On the Patio

The River

It was cold, buddy...cold! Thermometer?  naaaah...wasn't needed....EPS---(extreme peter shrinkage) and nipplage was our indicator. It was cold.

But damn great fun! Aint nothin' like bustin' your ass in a tube floating down a cold river....rapids...some white water, but no real threats..... The Dam people didn't have the gates open enough to cause any real flow.

It rained every damn night, too! The skies would flash up real pretty in the west...take about 2-3 hours to get to us and then the bottom would fall out! Rain lasted about 4-5 hours each night. I had leaks in my tent....I'd just reposition myself and go back to sleep. I fell asleep listening to good enough songs playing on the radio and the rain hitting my tent.....the sky gave me a similar light show that Pink Floyd might perform....the sound of the river flowing over rocks and roots was only 30 feet down a cliff from me. I was lulled to sleep each night.

Morning came and brought with it the activity from eager beavers slapping together breakfast, wiping the groggy from their brains and doing whatever needed to hit the river tubing!

Friday night was of particular significance for me. Apparently I was eager to ....enjoy myself, so, I didn't start early, I just came out the shoot running full bore. Jack, tequila, everclear, maduros, and that other thing...sent me down the black rose path earlier than the others. One thing about being the first to crash and burn-----there are others to help you get to bed safely. My buds took good care of me, too! I was kept away from the fire and wasn't allowed to roam around. Am told that when i nose dived the picnic table though, they decided they had been entertained enough. Three dragged me to my tent on the incline next to the river...I was deposited into my tent...where I started painting the walls thereof....was told it wasn't pretty. I have good friends..they took care of me...cleaned me up, rubbed my back and checked up on me throughout the night. Good poeple!

Felt like shit Saturday...but floated anyway. Had to get back on the "horse" though. Had a shot of Tekillya...it was bad shit too. Tried some rum....crap! Bud-light was the only thing that tasted good enough...but I had probably a gallon of water too.

The food was awesome! Burgers, brisket, skirtsteak, sausages, grilled corn-cobs....beer and drinkage----water moccasons were the choice of some.....coconut rum and pineapple for others.

My last day I stayed in camp and people watched, smoked cigars and chilled out listening to good CDs. I was a happy camper.

Pictures?...wanna see the pictures? Can't. some bastard stole my tube with my underwater camera attached to it.......

There's always next year..........

Memorial Day....Weekend

For many, including me, the Memorial Day weekend is a three or four day spot in our busy lives when we get away for the first time in the summer season. BBQ's galore will be doing their thing. Grilling will right there with them. Beer sales will sky rocket, as will consumption. Beer-can chicken, beef brisket, short ribs, cobs of corn soaked in butter, red potatoes and more will be stuffed into many a mouth each day this coming weekend.
The venues vary with the individuals participating. I will be floating my substantial ass in an inner tube down the cold waters of the Guadalupe river near New Braunfels, Texas with a group of friends. My lilly white skin will be roasted brown burnt red for the thrill of it all! I'll be in pain for sure, but you won't know it from the stupid grin that will be on my ugly mug. Nighttime in the camp will be spent laughing, drinking, smoking, eating and hopefully singing...and hopefully the alcohol will make us all think we are singing well...or loudly....depending on your participation......or who cares!?
Regardless, a great time will be had by all!

But I know that Memorial Day is much more than that. It is because of "others" that we have this time off to celebrate the way we choose. Memorial Day is the last Monday in May when the nation recognizes those that have fallen defending the U.S.A. and have earned the right of being called heroes. Most major cities have national cemeteries, Houston does. My dad and mom are buried there. They are buried together under a nice shady oak tree. I have hung several wind chimes there to help keep them company. I visit it often, perhaps not as much as I should. But it is always on my mind and in my heart of prayers.
So as usual, as much as I can, I will be thinking of them, et all, that are in the ground there, so that I and we can have great time...enjoying our freedom...the privilege of paying taxes...the obligation of voting.....the democratic way of life we sometimes treat a bit too casually....but hopefully never forget.

Requested

So you say you wanna see a pretty Asian girl standing in the surf playing a white fiddle? Here ya go!

