firewood

Firewood; For the last two days I've been helping Adam deliver firewood. All the loads we've delivered for two days have been to the Ely area. That's about 45 min. to an hour one way depending what side of town we go to. So there's a lot of rest time between loading and unloading, it's kind of a easy job. But the point to this little story is Adams truck. Adam was so impressed with one of the trucks I made this year that. He had to go out and find one exactly like it, buy it and go into the firewood business. Go figer.

I just hope Scott don't quit his job and become a police man.

Toy Maker

Here I am again in my own little world. Putzing with little chunks of wood and glue. I've started on my list for next year. I really have a good time in my workshop I'm just sorry they quit playing Christmas music on the radio.
I have been working on coming up with a Volkswagen I've made one Proto type, It's not bad but I can do better. That's for one good little girl on my list, and another good little girl put in her request for a corvet. that might be fun to.

The V.W. Proto type is the one above. The one below is a pickup getting some sanding done.

I like looking at pictures on other blogs so I'm assuming other people might like seeing some pictures on mine. I have a lot of photo ops in my shop. because I do a lot of things out there. I have an easy chair in front of my wood stove and sometimes me and the dog tell each other fish stories till we both fall to sleep , that would be a good picture. I think maybe tomorrow I'll take an alarm clock out there so I can set it, walk up and take a picture then go back to sleep. Anyway (Flynn) likes to stand guard when I'm working I guess to make sure some stray dog does`nt come along and pee on a tire of the rusty roller.

No dog would stand a chance peeing on that truck with Flynn on duty.

gotta go , see you next time.

Toys For My Tots

To whom it might concern; I know I've been out of touch for some time. Some think longer then I might want to believe. ...............So where have I been this time. Well It's a weak excuse but I worked long hours this fall and I've been busy doing---------*$$#%----- NO that's just B.S. I've just been lazy. I'll try to do better now that winter is here. I have been making Christmas toys in my spare time with my spare wood. So I took some pictures of some of the trucks that I gave to all my good little boys and girls. I had a late start but I got about twenty done, there are S.U.V's like the one above' There are also cars and trucks, style sides and step sides, some carrying fire wood and some empty, I've got police cruisers and semi's

I hope you like the pictures. This is a step side.

This is a style side with a load of firewood.

This semi is pink because it's a girl truck. (Alyssa)

John deer green (Tylens) favorite color. Not to be mistaken for Green bay Packer green.

( Wade) likes shiny black. His grandpa helped me make this and many others.

This a group picture of about half of what I got done this year. My goal for next year is 200 and every one will find a home with a kid. I made these same trucks 30 years ago when my kids were little, now I'm making them for my grandkids and in another 15 years or so I'll be making them for my great then my great great then my-------UPS---- I better say good-night and go to bed I'm dreaming already

COW TIPPING

Cow Tipping When I was a kid the group of boys I hung around with were basically pretty good kids. Not as perfect as I would like people to believe sometimes. We did make a little mischief now and then, which was hard to do in a small town. Eveyone knew all of our pranks and it was hard to come up with new ones.

We would set a bag of dog poop on fire on somebodies front step then ring the door bell and run. Out of the dozen times we tried that one, not once did anyone come running out of the house screaming and stomping on the bag to put out the fire. They would just kick it off the porch and hollor in the darkness that they were going to tell our parents. But they didn't know exactly who it was.

I guess our favorite mischief was raiding gardens. Just about everyone in town had a garden. We'd sneak around after dark and feast on cucumbers and carrots. Our favorite garden was our postmaster's. He had a higher fence but he grew strawberries and raspberries, that was living. Every now and then someone came out and chase us away. We'd head for the bushes and again they would hollor into the darkness "Get out of here before I send the dog out." Which was a laugh because just like they knew all the rotten kids in town we knew all the rotten dogs. And chances were there dog was already with us along with there kid.

But the one almighty prank of pranks, the one thing that would put us in the book of famous pranksters, would be if we could tip a cow. Let me run through this real quick for those of you who never heard of cow tipping. First off, cows sleep standing up, We did'nt know why they slept standing up, maybe thier legs won't bend that way or maybe it's to keep predators away. If it's the predator thing it didn't work to keep us away.

There was only one person in town that had cows. His first name was Premo, and He had about ten cows in a small pasture. We tried this once before, but too many guys showed up at Premo's pasture. We had a possey of twenty-five teen age boys. Premo came out and shot his shotgun in the air, we took off running in all directions and the cows scattered all over the place, what a mess. But that was the year before and we were ready to try again.

