you will recognize death throes. A surprise comes at about 15:30, after the dying quiver is done, when a responding officer with his gun trained on the now very still offender commands, "Roll over on your stomach!" Well, that didn't happen. I bet the kid in the car never runs a stop sign again in his life. This all went down right next to the poor guy.   Click Here to see the video. It cannot be embedded, so you have to go to YouTube. Look Quick, it probably will be taken down soon. Needless to say, you may not want to watch, but you should if you care about self defense skills.

Here's A Wedging Trick That Can Get You Out Of A Jam

 Have you ever had a tree sit back on the stump so you can't insert a wedge? It has happened to me a few times, and here is the trick to get you out of this jam. After you get it lifted a bit, you can put wedges in your kerf and put that tree on the ground.

Cold War Hero Captain Morris H. Reed

Fifty eight years ago while the Cold War was hotter than most people realize, one of our heroes lost his life on a training flight over Scotland.  The missions the Air Force warriors practiced would have surely been suicide missions had they ever actually flown them, because they couldn't outrun the heat from the thermonuclear bombs they would be delivering.  They will tell you that it didn't matter, because if they did fly these missions, there wouldn't have been anything to come back to.  It was deadly serious business, and Captain Reed was one who gave his life to keep us safe.  Click Here to visit see photos of the crash site in Scotland.  Say a prayer for his family this Memorial Day, and to give thanks for men like Captain Reed.

I Don't Like Spiders And Snakes: Re-Post From TrueBlueSam Blog, 2011

Susan was sorting through some things in the garage Sunday, and was bitten by a brown recluse spider.  I keep snake bite kits handy in my man-purse, and put a suction cup on her hand right away, within minutes of the bite.  We use these things frequently for insect stings, and they pull wasp and bee venom out effectively if we can apply a suction cup right away.  This was the first time we used one on a spider bite.

I pulled it off after a few minutes to have a look, and we were astounded at the amount of blood that had come out.  Evidently, brown recluse venom has anti-coagulant properties.  We put the suction cup on again, and pulled less blood out on the second go.  The third time pulled very little.  The patient has no redness or swelling, only a tiny scab at the bite site. 

If you read about the Cutter kits on the Internet you will find that medical folks despise them, and say they do more harm than good.   I have never been snakebit, and I can sure understand the harm that can come from using one of these kits instead of seeking prompt medical attention, but I also appreciate the way they work for me on bee stings, and insect bites.  Now we know the little suckers are good for spider bites, too.

How Many Perps Must Wiggle The Bolt...

...Until It Falls Out Of The Wall? I bet he wishes now that his lucky number hadn't come up.

The Illinois State Police video can't be embedded, so the first slide is a link to the video, and I have posted screen shots of important moments. Note the time in the lower left of the screen shots. Not much happens until 3:30, then things happen rapidly. Stay alert. The officers walked by the perp while he was engaged in escaping and did not realize what they were seeing.

 

A Hoe Instead...

 ...of a cane to wield! First a walker, then a cane, now she's out in the garden battling weeds. Two weeks after getting a new hip. Staples come out tomorrow. Back To The Old Grind!

The Maniac Bells Of War

Did you hear Pelosi say the other day that "We are in it to win it!" We are at war now, whether anybody noticed or not.

Telling words from a century ago...Many thanks to Country Joe McDonald for remaking his Robert W. Service album to bring these words back to life.

Shiny Shovel Show!

 Groundbreaking ceremonies are a hoot. New shiny shovels, and not a person who intends to work with them. WSIL TV3 posted this photo on their website of the ceremony for the new police station in Mt. Vernon, IL. Shovel Man #11 should have checked his equipment! (Click The Photo To Enlarge.)

Kids, on the other hand are eager to work with a shovel if someone will just show them what they need to do. Kids will get down on their knees to break up soil, fit a hole to the tree, fill it in, and punch down that soil nice and firm. They practically fight over the chance to get their hands dirty and do a job. I have shown many an adult how to plant a potted tree, and few want to get their knees dirty. Keep that youthful enthusiasm if you still have a bit of it. Back To The Old Grind!

My planting tools aren't too shiny, but their patina comes from honest work and an occasional rubdown with linseed oil.

Working Ahead

 

80% kraut kit is progressing nicely.

Taters are coming up!

We'll be lighting up again in less than six months.

Back To The Old Grind!

Over Our Heads,

 or, Don't stand there when the wind blows! I was reminded of the reliability of gravity yesterday when cutting an ash tree in a young stand. The limbs tangled, as is usual in young trees, and a hefty limb came loose and beaned me on the hard hat. You don't need old, decadent trees to have wood drop from the sky on your head. Gravity likes to win.

Ruger Mk III Loaded Chamber Indicator Replacement

If you have a Ruger Mk III, you know the frustration of periodic jamming due to the Loaded Chamber Indicator.  We like to blame bad ammo, but the LCI usually has a hand in the hangups of empty cases.  It is annoying when you are being timed, and even more annoying when you are using your pistol to instruct new shooters.  TANDEMKROSS sells a drop in replacement to solve your frustration, but making the switch can have its own frustrations.

