Politicians

I bumped into some politicians the other day

Doing what all good politicians do; they were busily engaged in getting their “campaign contribution” and spreading crap around.

Wild Expressions

Today I take the Lv2scpbk Challenge

Lv2scpbk Barb stated in a comment on an earlier post, “Animals are great and they never take a bad photo”. I beg to differ with Barb and with today’s post I hope to prove my point. :)

I have captured worse but for now these two photos must suffice as my entry for the “Bad Animal Expression of the Day.”

Thanks Barb for giving me inspiration for today’s post and for the rest of you my blogging friends if you haven’t visited Barb please do. I am certain that you will be glad you did.

A Family Conversation

A pair of Canada Geese appears to be deep into a family conservation.

I wonder what could be the topic of such an intense discussion. Could it be they are trying to decide where to build the nest, or perhaps who is going to take the next turn sitting on the eggs? Maybe one hasn’t been contributing their fair share to the relationship.

Musings such as these can be fun but I am sure that the subject is that of the intruder with a big eye that makes annoying clicking sounds.

Honk Honk

There was no beautiful sunrise to behold this morning. Instead I was greeted with a cool foggy drizzle. What should I do with a Saturday morning such as this? The first thought to come to my mind was, “This is a perfect day for ducks!” A short drive to nearby Big Pool Maryland didn’t provide me with ducks to photograph, but there were a number of Canada Geese.

As I approached, this honker’s mate flew away, leaving it to fend for itself

In a nearby marsh honkers were paired up. Some were standing on the bank while others were swimming nearby. It appears that the nesting season is beginning. In a few weeks I hope to be able to photograph the goslings.

This has to be the strangest honker I have ever encountered.
I could not believe my eyes when this image materialized on
my computer screen :)

Tubby Time

What better way for a little fellow to get clean than to splash around in a wash tub on a warm summer day!

Snapshots like these become more precious to us as the years pass. My Big Brother certainly has changed since Mom captured this moment back in 1951

Reflections of Christmas Past

With Christmas just around the corner I must take a moment to reflect on Christmas past. We always had everything we needed growing up on our family farm but excess money was not one of our family luxuries. Each Christmas my brother and I would always find that “perfect present” to wish for, usually from the pages of the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalog. Christmas editions were quickly scooped up and swiftly became dog-eared. A little while later, circles drawn in pencil would appear around those items that we felt we could not live past Christmas without. With full knowledge that we could not possibly get everything hoped for, less than veiled hints would be dropped as to the order of importance of the marked items.

Since we spent our days in school, we would not be home when the packages arrived by US Mail. Many evenings after school were spent in activities of which Santa would not approve!

Dad and Granddad were school bus drivers and would arrive home between 5:30 and 6:00 while my brother and I would be home by 4:30. Mom and Grandma would be busy with the evening milking, giving brother and I chance for some quality snooping! Sometimes we would get lucky and find Santa’s stash. The excitement of seeing those boxes was overwhelming. The temptation to sneak a peek would become irresistible. Quickly a plan to explore the packages without leaving a clue would be formulated. We probably were not as good as we thought, although Mom and Dad never left it show, and neither did we! The challenge was to check everything out before the temptations were wrapped in pretty paper. Once wrapped they were as safe as if they had been put in Fort Knox for there was no way we could duplicate Mom’s wrapping job!

In 1962 the present I could no longer live without was a train set. I first found it in one of those delicious Christmas catalogs. I remember finding it hidden under Mom and Dad’s bed one evening. Now this was “Serious Temptation!” This was such an important present there was no way I could be satisfied with just a peek! Oh how carefully I would open the precious package, noting exactly how each part fit into its spot! I would fit the track together carefully and set the locomotive on it followed by the cars! What an amazing sight to behold! Oh how that little train would wiz around the track! A few minutes of pleasure then it would be time to carefully repack being careful to place each part in its place and finally closing the box!

Contrary to the admonishments of our parents “don’t snoop or you’ll ruin Christmas”. Snooping was just as much a part of Christmas as Christmas Morning! The anticipation, the checking all the popular hiding places, the looking for new places, the thrill of finding, and the “Danger” of getting caught were all very important elements of the Total Christmas Experience! And besides, when we Snooped Successfully, we knew that Christmas Morning would not be disappointing in the LEAST!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Did you snoop this year?

Friendly Alien?

Are there aliens among us? Does this photo prove their existence? I think not, although a closer look at some of God’s little creatures can give us insight upon where Si-Fi folks get some of their inspiration.

One day while driving our local back roads this little guy hitched a ride on my windshield. In the past I would not have taken a second look but now it is different. I quickly realized that here was a unique photo op.

Champion!

Congratulations to the New

National Nerd Word Champion!

Pictured above at the age of three

It could have been termed the World Championship since it was conducted in a forum open and accessible to the entire world, but maybe Luce has that planned for a later date.

