R. E. Lee and Other Heroes

Today is the anniversary of Robert E. Lee's death in 1870. Texas Fred has a commemorative post up about him. One of my favorite biographies is R.E. Lee by Douglas Southall Freeman. I have a nice edition in my home library.

R.E. Lee: A Biography: 4 Volume Set

I don't consider myself a rabid southerner although I believe the War of Northern Aggression -- a.k.a. the Civil War -- was as much about state's rights as about slavery. Slavery was the catalyst that brought the issue of state sovereignty to the test. I do fear the encroachment of the Federal government on certain areas that should be left to the states for determination. But, I do understand the need for a strong Federal government -- otherwise our country would be constantly in danger of secession.

Robert E. Lee was a strong Christian leader and one of the most brilliant military tacticians to ever wear a uniform. If he had been immediately put in command of all Southern forces rather than serving in multiple lesser capacities for the early part of the war, the result could well have been different. Jefferson Davis was slow to relinquish control and slow to recognize Lee's unique abilities.

Lee had the opportunity to serve in a position of command in either army -- North or South. It was his loyalty to his home state of Virginia that tipped the balance in favor of the South. I believe that his role in the South led to the prolonging of the war. Without his leadership the conflict likely would have been shorter and much less bloody. I believe that blood and suffering was necessary for a final resolution of the issue. If the North had quickly rolled over the South, the issue would have continued to raise its head for years to come -- resulting in additional bloody conflict. The war also cemented the relationship of the states to the Federal government and strengthened Federal control.

Robert E. Lee, in spite of the negatives that have been attached to his name by those who would tie him to the slavery issue, was a great and good man. He was a man of honor and one that should be held in high esteem by all. He was truly a hero.

This date also happens to be the birthday of my Grandmother. She also was a hero. She raised 7 kids on a dryland Oklahoma farm by herself after my Grandfather died (when my father was 12) through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. She died several years ago.

Computer Viruses and Mercy

This has been a week of patience. Last week while traveling, I received a call from one of our offices that they had some "strange things" happening on one of the computers. I suggested a few things to correct the problem but the attempts were unsuccessful.

On Monday of this week when I was at that office, I took it upon myself to try and correct the problem. It was a type of spyware called Ultimate Defender. My McAfee anti-virus software wouldn't touch it so I bought a copy of Norton's System Works to attempt removal. It wouldn't clean it either. I spent part of 3 days trying various things to remove the problem. It would generate pop-ups anytime you did anything on the computer. It was extremely frustrating.

I went in and started manually cleaning everything that I could find. I just couldn't find the file that was re-generating the issue. I finally called Norton and spent $100 to get their help. After about 1 1/2 hours on the phone with a guy in India who had to take control of the computer over the Internet and manually remove the problem it was fixed.

Apparently one of my employees had been visiting some sites that he shouldn't have. I asked the Norton Technician what caused the problem and he said that most commonly this type of virus comes from porn sites or from MySpace/MyWay sites. This particular one came in on a video file. The file was innocent appearing but contained something worse than AIDS.

I called a meeting of my employees and told them plainly that if I ever found one of them visiting a porn site or MySpace/MyWay on a company computer again it would be grounds for immediate dismissal. I knew from the nervous reaction throughout my 2 1/2 days of working on the problem who the guilty party was. He's young and didn't realize the risk. I believe that he got the message.

Sometimes mercy is the best response. If done correctly it can often change behavior. I am thankful that God has mercy on me. I don't deserve it, but His mercy is my only hope of redemption.

A Rather Lengthy Meme!

Janie at Sounding Forth has tagged me for a meme.


A) Four jobs that I've held --

1) General Manager
2) Salesman
3) Regional Manager
4) Division Manager
5) Loan Officer

B) Four films I could watch over and over

1) Lord of the Rings (all)
2) Star Wars (all)
3) McClintock
4) Indiana Jones (all)
5) Independence Day

C) Four TV shows I watch

1) Stargate SG1 (occasionally)
2) Eureka (occasionally)
3) NCIS (occasionally)
4) College football if A&M or Texas Tech are playing
5) Dallas Cowboys -- until I fall asleep in my chair

D) Four places I've lived

1) Olton, Texas
2) Muleshoe, Texas
3) Minneola, Kansas
4) Red Cloud, Nebraska
5) Justin, Texas

E) Four favorite foods

1) Chicken fried steak
2) Brisket
3) Ribeye steak
4) Any kind of beef
5) Blue Bell ice cream -- you can tell I'm a healthy eater.

F) Four websites I visit daily

1) NOAA
2) Fox News
3) Drudge Report
4) Yahoo
5) iGoogle

G) Four favorite colors

1) Blue
2) Green
3) Red
4) Khaki
5) Maroon

H) Four places I would love to be right now

U.S. Other
1) Red River, New Mexico 1a) Dublin, Ireland
2) Portland, Oregon 2a) Adelaide, Australia
3) Nashville, Tennessee 3a) Fiji
4) Washington, DC 4a) Buenos Aires
5) New York, New York 5a) Jamaica

I) Four names I love but could/would not use for my children

1) Constantinople -- beats me why
2) Luke Skywalker -- it sounds so forceful
3) Obiwan Kenobi -- it really rolls off the tongu
4) Snickerdoodle -- 'cause I like the cookies
5) Jesus -- It is a name I love to hear...

Now I'm supposed to tag four bloggers. I will pass on that, however, if any of you who read this would like to participate, leave a comment and have at it.

Reflection

In the stillness of the evening
As I reflect upon the day
I first replay the struggles
That I faced along the way

Until exhausted from the thinking
Of how bad they came to be
I stop in realization
They have gained control of me.

So I slowly shift my thoughts
To the good things that occurred
Until the bad on which I'd focused
Is now completely blurred.

The victory of this day
Is when I think about the good
And it changes my perspective
Just the way it should.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." __Philippians 4:8

First Fantasy Baptist Church

Welcome to the First Fantasy Baptist Church
Read the sign over the door --
At least that's what I was looking for.

Instead I found that once inside
The fantasy I was seeking had died
And in its place were real people.

I expect to be entertained!
Crank up the music;
Put on a show.

But in its place was much too loud
And slightly off key in a place or two
And a prayer that lasted way too long.

Oh, but surely the preacher
Will move me in my pew
And make me see the Pearly Gates.

But about 12:10 as he was finally winding down
The realization set in that
All I got was the same old sermon on gettin' saved.

What's wrong with churches nowadays?
Don't they know that they've got to keep our attention
Or we'll go on down the road?

They expect us to put something in the plate
And be greeters or maybe teachers
Or help out in the nursery.

I even saw a Deacon at the liquor store the other day
And he was leaving with a brown paper bag
Yet they expect me to go visit people?

They're just a bunch of hypocrites in there
That cheat on their taxes
And make too big a profit down at the store.

I think I'll just drop out.
I don't need a church like that.
I can get better on T.V.

Those people outta start livin' like it says in The Good Book.
You know, love your neighbor
And give to the poor.

Why would they expect me to go there
If they can't live
The way The Good Book says?

Besides, they act better'n me.
They all wear fancy clothes
And drive big cars.

Why don't they share some of that wealth?
I could sure do something with it!
I'd give half of it away!

I'll just sit here and listen to the T.V. preacher.
He's better anyway.
They won't even come and visit me.

They're just a bunch of hypocrite holy rollers.
I won't waste my time on them.
Besides, the football game starts at 11:30.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not die but have everlasting life." __ John 3:16

Aging

Activism
Turns to apathy
And then remembrance.

A cause
Becomes a lost cause
Until it is an "if only."

Restless energy
Replaced by patient endurance
Rests in tales of past exploits.

Dreams
Fade into reality
Merging to memories.

Youth
Grows to middle-age
And finally the wisdom of the elderly.

Harvest Time

Harvest time
Combines
Piles of grain
Changing leaves
Pumpkins
Scarecrows
Cool mornings
New wheat springing
Rural towns bustling
Football
Kids in school
Hurry in the air
Fruits of summer's of labor
Before the winter rest.

Condensed Trip Summary

Two great meetings and one cancellation -- so went our trip this week. In spite of the cancellation, it was extremely successful. We have a number of new customers as a result and a much closer relationship with the customer that helped to sponsor the trip. It was definitely a win-win-win situation.

