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Pull Tight

the ironies of life, rural Texas, bicycling, theater, wildlife, Paluxy,

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Popular posts from this blog

Law of Geography

September 18, 2020

Paluxy River White Bluff Creek “SIR, SIR” came an urgent shout from some distance behind me. I was standing near the confluence of White Bluff Creek and the Paluxy River on what is sometimes referred to as Flat Rocks with my back to the road traversing the creek without a bridge. It was an early spring morning after a rainstorm the night before. I stopped my car a few minutes earlier to enjoy hearing nothing except the sound of water rushing over the limestone riverbed. About 6 miles upstream from Glen Rose, Texas, and less than a mile from the little patch of land made famous in the book Hard Scrabble by John Graves. Flat Rocks is a nickname given to the fairly flat and usually dry rock formation of a few thousand square feet. It may be that the locals called it flat rocks because the city park in Glen Rose is officially named “Big Rocks”. It was popular as an out of the way place for high schoolers to congregate on weekend nights around campfires many years ago, pe...

Mom

Cynthia McIntire Born to Ben and Montie Holmes Wann, the second of five children on April 9, 1927. Cynthia was born, raised, and lived in Paluxy where she spent the next more than ninety years. Only leaving Paluxy for a few months in Florida early in her marriage and then for her last couple of years in a nursing home as the result of a fall followed by a stroke. She is survived by Clinton (Junior to many), husband of 73 years, children Terry, Sheila, Sharon, sister Glenda, sister in law Jean, 7 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While the last 3 years of her life were difficult because of declining health, very few of us will experience 91 good, happy years with family, friends, and home. And, this is what she had. She and Clinton were rarely apart. They worked together side by side on the farm. They traveled and socialized extensively after retirement mostly with the local Good Sams group of which they were members for over 25 years. She was a great mother, but cou...

Weather and Politics

August 21, 2006

Weather and Politics I think of something every day I would like to post, but life and work seem to get in the way of sitting down and writing. I originally thought I would avoid writing about the weather or politics. Generally boring subjects, but this year the weather is so consistently hot and dry, maybe it is worth mentioning. And Texas politics; the governor’s race is going to be the most interesting in recent memory, maybe ever. I will probably not be able to resist writing some opinions and would welcome anyone else’s. While my political views are probably slightly to the left of most who might read Pull Tight, I suspect we largely share the same thoughts on politicians.

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Mom

Cynthia McIntire Born to Ben and Montie Holmes Wann, the second of five children on April 9, 1927. Cynthia was born, raised, and lived in Paluxy where she spent the next more than ninety years. Only leaving Paluxy for a few months in Florida early in her marriage and then for her last couple of years in a nursing home as the result of a fall followed by a stroke. She is survived by Clinton (Junior to many), husband of 73 years, children Terry, Sheila, Sharon, sister Glenda, sister in law Jean, 7 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While the last 3 years of her life were difficult because of declining health, very few of us will experience 91 good, happy years with family, friends, and home. And, this is what she had. She and Clinton were rarely apart. They worked together side by side on the farm. They traveled and socialized extensively after retirement mostly with the local Good Sams group of which they were members for over 25 years. She was a great mother, but cou...

250

Almost 2 years ago, I decided to try a different type of physical workout. Signed up with Camp Gladiator (CG) for "boot camp". Committed to showing up with a yoga mat and dumbbells for a whole body work out 3 times per week. Realized at my first workout that I was one of a very few participants who was old enough to qualify for Medicare. I was probably in slightly better shape than average for my age, but maybe that doesn't say much for me or the average senior citizen. I had to walk most of the warm up lap. Any exercise that involved getting on the ground or up from the ground took me a bit longer, I probably consistently missed the first couple of reps. At one my first work outs, I was breathing very hard and struggling. The woman next to me (Amanda) turned to me and reassuring said "It's OK Terry, I am a nurse trained in CPR". I have yet to need it, but a few times might have been pretty close. The work outs can be pretty high impact....

Wild Melons

The things that trigger our memories are fascinating. Driving down the road a couple of days ago and saw a wild melon vine growing down the road cut. All of a sudden I was 10 years old again and eating biscuits with wild melon (pine melon?) preserves at a childhood friend's house. The preserves were thick and very sweet. Been craving them all week.

Dwayne

September 11, 2017

“Some trails are happy ones, Others are blue. It's the way you ride the trail that counts…” Happy Trails by Dale Evans “Life is far too important to be taken seriously” by Oscar Wilde is one my favorite quotes. Not sure if Dwayne ever heard this quote, but to all outward appearances he lived his life with this philosophy. Always ready with a joke and a less than serious observation of life’s circumstances. He most times had the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye of either just pulling something off or just about to. Let’s remember him when we become a little too concerned with the rest of the world. Dwayne was for several years growing up my closest neighbor. We had many adventures as kids and teenagers. And yes he was a cousin too. Someone once remarked that the grandchildren of Ben and Montie Wann didn’t have friends, they just have cousins. And, yes there is a unique bond among this group, but especially wi...

