Fall

Howdy everybody. Well, I have really have been enjoying some nice fall days, and nights for that matter. I used to hate fall, mainly because that meant winter was coming and I would freeze trying to work outside. So, I would fuss and carry on about how cold it was getting and how winter was just around the corner. I have changed since those days. And I mean "Changed". I enjoy the fall and the winter. Its seems like winter is when I do my best work around the farm. I can wear warm and protective clothing when I am in the woods working or cleaning fence rows. In the summer I roast wearing coveralls to keep the poison ivy off me. I am so allergic to poison ivy and such that it doesnt pay off to work in the summer. Two hours of fence cleaning and five days of swollen face and arms.
The neighbors are frightened of me when they see the get-up I wear in the summer. Coveralls , sweatshirt hood tied up on my head. Black tape holding my sleeves to my gloves, and cuffs of my pants taped to my boots. Wielding the weed eater like Chevy Chase held the chain saw in Christmas Vacation.
Speaking of weed eating. You know I bought a pretty nice weed eater a couple of years ago. It started out working okay then a few uses later it didnt wanted to feed the line and then quit running and just all around be a pain in the butt to use. So I kind-a got a little angry when it didnt feed the line like it should, and gave it a couple of body slams. Well, it still wouldnt behave so the next thing you know me and this THING, went a few rounds and it changes from a straight shaft trimmer to a bent shaft trimmer. (if you know what I mean). Yes, I beat that trimmer til you couldnt recognize it. Poor thing. By then it was too late. No saving it. The neighbor kid sat and worked on it for a couple of hours trying to save its live, but it was too late. I put a shop rag over its head and said goodbye. You know most of the time I get my moneys worth out of stuff, but every now and again you have to set and example for the rest of the tools.
Kids
Me and my dog Rocky drove to the farm store the other day. While I was in the store I could hear this woman reasoning with her bratty four year old kid, that he could get a toy and that he had to part with it long enough to let the cashier ring it up. I got so sick of listening to that brat whine over that two dollar toy tractor , I wanted to yank it away from him just to watch his face. I was thinking, why is it that these kids have to have a toy every time they go to the store? I proceeded to check out and the kid was still whining. The cashier rang up my chicken feed and other stuff. She ask if that would be all, and I said no, I would like to buy this dog toy and two of those dogie chew bones. Morale of the story. My dog didnt whine for his toy.
I ran into a gal I went to school with the other day, and she was holding her son's one year old baby. I looked at this kid and thought how sweet she is, poor little thing, you know her face was kind of hmmm, and it must be a downs baby. Then this kids mother came up to us and WHEW!Whoa Nelly! When I got a look at her, I knew it was just a family trait to look like that. Morale of this story "If you have to put a bag over your woman's face, you may not want to make a baby with her."

Last Saturday would have been my dad's 89th birthday. He died in 2001 and it seems like yesterday that we were talking about the events of the day. I am glad that his memory lives so vivid in my mind. I feel like I could see him today and it would be like he was never gone. I am sorry for the trouble I gave him at times, but I think he knew it was never because I didnt love him. He was so very funny, and smart. He always had a flare for sizing someone up. His take on people was spot on when it came to judging their character. He was his children's biggest fan. No matter what us kids did sports, jobs, activities, he thought we were better than any ones kids. That what builds confidence in kids.

On the horse scene. Ritzy is done racing for the year. It gets harder and harder to find a place to race that isnt three hours away. Ruthie is coming along great. I will train her until the weather gets bad, and then she can play in the snow and grow some more.

My daughter allowed that her husband and myself need to take the short course in infant cpr, to prepare for the baby due in April. She asked me what would I do if the baby was choking and I said "take the baby by the heels, turn it upside down and shake until the object was dislodged." I guess that didnt fly with her , so we are signed up for the course.


Later