The area of the country that we were traveling into was in the midst of corn and soybean harvest. It was the reason that we had the one cancellation. Priorities...

Hopefully, I will be able to get back into a regular routine of posting tomorrow.

Random

Howdy from Wichita, Kansas. I've had a difficult time posting anything for awhile now -- at least on this blog. I've done a little better over on my "Common Sense Agriculture, Conservation and Energy" blog since it is more closely related with work -- which seems to be taking up most of my time. That's OK. It's what pays the bills.

I will be heading into northeastern Kansas today and then into Missouri tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some time this evening to post something. I don't know. We have a meeting set and I will be presenting. I probably will be wired up and unable to sleep afterward, so maybe I'll post something.

Gene Autry

I've been reminded by Conservative Cowboy that today marks the 100th birthday of Gene Autry. You can follow this link to his post about him.

Here are the words to:

Back in the Saddle Again

I`m back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again

Ridin` the range once more
Totin` my old .44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin` to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again

Do, Doing, Done!

When there is more to do
Of the things you must do
Than you can possibly get done,
How do you do
All the things you must do
In order to ever get done?

It seems there are seasons
For the tasks of this world
That come and go as the spring.
There will be weeks on end
Where the pressure is low
And you don't get wound up about anything.

Then along comes a stretch
Where it all hits the fan
And it seems there's no end in sight;
Everything will pile up
And you can't get it all done
Though you try with all of your might.

So, what do you do
When there is more to do
Than you can possibly get done?
Do you just do what you can
And hope for the best
And leave the rest undone?

U.S. Government Blog

I've found a new government site that is interesting and may be useful. It is called U.S. Government Blog. Check it out. As they build a reservoir of articles, a site search will lead you to related posts.

Random

I am in the midst of preparing for a hectic travel schedule next month. It begins Monday when I travel to Missouri to do a series of meetings with one of our large customers. We will be calling on some of their key customers as well as conducting evening informational meetings for their customers and prospective customers. I look forward to the trip because it will help to cement the relationship with our customer as well as potentially generate new business through the meetings.

Later in the month I will be travelling to Georgia for the Sunbelt Exposition. It is a large agricultural trade show in Moultrie. This will be my first trip to this particular trade show. I will be working with our top supplier. I look forward to the trip because it is an area of the country where the potential is high, but our customer base is small. Hopefully it will help to create new opportunities for us in the Southeast.

After returning from that trip I will be heading to San Antonio for a few days to the annual meeting of the Texas Cattle Feeders. It is a good place to network with customers and hopefully to build some new relationships. Besides, any excuse for a trip to San Antonio....

It promises to be an interesting month. It is also our busiest time of year because of seasonal factors in the industry. Fortunately I have good people in our various locations that don't require close supervision. It makes it easier to get away for extended periods. Besides, in this age of cell phones, laptops, etc., the office goes with me.

Search for Words

As the pre-dawn light

Rose behind me

I watched the pearlescent orb

Slowly evolve into a buttery

Disk blushing with rising pinkness

That intensified to red

And then magenta

As it met the mists

Of the horizon

Where it sank

Into the blue violet haze

Only to emerge briefly

As a faded grayish ghost of itself

Before being eaten

By the earth itself.

So went my morning commute.

Civics Quiz

Follow this link to a great Civics Quiz that I saw a few days ago and didn't have time to mess with but found again on The GeoScience Blog. It will challenge you. I don't know whether I should be proud of my 85% score or apalled. The Mean Senior Score at Harvard was 69.56%. They had the best of any college in the country. I don't think we're getting our money's worth from America's colleges and universities.

A Dangerous Place

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

Above is my Google Quote for the day. I thought it was appropriate and timely considering all of the stuff going on in the world. However, when you get right down to it, the world probably isn't any more dangerous today than it was a hundred, or even a thousand years ago. The threats have just changed a bit. Instead of Mongol hoards or bubonic plague, we have Jihadi Terrorists and Ebola -- well really, the disease side of the equation is under much better control. There is AIDS, but it is primarily limited to those whose behavior is risky or perverted. All the old diseases are still around for the most part, but there are medicines to treat them. There is some concern about drug resistance, but proper usage generally will do the trick anyway.

You know, I guess most of the problems are related to human behavior. Dictators, terrorists, criminal and drug gangs, perversions, hunger for power, greed, and similar behaviors cause most of human suffering. There are natural disasters, but they generally affect those who ignore the risk -- such as building in a flood plain, living in Hurricane Alley, or on the slope of a volcano, or in earthquake prone areas. It almost all comes down to the human animal and our own cruelty or stupidity. If that could be fixed, this old world would be pretty safe.

Maybe Einstein was right, we just need to step up and do something about all the evil people in this world. But, if we decide to eliminate them doesn't that make us just like them? Here it would be easy to tip into the realm of moral relativism. Who determines what is right and wrong? -- what is evil and what is good? I personally think that anyone who disagrees with me is wrong, but then I find myself disagreeing with myself. Is there a single standard for good and evil? Some might say that what is generally accepted by the majority of people is the standard for good, or correct behavior. I guess that makes abortion good. I don't think so! We must look beyond the human animal for a standard.

That brings us to God. The next question is whose God? Is it Jehovah God of the Christian and Jewish scripture, is it Allah of the Muslims, or is it some other god that is accepted by another group of people? Who determines which god sets the standard?

I ask you the question: How do we determine what is good and what is evil?

Vanity, Visits, Vexations, Values

As I sift through the news
I see the same old stories
Over and over again.
Sometimes the names have been changed
But certainly not to protect the innocent.
It's just like the book of Ecclesiastes
Where it says
There is nothing new under the sun,
It is all vanity.

Even the stories about a country's president,
Who in this post will remain nameless,
That is stirring such a fuss by visiting this country
As a member of the U.N. is not all that new.
What frustrates me is how
We play into his hands
By creating a media firestorm over the visit.
All he wants is the spotlight
So that he can tell his oppressed people
How he was such a threat
To the great and powerful U.S.

The same tired faces
Continue to grace the covers
Of so-called news magazines
That focus on their latest scandals or causes
But ignore the real news that continues
Unabated across the globe.
Is it just that people would prefer
To stick their head in the sand
Rather than face the reality
Of war and starvation and genocide
And Oppression that never seems to end?

What pursuits are worth of our treasure?
Where should we invest our time?
What is truly important?
What values are being taught to our children?
Should we care that people are starving in the Sudan?
Does it really matter that a foreign "leader"
Wants to use our media driven culture to stir controversy?
Should we "hole-up" on our shores
And ignore the craziness, or
Should we export that about us which is good
To the rest of the world?

I'd Offer a Penny for Your Thoughts if I Could...

I would be interested in the thoughts of anyone who would care to comment on the subject of Global Warming.

1) Do you think Global Warming is really happening?

2) If so, is it caused by man's activities?

3) If so, is there anything we can do to stop it?

4) If so, do you expect catastrophic results?

5) Do you think Global Warming is just a racket made up by Al Gore and other crazies?

6) Do you know what the Kyoto Protocol is?

7) Should the U.S. sign the Kyoto Protocol?

8) Are bio-fuels better than fossil fuels?

Just curious. Any comments would be appreciated.

Who Are You When You're Alone?

Who are you
When you are alone?
Are you the same person
That you are when with others?

Do you step
Into a different world
Where you sing
At the top of your voice?

Or do you sink
Into a "woe-is-me"
Attitude of self-pity
Because you are alone?

Do you indulge yourself?
Do you read?
Do you watch TV?
Do you work on some project?
Do you brood?
Do you pout?
Do you do anything at all?
Do you just sit and blog?

Who are you
When you are alone?
Why are you not the same
Around others?

We Never

We never grow
Unless we stretch
Ourselves to do
That which
We've never done before.

We never see
Until we look
Beyond our
Own little world
Into the world of another.

We never hear
Until we stop
Thinking about
What we will say
And truly listen to others.

We never lead
Until we leave
The beaten path
Of other's steps
And strike out on our own.

Talkers and Doers

There are talkers
And there are doers.
Talkers are full
Of stories about
What they've done,
How they would have
Done it differently,
How poorly someone else
Did the job,
And all the things
They plan on doing.
Doers quietly go about
Doing the things
That need to be done
With little or no fanfare
And rarely a thanks.