Wally was the first to mention it. He said that me and him could do it and not tell anyone else. We'd go out at midnight and tip us a cow. That sounded well and good but Wally could sneak out of his house at midnight. I couldn't, to many sisters and a brother. Some one would always wake up and set off the alarm then everyone would wake up.

I would have to tell Marty so we could go camping. It would be just the three of us. But Marty's cousin Stan was staying over, could he come along? O.K. but thats all except for Russel who was a slow runner but always wanted to tip a cow. But that was it, just the five of us.

Everything was in place. It was midnight. So the seven of us , Jim and Billy couldn't be left out either. We snuck off down the road to Premo's pasture.

We had a meeting before hand and made a plan. Wear dark cloths, no flashlights, be very quite. Aproach the cows with the wind in our faces so they could'nt smell us. When we found the right cow, Me and Wally would tip it. Every one else would be quiet and watch. If it didn't wake the others, someone else could tip the next cow, and so on. And by all means don't do the bull.

All of a suden here we are. Quitely one by one we went over the fence. We could see all the cows appeared to be sleeping. Premos house was dark, he had no dog. The wind was to our faces. We tip toed, crept and crawled up to a likely cow. We could do this. Me and Wally moved in for the score. We were at its side, the cow was sleeping, we didn't wake it. I slowly put my two hands side by side by it's front shoulder. Wally was possitioned at it's rear flank. Quitely he motioned One- two- three, and together we pushed with all our might. It wabbled, and for a second we thought it wouldn't go down. Then after the wabble it wiggled and shook. It turned fast knocking Wally down on his butt in a big warm cow pie. It took off runing and mooing and bumped into another cow that was sleeping on its feet. That one was mader then the first, it groweled at us. All the cows and the bull woke up. All mooing and running blindly in the small pasture . Seven fourteen and fifteen yeary old boys running to get out of thier way.

The cows tipped over two more boys. Stan and Billy were tipped into cow pies by diferant cows. Luckly no one got stepped on in the stampeed. We all made it over tha fence and out of danger of the mad cows. We were in the trees before Premo came out.

We didn't get a cow tipped, and we never tried again. Those cows probably were`nt even sleeping, just being quite. I think the joke was on us. But the younger boys in town thought we tipped one, so we were heros. We didn't want to dim thier impression of us so we let them think it.

*******************************THE END**************************

I`ve Been Double Tagged!!

I`ve been tagged by Patty and Jettie,over at http://www.calicocatpress.blogspot.com/ and http://westartandendwithfamily.blogspot.com/ I must be a popular kinda guy.



The rules of the game are as follows:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.


Here i go, the unimportant things about me are:


1. I have very bad sleeping habits, snoring, groaning, tossing and turning, talking in my sleep. (which really is`nt unimportant to the Mrs`s)


2. I`ve put on some weight this winter, but i choose to believe my flannel shirts are shrinking in the wash.


3. When i was in Vietnam, for R&R i chose to stay incountry rather than take a free flight to Australia, or anywhere else, because i did`nt want to miss anything that was going on. (smacks myself in the forehead)


4. I have a very sensitive gag reflex, dentist have to give me gas for the littlest things done on my teeth. Even if i close my eyes and imagine something going into my mouth i will gag.


5. I have no dancing rythm, zip, nada. This white guy can`t dance a lick.


6. I don`t normally swear much but i do when i drink, the more i drink the more i swear. Good thing i don`t drink much.


OK, that`s done, as for the tagging, i am not going to tag anyone, all my bloggers have already been tagged for this one. haha

IS THERE LIFE OUT THERE

I am alive. I haven't been here for awhile and I"m afraid people have stopped coming around to check. I only have a few more days of working these long days. Today we don't start until 8:00 so I have a little time before I go. Nothing new has been happening in my life. I've got a real good farmers tan. I look tanned good and healthy until I take off my shirt then I look two toned.
I think I'm going to retire, again. Since I retired with 33 years from L.T.V. mining I've retired from an over the road trucking co. A propane co. a bait shop and soon to be a dock co.. I've had other offers of employment. The latest that I'm considering is a professional trapper. That sounds like something I might like.
So if there's anyone out there I'd like you to know I'm back and I'll try to be here every day. So don't count me out yet. I have a lot of blogs to read and answer and If I get home tonight with any energy left I'll start on that. And I have tomorrow off so I'm going to see if I can come with a story I know a few of you like them.