Your new champion is a very deserving young man. I have never considered him a nerd, but he certainly does have a humongous vocabulary of nerdy words! Like many of us he reserves them for those “special occasions” where they most certainly will get a laugh. He is the number one fan in the Napoleon Dynamite fan club.

He came into my home at the age of fifteen. This is an age at where many young folks are difficult to deal with in a stable home let alone moving into an entirely new family situation. Chad was not! He quickly became the son I never had. I can’t say we shared all common interest because we didn’t but we never let that stand in the way of becoming a family. Chad did take some to my fishing but hunting was never his forte. About as close as he came to hunting was eating Bambi. Which I might add was done with gusto!

Maybe he will take up hunting some day, hunting ligers or wolverines!

Man versus Beast

This is a tale of a battle of epic proportions. While my son was visiting this spring past I invited him to a day on the Chesapeake to pursue the mighty Striped Bass. The day started with wakeup at 1:30. AM that is! After traveling an hour we stopped to fuel and pick up my faithful fishing companion Paul, another two hours on the road and we arrived at the marina. Whew, half a day in already and we’re now just ready to launch!

With the boat in, a two mile run took us to the fishing grounds. Spring trophy striper fishing is accomplished by trolling. For those not familiar with this sport, the boat is run at slow speed pulling the lures through the water. As long as the lines are in the water the boat cannot stop or the ensuing tangle will be so severe as to make any old salt weep!
Here we go! Eight lines in, trolling speed set, 3.5 mph, water calm, sun rising, the hunt is on!

Soon a rod goes down and my son does the honors.

After a battle lasting a few minutes the first fish is on board. Too short! Oh well, splash, maybe we’ll see him again in a couple of years. On my boat we take turns fighting the fish so a couple of fish later it was his turn again but he passed. What's this? Do I see green? Yeah green it is! We have us a case of sea sickness! Out with the pills. Down the hatch. Reassurance that life will get better.

Ok more fish to catch for the old salts. The youngn needs time to recoup, but no problem. He can drive the boat while we fish.

A couple of hours later he is back up, ready to have another go.

Whoa! Now that rod is down big time, drag stripping, get it boy! It’s a biggun! Biggest one today! Maybe biggest one ever! Keep the pressure on! Don’t horse her. Might break the line. Doing good! Keep im coming! Good job! Gosh it gotta be a biggun! Take it easy! Keep the line tight!

With line taunt, muscles bulging, sweat popping, he pulled, he cranked, pulled some more, slowly ever so slowly the great leviathan neared the boat.

Hold the boat straight Paul! Pull up Chad, bring her over the net. A little more. More. There we go, she’s in the net! Wowzer!

The fish didn’t flop, she didn’t ever wiggle, she was totally exhausted! And so was our hero! I ask him to hold her up for a quick pic. No way. Wooped! Totally! Wooped! So I did the best I could, then quickly put her back in the water, held her, revived her, and set her free. I looked around, my young fisherman was eating! Calories, he needed Calories!

They had a good fight. He won! But the best part…………..

They both lived to fight another day!

Note: some photos by Chad Oneil

Photo Humor

I am seriously trying to maintain a semblance of a serious blog these days

aside from a little rednecken’ from time to time. After visiting Chilly's Mom's blog I found it imperative to post this question.

Dis ere sight is a sure ‘nough a uncommon thang up ere in da nort an Ize is a wonderin if’n ya’all offen see it down dare in da south?

RedNeck Racin'

Move over Nascar, close you doors Daytona, we have a new sport in town!

Lawn mower racing!

This new sport is more exciting than a gator toss!

Mrs. Dawg and I attended our very first mower race last evening.

What an excitement filled night.

Since I am not a race fan I didn’t understand everything with the flags,

but neither did the announcer!

The drivers had it together and man could they drive!

This is Rednecking at its finest!!! You just gotta see them little suckers mow!

A special feature to our local race was the local Pastors Challenge.

This race featured five of our local Pastors and one Pastor’s wife!

It began with a meeting of the competing denominations.

Now folks this race was a test of faith.

We frequently wonder just who is the ultimate POWER in our local church,

our pastor or our PW.

Now this was the ultimate challenge!

The race began, Pastors were jockeying for position, engines were roaring!

There was our PW moving up, cutting the turns close on all four wheels! Roaring down the straight-aways, mowing past the pastors! Her faith never faltered, her faith never failed, it couldn’t! She has eternal security! She is our Baptist PW!! Move over Lutherans! Move over Methodist! Move over Baptist pastor! Husband!

Move over or be MOWED OVER!

This PW mowed a swath straight to the finish line!

Amey Covert, Winner of the Pastors Challenge!!

If you want a fun evening, if ya just wanna be a REDNECK for a little while, find a Sta-Bill National Lawnmower race near you and have a great time!