-
When is it time? (7/13/24)My Grandpa was somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 or so when I came along. Heck he might have been closer to 75. He lived right below one of the biggest hills in the Sandhills in Nebraska and it was sandy clear to the top. I remember Grandpa had to walk up that hill to check on the cattle where the pasture was over the hill. I’m in my 70s, and there is no way I could walk up that hill. No way! There came a day, though, when Grandpa called it quits and moved to town. The hill along with feeding cattle in the winter became too much, but, sadly, Grandpa didn’t live that long living in town. I always thought the place and the cattle and even the hill kept him going.
-
I wish (7/6/24)Back when I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8 or 9 years old, Dad, Mom, Mick and I and Grandpa would fish down at Lake McConahey from shore. Dad and Grandpa would use Pleuger level wind reels filled with about 100 yards of 25-pound black braided line. Both of them used a fairly heavy lead weight on the end of the line with a snelled #4 hook and a #6 snelled hook. Usually they baited the hooks with minnows with a larger one on the #4 and a smaller on the #6. On a good day I could cast out 30 to 40 yards of line. We were fishing from shore, and now and then a boat would come by trolling several lines. Man, how I wished I was them, fishing from their boat. My hope and dream was to own a boat.
-
Baptism (6/29/24)Last Sunday morning there were six or seven or eight baptisms at church. Really neat. Later that day, I was visiting with Mick, my brother in Nebraska, about the service, and Mick mentioned a baptism service the church in Arthur, Nebraska, had last summer. It’s officially a Baptism church, but since it’s the only church in Arthur and in a 40-mile radius, all denominations attend there. The church in Arthur has a baptistery, but instead of using it they decided to drive about 30 miles south to Lake McConaughy and have baptisms in the big sandy bottom lake. Mick said they waded out about chest high. Then after the baptisms, they had a bonfire on the beach and a hot dog roast and cookout. Neat service from the way Mick described it. Wish I’d been there.
-
Home-school dads (6/22/24)I was sitting in church on Father’s Day morning and got to thinking about Dad and the lessons in life he shared with me. Some would say he taught me, and he did, but he also shared life with me. He shared with me how to live life and do many of the mundane stuff we face every day. This might be as simple as how to make a cup of coffee or even season it with cream and sugar. Or how to fry up some homemade pancakes or kill a chicken and pluck the feathers. He shared his life skills.
-
Learning to drive (6/15/24)Some of my first recollections growing up in Nebraska were standing on an old hay wagon holding the reins as Dad walked beside the wagon pulling hay off for the cows. It was a four-wheeled wagon that stood maybe 40 inches off the ground. There was a hay rack on the front and back of the wagon to help keep the hay on the wagon. ...
-
Winter onions, rhubarb and black walnuts (6/8/24)Back in the early 1970s, Marge and I were up to her folks visiting, which usually meant we stayed a night or two. It was right at 90 miles to her folks from where we lived, so you didn’t go visit for an hour or two and drive home. And besides there was some of the finest fishing lakes in the country close to where they lived. Bass and bluegill and crappie and even northern pike.
-
Good habits are learned (6/1/24)Marge and I have been working on our garden, so in the process we have been using our hoes and shovels and garden trowels and such. After I use any one of the tools, I like to clean the metal and the wood and get it almost spotless. Not totally spotless but close. I also may need to sharpen the edge and bring back that new feeling.
-
How’s your garden doing? (5/25/24)How’s your garden doing with all the moisture we’ve been having? One thing we can’t complain about is that things are dry. We’ve had quite a bit of rain, and it hasn’t come as a gully washer which is good. The weather has a huge part to play in how our garden crops and the farmers’ fields produce. We normally don’t water our corn or potatoes except when it’s really dry, so this year we haven’t had to be concerned.
-
Mother’s Day (5/18/24)Mom and Dad were married in the early 1930s, and man, they were a good looking couple. Dad was probably born out in Cherry County, Nebraska, way out in the sticks. He might have been born in Hyannis but doubt it. Dad grew up a cowboy and could ride about anything and make a rope dance. Mom was born in Denmark and immigrated into the States when she was really little. Mom’s parents settled in Arthur County, Nebraska, on a piece of ground north of Arthur, Nebraska. It was there in Arthur County that Mom and Dad met, and the rest is history.
-
A blank page (5/11/24)A little over seven decades ago, I arrived in a hospital in Nebraska as the son of two proud parents. When I arrived, I had two older sisters to dote over me and to spoil me. But when I arrived I was virtually a blank page. I had some characteristics of both of my parents. Both of them had blue eyes and were just over 5 feet tall and relatively chubby as I am to this day. Dad was bald, but I still have my hair even though it’s a little lighter than it used to be. Dad had really small feet and so do I. I can wear a 7eee but normally settle for an 8ee. Mom and Dad were good in math and so are all their kids.
-
The little things (5/4/24)I was awake early the other morning and was kind of turning and tossing in bed. Restless! BB, our indoor cat, decided that I needed some company, so she left the foot of the bed, where she normally sleeps, and came up between Marge’s pillow and mine. She found a comfortable position, so she settled in. Totally out of character for her. I wear a C-PAP, machine and normally she doesn’t want any part of it. But she chose to lie down by my pillow, so of course I petted her. And of course she enjoyed it. But what it did was allow me to relax and go back to sleep. It was such a little thing, but it seemed like a big deal to me at that moment.
-
Old timer’s coffee (4/27/24)We had a get together at Church the other day celebrating a couple events in the lives of some who attend and the ladies had made coffee in one of those 50 or 60 cup aluminum percolators. I wouldn’t have a clue how much coffee to add to make a decent cup of coffee. Most of the time I make my coffee a cup at a time. When I drink that one cup I have to make another cup. But there is also a 12 cup coffee brewer at church which heats the water a squirt at a time which drips down on the coffee grounds and as it filters through the grounds it makes coffee. Slow is the name of this coffee pot. Maybe even “Really Slow”.
-
Time: Starting with the last frost (4/20/24)This time of year most of our friends as well as Marge and I are in the beginnings of gardening “time.” One of the most important things to do is to put everything on a calendar. I start with two dates on the calendar. One is the average date of the last frost where I live as well as the average date of the first freeze in the fall. These two dates determine the time we have to garden. Here in Scott City, Missouri our last frost in the spring is around April 15 and our first freeze in the fall is around October 13. These are approximate dates. So we have about six months to garden which is our garden “time”.
-
Eclipse and other memories (4/13/24)Just watched the Eclipse. Pretty darn neat. I had a good friend tell me when to start watching and when the total eclipse would be, and he was spot on. Thanks! I watched the other eclipse several years ago, but it wasn’t as cool as this was. Today Marge and I were at the picnic table eating dinner and checking on the sun that was still showing. Marge commented about what the old timers back when must have thought when something like this happened. Who knows? We enjoyed it. Our neighbor’s donkey went to braying and another’s roosters went to crowing. We can look back and brag that “We saw that.” Precious memory!
-
Books I read and remember (4/6/24)I have always liked to read even back in grade school. I liked to read books, magazines and comics. One place I always loved to visit was a library. Way back in the 1950s, Arthur, Nebraska, had a library on the upper floor of an old building south of the Arthur gym. Wasn’t very big but it had a lot of books. Then the county built a county office building that included a fairly large library. Always fun looking at the books. It took a while to learn how to use the card index system to look up books. Now it’s all on the computer.
-
Songs that lift us up (3/30/24)I've always enjoyed music. Dad could play the guitar and fiddle and the juice harp. Most of what he could play was old-time dancing songs that they played in barn dances and such. About all I could do was twang on the juice harp. Was fun. Probably chipped a few front teeth in the journey. We've bought the boys a juice harp, but they were cheap ones. I need to do some checking and see what a good one would cost. Probably only one that would hear me twanging on it would be Grace...
-
Do it in secret (3/23/24)It was way last fall my brother in Nebraska put on facebook about someone bringing him a load of firewood, and at the time he really didn't know who had brought it. He had his suspicions, but he wasn't certain. Now that's pretty neat when someone drops off a load of firewood in secret. I think they came back later with another load, but he was home this time...
-
Cucumbers (3/16/24)We grow a number of vegetables in our garden every year, with No. 1 being tomatoes. Love, love tomatoes. I can eat tomatoes for every meal and snacks in between and even right up to bedtime, but my No. 2 fresh-eating vegetable has to be cucumbers. Fresh cucumbers. The dog we used to have and I'd share cucumbers pretty much all day long. It's a wonder we both didn't end up with belly aches...