HOUSE ON HOLLYHOCK HILL

House on Hollyhock Hill (part two) So the big night came. I said I was staying at Marty's house, Marty said he was staying at mine. We took our sleeping bags and flashlights. Taking guns or knife would be braking the rules of bravery. When we went out, it was just starting to get dark. There was a dozen or more guys at the fence line to support us. The older ones gloating because they made it. The younger ones shaking in fear knowing that in a year or two they would have to go in to test there manhood and test fate.

Some made it some didn't. We all knew the ones who did. The ones who didn't were all dead or in the mental institute.

So there we were at the door, I turned the handle. the watchers held their breath. We were in. We stood frozen in the door way. We both contemplated turning and running for home. But if we did we wouldn't be able to live in this town anymore.

Timidly we started to explore before it got to dark. Everything was dusty, the white lace curtains hung limp, it was deadly quit. We went from room to room. We looked out the window. There they were, at least twenty guys watching to see if we would run.There were pictures on the wall of a woman, it must be her. The wallpaper was ripped, the floor was dirty. I heard a sound and turned quickly, a mouse. Good, it wasn't a ghost.

It was dark now, we rolled out our sleeping bags in the front room close to the door. We had our flashlight's on when we heard the click at the front door.We went to investigate, thinking someone was fooling with us.We found the door locked, no one was around. Minor panic, how did that happen? We tiptoed around to the side door, it too was locked.

Then we heard a sound from upstairs thump, thump,------thump, thump, Like a ghost walking around. then an eerily quit hung over the whole place . We were'nt really trapped because the doors were locked, half the windows were broken we could have gotten out.

looking out the window into the dark we though we could see reflections of light coming from an upstairs window. the same one we earlier heard the thumping sounds. What time was it we didn't know, we both forgot to bring a watch. It's going to be a long night. Dog's barking sounded different. They say dog's know when a ghost or death was around.

Then out of no ware a cat came flying down the stairway screeching as if it was being chased by the devil or flung by a witch. Then I swear I could here laughter from above. It must be the ghost Hanna. Now we were scared, Marty grabbed the door handle, I was right behind him. It was locked. Good thing we couldn't run, we huddled close together. We heard the side door slam and evil laughter. We froze and stayed that way all night we couldn't move, we couldn't sleep. But after the door, all we heard was small sounds, mice, dog's in the distance, bug's buzzing, wind, our heart beats. We didn't even talk except in whispers.

It was a long night but morning was coming, the sky was getting lighter. We though it was just about over when BANG the said door opened. We jumped, then from the side room came three older boys. One of which was my friend Wally, with him was Bebo and Gordy. We were white, they were laughing.

They told us we made it. Then they told us the rules. Then made us swear a blood oath that we would never tell anyone what happened in the haunted house. It was them upstairs making howling noises, it was them with the cat, and slamming doors and laughing.

We just had to wait one hour and walk out the front door. We couldn't say a word to anyone, just go home. They would be out front with everyone else and would signal us when we could leave. When the signal came, Me and Marty were still white as sheets. We were dead tired so saying nothing was easy. We went home and to bed.

The following years we were allowed to be part of the older guys scaring the younger boys.
That house wasn't haunted after all. Hanna Helstroms haunted house on Hollyhock hill was just a house.

I missed that haunted house. I guess I miss it still.


*************************THE END******************************

HOUSE ON HOLLYHOCK HILL part 1

House on Hollyhock Hill. (part 1)


I grew up in a small town with a post office, a gas station, a junk yard and a school that went up to the sixth grade. We had no other business's. But we did have a pretty good ice skating rink, and a baseball diamond at the school yard and a population of kids that must have been four kids for every set of parents.


There was always something going on in the summer time. We had a never ending baseball game going on at the school yard. When ever you got there you would go on the team with the least players. The teams were always changing, kids were coming and going.You could always win or lose marble or trade baseball cards all day, all summer in the school yard. There were girls there to, but back then we didn't mix much, on perpose anyway. The girls played hopscotch and jacks. they played with paper dolls and hulla hoops. In general life was good in Parkville in the sixtys.


The one worrisome thing both boy's and girl's had in common was the house at the end of Hollyhock Hill road. It was only two blocks from the school. It was huge, three stories tall with a cellar some people say it had a dungeon. Everyone knew it was haunted.. Everyone.


