GOOD BYE PITTSBURG AND THE VICTORY ROSE

Last day in our Pittsburg AirBnB. Clean-up and final car loading of our stuff collected and stored for the past 2 months. 

All of the farmers hay is stored now and the working farm, we have enjoyed, is back to other normals. Cows now enjoying a portion of the new grass growth in cut fields. I think that the owners may get in a second cutting this season. 

This little home has served us well in our transition from New Hampshire to the back woods in Eastern Texas.

First rule of wing-walking is to insure a good grasp of the next wire before letting go of the current wire. Today, we let go of the current wire. I will also let go of counting weeks here in Texas in future blogging. 

My wife's New Hampshire Valentine's Victory Rose has a new home. 

The rose has been replanted and today lives in the bright hot Texas sun. This rose seems to be thriving on watering every two days and soaking up the Texas sun and heat. Four new rose buds are a good indication of "Victory's" health. Happy wife.

We have found more than our share of broken home goods in the moving process. Some of it seems gratuitous and that some folks had to go out of their way to cause some of the damage we have found. 

Add to this was the stolen tool boxes. But we have to keep on keeping on and we work all of this the best we can. My repairing skills are being put to use daily now.

I turned these two bowls in my high school shop class in 1962. Mom loved them. They will come back to life here showing more wear and tear.

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Thin-sliced pork chops are a normal cut of meat here. Thin steaks also. 

They are also on a few of the local restaurants' menus, fried and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. 

We are finding them a new breakfast meat with excellent flavor. I use the two spices above and fry on low-medium heat for 6-8 minutes or so. Two eggs over easy and a pork chop starts many of our mornings. 

I think I got the seasoning on the left from Bass Pro when I purchased a can cooker last year. These two seasonings together work wonders for flavor. 

I am not promoting these spices, just sharing. Two thumbs up! Mrs. Dash serves us now as are cutting down on salt in our daily diets.

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Early morning dew rising over the fields beyond this tree row. 

All things green are covered wet with morning dew. I figure this is one of the keys to all that grows in this daily sun and heat.

The heat of August we are yet to learn of. Locals say "just wait for the heat of August." 

Right now, the heat of summer is a wall we walk into late morning till sun set.

Folks tell us that Dallas is going/has gone cashless. A few stores in the bigger towns around us also have gone cashless. $5's, $1's and change no longer being delivered. 

A year of rumors of a cashless society coming to fruition. 

Masks everywhere. One of the most successful fraud's perpetuated on the American society in the history of man. 

We have been away from most all media for two months. No TV, no news. All of our time has been moving and all that entails.  

How about that NFL and NASCAR?  I hear rumors. 

Keep your heads up and knees bent. We are in THE AFTER. 

Thank you for the visit this week. 

TEXAS7 JULY 121520 - - LIFE IN A LITTLE MESS - - INQUISITIVE MINDS

Furniture and boxes moved in. One bed assembled. Fridge just arrived - no washer or dryer yet.  Purchasing basic tools as all that we shipped were stolen in shipment.

 

Afternoons feel like temperatures at 110 degrees. But, we are here in the new home and setting anchors in the back woods. 

This week is one box at a time, fixing broken furniture and trying to put away stuff without having to do it twice. This will continue for some weeks getting the home looking and feeling. First home cooking, too. I have enjoyed eating out every meal, but it is time for getting back to an old normal in the home cooking department. 

Garbage pick up; internet hook up; carport shop pad pour; home generator install; front yard clean up for planting of things green; all in the queue.  

My wife's Valentine Victory Rose to find a forever home off of the front porch. From a single blooming bud, riding passenger all the way to Texas, it appears to be healthy and happy in the hot weather. Maybe it is the daily talking to of encouragement and praise, along with water during the hot dry days, that the plant appreciates. 

It is next to impossible for me to negate or ignore the comings and goings of life in the larger towns around us. Mask wearing and distancing is on the rise and stores and restaurants that just weeks were up and running w/o issue (normal of the old days) are this past week in full tilt C19 bat crap crazy.

 

The products being sold come second to C19 and a constant cleaning crew moving about spraying, wiping, and pushing a product through mid-air to the customer. There is no escaping the feelings that we are some how infected and danger exists in the imaginary empty space around us. Mask and glove wearing minions seem to visibly shrink in size while they hand over of a product. 

Just yesterday I saw a hand holding couple walking alone on a small town back country sidewalk wearing masks. I can only shake my head in disbelief. 