-
Starting tomatoes (3/2/24)Back when I was a kid, I'd help Dad in the garden, or at least thought I was. I kind of remember Dad planting tomatoes that were Sioux tomatoes, which Mick tried but he wasn't impressed. I just may buy a few seeds and give them a try this summer. I don't know if Dad started his own seed or bought transplants. I don't think Dad put his tomatoes in a cage, so they just spread out on the ground...
-
Making old wrongs right (2/24/24)I was born in Ogallala, Nebraska, which was the end of the old Texas Cattle Trail. Hundreds of thousands of cattle were driven from Texas to Ogallala. Some went up into the Sandhills, while many were driven on west into the mountains. When I was born, Ogallala had a population of about 3,000 to 4,000 people, which is about the same today. ...
-
Is there more? (2/17/24)I was sitting in my easy chair the other day as was Marge in hers. I believe she was napping but then I probably just woke up. Grace, our dog, was laying on the floor sound asleep. Grace must have heard something, probably BB our cat, so she had to jump and investigate. ...
-
Give or take (2/3/24)Time as we know it seems to just zoom along. Here it is the end of January and first part of February. Just months away, we'll be planting tomatoes and cucumbers. And as time goes by, people as we know them change. The people today are different from when I was a boy (1950s) or when my Dad was a boy (1900s). ...
-
I was watching people drink (1/27/24)I recently drove Marge around Cape while she was delivering some odds and ends to friends of hers, so I spent some time on campus watching the students. This may sound weird, but I enjoy watching people when they aren't aware of it. One thing I wasn't surprised about was that everyone was packing a bottle or jug of something to drink. ...
-
A little gardening advice (1/20/24)There are numerous ways to learn how to garden, and Marge and I've tried many of them. The ones we learn the most from seem to be the absolute failures and the huge successes. We've had both. One failure was growing onions from seed. I got this brilliant idea to plant onion seeds and grow my own transplants. Now transplants are usually about $3 to $4 per 50 to 60 transplants, so I wasn't going to save a ton of money. I just wanted to see if I could...
-
The seasons (1/13/24)We have four "seasons" of weather here in the U.S., with the current season being winter. Most of our friends are not particularly fond of cold weather, however some do like the cold and the outdoor sports that come with it. Winter is followed by spring where the plants and grass here in Missouri begin to grow or bud out or put on leaves. ...
-
Recent observations and goals for 2024 (1/6/24)I usually save all my articles from each year in a different folder like Newspaper Articles 2023. I opened a brand new file titled Newspaper Articles 2024. This is the first article of the year. It's kind of exciting starting a brand new year with a blank slate but at the same time hauling along a ton of memories and good experiences. Probably a few that aren't the greatest but these I'll refer to as learning experiences...
-
Christmases past and present (12/30/23)My brother in Nebraska and I both have these new cell phones. I've been texting for a good while, and my brother is new to texting. This Christmas morning we texted back and forth for a while and then we called and just visited. We talked about his weather and odds and ends and finally talked about the Christmases that we remembered when we were kids...
-
Use it or lose it (12/23/23)One of the topics I find interesting pertains to how human history is passed down orally. Since time began, history has been passed from generation to generation orally. Writing most likely originated about 5,000 years ago so before that all historical events that we know about were passed down orally. Many were told as stories or events, while others were memorized word for word story by story...
-
Staying hard-nosed (12/16/23)The other day I was visiting with a friend about tractors, and tractor cabs came up. They are really nice, but they aren't for me. Cabs do cost a good deal of money and that's part of why I don't have a cab. But honestly money alone isn't why I choose not to. Cabs make life easier! When it's hot outside you can simply turn the AC on in the cab and it's cool. When it's cold outside, simply turn the heat on in the cab and it's warm. If it's raining, then it's dry. Cabs make life too easy...
-
Words mean something (12/9/23)Several weeks ago, I was listening to the song service in Church kind of singing along when one word struck me or got my attention. We were singing about the Holy Spirit having "power". I hadn't thought about that being an attribute of the Holy Spirit, so later that afternoon I began a search for the attributes of the Holy Spirit. ...
-
Quality takes patience (12/2/23)For the first 30 years of my life, I was always around horses of one kind or another, with most being quarter horses and usually 2 years old or older. I remember Dad bought a couple of 2-year-olds down by Tryon, which had never been handled. Mine was a sorrel mare, which turned out pretty good, while Mick's gelding could really buck. ...
-
A day of rest (11/22/23)A couple weeks ago, Marge and I were visiting some friends, and they were looking at a passage in Genesis. So when we got home I read the first three chapters of Genesis three or four times. But the part that kept going through my mind over and over again was the creation account. ...
-
Respect for life (11/18/23)As a boy growing up on a ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska, life was real and honest; or brutal some would say. Almost on a daily basis there was both life and death. Mom and Dad had Banty chickens which seemed to love to "sit" on a batch of eggs and hatch them out. ...
-
What is normal? (11/4/23)Back a couple decades ago, we were around a young man with Down's Syndrome. Ken was fun to just be with. Super honest and 100% authentic. You simply enjoyed being with him. I could make noise on the guitar, but Ken could play the guitar. His songs weren't masterpieces, but you could recognize them and sing to them, which was better than mine. Many would say Ken wasn't normal. Maybe not for some, but I'd enjoy spending eternity with Ken just the way he was and is...
-
Practical versus looks (10/28/23)Couple weeks ago, Marge and I went to Cape Girardeau to watch the SEMO college band practice some songs and do some marching. It was pretty neat. Weather was perfect. Part of the time there was a lull in the band playing or marching so I watched the people come and go. Pretty much all ages from what I assume were college students up to grandparents who kind of hobbled around. What interested me was what they were wearing...
-
Wrapping up and planning our garden (10/21/23)Kind of hard to believe, but fall is here, and winter just around the corner. We have red, yellow and orange peppers in our outside garden, so we've been picking them every few days. Then in our high tunnels, we have a few tomatoes still producing. We had a number of small tomatoes, so Marge cut the stem end out and put them under the broiler until the skins were loose and easy to remove. I've been enjoying them with a little salt...
-
Let's do this (10/14/23)There have been times back through the years when something had to be done, but I didn't want to do it. I remember one time when I was doing maintenance work while going to college. Some of the wood shingles had come off the roof of a two-story wing on a nice house of one of the executives who worked at Phillips Petroleum. ...
-
Now what? (10/7/23)Have you ever been asked "What do we do now?" or simply "What now?" These words could apply to most anything. There are times I sit down to write and wonder "What do I write this week?" Most of the time I have an idea or two and a start. Then there are times when I have an idea but not sure how to write the article, like this week. ...
-
What would you have written? (9/30/23)Marge and I have for the past couple years been looking at funeral stones or grave markers to put in the cemetery. Some have asked us if we'd like to be buried in Nebraska to which we replied no. We've lived here in Missouri close to 40 years. We moved here in February 1986 to pastor the Wesleyan Church down by the interstate. The church extended to us the invitation to pastor the church, but we both felt called to the citizens of Scott City. So we'll stay...
-
Chance encounters (9/23/23)Most mornings, I make a big clever dripper of coffee which is about 16 to 18 ounces of coffee. I use an insulated metal cup to drain the coffee into and then pour hot coffee from the metal insulated cup into one of my small glass coffee cups. Anyway the other morning I noticed that when I pour the coffee from the large metal insulated cup into the small cup, if you timidly and slowly pour, it spills and makes a mess. ...
-
Managing expectations (9/16/23)Every so often, Marge and I like to eat at the Nutrition Center in Chaffee, Missouri. We were there the other day and got to visiting with a woman close to where we sat. She asked us about our garden, whether it was done or still going? Marge said most of it was done but we had planted a few new fall crops, so the lady then asked if we'd planted turnips, which we have. ...
-
'Almost' is a loaded word (9/9/23)A week ago or so Marge and I were listening to her Bible devotion on her cell phone, which she listens to daily. The devotion was the story of Paul talking to King Agrippa. Paul explains to King Agrippa the message of the Gospel, which is the power to forgive one's sins and live a life for Christ. King Agrippa later on states that he was "almost" persuaded. King Agrippa isn't mentioned again in regards to the Gospel message so really doubt he was ever persuaded to become a Christian...
-
Rubbing off on each other (9/2/23)Back when I was in seminary at Wilmore, Kentucky, I met Mike Hodge. I was taking a class of Dr. Don Joy's about human social patterns and there was this shorter kind of chubby guy on the front row. I never liked the front row, so I was toward the back of the room. Dr. Joy spoke quite frankly one day on intimate issues, and Mike's ears turned every shade of red. I knew right then that Mike was my kind of guy. Turns out he went home and tore the book of Joy's in two and threw it away...