Random Comments

It has been a few days since I posted. It seems that it has just been one thing on top of another that kept me from it. Probably the biggest issue has been Internet access issues here at home. We had a major lightening storm the other night that must have killed my wireless router. It took a while to narrow the problem to the router because the satellite signal must first go through an IDU. To make the story a little shorter, we're hooked directly to the IDU now which means that until I replace the wireless router, I can't use my laptop at home. So, it's wait in line for computer time. Homework always takes precedence.

We had the grand baby here this weekend. She spent Friday night and all day Saturday with us. It was nice to get to keep her. Her parents needed a break. She does take a lot of time though. It was difficult to get anything done while she was here. I understand why a "break" was in order! Maybe I'm just getting old. That's the advantage of grand kids -- you can send 'em home.

Work was crazy today. We are experiencing our "fall run." Fall is when large numbers of cattle are moving about the country. When they move is when our services are in greatest demand. Today we had one of the highest volume days we've had since our company was formed. That's a good thing, but cuts into blogging time also.

The kitchen remodel is proceeding but experienced a couple of setbacks. Such things are to be expected -- nothing major. We are in a short waiting period though. I hope by the end of the week everything will be done except the things that we will be doing ourselves.

Tomorrow evening the in-laws will be stopping for the night as they travel back home from California. They have been to San Diego for my father-in-law's ship reunion from his Navy days. It's good that they can stop, but the house is in a bit of turmoil with the remodeling going on.

With luck Duke may get his cast off tomorrow. It has only been a couple of weeks, but the Vet said that he seems to be healing very quickly. That is the advantage of young, growing bones. I hope it does come off. He started chewing on it rather badly today. I patched it but it's good that he is scheduled for a checkup tomorrow.

Discipline, Patience, and Prayer

Have you ever watched "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel? I have always thought it fascinating how some people can get animals to respond so readily while the majority of folks have difficulty. He says on his show that about 90% of the problem is usually the dog's owner. They let the pet become leader of the pack rather than taking on that role themselves. The owner usually wants a loving, fun-filled, playful companion and so they act that way with their dog. They don't set boundaries or provide discipline. The dog becomes spoiled and misbehaves or develops intolerable habits. I've seen the same thing with horses. Horses can quickly become dangerous because they are so powerful.

With Duke, our new puppy, I am reminded of these things. He is very smart and pushes the boundaries continuously. He also is male, obviously, and that adds to the dominance issue. We will work through this though. I promise I haven't been praying for patience! Usually that's what happens. I'm sure you heard about the woman who kept praying for patience. God gave her twins.

Trackless Places

What is our purpose in life?

The last couple of posts elicited some interesting comments. I wasn't necessarily trying to get really "deep" with them, it was just things that have been on my mind. I guess they stem from an introspective look evaluating whether I am truly following God's purpose for my life. It really shouldn't be that difficult to determine. His word is clear.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." __Ephesians 2:10

I really don't think it matters what career path we take as long as we follow where God leads. Now, that is the real difficulty isn't it? Knowing whether we are truly following the path that God has laid before us, or striking out on our own. I've never been good at sticking with a path. I like the trackless places -- just ask anyone who has ever gone hiking with me. Does God ever lead us into the trackless places? Maybe. But if so, we should be able to look behind and see His tracks paralleling our own.

Out of This World

My last post was about passion. Specifically, "what are you passionate about?" I ask the question because it is something that I have struggled with throughout my life. My interests are so varied that I must be careful not to "flit" from one thing to another. Focusing on that "one thing" that is a burning passion within me has been elusive.

I wonder if that is a function of personality types? Is it only certain personalities that are able to focus passionately on one or a few things? Or, is it something deeper? Is it that only those individuals who have truly found their niche in life that become passionate about it? -- those who find their true calling?

There are myriad things that interest me. Nothing that consumes me -- although there are times that I'm sure my family would say that my work consumes me. But it doesn't really. My sense of responsibility, of duty, sometimes drives me for a period of time, but it isn't all-consuming.

There is one thing that I know that I am supposed to be passionate about and that is "living for Christ." I fear that I am often a miserable failure in that area. It is fortunate for me that He is a loving and forgiving Savior and Mediator who has already paid the price for my "failures" by His sacrifice.

I believe that we each are called for a specific purpose in life. I think we are born with a "bent" toward certain things. Sometimes you can spend 10 minutes with a child and know with a high degree of confidence what general type of career that child will eventually pursue. I wonder sometimes though if I have ever found the "purpose" for which I was born. I sometimes wonder if I made a "wrong" choice and chose the wrong career path at some point in my past. Why is it that I invariably become restless in my career? Is there something drawing me toward another path? Is it just human nature? Is it that I haven't found where I belong?

I think sometimes that I will remain restless until my days on earth are ended. What do you think?

"...As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world..." __John 15:19(in part)

What Drives You?

What are you passionate about?
Is there something that drives you?
Is there something that consumes most of your energy?
What is it that makes you want to get up in the morning?

Where is your focus?
Do you have an all-consuming fire?
What fills your thoughts?
What makes you forget sleep?

Seek to be passionate about something that is worthy of passion.
Share your passion with others.
Be a leader, a mentor, a keeper of the flame.
Live with passion.

If you would like, share what you passion is in the comments.

Silliness and Healing

Sometimes you just have to be silly. We had a luau tonight to "celebrate" the start of a new church choir year. Each section put on a skit. It included "roasting" the director compliments of the Sopranos (the section - not the mob). Of course every luau needs a roast pig - so they dressed him in a pig costume.... He was a good sport about it.

Some weeks just seem to be filled with tension. Last week was one of those weeks. Starting this one with a luau will surely make it better. Of course, we are expecting the contractor to "get serious" with the kitchen renovation this week. Last week was only the preliminaries. This week we anticipate progress. Let us hope so. Let's hope it doesn't create new tension with having to live around the mess.

Duke is adjusting well to his cast. It has been very rainy the last few days so it has been difficult to keep it clean. It has also been difficult to limit his mobility. He wants to play and the cast doesn't seem to hinder him a lot. It's almost comical to see him carrying it around -- if it wasn't sad that he has one in the first place. Me and my big foot.

Duke and his cast reminds me of a lot of people -- probably me included. We go through life carrying burdens that shouldn't be there but were acquired through some incident in our life. We try to adjust and in a way, pretend that they are not there, but they sometimes get in the way. The only time they ever really go away is when true healing occurs. With Duke, it will be when the bone mends. With people, the only true healing is through Jesus Christ. He is the great physician. He can mend broken lives.

Friday Night Lights

Star Spangled Banner,
Cheerleaders,
Noisy crowd,
Team colors,
Introductions,
Coin toss,
Kickoff.
Excitement,
Parents,
Missed call,
Angry fan,
Play resumed,
Proud father,
Fearful mother,
Oblivious children,
Change of possession.
Back and forth,
Scoring,
Fumbling,
Tackling,
Stumbling,
Running,
Catching,
Throwing,
Intercepting,
First and ten,
Move the chains,
Coaches,
Halftime.
Marching bands.
Here we go again.
Fourth quarter,
Fourth and two,
Drive it home
Touchdown.
Victory at home.
Long bus ride for the visitors.

Now how do I get out of this parking lot???

Not Me!!!

It's a sad commentary on the state of the world when I get a notification from McAfee that I need to verify my subscription in order for it to continue and I am so paranoid of creative Phishing that I was very hesitant to do it. Everything looked legitimate so I went ahead and did it. If something blows up now I will blame myself.

Shifting blame is something that I learned NOT to do a long time ago. I am responsible for what happens to me. If something blows up it was because I 1) did something wrong, 2) didn't anticipate all of the possibilities, 3) wasn't completely prepared, 4) didn't put enough preventive measures in place, 5) assigned the wrong people to the task, or 6) didn't prepare them for the task. Whatever the outcome, I am responsible.

It seems that youth today are masters at "it's not my fault." Do they learn it from society or is it a natural instinct? It starts when they are babies. I thought the Family Circle cartoons were so very appropriate with the little "not me" goblin hanging around when the mother asked one of the kids, "who did it?" It stays with kids until it is "trained" out of them. Sadly, some people never lose the victim mentality.