Signs say to wear masks and half the folks do not. We avoid, if we can, the mandate of mask wearing posted on the front doors of some shops. And yes, the chin masks suffice in all venues. I tried that in one such store and no one batted an eye. Also works in restaurants with "no mask no service." 

In we go with masks on chins which meets the mask wearing mandate. The eye doctor office gal had to come to me to tell me to get my mask on. I politely told her that some employees were not wearing masks so I thought it ok. Her blinking must have hurt. And she was one of the folk walking through the office just minutes earlier w/o a mask on. 

The choice of any mask wearing in any business seems to fit the moment for the individual. Say "huh?" twice is always followed by a mask removal. Always!! And here in lies the global absurdity of all of this. I do enjoy going against the arrows painted on the floors. I notice that I am far from alone.

People pushing back (against C19 mandates) is quiet and some what out of sight. It looks normal and fits in the flow of current main stream.  Watching people wearing and not wearing are teachable moments for me.   

There are still a few good restaurants where the food is beyond excellent, tables are free to sit at and freedom is alive. Each day and meal is a gift in all aspects of the old normal. Every meal and dish constantly as good or better than home made.

Of course the "no mask; no service" is in bold all black caps pasted on the front doors of some businesses. I have never seen businesses going out of their way in signage and employee confrontation to push paying customers out of their doors and towards their competition. How does a business model like this pay all the bills and make a profit? As long as the paychecks keep coming; who cares how customers are treated? 

AND AND just down the street a very nice restaurant is open at 50%, clean and customers are met with a smile and are welcome. Service is prompt and the food excellent. 

Enough huh!! 

INQUISISTIVE MINDS

Take five minutes of your time. Watch and listen. Short post this week so you have time. 

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TRANSITIONING

Probably be a couple weeks before the next post. No Internet. We are in the queue. Apparently folks who have signed up ahead of us come first. Normal things in an abnormal world!!

Appreciate the visit. Heads up, knees bent and keep on keeping on.

TEXAS6 JULY 4 2020 I CANNOT IMAGINE

Biscuits for one x 3. Breakfast sausage packages x 2. Breakfast for four with leftovers.

Visiting family in Dallas. Homemade cooking was soaked in white gravy. Smothered pork chops and rice for dinner, biscuits and gravy for breakfast. 

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CASTING OFF

 

Leaving homeport knowing that returning is in the plans is one thing, but throwing off the security of the lines, angling away from the dock with doubts of ever returning is noticeably different.

  
Everything on the boat is all we have now. Twenty years of preparing left on the dock.

The weather, the roads and destinations hold wonder, excitement and challenge. 

The strength of my wife and I are paramount.

The colors of every day life is noticeably brighter. 

Today and tomorrow dominates.

Add a world in turmoil   

Mistakes and successes write the next test.

Worrying and patience are proving to be some of life's best taught lessons. 

Acting on those lessons daily. 

Recognizing helping hands from greedy hands is learned quickly and dictates who handles a bow line. 

My wife says, "it's just you and me!" Is this not the case for everyone when all is said and done?

And herein lies the last 20 years of marriage, changing our lives, our homes and learning about growing old in The After.

If we had waited until today to do all of this, it would be too late on most levels. How the world worked just months ago no longer exists. Or at least the difficulty of "working" has increased several fold. Short problem solving times have turned into longer time spans. 

Availability of basic goods are one to two months out delivery with a caveat of "if they still make that or provide that service and if it will be available." Hope is now at work in doing a lot of daily business. 

I would guess that half the population we see in the back country is buying into fear of Covid19. Mask wearing or not mask wearing.

It appears that in the larger cities (like Dallas) the whole population who is out and about are believers and in some degree of fear. I am not sure how else to qualify this other than all of the visual clues watching people shop and stepping out in public. Driving in public. Walking in public.

All I can do is shake my head when many of these folk wear their masks under their chin or partially covering their mouths. Many masks appear to be well worn like an old t-shirt worn for weeks. 

Government mandates seem to be observed. Yet protesters gather around the country at will in complete disregard of any Covid19 regulations. Up is down, down is up, there is here, left is right and right is left and the use of guns is on the rise daily with killings of innocent people a no-never-mind. "Social distancing" is everywhere.

We have noticed that prices have doubled on many familiar goods over the past 6 months.

Manufactured food shortages are in the news pre-shadowing what is still ahead.

" No. Try not.  Do. ...or do not. There is no try."  Yoda 

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SOCIAL DISTANCING. You likely have the seven minutes to watch the video.