-
Ever go barefooted? (8/26/23)A couple weeks ago, Marge fixed a birthday meal for our youngest son -- biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs. Probably our family's favorite meal. Our birthday son came wearing a pair of house slippers, which he immediately took off once in the house. So he ate barefooted! I didn't mind nor did anyone else. It was his birthday celebration. Made me wonder how many people go barefooted and where?...
-
Celebration of marriage (8/19/23)Couple, three weeks back, Marge and I were invited to a wedding and reception where we were friends of the groom and his parents. Normally, being a pastor, when I attend a wedding I'm up front conducting the service, but this was different. Actually it was kind of weird to be honest. I honestly can't remember the last wedding we simply attended as guests where I sat and watched...
-
Weather and growing up in the Sandhills (8/12/23)Here in Missouri we live in a fair sized town of about 5,000 but Cape Girardeau is about 8 to 10 miles from us with probably 40,000 to 50,000 people. There is an actual TV station located in Cape Girardeau. Back in Nebraska, it was probably 80 miles to the closest station, and our reception was fuzzy on a good day. ...
-
Blossom end rot: One common disease of tomatoes (8/5/23)Never heard of "blossom end rot" until after we had moved to Missouri, but I have now. Our first garden here in Scott City was at the house we lived in on Helene Street. We had a fair-sized garden with probably 15 to 20 tomato plants. At that time I spent virtually all my free time fishing, so we had bunches of fish guts and skins and such. ...
-
Who should you ask for advice? (7/29/23)Back when I was little, I liked to sit around with a bunch of old-timers and just listen. They'd talk about most everything. Always talked about the grass in the pastures and the hay and the weather or how much rain they'd got. Seemed like they would talk about the taxes. ...
-
Results versus effort (7/22/23)When I came along and was able to get out and "help" Dad he was close to 60. Ranch work is hard and at times dangerous work, so much of the time it was easier and safer for Dad to do the job himself rather than have me help and get hurt. I don't think it was because Dad didn't want me around. ...
-
Is it worth the cost? (7/15/23)Marge and I spend time in front of our house at the picnic tables in the mornings and in the evenings. We have a fan going outside if there isn't any breeze. But there are these little bitty nasty sweat bees that just bug the heck out of us. They are maybe a quarter-inch long at most, and they are tough. A little swat won't kill them. They are about the only bug that makes a welt on me for some reason...
-
Take time to think (7/8/23)The other day I was driving down the street close to where we live, and a gal was mowing the yard with a push mower. What I noticed and got my attention was her wearing a pair of ear phones or whatever they are called. She was probably listening to music. Most everyone anymore who does any type of work with equipment will wear some kind of noise protection but most play music. So it does double duty. So when do people really think for themselves?...
-
Freedom (7/1/23)Several days ago our dog, Grace, had a rough night showing signs of UTI so we took her to the vet. One of the gals at the clinic came out and collected a sample answering a question I had of "How they going to get a sample?" Simple really. Grace got some meds. ...
-
Junk, treasure and keepsake (6/24/23)Seems like the "in thing" right now is to buy something that is outdated or no longer wanted and re-purpose it into a valuable treasure. For instance, buy an old vanity that has a stained wood finish and then paint it some color. Sometimes it's painted with a distressed look...
-
Yesterday, today and tomorrow (6/17/23)I was lying in bed several weeks ago and got to thinking about the past, today and tomorrow. It's weird, but all three kind of go together or are tied together in time. All three are connected. Some would claim they aren't, but they are. I grew up on a cattle ranch in Arthur County, Nebraska, which is one of the least populated counties in the United States. ...
-
Lakes and campfires (6/10/23)A good friend of mine posted a picture of them having a blazing camp fire, and it was hot outside. His words to describe it was "nothing like a good fire on a hot summer night." It's true. There is something about sitting around a fire watching it burn whether one is sweating or scooting close to the fire because of the cold...
-
We have peculiar tastes (6/3/23)I wonder why I like pecan pie and the next person doesn't? Or they like raison pie or mincemeat pie and I don't? Is it the taste or the texture? Probably both to be honest. It might also be the sight. I've looked at some pies and thought I'm not even going to try it. Nope, no way...
-
Growing aids in the garden (5/27/23)We have had some funny weather so far this spring. We had a cold spring with nighttime temps down in the upper 40s and low 50s. Then it turned off hot with night temps up around 70 and daytimes in the 80s. Hot for sure. We were close to putting our shade cloths on our high tunnels to cut down on how hot they were getting. I think we'll hold off a bit more, maybe a couple weeks. Night temps down in the 50s again...
-
Be patient, understand and forgive (5/20/23)Several weeks ago, I had a check-up with my heart Doctor. When the nurse who was checking me in couldn't feel my pulse, she used an oximeter to check my heart beat. It was still questionable, so she hooked me up to an EKG machine, which clearly showed my pulse rate was in the low 60s...
-
Gardening through difficult weather (5/13/23)This has been a kind of weird spring here in Southeast Missouri. Up to just this past week, it has really been cool. Days have been in the 50s and 60s and nights in the 40s. Some plants like the cooler weather, but some really don't. I drove through where we usually have a good stand of grass that we bale for the steers, and it was thin and short. Too cool of weather and too dry. Both affect the grass but also the gardens...
-
Successes and failures grow individuals (5/6/23)I was talking to my brother, Mick, the other day, and he mentioned that the church in Arthur, Nebraska, had baccalaureate for the graduating seniors from high school. The speaker was a young saddle bronc rider. Mick said he wasn't a professional speaker, but Mick said he did a really good job...
-
Focus on the details (4/29/23)Probably 40 to 45 years ago, I read a book by, I believe, Cho. Since it's been decades since I read this, my memory isn't what it used to be, so details might be fuzzy. Cho was starting a visitation ministry in South Korea so he was walking from village to village visiting different people. ...
-
What's wrong? (4/15/23)As Marge and I've gotten older, we spend more and more time with older and older adults. One of the groups we belong to at church is an old timers group. Really refreshing and enjoyable. However, there are some downers! (I'm joking.) One in the group hobbles around on a bad knee and has a hard time standing for any length of time. ...
-
Which side? (4/8/23)Every now and then, a western movie comes on TV, and we usually watch it. Some are OK, some good, and some stink. But now and then, a reality show comes on about living in the West and riding and working horses. What makes me wonder is when the cowboys or cowgirls get on the horse on the right side. ...
-
Trading dreams (4/1/23)One of the groups in the church we are attending is holding a garage sale the end of the week. What makes this different is the group is made up of pretty much all old fogies or old timers. So all these old timers are cleaning out their basements or attics or garages or spare bedrooms or closets or whereever and hauling it down to the gym...
-
A primer on cowboy hats (3/25/23)Most everyone where I came from wore a cowboy felt hat with most of them being Stetsons. There were probably a few Resistols but not that many. A few wore hats made by professional hat makers like the hat maker in my home town of Arthur, Nebraska. I think he's retired now. ...
-
Dad's story on gliders (3/18/23)I was raised pretty much around older folks close to Mom and Dad's age which was 40 to 50 when I was born. So when I got to that curious age of 8 to 10 I was talking to 60-year-old folks. Dad was born, raised and worked on cattle ranches that ranged in size from small places of maybe 1,200 acres to some that were in the 70,000-plus acre size. He had lived a hard life; so he was chock full of stories...
-
Experts on life (3/11/23)Been a really busy last couple weeks. Several weeks ago I started some tomato seeds in my little work room. I start them 20 to 30 seeds per container and then transplant the individual plants into 3-inch-by-3-inch pots. Takes a bit of time, but it works. ...
-
Little more gardening (3/4/23)We looked at starting some transplants, such as tomatoes and peppers and cabbage, last week. Since then I've started my yellow, red, orange and green peppers. Most of the seed was saved last summer. Hopefully it will come right up. One that I like to plant directly in the garden is Swiss Chard and more specifically Rainbow Swiss Chard. ...
-
It's time to garden (2/25/23)I got some tomatoes, Chinese cabbage and some Kohlrabi seed planted a couple weeks ago. Most of the tomato seed germinated as did the Chinese cabbage but only part of the Kohlrabi. I usually have trouble with all of them germinating. I simply replant the kohlrabi seed that didn't come up, so we'll see. ...
-
Breakfast for champions (2/18/23)Marge and I grew up in Nebraska, so technically we were Northerners. We now live in Missouri, so we are now Southerners but with a palate that is both northern and southern. Throw in having COVID a couple, three times, and our taste buds are all mixed up. ...