Here are the parts from two Mk IIIs, one from a steel barrel, and the other from an aluminum Lite model.  Changing the parts on the steel guns is easy.  Disassemble the barrel from the lower receiver and you will see the little steel pin barely protruding from the underside on the left of the barrel.  Tap on the bottom of the barrel with a non-marring mallet, or hickory hammer handle, and the pin will work out.  After it is out you can remove the LCI and insert the replacement hole-filler. 

The problem in changing arises if you have the Lite model.  The aluminum grips the steel pin and it will not come out.   I had our Lites apart three times trying to remove the pins with no luck.  Here is how you do it.  Put a cutoff disc on your Dremel tool and very carefully attack the LCI.  Be careful so you don't mar the finish. The LCI has a metal part on the upper side, and after you have the polymer part removed, let the cutoff disc ride against the metal part  and cut a groove into the pin.  Use good lighting.  Use a small screwdriver to pry the pin out a bit, and then you can grip it with some tiny pliers and remove it. 

We have run our guns since making the change and they have not choked since.  Using a Dremel tool on your guns is usually not recommended, but in this case I had to make an exception. 

Tater Time!

 Easter is two weeks later than last year, and we have rain predicted this week, so we jumped the gun and planted potatoes on Palm Sunday. The ground was a bit wet to our liking, but it worked up OK. We dug potatoes on July 25 last year, so this year they should be ready around August 1. We must tighten up the bottom of the fence to exclude rabbits, and then we need to put the bean trellis up.

Back To The Old Grind!

Rest In Peace, Bill Fries, aka C.W. McCall, 11/15/1928-4/1/2022

I remember hearing Old Home Fill 'er Up And Keep On Truckin' Cafe on WHO of DesMoines, many years ago, and they played it hard for a while. That song came about because of a successful advertising campaign made by Bill Fries, featuring a trucker, a diner, and a waitress named Mavis.

Those ads led to a regional hit song, and that led to a record contract in Nashville. Click for the Billboard obit and story.

Here are a few of my favorites by C.W. McCall.

Saddening, Maddening

 Below are a couple of bucks on our place. The first one was road kill, just past our driveway. He was hit in a curve that slows traffic a bit, so most people are able to hit the brakes and miss a deer, but one gets it occasionally. The deer herd moves around the house regularly, so young bucks like this one are practically family. We have hit our share of wildlife on the road, and we always hate it. Squirrels, birds, rabbits, and a few deer; I think I remember every one of them.

The second one is an aggravation. We have good habitat where we live, and there is habitat around us, but it all is an island surrounded by ag fields. The deer, turkey, and coyotes attract hunters all out of proportion to the size of the resource, and we have to turn away hunters and trespassers regularly.  We always have hunters that hug our lines, and this buck is from one of those. Whoever shot it should have come to our door and asked about retrieving it. We actually go out and help find deer for hunters who ask, and we are glad to retrieve them with the tractor and loader. So, I wonder if this was done by an inept hunter, or a poacher.  Line hunters are an aggravation, as are poor shooters, and any hunter who doesn't track down and retrieve game.

Thank You for the photo, GW!

Barred Owl Glimpses

 Daylight glimpses of our nesting pair of barred owls are rare. They come up out of the hole in the hickory and head for the timber, where they first go to an eastern red-cedar and disappear. It was raining the other day and they showed themselves more, but they are darn near invisible in gray light against gray trees. The one that parked in the tree was watching my every move, and I was just shooting video from a door that was cracked open. They don't hide so much at night. They will sit in trees over our head and talk to us at night, but of course we can't get pictures then. 

Here's John McCormack,

 to make it officially St. Patrick's Day!

Annual Dam Fire 2022

You have to fight the trees every year to keep them off the dam. The easy part of woody vegetation control is annual burning to knock little trees back to the ground. We will be applying herbicide on trees out here after everything greens up.

See Good Trees, An Easy Method To Thin Your Timber

 Working in timber is good for you. I did this type of work for thirty five years and still have good knees, and I enjoyed all but one day in the woods. In this instance we are working in large sapling and pole timber. Using a spacing for 40 to 50 crop trees per acre will have your timber in good shape. A spacing of 33' by 33' will give you 40 trees per acre. A spacing of 30' by 30' will yield 48 crop trees per acre. You will be pacing the distances and selecting good trees close to your distance, so the actual number of crop trees will vary. Shoot for opening your crop trees on three side, and some on four sides. Trees along the edges you can leave alone, or open them on two sides, because the ones on the edge are wide open on two sides already, and will be low quality because of limbs hanging on.

Country Joe McDonald, War War War

 Joe McDonald recorded War War War in the studio in 1971, and you will have to pay an impressive price if you can find an original vinyl disc. He re-recorded it live in 2007, and he tells a bit of the history of this fine collection in his introduction. The songs are all poems written by Robert W. Service, and set to music by Joe. 

Introduction:

Foreward:

The Call:

Young Fellow, My Lad:

The Man From Athabasca:

The Munition Maker:

The Twins:

Jean Desprez:

War Widow:

The March Of The Dead:

Valentine Countdown Finale! Everybody Loves Somebody, Dean Martin

 Susan and I always enjoy posting for Valentine's Day, and I hope that all of our followers have enjoyed the songs, too! Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Countdown: That's Amore, Dean Martin

Valentine Countdown: The Man On The Flying Trapeze, Spike Jones, Featuring Doodles Weaver

Valentine Countdown, You Never Can Tell, Chuck Berry