I cannot imagine what schools are going to look like across the country and the world. Personally I believe all of it is going to disrupt and damage all children in the name of all that is deemed "good and safe". It is not good/safe and the agenda at work be as plain to see as a car wreck.

Having children or grandchildren heading into the public school systems ought to strike fear in the hearts of all. What to do; how to do; when to start; what groundwork needs to be laid; managing a working household; how to help other like minded parents/grandparents; standing ground when push comes to shove??? 

Be wary of anyone promoting "social distancing" in public schools or some sort of mix. Be wary of mask wearing mandates. If any/all of this is affecting you, step back and consider the impact on the children; your children.

Some feel good educational jargon to get use to:

*interactive tools for students, parents and educators
*tools for planning and tracking academic progress
*for the sake of the child  parent webinars and of course podcasts
*child serving professionals
*for the family during this trying time*team collaboration
*insights and assessment tools 
*asynchronous assignments and collaboration
*hybrid learning
*from the comfort of your home
*pathways
*normal for your child to feel nervous or worried
*masks and distancing???
*changes may create challenges for families
*still details to be worked out...
and will leave all of this here. There is no lack of this kind of school jargon and balonium on the net. Start reading all that your school district has online.  

Develop and foster strong central family(s).

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Our living out of a suitcase, boxes of stuff and two cars has worn out its welcome. The security of the AirBnB also provides basics of living spaces provided and a view. One week left on our rental and we need to be out of here.

Daily heat index now 105 degrees or more mid-afternoon. Car ice chest full daily with water and a few GatorAids. Locals say get done what we need to get done by noon. Find things to do inside. Lasts into September. 

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"Our staff and their families will be able to flourish to a much greater extent."

".... the best places to be in tech have now become some of the worst places to raise a family, practice a faith, or even think freely."

The wanting of freedom is a powerful motivator. It was the driving factor for my grandparents leaving everything/family and coming to America. 

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As much as the world is in flux, there is also still some normalcy. 

Half of the hay bales here are in their final resting place after the harvest. Some will be sold and some will provide the farmer feed for his cattle. 

 

The hay fields returning to normal growth in the Texas sun and rain.

The land appears content to have the hay bales removed and to be left alone from man's working machinery. 

Piney Woods 4th of July Weekend

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  Thanks again for the weekly visit.

TEXAS5 (62820) MOVING TO TEXAS PINEY WOODS WEEK 5

This past month, we have been witness to the daily hard work from sun-rise to sun-set. Raising cattle, harvesting hay and constant caring for the land. Farming workdays offer little time off. 

The photo above was taken mid-week in the middle of early evening thunderstorms. The bales of hay are being stored near the road along a fence line. A gate gives easy access for customers wanting to purchase bales of hay. 

Thunderstorms lasted all night. The sky was filled with cloud to cloud sheet lightening dancing on canter stage off of our back porch. Closer lightening strikes followed by the ripping boom punctuated the four-hour performance. We lost power for a little over an hour and appreciated Mother Nature turning off all of the lights for our viewing pleasure. 

THE PINEY WOODS OF EAST TEXAS......

include southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. "You can look it up." 

Our talking of moving to eastern Texas started a few years ago. 

Then one non-descript day, we pulled the plug. We dropped the reins of our New Hampshire home as quickly as we picked them up some 18 years ago. It had been a wonderful ride. Winters were the major deciding factor and our age. If were ever going to act on the move, it is time and late in the game for us. Do it or forget it. 

If these past 5 weeks of Texas blogging has led anyone to think this move has all been sunshine and roses, let me be the first to add heartache, mental/physical exhaustion and day-after-day of work trying to resettle 2000 miles southwest of our old life/home. 

Nothing has been easily given to us in this venture. That was not expected by either of us. But the old days we remember of walking into any office or business to complete tasks face-to-face are over. They are not coming back. In all fairness to the big picture, the harder one has to work for any achievement, the more it is fully appreciated. We have become more resilient, self-sufficient and secure in our ability to work together to eventually solve any problem. My wife has earned woman of the year awards damn near daily since we started this venture. And this last week, given Queen of the Universe several times. 

Drilling through company's web sites, holding holding holding on the phone only to reach a few incompetents, listening to social messaging that far over-reaches any reason we would ever need/want to listen to just to acquire help or product, can kill the desire to do business. But when services are mandated to problem solve, the social messaging wears deeply. And every initial call means listening to "the message" and that somehow we are in this together. That the company really cares about protecting employees and customers. The message is always the long version, repeated. 