Every corporation has a few individuals sprinkled throughout the organization that are masters at never being responsible when something doesn't go well. Of course, they never accomplish anything because that creates the opportunity for failure. But, they often rise within an organization because they never "fail" at anything. They are usually quite artful at taking credit for successes and "selling their value" to their boss. They are frequently hated by those who must answer to them. They are bureaucrats but never leaders. They should be cleaning toilets.

So, if my computer blows up because of my "verifying" my subscription it may go in the toilet.

Of Dogs and Kids and Obedience

Every dog has
A unique personality.
We now have two
And they are as different as can be.

Our chocolate lab is the older of the two
And she has a personality like a cat.
She can be aloof and jealous
Or demanding on her own terms.

Our Aussie puppy on the other hand
Is a people loving dog.
He wants to be with you constantly.
He needs lots of reassurance.

It's amazing how much
Dogs can be like children.
Perhaps that is why so many people
Treat them like babies.

I know some folks who treat their dogs
Better than they treat their kids.
Maybe it's because the dogs
Never talk back.

Dogs need a firm but loving hand.
They need to know they will be cared for.
They need to know where the boundaries are.
They need to know disobedience brings penalties.

Children need a firm but loving hand.
They need to know they will be cared for.
They need to know where the boundaries are.
They need to know disobedience brings penalties.

It seems that anymore,
Folks are not inclined
To teach their children these basic principles
But will send their dogs to obedience school to learn them.

Then when the dogs come back home
They spoil them until the dog establishes dominance.
They expect the schools to teach kids obedience
But allow them to dominate their home.

Is it our Socialist-steeped educational agenda that has caused this?
Or is it the societal inculcation of moral relativism?
Is it perhaps the capitalist focus of me and mine?
Or could it be a failure of personal responsibility?

I think it is a failure to recognize God as Creator, Sustainer, Counselor and Father. We are to model after Him.

Update on Duke

Yep, it was broken -- in 2 places. Fortunately the one on the femur was hairline and the other wasn't all the way across on the tibia. Duke is now limping around on a "quick" splint. Prognosis is for recovery in 3-4 weeks. Meanwhile, semi-confinement to reduce opportunities for stressing the breaks before they heal.

Judging from the bill I'm happy it didn't require surgery!!!

History/Government Quiz

I found this over at Hillbilly White Trash.

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed. Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

Are You a Dumb American?

Some Days Are an Adventure

New puppy. Yep, you saw the other posts. Well, today he was going to go to work with me but that got changed -- about 2 miles from the house. I decided to take the day off and renovate the canine accommodations to accommodate the puppy. I worked my tail off.

After making a list of needed items (and checking it twice by the way) I headed to Amarillo to pick them up. It was an uneventful trip and I had no problems getting what I needed. On the way back home I took an alternate route and about 3 miles before I made it home I saw a little old lady standing anxiously beside her car on the shoulder of the road. The hood was up and the doors were open. She was looking back up the road, straining as though she was trying to see something. I pulled over to help.

It seems that her 80 year old husband had trekked down to Palo Duro Creek to try and get some water to refill their radiator that had boiled over. She was worried about him because he had been gone a long time. It was only about 150 yards down a steep embankment, through head high weeds to the creek. I couldn't see him so I headed off to find him. About the time I got to the creek, he came climbing out. No, he hadn't fallen in, he had been hunting for something to get some water in. He had a trash bag with a couple of gallons of water in it. I helped him get up the hill while I carried the water. He was fine but winded and definitely tired from his climb.

We got the water into his radiator and everything seemed to check out but I suggested and he agreed, that he needed a mechanic to look it over. So I led him into town to a mechanic. Everything seemed to be fine when I left him.

So, back to my canine accommodation renovation project. It took all day. About 4:00 I realized that I needed one more item to complete things, so I headed into town to get what I needed. Of course it wasn't to be found, so I headed toward Amarillo.

About a mile north of the Canyon city limits, in heavy traffic northbound to Amarillo, a deer decided to cross the highway. I saw it coming across the southbound lanes and slowed. It bounded over the concrete divider just in front of me and right into the grill of the SUV that was travelling in the right-hand lane. A high school kid was driving. The glass flew, his grill flew, his hood flew up in front of his windshield, the deer flew -- in fact, I thought it was going to land in the back of my pickup. He made it to the side of the road and I pulled over to see how he was. He was shaken up but OK. Another vehicle stopped and checked on him while I called 911. The local police were there in less than 5 minutes followed a few minutes later by a firetruck and emergency vehicle. A little overkill on the response but impressive anyway. The local police officer was concerned about touching the deer without gloves so I drug the little 4-point buck in the velvet out of the highway while he watched. They just took my name and phone number and I headed on to Amarillo to get my part.

Dark-thirty and project virtually completed. One minor detail that must wait until daylight. Tired and worn out, I took young Duke (new puppy) out for his evening stroll and relief. I was leading him on a leash. He decided to run circles around me. I tripped and stepped on his leg. Tomorrow he goes for his cast. I felt sick. Just the thing to top off this day of adventure.

For those of you who seem to be interested:

This is Cocoa, our chocolate Labrador Retriever.

This is Duke, our new Australian Shepherd.

Now, aren't y'all impressed.

Labor Day of Labor and....

Labor Day. I've never celebrated it but always took it off when offered. Our industry (agriculture) is not known for taking Labor Day as a holiday. Animals still need to be fed, fields need to be plowed, biological cycles continue unabated. Since I'm the "boss" of an agri-business it was my decision to work today. The phone started ringing before 8:00 a.m. with customers asking, "are y'all open today?" It turned into a rather busy day.

Tomorrow the kitchen renovation begins. We just finished unloading cabinets and clearing things out because tomorrow the demolition team comes. Well, that might be a little overstated. We're not totally re-doing everything -- just counter tops, sink and fixtures and some appliances. We will keep the cabinets and the tile on the floor. We will be re-painting and putting in a new back splash but not moving any walls or anything like that. I guess that means we will be eating out for the next week or so. My wife will like that but I'm spoiled to her good cooking. I definitely prefer it.

We also had a new addition to the family today. A tri-colored Australian Shepherd pup. He is "The Duke." No, he won't be a working dog. He will be a family dog. I'm not sure how well he will get along with our chocolate lab. She definitely put the "dominant" female whup on him. It didn't seem to phase him though. He seems pretty sharp.

I did spend a little time working on my other blog, Common Sense Agriculture, Conservation and Energy, today. I "begged onto" a few blog rolls and added a few links. It's an interesting challenge to introduce a new blog. How do you "politely" introduce it to folks? How do you generate traffic? How do you find other bloggers who are likely to be interested in it?

The new blogger tool with links in the profile for common interests is helpful. I've used it to hunt for other sites that list agriculture as their profession on the site profile. I've not found many sites that are truly agricultural in nature though -- at least not blogs. There are many, many agriculture related websites, just not that many bloggers. Of course, I'd be happy if I was proven wrong.

The Common Sense blog is where I am posting articles that I have written that our local newspaper is publishing. But, since they are only using one article per week, I am trying to post other items of interest during the rest of the time. The articles that get published will have "published" in the labels. Since they are going on the Agriculture Page of the newspaper, they will all be agriculture related.

Well, so much for the rambling this evening. I need to do some research.

Only Persevere

As we age
We learn to
Say no
To the things
We don't really want to do
When asked.
I don't think
We ever learn
To say no
For things we wish
To accomplish for ourselves.
We keep adding
To the list
Until we attain the goal
Or we give up.
May we never give up;
Only persevere.

Shifting Horizons

Ever evolving
We change with the tides
That move us
inexorably
Onward
To a destination
Only dimly seen
On the horizon.
Yet as we gaze
Ahead into the unknown
The shifting mists
Obscure the vision
Until that which we thought
Would be is now
No longer there.
It has been replaced
By something
Unimagined
And yet unfulfilled
But drawing
Us into itself.

Spiderman, Spiderman...

Now how cool is this...?

Physicists Have Found The Formula For A Spiderman Suit

Science Daily — Physicists have found the formula for a Spiderman suit. Only recently has man come to understand how spiders and geckos effortlessly scuttle up walls and hang from ceilings but it was doubted that this natural form of adhesion would ever be strong enough to hold the weight of real life Peter Parkers.