-
Ever had a boo-boo? (2/11/23)Marge, Grace and I were lying in bed the other night, and I asked Marge what she was thinking. I've had some problems lately with my heart, so kind of figured that was what she was pondering. (Turns out I've had a heart abnormality since birth and didn't know it.) Marge said she was thinking back when she was just a kid back in Nebraska and was helping Keith, her dad, work on some calves turning the bulls into steers. ...
-
Progress, or is it progress? (2/4/23)I was born in 1950, so there were still ranchers back then who still did their work the old way. They relied totally on horses to feed their cattle and to work the land. Dad still had a couple work horses, but they weren't his main way of feeding. Dad relied on some fairly new C International tractors and a Cub International as well. Dad didn't have a shed to store the tractors in so they sat outside all year long...
-
What's in your pocket or purse? (1/28/23)Every evening as I get ready for bed, I empty my pockets of whatever ended up in them during the day. As I was dumping everything out the other evening, I wondered what others pack around every day in their pants or shirt pocket. At times, I have the same thing in the evening as I started out with in the morning, but there are times when I end up with some extras. ...
-
Close to gardening time (1/21/23)When we get into the New Year ,I begin receiving gosh knows how many garden catalogs, so my mind begins to dream gardening. So as I thumb through the catalogs I begin making a list, which leads to orders, several orders. How about you -- do you have your seeds? I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to shop early this year while there are still seeds to be found. ...
-
Let's visit (1/14/23)I was visiting with a friend the other day, and we got to talking about what we visit about. Normally it's about what we have in common and what we differ on as well. When I call a gardening friend, we talk about gardening, the weather, our health and about our friends. ...
-
Regional expressions (1/7/23)Marge and I both grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska in ranching country with both of our parents and most of our relatives raising cattle. We lived in Nebraska seven years after we were married before moving to Oklahoma, where we lived three years. ...
-
It's been cold (12/31/22)It's been cold! Our weather people warned us it was going to be cold and nasty, and they were right on. But it wasn't even close to a blizzard. Temps were down around zero and a little below but with 40-mile-an-hour wind, the wind chill was ridiculous for Southeast Missouri. ...
-
Christmas back when (12/24/22)It's Christmas! Christmas falls on Sunday every seven years, so when it does it makes the year extra special. Christmas has always seemed to be a special season where most everyone loves a little more, cares a little more and even shares a little more. Christmas has always been a special time of the year for bigger hearts and more love for everyone...
-
Containers change the taste (12/17/22)Many years ago I bought two stainless steel thermos bottles, with each holding about 14 ounces of liquid. If you heat up the thermos before putting coffee in it the coffee will stay fairly hot for 12 hours or so. I make a clever coffee dripper of coffee which is about 14 ounces and then fill my small heavy cup with coffee, and the rest goes in the thermos. ...
-
Old memories hold on (12/3/22)I came along about the middle of the last century, while there were still some old-timers alive who had been born in the 1800s and early 1900s. All of my grandparents were born in the 1800s, and my parents were in the early 1900s. Sounds weird today to say I knew someone born back then. ...
-
Gates, trails and windmills (11/26/22)Back when I was growing up, the worst seat you could have in a single bench seat pickup was the outside or door seat. Now down here in Missouri the best is the door seat, and the worst is the middle seat. But in Nebraska those who got the door seat opened gates and gates and more gates. Barbed wire gates. And back when I was little there weren't any gate openers or a leverage system to help unhook the gate and then hook it back up. You just did it by sheer muscle and grit. Wasn't any fun...
-
We need some new food (11/19/22)For whatever reason I woke up the other night thinking about of all things sauerkraut. My dream was vivid enough I had half a notion to get up in the middle of the night and get a couple pints of sauerkraut out of the basement and dump it in Marge's old green crock pot. Get a package of dogs and add them, and breakfast would be ready when I woke up. Who knows the smell of sauerkraut might even have woken me up. Couple or three nights later, I made sausage dogs and sauerkraut for breakfast...
-
Start planning your 2023 garden (11/12/22)It's hard to believe but we are close to the middle of November, but even as late as mid-November Marge and I went out a week ago or so and picked over 2/3 of an ice cream bucket of Stupice tomatoes. Then the past few days we picked another 2/3 a bucket again. ...
-
Is it luck? (11/5/22)I was coming home the other evening from Cape Girardeau. It was well past sundown, and it was dark. I drove up to our gate, and it was locked, so it takes a key to unlock. No problem when the gate is in front of my pickup. So I unlocked the gate and drove through, but now I needed to lock it. ...
-
What is the purpose of tails? (10/15/22)A week or two ago BB, our calico indoor cat, and Grace, our Australian shepherd, were having a discussion. They really get along well together, but now and then they have to discuss their pecking order. BB the cat decided it was time to bare her claws and hook Grace our dog. ...
-
Plan ahead for success (10/8/22)When we were starting our tomato plants last spring we started probably 50 Stupice Tomato plants. I hadn't planned on planting that many in our garden but I figured we would give a few away which we did. We ended up planting 15 Stupice tomatoes in our North high tunnel. We have had problems with fungus in this high tunnel but I really thought we had it controlled. We didn't...
-
Sometimes one has to wait (10/1/22)Growing up Mom and Dad had chickens, usually a bunch of chickens. Dad would order in a couple hundred baby chickens, and they would come in the mail. Some were destined to become laying hens and some for us to eat later on. They were OK, but my favorite chickens were always the banty chickens. ...
-
The past calls to us (9/24/22)Probably one of my favorite activities growing up was hunting arrowheads in the Sandhills of Nebraska. So when we were driving around in the Sandhills or riding a horse for whatever reason one was always on the lookout for arrowheads. If there was a sandy draw or blowout you'd either ride through it looking for arrowheads or get out of the pickup and look for arrowheads. ...
-
Skinning cats (9/17/22)We have all heard the expression: "There's more than one way to skin a cat." I don't have a clue where this expression came from but doubt it has anything to do with cats. I guess another way of saying the same thing is there is more than one way of doing it or getting it done. I have skinned a boatload of coyotes down through the years. Dad showed me how with his trusty Old Timer pocket knife back when I was a kid. Showed me how to stretch the hide out and air dry it. But never skinned a cat...
-
Will she play or be serious? (9/10/22)BB our calico cat in the house is small and weighs 10 pounds at the most. Since she was a baby, I've played with her and probably too rough at times. I'll bug her, and she will bug me. She likes treats, so she bugs me until I give her a treat. I bug her until she gets serious and usually draws blood...
-
Saving seed for next year (9/3/22)If you haven't saved seed for next year, now would be a good time to get after it. Seed that I've saved seems to germinate a lot better than seed purchased from the store. Not sure why. It seems like it comes up quicker, as well as a bigger percentage of seed germinates. It doesn't take that long and is really easy. I store my seed in small envelopes, about 2.5 by 4 inches and have a flap to seal...
-
Noise can be distracting (8/27/22)Most mornings I fix a couple cups of coffee, one small cup in a heavy old cafe type cup and the other twice that size. I take my meds with the small cup, which cools fast and works for swallowing pills. The other cup I take outside to the picnic table. One morning last week, I called my brother in Nebraska, and he mentioned he heard our train on the phone, and I heard his rooster crowing. He's about 50 miles from a railroad. We live about a quarter mile from the tracks. He has chickens!...
-
Death hurts us all (8/20/22)Probably a month ago or so I was looking at posts on Facebook and came across a couple posts concerning Laura Lee, who was a missionary we knew out in Arizona. Laura had never married, so her family was a dog and two cats. She just loved her babies. ...
-
Life before electricity (8/13/22)I came along in the middle of the 1900s so most everyone had or was getting electricity. The only person I knew who had electricity before this lived 2 to 3 miles east of us. Lester had some kind of generator with a fan blade or windmill kind of blade to run it. Seems like it was mounted on a kind of windmill frame. It must not have worked real well because when public power electric came along Lester went to it...
-
I didn't mean to (8/6/22)Back several years one of Marge's friends asked her if she would temporarily keep two of her cats. Marge couldn't say no, so we ended up with two extra cats. We already had BB in the house, so now there are three of them little suckers. They would prowl all night and sleep during the day, so we either had to keep our bedroom door closed or forget sleep. ...
-
Choose to be spiffy (7/30/22)It's been almost a year since we lost Dutchess, our old dog. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. Dutchess slept with me from Day 1 until her back got so bad we couldn't get her on the bed. Tried many a time and just the motion to lift her up or for her to climb up was too painful. ...
-
Growing up milking cows (7/23/22)Mom and Dad had a small place North of Arthur, Nebraska, in the heart of the Sandhills of Nebraska. Dad's place wasn't quite big enough to make a living by ranching cattle, so they supplemented their income by milking cows. They would sell the milk and cream locally as well as haul cream to a market in North Platte...