And in all fairness, there have wonderful moments and days. The ups and downs of any life I suppose.

 

Photos 

The ever-changing Northern sky.

Peaches are on.

It is all I can do to just lift one of those out of the bin.

Display art.

More display art.

Morning sunrise looking west. Piney Woods

Looking east over our AirBnB. Piney Woods

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Appreciate the visit this week.

TEXAS4 (62120) "AIN'T LIFE GRAND" MOVING TO TEXAS WEEK 4

Cutting, raking and baling hay on 70 acres in East Texas week 4. 

Some photos first.

Looking south early Wednesday morning.

The workhorse (1987-1997 series)

Raking system raised for towing.

Rakes left set in towing configuration. 

The towing of these rakes set in a V-shape cause them to turn. They are not mechanically nor hydraulically driven. They do an exceptional job of bringing cut rows of hay into a single center row.

First cutting pass around the acreage. The blades are covered so as to minimize dust and debris.

Raking cut hay into single rows.

Running the raked rows with an automatic hay-baler. When the bale is complete, the operator stops and births the bale out the back. A small arm gives the bale an extra push and then pulls back inside the baler. 

"AIN'T LIFE GRAND"

I have not yet met the fellow working this acreage single-handed. He has done all mowing, all raking and all of the baling. He is the quintessential Texan and man's man in my book.

I doubt if I ever put in back-to-back days of work like this man has. I have only seen a quick snapshot of his work ethic these past few days. My guess is that what I have witnessed is exactly who and what this man is! He starts his workday day after lunch, after the sun has had time to dry off the evening dew.

I watched the day he started and saw him work the Massey Ferguson till sunset. Then finishing the cutting the next day.  Seventy some acres. Full hot sun. 

I think he took one break and that was to fuel up the tractor. This is an older tractor. Not air-conditioned or will "comfort" ever be used to describe the seat. All gears. No hydraulics for easier driving. Watching the tractor bumping along several of the paths he has worked, indicates a day's rough ride.

From all the mowing to all of the raking. Row after row after row. From the drone photography I have done, this man's skill-sets of getting every blade of hay on either side of the raking system is evident on each pass to include all of the turns and corners. No GPS system or computer screens guiding his paths.  No enclosed air conditioned cab. All seat-of-the pants and placing tractor front wheels, rear wheels and his forward judgements of the rows cut and raked.

Yesterday, he again worked till sunset. I was privy to his last baling pass and run. Shutting off the baler, he towed the rig to the end of the field and simply shut off the engine. His work day here was over. As with all farming, he most likely had chores to get done when he got home.

He picked up a small lunch-pail and paced to his truck. A work truck, single bench seat, simple and functional. This, too, is a piece of farm equipment that tows all of his haying equipment to and from the fields. 

Sound travels here. I was privy to his stopping at the landowners back deck and watching him walk to the stairs going up the deck. The landowner was there and it appeared time for older fellows, who work the Texas lands, to chat. 

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, the fellow said "Ain't Life Grand?" His official good afternoon to the owner. The owner did not hear him and the fellow repeated, "Ain't Life Grand." 

The words spoken with a slow relaxed conviction.  After so many long, hot, hard riding, dust covering hours, the older gentleman opened with an upbeat take on life and living. If the words alone were not a testimony to Texas living, it was in his Texan delivery spoken from deep in the heart. 

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Rethink ordering rare.

We ordered everything plus, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise. So far the best hamburger in Texas. Tater Tots came piping hot with a salted crunch.

The restaurant was 100% open and food was served with real silverware. 

Note: The restaurant was not quite half-full when we stopped for lunch. The waitresses were busy enough to keep on the move from taking orders, serving and clearing tables. After a short while another waitress came by and asked if everything was ok. It was. With that Texan accent she offered to bring us a few crackers while we waited. "Don't want your tummy to hit your back bone." 

Other Ma's Cafe menu items read: Chicken Fried Rib Eye; Country Gravy Covers the Plate; Grilled Pork Chops; Sothern Cooking at its Best; Garlic Toast; Biscuits and Gravy $4.98; Soda Pop; 4 Large House Breaded Shrimp and more.

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Ya'll come back next week, ya hear!!

TEXAS3 (61420) MOVED TO TEXAS

We have been here for three weeks now, nose down and fanny up in finding a new home. This weeks post revolves around some good eats and a few photos throughout the week.