Recent research concluded that van der Waals forces -- the weak attraction that molecules have for each other when they are brought very close together - are responsible for creepy crawlies' amazing sticking power. It is the tiny hairs on spiders' feet that attract to the molecules of surfaces, even glass, and keep them steady.

This discovery however has been taken one step further by research published Thursday, 30 August, 2007 in the Institute of Physics' Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter to make sticky human suits.

Professor Nicola Pugno, engineer and physicist at Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, has formulated a hierarchy of adhesive forces that will be strong enough to suspend a person's full body weight against a wall or on a ceiling, while also being easy to detach.

Carbon nanotube-based technology could be used to develop nano-molecular hooks and loops that would function like microscopic Velcro. This detachable, adhesive force could be used in conjunction with van der Waals forces and capillary adhesion.

Pugno said, "There are many interesting applications for our theory, from space exploration and defense, to designing gloves and shoes for window cleaners of big skyscrapers."

The theory is all the more significant because, as with spiders' and geckos' feet, the hooks and hairs are self-cleaning and water-resistant. This means that they will not wear or get clogged by bad weather or dirty surfaces and will be able to withstand some of the harshest habitats on earth, including the deep sea.

Pugno continued, "With the idea for the adhesion now in place, there are a number of other mechanics that need addressing before the Spiderman suit can become a reality. Size-effects on the adhesion strength require further research. Moreover, man's muscles, for example, are different to those of a gecko. We would suffer great muscle fatigue if we tried to stick to a wall for many hours.

"However now that we are this step closer, it may not be long before we are seeing people climbing up the Empire State Building with nothing but sticky shoes and gloves to support them."

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Institute of Physics.

Just think, my own Spiderman suit. I wonder where I can get some of that web stuff....

The Rising and the Setting Eclipsed

This morning as I drove to work
I watched the setting moon
Eclipsed by earth's shadow
As it sank into the horizon

While in my rear view mirror
I at the same time saw
The glowing ball of orange sun
Rising out of the horizon

I was struck with wonder
At the beauty of the morning
While filled with thoughts
Of primitive man delving

Into the mystery that
Could only leave them wondering
If their world was ending
Only to be born again.

Fall Into a New School Year

School has started back and the pace of life just stepped it up a notch. Now, it seems a little strange for me to say that because I'm not in school and although my son's activities sometimes throw a little extra into the schedule, it's not bad and I enjoy getting to see him participate. It does seem to create extra demands on my spouse who works in the Central Office for our school system.

I guess really it is just the increase in activity around me that makes it feel like everything is faster -- more hurried. The morning traffic seems heavier. Various school activities place demands on others at work. It is more difficult to schedule things because of conflicts. Oh, well -- that's part of fall!

Fall.
I can't believe that
Footballs are flying,
Corn is drying,
Students are crying
'Cause summer is dying
And I would be lying
If I said I was trying
To keep from sighing
Over the end of summer.

OK. Technically there's still nearly a month left.

Advertisement: Yokes by Jesus

In biblical times plows were pulled by oxen. Usually the oxen were yoked in pairs. Often the pair would consist of an older experienced ox that was well trained to the plow along with a young ox that still needed to learn. One of the keys to the oxen efficiently pulling the plow was the yoke itself. The better that it fit the oxen -- the more comfortably it fit -- the more efficiently they could pull. This was because it was a comfortable fit that allowed the pressure to be evenly distributed without chaffing or galling the animal.

Jesus was a carpenter. Among the many things that he made I'm sure were yokes for oxen. Often farmers would bring their oxen in to the carpenter to be "fitted" for the yoke. Basically, they were custom made to fit the specific animal. Can you imagine how well a Jesus-made yoke would fit? I suspect they were the best made yokes around.

The yoke on an ox is a little like a job or career for a man or woman. If it is a good fit they are efficient and effective. If it is a poor fit, they are constantly fighting against it and are frustrated and ineffective.

Each of us is uniquely suited to a particular career or job. That is what we should be doing. When we find that niche we are happy and productive. Often we enter into a career because of the money we will make or because of the expectations of others. We should find and do what we were made for.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."__Matthew 11:28-30

(adapted from our sermon this evening)

The Injustice of it All

Weekends
Are for doing all the things
We couldn't get done during the week
Because we were doing all the things we had to do
In order to afford what we wanted/needed to do on the
Weekends.

It's a little like that saying about grand kids --
If I had known how much fun the grand kids were going to be
I would have skipped having kids and gone straight to grandchildren.
The only trouble is that you can't have the grand kids
Until you've gone through
Raising kids.

Is it the reward?
The weekend is the reward for getting through the week;
Grandchildren are the reward for getting through raising the kids.
So, what does it mean
If you have a lousy weekend
Or, you end up raising the grand kids?

That is not the case for me --
But it is for many people.
Is it because they are "paying for their raising?"
Or, because they didn't do much during the week?
Or is it purely chance?

While we are at it,
Why does the rain fall on the just and the unjust?
Why do worthless no-good so-and-so's prosper
And good people struggle?
And just exactly what is the meaning of life?

Why are some of us fortunate enough to be born in the U.S.A.
With tremendous opportunity and often with more than we need
And the majority of the world is living in poverty?
Why are there kids starving in Africa
While restaurants in America throw out tons of uneaten food daily?

Does any of it really matter?
Why are our deepest thoughts always interrupted
By someone saying, "come here, you gotta see this!"
Is there truly justice in the world?
Why is the tea pitcher always empty when I want a glass??!!

A New Blog

I have undertaken a new blog. You will find it at Common Sense Agriculture, Conservation and Energy. Come on over and check it out.

More Random Items

I updated my profile a bit. The only reason I did so is because of the new blogger tool where you can click on the highlighted items and find other bloggers who listed the same things. I'm always looking for new and interesting blogs to read.

My first article was published in the local newspaper today. It was gratifying to see that only the title was changed. However, in the tradition of MSM, the article was posted under a "column" heading that was totally erroneous and misleading. I am taking a chance that the publisher may see this posted (no offence intended) but I was upset about it. I e-mailed her and the editor about my concerns. I think I was reasonably nice in how I expressed my uh, umm, displeasure.

I am reading a book by W.E.B. Griffin called "In Danger's Path; A Novel of the Corps." I am enjoying it immensely. It revolves around the role of the Marine Corps and the OSS during WWII in the Pacific theatre. I'm only about 1/4 of the way into it but it is great so far. I don't recall reading anything by Griffin before but I will certainly read more of his work.

We have been very busy at work which is a good thing. The trouble with busy is that you often don't have time for planning and thinking or for building. Busy is usually a result of responding to someone else's needs. It is reactive, not proactive. Busy happens. But it is often not the most productive time. Productivity is creative. Busy is sometimes just busy.

It looks like my travel schedule is going to become more hectic. This is the season of the year when there are many shows and conferences that I need to attend. It seems like this season is getting longer and longer. It is almost year-round anymore. I get tired of the travel but I enjoy seeing the customers and meeting new prospects. I love trade shows and enjoy working them. It is always interesting to me to find ways to engage potential customers.

School starts next week. My son is enjoying his last few days before the new year begins. I think he is looking forward to it. He is an excellent student -- if he could just get over being a teenager...

Mother Goose

My apologies to all of you whose blogs I normally read. I have been a little busy. I will catch up at first opportunity.

When I was a kid, I enjoyed Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. My favorite was:

Multiplication is vexation
Division is as bad
The rule of three perplexes me
And practice drives me mad.

I don't know why I decided to share that but it seemed like a good idea. What was your favorite Nursery Rhyme? Put it in the comments if you feel so led.

Idealism

Hat Tip to My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

Cyclicity

There is a cyclical nature
To almost everything.
We see it in the passing day
And the coming of the spring.

We feel it in our bodies
As we go from young to old.
We see it as the seasons
Change from warm to cold.

It happens in our workplace
When things change from bad to good.
It inhabits every living thing
And is little understood.

It affects all our relationships
And it works upon the sea.
It determines all the weather
That sends an ache into my knee.

The cycle of creation
Begun by God above
Keeps ticking just like clockwork
Running on His bounteous love.

Random Observations

The official temperature today was 101.

The forecast was for 97.