Recharging the Batteries

This weekend has been wonderful! The entire past work week stayed on schedule and Friday was a great day, finished on time, closed and locked the doors. There is great satisfaction to a job well done, a job finally finshed, and the reward for such in the pocket!
I packed the beast and made way to the coast on Saturday....did some fishing in the surf but, only did what's called wetting a line....no fish. There was plenty of bait (mullet & shad) in the first and second guts, but the predators weren't there. Could have been that in 5 feet of water I could see my feet....too clear. The water was green and clear, getting better going further south. Quintana beach was awesome...flat and green to the beach...great for fishing, bad for the surfers.
So, all I could do was sit and watch the world the rest of the time...and there was lots to watch! But I guess it was family day for the most part, as my attempts at acquiring "Friday Fishing" photos was for naught. Had a cupla prospects though, but peer pressure persuaded proper public protocol...

To Boldly Go.....

Can a codpiece also be a codicil? I think it can.

Mimosa

A beautiful tree, the Mimosa calms you down as you gaze upon it. It's so graceful and soft, you can barely feel the flower. The fragrance is stronger than you would imagine.

I often sit on my patio and puff a Meerschaum loaded with DaVinci, a nice bourbon as accomplice, and gaze at my Mimosa.

Watermellon Art

Yeah, this is freaky....like a peeled face. But someone knows their way around spoons....or something like that.
I can't even think of a caption, but I'm sure there is one or two.

Sam-Stretch-Squirrel

I thought I hated squirrels....but this guy is obssessed with them. And he has a little weenie dog to help him. How cool is that?

For Sam & Stretch.........

The Bleeding Heart

"Follow your gut feelings. Trust your first inclination." Those are two rules that won't lead you too far down the path to financial ruin and/or embarassment. The good book says to be cautious as a snake but gentle as a dove. Combining those two traits in your personality can be very difficult and confusing, especially after you've been taken advantage of. It's true it's all part of growing up, maturing. But don't let that fool you. I'm what some would consider old, and "there aint no fool like an old fool!"

After time ones emotions can become hardened to the plight of others. How many exposes ( read 'x-pose- zase') did you watch on TV or read about those panhandlers and windshield washers on every damn corner before YOU stopped giving away your loose change? Will Work For Food my ass! Show you and your gypsy clan where I live? Aint gonna happen! Once I gave a beggar in Mexico City what was considered at that time a large amount of money. I put it in the woven container this 70 some odd year old crippled woman would feebly extend with her withered hands towards you as she attempted to crawl in your direction. Later that same day as I was in line at the Banco to exchange US$ for Pesos, she was making a deposit...standing..walking unhindered....yeah, I was pissed. The next good line to live by would be "once bit twice shy."

But to say people don't take advantage of others in normal everyday life would be a lie. The pretty gal that sits straight back on a bar stool is begging for some guy to buy her drinks, or dinner....maybe a dance would be involved. That Izod wearing/'vette driving/drowning in cologne/wanna be human plunger is the same...he's begging for it. And both will probably lie and cheat to get what they want.

I'm quite sure there are symbiotic relationships that fare very well. Marriage for allot of folks is one. For others, it's just a way for the weaker & fairer sex woman to have security. For the man, it's a way to have sex every night it's just a way to provide that security. There are a million stories out there about being taken advantage of and of doing the taking. I don't want to be in either story.

But when that old homeless Viet Nam veteran with cancer and diabetes is standing in the rain and his cardboard sign is soaked, even though I know his 2002 Cadillac is parked at the Kroger across the street----I'll give him a buck. And if that gal at the bar has good teeth and a nice voice----I'll buy her a drink.

I might even get married again----See how they rope you in?

A Poem

A poem by Rupert Dellwider

here is life like a crumpled piece of notebook paper
discarded even though nothing is written on the back
can the weather be predicted by cows? bad weather is coming if the beasts are moving? then my soul is on fire, for they are stampeding....across grains that humans will not eat. but eat the bovines they do.....steak, rump roast, hamburger, ribs, cheese, milk, tongue & brains, ox-tail soup, doggie chews.....we use it all.

so the question remains....what to be....a piece of unwanted paper....or a cow?

to be thrown away..unwanted, unusable...no value
or....to be.....

meat.....desired, fondled, tenderized, broiled, grilled...consumed with delight and burped with approval afterward.

yeah, i choose meat....and i choose to be....a....filet mignon or porterhouse, hell, i cannot be picky......i am beast....but t-bone would be nice. notebook paper has no taste.

thankyou.

Time For a Change

Some things I just don't get. Like this one.

A monster violates a child sexually, maybe even murdering that child, and they go free. Most times the monster has indeed sexually assaulted and murdered many more children. This one, Larry Don Mcquay, promised to continue the predation if released. He got out today. He only served 8 years of a 20 year sentence. He likes children around the age of 7 to 9. If he left any victim of that age alive, they'd be 15 to 17 years old now. I wonder how they feel about his release. He is living in San Antonio, Texas.

