Pull Tight

My favorite tree.  This old oak tree is near the mouth of Pony Creek.  Have visited it many times over the years.  As a child I camped with my uncle and cousin underneath. It once provided shelter for my horse and me in a sudden rain storm.  Walked from the tree to watch fish swim in the clear water of Pony Creek.   And, swam in the Paluxy river a few yards away.  If I were ever to become so destitute I had to call a tree my home or if I ever become so affluent I can call a tree my home, this is where you might find me. Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come. - Chinese proverb

Before today I was probably the oldest living Rocky Horror virgin in all of the English speaking countries. A really fun day at the theater (Dallas Theater Center). If by chance you haven't seen it, go see at the theater or a midnight movie.  Much of the experience involves the abundance of audience participation, many of which have seen the show numerous times and come prepared with costumes, comments, props, etc.

Had a friend a few years ago who grew up in the Port Arthur Beaumont area in the 1960s. She used to tell a story about the day she went outside and her pantyhose melted. The part of the story you discovered later was the pantyhose were hanging on a clothes line instead of being worn.  But, enough organic solvents in the air to melt pantyhose is remarkably scary.  There is a pretty good chance if you knew a few people from this area from during time frame (and for many years afterwards), you either know somebody or know somebody that knows somebody with leukemia or a similar serious illness. Fast forward 40 years, Tarrant County now has the worst air in the State. Increased vehicles, gas well extraction pumps and fracking in the immediate area are causing problems. Cement kilns and power plants downwind also make significant negative contributions to our air quality.  Asthma and respiratory rates are way above the rest of the State. If interested and concerned, this lo...

“Coffee, according to the women of Denmark, is to the body what the Word of the Lord is to the soul.” Isak Dinesen We are somewhat connoisseurs (snobs??) of coffee at our house. Every morning starts with grinding coffee beans and preparing coffee with a French coffee press.  Sometimes it is coffee with Nancy while watching the morning news. Or sometimes it is stepping outside with coffee in hand after releasing the hounds.  The hounds are really Westies, but it is still nice to be outside with your coffee. Visited this place after reading about it. Car repair and coffee roasting make for a unique place of business located on the south side of Fort Worth. Reviews say the best coffee in the Fort Worth Dallas area comes from here.  Still on my first batch, but will probably be in agreement with the reviews. No coffee is roasted until ordered. Be prepared to wait about 20 minutes for your coffee to be roasted if you don't call ahead. Waiting is part of the experien...

Recently met up with some long lost cousins. Shared some photos and stories with them. This is mostly for my children, nieces, nephews and those cousins for whom Clint McIntire would have been their great grandfather. Many others will remember Granddad as well. Granddad was the only janitor for a few years at the school in Tolar during a time when there were only about 200 students in all 12 grades combined. The kids all called him Smitty. He was so popular with the student body the school yearbook was once dedicated to him. One his duties as janitor was helping with the school cafeteria clean up during lunch. He would stand near the exit emptying and stacking plates as the students exited. One day, when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade and the entire cafeteria was filled with only the first few grades, we heard this loud blowing noise. It sounded something like air coming out of a balloon. A few of us kids looked over in Granddad's direction where the sound was coming from. Smitty ...

ER Physician to Mom "CT scan shows nothing going on in your head, your family may already know." Most mornings on the drive to work, I phone my parents and talk for a few minutes.  This morning Dad answered "We had an accident and are at the emergency room, mom was kicked in the head by a cow." One of the last things you need at age 87 is to be kicked in the head by a cow.  I kept driving past work to the ER in Granbury. Mom and Dad had been up early, corralling a few cows for market. A bull calf kicked a steel gate which swung into Mom, striking her in the forehead and shin. With the laceration on her forehead bleeding pretty profusely, a quick stop by the house was made for a towel to slow the bleeding. They then made a high speed drive to the hospital. About 35 stitches to close the gash on her forehead, but just a bruises otherwise.  A couple of hours later, she was on her way home. However, probably won't finish penning the cows until tomorrow.

“Would anyone remember the story of Godiva if she lowered Coventry's taxes without taking her clothes off?”  ―  Daniel Donoghue ,  Lady Godiva: A Literary History of the Legend Went for a mid afternoon bicycle ride in a local park yesterday. The weather was changing from a hot sunny day to possible rain. Thunder and lightning could be seen and heard nearby.  The normally very busy park was mostly abandoned. However, the few people at the park were interesting.  There was a family taking pictures of their 2 or 3 year old dressed only in a cowboy hat and boots and standing on split rail fence.  A couple with a woman (all in their 20s) were photographing the woman.  The woman appeared to be clad in only high heels, a large straw hat and a man's dress shirt.  Couldn't record any of this on my smart phone without looking like a pervert, but an interesting day at the park.