My thermometer showed 104 at 3:00 pm.

Hurricane Dean is bearing down on the Yucatan peninsula.

It was earlier projected to possibly hit Texas.

We sent buses from the Panhandle to San Antonio in preparation.

The grass in Central Texas is so lush

That the cattle can't eat enough

To get enough to eat (because of the high water content).

The speculation about ethanol production

Has pushed the price of corn so high

The ethanol plants are losing money.

Some liberal activist has filed a complaint

Against Fred Thompson for campaign violations

And he isn't yet a declared candidate.

Obesity may be catching.

Dogs and cats are overweight.

Children are starving around the world.

Beam me up Scottie!

Antique Sailor

I want to promote a fellow blogger. Antique Sailor just wrote a book about her (a grandmother) voyages sailing around the oceans of this beautiful planet. She has posted a few excerpts on her blog. Let's all encourage her.

Mentoring

The church sermon this morning was on mentoring. Using Paul and Timothy as a pattern, our associate pastor talked about how important mentoring is to both new Christians and to folks going through different life stages -- such as marriage, children, divorce, losing a spouse or parent, and on and on. It caused me to think about some of the mentors in my life.

Some of the early mentors in my life include my father and grandfather, J Cowart, Uil Gunter, Travis Hart, and a couple of uncles. On my writing there is Cotton Lewis. In business there has been Walt Gould, Tom Sehl, Jim Robison, Jim Schwertner, and numerous others. There continue to be spiritual mentors like Bob Civil, David Lowrie, Gayle Bowen, and others in our church.

Most of you who might read this don't know theses people. It doesn't matter. Their influence has a ripple effect -- like dropping a rock into still waters. Their effect on me continues through my impact on others. It is like that for all of us. The lives we touch, and how we affect those around us has a ripple effect throughout the world. Is the effect for good or for bad?

Tonight our church service was held jointly with the Palo Duro Cowboy Church. The PDCC was a ministry outreach of our church to those who are not comfortable in the typical church setting but could be reached through the cowboy culture. The pastor of that church, Shannon Moreland, is a cowboy through and through. He grew up on a ranch and has spent most of his life working on ranches throughout Texas. God has used him in a mighty way to reach into the lives of many young cowboys and their families in this area. It is great to see what is happening with them.

Tonight as part of that service we heard a testimony from the first young man that was baptized in their church. He grew up with alcohol and drugs and as a result spent a little time in jail. The men in the PDCC continued to reach out to him and help him with employment and counseling. He reached bottom about a year ago and realized how badly he needed something different in his life. He realized that only Jesus could save him from himself. His testimony is an amazing example of the power to change lives that comes only from Christ.

The PDCC is an example of mentoring in several ways. 1) Our church is mentoring them and helping them to become established. 2) The mature Christians in that church are mentoring the young men and women who are looking to improve their lives. 3) They are mentoring young men and women like the example above to escape the traps of drugs, alcohol, abuse and crime. They are following the example that Jesus himself set of mentoring the apostles who then spread the gospel. The ripple effect continues today.

Toot Your Horn

I was reading in the book of Ezekiel and the following passage jumped out at me.

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.'" __Ezekiel 33:1-6

The sword is coming and is among us. It is called Islam. Many have been blowing their horn. We should all join them.

Fighting Fires vs Focus

Where has the week gone?!? It seems like only yesterday that we were driving home from New Mexico. I guess it seemed to fly by because it was so busy.

On Monday I drove to Kansas to work at our business location there and to meet with a couple of customers. On Wednesday I returned home late and spent yesterday and today at our business location here in the Panhandle. After being off last week (although admittedly I did work some from home part of the time) I had a rather large pile of things that had accumulated while I was out of the office. I have been diligently checking items off of my "to do" list throughout the week and feel that I accomplished quite a lot -- but not everything that I had planned.

That "to do" list is critical to keeping me on task. I spend some time each morning reviewing items from the previous day, adding additional tasks that have popped up, and thinking about priorities so that I can organize my day in a fashion that moves me toward my goals. Without planning, it is easy to become sidetracked into tasks that need to be done, but may not be as important as other things. I rank my tasks according to priority -- I use a modified Franklin-Covey time management system. I always allocate some time for working on long-term projects that are not necessarily "critical" but are important to my long-term goals.

The daily "fires" can be a killer if you do not spend time on the things that will prevent the fires from occurring. The best way to describe that is to give an example from my past. In a previous job I was given the task of evaluating an operating distribution warehouse in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I was to determine if it should remain open and if so, how it could be turned around from a loss situation to a profitable one. It was a disaster. The warehouse was disorganized, the products were not in assigned locations, the computer system was not set up to match the warehouse, the inventory was off by several hundred thousand dollars, and the employees had no clue what to do. They were working 14 hour days in survival mode.

The "fires" were to get products out the door to meet the orders that were coming in on a daily basis. The solution was to get the warehouse and computer system in order and the employees properly trained. It took almost 3 months to get everything lined out and functioning on a reasonable basis. Then it was a matter of "trimming" the operation so that it became more efficient. I focused on the most important factor in the situation -- correcting the issues in the warehouse. Piece by piece, as the "operating system" was corrected, the fires began to disappear.

While correcting the warehouse operations I also had to work with the salesmen to adjust how they were working their territories. They were doing everything backward. Without going into detail, we turned the division completely around in less than two years. It went from a loss of approximately $350,000/year to a profit of over $400,000/year in that two year time frame just by re-focusing everyone's efforts.

My point is that when you focus on the deep issues -- the things that will move you toward your goals -- the panic response to daily fires disappears. That doesn't mean the occasional issues won't come up, but they become fewer and much farther between.

A Few Books

I keep a log of books that I read. I started doing so a number of years back after reading a book by Louis L'Amour called "Education of a Wandering Man." I decided to try something new here by giving you a sampling of a few of the more enjoyable books that I've read recently. Of course, they are linked back to Amazon so that if you click on a picture and decide to order, I'll get a little tiny credit toward some more reading material. This is just experimental on my part. I'm still "playing" with this blogging thing (heh, heh)!

Einstein by Walter Isaacson was an excellent biography. While addressing the physics that drove Einstein's life, Isaacson presents the material in a readable and understandable manner. I really enjoyed this book.



Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides is not a biography although it centers in many respects on the life of Kit Carson. It covers the period of early settlement in the Southwestern United States including John C. Fremont's march to California as well as the Navajo Wars. This is also one that I would highly recommend.

Doc Holliday is a great biography of Wyatt Earp's "side-kick" by Gary L. Roberts. That's the trouble with legends though. The so-called side-kick was an independent cuss who was a mix of Southern Chivalry, gunfighter, and dentist. This was one that I really enjoyed although I thought that it spent too much ink talking about the Earps. I guess there are some individuals who left a huge footprint but very little documentation of their lives. Doc Holliday was one of them.

Bone Tired -- Not Usually

Well, I guess I jumped the gun. I knew better. My first article will not come out this week. When they went to put the paper together for the edition that it was to appear in, there was no way to make space for it. I was gratified that it was not edited down to the space requirement and hopefully will eventually run intact. This is all new to me and I'm learning. However, it is like sales. You don't count the sale until the check clears the bank! The lesson is that you're not published until you hold the paper in your hand.

It was hot, Hot, HOT!!! in Kansas the last few days. The temperature was 102 degrees for Monday, Tuesday, and today. I was glad to get back to Texas where it was only 95 degrees. The crops up in Kansas are beginning to show some heat stress where they have inadequate irrigation. That should further add to the price pressure on corn and soybeans which in turn will impact some of the products made from them. It also has an impact on meats and milk products because both corn and soybeans are key animal feed ingredients.

Hermit left a comment on yesterday's post that got me to thinking. He said, "You sure stay busy. Don't you ever just get bone tired of work?" You can read my response in the comments to that post. I guess that I get tired from working (a good kind of tired), but I get more tired when I don't have enough to do. I know that I've talked about retirement, but I see myself busy in retirement. I see myself continuing to work at something -- even if it is just taking care of the lawn and chores around the house. I just can't see myself doing nothing.