We found these a few minutes away from where we live. Available everyday until the roadside fruit stand closes in the fall after pumpkin season. Till then, this is what's for lunch as often as we dare to push the overeating of this important food group. These corn dogs are exactly what every corndog lover hopes for. Dipped in a light corn meal coating and then deep fried to perfection. The dog snaps at every bite and has flavor much better than the shorter, fatter brands.

I asked my wife if she wanted to share one more in hopes she would succumb to the moment. Nope! But I could do two of these in a long heartbeat. If I ever do, I will never ever tell. Not that I plan to. But when the the end of the world is in sight, two corn dogs will be a part of the last supper. 

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WE WILL DRIVE FOR FOOD

The above corn dog find is but one of many such eatery finds in East Texas.

The gas station ten minutes from here has a showcase of fresh southern fried chicken, catfish and the best damn Cajun-seasoned sausages. Their freezers there are full of off brand sausages. 

The older gal touring me through the freezer showed me the pineapple infused sausage she said were by the far the best. Maybe like clam sauce on spaghetti, I will have to try it to cross that bridge. This appears to be sausage heaven just for the grilling experimentation alone.

Early this past week, we happened on a small Mexican market in Pittsburg. Inside is a gold mine of spices, fresh meats and everything ever needed for all Mexican cooking. Produce fresh and every kind of bean and rice ready for scooping into take home bags.

In the back room is a very small window eatery. Basic menu, but cooked by one man and his son taking orders waiting on folks. 

An older gentleman was sitting alone at one of the 4 tables enjoying enchiladas.  He learned the secrets of this little restaurant long ago.

Two of the best taco salads we have ever had and we took home an order of white queso dip, pico de pallo, guacamole and fresh made chips. 

This market is now one of our major go-to shopping stops. Affordable to boot.

Fried peach pie above.



P38/P51 CAN OPENER

I have been carrying this can opener on my key ring for a few years. Gets in the way at times, but I have been too lazy to take it off when it gets caught coming out of my pocket.

The simplicity and universality of this opener has come full circle from army and camping days. 

There are few things in life that never ever go out of style and function. 

It is worth noting that some of the places we have visited are still full tilt Covid19. 

From "waiting 6 more months" before full reopening to no mask(s) and little to no social distancing well represent the bell curve. Management decisions all. 

Two small cities away will find us in full capacity eateries with the hustle and bustle of "normal."

This photo to the left was taken the day before we left NH. 

All of our traveling over the past 3 weeks has found some degree of mask wearing from tucked under the nose, under the chin, taken off after we leave the business or removed for intelligible conversation.  

Generally speaking, the constant touching/adjusting of masks, the face and then a myriad of objects/things is common. Any understanding of collection of germs and sharing from mask wearing is lost within the population. A petri dish is a petri dish.

We have been personally addressed by only one mask wearing Nazi hell bent on bringing everyone under his verbal commands.


WE ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, IN THE AFTER NOW. 

Cool temperatures in the high 80's and strong Texas winds mid-week. Could not resist the opportunity to try to get both flags standing  together. 

Two hundred pics in just a few minutes and one turned out. 

The world is changing fast and this will be a recurring theme from time to time. Writing (past mid week) of what is coming will quickly be old news. 

I do not know the words to hang on the downfall of large American cities succumbing to crime, looting and mandates to take a knee. Daenerys Targaryen may be coming to set us free and teach us the upside of throwing away our shackles of freedom. 

Summer is coming.

Local governments' promotion of disbanding police departments leaves a populace totally dependent upon themselves for everyday living and safety. Unpredictable moments such as these are exactly what folks, who have a prepping mind set, have been talking of for years. 

That anyone gives credence to hate, hurt, harm and destruction as a viable future is beyond my ability to grasp. Understanding it or not is time wasted. Using these last few weeks and months to finalize our ability to take care of ourselves in the after best be front and center.

In one of our little out of the way towns here in East Texas, a lone individual the other morning was holding a sign in protest; a request for "America to re-think...".  Driving by too quickly prevented me of seeing the punch line. 

My wife and I would like to think we are immune from the madness reaching us due to the expanse of the lands and being further away from maddening crowds. 


SUN SET/RISE ENDS WEEK 3 IN EAST TEXAS

The flatness of the northern horizon from the patio deck offers spectacular sun scape's. We are currently in a span of weather forecasted with clear skies, cooler temperatures and no rain for the next 10 days. 

I appreciate the visit this week.