Us boys would go up to the base of the fence line at the top of the hill. Then one by one we would take turns running up the path and touching the door and run back to show how brave we were. Then just to be safe when we got back with the others we had to spin around in a circles three times spit on the ground and say "Hollyhock Hana from Hollyhock hill ,the devil was watching and he's watching still." We'd say this for protection from the ghost of Hana Helstrom. She was said to have killed three kids in that very house then hung Herself from the rafters. And it was said that she left a note saying She would come back from the dead to get anymore kids She could catch in Her house. needless to say we might have been brave enough to touch the door but we were'nt about to go in.


Not then anyway. But before we hit sixteen ,to show we were a man ,we had to spend the night in Hana Helstroms hunted house. For all the brave talk nobody wanted to spend the night in that house. And nobody wanted to be the one who wouldn't.


Other boys have been spending the night in that house for at least one hundred years or so. But whenever they came out, it was always the same. None of them would ever say What happened in that house.They all looked white and shaken.


At different times we've all seen candle light in the windows. and the white lace curtains blowing without a wind. Sometimes we would see shadows pass in the windows or hear strange sounds.


In the summer of my fifteenth year it was my turn. I was going in with Marty. We would spend the night. My good friend Wally who was one year older then Me and Marty spent the night in there last summer. He has never said a word about what happened in there that night. All we were told by any of the boys that were older was make out a last will and testament. Sometimes boys would die or disappear in there. Sometimes they would go mad and end up in a mental institution. We were worried because if an older guy said something like that you just knew it was true.


(To Be Continued)

I AM RETIRED

I am retired! I am retired! I am retired!

Well I'm mostly retired. But like an alcoholic I sometimes sled back. I like being on the water, and I like making A few bucks from time to time. Jim the owner has been a friend of mine sense we were teenagers so we have a good time bobbing around out their.

Yesterday out on the lake the boat trifice wasn't as bad as I though it would be. Everybody must have known the lake was mostly froze and went somewhere else. Today won't be bad either.

It snowed here all night. Most of the early evening it was mixed with rain. But we did manage to get about two inches on the ground by morning.

We're starting work a little later this morning, so I'm taking Grandma out to Breakfast. And by the way HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you mothers. That didn't sound right I meant to" all you mother's of children.

FISHING OPENER

Good Morning;

It's finally Saturday. It's finally the first day of fishing. So what am I doing this morning? I'm working. Opening weekend I usually don't go fishing on Lake Vermilion anyway, It's way to crowded. Now today I'll be out their fighting the crowds with a forty foot barge. Most of the lake is still covered with ice. Out of a lake that's twenty miles long we have only a few miles of open water. With hundreds of boats packed in the narrows. I hope we don't run over anyone. I'm going to take a camera today to get pictures. I will be working tomorrow to But this will only last for about three more weeks.

I've still have a lot to learn about this computer. I found a blog sight that I'd really like to reply to but for some reason I can't send my coment's . I got through once, she takes wonderful pictures of birds http://lisaschaos.blog-city.com/ I'll get it figured out.

And with all this business, I will come up with a story for Monday morning. Grandma reminded me of the hunted house I had in our town when I was a kid. Mabe that will work.

HEAVY LOAD

I use to go to work feeling like this. I don't anymore but I know a lot of people who do. They think they will get it all done, or they will come out ahead, or they will make a lot of money, or they will keep everyone happy. I guess you have to get older before you realize you're not getting any place that way. You have to lighten you're load sometime to get ware you're going.

DEVIL DOG

Remember "Devil Dog" He lives in my dog's body. And when you least suspect it, He comes out .
Devil Dog wasn't there when I took Flynn for a ride in the Truck . Flynn was sitting like a gentleman when I went into the store. He rode like an ace when we went driving, He didn't bark when I got out to take pictures of ducks in the park. Then all of a sudden He wouldn't sit still. He was pacing over the seat. I should have seen the signs. Devil Dog was getting stronger, Flynn was losing the inner Battle. He was barking at people on the street. Thank God I had only one more stop before I could head home.

When I came out of the convenient store with my coffee Flynn was gone, Devil Dog had taken full control. And He had violated my hula dancer. He pooped on the floor and ripped up the paper I had on the dash. Now I had to drive home smelling dog poop with my news paper blowing out the window' and my poor hula dancer had her butt sticking out for the whole world to see.
Needless to say I wasn't to pleased. But when we got home He was all sweet again. But was it
Flynn or was it Devil Dog? I chained him up outside just the same. He gave me that look like "What did I do." I don't know what to think. He needs either a psychiatrist or an exorcist.