-
Youth and change (7/2/22)Back when I was little, so it's been a few days ago, I did some really silly things. Dumb if you want the truth. Back in Nebraska there was this weed that grew about 3.5 feet high and had kind of seeds that developed at the top of the stem. There were a lot of these dark brown seeds. The plant looked a lot like milo, but the seeds were finer almost like beet seed...
-
Cost versus benefits or rewards (6/25/22)Several of us went out to supper the other evening and ate together. It was enjoyable. And as we each looked at the menu, we were weighing the cost of each item and whether we would like it. But we also were weighting the benefits or rewards of spending hard-earned money for the item. I think we all have made a choice at an eatery and regretted it. Cost versus benefit...
-
No! (6/18/22)Growing up in Nebraska on a ranch where Mom and Dad raised Herford cattle and milked some Jersey milk cows was special. We had two older sisters who were 13 and 17 years older than me. So two boys later in life with two older sisters pretty much determined we would be spoiled, and we were. ...
-
Our connections to those we know (6/11/22)On a regular basis we use a drive-through pickup in Cape Girardeau, and we have to identify who we are by name and birthday. After bunches of times at the window, those inside begin to kind of know who we are. This one gal, though, is special simply because we have the exact same birthday except I'm about 30 years her senior. It's a connection...
-
Potatoes (4/9/22)Probably my favorite crop in the garden is tomatoes followed by cucumbers. These two I simply love to eat! But of all the crops in the garden the one that has impacted the world and impacts us is potatoes. I can take a potato smaller than a golf ball and plant it whole, and it will produce from 3 to 5 pounds of potatoes of various sizes. Not bad for a small potato...
-
Starting spring plants (4/2/22)Spring is here, and nicer weather is coming. We've had some cold nights and mornings and probably will till mid to late April. You just have to watch the forecast. I moved some small plants from my work room out to the greenhouse. If temperatures get down to freezing, some of the plants, such as peppers, will freeze. We have a small wood stove in the greenhouse. So, we'll crank it up if needed...
-
Building bridges is a good thing (3/26/22)Several of Marge's friends as well as Marge and I went to a diner in Cape Girardeau recently for supper. It was a time to visit and enjoy. Our waitress did a good job. We got our drinks and orders in a timely way. The food was good. But she failed to make a connection or to start building a bridge to those she waited on. ...
-
Tomato plants (3/19/22)Probably my favorite garden producer is tomatoes. Both Marge and I enjoy tomatoes, but I do especially. The seeds really bother Marge so she has to be careful what variety she eats and how much. Tomatoes don't seem to bother me no matter how many I eat. Tomato juice doesn't either, nor do canned, whole tomatoes. I love canned, whole tomatoes...
-
Gardening in the spring (3/12/22)Well it's already mid March. Hard to believe. We have our average last frost here in Southeast Missouri where we live about mid April or so. Basically, we are right at 5 to 6 weeks to our last average frost. Many garden plants can be planted six weeks before the average last frost, even if the temps outside are miserable...
-
Gardening plans (3/5/22)Seems like the past two months have been extra cold. I usually start my seeds toward the mid part to end of January, but it simply was too cold. My little work room was hard to heat and keep warm so my seeds didn't get started. February was cold as well, so I haven't gotten any seeds planted. But now that March is here, it's seed-starting time. The forecast for the next few days is a lot warmer, but then it may snow tomorrow. Crazy things happen when it comes to weather...
-
Be kind and compassionate (2/26/22)A week or so ago, I came down with a plain Jane cold. Sniffles and stuffed-up head and sore throat and a fever. I don't know where I got it, but I did. Marge's one comment was she didn't want it, and I was not to give it to her. She went to Cape Girardeau alone the other day and said she wasn't going to kiss me since I was sick. I don't blame her...
-
I am amazed (2/19/22)Pretty much the same routine every night. I normally go to bed around 9:30 to 10 p.m. Then I get up sometime in the night to go walk our dog, Grace, and I make an outhouse break. Then I check my sugar, and it's back to bed until around 5:30 to 6 a.m. Sometimes, if I'm really tired, I'll sleep until close to 7 a.m. When I get up, I usually head to the bathroom and hit the switch to turn on the lights. Hardly ever am I not amazed when, as if by magic, the lights come on...
-
Get well kit (2/12/22)It was a couple weeks ago I got up like normal and felt fine. I had my usual first two coffees just like normal. Marge was still sleeping in, so I went for the four-wheeler and drove around checking on our calves and the water. No big deal. I drove up in front of our house and was heading to the house and got sick. ...
-
Fly fishing and mentoring (2/5/22)I was probably 8 or 9 when I first saw someone fly fishing. Mom and Dad and Mick and I had gone to Three Corners north of Hyannis, Nebraska, to see if we could catch a bluegill or bass. When we got there, Uncle Raymond, Mom's brother, was fishing there with one of the Roses. He was fly fishing, which I thought was so neat. I had to try it...
-
Forgive or forget and move on (1/29/22)A friend of ours had a dog unexpectedly show up one day. It was a pretty dog that was on the younger side. It was really friendly but a bit timid and standoffish. No one claimed the dog, and it wasn't chipped, so they adopted it. And as our friend got to know the dog it became plain that it had some rough treatment in the past. ...
-
Today's work for future benefits (1/22/22)I grew up in a region of Nebraska commonly called "The Sandhills." It probably was at one time a pretty big desert with pure sand hills that covered maybe a quarter of the state of Nebraska, but little by little the sand hills began to grass over. Today the Sandhills are covered by numerous varieties of grass with a fairly thick sod covering...
-
Fond feelings for old things (1/15/22)Normally we give big round bales to our steers on a kind of planned schedule, but there are times when our plans are laid aside. A couple weeks ago we were out graining our two groups of steers. We have five big steers that probably average 950 to 1,000 pounds apiece. Then we have five small steers that are from about 400 pounds up to 700 pounds. The bigger ones are ready to butcher and the others a year from now...
-
Make the most of the time you have (1/8/22)I was reading the Garden County newspaper which came from Oshkosh, Nebraska, a week or so ago. It's an interesting, small-town newspaper. Kind of a glimpse into small-town U.S.A. as it was back a bunch of years ago and still is to a degree. There is an article by a friend of mine, so I read it along with the obituaries. ...
-
New beginnings (1/1/22)Well, we made it another year despite all the sickness and disease here in America. Most of us have lost a friend or someone we know who caught COVID-19 and didn't make it, or someone who survived COVID but will carry scars forever. Many of us have had COVID or were a "probable." We've worn the masks and sanitized our hands. ...
-
Christmas then and now (12/25/21)It's was back in the 1950s, or say 60 years ago, but some of my memories makes it seem like yesterday. Our District No. 2 schoolhouse was about 6 miles north of Arthur, Nebraska, and a half mile west. It was a one-room school running north south with a little enclosed porch off the south end. ...
-
Looks or works (12/18/21)It's been years ago when I was using my Massey 135 to mow and rake and then bale our hay. It seemed like it was 120 degrees in the shade, and it seemed almost unbearable. I was bouncing around on the tractor in the heat, when I got the idea to make a make-shift umbrella or shade on my tractor. ...
-
Their job isn't all roses (12/11/21)A week or so ago, I was chewing some Rice Krispy marshmellow stuff that Marge makes, and I bit down on something hard. Darn! It was a crown off one of my molars in the back. I had previously been to the dentist, and he flagged it because somehow that same tooth had developed a cavity under it. So anyway, after a trip to the dentist, he said he'd replace the crown and see how long it would last before he had to pull the tooth...
-
Make the most of your time (12/4/21)Marge and I usually heat with just our wood heat when the average temp is say freezing or above. But when the temp gets any colder than we're used to, we rely on our central heat system. But last spring our central heat system kind of went on the blink, so we don't have it to fall back on right now. ...
-
Do-over please (11/27/21)Have you ever done something only to realize you really made a dumb mistake? About right then, you are really wishing you could roll back time and do a "retake" or a "do-over, please." Man I have. Years ago, I went with Lewis Hamilton hunting at Mingo, which is a big swampy, state-owned area in Missouri. ...
-
Perfect -- almost (11/20/21)I don't know about you all, but COVID has made a mess of our church attendance. I've had problems with my lungs, so we have been extra careful about being in crowds or close to people. Heck, I even slowed down shaking hands. I did fist bumps! We would get up Sunday morning and listen on TV or Facebook. Many of my older friends have been in the same boat. It has been a tough time for everyone...