I like to stay busy. If I get too still, I usually fall asleep. If I'm not working on something, I have a book in my hand reading, or I'm researching something on the computer, or I'm playing the guitar, or something. I feel like I need to be doing something productive all of the time. Now, I will say that I also spend time thinking and meditating. By meditating, I'm not talking about Zen Buddhism, I'm talking about focusing on a thought or subject or praying and studying scripture. The relaxing, "emptying" techniques that some practice under the guise of Buddhism are dangerous. If you empty your mind, something will enter into it and it won't always be good. Therefore we should focus on good things.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." -- Philippians 4:8-9

Meetings and Writings

I had a great meeting with a customer this morning. They are planning a trip in which they will be recruiting new customers for their business and working with existing customers. They asked if I would like to go with them to talk about the services that we offer. I jumped on it "in a heartbeat!" What better way to strengthen a customer relationship than to help them build their business. This particular customer is very large and there is a lot of growth potential with them.

We will be doing what we call "producer meetings." These are evening meetings where we invite cattle producers to a meal and presentation. We are planning a week-long trip in which we will put on one of these meetings each night and during the day will meet with individual producers. The large customer that I am working with has a strong base in the areas that we will be traveling to and will be introducing me to their existing customers as well as to prospects.

The service that we provide can be administered at several different points in the production stream. The earlier in the stream that it is done, the greater the potential benefit to all concerned. Our customer is wanting to push the process to the the cow/calf level -- which is the ideal point. In that way, their customer will receive the full benefit of our service as their cattle move through the production cycle. It is a win-win-win proposition.

On a totally different note, I have been asked to start writing a weekly news article for our newspaper. Each Thursday, the paper has an agriculture section and they have asked me to write for that section. The first article will be published this week. It will be a little extra work, but I think well worth it. No, it won't be as Panhandle Poet, it will be under my real name.

One of the things taught by many experts is that it is important to be considered expert in your field -- whatever that might be. One step in becoming an "expert" is to be published as such on items of interest to your business, your customers, and your prospects. I will be attempting to submit some of the articles that I write to trade publications as well as to our local paper. We will see how it works out.

The Return

Vacations
Are a time
Where we spend
Days getting our minds
Off of work
Only to find
That when we finally
Forget about work
It's time to go back.

Vacations
Are a time
Where we spend
A lot of energy having fun
Only to find
We must return to work
To recover
From all the effort
We put into relaxing.

Vacations
Are a time
Where we leave
The work to be done
By others
Only to find
That it piled up
While we were gone
And awaits our return.

A Pair

Look at those idiots from Texas. They drive all over Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado just to take a picture of us!

Mountains and History

Raton Pass,
Trinidad,
Coal mines,
Purgatorie River,
Bosque de Oso,
Oil wells,
Stonewall,
Monument Lake,
Cucharras Pass,
Cordova Pass,
Spanish Peaks,
Adobe,
Santa Fe Trail,
Kit Carson,
Charles Bent,
Lucien Maxwell,
Doc Holiday,
Bat Masterson,
Wyatt Earp,
Matador Ranch,
Prairie Land and Cattle,
Mexican Food,
Vermejo Park,
Elk.
The things of this day.

The Land of Enchantment

Howdy from the Land of Enchantment! Brief showers cooled things off nicely yesterday afternoon here in the mountains. It is beautiful.

Mostly yesterday we just drove around looking. We saw a black bear cub, around 150 elk, a coyote, mule deer, and countless antelope. There were even pelicans at the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge.

Today we're heading up into southern Colorado. Basically we're just scouting around to see what we can find. I enjoy the history and my spouse enjoys the shopping. We both enjoy the wildlife. So, I guess we'll see what turns up.

Cow Pasture Golf

The family golf outing is complete with no injuries! Really it wasn't bad. The course was beautiful and the weather moderated somewhat from the last few days. In fact, we are experiencing thunderstorms right now. They were NOT in the forecast.

The course that we played sits in one of the upper arms of Palo Duro Canyon. It is not deep, but a creek winds through the course and there are many, many wild turkey that wander the course. There are also deer in the canyon but we didn't see any today. Several of the turkeys had chicks (I don't know if that is the proper name) following them. The babies were from very small -- maybe 4 inches tall -- up to slightly larger than a pheasant. I believe that it was a bumper crop of young turkeys.

I will warn all of you investor types if I decide to get serious about golf. I'm sure that it would be a good time to invest in golf ball manufacturing companies. I lost several today and I'm sure that if I played regularly at this particular course that I would lose many more! I don't think any landed in the water, they instead went flying into the brushy creek bottom that looked like something out of Georgia or Louisiana. Those crews up north that have been looking for Sasquatch need to check out this golf course. He may be hiding there and no one would ever know it.

I always thought it was humorous that when I was young -- probably in elementary school, my Dad took up golf. That wasn't the funny part, it was when he made a golf club for my grandfather out of some old scrap metal in Grandpa's barn. They took it and a bucket of golf balls out to the pasture and hit balls off down the hill. I think a couple of my uncles had the chore of shagging the balls and bringing them back. When you talk about cow-pasture golf, I've seen it. I think they also used good clubs to practice hitting balls out in the pasture too, but I always remember that home made club. I think it ended up back in the scrap pile. Grandpa never could see the sense of "chasing those little white balls around the pasture." Needless to say, he didn't take up golf.

My parents are both good golfers. My father shot his age when he was 67 (I think). My mother always consistently knocks it straight down the fairway -- never extremely far, but she always took the shortest distance to the hole. When she played regularly she was a dead-shot with a putter. I can knock the ball a "pretty far piece" but you never know which direction. My short game suffers from lack of practice. I will probably take up golfing someday if I ever decide to retire.

Retiring brings up a whole different subject. The comments on my post a couple of days ago in which I mentioned retirement were somewhat humorous. I appreciate all of them. Ranando, if you read this, I don't think you can retire. What would you do that is different from the lifestyle that you lead now? I don't envy you though, I think God puts each of us in the place that we are in for a purpose. We each have unique challenges that are suited to shaping us into what God would have us to be if we allow Him to do so. For those who are His children, He works daily to mold us as a potter molds the clay. We each are designed by Him to fulfill specific purposes in the places that He puts us. Whatever that place and purpose are, it is an honor to be of service to Him. I wonder if God invented golf or if it was the devil???

Half Over

My week off is half over and I don't know where the first half went! I've managed to accomplish a few minor projects -- well they were minor to accomplish but a couple of them were very important. I have a couple of long rows of young trees that have not needed supplemental water until this week. The drip lines that I have to irrigate them were in need of repair. One was hit by the neighbor who got a little ambitious with his tractor and shredder and in a different place was hit by a rototiller. The other one was chewed in two by rabbits. Both of them had several broken emitters. I got both of them repaired and in good working order.

The blast furnace was in full force this afternoon. Our temperature topped out at about 101 degrees today and the wind was blowing over 30 mph at times. We went from a beautiful cool, wet summer to a blazing inferno in the past few days. The temperatures are normal for this time of year but they usually are not accompanied by such strong winds. By mid-September it will cool down again. I told someone earlier today that I thought I would invest in a train load of iron ore. I could pile it in the pasture and it would be smelted by the end of the day!

This country has beautiful weather for about 10 months of the year. Those other two months give us a bad reputation though. We usually have one bitterly cold month in the winter and one extremely hot month in the summer. The rest of the year usually isn't too bad. In fact, our average annual high temperature is 72 degrees -- the "ideal" temperature. It's the range that gets you. Fortunately we typically have low humidity.

I plan on golfing tomorrow. It's something that I make it a point to do at least once each year. I wonder if that's why I'm not any good at it. My son likes to golf. This will be a family golfing adventure. I hope I don't hurt anyone!

Fred Thompson Campaign Staffing

The staffing of Fred Thompson's campaign organization continues to clarify with each passing day. Tom Collamore who originally set up Thompson's headquarters was temporarily replaced by Randy Enwright several weeks ago. Spencer Abraham was added to the staff in an advisory capacity a couple of weeks ago and now serves as Campaign Ambassador to "official" Washington. Abraham's inside knowledge of Washington as well as his strong pro-life stance will serve well in that position. Today, Thompson announced the addition of "Bill Lacy, a former strategist for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and Republican National Committee" as his day-to-day campaign manager. I am certain we will continue to see new names come into the fold in an advisory capacity as Thompson continues to "gear-up" for an official announcement which is expected sometime next month.