HEAD SHOT

HEAD SHOT
This is a sad story of a hair cut that went terribley wrong.

It all started out as a bad hair cut. What's the diferance between a good hair cut and a bad hair cut? About two weeks. No big deal right? Well probably not, But I could fix it right now. So I got out the sheep shear clippers and went at it.

That was my first mistake. But then I figured Grandma could fix My mess. That was my next mistake. So I guess I'd have to fix the mess Grandma made. And on it went tell I got what you see. That was three days ago so it's starting to grow back. In another six months I can go into the barber shop and get a hair cut. And if I leave it alone two weeks after that I'll have a good hair cut.

RAINBOW STEW

***RAINBOW STEW***

When I was a kid in the early sixties we boys had an old friend who was kind of a hermit that lived on the edge of town. We didn't know his real name. We all just knew him as Texas Bill. He was harmless and everybody knew it. But our parents didn't like us over their a lot. He was kind of wild and ruff around the edges. He told wild stores about his cowboy days. He told us that he actually shot and killed Comanche Indians and other bandit's. Our parents all said it wasn't true He was crazy and making up stuff. We didn't know for sure but we liked the stores.

We did know for sure he was a good trapper. He would snare rabbits and squirrels and other small animals. Or he would shoot them with his .22 rifle and He tough us all to do it to.

Every Saturday Me, Russel, Marty, Wally and a few others would show up. We'd go out in the woods with him to check His traps and see what we were having for lunch. And part of the unwritten rules for our Saturday rainbow stew was we had to steal something to put in the pot. Texas said we was suppose to get it without anybody knowing we were taking it. And by "it" I mean things like potato's or onions or carrots anything eatable that we could sneak away from home. Just something to put in the pot to share with the others.

Well that's all fine and good. I think most of our parents knew about it and chose not to say anything. After all whats a hand full of green beans or a can of corn.

But one of the worst exceptions was Russel's father. He was kind of mean and didn't like anybody. So if Russel got caught swiping anything for the stew He'd get a whipping.

Well on this particular day that's exactly what happened. When Russel's father came home from work He went out to water His garden. He discovered someone had taken three of His biggest tomato's. Then somehow He found out what us boys were up to.

He showed up at Texas Bills shack with the cops. We were in his back yard sitting around the picnic table and on stumps We used for stools. The big black pot was still bubbling over the camp fire. Russel's father came over ranting and raving his face was red, spit was coming out of his mouth.

And as Russel will tell you to this day for a fat man His father can hit pretty hard. And he started hitting Russel then and there on the side of the head knocking Him to the ground. The cop didn't do anything to stop Him. But Texas Bill picked up his rifle which wasn't loaded but it made a good club, even for Texas who was about one hundred years old. He hit Russel's father with the rifle butt right in the face.

Then the cop stepped in and grabbed Russel's father before He killed old Texas. Russel's father had blood on his mouth and a broken tooth. Texas told Him "If you hit that boy again, I will put a bullet in this here gun and shoot you right between the eyes". Everybodys mouth' went wide open. Including Russel's father and the cop's.

Then in a small cowardly voice Russel's father turned to the cop and said. " Did you hear what he said to me". The cop looked at Him then He looked at the old man with the gun, and at us. He turned back to Russel's father and said " I heard Texas say if you hit the kid again He's going to press charges."

Russel's father was real careful about what He said about Texas or our rainbow stew Saturdays. But He was still a mean man and every now and then we seen or heard something. But we were afraid to tell Texas. Because we knew he would kill him and end up in jail. Russel wouldn't tell us anything.

We were around thirteen or fourteen, what could we do? We told our parents. All they said was stay away from Russel's house. We couldn't do that, Russel was our friend. And we quietly wanted to let Russel's father know we were around watching and we were Texas Bills friends.

Well, Russel made it. He grew up and moved in with His brother in His senior year. The rest of us made it to.

