Will start today's blog with a thank-you to America with a clip from a Canadian coming down on a visa to experience this country. Heart-felt and a great way to put 250 years of celebrating independence behind us and look forward to the coming year.
I found this on Bustednuckles blog post this morning. The first video may not play. It is the second video I want to share.
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BUG OUT BAG 2026
It has been quite awhile since I have written or covered items like this. Bug-out bags look different at 81 than in my earlier posting years. I do not “dodge, duck, dip, dive, dodge” any more.
These days, I worry about being stranded in a traffic jam coming and going from Dallas or to some of the other distant towns we visit. We had a blow-out on 37 south a few weeks ago and were in the car nearly 3 hours before the tow truck fellows came to change the tire. Water, snacks, and few OTC personal items will come in handy and help prevent my wife and I getting to an emergency situation.
Daily temperatures over a 100 degrees are becoming more common now and through the next few months. Plus, I have always had a propensity for self-injury, case in point bumping my hand on the way out of the post office causing the skin on the the back of my hand to tear and bleed. An aging thing for older folk. Some disinfectant, a band-aid and paper towels fix a problem like these on the spot.
During a clean out of the bag last week, throwing away old and replacing with new bandages etc., I found the Israeli Emergency Bandage that I always keep in the bag. Taking just a moment to ponder this bandage, I realized that having the bandage is smart, but not knowing how to use/apply it defeats the whole purpose. So to “YouTube university” for more information. Two short videos follow and there are many more on the net.
I was surprised at how well designed and versatile this bandage is. Also with just a little time learning how to apply it, upgrades my skills with the contents of the bag. We have 6 of these bandages at home and I have added one more to the bag.
Sometimes little things can become big problems that some planning could have avoided. Eye drops, toothpicks, OTC pain meds, band aids, gauze, tape disinfectants, sun screen, hats and plenty of water for an extended period of time.
A month ago, we ventured into Dallas for a lunch with family. We decided to take highway 80 west because it is a stress-free drive. But no matter which highway we take to Dallas, there is no avoiding “driving into the machine” nearing Dallas. Big rain storms and an accident as we neared Dallas brought traffic to a crawl. Added an hour to our trip.
We were treated to some entertainment, though, watching folks leave the freeway trying to cross the grass strip to a close by service road. The grass strip had some old tire mark paths that appeared to have worked for other folks trying that under dry conditions. But on this day, the grass was soaked and turned into a mud pit for all who tried. The fellow who thought the rules did not apply to his big, expensive 4 x 4 also found himself with spinning wheels caked in mud ruts.
As fate would have it, that service road led everyone right back to the freeway we were all currently on. Spinning mud wheels while talking on the cell phone “duth not” help. Stranded in long traffic jams happens more often than not near bigger cities.
So, BOB updated for summer travel months.
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THE RABBIT
There lives a family of rabbits now in a thicket to the east on the property. Good-sized rabbits. Would be a good catch for the cats if they were not so lazy. A meow from them brings a food dish to the ground. Then they walk a few paces to a cool spot on the cement to nap until the next time they ask for a snack. A good cat life for sure and my wife has spoiled them.(An opinion)
Often in the mornings, when I go outside to open the gate, I see the rabbit running all the way across the front lawn and then stopping a few feet from the thicket, dead still, thinking that he is safe. I yell at the rabbit that I see him, that he is not safe, that the cats see him and for him to get into the thicket. But the rabbit thinks he is safe because he has stopped and that no movement is his cover.
I want to further tell the rabbit that if I was a rabbit hunter, he would regret stopping dead still on the lawn. But like the cats, I am not a rabbit hunter. Only TEOTWAWKI will change that.
I turn my attention to the gate and then back to the rabbit and he is gone. The rabbit is just one of the many creatures moving about here.
Horses graze across the acreage beyond the front lawn. Cattle on the eastern acreage. A family of a dozen deer ranging from babies to full grown adults roam here. The teenage deer are the ones testing out side paths as they move through our yard each day. I will come upon them grazing just a few feet away. They are somewhat tame and more often than not, are annoyed that I am disturbing their grazing. When caught alone though, some sense of that causes them to run. Eventually, they come to a familiar fence or field, jump easily to grounds that are closer to home and family. The deer family is growing in size each year. No one here hunts them.
Birds announce when I fill the bird feeder. Or, they are yelling at me to fill the bird feeder and that I forgot to do so yesterday. I think it is in their tone. Blues, reds, yellows flash as they drop from the tree branches, hit the feeder and vanish. Birds spend a lot of energy in gathering, even when feed is readily available.
Armadillos live here, too. They destroy lawns, gardens and flower gardens. When either my wife and I are lucky enough to seen one still rooting for bugs early in the morning, the .22 rifle comes out and they are dispatched without prejudice.
We are fortunate that hogs to do not live here. If armadillos bring out the hunter in us, hogs bring out the hunter in everyone. Once a person sees the damage done to large acreage by a herd of hogs, it becomes instantly clear that left unchecked, hogs devastate the lands that produce food.
The running rabbit this morning was welcomed and a good start to my day.
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PINTO BEANS PLUS
A can of pinto beans+ is on the simmer this morning. I am a fan of beans, out of the can or fixed up. Only after arriving in Texas have I become interested in fixing small batches for meal main course side dishes and having those in the fridge.
The above batch is a spin off of a Charro Beans recipe. Smaller in size that does not become a responsibility to eat taking up refrigerator space. Leftovers added were the "plus."
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JIBBER JABBER
I sit here this morning with a new eye. Cataract removed and new lens implanted a week ago. The time has come for both eyes to have the procedure before the cataracts present bigger problems.
The doctor who did this procedure on both of my wife's eyes a year ago is also doing mine. Seven minutes and the procedure is done. After 4 hours, the bandage is removed and the eye begins functioning. It takes most of the day for both eyes to again adjust to each other. My job is to follow the doctors directions. I am a good patient.
Saying that I am amazed and impressed is an understatement. The skill set of the doctor is beyond words. I have not seen colors for years like the colors I am seeing now. White is very white and the east Texas fields and lands are breathtakingly beautiful. A wonderful gift for an old man who often enjoys sitting and surveying his kingdom.
The other eye is now a noticeable problem. Fogs up perfect vision. Poking myself in the bridge of my nose to adjust glasses that are not there is not funny. Yea, it is funny. More to follow as the second eye is scheduled very soon.
Thanks for the visit this week.
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