-
Spices have evolved (11/13/21)Several weeks ago, I was working on a spice rack for Marge and for some reason I got to thinking about a friend of Marge's who was born in Mexico and who became a U.S. citizen. I got to wondering when she was little what did they use to make tacos, or how did they season the meat? I'm pretty darn sure they didn't get one of those pre-packaged taco mixes at the store and use that like we do today. ...
-
Live a good life (11/6/21)When we first came to Scott City, I had zero experience at pastoring a church. Zero! What's that old saying? I was still wet behind my ears! I had studied how to preach and studied the Word, but I had zero experience. But my wife and I jumped in with both feet. Some things we did well, but there were some things we stumbled at. Words can't express how much she helped me!...
-
Time well spent (10/30/21)Back when I was little, Mom, Dad, Mick and I would all pile in the car and head to some lake to go fishing. If it was a close lake, there was no big deal. But if it was to a lake farther away, it just seemed like it took forever. Dad drove really slow, and he wasn't in any hurry. ...
-
Learning taxidermy (10/23/21)I'm not real sure how old I was when I saw an advertisement in one of the magazines Mom and Dad subscribed to for me. It was an ad describing how one could learn how to do taxidermy work, or stuff birds and animals and fish and all critters. It was a nine-lesson course, and it seems like it was for nine weeks, but then it could have been nine months. It's been more than 60 years ago. It was from J.W. Elwood down in Lincoln or Omaha, Nebraska...
-
Growing potatoes (10/16/21)Every spring about the second week in May, Dad would put the plow on the C International and get it ready for work. We all would then start pulling potatoes from the cellar that had been stored there through the winter. All the runners had to be broken off, and the potatoes then had to be cut so that two or three eyes were on every piece. Then Dad would plow and we kids would plant taters...
-
Pocket knives (10/9/21)From the time I could remember, Dad always carried a three-blade pocket knife and a Vick's inhaler. He used both daily. The pocket knife was special to Dad. It was something he took care of and used daily. I watched him lance the big boils on cows, and the smell was awful. ...
-
Just a taste (10/2/21)I start all my pepper seeds in my little work building and, when growing well, they go to the greenhouse. When they are big enough, we then transplant them into the hill garden. When I start the peppers, I write on a small piece of plastic indicating what pepper variety it is. These consist of a piece of plastic window blind about 4 to 5 inches long, and I write on them with a permanent marker. So when we plant them in the hill garden, we put the marker by them, indicating the variety...
-
Strive to impress? (9/25/21)Marge and I like to drive down country roads just enjoying the ride and not having a particular destination. I should say I like drives like this. Marge will ask where we are going, and I have to say I don't have a clue. On our journeys one thing we have noticed is that homes are simply getting massive. Huge! Homes that appear to have multiple bathrooms and bedrooms and who knows what else. There is no way the family has need for such a house. No way...
-
Respect others' choices (9/18/21)Many times in the evening, I like to make a cup of coffee and just watch the sun set. So the other evening I was sipping my Sulawesi coffee and watching the sun slowly sink. The steers were grazing so I was watching them graze. You could hear them get a grip on the grass with their tongues and hear the grass get torn off. ...
-
Are we getting too soft? (9/11/21)Years ago, I was watching the thoroughbred stallions when I got a call from an elderly gentleman who worked on the farm with me. He said he'd had an accident and was needing help. It was just down the road from the stud farm, so I helped him get his pickup out of the ditch and made sure he was OK and that he got home. ...
-
Enjoy the season (9/4/21)It's getting closer and closer to fall, so the amount of daylight is going downhill. At one time it was staying light to almost 9 p.m., but now it's getting dark closer to 7 p.m. Sunrise right now is at 6:29 a.m. and sets at 7:26 p.m., which makes the day 12 hours and 57 minutes long. ...
-
Quality social time (8/28/21)It was a week or two ago, I was sitting in our four-wheeler filling the water tank and watching our steers. When it's hot, it may take 30 minutes to fill the 10- or 12-foot tank. The five of them were there by the tank kind of taking a break and enjoying the cooler evening. ...
-
Joy and sadness (8/21/21)It was 49 years ago that Marge and I met at the altar of a little church in Hyannis, Nebraska, and said our "I do's." It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but it has. There have been a lot of ups and downs, some high spots and some low ones, some great joys and some great sorrows...
-
Fall gardening tasks (8/14/21)Hard to believe it's fall and time to do some fall and winter gardening chores. We dug our potatoes a while back, and I spent one morning separating them by size and getting them into the cool room. Also, we are picking our squash as they mature and getting them in the cool room. ...
-
Cast iron skillets (8/7/21)Almost 50 years ago, Marge and I were married in Hyannis, Nebraska. One of our gifts from Marge's parents was a No. 7 cast iron Wagner skillet. It wasn't a new skillet, but it was one that had been and was being used. It was ready to fry bacon or a hamburger or a steak or an egg in. It was seasoned and ready. Great gift. Better than a new one...
-
Old things make memories (7/31/21)Every year we plant potatoes. Several years ago we decided that digging with a spade was silly so we bought a middle buster for our tractor. Marge and I finished digging the potatoes the other day so need to clean the middle buster and grease it so it doesn't rust. As I was thinking about greasing the middle buster, it made me remember greasing the plow for Dad...
-
Getting old isn't fun (7/24/21)There are a few things in life that pretty much all of us have to go through: We have to be born, and we have to die. The length of time in between can be real short, or it can stretch on for a century plus a few years. I think the average lifespan in the U.S. ...
-
Tomatoes and worms (7/17/21)We normally shut up the end doors on our high tunnels every evening and then open them every morning. We do this in case of storms, but also our cats stay in the tunnels overnight so with the doors closed they are pretty safe. We lose some cats every year to what we figure are the coyotes or foxes. Many times I walk through the tunnels as we are shutting them up, and I notice that some of the top branches were stripped of leaves. This is a perfect example of tomato hornworms...
-
Garlic, potatoes, pumpkins and turnips (7/10/21)It's kind of hard to believe it's going on mid-July. I was talking to Marge and commented that the potatoes need to be dug, the onions are fixing to need to be pulled, the corn needs to be picked, and the garlic dug. Seems like summer just began and, dog gone, it's rolling on by...
-
Daylight hours are important (7/3/21)A couple weeks ago we saw the beginning of the summer season which was the longest day of the year. Up to June 20 the days got longer and longer, while after June 20 the days will get shorter and shorter. The shortest day of the year is Dec, 21. Where we live in Missouri on the shortest day of the year, there is about 9.5 hours of daylight, while during the longest day of the year, there is approximately 14.75 hours of daylight. ...
-
Great women, great men, great parents (6/26/21)Mother's Day was several weeks ago, and then a week ago or so was Father's Day. They're great days when we can celebrate those who helped raise us. Being a parent is more than just having a baby. Matter of fact, it's a lot more. We have had several mother cats that would birth babies and end up killing them because they were either stupid or just poor mothers. ...
-
Kentucky thoroughbreds (6/19/21)Before we left Nebraska to go to school in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, I worked a couple years for a general contractor building houses. Ted pretty well did everything on the house except for finishing the drywall, which he hired out. We dug the hole for the basement, poured the concrete, laid the blocks or the bricks, built the house from the basement up, even stick-built the rafters, built the kitchen cabinets, wired the entire house and on and on. We did it all. Even hung wallpaper...
-
Having fun (6/12/21)It's been 25 years, going on 30 years, since we moved from in Scott City out to where we live today. Living in town was OK, but we enjoy living out here a lot more. Once we had bought the place, we found a small pond back of the house. It had kind of washed out and wasn't very deep. ...
-
New garden plants (6/5/21)I think it was a year ago right after the first of the year I got to reading some garden books that came in the mail and read about some greens called bok choy. Marge and I really enjoy Chinese stir fry, so I thought about trying to make our own stir fry. ...
-
Garden seed (5/29/21)Probably 10 or 12 years ago, we planted some Mr. Stripy tomatoes. Totally awesome tomato. I never thought about saving some seed at the time, so we used up all the seeds and bought new the next year. Totally disappointing. The initial Mr. Stripy tomatoes were at least a pound or more in weight and were an orange/yellow/red striped tomato. ...
-
Cousins (5/22/21)These last three or four weeks have sure been different. Several weeks ago a cousin of mine, Arlene, passed away. She would have been my dad's sister's child; so, for me, a first cousin. And then a week ago, we had two first cousins come clear down to Scott City to visit. ...
-
We've changed as a society (5/15/21)A couple weeks ago, I lost a cousin I've known for most of my life. Dad would drive up and visit Arlene's parents up at Cody, Nebraska, several times a year. It was a good drive back then. It was about 40 miles to Hyannis and 70 or so to Merriman and then say 20 or 30 to Cody. ...