***************THE END***************

A PAIR OF GEESE

I don't know what's more interesting the two geese with no ware to go, or the two feet of ice that won't go. I took this picture yesterday. This time of the year the ice should be gone. All the rivers are flowing over banks into the lake and it's melting around the sides. But other then that 10 to 15 feet of watter you can see their is at least two feet of ice. Fishing season opens in six more days.
My busy time at work is from ice out for three to four weeks. I need to be on the lake lowering docks and putting in boat lifts. It takes a crew of three in one boat about four weeks of long days and weekends just to get all the docks that we have down. And on the bardg the two of us will take about three weeks to place all the boat lifts. If this isn't all ready by opener customers start to complain. We can't do anything about the ice but some of these cabin owners seem to think it's our fault. Is the customer right? I dough it.

p.s day before yesterday I got a bad hair cut I tryed to fix it it got worse. To make a long story short I shaved my head.

GRANDMA

This is Grandma it's hard to get a picture of her without a grand kid in her lap or cooking me something to eat. Or cleaning up some mess me or the dog made. But we all love her and need her to keep us balanced.

These are some pictures of my beautifully blushing Bride Wanda Mari. It's seems like just yesterday we walked down the isle.

This July it will be 37 years. And she's still pretty but I somehow got old. How did that happen? She doesn't have one gray hair and what hair I have left is mostly gray.

This afternoon we're having My sister and Brother in law over for dinner so I,m going to help clean up the mess the dog made out of the back porch. And I'll try to be helpfull in other ways. But Grandma always tells me I'm more help if I just get out of the way.

MILKING FISH

O.K; these are some pictures of the hatchery that I took this morning. They are not in the order I planned. But I'll try to explain.

The picture above is a picture of the special river mud that's brought in for this purpose. The reason being that the egg's are slime so they have to be coated in this real fine mud to keep them seperated from each other. This is a picture of a Lake Vermilion walleye. "very tasty" This is a good size female full of eggs. In the fish world females are always bigger then the males.

This is the part every one wanted to see these fish are being milked. You hold the fish by the head and gentle squeeze and rub toward the tail. From a fish this size you will get about a quarter of a cup. OK boys and girls now for the big surprise these fish that are being milked are Male's.

In all fish the female lays the egg's and the male comes later and deposits his milk over the area where the eggs are. And with a little luck the baby fish "which are caller fry" will hatch. In the walleye's case it will take about three weeks. Then if they haven't been eaten by other fish they will grow into whats called a fingerling. A fingerling is about two inches long. At this point they are quit a bit safer from predators so they can be put back into the lake or be transported to other lakes.

The picture above is of a female being striped of it's eggs. The egg's come out the same way the milk does. gently rub from front to back. It's not uncomon for a fish to have egg's that weigh thirty to fifty percent of its body weight.

This is an area where it all takes place. These men and women are on walkways over traps catching fish. Some are getting fish out of traps, some are striping egg's out of the females, some are turning them lose into the river and Yes Tylen some are milking fish

PIKE RIVER HATCHERY

I just came back from a trip to the Pike River Hatchery. It's about five miles out of town. This time of the year the D&R traps walleye in the river that runs into Lake Vermilion. They started trapping about a week ago and will be trapping for at least two more weeks.

When I got their I run into an old friend of mine. His name is Charlie, He's retired and moved up here from Texas five years ago. He works at the hatchery six weeks a year. He says it's fun but six weeks a year is all He wants.

In every one of these beakers is 110,000 walleye eggs that will turn into 110,000 fish. They will be shipped to just about every lake in Minnesota. Ten percent will be put back into our lake. The D&R says that in the wild due to predators and bad luck only ten percent will make it. In the hatchery almost one hundred percent will live. So I guess that's fair.
Charlie said that if I come back tomorrow I could get some pictures of the adult fish being milked and striped of their eggs. So you know ware I'll be. I wish Tylen was here I'd give his teacher a note and we'd play hooky for half a day. If he's going to be a duck framer he should know how to milk a fish.

RUSTER ROLLER REPAIR

This is my son Adam our family mechanic. He came over this afternoon after work to help me do a little repair on the roller. But before we got started He had a little work to do on His truck. I think He was looking for the dip stick. Can you find the dipstick under the hood?

Anyway we greased the front end and front week barrings. Nothing under their was bad just preventive maintenance. Then we fixed the windshield washer. Everything went fine. Actually Adam did all of the mechanic work, I just posed for pictures and handed Him parts.

I've got to git this thing running like a top before the big road trip. Because when I roll up to the beach in Malabu I'm going to be cool.