I'm With Fred

Fred Thompson has re-vamped the campaign site and has some new widgets over there. It is time for everyone to get geared up. We want to be certain to create as much momentum for Fred as possible as he nears a formal announcement that is likely to occur next month. Visit the I'mWithFred site to keep up to speed on his positions, speeches and news on his campaign. I am certain he would appreciate any donations that you wish to make. You can donate from this site by clicking on the widget on my sidebar or by going to the I'mWithFred website.

Retirement???

I'm taking a few days off this week and just being a bum -- well that's probably not an accurate description. I wonder if this is what retirement feels like. Yesterday I worked on a couple of minor projects, did some mowing, bought some parts for a repair job this morning, and then just "piddled" around the house. I played the guitar and the fiddle some and read and took a nap. This morning I got up and completed the repair job that I bought parts for yesterday and then mowed and edged the lawn. I plan on relaxing the rest of the day. I may read, nap, or blog....

Tomorrow I may take on another minor project and then I plan on golfing on Thursday morning. I'm not much of a golfer but it can be enjoyable occasionally. This weekend my son is traveling to Midland, Texas, to "Rock the Desert" which is a 2-plus day Christian music festival. While he is in Midland, my spouse and I plan on heading up to Raton, New Mexico, for the weekend. We've not spent much time in that part of New Mexico. It is usually just an area we pass through on our way elsewhere. I've heard there's some good fishing in the area and I plan on scouting it out. Mainly though, we just plan on relaxing for a couple of days.

Raton is probably the nearest point from us to the mountains. It's only about 3 1/2 hours drive from here. That's not bad. It is close enough that we someday might want to build a small cabin getaway. You never know.

We are expecting high temperatures of 100 degrees or more for the rest of the week. Any projects will need to be done in the mornings and the afternoons will be better spent indoors. I've had my share of working out in the hot sun and wind. If I can avoid it, I will.

Retirement is something
We all work toward
Although it is a point that I think is misnamed.
It is really a time of self reward
Where we decide that it's our time to choose

Just what it is we do each day
Rather than punching someone else's clock.
For many people it is a time to quit
But for others it's opportunity's knock
That starts them on the path

Of their own choosing rather than
Jumping at the whim of a boss.
It is a time to enjoy what you've worked to acquire
Or you will be at a loss
And slowly drift into the nursing home.

I look forward to the change that is signaled
By what we call retirement
Although I will never stop working or
Achieving because I believe we are meant
To be productive as long as we are able.

Into the Furnace

A hot dry wind
Blows across the Plains
Sucking the lifeblood of the prairie
In its searing blast.
The succulence
Of the rain engorged leaves
Is gone and the withered remains
Curl into grayish husks
Of their former selves.
Yet on the horizon
Tower the billowing
Marshmallow shapes of
Cumulus clouds reaching through
The heat blasted hole into the
Cooler air above
Where the hailstones form.
Relief comes at a price.

Anchorage

Family time is always a good time -- or at least it should be if everyone is getting along with each other. That's never really been a problem with my family but I've heard horror stories from other people.

This weekend all of my immediate family were able to be together at my parents house. It makes for a house full of people, but it is good to see everyone. We are fortunate in that we all live fairly close together. It seems though that we don't get together very frequently.

The occasion of our getting together was the annual "celebration" in our home town. I spent the first 20-something years of my life in the same town -- except while I was away at A&M. There is no doubt that I have a home town. My children didn't have that experience. I asked my son what he considered his home town and he replied that he guessed where we live now would be it since we've lived here the longest. He went on to say that he's lived in 7 different towns while growing up and he feels some connection to the last 3 of them. I guess that makes sense just from his age and ability to remember events that occurred in each of those places.

I wonder if the concept of home town is tied to a sense of duration. My mother has lived in the same community her entire life. Her parents came to that community in the 1930's. My father adopted that community when he started his career and has remained there. I suspect he still considers his home town to be the small community in Southwestern Oklahoma where he spent his childhood. But, he has lived where he is now much longer.

Maybe home town is a sense of place associated with childhood. It is a point of formation of our hopes and dreams and experiences. It is a sense of place that endures for no reason other than as an anchor to the dreams of our youth.

It would be interesting to me if any of you readers would like to share what your idea and feelings are regarding your home town. Share the name of the place if you wish and why you consider it your home town. If you have written of your home town before, feel free to link back to any such posts.

Time Warp

Hello from my home town. It is the "annual celebration" time -- sort of an Old Settlers Reunion that has turned into the time when all of the High School classes have their class reunions, etc. The series of events is the same each year with activities each night of the week leading up to the Saturday morning parade and recognition of pioneer families.

Friday night is a dance under the Pavilion on the square. It is a good place to see old friends and acquaintances. The strange thing is, they all get older while I never age. I can't understand it. I must be stuck in a time warp or something.

The other thing that I noticed is that dial-up is slow. I'm posting from my parent's home and their connection is dial-up. Maybe I did walk into a time warp. Everything certainly is slow.....

A Pair of Sixes From Texas

I've been tagged (sigh) by Janie over at Sounding Forth. This one is a little different so I'll play along -- thanks Janie...

The rules..."to find out from as many bloggers as possible just where they'd like to be in the state of Texas if they could choose A Dozen Places. Six of those would be places they've been before; six would be places they've never been."

Six places in Texas where I have been and would like to be right now...

1) Port Aransas fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
2) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe.
3) Lake Texhoma fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
4) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe (different cafe).
5) Possum Kingdom Lake fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
6) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe (yet again, a different cafe).

Six places in Texas where I have never been and would like to go...

1) Toledo Bend Reservoir fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
2) Lake Fork fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
3) Running the rapids through Santa Elena Canyon in the Big Bend -- although it's a whole lot too warm this time of year.
4) Hunting mule deer in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas -- wrong time of year.
5) Whitewing dove hunting in McAllen -- wrong time of year.
6) Hiking the Devil's Canyon in southwest Texas -- it is waaaaaaay too hot this time of year!

I guess you can tell that my mind is not on work. In fact, I'm taking next week off.

Part of this Meme is to tag six others to post. I'm not going to do that -- sorry Janie -- but I would encourage all of y'all from Texas, or anywhere else for that matter, to take it upon yourself to post your pair-of-sixes. (Visions of dice and six-guns just popped into my head.) If you do post, put something in the comments here and provide a link back -- it would be appreciated. Y'all Texans especially need to keep this going. A little promo for the Lone Star State is always a good thing. You know there's only two kinds of people in the world -- Texans and those who wish they were.

Bob

Bob is a cattleman
That ranches west of town.
He's one of those on whom
You rarely see a frown.

If you need a volunteer
To get a project done
Immediately you think
That Bob is the one

To put in charge because
That's where you normally find
Him. Taking kids to Lions camp
Or doing something kind

For one of the older folks
In town who can't quite
Get around much anymore.
Or if you watch you might

Catch him on a Sunday
Heading to Amarillo
For the prison ministry
Where he's a regular fellow

Sharing with those
Who need someone to care
In a place
Where many won't dare

To be seen. And if
There's a church cookout
He's the one to volunteer
To bring his grill out

And spend all day cooking
So the folks can enjoy
A wonderful meal
Cooked by this good ol' boy.

Yep, Bob's a good friend
Who gets much out of life.
He has a couple of kids
And a loving wife.

He can play the drums
Or ride his "bike" with chrome spokes,
But he seems to be happiest
Helping out other folks.

Choices

Choices
Can be difficult
When the way is not clear.

Sometimes
There is no right or wrong --
Only a choice.

In such cases
It is the process we follow
And the reasons behind the choice;

Not necessarily
The choice that we make
Or the path that we take.

God
Is not a God
Of confusion.

God
Is a teacher
Always.

If God
Wants us to follow
A specific path

The way
Will be made clear
In some fashion.

Otherwise
He wants us to grow
Through our choice.

When I was a child my mother would hand me a quarter and let me choose which candy I wanted. The choice was always difficult although there were no wrong choices. There were sometimes things that I was steered away from, but I was always left to choose. The choice was difficult but the reward was great. I always enjoyed the candy. Sometimes I wouldn't open it for hours because I wanted to savor the possession. Sometimes I could hardly wait to tear into it. The choice itself was the teaching/learning experience.