-
What's for supper (5/8/21)Several years ago we would be shopping in Cape Girardeau, which is just north of where we live, and we'd end up hungry. Rather than wait until we got home, we'd eat out. It's a fairly large college town, so there were lots of places to eat. One that we particularly enjoyed also had pour-over coffee, which naturally seemed to draw me in. ...
-
Gardening tidbits (5/1/21)Every year is different, and this spring was no different. Not bad by any means, just different. Cool up until it got cold and then for only a couple nights. I think both nights we got down into the upper 20s. I know we ran the wood stove in the greenhouse as well as an electric heater. Once the cold snap was over, I checked the 10-day forecast and it all looked good, so we went to planting the next day...
-
Slow down and be at peace (4/24/21)Marge and I've been working in our garden putting in plastic mulch. We have been putting ours in with a labor-intensive process. One can buy a machine that fits on the tractor, and it lays down a dripper line, digs two trenches about 32 inches apart, lays down a 36-inch wide piece of plastic with the edges in the trenches and then covers up the edges of the plastic. ...
-
Spring planting (4/17/21)I always enjoy spring and the beginnings of summer even though spring is kind of fickle in a way. We can have a couple weeks of nice weather and then, whamo, we get a few days of cold, if not frost. But that's spring. Here in Missouri where we live, we can begin planting about mid-April. ...
-
Noise, nature and a simple life (4/10/21)For the past week or so there has been a little tree frog somewhere on the west side of our house. Every now and then he will make that tree frog sound, and we'll wonder where he is. Both of us have kind of looked for him for the sole reason of just knowing where he is. We don't want to relocate him or hurt him but simply know where he is...
-
Practice (4/3/21)It's been a lot of years ago I tried to learn how to rope. I had grown up on a ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska around cattle and horses, so it was something one simply learned how to do. The guys at the rodeos and such would rope this way, but it was totally different than Dad. ...
-
I'd rather not (3/27/21)Some things haven't changed in the past 71 years I've been on this earth, but some things aren't even recognizable. I like the way the pickups and cars looked back in the '50s and '60s better than today. I liked the way men and women looked. Today, I wonder if it's a he or a she, and quite frankly on some I don't have a clue. ...
-
Gardening tidbits (3/20/21)For a number of years now, we have grown our gardens for several reasons. We both enjoy gardening for one thing. It is really enjoyable watching the plants go from little bitty to pumping out veggies or fruit. We both enjoy eating fresh produce from the garden, especially me and Dutchess. ...
-
Skin deep or deeper (3/13/21)When we first moved to Scott City, I met an older feller here in town who was pretty rough around the edges. He might have taken a bath once a week, but that was questionable. He pretty much wore the same clothes day after day, so he wore what he was doing and eating out where everyone could see. ...
-
Take time to ponder (3/6/21)It's been a couple weeks ago when Marge and I drove down to Sikeston, Missouri. About the only shopping we did was to buy me a cup of coffee (this was a given!), and Marge went in to a "have it all" store. I sat out in the car along with another guy about my age. Neither of us was "inclined" to shop. So we got to visiting about the weather and the virus and life in general. I enjoy visiting. We didn't talk long, but it was enjoyable...
-
Wise sayings or advice (2/27/21)Down through the years, I've heard some wise sayings and advice from a lot of folks. Most of this came from old timers who have been around the block a time or two. Now and then a young whipper snapper will come up with sound advice or a wise statement, but it's the old timers who I tend to listen to. Growing up, the old timers would say he's still wet behind the ear to designate a young person without experience. Here are a few of the sayings I've come across from my years on this earth...
-
Winter snow (2/20/21)It's Monday evening, and Marge and I just got in from checking on our steers and breaking ice so they can drink. We've got probably 8 inches of snow, but it's hard to know where it's blown like it has. Snow isn't bad. I kind of enjoy snow. I kind of enjoy even the cold temps. But I don't enjoy snow and cold temps and a good stiff breeze that's somewhere between 15 and 25 miles an hour. It's not fun in the least. Sure makes one appreciate a good heater...
-
Washboards and hamestraps and kraut cutters (2/13/21)We really don't even think about getting a pair of clothes dirty today, when washing them is so simple. We sort the clothes according to color and then deposit the same colors in the automatic washing machine. Then put in the correct amount of soap and press the right buttons, and the clothes come out clean and spun dry and ready for the dryer. Simple...
-
What's a penny worth? (2/6/21)From the time I can remember, Dad would be driving down the road, and he'd slam on the brakes and back up. There might be a wrench or screwdriver or something lying on the side of the road. I do the same. A good friend and I were driving in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, with six or eight lanes both ways. and there lay a ratchet. We braved the traffic, but we got it...
-
Starting your seedlings (1/30/21)It seems like just last week we were picking the last of our tomatoes to save them from a freeze or frost last fall. But when I check the calendar, it's February or close to it. Our normal last frost where I live is around April 15 to April 20. You can DuckDuckGo "last frost in 63780." Replace my ZIP code with yours, and you will have the average. ...
-
Making do (1/23/21)Now and then, Marge will go to the icebox, and she will see what leftovers we have for breakfast or dinner or supper. (Dinner is at noon.) We may have a little of several things, but not enough for the two of us. So we kind of divvy up all the leftovers so that we each have some. If we definitely don't have enough, we can always make up some Ramen noodles. In many ways, we are "making do" with what we have...
-
Saving your own seed (1/16/21)I had dabbled in saving my own seed a little but never very seriously, My brother, Mick, though, had been saving Stupice tomato seed for some time. What he did was pick out the very biggest tomatoes every year, and he'd save the seed. He had done this for several years when he sent me a whole passel of these seeds. Germination on his seeds was probably around 100%. I doubt there were one or two out of 100 seeds that didn't germinate...
-
Coffee (1/9/21)Growing up on a cattle ranch in Nebraska, one memory I remember vividly was coffee and snacks. Coffee was served from first thing in the morning until the last thing at night. Mom and Dad had coffee first thing in the morning, then at breakfast, mid-morning coffee break with a snack, dinner, afternoon coffee break with a snack and then coffee for supper. Coffee took center stage. It was served most all day every day...
-
What is a yawn? (1/2/21)Depending on your view, we are either blessed or cursed by cats. We have a number of cats, with some of them being yard ornaments, but there are some that are real hunters. We have some that most every afternoon or evening will wander out in the pastures and come back carrying a mouse or gopher or mole. The mother cats will bring back a trophy to share with their little ones, while the males bring it back for their own enjoyment...
-
A get away place (12/26/20)We moved to Scott City back in 1986 and began pastoring here. One of the long-standing things that the youth did here was attend a youth retreat at a denomination-owned camp ground up by Sam A. Baker State Park. I don't know how much land the denomination owned, but I'm guessing 5 or 6 acres. ...
-
Seed for next summer, if the freezer doesn't quit (12/19/20)I got a message from a friend of ours in Nebraska, and she asked if seeds would last if she bought them now for next summer. I said they would most definitely last, and I'd keep them in the freezer. We store all our leftover seed in the freezer. I think most seed, if handled right, will last several years. She was a little concerned that seed might not be available next summer, which might happen, so she was ordering now. The only seed we have had trouble storing is flower seed...
-
Make it a good deal (12/12/20)We moved to Scott City in January or February 1986, I believe, and started to pastor the Wesleyan Church here in town. After many a service, we'd meet some friends at a local convenience store and have some ice cream. It was a lot more than some to be honest. ...
-
Early American food and necessities (12/5/20)Back during the virus event and today as it's recurring again, there was and is a shortage of toilet paper. Unreal how the store shelves in some stores are just bare of toilet paper. One other item back several months was the disappearance of yeast or packages of yeast. ...
-
Being self reliant (11/28/20)Back a bunch of years, most Americans were self-reliant. Most could live pretty much on their own without relying on others to live and survive. But little by little, we began to rely on others for more and more of our daily needs. This is especially true where most Americans have moved to the cities. Most of those living in America today probably couldn't go two weeks without outside aid...
-
Living with less (11/21/20)I am amazed how truly spoiled we are today. All one has to do is check out the vehicles we drive. About the only thing the cars and pickups don't do is drive themselves, and that is being worked on. Electric windows and auto lights and computers to do everything. Seats that heat and vibrate and as plush as any lounger. Foods are ready to eat in a jiffy. Most come in disposable pans or pots. Remotes that will do everything or helps such as Siri. We are spoiled...
