Sunday, April 30, 2023

EVERY DAY DRIVER - SHOP PROJECTS - FEEDING LIONS

Everyday driver.

 High school guys and gals woodshop projects







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FEEDING LIONS NEAR JOHANNESBURG, SA 2007

VIDEO HERE

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A mixture of soaking rains followed by days of east Texas sunshine have filled  local farmers' pools, greened their fields of hay and fed my small garden. Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, string beans, green peppers and sweet yellow peppers are off to a grand start. A quick walk about this morning shows that it is time to start using the red onions.

 Wife is still on injured reserve which doesn't allow her a lot of time in her garden beds but her potted plants appear to be most happy with nature's rain and sun. Seven days of warm sun forecasted this coming week.

Failed the posting here last week and cannot remember the good reason I had at the time. I have been spending more time learning video editing and publishing. Also have been doing more scanning of old film negatives that have been tucked away with old Vietnam photos. 

Always appreciate the visit. Have a blessed week.


Monday, April 17, 2023

AN APRIL DAY IN EAST TEXAS (video)


 https://youtu.be/EtaaPpL0qXk  (video link)

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A pleasant week in east Texas. Temperatures into the mid 80's, warm breezes, cool nights and gardens are springing into life. Radishes have come and gone, lettuce and spinach are ripe for the picking. Wilted salads on the tables. Sitting on afternoon porches visiting with neighbors about nothing at all.

Yards weeded and mowed after rains the weeks before. Some talk of temperatures this high this early might mean another hot hot summer. We'll see. Best to enjoy and let the seasons ahead sort it all out. 

The bride has made great strides while on injured reserve. Happier too in that she is getting around to doing some of the normal comings and goings she was use to before surgery and recent fall. Self independence is an important thing!!

We have found some good movies on Amazon Prime April movie release for our evening relaxation and enjoyment. Good watching!

PHILOMENA 

Excellent true story, excellent acting. Kept us glued to our chairs the whole time. Recommend it hightly.

JESSE STONE with Tom Selleck. 

Nine movies made over the course of 10 years. We preferred to watch them in the correct order making more sense of the story line. Five of the nine are free on Prime. 

Tom Selleck has always been one of our favorite actors. Watching the series lets the viewer see him age during those years. Great videography in my opinion with every episode. And who does not love Golden Retrievers and coffee. Watch the series, you will become a fan. We did.

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Sunday morning starter fluid.

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Have a great week and keep on keeping on.

 


 




 

 



Monday, April 10, 2023

LAST WEEK IN EAST TEXAS: FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS - BORDER COLLIE PUPPIES

 Hints of the summer to come.

 

The upside of this past week were the 5 pounds of Gulf shrimp and half gallon of fresh shucked oysters our neighbors brought back from their trip to Kemah, Texas. They drive down a couple times a year for fresh seafood eats. 


They also haul back fresh sea food for family and friends.

Shrimp Fettuccine, garlic, butter, fresh parsley from the garden was for dinner that night. The remainder of the shrimp were frozen.

 

Three repeat dinners for my wife and me with the above photo being one helping. Oysters are small.

 Neighbor also fried up a batch.

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The downside of this past week was the message left on my phone Wednesday morning. "This is the hospital calling to let you know your wife has taken a fall and is in the ER." She had a doctor's appointment that morning at his hospital office. 

I called back, confirmed and told them to tell her that her husband was on his way.

I did quite a bit of praying for the injuries to be something we can manage to full recovery. 

I arrived at the ER and they escorted me to her room.

Strapped to a back board, neck in a brace, face, jaw, mouth swollen and blood dripping from the lower left corner of her mouth. Face bruised and swollen. Complaining of pain and being immobilized. The best she could do was whisper from the right side of her mouth. Beth Dutton would have been envious.

All of the X-rays had been completed by the time I arrived and was told that the doctor was awaiting the results. Initial indications were no head, neck injuries. She was taken off the back board and raised to a half sitting position in the bed. 

Apparently, after receiving an excellent report from her hip replacement doctor and she fell going out the door of his office. Face plant. The doctor was immediately attending to her, checking for injuries to her newly replaced hip. All ok. 

Come to find out, as the morning progressed, she told me she remembers her face being on top of her left hand after she hit the ground. Instinctively, she had placed her left palm of her hand over the side of her left cheek before landing. In doing so, it did sacrifice her hand and arm in trying to minimize damage to her head in the fall. Much like the way we raise our arms to protect ourselves from sudden things coming at us. 

Two broken fingers, not displaced.  Fractured wrist, not displaced. Bruised ribs, cut lip and minor chipping of a few teeth. Lucky? You bet!!

Good news. Nurses wrapped her fingers in a splint and put her arm, wrist and hand in a temporary soft cast. We left the hospital a little after noon. Generally happy with the acceptable injuries given the potential for what could have been. 

After 5 days, she is on the mend.  Soft foods for these first two weeks. Hard cast will be "installed" Thursday.

I told her this morning as she walked across the living room that she "is a living example of her body surviving physical abuse."

"At my age, too" she replied. 

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 RONNIE and JON BOY New Border Collie puppies in the neighborhood. 


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Appreciate the visit. Have a blessed week.

 
 


Sunday, April 2, 2023

HOMEMADE PIZZA - SETTING SWELL ANCHOR - NEW PLANTINGS

 

 

My wife found fresh pre-made pizza dough while shopping at a new market this past week. She said it looked and felt good picking it up from the cooler. Buck and a half.

The "feel" of the dough in the package was the first thing I noticed.

Last Sunday afternoon, I shaped the dough for the pizza pan noticing air bubbles roll out of the dough roll on the floured counter. She took on all the toppings responsibility. The dough was a little thicker than we prefer, but this pizza was a test case. 

Baked low in the oven at 450 degrees for 16 minutes. It was bubbling when we took it out of the oven. We waited the longest 5 minutes before slicing. 

I remarked that this may be the very best pizza I have had since my first slice of pizza when I was 16 years old at original Casa Mia in Aberdeen. Early 1960's.

"Her" put toppings all the way to the edge of the crust. Plenty of pepperoni, sliced olives and 2 layers of Mozzarella cheese.  Cheese fell from the first slice just like the photographs show in pizzeria photo covers.

The dough had chew and flavor. Slices held firm in our hands as opposed to ugly drooping. Two slices each filled us up. Leftover pizza Monday morning clicked all of the leftover pizza requirements.

Short version: no more searching for a good pizza joint. It is right here in our own Texas kitchen.

Pizza #2 last night


Dough stretched larger and edges rolled in. We prefer thin crust. A work in progress!! Not a "chunklet" of pizza #2 was left over.

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Sailing Airspeed   Setting a Swell Anchor   Video


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 Cabbage one of six

 


Peppers two of six


It appears that there will not be a "last frost" before Easter this year. 

Potatoes coming on and it appears there will be a fine crop when they mature. Waiting on squash to sprout, if they do. We'll see. There is plenty of time for starts and planting.

Promised Texas rain has yet to arrive. The day is still young.

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Appreciate your visit. Have a blessed week. And yes, keep on keeping on!!