"Castrated and fitted with an ankle monitoring device, child molester Larry Don McQuay was released from prison with little fanfare this morning and escorted to San Antonio, where he'll remain under supervision in a work-release program."

He claimed he had molested children more than 240 times and promised to resume his attacks if released and kill his victims to keep them from identifying him.

On Monday, Florida Gov Jeb Bush signed the Jessica Lunsford Act.

"The Jessica Lunsford Act requires those who prey on children under 12 to be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison and, if they get out, to be tracked for life."

Why? Just why are these killers allowed to live? Sexual predators cannot be reformed. There is not one study by any group ever that supports that they can. Not one. And....I wouldn't care if there was one. These monsters deserve at the least a slow death, not death row, death.
But now, they're going to be forced...required to wear a ankle monitoring device or even sport an underskin GPS device so that the monster can be tracked at any time, anyplace.
Such a daring move! I'm impressed fed up with our lawmakers!

You know what it's going to take to change the opinion of lawmakers, don't you?  A Governor's or Senator's or Congressman's 5 year old son or daughter or niece or nephew will have to be 'the line crossed' before shit like Larry Don McQuay and John Evander Couey have a bullet placed between there open eyes and truly experience permanent rehabilitation for molesting and killing innocent children.

All In The Family

Last night, after a cigar and several drinks, it hit me! And now I share with you!

If this guy-------->

had a kid with this gal-------->

then the offspring look like------->

And who's that guy peeking in?
It's------->

Two For One?

You can talk all you want about religion and faith....that doesn't bother me. Itsa personal thing the way you believe. Get that? The way YOU believe. I can respect most anything in the way of personal freedom and choice. You may have the right to free spech. I DO have the right to not listen to it. Get in my face about it, and I'll shut you down.

That happened a few nights ago. Out having a good time, relaxing, chilling, ....food and drink.  In conversation that started out and should have remained about how bad the Astros were playing and how the Rockets were currently deciding how to toss a playoff series, some one mentioned being  blessed ....and that's....O.K.

Then someone else asked, "huh?"

Before long, about 2 minutes, the discussion was an argument about Jesus being God.
Say what?
Then who is God's son?
Jesus.
And Jesus is God?
Yes.
O.K., so Jesus is God, his own father,and God is his own Son?
Yes.
So, Mary, Jesus' mother is actually the mother of...God?
Yes.
So.... a human being was impregnated by God through holy spirit and a son was the result, that being "Jesus", and he being God, was born to a human female?
Yes.
So the Creator of the entire universe thought he had to be born of flesh in THAT time period to start a new religion and save humanity?
Yes.
So, while Jesus was in embryonic form, and Jesus is God, who was "running" things in heaven?
God.
But he wasn't even born yet.
He has always existed.
He just wasn't born yet?
Yes.
....I see..... Let me ask you this. When Jesus died, he did die, didn't he?
Yes.
O.K. (whew) when Jesus died, he was buried in a tomb and it was sealed, right?
Yes.
And 3 days later he was resurrected to be heaven to be and the right hand of his Father (God), right?
Yes.
Other than the "fact" that Jesus was resurrected to be with Himself, whom was evidently up there waiting for Him, Jesus was, for all tense and purposes, in fact dead before resurrection, who was "running" things in heaven?
God.
O.K. now look, I know God is omnipotent, all this and all that, omnipresent, but you're saying that God is Jesus and vice versa, so at some point in Jesus' birth and death, Them being the same person, at some point, neither were there.
Some things are beyond our human understanding.
I see. And when Jesus was dying, he prayed to Himself to forgive those that murdered Him???
.........

Hello?

From what I've read I cannot believe, because I haven't seen it written, where God wants blind followers. Religion is not all faith based.
Use the brain God gave you.

The Answer

...to the meaning of life & figuring out wimmen:

"...like a blind man...in a dark room...
looking for a black cat...that isn't there."

This might not be the answer, but it helps me to understand why it's so damn difficult!

If you think I'm wrong....tell me what the answer is! I'd love to hear it. I really, really would.

C'est Bon

They drink more Coca Cola than their own wine.
They no longer are a world power like the U.S. ...and that bothers them.
Where were/are they during this Iraqui war? Saddam was bribing them----"food for oil"----.
They gave us one good thing----the "French kiss."

The French don't like us? And that bothers us why?

It's time to give something back to the French;