-
Real or fake (11/14/20)Now and then, Marge and I go through the drive-through at a local fast-food joint, and each time we do I notice the ad for their fake meat burger. It's supposed to taste like hamburger and even look like hamburger. I guess for me, if it's made to imitate hamburger, what's the point? I carry either a Buck or Case or Schrade pocket knife. ...
-
Turning points in our lives (11/7/20)Back when I was young there were some dates that were really important. One was when we got our driver's license. It was a big deal. From the time I could stand on the seat and see over the steering wheel, I'd driven a little. Dad would put the pickup in granny low, and it just barely crept along. ...
-
How young do you act (10/31/20)Mom and Dad were looking at getting a new car so we drove to Alliance, Nebraska, and they bought a new Rambler which had an E shifter in it. You shifted it just like a normal three-speed, but it also had an overdrive, so virtually four-speed. But there was no clutch. All you had to do was let off on the gas and shift. Worked pretty good most of the time but now and then it kind of got stuck in between gears...
-
What are you drinking? (10/24/20)Most everyone you meet today has one of two things, or both, in their hands: one is a cell phone and the other is a drink. Usually they are either talking on the cell phone, or they are texting on it. When someone is walking, the drink will most likely be in one of those 32- or 44-ounce Styrofoam cups. ...
-
What's really important (10/17/20)Back in 2004 Tim McGraw sang a song entitled "Live Like You Were Dyin'." It's about a 40-year-old who gets some devastating news from the doctor that he is dying and doesn't have all that much time left. Probably like most of us, we'd ask the doctor, "Well, how much time do I have?" The doctor can guess, but that's about all he can do, just guess. ...
-
Old and new ways (10/10/20)I woke up the other morning thinking about an old time ice box, my grandma's in particular. Sixty-plus-year-old memories. For those who are younger they probably don't have a clue as to what an ice box really was and is. When I was a little boy, we'd go up to my grandparents' and there in Grandma's kitchen was a wooden box about 2 1/2-feet wide by 2 to 2 1/2-feet deep and about 4-feet tall. ...
-
Fall going into winter (10/3/20)I woke up a week ago or so, and our house was really cool. The outdoor temp was down to 48, which is pretty cool for Southeast Missouri, where we live. Since we haven't turned on the heat in the house or cranked up the wood stove, it will be cool inside until the sun heats up the house. I don't mind. When I dressed that morning, I put on a white T-shirt which I normally wear all summer, but I also put on a flannel shirt over it. I may have had to lose the flannel shirt later on that day...
-
Antiques (9/19/20)One program that Marge and I enjoy on TV is "Antiques Roadshow." We were watching the other evening when a lady brought an abstract painting on the show to be appraised. She had given $9.95 for the painting, which was her limit. She never spent more than $9.95. ...
-
Losing our old ones (9/12/20)It's going on 50 years ago that I met Marge while attending Chadron State College in Nebraska. Marge's sister had married a cousin of mine, and she was and is a really neat lady. So, in a way, I had heard about Marge and the King family up north of Ashby, Nebraska. ...
-
Old cars and pickups (9/5/20)Seems like when we get old one's passions are to recapture our younger days. Most of us had toys from our youth that we fell in love with. For many it's a special gun like the old pump shotgun with a hammer. For some it's baseball cards or comic magazines. ...
-
Fall gardening (8/29/20)About this time of the year, it seems like the grass and weeds just take over the gardens. I spent one day a week or so ago getting the weeds and grass out of our rhubarb plants. I started about 20 new rhubarb plants last spring from seeds. Probably 15 or so of these plants made it to planting time in our hill garden. I think all of them are still alive with one exception. One simply dried up and died...
-
Win or lose (8/15/20)A couple of weeks ago were local primary elections in our part of the country. I personally knew some of those vying for positions, so I know both the winners and losers. Some were elated, and others were sad. I really wished that there was a way to elect both to the same office and kind of team the position. I really hated it that some had to lose, while others won. But when it was all said and done, one lost and one won...
-
Let's eat (8/8/20)Several months ago Marge's sister in Nebraska was telling Marge about a cookbook she was working on for their church. Most everyone Marge's sister knew sent her recipes of one kind or another, so Marge sent her some of her recipes as well as mine. In time we bought one of the finished cookbooks, and it is fun reading in it about the food but also about those who used the recipes. ...
-
We need some time out (8/1/20)I've talked about this before so for some this will be old news. Blame it on me having a senior moment. Back when I was a kid growing up in the '50s and '60s, we spent a good amount of time fishing at a large lake north of Ogallala, Nebraska. It was a big, clear lake that was about 20 miles long and maybe 3 or 4 miles wide at the face. ...
-
Helping Hands (7/25/20)A week or two ago, I started up our lawn mower and was going to mow around our hill garden. When it started, it kind of burped a couple times and sounded kind of funny but it smoothed out and ran good. So I drove around the south side of our Hill Garden, and the mower virtually quit. For the motor to even run I had to have the choke on and even then it would quit. So I had Marge drive the four-wheeler around, and we drug the mower up by the shop under a tree...
-
Everyone's music (7/18/20)I grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska, which is ranching country. Dad raised Hereford cattle, and I find it interesting that Marge's dad raised Angus. So both of us grew up around cattle and horses. I never was much on dancing and music. I remember getting some station on the radio from down in Oklahoma, but it was kind of rock and roll. ...
-
Friends (7/11/20)With this virus stuff going on, it's been harder to stay in touch with both family and friends. One of my good friends lives in Cape and is a tad older than me, so both of us have been extra careful to stay away from places we might catch the virus. So we skip the crowds and the close contact. The other day we got together at an event, and it was enjoyable. We had to shake hands even. It was 90 degrees in the shade, but I'd made a couple thermoses of coffee so we shared some Costa Rica coffee...
-
Don't give up (7/4/20)We have been gardening now for gosh knows how many years, and every year it's the same old song and dance. Weeds! Gardening would be an absolute blast if it wasn't for weeds. Marge and I spent probably 20 minutes the other morning hoeing by our zucchini plants. ...
-
Influences (6/27/20)We live out in the country and have animals of one description or another. One thing we have is cats. Some would say too many, but some would say just right. We do enjoy them. But they aren't just for decoration. On a regular basis we'll find a pile of squirrel hair from one of our cats feasting on a squirrel. We don't have an issue with squirrels getting in our tomatoes, which is worth a lot. We don't regularly have snakes around our house. Dallas used to say a good cat will drive snakes off...
-
Memory triggers (6/20/20)A week or so ago, a cousin of mine called, and we got to talking about all the fishing lakes up in the Sandhills where I grew up. He mentioned a lake where Mick and Marge and I went fishing while she was pregnant with Vic. Just the mention of the lake brought to mind the times I went fishing there with my Grandpa Piihl. ...
-
Getting old (6/13/20)A month or so ago I wished a good friend of mine and a classmate a happy birthday. I figured Jim was probably 70, so I asked if he was. Jim isn't much on Facebook or emails and such, so his wife later posted that Jim thanked me for the well wishes. Jim also said he was surprised that he was still alive and had actually made it to 70. I had thought the same thing. I feel very fortunate to have made it to 70 as well. I don't want to kick the bucket, but I do feel fortunate...
-
Gardening odds and ends (6/6/20)Several things we need to be aware of as we garden this summer. One thing is its June. When mid-June rolls around so do the big green caterpillars that just love tomato plants. There are really two sizes which seem to bother mine every year. The one is fairly big being about 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick and up to maybe 3 inches long. ...
-
Old-time knowledge (5/30/20)Seems like this summer has kind of flown by, but at the same time kind of inched along. We have been busy, so one day kind of slides into the next and we lose track of which day it is. A week ago or so it was Memorial Day, which makes the week seem like it has another Sunday...
-
Tomatoes (5/23/20)We've been working in our garden, so that's what has been on my mind. Planted the sweet bell peppers the other day so all we have left is the spicy or hot peppers. There are some ancho, Alma paprika and jalapeño peppers and then some little spicy peppers Marge uses when she does a beef roast in the insta pot. These pepperoncini peppers are barely up, so it will be awhile. Bought three really nice eggplants over in Chaffee, so got them out. Zucchini are looking good as are the cole crops...
-
Wrong and right (5/16/20)Just the other night I wondered if I'd been wrong. I had gone ahead and planted about 200 tomato plants and here it was supposed to frost. This was not what I wanted to hear. Normally here where we live in Missouri, if about the middle of April the 10-day forecast looks good, we are through with frost. ...
-
Gardening beyond planting seeds (5/9/20)I'm not sure how many calls I've received asking about what to plant and when and how to plant. Many of these are first-time gardeners who have never grown a garden before, which is really neat. Gardening is a passel of fun, but at the same time a load of work. Some of the work is enjoyable, but some is just work...