Hauling horses

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/03/12/horse-transported-in-pickup-bed/ This article caused me to remember my grandfather Ben Wann. Apparently, he would haul Smokey, his palomino mare around the ranch in a pick up without any kind of frames/sideboards in the 1950s. Can't remember seeing him haul the horse in this manner, but this has been confirmed by other sources. I rode with him on this horse as a child. And, also recall many times riding around with him in his old Chevy pick up truck looking through his cows and/or goats. Grandpa was gifted in mathematical ability and would impress me by counting his goats by 6s and 7s as a herd of a couple of hundred came running to meet us.

4.3 (Life throws a curve)

About 2 months ago I went to a physician because of trouble sleeping. The sleep problem was probably just due to work/life stress and some very long hours. The physician suggested some lab work. It had been 4-5 years since I had any lab work. When she discovered this along with the fact all of my lab work was free because of where I worked, she ordered an extensive battery of tests. Although a PSA would have nothing to do with insomnia, it was ordered also. Everything came back pretty much normal except the PSA. The value was 4.3 (upper limit of normal is 4.0). Next was a visit to my General Practitioner. He and I talked about the assay. He told me how there was controversy about using PSA and GPs aren't trained well for digital exams. Then he had me drop my pants for the exam anyway. He didn't think I should be too concerned. I was placed on a regimen of antibiotics and asked to come by for retesting when completed. It came up in conversation that although there was not much t...

Pulltight

Pull Tight is the nickname for Paluxy. I'm not sure if is Pull-tight, Pull Tight or Pulltight, although I tend to think of it as one word (Pulltight). The origin of the term, and later the name, Pulltight, probably comes from the teams of horses having to pull so tight to get loads of freshly ground grain up the river bank. The pull up from the old grist mill is somewhat steep and sandy. It must have taken an extra effort to pull the wagons out of the river bed onto the river bottom and then on up the hill to Paluxy. Most likely the nickname caught on when one of the early settlers used to remark “We are going to have to pull tight to make our town succeed”. My favorite version, but probably the not the favorite of my Baptist relatives, is that one day after an afternoon of drinking, in the Paluxy saloon, one of the old men was too drunk to say “We are all full tight” and it came out “We are all pull tight”. I like to think of pulltight as having a meaning other than a nick...

No Pain No Gain

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. Confucius Although probably in slightly better shape than the average Medicare recipient, realize I am still pretty out of shape. Walking, leisurely bike rides (even if over 25 miles), a standing desk and a better than average diet wasn't getting me where I should be. Have committed to spin classes for a year or two on occasion resulting in some lost weight and better cardiovascular condition. But, this didn't do much for strength, flexibility or helping lose the extra 35 lbs. Decided to give boot camp a try after hear a presentation by Camp Gladiator. Just completed week 4. Going to a camp close to home 3 days a week in the early morning hours. To say I am the oldest and most out of shape, would be an understatement, I describe the camp to friends and coworkers as me, the old guy and a bunch of mostly 30ish women who probably participated in the Olympic tria...

Surprise! It's a wedding.

August 19, 2013

Our daughter Lauren became engaged to Beau. in June. We were planning an engagement party this past weekend. Lauren and Beau had been looking at various venues, destinations etc. They have busy lives. Beau teaching, coaching, giving private wrestling lessons and National Guard duty. And Lauren with work and nursing school beginning this month. Last week, six days before the engagement party at our house, Lauren called. "We would like to have a surprise wedding at the engagement party." Decorations and food plans were quickly ramped up (some scrambling was involved). Around 60 guests in attendance with only a very few knowing what was about to happen. It was a very nice ceremony and party enjoyed by all. Turned out great with several people telling me this was the best wedding they had ever attended.

Cadillac Desert

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

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Popular posts from this blog

Law of Geography

September 18, 2020

Paluxy River White Bluff Creek “SIR, SIR” came an urgent shout from some distance behind me. I was standing near the confluence of White Bluff Creek and the Paluxy River on what is sometimes referred to as Flat Rocks with my back to the road traversing the creek without a bridge. It was an early spring morning after a rainstorm the night before. I stopped my car a few minutes earlier to enjoy hearing nothing except the sound of water rushing over the limestone riverbed. About 6 miles upstream from Glen Rose, Texas, and less than a mile from the little patch of land made famous in the book Hard Scrabble by John Graves. Flat Rocks is a nickname given to the fairly flat and usually dry rock formation of a few thousand square feet. It may be that the locals called it flat rocks because the city park in Glen Rose is officially named “Big Rocks”. It was popular as an out of the way place for high schoolers to congregate on weekend nights around campfires many years ago, pe...