WHATS NEXT

Everyone seemed to like my story's of a time I know best. Most of my memories of the 50s and 60s were good ones. Just like Ozzy and Harriet, The little rascals and Maybarry . And I mean it, that's the way it was, most of the time. But not all of the time. You all seemed to like the Texas Bill story. I have another memory and story of Him. On a day he met an unsavory man. You'll hate this man we all did. And we all learned something none of us were ready to know .


On a lighter note. The Rusty Roller run like a top and got twenty seven miles per. gal. I'm pleased with that.


Tomorrow I'm going out and getting some pictures. All my good pictures are stuck in our dead computer. and all the good pictures I get in E-Mail are mostly tiny when I put them on my blog. I'm sure it's just something I'm doing wrong.

TEXAS BILL

We moved to Parkville when I was in the sixth grade, I was eleven in 1959.

The first person I met was Wally, who lived three houses down. We were still unpacking when He knocked on the door and asked my mom "Do you have Any kids here my age." Well my mother though I was the one out of the four of us that was closes to his age. So she brought me out. He then introduced himself and asked if I wanted to go out to play. It was winter so we went sledding and have been friends ever since

It wasn't long after that, that Wally introduced Me to Texas Bill. Texas was an old man that lived on the edge of town. He was skinny and would have been tall if he could stand up straight, but he was all bent over with artheritis. He was very old, when asked , he would say he thought about one hundred, but wasn't sure. He had a twinkle in his eye, and a couple of good yellow teeth, everything he ate had to be soft.

He had a very small house that use to be a one car garage. He had a couch that turned into a bed, a wood burning cook stove that He used to heat with , and a bathroom so small he had to take a bath in the kitchen in a wash tub. He did most of his cooking and cleaning and living outside in his back yard.

Most of the adults in town said us boys should stay away from crazy old Texas Bill. He might be dangerous. And his story's were all lies anyway. They probably were jealous, Because all the boys in town would rather listen to Texas then their teacher , or even their father.

He taught us a number of important things like how to spit and fight. He told us how to sharpen our pocket knifes and play mumble peg, and how to cuss ,and how to be polite to girls and women.

But his stories were the best part of our visit. He said he was a Texas Ranger. He would talk about the bad guy's He tracked down , Like Sam Bass and John Wesley Hardin. He told us of gun fights and ambushes and riding horses across the plains chasing rustlers or murderers. He fought Comanches and chased Mexicans bandit's back across the border.

He told us stories of when he was in the wars WWI and WWII. He was in the Calvary in both . The first with horses and mules, the second was mostly trucks.

We all though he was a man among men. A real live hero. We couldn't understand why the adults couldn't see this.

He told us other Texas stories to. Like of the Alamo, He could make you feel like you we're there, along with Sam Huston, Jim Booey, Danial Boone and the rest of them fighting to the last man to make Texas free.

In our minds their was nothing crazy about Him.

About the time I left home my little brother started hanging around Texas Bill's place. Then I was eighteen and I was sounding like all the other adults. I told my brother He's just a crazy old man in a little shack telling lei's. Nobody could have done all the things he say's He's done.

Two years later I was in the Navy and half a world away when I got a letter from Wally. In it was an obituary for Captain Monroe Fox formally of the Texas Rangers, veteran of world war one and world war two. Born 1865 in Brownsville Texas died 1968 age 103 Known locally as Texas Bill.

I don't know what happens to us but somewhere between childhood and adulthood we lose the ability to see anything special in someone that's plain and unspectacular.

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ROAD TRIP TO DANI'S

Friday morning Grandma, Me and Flynn gassed up the rusty roller and headed to Sulli's house for a surprise birthday party for Danika's sweet 15th. Of coarse Grandma wanted to take the good truck . But wheres the adventure in that. And no that's not a mini camper on the back. Flynn doesn't travel light. I took many pictures of my beautiful grand kids. And this is the best one I got of Olivia with Sulli's chickens. And no Flynn didn't eat even one chicken or one grandchild.

On the way home we stoped in the town of Akely to visit Paul Bunyan. Nice guy bet He don't say much. So we didn't stay long

On the way home we hit and killed four birds before we were half way home. It was weird birds don't just fly in front of you're truck. You usually just drive and the things get out of the way. I don't know if all the snow just made them want to it. Or if their was a Field of marijuana burning somewhere. But after that I was very carefully and slowed down when ever I seen a bird on the road.

HAPPY BIRTHDAT DANI

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIKA!!!