Mom

Cynthia McIntire Born to Ben and Montie Holmes Wann, the second of five children on April 9, 1927. Cynthia was born, raised, and lived in Paluxy where she spent the next more than ninety years. Only leaving Paluxy for a few months in Florida early in her marriage and then for her last couple of years in a nursing home as the result of a fall followed by a stroke. She is survived by Clinton (Junior to many), husband of 73 years, children Terry, Sheila, Sharon, sister Glenda, sister in law Jean, 7 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While the last 3 years of her life were difficult because of declining health, very few of us will experience 91 good, happy years with family, friends, and home. And, this is what she had. She and Clinton were rarely apart. They worked together side by side on the farm. They traveled and socialized extensively after retirement mostly with the local Good Sams group of which they were members for over 25 years. She was a great mother, but cou...

Weather and Politics

August 21, 2006

Weather and Politics I think of something every day I would like to post, but life and work seem to get in the way of sitting down and writing. I originally thought I would avoid writing about the weather or politics. Generally boring subjects, but this year the weather is so consistently hot and dry, maybe it is worth mentioning. And Texas politics; the governor’s race is going to be the most interesting in recent memory, maybe ever. I will probably not be able to resist writing some opinions and would welcome anyone else’s. While my political views are probably slightly to the left of most who might read Pull Tight, I suspect we largely share the same thoughts on politicians.

Popular posts from this blog

Mom

Cynthia McIntire Born to Ben and Montie Holmes Wann, the second of five children on April 9, 1927. Cynthia was born, raised, and lived in Paluxy where she spent the next more than ninety years. Only leaving Paluxy for a few months in Florida early in her marriage and then for her last couple of years in a nursing home as the result of a fall followed by a stroke. She is survived by Clinton (Junior to many), husband of 73 years, children Terry, Sheila, Sharon, sister Glenda, sister in law Jean, 7 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While the last 3 years of her life were difficult because of declining health, very few of us will experience 91 good, happy years with family, friends, and home. And, this is what she had. She and Clinton were rarely apart. They worked together side by side on the farm. They traveled and socialized extensively after retirement mostly with the local Good Sams group of which they were members for over 25 years. She was a great mother, but cou...

250

Almost 2 years ago, I decided to try a different type of physical workout. Signed up with Camp Gladiator (CG) for "boot camp". Committed to showing up with a yoga mat and dumbbells for a whole body work out 3 times per week. Realized at my first workout that I was one of a very few participants who was old enough to qualify for Medicare. I was probably in slightly better shape than average for my age, but maybe that doesn't say much for me or the average senior citizen. I had to walk most of the warm up lap. Any exercise that involved getting on the ground or up from the ground took me a bit longer, I probably consistently missed the first couple of reps. At one my first work outs, I was breathing very hard and struggling. The woman next to me (Amanda) turned to me and reassuring said "It's OK Terry, I am a nurse trained in CPR". I have yet to need it, but a few times might have been pretty close. The work outs can be pretty high impact....

Wild Melons

The things that trigger our memories are fascinating. Driving down the road a couple of days ago and saw a wild melon vine growing down the road cut. All of a sudden I was 10 years old again and eating biscuits with wild melon (pine melon?) preserves at a childhood friend's house. The preserves were thick and very sweet. Been craving them all week.

Dwayne

September 11, 2017

“Some trails are happy ones, Others are blue. It's the way you ride the trail that counts…” Happy Trails by Dale Evans “Life is far too important to be taken seriously” by Oscar Wilde is one my favorite quotes. Not sure if Dwayne ever heard this quote, but to all outward appearances he lived his life with this philosophy. Always ready with a joke and a less than serious observation of life’s circumstances. He most times had the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye of either just pulling something off or just about to. Let’s remember him when we become a little too concerned with the rest of the world. Dwayne was for several years growing up my closest neighbor. We had many adventures as kids and teenagers. And yes he was a cousin too. Someone once remarked that the grandchildren of Ben and Montie Wann didn’t have friends, they just have cousins. And, yes there is a unique bond among this group, but especially wi...

Hauling horses

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/03/12/horse-transported-in-pickup-bed/ This article caused me to remember my grandfather Ben Wann. Apparently, he would haul Smokey, his palomino mare around the ranch in a pick up without any kind of frames/sideboards in the 1950s. Can't remember seeing him haul the horse in this manner, but this has been confirmed by other sources. I rode with him on this horse as a child. And, also recall many times riding around with him in his old Chevy pick up truck looking through his cows and/or goats. Grandpa was gifted in mathematical ability and would impress me by counting his goats by 6s and 7s as a herd of a couple of hundred came running to meet us.

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